By Roy Alves, country manager, MEA, Axis Communications

Security will be a huge trend in 2017, following a number of high-profile cyber-attacks and hacks last year. With surveillance security continuing to develop as a result of breakthroughs in big data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning, a number of surveillance specific security trends will also drive innovation and investments within the industry during 2017.    

The first of these is cybersecurity because IoT is culminating in hundreds of millions of internet-connected devices the likes of fridges, DVRs and security cameras, becoming possible targets by hackers. Axis has always taken its customers’ security seriously, but we will hopefully see 2017 as the year when all manufacturers make this a priority. The biggest challenge we see with cyber security is to find the right balance between secure devices/systems and complexity/ease of use. We will continue to strengthen our existing offerings and make it easier for our customers to keep their networks and devices secure.

Security as a service is another big trend as we expect customers to start viewing their security as a service – with remote and professionally hosted solutions as well as monitoring of video transmitted from the customer’s site. This will not only free up internal resources, which could be better focused elsewhere, but also improve the service levels, enable better device-management, and strengthen cyber security.

Better integration & analysis of video

Adding to the reduction in complexity and freeing up of resources is the trend of offering integrated solutions. Customers aren’t looking to buy hardware/software – what they really want is to reduce shoplifting, or make sure only authorised people can access the cash office, or keep track of potential threats in an airport. The convergence of hardware into end-to-end solutions will be able to address specific security problems and these will consist of high-performance cameras, storage and access controls that are all tightly integrated with video management and analytics tools. This approach will be easier for customers to purchase, install and implement, while offering a great return on their investment.

This tighter integration will be one of the factors, spurring on the expanded use of analytics. While high quality video footage is a core feature of modern security cameras, ultimately that information needs to be assessed and analysed, before a decision can be made to respond to its content. The recent advances in camera technologies, such as thermal imaging and enhanced low-light capabilities have been significant steps forward.

However, in the end, they just generate more footage that needs to be watched/reviewed. The security industry has been working hard on video analytics software that can work in real time to help professionals make informed decisions. We expect to see 2017 as the year when these new camera capabilities are combined with real-time analytics, to address several security challenges that includes facial recognition, forensic analysis and perimeter protection.

Deep Learning

All of this data and analysis of the information through analytics will provide a boost to other technologies such as deep learning. As more data is gathered, computers can start to learn about what behaviour is expected for certain typical locations or environments and flag up incidents when unexpected activities occur. This is only the beginning and is a very exciting space to keep an eye on.

Additionally, physical security doesn’t just involve the surveillance of people, places and stuff. It’s also about access to places, communication and managing emergencies – and sometimes having to do that kind of thing from a significant distance. So, we see 2017 as being the year when fully-integrated physical security systems, combining cameras, intelligent doors, intercoms and speakers become viable.

Ultimately, we think IoT should be about better security, more efficient businesses, organisations and cities. This will be brought about by technologies such as “smart” cameras, door stations and audio equipment with network connectivity. 2017 will add more ‘smarts’ to those devices, while also enabling customers to focus on what they do best and allowing security specialists to improve the services they provide.