That’s what’s happening at ASSA ABLOY Singapore, and with great success. The company is pioneering a DDL solution for the city’s vast majority of state properties that feature an outer metal gate, in addition to a main front door.
Most of Singapore’s residents – almost 80 percent – live in the city’s million-plus government built Housing Development Board (HDB) apartments, which are built to a high quality and are very popular.
The metal gates may be popular, but they are not convenient, as opening both doors involves two sets of keys. Digital door locks are a simpler solution, as they can be opened with a PIN code, but the market has focused on their installation on the main door only.
“This means that you still need a key to open the metal gate, negating much of the convenience,” says Patrick Ng, general manager at ASSA ABLOY Singapore. “A team here in Singapore, identified a gap in the market for a DDL on the outer metal gate as well and set about developing a convenient solution for customers.”
This solution – the Yale Gatelock – was introduced in early 2015. Another new model is set to be launched at the end of 2017. With the market all to itself – and a million apartments – two million doors – as a target, sales are growing fast, both on new properties and as retrofits.