For many years locks have been developed and manufactured for what we would call traditional lock manufacturers. Some of the biggest names are Schlage, Yale, Medeco and Abloy to name a few. Many of these companies are responsible for major innovations in mechanical locks. Now, most of them have made the transition to manufacturing electronic locks.

Now, non-traditional lock companies are getting into the lock and security business. Some of these companies have never made a lock, but are manufacturers of software and electronics. They have discovered that the next innovations in locks will be software, communication, networks and electronics. The mechanical part of these locks is the easy part.

For example, I recently heard a story about a company that developed a device that bypassed the inside thumb turn of a deadbolt lock. In theory, this would work with any deadbolt with a thumb turn. The device shot out just over the turn of the thumb. This device housed all electronics and communications. This manufacturer developed an application (Apple or Android), which communicated with the device via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. When I opened the app and pressed the lock or unlock button, the device rotated the thumb which in turn locked or unlocked. The bolt

This is an example of a company that did not manufacture any type of mechanical lock. Instead, they made a device that controlled the existing lock. There are other companies that are making network devices that will control many different types of locks similar to locks found in an office building or hospital. This is a form of access control that has been around for years. The difference is that these companies are not your traditional lock companies and do not use traditional means of access control. Instead, they have discovered a way to control and monitor many different types of locks made by many different lock companies.

In the near future, biometrics will gain wider acceptance as a means of controlling locks. Companies like Apple® and Samsung® are already implementing biometrics in their phones. This is now being used to make payments like a credit or debit card. It wouldn’t be a huge leap for these phones to control door locks in the same way that a payment is made.

Traditional lock manufacturers will have no choice but to allow this communication and smart locks will incorporate this communication capability into their electronic locks.