Keys, as most people understand them, have been around for a long time.

The traditional lever lock, for instance, dates back to the late Eighteenth Century, the days of Robert Barron and the Industrial Revolution. The first keys, however, can be traced back far earlier, to ancient times, more than two millennia ago.

Our industry’s past is fascinating, make no mistake about it. But, as absorbing as it is, w’d much rather look to a future that promises to be even more interesting.

Never before have things moved so fast. The technological advances being made these days mean this is an ever-changing industry, but as always, our finger is on the pulse.

Things are much changed since Robert Barron’s days and, in our quest to combat modern crime, we need modern methods. In this, w’re talking about electromechanical and electronic technology, because this is the future of locking systems. Be it Codehandle, ASSA, Yale or the other brands available to William Channon customers, the options are limitless.

Wireless access control and electronic locking systems are becoming ever-more popular and for good reason. To borrow a phrase from Salto, such systems are ‘Smart, Secure and Innovativ’. To quote our friends at ASSA, ‘Electric locks offer the perfect combination . . . fast convenient access . . . [and] high security’.

This, of course, is what it’s all about: ensuring properties are as secure as possible, whilst making access simple, convenient and flexible. Need to give different people different clearance levels? No problem. Need to manage access from afar? Simple. Need to record movements and be in total control at all times? It isn’t an issue. Looking for a cost-effective solution? Never before have such advanced systems been pitched at such an affordable price.

You can even go keyless, with products such as the Yale Digital Lock among those that are always in stock here. Yale have a saying, No Keys, No Hassle, No Fuss. It is this, more than anything, that sums up the future for us here at William Channon.

Such advanced and effective systems used to be exclusive to business and commercial customers, but thanks to Yale and their contemporaries, electronic locking has also become a viable and attractive option for those seeking to ensure that their domestic properties are kept as secure as possible at all times. So much so that this isn’t just the future, it’s also the present.

Here at William Channon, we couldn’t be more excited about products such as Smartair, Evolo and Cliq Remote, which is an excellent electromechanical system that w’d be delighted to demonstrate for anyone interested.

It’s a little different to their simple systems, but we like to think Robert Barron and our forefathers would approve. Their achievements in the past have provided a solid foundation upon which to build our future. It’s a future that couldn’t be more fascinating.