Integrated And Networked Physical Security

A traditional security system is composed of a variety of subsystems such as video surveillance, access control and intrusion detection alerts. By themselves, each of these systems is a critical component of a sophisticated security infrastructure. But for the most part, these platforms operate as separate components without the ability to communicate with each other. This inability to share critical security information between devices and platforms leads to missing data, which can result in security hazards and lapses.

Over the past decade, the focus of security has shifted from analog based systems to IP based solutions. IP security devices enable quicker access to critical data than analog systems because information can be accessed instantly over the network. Yet until today, IP systems fell short in that they had no inherent way of connecting the disparate systems. To combat this, integrators and installers were called upon to bring these siloed platforms together. In combining these separate systems – video surveillance, access control, analytics, intrusion alerts and more – into a single interface, users can take advantage of a higher level of situational awareness to more effectively detect and deter potential security threats. However the process of merging these systems was expensive and complex because the products were not designed for intelligent integration.