Innovations Making Inroads in Security
A variety of new products and innovations have become available to the security industry. End users continue to migrate away from legacy security systems towards technologies that enable them to be more proactive in mitigating their risks. The investigation into the bombing at the Boston Marathon showed the potential waiting to be unlocked in using big data analytics to comb through troves of video evidence. The ability to remotely access and control security systems from mobile devices also continues to rise in prominence.
Systems Being Integrated With Video
A technology shift toward a combination of video and many other systems has been inevitable, because end-customers and integrators alike enjoy much better functionality and total cost of ownership while having the option to choose the best-in-class technologies that are right for their specific application. These are the exact same reasons we’ll see more systems shifting to open technology, especially access control. Not only will this afford much more flexibility in the solutions they use, but also finally deliver on the promise of true system integration between video, access control, intrusion detection, alarms and the like.
Shift to Internet Protocol Systems Seen
The Internet Protocol System is essentially the de facto choice today for systems of 32 cameras or more because of all the benefits that digital technology brings. Systems between 17 and 32 cameras have been shifting to IP technology thanks to continued price decreases, ease-of-use and ease-of-installation. However the 16-camera-or-less market has been dominated by analog because of perceived barriers of cost and complexity. The good news is that edge-based technology – such as in-camera SD card storage and/or NAS devices – eliminate the need for the most expensive part of an analog system, the DVR. This makes going IP a cost-conscious move for small systems. For those analog users who still have life in their analog cameras, they can leverage video encoders with the same embedded edge storage capabilities and intuitive software to bring their systems to IP. And with hosted video adoption continuing to rise each year as more and more integrators understand when leveraging the cloud makes sense for their customer, the small system market is ripe for converting to IP.
Moore’s Law Proves Helpful
There have been dramatic imaging improvements in IP cameras in recent years thanks to the predictable innovation curve known as Moore’s Law. IP cameras can see color in near darkness without supplemental lighting and through both blinding light and into dark shadows thanks to improved Wide Dynamic Range technologies. They also continue to deliver entertainment-quality video (HDTV and better) across all different form factors – from PTZ domes to covert pinhole cameras. These imaging innovations that were first launched in high-end surveillance cameras will continue to move downstream and become more affordable for all installations as the technologies have become more established.
Focus Put on Cyber security With IT Help
A research project recently examined the involvement of IT professionals in their company’s video surveillance initiatives. The research, which was conducted by the Enterprise Strategy Group, showed that 91 percent of IT pros surveyed claimed they are involved in surveillance to some degree. It’s clear that their influence on surveillance projects is growing, specifically at mid- and enterprise-sized organizations, and common IT best practices like cloud storage replication and using data for business intelligence are impacting surveillance projects.
As IT becomes more involved, the topic of logical security will grow. With cyber attacks garnering more and more attention across the globe, integrators will be tasked to prove that their IP-based surveillance systems will meet IT’s security criteria, as well as their bandwidth, resiliency and quality parameters. From now on it will be important for integrators and physical security practitioners to understand IT’s concerns and help them overcome any hesitation through proper network optimization and cyber security measures. The good news is that today’s professional IP video devices can be optimized to limit bandwidth disruption and come with the same exact IT security protocols as any other node they would put on their network.