SecurityWorldMarket

18/12/2024

Joe Grillo gives his views on the future of security technology

Stockholm, Sweden

Joe Grillo, officially retired from the security industry in May 2024, but recently returned to Stockholm as a key speaker at the Skydd security show. Photo: Camilla Svensk

Acre’s founder, Joe Grillo, gave a presentation on access control trends at the Technology Stage on the opening day of the recent Skydd exhibition in Stockholm, Scandinavia’s largest security event. Detektor International took the opportunity to interview him before his arrival in Stockholm.

Over the past four decades, Joe Grillo has been a driving force in access control developments. In this interview, he shares his views on today’s market. Joe Grillo led the spinoff of HID from Hughes Aircraft in 1995, where he served as marketing and sales manager until 1999, when he took on dual roles as COO/CEO. He continued leading HID even after Assa Abloy acquired the company in 2001, and in 2003, Grillo was named CEO of HID Global Technology Division before he left the security industry in 2008 to become CEO of Digital Angel Corp.

Return to the security industry

In 2012, Grillo returned to the security industry and founded Acre, a company primarily focused on access control. It wasn’t until 2015, however, that Europe and the global market took notice of Acre, following its acquisition of Siemens Security Business, which was rebranded as Vanderbilt and is now known as Acre Security.

Acre acquired by Triton

In 2021, Acre was sold to Triton. The following year, in 2022, Joe Grillo stepped down from his CEO role to retire. At that time, the business generated over 3 billion SEK in revenue and employed 550 people.

Speaking at Skydd

Joe Grillo has helped shape the future of access control technology, and his insights and experience led into to his invitation as a speaker on Skydd’s opening day. In preparation, Detektor reached out to him for an interview.

Tell us about Acre’s development and why access control became your focus.

“My original investment focus for Acre was always geared toward access control. Acre stands for “Access Control and Related Enterprises.”

Could you elaborate?

“The foundation for access control and identification lies in related and parallel product segments that should be integrated. So, intrusion alarms, card readers, and other components that came with the Siemens acquisition fit this strategy, as did later acquisitions like Comnet and TDS.”

What trends do you see in the access control market over the next few years?

“Continued investment in access control, including wireless locks from companies like Assa Abloy, Allegion, and Dormakaba. Other growing trends include the shift to cloud solutions, biometrics, and mobile devices.”

What role do you see for the cloud in access control?

“Cloud applications impact all companies providing software solutions, including access control. Market penetration is low but growing, depending on the type of end-user and application. Both on-prem solutions and cloud or hybrid solutions will be necessary. The best providers will offer all these options.”

What about AI’s role in access control?

“Valuable insights can be extracted from access control data. With AI embedded in systems, it becomes more automated and intuitive. AI will also facilitate the integration of video, audio, and other related sources.”

How do increasing EU and government regulations, such as NIS2 and GDPR, impact the access control market?

“Governmental and supranational regulations can sometimes slow down development, as significant resources are spent on handling regulatory issues rather than product development. Regulatory certifications often benefit larger players with the resources to manage them.”

You held a leading position within the Swedish Assa Abloy Group for many years. How do you view the Nordic region compared to other markets?

“The Nordic market has always been very advanced. You were the first to use two-factor authentication, initially with cards and keypads. In the Nordics, you were also early to integrate intrusion alarms and access control on a single platform. Offering parallel applications within access systems, such as booking laundry rooms in multi-family buildings, is another typical example of integration.”

Last year, you became CEO of Bibliotheca, a market leader in library technology services. How did that happen?

“I had “retired” but was on Bibliotheca’s board when a need arose for someone to lead the company’s restructuring. I was asked, and I agreed, but I don’t see it as a long-term commitment.”

Do you find your experience in the access control industry useful?

“Yes, we provide RFID-based checkout systems for libraries. One product we offer is Open+, allowing library owners and other authorised personnel to access libraries after hours with their library cards. So, there are indeed intersections with things I know well and am comfortable with.”


Tags


Product Suppliers
Back to top