Are your customers increasingly requesting wireless solutions and is this an area you are looking to develop? How important is battery life to its adoption in the professional sector? The PSi Panel answers these questions and more…
Mark Hastry – Wireless CCTV
Wireless technology is the future of electronic security. Across the sector, we’re seeing a very clear rise in demand for systems that can be deployed quickly, adapted easily and installed without the restrictions of fixed cabling. This encompasses everything from access control to intrusion detection, with CCTV playing a crucial role in this significant shift.
Customers expect solutions that minimise disruption and reduce installation time. Wireless options deliver exactly that. In environments where infrastructure is limited or risks evolve, the ability to redeploy solutions without running power or data cables is a huge advantage. It’s certainly reflected in our field, where wireless CCTV and other wireless-enabled technologies have become central to many temporary, remote, or fast-moving applications.
In the professional sector, battery life is a key factor, but it’s one of several considerations. The autonomy needs to be balanced with performance requirements, environmental conditions and the maintenance expectations. Smart energy is helping, but for high-demand solutions, such as CCTV, continuous power remains critical.
Wireless adoption will continue to grow, driven by improvements in connectivity, resilience and power efficiency. Advances in streaming technology, faster and more reliable networks and the wider availability of high-quality connections are accelerating this shift. As speed and reliability continue to improve, cloud-based platforms strengthen end-to-end security by enabling smarter monitoring, remote management and seamless system updates.
Jason Boyce – Abloy UK
Wireless access control systems are becoming an increasingly important part of modern security strategies, offering benefits in terms of installation speed, cost, flexibility and reduced disruption. Using technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, wireless locks and readers can be connected to central management platforms with minimal cabling, making them attractive for retrofit projects or heritage sites where installation may be restricted.
In heritage environments, wireless access control enables modern security and auditability to be introduced without compromising the structure of the building. Battery-powered locks and mobile credential support allow organisations to improve access management while preserving architectural integrity and minimising downtime. Similarly, wireless solutions are well suited to remote or hard to reach locations where long cable runs would be impractical.
On the other hand, wired access control systems still remain the gold standard in high security and high traffic environments such as data centres. In these types of settings, reliability and consistent uptime is essential. Wired systems provide resilience against RF interference, supports complex integrations with CCTV, alarms and building control systems, and removes the operational responsibility of battery management.
Accurate battery monitoring, clear status reporting and automated system alerts are essential to prevent lockouts, access disruptions or compliance issues. Without this, the operational burden of managing batteries across multiple doors or sites can quickly outweigh the installation benefits of wireless technology.
However, expectations remain high in the security sector as wireless access control must demonstrate the same levels of reliability and resilience that customers have long associated with wired systems. Battery-powered solutions will continue to gain traction, but only where they can deliver consistent performance and clear operational assurance over the full lifecycle of the installation.
Adam Evans – ABUS UK
The demand for wireless security solutions is closely linked to how easy they are to install. Where systems can be deployed quickly, with minimal disruption and without the need for invasive cabling, they appeal to a broad range of customers.
Lowering the effort to entry has played a significant role in the growth of wireless security. By reducing installation complexity, wireless systems have made professional security more accessible to customers who may previously have delayed adoption due to cost, disruption or practical limitations. In this sense, wireless has expanded the market rather than simply replacing existing wired solutions.
As adoption has increased, expectations around wireless technology have also evolved. Customers look beyond installation convenience and expect reliable, day to day performance that fits into normal routines.
This is where power management becomes a defining consideration. Unlike wired systems, where continuous power is largely taken for granted, wireless solutions require a more active and visible approach to energy use.
Battery life becomes more about predictability and transparency. Clear indication of battery status, combined with sufficient advance warning before replacement is required, allows users to manage maintenance confidently. As people are already accustomed to monitoring battery levels across a wide range of everyday devices, similar behaviour is now expected from security systems.
This growing familiarity has helped reduce concerns around reliability and has supported the wider acceptance of wireless technology in professional applications. Installers can design systems with maintenance planning in mind, while end users increasingly view periodic battery replacement as a normal part of ownership rather than a limitation of the technology itself.
Wired security hardware systems do continue to play a vital role in environments where permanence, scale or critical infrastructure are involved. Continuous power, long term stability and minimal ongoing intervention make wired solutions well suited to high traffic or mission critical sites where reliability must be absolute.
Wireless has therefore not replaced wired security but complemented it. Each approach addresses different priorities, with wireless offering flexibility and speed of deployment, and wired systems providing long term resilience and uninterrupted operation. The most effective security strategies recognise this balance and apply each technology where it delivers the greatest value.
The continued growth of wireless solutions will depend on maintaining confidence over time, ensuring ease of installation is matched by predictable performance and clear system visibility. When combined thoughtfully with established wired infrastructure, this hybrid approach reflects a more mature and pragmatic view of smart security design.
Read the full article in the February 2026 edition of PSi magazine
