New Study on Smart Locks Reveals a Shift Toward Digitizing Security

A recent study conducted by Columbia University visiting scholar Rebecca Ding and former Nielsen consumer insights senior executive Georgia Zhuang has found that most consumers are open to the idea of a smart home, and that they would trust a smart lock with their home security. The survey was answered digitally and voluntarily by 382 individuals in the United States, with more than half of them between the ages of 25-40. The split of the sample size was 65% male to 35% female, with the primary decision makers being males.

Most consumers are accustomed to the idea of smart devices and may already integrate their home technology stack with an Amazon Alexa or Google Home system. The shift toward digitization of basic household needs comes as a growing number of digital natives age and begin to have their own homes and disposable income. Interestingly, the socioeconomic status of participants was evenly distributed across the household income ranges provided by the survey-makers. This shows that the idea of need for digitized security is pervasive no matter the income level.

Unsurprisingly, the features within a smart lock are deciding factors. The study found that while different age groups prefer different colors of locks, the main request within a lock is for it to be as secure as possible. This is followed by durability, price and smart features. The younger crowd was interested in voice command capabilities. Overall, battery life, remote lock/unlock, security key override in case of battery failure, and the ability to allow for multiple users are most important to the group; while female consumers consider fingerprint much more important than male consumers.

The biggest overarching concerns are mostly about the reliability of the technology and the more expensive price perception. The majority of users said that they would be willing to pay between $100-$199 for a smart lock. Female consumers expressed bigger concerns about how to use the devices and the lack of familiarity of the benefits.

One leader in the home security industry is SECURAM Smart. It is an offshoot of SecuRam Systems, Inc., the brand best known for bank vault security systems. A recent review by TechHive’s Christopher Null, said the following about the SECURAM Touch, a smart home lock that has the ability to unlock with either a fingerprint using RF technology, or a custom code for up to thirty users: “ its beefy, circular construction (both interior and exterior) has a reassuring appearance that reminds one of a bank-vault entrance.”

This need for a true sense of security from consumers who want to be reassured that their technology is working for them bodes well for tech and security companies who are on the forefront of this shift in the industry.

Securam Systems Inc. CEO, Chunlei Zhou said, “It makes sense that as the world gets more and more connected, people are growing more concerned with the security of their smart devices. We were not surprised to learn that people want their homes to be connected AND secure. We will continue to leverage our expertise to stay ahead of the curve and keep bringing high-security options to smart home owners.”