Genetec Inc. (Genetec), a globally renowned technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, has shared the results of its state of the industry report.
Based on insights from over 2,000 physical security leaders from around the world, the report looks at how the role of physical security continued to evolve in 2021, as organisations adapted to changing conditions.
The changing role of physical security
Physical security continues to evolve from being seen as a tool for mitigating risk, to playing a much more significant role in organisations’ digital transformation.
The survey showed that more than two-thirds (69%) of respondents described physical security and related data as ‘mission-critical’. Larger organisations, in particular, are increasingly seeing value in the data gathered by their physical security systems, with over 46% saying they use their security systems as a way to ‘improve overall business efficiency, productivity, and asset optimisation’.
Rise in investment in data management solutions
Several survey respondents commented that they intended to invest in data management solutions
Several survey respondents commented that they intended to invest in data management solutions, in order to advance or improve the functionality of their physical security environment, in the coming 12 months.
The survey revealed that an increasing percentage of organisations (36%) are investing in unified solutions, in order to enable the ease of maintenance, visibility, and data collection, across all their systems, to improve functionality and operations. This compares to 31% in the 2020 survey.
Video analytics to digitally transform business processes
Over half of all respondents (51%) also said they had invested in video analytics, in order to improve the functionality of existing deployments and digitally transform their business processes.
Pervez R. Siddiqui, the Vice President (VP) of Offerings and Transformation at Genetec Inc., said “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, physical security’s role in business intelligence and operations was already growing, but over the last two years, it has proven to be a strategic asset in coping with a variety of challenges.”
Pervez Siddiqui adds, “As we emerge from the pandemic, organisations will contend with three undercurrents - changes in the physical dimension of work as workspaces evolve into hubs for collaboration and cohesion, workflow automation of the mundane in a bid to drive productivity and retention, and board-level interest in achieving operational resilience, through integrated risk management.”
An accelerated move to the Cloud
The survey showed that 45% of larger organisations (with over 1,000 employees) have already adopted cloud solutions
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing restricted access to physical sites, cloud-based solutions that enable organisations to remotely monitor video, control cameras, assess system health, perform maintenance, and update firmware/software have become invaluable.
The survey showed that 45% of larger organisations (with over 1,000 employees) have already adopted cloud solutions, which is a significant increase compared to 2020, when only 26% of respondents said they had begun their cloud journey. A massive 94% of respondents said they have plans to deploy cloud or hybrid cloud solutions in the long term.
Wide adoption of cloud and hybrid cloud solutions
“The adoption of cloud and hybrid cloud solutions is rapidly accelerating in the security industry,” said Christian Morin, the Vice President (VP) Product Engineering and Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Genetec Inc., adding “While many physical security departments were hesitant to consider cloud-connected solutions in the past, they now better understand the benefits these solutions bring and how it can help them to better utilise their resources, to achieve their respective business goals, while minimising their overall operational complexity.”
Rise in access control investments
When asked about the type of solutions they were planning to invest in to advance or improve their physical security environment, in the next 12 months, over half of respondents (52%) picked access control.
Thibaut Louvet, Director - Access Control Product Group at Genetec Inc., said “Legacy access control systems use outdated technology that leaves them vulnerable to cyber threats and can cause damage beyond the door. So, it is reassuring to see that organisations are taking the necessary steps to migrate their access control systems, to more modern, cyber-secure access control systems.”
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- Network / IP
- Remote surveillance
- Mass surveillance
- Remote video surveillance
- IP video surveillance
- Electronic security systems
- Office security systems
- Office security
- Application security
- Remote security
- Commercial security
- Perimeter security
- Private sector security
- Public sector security
- Security management
- Security policy
- Security devices
- Security installation
- Security cameras
- Covert cameras
- Security camera systems
- Security access systems
- Asset tracking
- Video analytics
- Remote video monitoring
- Electronic access control
- Identity management
- Building security
- Facility security
- Public security
- Wireless security
- Network cameras
- Door access control
- Security software
- IP Surveillance
- Security service
- Hybrid security
- Hybrid surveillance systems
- Physical Security Information Management (PSIM)
- IP security solutions
- Covert Surveillance
- Security communication
- Integration software
- Perimeter protection
- Cyber security
- Mobile communications
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Data Security
- Digital Video Recorders
- Incident Management
- Security Assessments
- Cloud security
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Mobile access
- Video surveillance
- COVID-19
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Machine Learning
- Touchless Security
