It wont be long before Hikvision will be dominating the Access Control industry like they already are in surveillance. Boom Shocka Locka!

Thank you Sean! :) I made this its own discussion. I'll let others debate Hikvision's future dominance (or not) of access control.

For more of Sean's best, see I Dont Really See Hikvision Competing With Anyone. They Are So Far Ahead Of Everyone Else.

 Sean you road the Dahua horse for along time and got burned which I am sure cost you time and money.   Fast forward 3-5 years what is your backup plan when Hikvision does the same thing?  What makes you think the same think will not happen with Hikvision?

I suppose they can push their access products out through their existing distribution networks, which I assume are massive, but apart from that, do they really have any long term advantages in access control? I'll throw a few "Devils advocate" arguments out there:

• Lower cost manufacturing? On this front they are competing with western companies who can push out their manufacturing to a growing list of countries more competitive than China e.g. Mexico, Vietnam? 

• Robotic manufacturing is on the rise in the West. China could also benefit from this you may say, but does the Chinese government throw so much money into Hikvision to see them fire their workers and replace them with machines? The West on the other hand has transitioned more to a service based economy than China, so moving to robotic manufacturing may be easier.

• Innovative products? Access control is different to camera and VMS manufacturing, both software and hardware. It is a lot easier to develop an access control product, and while there is always room to innovate, you hit a wall sooner with access control beyond which it does't really need to do anymore. So I am not sure having massive development resources will help you that much. 

• One thing I notice now with access control compared to 20 years ago, is the amount of time spent on writing software to integrate with third party products. This builds on the last point, I think with Access control, there is less emphasis on innovation and more on providing solutions/services. This implies there is a closer relationship between some installers and manufactures than one may think, and the smaller the manufacturer, the better that relationship.

• As an example to build on that last point, I have worked for a few small and moderate size Alarm and Access control manufactures over the last 20 years. One thing I notice is the large amount of installer features that seldom get used by most installers e.g. there might be 60 different options and your average installer will only use a few of them. These are options that at some time the manufacturer might have added at the request of an individual installer. You are much less likely to get that kind of service from larger manufacturers, and hopefully that translates into loyalty from installers for us smaller manufacturers.

I posted this response in the original thread, I will here too:

Hikvision access has good strengths, but I would be surprised to see them dominate in access in the existing channels.

Say whatever you'd want regarding Hikvision in defense, but the brand has some significant cybersecurity baggage to overcome that many 'access-only' providers do not have. Mix in the question/uncertainty/doubt of potential backdoors, and it is quite the uphill march.

Moreover, I'm not sure that Hik's strength the video installer channel translates to access installers. I know the lines are are increasingly being blurred between security systems and installers, but the incumbent access market is hard to break into, no matter how strong your brand in cameras may be.

See: Axis Admits Access Control Expectations Low for 'exhibit A' in that regard.

I don't see it.

Personally I want a partner that can help me and I do not see that with HIK. They have been stubborn about their security issues. Why would I think they would listen to the market in the US for a specific feature, or program modification?

I posted this and then found this as I went through the articles.

HIK circumvents dealers by selling on Amazon

Why would I partner with them?

I disagree that Hik will take over the access control market or even become a major player. The access control (EAC) market is a very different than the video surveillance market. Simply assuming that a low cost solution is the answer to becoming a dominate player is a limited perspective, as there are already many low costs, EAC solutions that have yet to make significant dents to the market.  

First, I state this as one with experience selling EAC platforms across the US and Canada. from closed proprietary systems to open, Mercury based systems. In general, integrators are less likely to switch EAC platforms than they are video platforms. There are several reasons for this:

• Training techs on new EAC platforms is costlier, in both the training required as well as the loss of productivity in the field. EAC is more complicated than its big brother, video surveillance. This has been proved out many, many times I have talked with integrators and even here on IPVM. Lenel is listed as one of the most “disliked” EAC platforms available, yet they are still a major player. When talking to Lenel partners, the reason they do not change… cost of on-boarding a new product.
• System integrators that have a well-balanced EAC and video surveillance business structure, are usually well established, legacy integrators. They have a strong influence on local RFPs, consultants and customer bases, meaning that uprooting an established EAC brand in a region will take years.

Second, there have been other, great low cost options in the market for years. A great example is infinias (I used to work for them). A great product, PoE powered, low cost, video integration options… etc. While they have some traction, they have never been able to become the “break-out” product that they should have been. Infinias is not the only option, there are others. Cost alone will not be a driving factor.

Third, video guys cannot sell EAC. (I know some video guy is going to argue this point) EAC is a technical sale, video is a sexy sale. In-other words, just because Hik has an extensive distribution, RSM and dealer network, does not mean they will be able to sell EAC. It is especially difficult to sell a rip-n-replace of EAC.

Example: Show the latest 4K camera with WDR against an old Pelco Spectra… easy sale. Conversely, what does a new EAC system do… opens the door just like the current one. This point is especially pointed with the Hik solution as they are not offering anything new, super secure or even exciting as it relates to the EAC market.

Forth, open must be the further of EAC. We can debate this for years, and I do have feelings on both sides of this argument, however the point has been well established in the industry and by major end-users… must be open! End-users hate getting locked into technologies, the cost of an EAC upgrade can be very high. Open platforms, such as Mercury and HID, provide the flexibility that end-users want.

I will concede that the Hik offering will gain some traction, indeed with existing Hik dealers. However, a dominate player in the US market, I highly doubt it. The EAC market is not like the video market. I have a lot more I could say about this point alone, but my post is already way to long.

In order to dominate the Access Control market they might have to figure out network security. I don't follow them closely but I haven't seen any changes on that front. Specifically, I don't see them having an open approach to disclosure of vulnerabilities or any change of direction with their "network hardening" approach.

If they have a history of being easy to hack, would you allow them to control entry to your building?

I think Sean should be a stand up comedian, and I mean that in a nice way :-)

Guys, they will dominate on SMB market. We all know how sales guys work: they would never tell the customer about weak cybersecurity part of the product. Good price, top sales all over the world, blah-blah-blah

Only in case of enterprise when a customer has specialists (not every one) it will not work.

Just checking: Industry dominated yet?