Frost & Sullivan recently presented the 2004 Business Development Strategy Leadership Award to the Kaba Group for successfully building and expanding its business in the European access control markets through a winning combination of vision, technology and effective marketing.
One of the key aspects of Kaba's strategy is its astute offering of a complete solution to the market, aptly named "Total Access." This unique offering - which includes individual components, fully integrated systems, data collection and time management solutions - makes Kaba one of the few companies in Europe to have a strong presence across all segments of the access control markets.
"By being present in all areas of the market, Kaba operates from a position of strength from which it continues to increase its market penetration," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Jose Melero-Marti. "Its comprehensive product line allows it to reach a broad base of customers worldwide."
Kaba is focused on sustaining penetration rates by maintaining a continuous relationship with its installed base. This ensures a steady flow of income while allowing it to develop the current client base through its "Total Access" solution. Due to its targeted business development strategy, Kaba is now ranked among the 10 most important access control companies in Europe -a laudable achievement in a highly competitive market.
Compared to its competitors, Kaba allocates substantially larger resources to research and development and staff training as part of its strategy to increase market growth. This has established Kaba as a technology leader; today, technologies such as biometrics find a place in many of its products.
Despite tough market conditions, Kaba has achieved significant growth over the last few years, constantly expanding and consolidating its position as a leading access control solutions provider.
The company continues to set ambitious growth targets for itself, indicating its confidence in its ability to keep expanding globally. As the clear leader in Europe in the medium and high-end market segments, Kaba is particularly well-placed to exploit the most lucrative parts of the market. To date, the company has had maximum impact in the European countries of Austria, Germany and France.
"In a mature and competitive market, but also one with significant areas of opportunity, Kaba has taken a strong initiative and used its Total Access strategy to position itself as a complete solution provider at the forefront of the European access control markets," says Melero-Marti. "Frost & Sullivan is, therefore, delighted to confer the 2004 Business Development Strategy Leadership Award on the Kaba Group."
