23 Jun 2008

ASSA ABLOY in Japan

In booming Asia, Japan has its own unique needs, which are being addressed by a new ASSA ABLOY representative office in the country.

With acquired companies bringing with them more distributors in Japan, it was decided that a representative office could strengthen ASSA ABLOY’s push into this market.

Japan has traditionally been considered very safe, but crime has been rising steadily since 2000. This has led to a greater level of security consciousness, particularly in the residential arena.

ASSA ABLOY’s focus is therefore on product quality, innovation and functionality rather than sales quantity, as is often the case in Asia. The Japanese consumer demands products that provide added value or are technically advanced.

“Architects and general contractors are demanding complete security solutions with the capacity to interface with products not directly related to security,” says Murray Spence, responsible for the representative office. “For example, consumers are now able to use their mobile phones to open doors instead of the traditional key or remote control.”

The representative office has so far focused on mapping the Japanese security market in terms of size, major players, channels to market, product standards and government regulations. It is working with existing distributors to widen the portfolio of Group-brand products and identify new business opportunities.

Published 16 Jun 2008

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