It is 2023 and technology is at our fingertips as we’ve never seen it before. Cellular service is up to 5G, and its rollout continues, promoting connectivity between physical security, internet of things (IoT) and industrial IoT applications. The number of cellphone users climb into the millions as people leverage devices for many different tasks, including access control and facility management.

Manufacturers and software providers are focused on open systems, easy access to APIs and integrations between formerly disparate products—pushed by standards such as OSDP and ONVIF interoperability protocols. Intuitive plug-and-play solutions transcend residential and commercial markets—fostering a complete, interactive lifestyle at home and the office.

For systems integrators, success in 2023 starts with a “one is not enough” mentality, because a single solution does nothing to retain a customer. Systems integrators need to move from one-offs or per-project revenues by delivering services, and the technology landscape makes that possible for contractors. It’s not about parts and pieces, but providing technology that solves the customer’s security challenges or issues.

Edge is everything

Super-computing edge devices add intelligence as security broadens its reach from surveillance and access control into detection and proactive alerting—gathering and transmitting data and metadata across the protected premises.

Improvements in edge technology processing also bring analytics squarely into the fold with more power to complete complex tasks and machine learning. Edge processing occurs inside a device and records information on SD cards or uploads specific data to cloud services, saving bandwidth and lessening potential latency between devices. In video surveillance, edge processing reduces installation and infrastructure costs and lowers maintenance, while recordings are faster and more efficient.

Edge computing and smart devices also bring an element of futureproofing to security, providing the flexibility to move to the cloud and deploy higher-tech artificial intelligence (A.I.) chipsets and edge A.I. sensors such as thermal imaging and light detection and ranging.

A.I. takes off

With advances in analytics and the latest chipsets, A.I. cameras now pinpoint detection with high accuracy and turn cameras into active sensors. Automated detection and deterrence stops intruders in their tracks and takes next steps, often without human interaction.

“A.I. in this industry has always existed on a spectrum, from basic smarts that can occur in a compact security camera’s on-board chip to the level of intelligence that requires extensive server arrays and which can process truly massive amounts of unstructured data,” according to the Security Industry Association’s 2022 Security Megatrends study, which pegged A.I. as the number one influencing factor.

“Today, much of what is occurring in the industry is in the realms of computer vision, machine learning and even some natural language processing, but the prospect of neural network-powered machine learning and deep learning means even deeper insights from more complex and less structured data,” the report states.

Cloud is the ‘great’ enabler

No discussion about the future is complete without talking cloud, a powerful infrastructure every systems integrator needs to leverage. The ongoing mass adoption of cloud computing has been a key driver of many of the most transformative tech trends, A.I., loT and remote and hybrid working, according to Forbes’ Top 5 Cloud Computing Trends in 2023.

The as-a-service model allows systems integrators to easily expand their offerings to customers, because a cloud management platform permits the addition of many different services. This includes video surveillance, access control, intrusion, energy management, temperature and environmental sensing, lighting and others. For systems integrators, cloud hosting offers the ability to remotely monitor, troubleshoot and change system configurations off-site, which is a huge time and labor savings.

Other tech considerations

The reality of digital technologies freely streaming information opens systems to elevated risk. Customers want to know what you—and your suppliers—are doing to protect their information.

Cybersecurity remains a top concern for physical security professionals in 2023, according to research conducted by Genetec Inc. Of the many capabilities related to cybersecurity and data protection deployed by physical security teams in the last year, cyber-hardening of physical security hardware and access control management were the most popular, with 40% of respondents implementing new measures targeting those capabilities, according to the report.

This year will see more integration between products and synergies between platforms and devices. Standardized communications between devices, clients, software and cloud service will lead to deeper, more holistic integrations. Delivering a complete, integrated security solution should be your priority, and it’s ready when you are.

Header image source: Shutterstock / Vladgrin