By David Needham, EMEA Business Development Manager
Cloud computing is indispensable and will form an essential part of every large-scale security technology installation in the coming years. 40% of North American and European enterprises have already begun adoption of industry cloud platforms, and over half of all critical business initiatives will be accelerated by cloud platforms by 2027 – up from just 10% in 2010*.
But using cloud technologies does not always make sense. Security may be growing its adoption of cloud technology, but building the optimal solution means finding those places where cloud will have the most impact, while utilising the power of on-premise servers and edge processing elsewhere.
System considerations
The cloud offers many as-a-service connected models. These can assist with the management of infrastructure (IaaS), platforms (PaaS), software (SaaS) and even core camera functions through Video Surveillance-as-a-Service (VSaaS). It is tempting to see these as a quick and easy solution to building a security installation, and indeed many customers may request them.
But before drawing up a plan which includes the use of the cloud, systems integrators must carefully consider the environment to be secured, and ensure adequate infrastructure is in place to support the proposed installation. Cloud tools demand a stable, fast internet connection. Without this, a security installation may be sluggish to respond or unable to function adequately – not a desirable trait.
System upgrades may also leverage pre-installed equipment - if this is legacy hardware, or mission-critical kit unable to be changed, it may prove difficult to integrate with cloud technology. And cloud must support, rather than compete with, a company’s data storage strategy; in some circumstances, this may rule it out.
Compliance and cybersecurity
Cloud tools can make a networked camera system more flexible, more scalable, and more efficient. In theory, cloud tools can reduce the challenge of installing and maintaining security systems - but they may also present issues for certain businesses.
On one hand cloud services may assist the IT governance requirements of the customer. Certain cloud functions like two-factor authentication can actively increase cyber defences. For others, though, the use of cloud tools may be contrary to policy.
The integration of a cloud partner may go against deep-seated confidentiality principles, for example, or the possibility of online data being temporarily unavailable may not match their uptime needs. Industries restricted by regulations surrounding sensitive data, may be unable to use cloud solutions at all given that they expose systems to the internet.
Processing on the edge
Even if an organisation is eligible to use cloud technology, that does not always mean that it should. Certain functions of networked security systems are more effectively run outside of the cloud. Take analytics: although the deep-learning techniques required to perform object classification and detection can technically run in a server or cloud-based environment, edge technology has superseded such methods. It is easier on bandwidth, reduces server processing load, and removes the inherent lag of online servers.
Keeping functions within on-premises hardware also tends to be less expensive. The recent trend of cloud repatriation, bringing functions back in-house which were once hosted online, has been caused in large part by spiralling costs**. That said, cloud's on-demand billing structure may work out well for smaller security networks, as the emergence of video surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS) platforms opens up new opportunities.
Ongoing cost considerations
VSaaS is available under a subscription model, meaning it counts as operational expenditure which finance departments may find preferable to capital expenditure investment. It also ties in maintenance contracts which smooth management processes; for some businesses, this convenience may help them install security networks which would otherwise be beyond their capital means. Bear in mind, though, that cloud’s costs scale with size. Installations with a large number of devices may prove prohibitively expensive.
However big a network may be, it is vital to weigh the costs of the cloud against a customer’s budget – and also judge the stability of any cloud provider. If a service you rely on goes down – or its price goes up – a costly refactoring of hardware, software and expenses will be waiting down the line.
Hybrid systems offering maximum potential
The future of cloud in security and surveillance will be determined by the opportunities it creates, weighed against the risks it inherently carries – and the level of potential integration will be determined by the needs of each installation.
Installers must pick and choose those parts of the cloud that are truly relevant or viable, and use them as part of a hybrid model with more traditional solutions. As cloud solutions converge with stronger connected end-point hardware and ever-more advanced management tools, every deployment has the chance to innovate towards a smarter, safer world.
*https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/what-are-industry-cloud-platforms
**https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/04/18/the-rise-of-cloud-repatriation-why-companies-are-bringing-data-in-house/
