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Convergence: myth or fact?

The security industry has been riddled with an enormous amount of mismatching. Convergence and the amalgamation between all kinds of topologies has meant that a decent standard has been very difficult to maintain or even to uphold.

As data has become more critical for business and for homes it has become evident that the typical installation traditionally a wired panel is fast becoming a thing of the past. The reason is not solely because of technology but also because of the users becoming much savvier in their needs. This is a very important factor in where the intrusion market or industry in particular is guided.

The key to making security work in our modern households and businesses is redundancy. We have typically faced many redundancy issues in the IT sector and it has largely been overcome with effective and simple means of backup thus causing the IT sector to be very effective in the way that data is protected. Furthermore, the IT sector has made it possible for most businesses to have an elaborate backbone of infrastructure which typically means that any new or additional technology can run in conjunction with this infrastructure.

The intrusion market has been very isolated in developing any measures that would work in conjunction with the existing network. There are a multitude of reasons for this outlook:

* Firstly and probably the most important reason was to make sure that the intrusion system was not exposed to any elements that could have an effect on the system without authorisation, thus running it in standalone mode would make sure that if there was any element trying to tamper with the system, they physically would have to be on site.

* The security industry and particularly the manufacturers of product have not seen the need for developing network type products as the installer has not been trained in network topology. Understanding how networks work and being able to configure very simple network outcomes is not what the installer has been trained to do.

* The cost of producing a networkable panel has always been a factor due to the network card. This cost radically affects the price of entry level panels. Though we have seen a significant price reductions, it has been a factor that traditionally has made the manufacturer shy away from this technology.

You may ask then what has changed. The answer in short is demand. Mentioned in the beginning of the article is the issue of redundancy. What does redundancy mean in today’s world? All technologies seem to be seamless. When was the last time you had a blue screen on your computer? Redundancy takes a whole new meaning when it comes to networking and the way systems are able to fix themselves with no real problem.

Unfortunately this is not the same for our intrusion systems and requires a definite improvement on the way we manage the needs of the customer and of the installer.

Also, it is vitally important nowadays to control and manage business from any location. It has become a well known fact that many business owners conduct their business from their blackberry whilst on the road or in the air. This has caused the need for streamlining one’s operations from any location in the country or in the world.

The overwhelming fact of the matter is that the latest technologies in intrusion are looking for the convergence between one and other. More importantly is that the industries, both IT and security are finding a tremendous amount of synergy and it has become very evident that these two industries are most likely converging into a ‘super intrusion and CCTV system’ that is virtually indestructible regarding communication and backbone.

In my opinion I believe having worked in both industries that it is vital that there is some sort of convergence. It is not only for the benefit of the industries, but for the benefit of the end user in his or her business and home.

Johan Crause

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