From the Great Wall to great entrance control: IDL’s partner in China discusses the region’s entrance control market
Looking back, security has always been a top priority in China. Constructed mainly during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall provided an early form of perimeter protection to help prevent external threats from entering Chinese territory. Today, deterring unauthorised pedestrian access into buildings to mitigate risk from external sources – as well as controlling and monitoring the movement of authorised individuals – remains important, but the solutions on offer are a little more high-tech.
In 2013, Integrated Design Limited entered the Chinese market in partnership with Yolon Intelligent Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. Since then, our entrance control products have been installed across China in offices, banks, schools, airports and more, to prevent the threats associated with unauthorised access. We spoke to David Wang, Assistant General Manager at Yolon, about what he thinks makes for a successful partnership.
What about our respective company’s cultures do you think has contributed to such a long-standing relationship?
Over the past eight years, China has become an increasingly competitive market, with numerous low-priced turnstile options available. We have built a great relationship with IDL, working closely with them to differentiate their products from this end of the market, instead establishing Fastlane as a premium brand. The Chinese market has responded well and the Fastlane Glassgate 150, in particular, is proving popular, with its guarantee of reliability, quality and style.
Of course, the quality of the products needs to be paired with exceptional customer support and this is something the whole team at Yolon takes great pride in delivering. The mutual respect and trust between our two companies – trust from us that the products won’t disappoint our customers, and trust from IDL that our team understands the market it serves – is what has led to Fastlane products being chosen for the more prestigious projects in China.
Hongyi International Plaza in Shanghai, China Resources Vientiane World in Shenzhen, China Eastern Airlines headquarters in Shanghai and the Microsoft R&D Centre in Beijing are just some of the notable buildings which we’re proud to have helped secure in this region.
Which products are particularly suited to your market?
The Glassgate 150 meets our customers’ desire for a cost-effective solution whilst also delivering in terms of quality and style. I believe this is the reason it is the best-selling Fastlane product in this territory.
We have also seen a rise in the number of customers requesting facial recognition and QR code readers, as well as lift destination displays, requiring customisation of the standard product. Capable of integrating with all known access control and building management systems, this isn’t a problem for Fastlane turnstiles.
What qualities do you refer to when you are recommending Fastlane turnstiles to customers?
With so many lower-cost competitors having production and processing factories in China, it’s become increasingly important for our customers to understand the additional value they receive by selecting Fastlane products.
Featuring the latest infrared optical technology gives us a real technical advantage. The fact that it is highly unlikely that Fastlane turnstiles will fail means that customers don’t need to worry about equipment downtime or having to replace their entrance control. Fewer failures also means lower service, maintenance and repair costs. When you consider the total cost of ownership, Fastlane turnstiles provide great value, and this is something we always communicate to our customers.
Whilst not really a quality, many of our customers enjoy the convenience of using the touchscreen controller to manually control turnstile operation, when facilitating visitor access, for example.
If you would like to learn more about the projects Yolon and IDL have worked on together in China, please contact our team on +44 (0)208 890 5550 or email info@fastlane-turnstiles.com.
