On cloud nine: Benefits of hosted security for a changing world

Technology, and, in particular, cloud, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), have seen exponential growth in recent years and play an increasingly important role in human decision-making processes. More and more businesses are turning to the power of data to not only improve security but drive greater efficiencies across a wide range of business operations. Now, as we enter a period of financial crisis with many new challenges to face, it’s time to consider how cloud physical security can enable us to live and work better and smarter.

Insights to improve security

Moving to the cloud delivers significant cost savings and facilitates easier IT scalability to meet evolving business needs. It enables connected devices and sensors to work together via the IoT, which facilitates the recording and processing of security data in real time. This improves the ability of security teams to respond quickly to any incident in progress. In addition, improved detection capabilities through the use of surveillance cameras with onboard analytics can result in a reduction in false positives, so teams are only dispatched to investigate genuine incidents, saving time and money.

Moreover, security technicians are now able to manage and upgrade solutions remotely making maintenance much more efficient. As an example, one technician can look after two or three customer sites in the time that it would normally take to physically visit just one, providing a service that represents better value for money, while also significantly saving on time, fuel and expenses.

Unlocking business intelligence

Beyond security, however, the data collected by VSaaS and ACaaS solutions can be utilised to provide many operational benefits. For example, within a busy retail logistics environment, video surveillance data can be combined with dedicated transaction checker softwareto keep accurate logs as goods are picked, packed and prepared for distribution. Profit protection teams can use this data to provide them with crucial evidence in the event of a customer dispute, saving time and money in relation to the processing of claims for lost or damaged goods.

Greener strategies and sustainability

As businesses strive to find new ways to demonstrate their net-zero carbon credentials, cloud represents a greener alternative to the legacy architecture of the past. Cloud environments can be simply upgraded and updated without the need to rip and replace systems to keep pace with evolving business needs, while a move to datacentre-based storage means that companies no longer have to invest time, money and energy in the upkeep of legacy systems on-premises. And, as the UNs Race to Zero campaign encourages businesses to commit to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, taking steps now to demonstrate carbon reduction and shift to a greener agenda will be increasingly viewed favourably by partners and customers.

Cybersecurity and future-proof systems

Adding any device to a network is not without risk, yet the cloud has now proven itself to be far more secure than its on-premise alternatives. VSaaS and ACaaS are backed by regular software updates and firmware upgrades, keeping them constantly online and always up to date. Here, cloud provides a fast, efficient service with updates installed automatically the minute they are available, rather than having to rely on local on-premise installation, at additional cost and, from an operations perspective, an inconvenience.

The cloud ticks many boxes. For security professionals, there is increasing scope to work ever more closely with businesses, helping teams to understand the benefits of integrating cloud physical security solutions to streamline their processes and become much more efficient as a result. The cloud enables more dynamic, secure and future-proof organisations that will be better equipped with the technology to help them think and act smarter.