Integration Wrap-Up
Convergence continues to be the hottest topic in security circles
- By Karina Sanchez
- Nov 29, 2007
As another year draws to a close, one
thing remains constant in the security
industry, and that’s the issue of
convergence. It’s evident that
there’s more and more attention being shone on
the topic, its benefits and its downfalls. There
are now more educational sessions, more traveling
trade shows, more news stories and more
awareness of integration than ever before.
Today, the industry is in an era of implementation
and understanding. Systems are now
employing the best of both physical and IT
worlds, but there are more security professionals
out there still in the process of understanding the
evolving technologies. In helping promote such
an effort, the IPUserGroup recently made a stop
in Dallas with its IP-in-Action Live show. The
show is dedicated to providing understanding and
avenues of reference for security professionals.
Learning From the Best
“Education is key,” said Kyle Candler, network
video product manager for ScanSource
Security. “Our job is to educate on how to move
forward in this world of convergence.”
Candler, one of four IP-in-Action panelists
discussing “security and IP convergence,”
believes that as infrastructures expand in this
converged world, opportunities will expand.
There’s no doubt that converged systems are the
future of the security industry, and with that
being said, companies big and small are getting
into the integration game.
“This is a multi-billion-dollar industry,” said
Bob Beliles, senior manager, Physical Security
Technology Group, Cisco Systems. “And this is
an industry that can fuel that growth.”
Whether you’re part of a small company or
a large player in the security industry, your
interest in convergence is different. And different
views should be embraced because convergence
creates more opportunities for everyone—
not just the big players.
“Develop the right partnerships, and that
equals a big win for everybody,” said Jason
Schimpf, eastern U.S. sales manager for
Arecont Vision.
All In
Mergers and acquisitions are becoming the best
ways for enterprises to bring IT and physical
security expertise all under one roof. Along with
education comes the ability to take on the challenges
of expanded systems.
“The more you’re able to cross over, you’ll
be that much further ahead,” Beliles said.
Now, the race is on. Find the right partners,
educate your infrastructure and develop the technologies
that are fueling the industry. It’s no
longer a waiting game. State-of-the-art implementations
around the world are now setting
examples, and end users are catching up to speed.
Consumers are what’s driving the security
industry to evolve so rapidly. With the advance
in technological innovations, security professionals
are seeing that consumers are well aware
of what’s going on around them.
What Consumers Want
“Consumers are smarter, more articulate, and
their expectations are higher,” said Rob
Morello, senior products marketing manager of
digital products for Pelco. “As the market
matures, customers are demanding a higher
level of expertise.”
So it’s no longer sufficient to know
just enough to get by. An enterprise’s workforce
should have the knowledge and skill
set needed to stay ahead in this highly competitive
industry.
The security industry went through so much
action this year. While some businesses grew
and saw successes, others crumbled under the
pressure and fell apart. In this industry, with its
growing economy and continued success, it’s
not only about staying one step ahead of the
bad guys anymore, but staying one step ahead
of your competition, as well.
This article originally appeared in the issue of .
About the Author
Karina Sanchez is the former managing editor for Security Products magazine. She now freelances for Web publishers, trade magazines and corporations.