Exclusive: 5 video surveillance trends for 2021
James Thorpe
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There have been times when cloud video surveillance was a hard sell. Bandwidth management, cost of internet lines and the fact that video surveillance was solely a responsibility of the physical security department definitely contributed. Rishi Lodhia, Managing Director for Eagle Eye Networks in EMEA, has been through it all. He started in the security industry 15 years ago with a cloud solution and encountered a lot of pushback in those days. “In the end, the same thing happens across all industries. As a disruptor, you’re first being downplayed before you’re taken seriously. The same thing happened in the car industry. Fifteen years ago, a diesel or gasoline car was your go-to offer if you wanted a reliable, value-keeping car. Now, within 15 years, a diesel car has become the dinosaur in the car industry, overtaken by electric and hybrid cars. And the same thing is happening in video surveillance now that the barriers for adopting cloud have been taken away and the analytics and computing power cannot be rivalled in premise-based solutions.”
Lodhia and his longtime friend and companion, Tijmen Vos pioneered for a long time in cloud video surveillance, but after partnering with Eagle Eye Networks in the US in 2017, things really took off. Now Eagle Eye Networks is the global leader in smart cloud video security. Recently, the company received an investment from Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, Accel to further develop its cloud and AI capabilities across the globe.
A number of factors are driving video surveillance trends in 2021. Innovation from companies like Eagle Eye Networks and its partners are leading and meeting the demands of customers for their video surveillance systems to provide business insights in addition to security. Combine the promise of AI and cloud video surveillance with the volatility, instability and remote work environment of 2020 and we have an environment where people are looking for their video surveillance and security systems to deliver more business value than ever before. The acceleration of cloud adoption and use of analytics to provide improved security and drive business improvements will make 2021 a transformative year for the industry.
Video surveillance and security trends for 2021:
Customers are asking for Cloud: The shift to the benefits of cloud in the video surveillance space are powerful and undeniable, including major cost savings, heightened data security, remote access and maintenance, flexible storage and retention, scalability, increased stability and disaster recovery.
Analytics and AI turn security systems into business solutions: Video surveillance systems are not just for security anymore, they’re also a valuable tool for business intelligence (BI). While AI has been talked about for several years, its deployment has lagged. This year, we’ll see AI move from the lab to practical adoption.
Compliance requirements are constantly evolving: As video surveillance becomes a more widely adopted tool across industries and continents and more industries are using video for compliance purposes, regulating its use is becoming more prevalent.
IT departments more engaged and owning video surveillance: IT leaders have not only become involved in the video management system, they’re actually owning it. As part of their IT strategy, corporations are leveraging video for business process improvement while reducing unnecessary operational overhead.
Demand for open, integrated systems: An open and connected ecosystem makes it possible for businesses and developers to integrate any number of applications on a single video management system (VMS) platform. The platform handles all the heavy lifting of interfacing with the cameras, recording video, securely transmitting and storing video to the cloud and making video available for use in the integrated applications. The days of vendors “locking” users into their cameras or touting “hybrid” systems (which require upgrades to vendor hardware to get new features) will not be accepted.
In short, exciting times are ahead for cloud video surveillance and Eagle Eye Networks. Eagle Eye Networks is adding 100 people to the team across the world in the next months. New hires will be announced shortly in the UK, US, LATAM, Middle East, France and Spain. Recently, industry leader David Barr joined the company as Enterprise Sales Manager in EMEA.
A reseller should have a cloud offering in its portfolio in 2021 to meet customer demands. Eagle Eye Networks works with all camera manufacturers, so a client does not have to rip and replace cameras to start benefitting from the advantages of the cloud. “It is January and we are still in New Year’s resolution mode, so I invite resellers across the globe to test us out as part of their resolution to improve their solutions’ offerings in 2021. You won’t regret it,” closes Lodhia.
This article was published in the January 2021 edition of International Security Journal. Pick up your FREE digital copy here
