The leading manufacturer in electronic access ­control solutions has one of the broadest product portfolios in access control worldwide. The combination of Salto and Gantner will form a company with a strong position in cloud, mobile access, and customer-centric solutions such as ticketing systems and cashless payment. We had the opportunity to talk with Aznar Sethna, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Salto, about the acquisition and the future offering.

GIT SECURITY: In the video Salto posted directly after the acquisition, it was mentioned that already in 2015 Salto wanted to acquire Gantner. Can you give us some details about how the acquisition developed?

Aznar Sethna: We have always seen Gantner as a supplier of modern access control systems. And here in particular with solutions for special vertical markets where Salto was not so strongly represented. Contact was therefore established at an early stage and the exchange of information has been maintained over the years. This exchange was very open, cordial and characterised by mutual recognition. There were several reasons why a takeover did not occur in 2015. One of them was certainly the fact that five years ago we were a much smaller company and such a takeover would have been more difficult to handle then than today. Sometimes things just have to evolve. And now a number of circumstances have come together in an ideal way: Gantner has grown strongly in recent years, has brought new solutions to the market, has decisively expanded its portfolio through acquisitions, the previous owner was willing to sell and we also felt ready to handle such a transaction.

Can you describe what Gantner brings to the table and how they will diversify the product offering?

Aznar Sethna: On the product side, we see mainly three things: Gantner has a mature and comprehensive platform for intelligent locker locking systems, offers cashless ticketing and payment systems and has versatile terminals in its range – all solutions that Salto has not offered so far. As there is virtually no overlap in the portfolio and both companies are in a very good financial position, the acquisition aims to achieve more with existing resources – especially with the current workforce – than would be possible separately. As both companies operate in different vertical markets, together we will be able to significantly expand our respective presence through the expanded product range.
This enables us to accompany our users practically the whole day: This starts with locking the flat door with a smart door lock, continues with access control, management of workout plans, cashless payment for refreshments and checkout at the gym, and continues with complete access control for doors, lockers, parking and lifts at the workplace, including cashless payment in the canteen. The circle is completed with the booking of tickets, cloakroom management and cashless payment processing when attending a concert with the corresponding allocation of access rights. Digital access rights and cloud technologies form the technical basis for this, which is already available today. Together we can establish this unique approach much better in the market.

You will have 1,200 employees in 40 countries. How do the different company cultures fit together in the new organization?

Aznar Sethna: We fit together very well. Both companies are strongly technology and R&D driven, have long since brought the latest technological trends such as cloud or mobile access to market maturity and are selling them successfully within their portfolios. In short: we set market standards and do not copy from others. This mindset is firmly anchored in both companies and will be the basis of our merger. In addition, Gantner and Salto attach great importance to lean organisational structures, short distances and open communication between all parts of the company. Therefore, there is no dictation from Salto about how what has to happen. Rather, it is about learning from each other and adopting the best methods and processes. Both companies have done very well so far in developing skills – and we want to continue to do so in our joint company.

Both companies have strong R&D departments with 230 dedicated to R&D people. Can you outline how they will work together in the future?

Aznar Sethna: Of course, discussions have long since begun on how we can effectively connect the various locations and competencies. However, we have not issued a rigid timetable for this – as you can see from other takeovers in the access control sector, such plans do not work in practice. We want to give ourselves the time we need. Responsible for the implementation will be Michael Unger, previously the head of product management at Salto. He will involve all stakeholders worldwide and coordinate the process. Due to his previous position at Salto, he has worked across departments and has had very close contact with the development department. He is therefore exactly the right person for this role.

Both parts of the company are very strong in cloud solutions and automated access processing. How are you going to enhance the end-user experience?

Aznar Sethna: Our end users will have two main advantages: easier integration into their system environment and optimised internal processes. After all, one of the most important features of cloud solutions is their comparatively simple integration via APIs. We will use this not only to link the systems of Gantner and Salto, but also to connect third-party systems. CRM and ERP systems today often already run in the cloud and we can integrate our joint solutions here without much effort. The end user benefits from lower costs, higher security and less maintenance. In addition, internal processes can be optimised via integrated systems. Automation minimises error sources, reduces costs and improves traceability. At the same time, the user experience with integrated and mobile applications is improved, which typically results in intuitive handling and thus increases user acceptance.
In general, together we can now significantly expand our portfolio and offer seamless one-stop solutions, from access control at the car park to access control at the main entrance, lift, locker and office door, from cashless payment in the canteen and kiosk to booking, payment and access control in leisure facilities – to use the aforementioned example once again.