Will also show range of connected residential smart locks

Kwikset® brand of Spectrum Brands, Inc. – Hardware & Home Improvement Division, the leader in residential security, will be showcasing its first-ever electronic access control (EAC) solution to the Multifamily market at CEDIA 2023.

UNITE™ will give property managers and owners in the Multifamily sector a number of noteworthy benefits. Besides providing a more effective way to manage their properties, it will reduce key management time and costs while increasing profits. What’s more, it allows for increased occupancy, retention, and rental rates, as renters and owners of Multifamily units are demanding that their apartments and homes offer more technology to enhance their living experience; on the security side, locks using Bluetooth technology and RFID are in exceptionally high demand.
Kwikset’s entry into the electronic side of the Multifamily housing market is being catalyzed by three key factors:

The company has extensive experience in the Multifamily housing market via its mechanical lock business. Consequently, Kwikset is familiar with the specific needs, objectives, and pain points of this unique sector. Kwikset also boasts a great deal of expertise with electronic locking solutions, as evidenced by its overwhelming share of the single-family residential market. The company has long been a well-known and respected entity in the residential security space, having been recognized as the top selling U.S. lock brand since 2006.

While Multifamily property managers and owners will comprise the primary audience for UNITE, secondary sales channels include builders and developers, hardware dealers, wholesale distributors, general contractors, LV systems integrators, and third-party software providers.

There are numerous properties for which UNITE is a solid fit. Both Class A High Rise Urban and Class B Garden Style Suburban properties will be critical targets for the new platform. What’s more, there is ample opportunity in both the new and retrofit markets. In fact, both property types represent meaningful potential in new construction and retrofit, though the opportunity in the Class B Garden Style Suburban is far greater.

According to Eric Harnischfeger, Senior Product Manager, Multi-Family Electronics at Spectrum Brands, Inc, the introduction of UNITE comes at a perfect time. “Both renters and owners are looking for greater levels of technology in their living situations, with security being one of the primary areas,” he said. “With UNITE, they will be getting just that. At the same time, property owners and managers need security systems that not only provide better access control and are simple to use but can seamlessly integrate with existing property management systems. UNITE will do all that – and more.”

Kwikset partner companies like DHI Communities, AMLI, Crescent Communities, and Woodfield have effectively helped to develop the UNITE platform. These firms worked alongside Kwikset throughout the entire development cycle, providing valuable input which included:
– Feedback on existing platforms, pros and cons
– What they would like to see in a new solution
– Input on design considerations
– Further participation on initial designs
– Future involvement in beta testing

The UNITE platform is expected to be available by fourth 2023. It will be sold through pro channel distributors and dealers.

The company will also be showing a number of its single-family residential connected locks, including the Home Connect 620 and the SmartCode 916.