Genetec has released the results of its 2024 State Physical Security report is based on insights from over 5,500 physical security leaders worldwide, including intelligence from end users and channel partners in Australia and New Zealand.
The report examines the security strategies organisations are putting in place to effectively navigate the realities of a changing industry.
Cloud adoption is accelerating
The adoption of cloud-based solutions for physical security has been gradually increasing over the past decade but is now accelerating. According to the survey, a quarter of end users in Australia and New Zealand reported that they will be moving physical security data to the cloud within the next year, 19% intend to complete this transition within the next 12-18 months and almost all respondents reported they will complete that transition within five years. Genetec’s channel partners report that almost all new security systems installed over the last year enable cloud connectivity.
Cybersecurity concerns remain significant
Cybersecurity concerns are significant in Australia and New Zealand. During 2023, 54% of surveyed organisations in Australia and New Zealand reported they have prioritised improving their cybersecurity strategy. This is not surprising with almost two-thirds reporting that cybersecurity vulnerabilities and business continuity planning were among their top challenges.
In contrast, global concerns about cloud-based solutions are lessening significantly. In last year’s survey, end-users considered perceived cybersecurity risks to be the primary factor discouraging their organisations from adopting cloud-based security systems. However, there seems to be a shift in attitude underscored by growing confidence in the capabilities of cloud solution providers to establish robust cybersecurity measures. As a result, respondents have relegated perceived cybersecurity risks to the sixth position among the factors deterring their organisations from adopting security systems in the cloud.
Channel expects increased demand for cloud and hybrid solutions
Feedback from channel partners in Australia and New Zealand found that video surveillance and access control systems are most commonly being replaced by customers. 70% of customers in Australia and New Zealand say this is strongly motivated by the need to integrate systems with new technologies and to gain access to new capabilities.
Cloud connectivity is continuing to become a significant element of security systems with almost nine in ten customers enabling some degree of cloud connectivity for their security systems – a number that channel partners expect to increase in the next year. The channel in Australia and New Zealand expects almost all new physical security systems to be cloud or hybrid cloud within five years.
IT and physical security departments are increasingly interconnected
The increasing adoption of cloud-based physical security systems has led to a rise in cybersecurity threats, data handling, and compliance requirements. As a result, IT and physical security teams are becoming increasingly interconnected as evidenced by 54% of end users in Australia and New Zealand indicating that the IT department and 44% of executive leaders have access to physical security data. As technology adoption grows and remote access from external networks becomes more common, the partnership between IT and physical security will continue to develop.
The future is becoming hybrid
It appears that most organisations prefer a hybrid approach, combining both on-premises and cloud-based solutions. Over 90% of end-user respondents in Australia and New Zealand reported they plan to deploy cloud or hybrid cloud systems within five years.
“A hybrid cloud deployment clearly emerges as the ideal path forward for many organisations, seamlessly blending local infrastructure with the power of the cloud,” said George Moawad, Country Manager Australia and New Zealand at Genetec Inc. “With a hybrid-cloud solution, organisations can optimise their physical security installation to best fit their business. And no matter how their security needs evolve, their systems will remain agile and adaptable to continue providing them with the capabilities they require,” he said.
Survey methodology
Genetec surveyed physical security professionals from August 21 to September 15, 2023. Following a review of submissions and data cleansing, 5,554 respondents (including both end users and systems integrators) were included in the sample for analysis. Survey samples were run across all regions including North America, Central America, Caribbean, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, East Asia, Southern Asia, South-Eastern Asia, Central Asia, Western Asia, and Australia-New Zealand.
You can read the full report here.
