Following a conversation between fellow BSIA members Danny Lee of NACD and Jo Shaer of Lollipop Fire & Security Marketing at the BSIA Autumn Forum, this article explores the evolution of access control.
Thirty years ago, access control looked very different from the connected security systems we rely on today.
In the mid-1990s, most systems were simple standalone devices - mechanical keypads controlling a single door or gate. There was no networking, no remote management and certainly no cloud dashboards. Security was local, isolated and largely reactive.
Today, access control systems are part of cloud-connected security ecosystems that manage buildings, support safety strategies and generate operational insight.
Few companies have witnessed that transformation as closely as NACD, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
From French entry panels to UK access control systems
NACD’s story begins with its founder, Richard Collis, who recognised an opportunity to bring innovative door entry technology from mainland Europe to the UK.
A French manufacturer called Noralsy had developed high-quality entry panels widely used on apartment buildings across Paris. Seeing their potential, Richard began supplying these systems to UK gate installers.
“Thirty years ago we were selling simple digital keypads,” explains Danny Lee of NACD. “They were standalone systems - no network, no remote access, usually just a shared code to open the gate.”
As the technology evolved, expectations changed.
Keypads were soon replaced by programmable access control systems. Installers increasingly needed support in commissioning them, which led NACD to develop pre-staging and installation services.
As projects grew more complex, clients began asking a simple question: why not provide the whole system?
That shift gradually transformed NACD from distributor to integrator, delivering access control, video door entry and system maintenance for major developments across London and the South East.
Learning from buildings once people move in
Modern connected security systems continue to evolve after installation.
Unlike earlier standalone systems, today’s platforms generate data that reveals how buildings are actually used.
Danny explained: “Because we maintain systems long after they’re installed, we learn what works and what doesn’t.”
Systems are often implemented according to designs created by consultants or crime prevention specialists. But once residents move in, behaviour can differ from what designers expected.
Urban planners call these unexpected behaviours “desire paths” - the routes people naturally take even when designers intended something different.
Connected systems make these patterns visible through access logs, audit trails and system alerts, providing insight that can help refine security strategies over time.
Designing out crime
Modern connected security systems are generally most effective when paired with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.
At Erith Park in south-east London, guidance from a Designing Out Crime Officer (DOCO) and the integration of thoughtful site design with a data-logging door-entry system helped deter intruders and support investigations, contributing to a significant reduction in crime, including no reported burglaries recorded in the first year after regeneration.
The rise of connected security
Over the past three decades, the biggest shift has been from isolated systems to connected platforms.
Today these systems can deliver video door entry to smartphones, log events, support remote management and monitor faults.
For installers and property managers, this changes maintenance.
“In the past we might send an engineer to site to investigate a problem. Now we can often diagnose it remotely and arrive with the right replacement part.”
That saves time, reduces costs and improves uptime.
“Customers are not really buying maintenance visits — they want availability. They want their systems working all the time.” Danny Lee, NACD
The next phase: connected buildings
Increasingly security systems are becoming part of wider building intelligence platforms.
At a recent fire safety conference, Danny heard about emerging work using digital twins - virtual models of buildings fed by data from connected sensors and safety systems.
In the future, connected security systems could contribute real-time data to these models, helping insurers and building managers assess risk dynamically.
So, if a fire system goes offline or a safety component fails, that risk could immediately be reflected in the building’s profile.
This highlights how connected security is moving beyond traditional protection towards a broader role in building safety and risk management.
Technology changes… responsibility does not
Despite rapid technological change, one thing has remained constant over NACD’s thirty-year journey: responsibility.
Richard built NACD around a simple principle - security systems exist to keep people safe.
Colleagues recall that after project handovers he would visit sites personally, checking systems from the perspective of residents:
“In this industry what we install affects how safe people feel in their homes. You can’t lose sight of that.”
From doors to data
Looking back over three decades, access control has evolved from simple door hardware into connected digital infrastructure.
What began as keypads on gates now forms part of security ecosystems that protect buildings, support safety strategies and generate valuable insight.
From keypads to cloud, the technology has changed dramatically - but the goal remains the same: protecting the places where people live and work.