A growing awareness of video applications beyond security will drive the industry in the coming year. asmag.com speaks to Malou Toft, VP for APAC at Milestone Systems about key upcoming trends and how Milestone is leveraging these to deliver true business value to partners and customers.
The world is in a unique situation as we enter 2023. The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has eased in most countries, but fresh fears of recession and economic downturn loom ahead. Geopolitical tensions have pushed inflation to the highest level in several decades, and most analysts forecast things to worsen before getting better. But the physical security industry can play an essential role in easing the difficulties, especially with advanced technologies like AI-enabled video.
Speaking to asmag.com recently, Malou Toft, VP for APAC at Milestone Systems, pointed out that a growing awareness of video applications beyond security will drive the industry in the coming years. Organizations increasingly recognize how specialized solutions leveraging data and analytics can empower people, businesses and societies across sectors.
Trends to expect in 2023
A critical factor that has emerged as a game-changer in recent years is actionable data. Ultra-efficient AI video analytics is helping customers make better use of video footage. Along these lines, Toft listed two major trends to expect in 2023.
Data-driven solutions to leverage AI across verticals
Video technology allows users to unlock actionable insights to drive operational efficiencies and automation across sectors to improve overall decision-making. This has benefits in security as well as operations.
"For example, users of such data-driven video technology in the retail sector will be able to get temporal information in the form of metadata to understand the behavior or dwell time of an object or person in a store," Toft said. "This could help the users assess whether their current store layout is optimal in driving higher sales and make necessary tweaks to drive business-based outcomes."
Analytics can also identify and thwart theft or foresee suspicious activities, reduce wait times using queue management analytics or optimize a store's workforce in time for crowds. The result is tighter security, greater staff productivity and a better in-store customer experience.
Similar developments are also seen in other verticals like smart cities. Authorities are no longer using video analytics for public safety alone but also for solving transportation challenges and building more environmentally-friendly infrastructure, such as in Australia where integrated IP video and access control is used to manage and respond to alerts for water utility infrastructure damage.
Data-driven solutions have proven to be tremendously useful in healthcare as well to enhance patient care and address manpower shortages. "At an Integrated Dementia (home-based) Assisted Living facility in Singapore, AI-enabled video surveillance footage helps identify individuals who might have fallen. Such intelligent video analytics can distinguish between normal actions and an actual fall,” Toft shared.
"Looking ahead, we will continue to develop new solutions to offer best-in-class video technology to deliver true customer value. Data-driven video technology will be at the core of a new healthcare offering scheduled for release in 2023,” said Toft. “Our new healthcare solution will ensure patient and employee safety while protecting assets and property, with focused capabilities that meet healthcare’s unique compliance requirements and work environments.”
Greater privacy and transparency requirements
As artificial intelligence proliferates throughout the industry, future generations will demand that companies be compliant and transparent about using their data. People will want to be certain that technology is trustworthy, especially as it plays a prominent role in their lives.
"Over the past few years, we have already seen great use cases of video technology respecting the privacy of its consumers," Toft explained. "For example, a pilot integrated aged care facility in Singapore is equipped with AI and sound analytics software to identify persons in distress while censoring any non-essential physical and personal details."
Milestone foresees video technology applications that respect personal privacy and protect the identities of its consumers across sectors to rise further in the coming years. As a company that has always been committed to ethical technology, responsibility has always been at the core of its business strategy, and protecting the privacy of customers remains of utmost importance.
"Our contract framework includes a clause from the Copenhagen Letter, a document signed by global tech companies, calling organizations to put people first when designing and using technology," said Toft. "The clause encourages our partners to participate in the important discussion about the responsible use of technology, to sign the Copenhagen Letter, and adopt the Copenhagen Clause into their agreements."
The company also launched a Whistleblower Portal in 2021 to make it easier for internal and external stakeholders to report serious incidents of actual or suspected misconduct.
Partner-driven, data-driven business models for growth
For Milestone, the partner-driven business mode has always been a priority. The company realizes that its partners must have the best resources to forge ahead as technology rapidly evolves with new use cases. The Milestone Technology Partner Program offers its partner community applications, hardware and services that complement and extend XProtect.
“One of Milestone’s greatest strength lies in our flagship video management software, XProtect, an open platform that offers customers the flexibility to configure and scale the most ideal video technology solution for varying needs across different verticals,” said Toft. “Furthermore Milestone consistently launches new and improved features to the XProtect software with several releases per year. This ensures that customers can maximize its full potential, from healthcare, education, or the building of smart cities, and always discover better solutions with Milestone.”
The radical changes that the world is currently going through throw up several challenges for businesses and customers. Milestone is geared to meet evolving market trends, take advantage of increasingly valuable data and offer people-centered solutions. Together with its partners, the company is set to deliver innovative video-enabled solutions and explore the full potential and opportunities of video management technology.