Video or Bust: The New Physical Security
Ended soon
Don’t look now, but traditional security integration as we know it today may be moving toward the exit. Business and technology trends are shifting the industry toward a software-and-services model that not all integrators are ready or willing to accept. High on the list of disruptors is the expanding importance of video and analytics. Companies that get on board will outlast the shifts and thrive in the new security landscape. Those that do not will soon be wondering why they didn’t.
The Change is Here
There’s no denying that traditional security installations and video-centric services are composed of different DNA. Being good at the cloud isn’t the same as having good boots on the ground and vice versa. Integrators that have been designing sensor-forward systems for years or decades may wonder why this is the right time to start learning about drivers and SDKs. And after 2 years of fragile business, when it was often hard to get into a physical space to perform a job, many vendors have been eager to get back to the “normal” that they remember.
In the meantime, video is speeding forward toward a dominant role in deployments of all sizes. Increasingly, a physical security system without sufficient video is not genuinely secure. Video verification of criminal activity is becoming a requirement in many municipalities. Many central monitoring stations are now demanding video evidence of crime before they’ll dispatch the police. You can’t blame the monitoring stations for also demanding greater accuracy. According to a recent survey by SDM, 65% of monitoring companies using AI-enabled video reported decreased false alarms, and 58% claimed that AI cameras made them more efficient.
Searching for Real Integration
In today’s market, the speed of technological innovation hasn’t been matched by resellers on the business side. In too many instances, video analytics and conventional monitoring end up bifurcated into separate silos. This results in a poor user experience, just when consumers are beginning to expect robust security – including video analytics – from inexpensive DIY solutions. That’s not good for the long-term health of the industry. Nor is abandoning the residential market to DIY solutions and focusing on commercial jobs. There simply aren’t enough businesses out there to fill everyone’s pipeline.
Consumers want a single, cohesive solution, and despite the advances of DIY, most of them want a professional to at least help with their security system. This is what has led beyond DIY and DIFM to DIWM – “do it with me.” Professionals shouldn’t pass up this opportunity to “co-produce” the deployment with the end-user. There’s more revenue to be made from ongoing services than basic installations that many consumers feel they can do themselves. Left without a professional partner for video and analytics, consumers will turn to the Amazons of the world, who will happily fill the void.
Awaiting Delivery
Both manufacturers and vendors need to take a long look at their strategies for the video takeover. For manufacturers, is the answer to buy, build or collaborate on video services? For vendors, it’s more important than ever to pick the right products and portfolios. From industry-unifying standards like Matter, interoperability on the hardware side will make a difference. So will open standards for metadata and events like ONVIF Profile M. Small-to-mid-sized security vendors have lots to look forward to if they get on board the video train. The market is coalescing, and the demand is growing. Now it’s time for the professionals to step in and deliver.
Colin Burke McClure is a Senior Consultant for bluesalve partners. Colin is a 25-year veteran of the technology industry, holding senior leadership roles with Monster Cable, Niveus Media, Atlona, and MiOS.
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