smart devices

Why Artificial Intelligence Is The Smart Way to Form Real Bonds With Customers

AI isn’t going to replace us, but it will make it easier to deliver services that keep people safe.

Artificial intelligence has been in the headlines a lot recently. It will help save mankind or usher in the robot apocalypse, depending on which article you read.

Security professionals, who have spent the past decade creating connected buildings and bringing digital devices into the homes of millions of consumers, understandably have mixed feelings about A.I. My view of artificial intelligence comes from years of innovating in the security business. With the right approach and controls, I believe A.I. presents an exciting opportunity for our industry.

The use of A.I. to better serve and solve problems for our customers means we will move from simply protecting property to proactively ensuring our customers’ well-being. It means we’ll be able to partner with other industries, such as healthcare, and add a range of services to what we already offer.

As we apply A.I. to the data our devices have been collecting for years—and which will only grow in volume over time— we are entering a whole new era for security professionals.

Defining A.I.

Hollywood screenwriters have depicted A.I. in countless ways, but what is it really?

Artificial Intelligence means different things to different industries, but to the security installer, it should mean a resource that’s been at our fingertips for the past 10 years, but which we are only now in a good position to leverage.

Our industry has spent years deploying cameras and sensors in homes and commercial buildings. It’s because of security professionals that there are at least 10 million “connected” buildings today, with an average of six to eight devices inside each one.

With approximately 100 million sensors, cameras and other devices deployed and collecting data across the country, there is a wealth of information at our fingertips. Unlike the tech giants that sell connected-home gadgets, we’re not looking to use that information to drive sales of unrelated products. We can use this information to make what we’ve already sold more valuable to our customers.

A.I. is the layer of analytics that can sit on top of the mountain of data we’re already collected that will allow us to better anticipate the wishes of our customers. It’s the path to evolve from being a passive system of protection into a proactive helper and enabler.

This isn’t Big Brother. AI is about increasing the value we offer to consumers.

How A.I. Can Broaden the Definition of Security

Artificial intelligence is a series of data-analysis programs we can apply to the video and other information our devices are collecting. But—beyond alerting homeowners to a break-ins—why do we want to analyze this information?

The answer is simple: If we use A.I. programs to analyze the information we’re collecting, we can offer new services while ensuring our customers are even safer. Here are a few basic examples of how this might occur:

First off, most people are creatures of habit. Families and businesses adhere to a daily routine, and it doesn’t take long for an AI program to learn when people tend to come and go. There are schedules and normal daily practices. That means A.I. can learn when you want the lights on, and when you typically lock the doors.

Artificial intelligence is also good at spotting variations from the routine. Plenty of consumers and business owners want to know not just if someone has broken into their premises, but if something out of the ordinary has occurred.

A camera capable of recording a break-in is also capable of spotting a suspicious character on your doorstep and alerting you. With A.I. capabilities, a camera can discern the difference between a harmless deer walking through a backyard and a dangerous intruder.

Imagine a security installer with a customer who has an elderly mother living across town. That customer wants to know more than just whether an intruder has broken in, such as: “Did my mother get out of bed at the usual time today? Did she take her medication at the right time? Is she sticking to the basic routines that tell me she is healthy and well, or has she varied from the routine?”

A.I. can spot the difference between a normal routine and a variation, and alert the customer. In the case of elder care, that can save a life while enabling independent living.

If we begin to use the data we collect to offer proactive alerts and tips about security, we go far beyond ringing an alarm if someone breaks into a home or business. We become an active helper in people’s lives, informing them any time there’s a change to the standard course of daily events.

Where We Go From Here

Sensors and cameras can offer valuable information, whether to individual customers or whole industries. With AI underpinning the collection and analysis of information, the devices we’ve already put in the field can detect things like changes to temperature and humidity, or electricity usage patterns.

Information like this can be a boon to the property management business in the same way home-monitoring can be a game-changer to the healthcare industry. Our devices are already out there, collecting the information necessary to make these things happen. We just have to interpret the data and make it useful.

The security professional should think of A.I. as the bridge that gets us to these insights. We can help our customers better understand and manage the unexpected in their lives. The key is partnering with a security technology provider that understands the potential of A.I., and helps you harness it.

At Alula, we have already developed and demonstrated A.I. technologies that distinguish specific objects in the video content we capture. We are able to initiate actions automatically based on unexpected or unusual sensor activity, and the Alula platform is being leveraged to monitor changes in activity for aging people living independently.

These solutions and others will be delivered to our professional partner network over the next several years, helping to solidify the value of the professional security channel for the next decade and beyond.

Artificial intelligence is the way we offer more value, roll out new services, and form closer relationships with the customers we serve. It’s not going to replace us, but rather make us more relevant than ever.

Illustration courtesy of Rebecca Wang, via the Cybersecurity Visuals Challenge

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.