Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions
Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications.
Making Smarter Decisions with AI
With security and surveillance technologies evolving beyond their traditional role of protection, AI-driven intelligent systems are emerging as holistic business solutions. By integrating artificial intelligence with advanced analytics, security leaders now have powerful tools to design surveillance strategies that enhance safety, and also optimize operational efficiency.
The continued evolution of new cameras combining AI with on-board audio and video analytics is resulting in highly accurate object detection and classification. In addition to fewer false alarms, customers can also receive actionable data that can drive intelligent monitoring to enhance operational efficiency and generate data-driven business insights.
A common strategy within the security industry is the adoption of Edge AI, which is transforming how surveillance data is collected, managed, processed and stored for greater efficiency. By enabling computation closer to the data source, edge computing not only minimizes latency and eases bandwidth demands but also delivers a range of additional performance and scalability advantages.
Some organizations will prefer to minimize network bandwidth and lower total costs by configuring an edge-based surveillance system. Others prefer a centralized cloud-based operation. Still others may opt for a hybrid approach, giving them the best of both worlds.
The Cloud Advantage
With a cloud-based video surveillance system, users can eliminate many up-front costs such as massive servers and storage space. In many cases, systems with high camera counts or long required retention times have high storage and maintenance costs.
Cloud technology delivers the flexibility and scalability required by organizations across industries, adapting seamlessly to changing demands and available resources. A cloud-based video system can be deployed rapidly, enabling users to be operational with minimal effort. As the need for extended video retention grows, often driven by regulatory requirements in certain sectors, the elastic nature of cloud recording makes it simple to expand storage capacity with just a few clicks.
Users can have full access to their system from any device from anywhere, at any time, removing the barrier of needing to be physically onsite. This flexibility is what makes the cloud appealing to end users.
Today, a wide variety of vertical markets are using AI and cloud technologies to help reshape their video surveillance systems. Some examples include:
Stadiums/venues. Venue security strategies are no longer limited to the spaces where audiences and performers congregate. Stadiums, amphitheaters, festival venues, and public parks are expanding their efforts to exterior zones and perimeter areas including adjacent sidewalks, parking facilities, and other high-traffic public spaces, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to safety and crowd management.
Effective surveillance at today’s outdoor venues demands a balance of expansive coverage and exceptional image clarity. High-resolution cameras, commonly 4K and beyond, have become the norm, while multi-sensor models deliver panoramic perspectives that allow operators to closely examine specific areas without sacrificing awareness of the broader environment. This combination is critical for monitoring large crowds and quickly identifying emerging risks.
Flexibility is key for outdoor venues that frequently change configurations for several types of events. Using a combination of analytics and pan-tilt-rotate-zoom (PTRZ) functionality, operators can reposition cameras remotely when views are obstructed by temporary stages, installations, or changes in crowd size or flow.
Manufacturing. For manufacturers, investing in thermal and AI-enabled video surveillance solutions can enhance plant floor productivity, strengthen workplace safety, streamline compliance reporting, and optimize supply chain operations. Thermal imaging combined with AI-powered cameras can detect safety violations, identify overheating equipment, and uncover fire risks such as faulty electrical components, allowing organizations to take proactive steps in safety and maintenance. Early detection not only helps prevent accidents but also supports adherence to OSHA safety standards. When used together, AI and thermal imaging can reveal patterns and anomalies, such as recurring temperature fluctuations that may signal impending equipment failures, enabling predictive maintenance and long-term operational resilience.
Data centers. Data center leaders are increasingly adopting advanced surveillance technologies to strengthen their security posture and reduce potential vulnerabilities. There has been a drastic shift in how data centers are protecting themselves, with many focusing on building integrated, intelligent security architectures. Tools such as thermal imaging, AI-powered analytics, and active fence line monitoring are enabling the creation of smarter, more adaptive, and highly scalable surveillance ecosystems, critical in an industry where even brief downtime can result in significant economic loss and long-term reputational harm. More operators are prioritizing the development of integrated, intelligent security frameworks designed to safeguard every layer of the facility, from individual server racks to the outer perimeter.
Unauthorized physical access remains a major issue, especially “tailgating;” when an unauthorized person follows an authorized user through a secured door. AI-powered surveillance cameras can detect if more than one person gains access on a single credential swipe, alerting staff to a potential tailgating incident.
Thermal imaging is now a core component of modern data center security, used to visually represent heat flow within a data center, or detect environmental anomalies, hotspots or leaks in liquid cooling systems.
The Future Looks Bright
Surveillance technology has moved well beyond the basic function of recording video. Today, it plays a strategic role in delivering intelligence, improving efficiency, and creating measurable value across a wide range of environments. Advances in artificial intelligence, thermal imaging, and high-performance camera systems are expanding the possibilities of what modern surveillance systems can achieve.
Organizations are increasingly adopting innovative deployment strategies to address customer expectations, generate new revenue opportunities, and strengthen their market position. At the same time, the rise in security threats, coupled with shrinking budgets and limited resources, has made operational management more complex. Having a choice of flexible solutions is not only essential, but also a critical factor for ensuring long-term success.
This article originally appeared in the September / October 2025 issue of Security Today.