"The industry is just going through a big moment right now. I think we'll look back at this period as a huge turning point for the industry," said Andrew Elvish, VP of Marketing at Genetec, during an interview at the company's booth.
"The industry is just going through a big moment right now. I think we'll look back at this period as a huge turning point for the industry," said Andrew Elvish, VP of Marketing at Genetec, during an interview at the company's booth.
Genetec's newly announced device, called Cloudlink 210, runs video, access control, intrusion detection, and audio on a single Linux-based platform. Unlike previous offerings that required Windows-based machines with monitors attached, this headless device connects directly to the cloud for remote management.
Andrew Elvish, VP of Marketing at Genetec
"It's the industry's first multi-workload device," Elvish said. "It does VMS, access control, intrusion and audio, and it is a device that you use on-premises. It's headless... Once you plug it in, it connects, it's provisioned into your Genetec system, and you manage it through the cloud."
Addressing cybersecurity concerns
The Cloudlink 210 features dual network interface cards to isolate potentially vulnerable cameras from the wider network—a capability Genetec calls the "cyber shield."
"You can have one group of cameras, say, you have a whole bunch of really questionable cameras that are cyber insecure, that make you nervous," Elvish explained. "You can ringfence them so that they can only talk to the Cloudlink, they can't talk to the outside world."
This approach allows organizations to continue using older equipment while addressing cybersecurity concerns. "It can't call out, and nothing can come in," Elvish noted about the isolated camera network.
Integration focus
The device aligns with what Elvish described as an industry-wide shift toward IT-led security purchasing decisions. According to Genetec's recent industry report, "the channel partners who responded said that in over 52% of deals, the physical security purchases are led by the IT team."
This shift is changing how security integrators approach their business, with Elvish noting they've "moved their practice much more towards an IT-focused practice."
"We're seeing a bigger focus on cybersecurity," Elvish said. "We're seeing channel players put a huge emphasis on cloud, hybrid cloud deployments."
For end users, the hybrid approach serves a specific need: "They don't want to rip out their investments. They don't want to have to get rid of everything to take advantage of the cloud."
Target markets
Genetec sees particular opportunity for the Cloudlink 210 in several key verticals.
"I think this device is well suited to end users who are in the finance world, retail, quick-serve restaurant world, and property management, these are big areas," Elvish said.
The technology addresses organizations with mixed camera ecosystems: "They often have older cameras, and they have a mix of cameras that might be five years old, six, seven years old, but they're still good, and they don't want to get rid of them," Elvish explained. "What's beautiful about this device is you can add all those old devices to it, and then they become available through the cloud."
Elvish emphasized that deployment size isn't the primary determining factor for adoption. "You could go from a chain of coffee stores —where they have a whole bunch of small, five-camera, two-door systems— to a large retailer," he noted.
Cloudlink's design prioritizes easy deployment, potentially reducing installation costs. "With this device, you just need somebody to plug the Ethernet cord in, and it discovers itself to the system, and you provision the cameras onto it," Elvish said. "It's a huge time saver."
Elvish emphasized that the company's design philosophy centers on "ease" rather than simplicity. "Ease is what we've designed towards," he said. "We want to make it so that these devices can be dropped in, connected, and you can take advantage of whatever devices you have on the network almost instantly."
Integrator evolution
Beyond product announcements, Elvish highlighted fundamental changes in the security integrator landscape, describing a division between what economists call "price setters" and "price takers."
"There is this move towards manufacturers treating and creating integrators who are price takers," Elvish said. "What that means is they're basically delivering deals to the integrators that have been negotiated, that have been set up, and they're saying to the integrators, 'Okay, who among you will handle the paperwork and install the devices?'"
This approach, according to Elvish, "creates this absolutely commodified world where everybody's competing on price."
In contrast, Genetec focuses on partnering with integrators who can provide higher-value services. "We want to work with price setters who are going to be able to bring extra value, who are not just there to transact, and that could be a real partner to the end user," Elvish stated.