Increased focus on cybersecurity. Cyber-attacks of all kinds have become, and will continue to be, a major threat to business, making this one of the most important trends going into 2019. It goes without saying that as devices are increasingly connected along a network, the risk of breaches also goes up, which is why the trend over the last years — and going into 2019 — is around strengthening the cybersecurity of networked devices. All network connected devices such as DVRs/NVRs, servers, video cameras, access controllers, intrusion alarms, smart sensors, are vulnerable, leading many manufacturers to build additional cybersecurity into their products. What’s also emerging is that integrators and end-users are starting to factor in cybersecurity as one of the major buying criteria for physical security hardware and software.
Rise of connected devices. The Internet-of-Things (IoT) has been a major trend for the past few years in many industries. Going into 2019, there will continue to be a trend towards integrating sensors of all kinds into the network. The collection and analysis of the data collected by the sensors will give rise to a plethora of applications such as intelligent building management, smart cities, etc. The physical security will benefit by having additional intelligence for situational awareness and emergency management as well as opportunities to provide additional value-added services.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled devices. Software manufacturers are looking toward machine learning and AI to help propel advanced analytics in an effort to deliver more situational awareness to operators and an increased ability to proactively assess threats. While video and data analytic capabilities have been around for quite some time, some would argue they were rudimentary in comparison to software that uses AI and machine learning to make existing applications such as facial recognition much more accurate and to create new ways to detect anomalies. In addition, AI/machine learning will increasingly be used to make sense of the large amounts of data that are being generated by intelligent sensors and by analyzing the growing amount of video.
Privacy concerns and strengthening regulations. In most advanced economies around the globe, citizens are increasingly concerned with privacy of their data, and many governments have put – or are in the process of doing so – stringent data protection laws in place. In the EU, the laws and regulations governing privacy and individual’s data that is stored are governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Companies that violate GDPR are subject to significant fines. This trend is starting to impact the entire globe, as we shift toward more data autonomy and privacy. Since most physical security applications involve the collection of video and data about people and assets, privacy regulations will continue to have a significant impact on the industry going into 2019.
Increasing use of video in new markets and applications. Video is the cornerstone of security, providing both real-time and forensic coverage for emerging threats and incidents. The use of video will continue to grow for traditional applications in new markets (such as cannabis), as well as for use in newer applications that are not necessary security related. In some industries such as oil and gas, there is a trend towards extending video coverage into extremely harsh and hazardous environments, so manufacturers will have to develop appropriately certified equipment to meet this demand. Manufacturing facilities such as food processing plants are also increasing their use of video for training and compliance purposes to prevent incidents such as food recalls that can be extremely costly for the business.
Conclusion – As we look toward 2019, it’s an exciting time for intelligent video manufacturers. The growth in the market — and in some of the more niche areas where video data is becoming more critical — is a positive step for the security industry as a whole.
