SIA 2019 Security Megatrends 7 & 8 – What You Need To Know

The Top 10 SIA Projected Security Megatrends in 2019
As we continue to delve into the top ten security megatrends for the year, we’ll look at numbers seven and eight in this post. Both highlight the increasing interconnectedness of our technology.

Megatrend 7: How Will Security Integrators Leverage DIY Security Systems?
Now that DIY security systems have infiltrated the residential market, there’s been a titanic shift in the home security front. Gone are the days when having a home security system would require pricey installation and high monthly fees to a company like ADT.

Amazon, Google, SimpliSafeTM and a host of other technology companies are leveraging DIY devices that appeal to residential customers’ desires for convenience and a good experience. Their customers usually start by installing video surveillance systems, often install other components of a whole-house connected security system.

What’s Next for Security Integrators?
Since the margin for security hardware has shrunk considerably, and installation costs have been rendered a thing of the past by DIY equipment, progressive security integrators are looking at other ways to build their businesses. Many are migrating to a non-contractual monthly service fee business model.

Some integrators are also offering a hybrid model, like “Do It With Me,” which combines some DIY and some support.

These trends are bleeding into the commercial market as well, so integrators need to be prepared for that wave too. Additionally, more IT side entrants to this market are squeezing an already tight market. These are challenges that traditional physical security integrators must overcome.

Best Practices for a Brave New DIY World
Here are some ways for today’s security integrators to leverage DIY security systems:

  • Start Early: Since many homeowners who start with DIY will likely migrate to monitored systems as they start families, getting in on the ground floor with these customers is crucial.
  • Innovate: Integrators can offer new services and devices to take their customers’ managed services to the next level.
  • Change the Business Model: Integrators should consider leasing systems since devices and other components change so quickly. If manufactures help finance systems, this will go a long way in making these viable business models.

The times are changing, and the integrators who change with it will reap the best rewards. Our next trend looks at change on an even bigger scale.

Megatrend 8: The Best Ways to Bring Smarter Security to Smarter Environments
The world is getting smarter as our devices become more and more interconnected. These “smart environments” often start with access control that’s integrated with automation, HVAC or elevator control, and they’re growing to include more and more devices and equipment.

As both software and hardware becoming connected on a large-scale, we’ll ultimately build “smart cities.” These environments can collect data from video feeds as well as information from public and private entities. They can then learn from the data and become even smarter. We can all benefit from this interconnectedness; the futuristic ideal will provide greater levels of comfort and security, better city services and an overall higher quality of life for its inhabitants.

What Constitutes a Smart City?
• Citizen Experiences and Services: For this to work, we’ll need a clear vision of what these are and how to provide them
• Smart City Infrastructure: Every city department will rely on technology solutions that are networked together as a whole to share data and insights, from strategic planning to community service delivery.
• Enabling Environment: Policy, good governance and financing must favor this interconnectedness and provide safeguards to keep it secure.

Additionally, there are some smart ways to bring smarter security to smarter environments:

  • Ensure that “smart” is truly that. It’s only smart if the data is relevant to the end user.
  • Install sensors on physical devices to collect data and provide feedback that enhances their performance and helps city officials and residents make smarter decisions.
  • Harness the power of analytics and AI, as well as augmented analytics. Augmented analytics is reaching a tipping point for data preparation, modern analytics, data management, business process management, process mining and data science platforms. It can provide valuable insights for HR, finance, customer service, sales, marketing, asset management and procurement departments too.
  • Tap public-private partnerships for smart city financing and funding.
  • Take advantage of new technology. With the advent of 5G wireless, infrastructure connectivity will be more affordable.
  • Construct end-to-end solutions, bringing manufacturers and end users together to collaborate.

Both of these two trends touch on the fact that there are more devices coming together than ever before. To stay on top, security integrators will need to switch to service models and innovate through new products and creative business models like leasing. To build these networks up to smart city levels requires coordination from all stakeholders. Of course, vigilance in security will remain a top priority for both of these new trends.

Stay tuned for our next and final post on 2019 security trends. It will wrap up the final two trends to keep you prepared for the year ahead!

SIA 2019 Security Megatrends 5 & 6 – What You Need To Know

We’re looking next at SIA’s Megatrends 5 and 6, which both deal with issues that are expected to explode in the next year. First, we’ll explore Megatrend #5.

Megatrend 5: What’s Next with the Proliferation of AI?
The tipping point is finally here. After years of AI’s world-changing promises that foretold either exponential enhancement of our lives or total destruction of them, AI is becoming incorporated into our everyday lives, many times without us even noticing. On a global scale, the security industry is expected to continue to embrace AI in the coming years, to the tune of a $35 billion market value by 2024. How did this technology finally break through? According to McKinsey and Company, the forces of data proliferation, algorithmic advances and massive increases in computing power and storage combined to make this change possible.

The ramifications are huge. Some jobs will become obsolete, some jobs will be created and most jobs will undergo some sort of change, according to the research firm Gartner. Robotics may replace workers in manufacturing plants and manned guards may edge out live ones. But the change should be gradual.

Many professionals are still skeptical about AI’s benefits since we’ve been hearing about the proliferation of AI for so long. Therefore many established companies are planning to test AI first before committing to a widespread adoption of the technology. Proper deployment, for these manufacturers, integrators and users, requires significant financial, educational and training investments. Testing it within their confines before deploying it globally makes good business sense.

What does AI proliferation look like on the ground (and in the air)?
The physical security industry will reap great benefits from AI, especially since it automates the processing of the big data that’s being piled on by millions of IoT devices. It won’t necessarily steal security jobs (just yet), but it will provide better data to security professionals and responders. Robots and drones can make security systems truly autonomous. AI is also a natural progression for video analytics, as it does the hard work to analyze the massive amounts of data generated, and can help make smart alarms that are connected to the VNS. Its also enhances alarm monitoring verification, alarm arming and disarming (through voice control), predictive command centers, risk-based access control authentication, customer service, retrieving data from other security or building management systems or social media alerts for access decisions, manufacturing and security department operations.

Facebook relies on AI now, and is planning for the next iteration. Nick Lovrien, Chief Global Security Officer, says, “We leverage machine learning and AI to assess threats; where we want to go is enlightened AI where the technology has the morals to address specific issues.”

The proliferation of AI will be a big trend to watch in 2019.

Megatrend 6: Data Privacy vs. Convenience:  Which is Better?
This next trend is also on track to become bigger in 2019 as we all transition to a services and data-oriented world. Information privacy is becoming harder to protect as more and more devices enter our networks. This puts all of us in a quandary: Do you restrict the freedom of connections in order to secure our sensitive data? Or do we embrace this open connectedness to foster other benefits like seamless communications and convenience – and thereby leave our private information more vulnerable?

The cloud is one of the biggest battlegrounds, and there’s an important action to undertake when it comes to data privacy. The end user needs to understand how safe the cloud is for their particular system. If it’s not, that’s where the systems integrator can help, providing the knowledge and security needed to protect the end user.

Another great example of the interplay of data privacy vs. convenience is online, where the recent GDPR initiative, the General Data Protection Regulation, tightened security. This regulation brings together data privacy laws across the UK, making businesses more transparent and giving more rights to users. For instance, a serious data breach must be reported to users within 72 hours, not weeks or months like was previously done.

California also followed suit with a Connected Device Privacy Act that protects the privacy of residents. According to this law, IoT manufacturers must ensure that they include a viable security feature in their product, and that any information they collect is protected.

What’s next for this trend? There will be an ongoing push and pull over privacy and protection, with security stepping up quickly to cover large gaps caused by the rapid onboarding of these digital devices. Expect this trend to escalate in the coming years.

Both trends five and six are causes for caution this year. With AI, any transition to the new technology must be carefully planned and thought through, starting with an internal rollout and then moving more large-scale. For data privacy issues, as new products enter the market, companies will need to ensure that strong safeguards are in place to protect users.

A new level of vigilance is required for both trends. Stay on alert!