Furthermore, as the government moves toward an all-IP, soon-to-be cloud-based infrastructure, there are standards developments in place via the Federal Identity, Credential and Access Management (FICAM) roadmap that will affect video surveillance. Proper credentialing and authentication techniques in IP video surveillance will become more of a prevalent issue, especially in the government market.
Risks and Threats
Nilsson: There are two quote-unquote surprising trends, and both are directly related to the market shift to IP. Trend one: the overall landscape is changing. Established players are giving way to new players, both in the vendor and integrator worlds. This rise of new market players has a lot to do with the pace of technology innovation, driven by the effects of Moore’s Law. The speed of product development is trend two. It seems like at every tradeshow there’s a newer and better product. Unless you’re able to attend all these shows, it can be staggering to learn about new product capabilities even if you stop paying attention for only a few months. Stay vigilant with technology updates so you’re not caught off-guard.
Ongoing Challenges
Nilsson: Ten years ago, post 9/11, the video analytics industry found itself under a bright, hot spotlight. Expectations were sky-high, but execution fell flat. Video analytics are getting much better and have proven more scalable, but there’s still the risk of unrealistic expectations. Again, it’s the vendor’s and integrator’s job to make sure this doesn’t happen by understanding the technology, what it can and can’t do, and when to deploy it. We’ve talked about the importance of proper certification and education. That’s a given. But how do you know if your integrator has enrolled in the right courses? A little research into the types of educational programs will go a long way. There are many great professionals throughout security. Start a conversation and find out what they think are the most respected programs.
Final Thoughts
Nilsson: In a tough economy it becomes even more important to evaluate the partners you work with. Do you want to invest in a long-standing partner, or one who runs the risk of not being around in a year or two? Is there a chance the particular division you work with could close down? Long-term partnerships are a major strength of the security industry. Don’t lose that perspective, especially when times are tough.
Note: This interview was originally published in the January issue of Security Sales & Integration.
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