What Dealers and Integrators Should Watch For

Businesses of all sizes are interested in enterprise-level security

• By Hank Monaco
• Jan 01, 2015

Security solutions are playing an increasingly important role in business operations as organizations are realizing the significant value these technologies can provide. Solutions that were once considered valuable only in terms of offering improved physical security are now being leveraged to gain key insights for improving business and operational efficiencies.

Innovations in security technology will continue to evolve in 2015 and beyond. There are four security trends that will be key, not only to the advancement of the industry, but also to the solutions being offered to end users and the value proposition they provide to businesses.

Increasing Demand for Video as a Service

The implementation of cloud-based solutions will continue to increase in popularity in 2015 as companies identify unique ways to address their growing security needs while also being budget-conscious.

Businesses of all sizes are looking to implement enterprise-level security systems, but many do not have the enterprise-level budget resources to do so. A comprehensive security solution can be costly, not only to purchase the essential equipment, but also to host the necessary data and employ the proper resources for consistently monitoring systems on-site. These factors will continue to drive companies toward cloud-based solutions like video surveillance as a service (VSaaS), in order to meet their security needs while reducing the complexity, cost and resources necessary to support a more comprehensive security solution.

VSaaS offers a new level of sophistication, accessibility and convenience for business owners. Businesses can remotely and securely access live and archived video content anytime, anywhere, via any web-enabled device whether stationary at the home office or on-the-go. The capability to view and manage video content from multiple locations on one device will enable businesses to save resources and more effectively deploy personnel to meet security needs.

Additionally, a cloud-based approach allows dealers and integrators to offer customers a flexible and scalable solution that can grow along with a company’s increasing security needs and budget, without compromising the level of security provided. As centralized video storage continues to move to the cloud, we fully expect cloud-based solutions to grow exponentially.

Using Security Solutions to Garner Business Intelligence

Beyond the traditional benefits of having an integrated security solution, businesses are increasingly relying on technology to provide valuable insights that can be incorporated to improve both business and operational efficiencies. Using physical security solutions to garner business intelligence is gamechanging in the way that it dramatically increases the return on investment of the technology, as well as the powerful operational, performance and customer analytics it delivers.

Insights from well-designed video systems, which allow companies to capture, save and export video segments, range from preventing theft to informing staffing resources and ensuring corporate policy compliance. The combination of email and text alerts, as well as mobile access to video content – both live and historically captured—provides awareness of after-hours access, entry into sensitive areas, and the activation of video sensors at all hours.

Combining the information collected from a comprehensive video surveillance system with complementary technologies can also help inform decisions. The key insights video surveillance provide businesses can assist in improving overall operations in critical areas like loss prevention, workplace violence, and the physical security of the facility.

For instance, retailers can utilize item-level security in combination with video surveillance and analytics to learn more about their customers. When combined, these technologies enable retailers to gain important insight about what drives or deters well-intentioned shoppers when making purchasing decisions. Through this data, retailers can become better educated on how thieves are defeating the security system and how to protect against loopholes in their security program.

Additionally, the integration of video surveillance, analytics and item-level security is providing insight on customer-facing issues, like what times of day are most highly trafficked, and if more staff is required to be on the floor – which can help improve the customer experience.

This business-driving intelligence allows various departments to work smarter cross-functionally within an organization by providing insight on customer experiences, marketing and merchandising initiatives. Information is the new high-value currency for businesses and an integrated security solution can provide the insight necessary across all levels of an organization beyond physical security.

Convergence of Physical and Cyber Security Solutions

The physical and cyber security needs of businesses will continue to converge as demands and regulations for end-to-end solutions, like comprehensive access management technologies, continues to rise.

For instance, financial institutions must adapt security measures to the rapid change of traditional banking habits. Over 50 percent of deposits are made at ATMs, not at branches, and as Pew Research found 51 percent of American adults bank online, with 32 percent conducting transactions via a cell phone. The changes in banking habits necessitates advanced technology solutions like anti-skimming technologies and video surveillance for ATM locations to protect customers’ information and mitigate risks, and to protect against new threats to financial institutions as customers change the way they bank.

These shifts in behavior require an evolution of the technologies and solutions employed to safeguard the business while meeting new customer demands and maximizing the return-on-investment for their security solutions.

Mobility and the Connected Business

By 2018, Business Insider Intelligence estimates that nine billion devices will be connected to the Internet of Things. Companies of every size are looking to integrate intelligent, multi-use solutions to solve real-world problems. These solutions offer benefits ranging from operational efficiencies and improved customer service, to innovation and increased security.

This increasingly mobile lifestyle has created the “connected business” model which necessitates that business owners have access to security controls while on-the-go, which in turn enables them to better manage their business. To that end, the security industry will need to empower the connected business to remotely access video surveillance, access controls, intrusion detection systems and much more.

These new customer needs will challenge the industry to facilitate remote security management and full building control through a comprehensive technology portfolio that provides mobile access from anywhere, anytime via any internet-connected device. Mobile security applications, combined with cloud-based solutions like hosted or managed services, will help evolve the industry by providing increased flexibility, improved productivity, enhanced security awareness and peace of mind.

The security industry is prime for disruption in 2015 and beyond, with an increasing demand for new, cloud-based and mobile technology solutions packaged with the evolving needs of customers. Additionally, businesses are looking at traditional security technologies to provide added value to help better inform businesses-driving decisions. Dealers and integrators have the opportunity to serve as true partners, providing new insights and guidance organizations need to implement end-to-end solutions which will meet their current and future security needs, as well as leverage the technology for new purposes.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .