Traka Celebrates 30 Years of Innovation

Traka, an ASSA ABLOY company celebrating its 30^th anniversary, has a long history of innovation across more than 30 industries worldwide. What began as a custom solution for British Airways has grown into a global leader in intelligent key and asset management.

In 1995, Traka’s founder, John Kent, responded to a unique challenge: British Airways needed a secure and trackable way to manage critical keys, something the market didn’t yet offer. Kent built the first Traka key cabinet, setting the foundation for what would become a new category in access management.

“We’re incredibly proud of our growth as a company and the ability to celebrate three decades of providing efficient solutions to our customers,” says Traka Americas President Danny Garrido. “Ultimately, it’s been the quality of people who have worked for Traka that has fueled our growth, and their commitment to serving our customers with the highest level of professionalism.”

Over the past three decades, Traka has transformed from a hardware manufacturer into a comprehensive technology provider. Its range of intelligent lockers and electronic key cabinets has expanded to include solutions for weapon and evidence storage, fleet vehicles, manufacturing tools, retail assets, government and sensitive equipment and spaces, each designed to meet the specific needs of high-security and compliance-driven environments.

The introduction of TrakaWEB, a centralized platform, helps organizations monitor and control access. With real-time visibility and automated audit trails, Traka’s systems help clients move from reactive to proactive asset management, boosting accountability and operational efficiency.

Having been acquired by the ASSA ABLOY Group in 2012, the company has further accelerated its global reach and technical innovation, integrating with leading access control, and compliance platforms. Operating in more than 70 countries and supporting users in multiple languages, today Traka’s intelligent systems are used across myriad sectors, including critical infrastructure, healthcare, education, transportation, law enforcement, government, data centers, etc.

“We continue to evolve as threats within the security sector do as well, but we are steadfast in our passion for educating end-users to the value that intelligent key and asset management can have, not only to their bottom line, but to their operations and safety,” says Garrido. “We’re excited for the next 30 years and our continued growth and evolution.”

In the following interview, Garrido talks about the company’s presence at GSX in New Orleans, as well as trends shaping the industry.

Q: How are you celebrating the anniversary at the GSX conference in New Orleans?

Garrido: We’re excited to once again exhibit at GSX this year, as we celebrate 30 years of consistent growth. Among the solutions that we are showcasing in New Orleans include our award-winning line of Traka Touch Pro intelligent key cabinets. These cabinets provide critical management of physical keys in a diverse portfolio of industry verticals and are an invaluable resource for ensuring proper access control and transparent auditing of key usage.

Similarly, we’ll also have our intelligent asset management lockers, which safely store, charge, and manage shared devices like scanners, tablets, radios, and more. These lockers include a variety of features like First In, First Out, which prioritizes the most charged device, so that an employee doesn’t mistakenly remove a dead device. They also are equipped with fault logging, so that if a device has an issue, the user can input that into the locker interface, which removes it from circulation until the fault has been corrected. The same feature can be applied to our key cabinets when used for fleet management – if there’s an issue with a vehicle (i.e. it needs to be serviced or has a flat tire), the user can note that when they return the key to the cabinet, which then restricts the key from being removed until the vehicle has been repaired.

Q: What are some other ways the company is celebrating this 30th milestone within the company, such as any parties or events or yearlong activities?

Garrido: We’re holding celebrations all over the world to recognize the people that make Traka what it is, which obviously includes our dedicated employees, but also our customers, some of which have been with us for decades. In fact, our very first customer, British Airways, for whom we created our first intelligent key cabinet, is still a Traka customer, which speaks to the long-term value that key management can provide to companies who leverage it effectively.

Q: What are some overall themes or trends that you see within key and asset management solutions and what are some ways Traka is responding to these trends?

Garrido: The value of integration is perhaps the single most important trend that we’re seeing within security. End-users want all systems to communicate with each other so that managers don’t have to monitor separate systems and can look at the entire ecosystem comprehensively. As such, it’s critical to leverage solutions that can be easily integrated within a company’s existing infrastructure, which not only streamlines operations but simplifies them for employees, who don’t have to remember separate logins or credentials.

Q: What role does electronic access control play within intelligent key and asset management?

Garrido: Electronic access control is the foundation for which intelligent key and asset management is built on. Too many organizations are still operating in manual processes with their keys and assets, like recording transactions in a logbook and hanging keys on a pegboard. This is an incredibly risky way to operate, as it’s susceptible to lost or stolen keys and assets, and inaccurate reporting of usage, which is time-consuming to maintain. Intelligent key and asset management streamlines and simplifies this process and, when integrated into an organization’s access control platform, further improves operations.

For example, a manager can designate access to a key cabinet or asset locker through an employee’s physical badge, so not only can a manager see when that employee entered the building but when a key was taken out and when it was returned. This integration can be especially useful when an employee leaves or is terminated. Their access can be globally revoked, which cuts down on the possibility of any retaliatory action after termination.

Q: Are there any verticals that you see strong growth or high demand for your products? Any others that you are focusing on or plan to expand?

Garrido: We’re fortunate to have a presence across a wide range of industry verticals, as the value of intelligent key and asset management is nearly universal. Industries experiencing continued growth include data centers, law enforcement, hospitality, education, hospitals, and essential utilities such as energy and water.

In data centers, our perspective is strengthened through collaboration with fellow ASSA ABLOY companies. As these facilities expand, our shared expertise helps provide the comprehensive, multi-faceted security infrastructure that critical operations demand. Key and asset management ensures that only authorized personnel can access sensitive areas — whether it’s a server room, a hospital operating suite, or a water treatment facility —supporting operational integrity, safety, and compliance across vital sectors.

Q: Which technologies are you most excited about within key and asset management?

Garrido: One of the most exciting advancements in key and asset management is the ability to track items in real-time. Not just keys, but access badges and critical assets as well. With integrated UHF and RFID technology, you can see exactly who has checked out an item, when, and from where, while also monitoring its current location. For rechargeable assets, the system can even manage charging status, ensuring devices are always ready for use. This level of visibility and control will be a game-changer for maintaining transparent, efficient, and secure operations.

Q: What are your views on the security industry moving forward?

Garrido: The value of integrated security can’t be overstated and will be the North Star for many organizations that prioritize optimal security. Certainly, cybersecurity is a central concern, as more solutions and operations become fully digital and incorporate some measure of artificial intelligence. It’s important for companies to have secure, physical infrastructure in place to guard against and respond to cyber-attacks, which often target a company’s core operations. Traka is closely monitoring these evolving trends and our solutions will always reflect the most emergent and pressing security needs that our customers are facing.