by Gerald Becker – Physical Security Solutions & Strategic Alliances, N3N
It is a good sign when any business experiences the need to quickly scale up a particular technology. This need is usually attributed to one or more of the following: sales growth, an increasing workforce, and an introduction to new technology that shows a lot of potential in the market.
Expectations are usually pretty high from the business side. Administrators and engineering require quick application rollouts to new teams and/or easy remote setup that has everything users need. This is especially true now that SaaS applications and cloud-provided services fuel businesses. For administrators, it isn’t quite as easy as a few clicks or calls to a provider.
While organizations look to incorporate video surveillance, analytics, and access control systems that provide greater interoperability as part of their security strategy, most security manufacturers continue to provide disparate systems, with limited communication between systems.
What challenges do typical disparate systems have?
In many circumstances, it can be more advantageous to deal with a single company that has a myriad of technology partners and protocols that encompass most, if not all, use-case applications. However, this route comes with many challenges. While there is a deeper integration through the use of an API or an SDK, these types of endeavors are usually cost prohibitive and incredibly complex to complete. Additionally, it still requires an end user to operate in a few, if not many, different systems to still accomplish the desired result.
Other common issues:
- Limited search capabilities than in the native application
- Key functionality from certain IoT devices above and beyond command & Control
- Independent alert management
- Redundant system configuration from one system to the other
Another long-term issue to take into account is future proofing systems. For example, as new versions of hardware come out, the platform itself needs to be able to keep up with the system integrations.
Additionally, technology manufacturers migrating from older versions to new versions will, in most cases, break the interoperability from one system to the next. When trying to maintain a system that operates with these common setbacks, it can become a crazy ordeal to keep up with all of the different technology manufacturers to maintain the one main system.
What can I do to find the best solution to scale?
In light of all of these issues, it is imperative to focus on integration. Integrated solutions offer a key advantage for users – not having to rely on a single manufacturer for all their operational needs.
It is important to research the platforms that will be used for security applications ahead of time. Look for signs of what the future might hold when integrating various types of IoT devices. Review the current technology supported partner list. Understand what the overhead is and cost associated with integrating new technology that is not on that supported technology list.
And most importantly when trying to scale a solution, search for the manufacturer’s list of supported protocols. Albeit not one manufacturer will be able to integrate every single solution that was created, it is good to know what open protocols are supported. This understanding will enable a path to system integration and interoperability down the road.
Stay tuned for a deep dive whitepaper that will cover how you can maximize and drive insightful operations through the unification of IoT sensors and data into a single real-time view for various business practices.
Learn more about N3N for Physical Security HERE
About the Author
Gerald Becker is a serial product inventor and entrepreneur. He has successfully exited two prior startups. As a veteran security pro & tech evangelist, he has a track record of successful turnarounds. He has founded companies focused on the development and manufacturing of open architecture security platform as well as a software company focused on cognitive neural network applications.
Becker is a California native with deep roots into the tech scene, often participating in industry affiliated technology panel discussions. Becker has an MBA in Information Systems from University of Redlands and a BS in Technical Management from DeVry University.
About N3N
Organizations and smart cities across the globe trust N3N to deliver innovative digital transformation and IoT solutions to achieve powerful business and operational outcomes. Our dynamic operations visualization platform seamlessly converges data from sensors, connected devices, video feeds and more in a single view for real-time actionable insights that drive real-world decisions. Founded in 2012, N3N is a Cisco venture-backed company headquartered in Foster City, California with global offices in South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam
