Open platform video management solutions form the foundation to integrate innovative technologies from a vast community of partners. While it’s true that security responsibilities have been transitioning to the IT department over time, this transition makes sense so that the IT department can leverage their compute, storage, and infrastructure investments for maximum ROI while insuring that these technologies are secured with policy and best practices in a consistent manner.
“Keep in mind that open platform solutions enable not only security solutions, but much more that is not related to security solutions at all,” says Tim Palmquist, VP of Americas for Milestone Systems.
Today there is an array of solutions that address areas like marketing, productivity, workplace safety, manufacturing, automation, and more that can benefit the broader organization. IP video management systems that include an open platform capability deliver the most flexibility, scale, and value. ROI is maximized when you have the flexibility to add new technology and switch out selective old technology without having to forklift the entire solutions all at once.
Additional Use Cases for IP Video
When you get outside of security and leverage IP video management technology for something else that benefits the business, you’re maximizing value. Two non-security-related technologies that should be top of mind are targeted advertising and facial recognition.
Targeted advertising can happen inside a store or facility, or outdoors, even as you travel down your car in a highway.
“We have a customer that utilizes cameras used for public safety along a highway in Florida,” says Palmquist. “They’re able to use an analytic to identify vehicles by make and model, and then target an advertisement on a digital billboard down the road toward the drivers of a specific vehicle. It’s a great non-security use of the cameras that would otherwise only be used for public safety.”
Targeted advertising can also be utilized inside a facility. Facial recognition solutions are beginning to be very accurate. There’s been a lot of innovation in this area over time, and we’re seeing excellent results. The ability to identify gender and age, combined with the ability to match known images against a database, enables companies to offer new levels of customer service, as well as target these customers with digital signage.
Consider hospitality as well – facial recognition can be used to identify patients. When one approaches the emergency room desk, for example, the attendant can be given the name and prior visits before even speaking to the patient. This type of software can also play in access control environments – facial recognition can be used as another form of authentication.
Cybersecurity and IP Video
Cybersecurity is a hot topic when it comes to IP video management. As far as securing video data goes, the key topic is encryption. Encryptions can be used in multiple places in an IP video management solution. Encryption between camera and recording server. Encryption of recorded video onto media. Encryption of exported video. There’s also two-factor authentication for login capabilities.
Along with that, system hardening is essential when you commission a system. Referencing the manufacturers hardening guide and following all recommendations is the best way to ensure a safe and secure deployment. Keep in mind that each time the software is updated, the hardening guides are also updated. The system should be adjusted to meet the new hardening guides.
All of these things taken together will not secure the organization without solid policy development, education, and utilization on a day-to-day basis.
GPU and AI in IP Video
The innovations in the area of GPU are enabling compute power to support machine learning and artificial intelligence. These innovations will disrupt the status quo and enable amazing new innovation in the marketplace.
“At Milestone, we believe that the innovations in AI powered by the advances in GPU will fuel a new wave of innovation in the security industry on a level not seen in our marketplace before,” says Palmquist,” And actually not seen since the invention of the IP camera. We think it’s that disruptive of a technology.”
Despite investments of government and companies over the years, it took the innovation of the GPU to facilitate the improvements in compute power to support the machine learning capability that we’re seeing built into security solutions. This is going to accelerate, be disruptive, and create a wave of change that will power new business opportunities.
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