This article originally appeared in Access Control Trends & Technologies 2021, a bonus publication to Security Business and Security Technology Executive magazines.
In the more than three decades that I’ve been a part of the security industry, an entire lexicon of buzzwords has zipped across my computer screen. From plug-and-play to convergence, interoperability and unified communications, and Cloud to AI. These terms have all been regarded as “disrupters” by industry folk when first crashing the scene. But nothing has approached the level of sheer transformation as the current digital evolution of security technology that is occurring at this moment.
The security industry is facing a huge digital disruption, and to be successful, it needs to embrace digital transformation. Maintaining the status quo will only increase this gap and prevent companies from capitalizing on a valuable opportunity. By challenging conventional thinking and reimagining how business is done, physical security can provide next-level insights, improving life safety and creating value across the organization beyond traditional risk management. This is the conclusion of a recent white paper released in a collaborative effort by Microsoft and Accenture Strategy.
The digital convergence of physical security for both access control and the integrated solutions that can help to amplify an organization’s risk mitigation footprint is changing how end-users and systems integrators measure the traditional investment success of hardware and software. Digitization is driving a clearer picture of business paradigms such as return on investment (ROI),
Security professionals are discovering that by going beyond improved responsiveness to threats and more effective risk management, new physical security models that live in a digital platform can deliver faster response times at a lower cost, better security asset utilization, and improved lifecycle management. Additionally, more than 80% of security leaders believe that digital transformation will deliver significant non-financial benefits such as an enhanced employee experience; converged cyber and physical intelligence; and environments that are not only smart but aware.
We are already seeing this in new digitally robust access control solutions. As we enter a new post-pandemic security environment, digital transformation figures to be much more than a passing fad or a fading buzzword. It is the security industry’s current course and future destination.
Steve Lasky is a 34-year veteran of the security industry and an award-winning journalist. He is the editorial director of the Endeavor Business Media Security Group, which includes magazines Security Technology Executive, Security Business and Locksmith Ledger International and top-rated web portal SecurityInfoWatch.com. Steve can be reached at [email protected].
