As the security, CCTV and intercom industries continue their move toward greater reliance on IP infrastructure, our customers are asking for more involvement if not outright ownership from their internal IT support groups. How the systems are designed to minimize the potential impact to corporate network resources go a long way to obtaining support from the customer IT support staff.
We are seeing greater demand for migrating away from the centralized security platforms that require dedicated panels, head-end equipment and homerun cabling. Customer requests are moving security products and control to the “edge”. Much of this interest is driven by the possibility of significant cost savings in both material and labor for a security project as well as the increased flexibility and greater functionality available when the systems are placed on the corporate network.
The potential cost savings are typically balanced against an increase in scope for the structured cabling and network infrastructure requirements to meet the needs of the edge devices. Additionally, IT groups may have additional requirements in terms of maintenance allowances and services required for the upkeep of additional devices requiring corporate network access.
Overcoming these challenges will allow the customer security staff to utilize new remote access capabilities to become more efficient and can allow combining multiple systems into a single point of monitor for a consistent application of existing security processes. Upcoming features will require the security system products to increasingly fit into existing IT support standards as we all become more reliant on the IT world.
Anthony Tatman
Security Controls Engineer