Video surveillance and system integration for intelligent functions, keys in 2012

Con la llegada del nuevo año, ADT, security and fire protection solutions provider, has analyzed the current security risks and the most advanced protection measures to establish the main trends that will shape the security market during the 2012.

The use of technology, just as in the real world, carries some security risks that must be addressed. The security solutions provider ADT has pointed out the six main security trends in homes, business and commercial environments to be taken into account during the 2012.

Clear commitment to video surveillance systems
These systems allow capturing real-time images when an alarm occurs and thus speed up response time in case of an emergency, theft or fire, evitar las falsas alarmas y garantizar la seguridad de hogares. Esta tecnología permite que el sistema envíe las imágenes al teléfono móvil o al email al menor signo de incidencia y permite saber en tiempo real qué sucede en su hogar mientras su propietario está ausente. El desarrollo de estos sistemas lleva aparejada la progresiva disminución de los servicios de ‘acuda’, que suponen el desplazamiento de un vigilante hasta el lugar de la alarma, lo cual no sólo implica mayores costes, sino un mayor tiempo de respuesta que puede ser clave en caso de emergencia.

Utilización de soluciones de seguridad para la realización de funciones inteligentes y domótica
The new trends in security solutions not only allow monitoring and managing home security while the owners are away. Future trends include the complete integration and automation of security systems with energy systems, so that users will be able, for example, to control the lighting, heating of their home, etc. in an optimized way, with the resulting energy savings and improvements in comfort. Besides, these systems also provide greater security, by preventing the home from appearing abandoned during a long absence thanks to the programming of lights to turn on at certain times of the day.

Use of smartphones and tablets, also for security control
The increasing use of smartphones and tablets will have an impact on security trends in different aspects. On one hand, home users will be able to receive real-time alerts from their video surveillance systems. For professional users, the development of technologies such as NFC ('near field communications') could encourage the migration of access control systems to mobile devices.

Combination of systems for comprehensive and intelligent security functions
The integration of different physical and technological security solutions, which include access control, intrusion detection, biometric controls, up to electronic article protection or video surveillance, between themselves and the strategic needs of companies is already a reality, but it will be accelerated in the future, both due to performance improvements and the progressive reduction of costs.

This trend implies that security solutions can align with broader operational needs and even with the strategic objectives of companies, in collaboration with other departments, such as IT, Production, Finance or HR, resulting in a convergence of security solutions with all business processes.

Optimization of technology to drive sales in stores
In stores, the main trend that will continue to develop in 2012 It will be to use security technology to better understand the customer and optimize sales. Nowadays it is already possible, thanks to closed-circuit television cameras in the store, to calculate the customer traffic that passes through the doors, aisles or open areas and provide relevant information about traffic flows and space occupancy inside the store, customer volume trends, movements, etc.

These systems even use advanced technology with facial recognition systems to determine the profile of customers by gender, edad, etc. Thus, it is possible to know which areas of the store are most visited, the routes that customers take, the places they go, including the routes and the time spent in different areas. These capabilities allow establishing behavior trends by customer type and linking certain products with a buyer profile. With this information, businesses can optimize their resources and sales floor space to improve sales.

New risks on social networks
ADT lastly points out the need to be cautious with the information that users share on social networks, which can serve as an accessible source of information for criminals. Many social network users expose elements of their lives that can not only affect their reputation, but can also put their personal safety at risk. For example, un estudio realizado en Reino Unido por la consultora Credit Sesame entre antiguos delincuentes muestra que, cada día más, los ladrones emplean Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook y otras redes sociales para identificar cuándo los propietarios se encuentran fuera de sus hogares. Esto supone un riesgo añadido para los usuarios incautos.