Capture the DIY Electric Lock Market
Get product information on devices from Arrow Revolution, Kwikset, Schlage and Yale.
Selling value-added products to new and existing clients - such as door locks that can be operated via smartphone apps - provide excellent recurring revenue opportunities.
In November I wrote about how DIY products and systems are providing unique recurring revenue opportunities for traditional security dealers. A big focus of the blog was the SDN DragonFly, a DIY home video security system. Another DIY opportunity available to dealers is that of electric locks that use integration capabilities with the customer’s smartphone and their alarm systems.
As a security dealer you should consider offering wireless locksets when installing any new alarm system. You also can offer them to your existing clients after the initial sale has taken place. There is no greater opportunity than selling value-added products to new and existing clients. These folks already know you, they know of your integrity, your honesty and your technical knowhow.
One of the nation’s top cellular providers in the smartphone sales and service arena has done just that by offering a full line of DIY electric locks that allow their clients to operate them using their smartphones. At the center of this capability are several wireless signaling technologies. The one that cellular companies are likely to see uses near-field communication (NFC) technology. In this instance the smartphone must be in close proximity to the lock in order to work.
Z-Wave and ZigBee communication protocols also are potential communication protocols capable of controlling smart locks from anywhere in the world. This allows you to offer more merely locking and unlocking an electric lock at the door. These two technologies enable you to offer the client the ability to check the status of their door locks and to lock or unlock from anywhere in the world using cellular and Internet technologies.
Here are a number of electric locking products and their manufacturers that offer wireless locks that employ ZigBee and/or Z-Wave technologies:
Arrow Revolution V2 Electronic Auxiliary Deadbolt Lock – This device offers an electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock that features audio help with multiple volume levels to assist installers and end users alike. It accommodates 25 user PINs as well as trilingual operation in English, Spanish and French. Operation is assured by four AA dry cell batteries with an effective life of one year. The assembly includes a common mortise cylinder with a single key for mechanical override when needed. For more information, visit arrowrevolution.com.
Kwikset SmartCode Touchpad Electronic Deadbolt – The SmartCode electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock offers the convenience of rapid installation with heightened security. The lock has many features that end users will appreciate. The lock provides two PINS, one for family members and the other as a temporary access code for users outside the home who may need temporary access. The length of the PINs can be set from four to eight digits. Where common PINs consist of four digits, an eight-digit PIN allows for a greater degree of security at the door.
The lock also features Kwikset’s “Connect Home” technology that uses wireless connectivity to provide remote access through a smartphone, tablet, laptop or other Web-enabled device. It also enables the integration of the lockset with other in-home systems and devices, such as security alarms, lighting control systems and more. This includes a feature where the alarm system can be automatically armed and disarmed based on the security mode of the lock. For more information, go here.
Schlage Sense Electronic Auxiliary Deadbolt – This auxiliary deadbolt lock is a high-tech access control device for use in ordinary residential applications that fall under the high-end smart home category. It features 30 user codes as well as alarm detection sensors to detect tampering, forced entry or general lock activity. The Schlage Sense electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock is designed to integrate with a number of Apple-made and other devices, which includes the Siri, iPhone, iPad and the iPod Touch. To use this degree of integration Schlage offers the Apple HomeKit which can be added now or later. These Apple-related high-tech features ride on Z-Wave as well as Bluetooth wireless technologies. For more information, go here.
Yale “Real Living” Electronic Auxiliary Deadbolt Lock – This electronic auxiliary deadbolt lock offers illuminated buttons combined with a one-button enrollment feature making programming a cinch. Unlike the other three products presented in this story, the “Real Living” lock has no keys for a criminal to pick or bump. The lock itself operates on four AA batteries that provide approximately one year of service. And, unique to this lock is the use of a 9-volt battery to assure that when the four primary AA batteries fail, the homeowner can still gain access to the home. The deadbolt latch is motorized, adding additional security to this Yale-made lock. For more information, go here.
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About the Author
Al Colombo
Al Colombo is a long-time trade journalist and professional in the security and life-safety markets. His work includes more than 40 years in security and life-safety as an installer, salesman, service tech, trade journalist, project manager,and an operations manager. You can contact Colombo through TpromoCom, a consultancy agency based in Canton, Ohio, by emailing [email protected], call 330-956-9003, visit www.Tpromo.Com.
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