COVID-19 Accelerates Adoption of Video Analytics

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• COVID-19 Accelerates Adoption of Video Analytics

13 April 2021

Video Surveillance as a Service innovator AVA Security found that more than four out of every five of IT, Operations, Facilities Management and Security systems decision makers employed by medium and large-sized businesses, see a potential role for their workplaces’ video monitoring systems in supporting corporate plans for a safe return to the workplace post-lockdown.

This was perhaps the most significant finding of the security industry’s first multi-national study of COVID-19 video monitoring system usage and upgrade impacts. Questionnaires for this reached decision makers during March when many of them were in the midst of making final arrangements for the safe return of staff to organisations’ offices and work premises later this summer.

In the US, 90 per cent of respondents saw a role for video monitoring systems in supporting a safe return to the office, whilst that percentage fell to 72 per cent in the UK and went up to an average of 94 per cent across Norway and Sweden.

 

“Managers running video monitoring systems are looking for greater functionality which the next generation of video analytics can now deliver. Some specific video analytics like crowd density and room capacity analytics is enjoying a COVID-19- linked uplift in demand simultaneously."

 

– Vegard Aas
Head of Online Business at AVA Security

 

IT Cloud Adoption also Accelerated by COVID-19 Both Sides of the Atlantic

 

AVA Security’s research also uncovered an acceleration in cloud migration of IT services which looks set to positively impact Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) adoption. Nearly four out of every five US firms have already accelerated their cloud migration plans during the pandemic. More than half of those have already secured increased IT budget in financial year 2020/21 for moving additional services into the cloud.

In the UK, over half have accelerated cloud migration of services over the last year, again with over half of those already benefitting from increased budgets to complete cloud migration projects.

Sweden and Norway together had an average of 84 per cent seeing an acceleration of cloud migration of services, with over two-thirds of this group confirming new budget had already been assigned to this activity. This week, Ava Security launched its Cloud Connector offering to enable video security system owners easy and cost-effective transition of video security solutions to the cloud.

 

VSaaS Demand Led by US

 

Over three quarters of US firms with video monitoring systems regarded VSaaS migration as a net high priority, marking it as either “high priority” or “somewhat a priority”. That percentage was even higher across Norway and Sweden’s respondents at 90 per cent. However, in the UK VSaaS adoption was favoured by just 51 per cent of security system decision makers.

 

Remote Monitoring of Assets, Operations and People Movement Still Rising

 

AVA Security also revealed that four out of every five businesses captured in its multi-national study, predict an increase in remote monitoring of assets, processes, and people on their work premises over the 12 months.

There is no doubt that the spike in demand for remote management of systems and premises, because so many of us having to work from home, is set to continue apace: 78 per cent of firms predicting that it was likely they would increase their remote management capability over the next 12 months. That figure was slightly higher in the US at 83 per cent and only slightly lower in the UK at 72 per cent.

AVA’s study also uncovered the fact that 79 per cent of firms declared it likely that their organisation would accelerate the migration of IT applications into the cloud over the next 12 months. The study also found that 80 per cent of firms predicted an increased focus on cybersecurity for all networked devices and applications over the next 12 months.

Vegard Aas, Head of Online Business at AVA Security, commented: “Increased demand for remote management of IT systems is naturally feeding through to demand for cloud-based IT services as those running systems focus on speed of access to data, as well as increased cyber security to protect network infrastructure.”

 

Video Set for Deeper Integration with Access Control Systems

 

The top priority for improving and optimising existing video monitoring systems on both sides of the Atlantic was integrate them "better with other security-related systems, such as access control or alarm systems" – nearly four of every five system owners considered this a high priority for improvement.

Next highest priority jointly, for 77 per cent of system owners, was improving their “system’s resilience and back-up systems and procedures”, and “GDPR compliance procedures” surrounding their video monitoring/CCTV systems. ThisWeekinFM spoke to Security Assured earlier this month about how they provide such safety and control through a personal and current service.

 

Priorities in Smart Analytics

 

People counting, including room capacity monitoring, is the most heavily deployed smart analytics tool right now on both sides of the Atlantic, the AVA study found. Across all four countries captured by the study, the average deployment of people counting stood at 43 per cent of video systems. People crowd density analytics runs a close second in terms of video analytics adoption, no doubt stimulated by COVID-19 safety requirements – 39 per cent of organisations have already deployed this capability into their video surveillance systems. Only a quarter of UK system owners have so far deployed it. However, the UK is set to see a more than doubling of crowd density analytics deployments – 29 per cent of system owners plan to deploy this in their video monitoring systems over the next 12 months.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition has seen similar levels of deployment: 35 per cent of system owners across all countries captured by this study have so far deployed ANPR/LPR. Again however, the UK’s adoption and projected uptake lags significantly behind the US, Sweden and Norway, showing a lack of desire to upgrade security technology in comparison, but still an interest and gradual implementation. Vegard Aas, Head of Online Business at AVA Security, said: “Managers running video monitoring systems are looking for greater functionality which the next generation of video analytics can now deliver. Some specific video analytics like crowd density and room capacity analytics is enjoying a COVID-19- linked uplift in demand simultaneously."

Earlier this year, ThisWeekinFM spoke to Mike Green who has thirty-eight years of experience specialising in FM building services, consultancy and contracting and Kiran Kachela, Managing Director of Continuous Improvement Projects and change management specialist, about digital adoption and willingness for that evolution. The Connected Enterprise report, produced by Sigma Dynamics, inspired some of the dicussion – it revealed that 71 per cent of FM leaders are sceptical about the benefits of implementing new business technology.

Facilities managers seeking Security Services, or more specifically Access Control Systems, CCTV & Burglar Alarm Systems, can visit the Spotted Cow Media Business Directory.

Picture: simulated birds eye view security surveillance.

Article written by Bailey Sparkes | Published 13 April 2021

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