Page 13 - Security Today, November/December 2024

“Depending on a
company’s preferred
model, some
organizations will
prefer to minimize
network bandwidth
and lower total
costs by configuring
an edge-based
surveillance system.
Others prefer a
centralized cloud-
based operation.”
devices and technologies in use every day in
our work and personal lives. The “things”
can refer to any physical or software-based
objects that feature a sensor, processing
ability, and can store and send data to
and from other connected devices – from
“smart” home devices like thermostats and
lights to fi tness activity trackers, connected
cars and surveillance devices.
All these IoT devices have one com-
mon characteristic: they are all basically
minicomputers with increasingly powerful
processing capabilities operating on the
edges of a network.
IoT is not a new space, but it is contin-
ually growing. According to IoT Analyt-
ics, the number of connected IoT devices
is expected to grow 13% to 18.8 billion by
the end of 2024, and to more than 40 bil-
lion connected IoT devices by 2030.
Think of IoT as one gigantic edge
computing network. A good example is
the modern “smart” offi ce building, where
physical security and surveillance system
devices may be networked and integrated
with hundreds of commonly used build-
ing management systems such as lighting
control, access control or fi re control/sup-
pression systems.
Each of these devices can be confi gured
to work together resulting in a number of
benefi ts: cost savings, increased energy ef-
fi ciency and a more comfortable working
environment.
Photo Courtesy of Hanwha Americas
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