This year marks our Genetec’s 20th anniversary. While a lot has changed in our industry since 1997, our team remains dedicated to delivering innovation that has a positive impact in the world around us. From the beginning, we have delivered solutions that address our customers' current and future needs. This year is no different. Below are a few of the trends we believe will continue to shape security and operations in 2017.

1. Cyber Responsibility

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a big trend with unrelenting growth. The number of devices and solutions that will be connected to the internet and interconnected amongst themselves to exchange data will continue to increase. While there are many positive aspects and opportunities presented by this ever-increasing connectivity, concerns such as hacking and cybercrime will be there too. As a result, greater accountability will be placed on organizations that sell, install and operate technologies that are intended to keep people safe and secure. This will lead organizations to take direct action to mitigate their risk, and will likely increase demand for cybersecurity malpractice insurance in the physical security space. 

2. As-a-Service Options

Customers and end users will continue to seek additional options to access and deploy technology (on-premises versus in the cloud) and to own solutions (perpetual versus as-a-service). The appeal of more flexibility and upfront cost savings will drive demand for the term-based ownership of as-a-service solutions. As a result, the importance of cloud computing within our industry will continue to rise. The cloud will act as the gateway to more flexible, cost-effective and secure means of accessing these as-a-service applications, as well as storing and managing a surging amount of data.

3. Public Safety Programs

In any city or town, everybody has a role to play in public safety; this includes citizens, public officials, business owners, and private and public organizations. Last year, we saw more public organizations, private businesses and law enforcement agencies team up to better secure their communities. Cloud-based solutions that facilitate collaboration across boundaries give traction to more connected and smart city projects. Many recent success stories suggest that this trend will surely continue throughout the coming years.

4. Intelligent Guided Responses

Ingesting and understanding data from thousands of sensors and associated real-time information is becoming increasingly difficult for operators and system users. That’s why a greater number of organizations, specifically those that are larger and consist of multiple sites (eg. higher education and transportation organizations), will gravitate towards solutions that offer greater situational intelligence, simplify the operator's tasks, and help guide user responses. These Decision Support Systems (DSS) will become a critical component to security and operations teams as they will lead to greater security and operational efficiency.

5. Security and Privacy

The security of security systems and the protection of public privacy are ongoing topics that will only grow in importance. Customers will increasingly hold technology providers and integrators accountable, and rely on them to introduce new capabilities and tools to better protect data, assets and the privacy of individuals. New forms of analytics and privacy masking which automatically obscure individuals and vehicles in live and recorded video are examples of technological capabilities that will gain interest.

6. Access-Control-as-a-Service

Now more than ever before, customers expect higher levels of flexibility and openness from their security applications. Although the access control industry has made strides in offering customers additional choice, many organizations still feel locked into proprietary solutions. Access-Control-as-a-Service (ACaaS) is set to change that. Customers looking to replace an existing proprietary access control solution will now have a new option that is simpler and cost effective. With ACaaS, they will be able to keep existing hardware, and simply subscribe to a term-based access control service, making upgrades easier and more affordable.

7. Business Intelligence and Analytics

Security is an investment, and business leaders want to maximize both its returns and value. Towards this end, organizations will progressively look for innovative ways to take advantage of their security investments. IT, marketing, operations and other departments will expand the use of data collected by physical security sensors and devices to inform and enhance their business strategies. Using insights and dashboards to achieve specific business outcomes will become increasingly prevalent.

8. Collaboration

Businesses and government organizations see tremendous value in working together to keep their communities safe and prosperous. Various teams and departments within private organizations, whether located in one building or spread across cities, also recognize how collaboration can help streamline their operations. That’s why breaking down technological silos and creating solutions that connect more people should continue to be a big focus for technology providers in 2017. Simplifying how users access information, divide up tasks, or collaborate on projects will continue to help teams collectively increase efficiency.

9. Data Sharing

With ongoing trends such as IoT, smart cities, and collaboration, the amount of data and video being collected and stored is increasing exponentially. That’s why more organizations need solutions that bridge systems, integrate different sources of data, and ultimately, help users efficiently and securely exchange data across locations. Solutions that speed up and facilitate the secure transfer of information will gain more attention this year. Specifically, solutions with encryptions, authentications and other safeguards and those that ensure the proper chain of custody as data is shared will see greater demand.

10. Surveillance Drones

Drones are everywhere, and their adoption for both personal and public uses sees no end in sight. In the security industry specifically, government agencies and security teams use surveillance drones to greatly enhance visibility of their environments. In response, technology providers will need to create solutions that help users easily manage and leverage drone technology while remaining compliant with evolving legislation.