The 2025 edition of ASSA ABLOY’s Wireless Access Control Report reveals a market at a tipping point, with wireless and mobile solutions now the dominant choice for digital access management.
For the first time in the report’s 12-year history, ASSA ABLOY’s commissioned industry survey found that wireless (fully or partly) deployments have overtaken wired-only systems among organisations managing access digitally.
The 2025 survey highlights sustainability as a leading driver of investment. For 27% of respondents, it is now the top factor when considering new access management capabilities. Wireless systems, which reduce cabling and infrastructure requirements, are increasingly positioned as an energy-efficient alternative.
Meanwhile, adoption of mobile credentials has accelerated sharply. Fully mobile credential environments now account for 17% of all deployments, more than triple the rate reported in 2023. While 39% of organisations were planning mobile deployments in 2023, that figure dropped to 26% in 2025—suggesting many early adopters have already made the transition.
Richard Sharp, VP & Head of Product Unit Wireless Locks, DAS at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEIA, said: “We are happy to share our biennial market research into the digitalization of access, which is steadily becoming a wireless-first technology. Once again, we hope this report is useful for security strategy and keeps non-specialist decision-makers up to date with what’s happening in digital access– and more importantly, what’s ahead.”
The report also points to a narrowing knowledge gap between physical and cybersecurity professionals. In 2023, 55% of respondents failed to recognise any of four key regional laws and directives impacting both domains. Two years on, awareness and compliance levels have improved: 84% of 2025 respondents said their organisation was either compliant, in the process of becoming compliant, or not subject to the regulations.
With NIS2 now in force and obligations under the EU Cyber Resilience Act fast approaching, Sharp stressed the need for continued collaboration between customers and manufacturers.
Beyond wireless and mobile, the Wireless Access Control Report 2025 covers cloud and Access Control as a Service (ACaaS), the growing role of biometrics, and intelligent integrations aimed at delivering ROI in smart, secure, and sustainable buildings.
Photo by Declan Sun on Unsplash
