a&s asked industry leaders for at least 12 trends or phenomena that readers should know about in security and building automation for 2012. In light of a slow economy, demonstrating ROI is more important than ever. Aaron Kuzmeskus, Director of Security Channel Development for Buildings Business, Schneider Electric, describes 12 trends to watch.
a&s asked industry leaders for at least 12 trends or phenomena that readers should know about in security and building automation for 2012. In light of a slow economy, demonstrating ROI is more important than ever. Aaron Kuzmeskus, Director of Security Channel Development for Buildings Business, Schneider Electric, describes 12 trends to watch.
It should not surprise readers that the global economic situation is slow to improve. At the same time, security and facility directors are faced with greater challenges and tighter resources. Everyone is talking about ROI — but how do you improve your bottom line? Here are some things to follow in 2012.
1.Closing the ROI Gap– Demonstrate to management the high value security adds to a business' risk profile by monetizing security. Also, use security as a business enabler, applying security technology to improve other business processes from manufacturing to patient care to education. Move security from being a cost center to a profit center.
2.Scalability – Today's buildings must be adaptable, “smart,” comfortable, efficient and safe. Meet those demands by selecting a common control system that exceeds today's needs, and provides the future-proof technology to change with what tomorrow brings.
3.Integration – Security command centers rely upon multiple applications to secure a facility. Each application — from access control and video surveillance to intrusion detection, voice intercom or biometric enrollment — typically has its own user interface, reporting process and audit trail. Select a system that has “pre-integrated” these management systems to reduce equipment costs, energy usage and operator costs.
4.Interoperability – Security and building management software can automatically discover and communicate with compatible devices at the IP level without the need for a communications gateway. By leveraging security and building automation systems, this translates to a significant cost savings in terms of simplified system architecture, less hardware, easier software configurations and system operations and maintenance.
5.Simplicity – Flexible user interfaces with role-based menus are simple and intuitive, and relate to typical, real-world security situations. When combined with workflow management by job function, they reduce training time and help make operators more efficient, more productive, and can reduce turnover.
6.Green Security – Integrate security and building automation to improve energy efficiency and security. The key is that security knows when someone is present and who that person is. Apply that information to enable new energy routines in the building management software and realize incremental energy savings.
7.Reliability – Systems that feature distributed intelligence down to the local device level of every controller, enabling stand-alone control offer the greatest degree of system reliability. Controllers that can run their own programs, logic, schedules, and trends and issue their own alarms and events maintain the needed level of operation — even when communication to the server is interrupted.
8.IT – While once an optional part of the corporate infrastructure, IT-based systems are essential to sharing information across a wide geography, enabling truly global operations. Many systems can function over a common IT infrastructure, removing the cost of separate system cabling.
9.Go Wireless –The advanced encryption and mesh network equipment now common can be deployed faster and more cost-efficiently than hard-wired installation, without impacting the security or availability of the network.
10.Cloud – Everyone is talking about the cloud. What is it? Simply put, it's a shared service that can provide data storage or processing capability in a “virtual” environment. To subscribers, this means less capital expense, and in many cases greater uptime reliability.
11.Analytics – Video analytics can be a very effective way to maximize operational efficiency. Analytics can help identify video that should be monitored, based on activity, and analytics provide many powerful forensic tools as well.
12.Awareness–Physical security information management or PSIM is a powerful tool. By bringing many disparate sources of data in one set of actionable information, you gain efficiency and reliability — throughout your enterprise — improving your overall security effectiveness