THE Sharjah-based architectural hardware specialist Haroon Company has entered the new millennium with added vigour to provide solutions to customers, according to its managing director Haroon Zaidi.

Work is currently in progress on the design and decoration of the company's new showroom at Abu Dhabi's Najda Road.

According to the company's managing director, Haroon Zaidi, the aim of the organisation is not to be a mere seller of products but to play the multi-dimensional role of a consultant /partner/supplier to the construction industry.

"While trying to keep pace with the latest developments in science and technology, Haroon aims to provide total solutions by combining mechanical and electronic security in order to meet the market's growing demands and evolving needs," he says.

Haroon Company, with the close co-operation of its principals/suppliers, regularly introduces new products to the market which are based on latest research and customer feedback. Also, rather than imposing standard products on the market, the company endeavours to provide tailor-made solutions to the customers' specific requirements, says Zaidi.

"The sales team is encouraged by the management to provide hardware consultancy services to customers. The objective is always to provide the best possible quality and service at affordable prices in order to remain a supplier of choice to them for years to come," he says.

Zaidi believes that clients choose Haroon Company because of its deep commitment to high standards and customer services. He reiterates that the organisation is determined to surpass its own standards year after year, providing solutions to each project and each customer's individual needs.

The Haroon Company sales team regularly attends technical training programmes in Europe, the US and Canada in order to keep abreast of developments in this field. Also, the company arranges in-house training programmes/seminars and exhibits at major trade fairs throughout the year.

Another useful service offered by the company is designing a practical and efficient keying system for a facility.

Zaidi elaborates: ''Since the principles of keying are generally not understood by those outside the field, this service is most useful as it ensures that the keying will function as per the owner/architects requirements, be easy to understand, practical enough to survive years of usage and also provide the security required by the user.''

He continues: "Since the climate in the Gulf is harsh, with intense heat and sunlight, high humidity and salt-laden air, metals are prone to oxidisation. Therefore, extra care is required during installation with regular maintenance afterwards. Efforts are made by the Haroon sales support/project co-ordination team to give advice regarding proper care of the materials during installation.

"Also to avoid the problem of oxidation, decorative hardware is now available with the most advanced technology in surface coatings - PVD (physical vapour deposition). Thanks to this innovative and reliable technology, PVD-finished materials become impervious to attack by atmospheric agents and to wear from rubbing and abrasion.

''Haroon also offers harmony in design where separate items complement each other to form a perfect whole. To the discerning customer who is looking for the ultimate luxury and ambience of co-ordinated design, Haroon provides this creative harmony of form, function and style. Hardware and fittings on doors, windows, and cabinets/furniture are perfectly matched in design and colour concept, thus contributing to a perfect ambience to the project.

"Haroon Company's total commitment to quality is reflected in the product ranges that it markets and distributes. Some of the world's leading brands in architectural hardware and electronic security are represented by Haroon in the UAE.''

Haroon offers a wide selection of architectural ironmongery suitable for all budgets and various types of products such as hardware for commercial buildings, decorative residential hardware, decorative brass electrical accessories, specialised hardware for hospitals and public institutions, kindergarten fittings, sliding door gear for industrial, domestic and commercial applications, mechanical and electronic safes, key cabinets, mail boxes, first-aid boxes, fire/panic exit hardware, handrails, balustrades, washroom accessories/sanitary ware, support systems for the disabled, electronic hotel locking systems and electronic access control devices.

''Electronic locks are becoming more sophisticated each day. The best electronic locks from 10 years ago are virtually obsolete today. We are entering into a new age of smart card technology and state-of-the-art electronic security,'' says Zaidi.

"While electronic locks have helped to protect both guests and hotel management all over the world, building security has historically been focused on keeping the wrong people out. In most cases, internal building security was not ever considered.

''Nowadays, internal security is seen as equally important in protecting people, goods and confidential information. An effective access system must allow freedom of movement to authorised personnel while barring entry to others. Also it should meet owners' requirements for economical cost of installation and flexibility in operation," he says.

"Until recently, most access control installations were based on building-wide cable systems that worked well but the extremely high cost of wiring large buildings meant that not every door could be included, leading to a concentration on perimeter doors, while interior doors were left unprotected," he says.

According to him, Tesa's systems, marketed in the UAE by Haroon, facilitate access control of every door in a building. The stand-alone devices provide a full range of features without the need for expensive wiring. Now every door can be programmed to allow or deny entry into the building, as authorised by the management.

"In the field of mechanical hardware,'' Zaidi says, ''the company gives a lot of importance and endeavours to create a greater level of public awareness of panic exit hardware which should not be considered as yet another piece of hardware, but as a life saver. In the past, the importance of panic exit devices was grossly under-rated. Since they were rarely used, many people were not aware of their importance. However, the fact is that panic exit devices are one of the most important items in hardware because when there is a need to use them, there should be a surety that they will open first time - every time!

"To ensure that this is the case, stringent new European standards have been put into place, as a minimum performance and safety requirement for these products. The new European (CEN) standards have differentiated between 'panic exit' and 'emergency exit' products so that the right type of product can be specified for the right application.

Another development is the availability of an extensive range of sliding door gear suitable for various domestic, commercial and industrial applications, including sliding door gear for heavy-duty applications such as warehouse doors and airport hangars, says Zaidi.