One question we get a lot here at LockeyUSA:
“Why does the lock say DIGITAL if it’s mechanical?”
To answer that question, a little bit of history.
Let’s travel back to the year 1970: The Boeing 747 made its first commercial passenger trip to London, the cost of a gallon of gas was 36 cents, and the average home price was $4,975.
Also that year? The Lockey Digital Door Lock was invented and produced in Japan, creating a new standard for security and convenience.
In 1989, American entrepreneur Doug Hill recognized the value of installing the lock systems on his businesses. Hill coined the phrase “Change the code, not the lock!” He began sharing with other business owners how he reduced locksmith costs and avoided the inconvenience of replacing locks frequently due to employee turnover.
Hill, an established business owner, saw the untapped potential in the Lockey product and began selling the lock systems as a distributor. Then in 2001, Hill obtained Lockey’s exclusive North American import rights and founded LockeyUSA.
Digital? In 1970? How’s that possible?
So, what does this have to do with the word digital? In 1970, when the Lockey Digital Door Lock was invented, “digital” meant something completely different. Because you used your fingers or “digits” to operate the lock, it was a digital lock rather than a traditional keyed lock—hence the word digital.
When others caught wind of the incredible invention and copies of our lock arose, the digital inscription was a way to verify the original versus the many imitators flooding the market.
The word “digital” remains an important part of our company’s DNA and continues to set us apart from the competition. If it doesn’t say “digital,” it’s not a LockeyUSA mechanical keyless lock.
The original digital lock
In 2017, LockeyUSA began the process to add “Lockey” above the “Digital” inscription to make it easier for those searching the product to find LockeyUSA.
Now, more than 50 years since the original Lockey Digital Lock was invented, LockeyUSA mechanical locks are still manufactured with the highest standard of quality in Japan.
We continue to use the digital inscription because they are digital in the true sense of the word and it’s what sets us apart. We continue to do the hard work to provide a trusted, reliable keyless system. However, you’ll still need your fingers—or digits— to do the easy work!
Go ‘digital’ with LockeyUSA
Whether you’re a homeowner, business owner, rental agency or an employer, LockeyUSA provides security and convenience with a vast selection of door and gate security hardware including mechanical keyless locks, electronic keyless locks, keyless gate locks, hydraulic gate closers and panic hardware.