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From Revolution To Evolution – The Progression of Security: Convergence and Integration
The future for the video surveillance market: direction and advancements.
All market forecasts highlight the IT convergence and it is absolutely the right direction. Everyone benefits from an IP network approach. Just as the IT world’s ERP advancements helped raise the level of business operations and thereby the careers of warehouse managers (for example), IT applications are now also raising the professional levels of security personnel and dealers. This is evident in new educational degrees and certifications, and a more sophisticated approach to customer service. It’s no longer just a matter of installing the cables, cameras and alarms, but a total business network that must be considered and incorporated with technological expertise.
Technological innovations in the business model
Milestone Systems was founded by IT professionals with the vision to foresee the advantages of applying networked technology to video surveillance: precisely that which is motivating the convergence of the IT and security industries. Especially valuable is the ability to integrate the classic security video surveillance with other systems for Point-of-Sale, Access Control, employee databases, product information, etc.
Investments in R&D: integration and convergence technology
Milestone Systems is primarily an R&D company, being a developer of software for IP-based video surveillance. The majority of our personnel are top Systems Engineers, working with the newest technology and a focus on integration capabilities. Our partner channel acts as a conduit for information on customer needs, feeding our pipeline for continued development that benefits the entire market.
Drivers toward convergence and new players
The new players in the security industry are coming from the IT world, like Systems Integrators, particularly vendor certified network systems partners, as they move to include physical security issues into their holistic network approach for serving customer needs. Their growing business with IP-telephony is driving a parallel interest in IP video surveillance. Traditional security dealers have to educate themselves on the new technology, hire new people with IT skills, or partner up with IT experts in order to meet the more advanced demands of the market going forward.
Standards for integration and convergence
We do need standards for the industry to facilitate commerce and ease interaction between businesses, not to mention the system integration issues. The software for managing video surveillance should also follow standards, but allowing the independence to choose which hardware is used in an installation – as the Milestone solutions do with their open architecture. Referring to the increase in security degrees and certifications we’re seeing in both the U.S. and U.K., better standards for professional performance can also be expected.
Training needed for implementing the emerging technologies
Obviously, the IT skills mentioned earlier, particularly in relation to IP networks and use of the internet. Microsoft’s .NET technology would also be a good direction to go. In England and Wales there’s a new law requiring all contracted security guards, doormen, and surveillance operators to be licensed according to a nationally-standardized training course. It is estimated that SIA in the UK will issue 300,000 licenses across all security sectors by 2007, with renewals required every 3 years. This project may well become a model for other countries in future. Milestone would actively support such an initiative in the USA.. For the time being we are certifying our own integrator channel to help lift the knowledge level and thus the quality of every day security in the new IP security world.
Vendor support for competitive advantage
Milestone has developed a special certification program and we have trained many professionals in our partner channel over the past year – a certification required in order to sell our top-of-the-line solution, XProtect Enterprise, which offers the ability to integrate with other security devices and systems. This certification helps to differentiate partners in the industry, and to deliver more value-adding services to their customers. This also ensures that the customers get better installations and are therefore more satisfied. Vendor/partner support after installation is also a key competitive parameter.
Certification for integrators
Obviously we do since we’ve already begun this for our own products. But national industry authorities should take country-wide initiatives, drawing on member expertise from across the security and IT sectors combined. Milestone Systems would very much like to be involved in this. We are a member of the SIA in the U.S., so naturally think of them right away for their broad resources.
ROI analysis determines benefits
Moving to a 100% IP based surveillance system enables integration to other business systems that until now has been very cumbersome or outright impossible. In most cases these new possibilities are changing video surveillance from a cost of ownership to a positive and very fast ROI achieved. This is the real driver that will force IP video surveillance into the market place over the next years. Terrorism and Homeland Defense funds are helping, however ROI is the real core motivator for the new IP-based security systems.
Integration and convergence creates higher levels of safety and security
The end users gain tremendous benefits in cost and labor efficiencies, making optimal use of network system setups, better coordination between devices, systems and different locations, more flexibility, better administration and maintenance, and not least the remote capabilities that allow access from anywhere, anytime. Security is definitely improved by better monitoring and alerting, and response times are much faster.
Benefits with integrated solutions
With the adoption of TCP/IP as a platform, there are obvious benefits like a centralized GUI, and converged physical and information security. The better ROI for IP based systems will drive IP platform deployment at a rapid speed. There’s no reason to choose a traditional analog approach when computers and IP networks are so widespread today. Even a small retail store owner can see the advantages of being sent an alert on his mobile phone and logging on to his surveillance system from a home PC to see if it’s a burglar or stray dog that’s gotten in to his building during the night. This same thing addresses police needs on alarm verification to avoid unnecessary use of manpower.
Security dealers’ and integrators’ skills
When new technology evolves, education of entire industry segments becomes crucial for companies to benefit from the new trends and technology wave. Those who embrace the change and get on the wave acquiring new knowledge will benefit from this and prevail.
Next on the horizon
There will definitely be more mergers and acquisitions. The traditional security companies will need to incorporate more expertise from the IT world in order to compete, and as they get bigger and offer better options, the smaller guys will likely be squeezed out unless they offer something really unique. Meanwhile, companies from the IT sector will also start including more security offerings. A good example was the Lenel purchase by United Technologies this year.
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