When it comes to the latest and greatest in the world of security, it sometimes can be difficult to tell what will impress. Witness that the winner of the best new product at ISC West, announced Wednesday, was a low-voltage door operator aimed at retrofits — a locksmith product.
With that in mind, here’s what we saw that most impressed us from a security pro’s standpoint on the second day of the ISC West show.
Camden Door Controls
Camden Door Controls had several new products on display at its booth, but the two that stood out are a delayed-egress maglock and a new rim electric strike.
The DE1200 Exit Watch maglock has a 20-second countdown timer that includes a verbal warning that could be in English, French or Spanish, says David Price, vice president of communications and corporate development. But the maglock itself is only part of the equation because part of the Exit Watch line will include remote speakers that can be set up to relay the verbal countdown warning down a hallway.
Among a bevy of new electric strikes was the EPD1289L, which is a rim strike that includes 15 pounds of preload. This is particularly notable for high-traffic doors where a rim strike would most likely be used. Without the preload, a high-traffic door might be more inclined to binding, which could lead to a decline in performance over time, Price says. Both products are expected to be out by the third quarter of 2022.
Salto Systems
Meanwhile, SALTO Systems announced a new platform for its smart locks, called Homelok Powered by Nebula, which is available right away. Nebula is a cloud-based new access control software that’s aimed at multifamily housing, such as apartments and campus living, says Steve Burk, SALTO Systems North America director of marketing & vertical businesses.
Nebula brings the power of SALTO’s on-premises SVN-Flex technology to the cloud, so credentials can be updated from anywhere via the Nebula app. One new capability will be to store mobile credentials in Apple Wallet. This means that a lock that has SALTO’s new chipset, which the new XS4 Original+ has, will open even if the phone or app isn’t turned on. “Eventually all SALTO locks will have this capability,” Burk says and adds that although the Original+ has been in the market for a few months, they have this capability without a firmware update.
TownSteel
Finally, TownSteel showed the latest version of its e-Genius line of electronic smart locks aimed at the multifamily market. The lock is being called Better Connect, explains Dennis Ma, president of TownSteel, because “it provides better convenience to the user.” It allows for any credential to be used, whether card, fob or smartphone. It also can include a physical keypad to allow for entry if the resident has left behind their credential.
As is the case with other TownSteel so-called “genius” locks, the lock provides single-motion ingress and egress and will throw a 1-inch deadbolt by lifting the handle up from the outside (or a thumbturn inside). Ma expects the updated version of the e-Genius to be available during the second quarter of 2022.
About the author: Will Christensen is a senior editor for the Locksmith Ledger International. He can be reached at [email protected].
