Which vertical markets offer the greatest growth potential for security?

Vertical markets across the globe are ripe for potential growth, so it’s difficult to choose just one. However, healthcare and critical infrastructure are two industries that are increasingly embracing and leveraging integrated security solutions – video, access control, audio, etc. for new and emerging business use cases. With video analytic capabilities that can analyse data and provide real-time insights, the healthcare industry is using video surveillance to reduce the risk of violence in medical facilities, remotely monitor and supervise patients, improve visitor management processes, and communicate with patients remotely. Additionally, body-worn cameras and audio analytics are used to enhance access control in critical areas. Separately, in the critical infrastructure market, thermal and radar technologies are being used alongside video surveillance to enhance perimeter security, while increasing accuracy and offering better response times. With integrated sensor technologies, surveillance technology can also be used for predictive maintenance and to detect potential hazards. 

The retail vertical has the greatest growth potential for physical security systems in the next 10-20 years. There will be a transformation for retailers to ensure the safety of their associates and their customers by changing the way Americans think about the retail experience. Instead of open access to retail locations, airport-type security will be the norm to access our shopping malls or a future shopping collective with different types of retailers in a common location. Much like Amazon or Walmart charges for the convenience of home delivery or setting up appointed pickups, retailers will be able to provide a safe shopping experience for their customers and know that their merchandise is safe from theft or vandalism. The cameras and access control systems already there will provide video data that can be used with machine learning, allowing retailers in these environments to use big data to understand shopper behavior and trends. 

Several markets are showing great potential for growth in physical security systems. Retail is a good example because of the rapidly increasing theft/shrinkage numbers and the need to secure inventory from internal or external threats. Another is airports and transportation. Although remote work continues to be a trend, travel is a highly sought-after leisure activity. Healthcare facilities have seen an uptick in violence and drug theft and are another place where the need for physical security systems is becoming clearer and expanding. 

This year, the public seems to be paying especially close attention to the ways schools invest in their physical security. Ensuring K-12 and university campuses are outfitted with the best physical security systems possible has always been a priority; however, public school districts in the U.S. have taken extra steps in recent years to tighten security, according to the Pew Research Center. This has included everything from outfitting classroom doors with interior locks and establishing emergency notification systems to updating existing physical security infrastructure, such as access control, video surveillance, etc. Now that school is back in session, it will become vital that end users and integrators alike implement a digital as-built to facilitate collaboration between stakeholders throughout the site survey, system design, and lifecycle management processes.

In short, I foresee a substantial expansion of integrated systems across verticals. While multiple verticals have experienced a call for expanded physical security investment recently, such as K-12 campuses and critical infrastructure facilities, organisations ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to healthcare networks and government facilities will require security solutions whose disparate devices are configured to work together and complement each other, as threats to public safety continue to evolve. Today’s physical security systems are best served by advances in command-and-control software that layer the benefits of multiple technologies (e.g. video analytics, external illumination, audio monitoring devices, and so on), creating an interconnected network of devices designed to enhance the performance of the overall system. For example, a system’s video analytics can only perform at their best when its cameras are able to deliver clear images, which is only possible when their field-of-view is properly illuminated. Looking ahead, the market for integrated security systems will not only lead the charge in growth but also help security managers mitigate risks and maximise ROI. 

The banking industry offers substantial opportunities for the deployment of video surveillance due to its critical focus on security and fraud prevention. As banks handle significant amounts of valuable assets, including cash, sensitive customer information, and physical infrastructure, ensuring the safety and security of these assets is of paramount importance, and video surveillance is a critical tool to augment security policies and processes. Cloud-based video solutions further enhance the opportunities for video surveillance in banking. By leveraging cloud infrastructure, banks can securely store and access video footage from multiple locations, eliminating the need for on-premises storage infrastructure. This scalability and flexibility enable banks to efficiently expand their surveillance capabilities across branches or ATMs without significant capital investments. Cloud-based video solutions also offer centralised management and remote access, allowing security teams to monitor and manage surveillance systems from a central location, improving operational efficiency. Cloud-based video solutions enable advanced analytics and AI-powered capabilities. Banks can leverage these technologies to extract valuable insights from video footage, such as facial recognition, anomaly detection, and behavioural analysis. These insights contribute to proactive security measures, allowing banks to identify potential risks or suspicious activities in real time and take immediate action. 

We have found that the modernisation of control rooms has opened doors to significant opportunities for advanced technologies, specifically AV over IP. As control rooms manage increasingly complex and large-scale systems, the scalability and adaptability of AV over IP becomes vital, allowing for straightforward system expansion or reduction. The need for real-time monitoring also aligns with the capacity of AV over IP to transmit high-quality AV data with minimal latency. The ability to deliver AV data over long distances without degradation supports the rising demand for remote operations that many mission-critical operations require. Resource optimisation is also achieved as AV over IP merges separate audio, video, and control signals into a single network, potentially reducing costs and increasing efficiency. This solution also future-proofs control rooms. Its software-based nature, node-based architecture, and use of network infrastructure as the AV switching and control fabric enable easy upgrades and adaptability to emerging innovations.