The security and video surveillance market is changing as all areas of the enterprise embrace the capabilities of networking. The surveillance market looks a lot different than it did several years ago when analog technologies were the norm and most security systems operated independently. This presents both challenges and opportunities for security dealers and systems integrators. It is a challenge to learn and adapt to the new technologies, but the rich opportunities include new ways to sell interconnected business solutions to serve a broader range of customers’ needs — and to benefit an integrator’s bottom line.
Networking has eliminated many obstacles to integration for security systems including access control, alarms, video and intercoms. Any technology that a security integrator is likely to sell has migrated — or is in the process of migrating — to an IP platform. The same is true for other business operations that live on the network.