Having been in the security industry since the early 1970s, I have seen some outstanding changes. Not least of these has been industry sales vaulting from analogue technology to digital almost overnight, and since then, an equally fast migration to IP-addressable and web-based systems. All this growth has led to many users and integrators taking cover, as one technology explosion after another changes the face of the old CCTV world they once knew.
Their concerns and reluctance have to be addressed quickly, or their biggest fear of the IT industry stealing their hard-earned business opportunities will become a reality.
Exposing a weakness of knowledge
The biggest obstacle for growth is the lack of IT and networking knowledge among CCTV resellers and installers. Larger system integrators are now in the process of gaining the required in-house IT skills, but unless the smaller installers make a similar commitment over the next five years, they will be left behind.
If these traditional players can gain the appropriate knowledge through partnership or collaboration with information or network security specialists, they stand to gain access to higher margin work, and to a larger market of SME client companies, which are looking to maximise existing investment in network infrastructure.
From the end-user perspective, the technology can be broken into two distinct groups of expertise: those who know security needs and those who know networks. As the video security requirements for digital storage and IP transport become more common, the role of the IT and information security discipline will become more dominant. Indeed, the overall funds for these systems are now actually moving under their control.
That said, the IT community has no desire or reason to be security experts, or vice versa. A co-ordination of knowledge between both disciplines will be required to understand the new technologies and hardware. Undoubtedly, the biggest shift in knowledge will occur on the installer side, but then only on the physical installation.
In my experience, organisations have shown a fairly high level of sophistication and understanding of what an IP-based system can bring to their operation. The fact is, any mid-sized organisation has internal expertise to understand this technology, but it can’t always be found in the security department. The key is to foster greater co-operation between IT and security, and for security to understand that IT will never have their unique expertise in security management.
Losing ownership
One of the biggest fears for the security installer is the loss of ownership of both the client and the project. There has always been some resistance from customers for routing CCTV over the network. Some of this stems from the fact that the use and maintenance of these installations today is generally handled by a security or facilities manager, totally unconnected with the IT department. There may also be some resistance from IT departments to be responsible for yet another data-intensive application on their network.
IT systems integrators have been eyeing what they call ‘physical’ security projects for two reasons. Firstly, physical security is an important part of information systems’ security. Secondly, physical security access control projects are frequently computer-based and network-based systems that often interface with human resources’ information systems, increasingly for the purpose of integrating physical and logical/IT user provisions and access privileges.
This type of IT integration provides an increased return on investment for physical security access control systems that are capable of being integrated. As the IT side is technically more complex than the physical security side, IT integrators have concluded that if they can handle the IT side, they can handle the physical security side, especially for IP-based systems.
IT has thrived on open standards and interoperability. This is in stark contrast to security industry manufacturers who generally fear open protocols, and would much prefer things to remain unchanged. But the IT door has already been opened, and it can’t be closed.
Stepping up to the IT challenge
It is inevitable that the security industry will evolve and expand. The question is: will the shape of that expansion come from within the security industry as we know it, or from outside influences?
If the changes are likely to have any impact on you, give some serious thought to your part in it. It could be casting a vote, raising a voice, or leading an initiative, but whatever you do to meet the IP challenge, don’t stand still.