Page 42 - Security Today, April 2021

On a Cloud of its Own Current and future uses in the commercial security industry
BCy Kim Hartman
loud-based technology and solutions have be- come more and more mainstream, especially in the commercial security industry. A few years ago, people were aware of the technology but did not understand how it worked and mistrusted how se-
cure it actually was. Now, cloud-based technology and solutions is the norm, and end users are continuing to realize the versatil- ity of having cloud-based systems. End users expect to use this technology in most aspects of their lives, and using cloud-based solutions in the commercial security industry is no exception.
Cloud-based technology is crucial to the security industry in two major ways: the remote access and data backup components. These capabilities have transformed the security industry as there no longer needs to be such a strong reliance on hardware.
Businesses and organizations can monitor and use their secu- rity technology from a smartphone which eliminates the need for separate rooms for DVRs and hardware servers.
CLOUD-BASED SECURITY SYSTEMS LOWER OPERATING COSTS, ADD FLEXIBILITY
The cost-effectiveness of cloud-based systems is one of its strongest benefits. With remote access, businesses and organizations no longer need to have staff on-site to monitor cameras and other security tech- nology as the cloud-based technology gives you the ability to access the software from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.
Especially now, during COVID-19, it is an advantage to be able to use cloud-based solutions to operate security technology remotely and still maintain control over the access to the buildings for employees, contractors, maintenance crews and deliveries. Busi- nesses and organizations can also lock and unlock doors, and limit or block card access so that certain pathways are used to make sure interactions are limited to mitigate COVID-19 transmission.
A perfect example of the cost efficacy factor is in the hospitality industry where hotels are dealing with limited occupancy require- ments and are also operating with limited staff. With these changes,
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cloud-based solutions have allowed hotels to manage their proper- ty with limited staff members and keep costs low by not requiring security staff or facilities managers to be on-site. Plus, with fewer on-site servers, there will also be fewer IT technicians needed to manage the servers and hardware, leading to further cost savings.
SECURELY AND AUTOMATICALLY
BACK UP SECURITY DATA IN THE CLOUD
In addition to the accessibility and remote access factor, end us- ers also enjoy the automatic backup features. With hardware sys- tems, camera networks or computer bases inside buildings and organizations always had the weakness of falling victim to a di- saster (a building fire, or damage to the server room, etc.).
A cloud-based system completely removes that scenario from the equation as backups happen more frequently and the data is stored in the cloud. This means that even in the event of a catas- trophe, data from a security system can be brought back online almost instantaneously with virtually zero downtime. This is in- credibly important in the ever-changing security industry when businesses and organizations rely on security systems to provide them with actionable insight to inform on real-time situations.
With these two key features, cloud-based technology opens up the full functionality of the security software from virtually any- where and with almost zero risk of losing data. It allows users to keep a close eye on business and operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Not only does this technology provide more data, but the data is also easier to understand.
Sifting through and sorting the data once required the exper- tise of an IT team, but it can now be done on the user’s iPhone. Most importantly, using these cloud-based solutions in the secu- rity industry provides businesses and organizations with the abil- ity to make more informed decisions.
Cloud-based technology provides end users with access to more data because they are able to draw from multiple locations and systems. Cloud-based systems allow businesses and organi-
CLOUD SECURITY
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