When Pete Jones founded Third Millennium almost three decades ago, he could hardly have imagined that the company would one day become part of the ASSA ABLOY Group and HID, a global leader in trusted identity and access control solutions.
Known for its engineering-driven, custom access control solutions, Third Millennium has built a reputation for thinking differently, developing products in direct response to customer needs. Now, following its acquisition by HID earlier this year, Jones is reflecting on the company’s journey and what the future holds.
The deal was announced in January 2025 as part of a dual acquisition, which also brought US-based 3millID into the HID fold. According to the HID press release on the deal, this move broadens HID’s portfolio of readers and credentials, enhances its physical access control offering, and strengthens its reach outside the United States. At the time of the announcement, HID highlighted that both companies bring commercial and technical expertise, along with complementary products and geographies, to its Physical Access Control Solutions (PACS) business.
For Jones, the decision to join HID was clear: “Grow the business. In the UK, we’ll keep building in sectors where we’re strong: healthcare, government, and industrial engineering. In Europe, we’ll develop alternative technology offerings.”
Third Millennium’s approach has always been rooted in engineering. From anti-ligature readers to QR code solutions and multi-tenant systems, its product line has consistently been shaped by solving very specific problems. This ethos won’t change under HID. He continues, “Third Millennium continues to operate under its established brand, and we will continue doing what we do best: closing the gap between product capability and customer needs. The key difference now is that we can tap into HID’s market leadership and global reach whenever possible.”
That global scale is perhaps the most significant shift. Although Third Millennium already had international reach through its longstanding partnership with US-based 3millID, the acquisition will boost the company’s scalability. “We’ve always followed large accounts out of the UK and US into different regions,” says Jones. “But with HID, the scale of opportunity is something we’ve never experienced before. And as always, new product development will be driven by customer demand.”
The partnership with 3millID has been key to this international growth. Working together in North America has been successful in the development of new solutions. That success is something Jones expects to replicate with new OEM partners under HID’s umbrella. “The US market is huge, and even just scratching the surface has had a significant impact on our business,” he notes.
Organisations often have to deal with legacy access control systems and Jones sees Third Millennium’s technology playing a vital role in HID’s strategy for interoperability and flexibility. “It’s about solving problems differently, complementing existing solutions, and helping customers migrate from legacy to the latest technologies,” he says.
Looking at market trends, mobile credentials are front of mind. “The key trend right now is mobile credential adoption – particularly digital wallets in all their flavours,” Jones observes. Third Millennium readers already support digital wallets, and the company continues to work with a variety of credential partners to deliver the right solutions. “But this is just round one,” he adds. “I can’t wait to see what innovations come next, especially given HID’s leadership in the mobile access space.”
Closer to home, maintaining the company’s reputation for service and innovation remains a top priority. “The challenge now is to maintain our business as usual as we scale. Since the acquisition, we’ve brought in new engineering and sales talent, and I look forward to winning and delivering with this new team by listening to our customers and providing solutions that add real value.”
So what can integrators, consultants, and end-users expect from Third Millennium under HID? For Jones, the focus is clear: “Expect the same innovative spirit and customer focus—now amplified by HID’s expertise and global scale to deliver smarter, future-ready access solutions. But perhaps the biggest change you’ll see is that Third Millennium will be much more present in the market, sharing insights, offering support and working to help our customers and partners have a better experience. The channel can expect to hear a lot more from us.”