Mimicking global trends, South Africa can expect an increased demand for cloud storage on the back of several trends including Microsoft’s recent Azure announcement. It is estimated that more than 50% of global information is now housed in a cloud and according to Brent Cary, regional sales manager, Genetec Inc., a leading innovator of open architecture, IP-based security systems, this trend will continue through sub-Saharan Africa. He says that the physical security industry will see an increased demand for video surveillance as a result of the local cloud storage options. This high demand for cloud-based storage, he says, is largely related to an increase in enterprise data and this trend will propel the sector as a whole forward for another five years.
“With the recent announcement from Microsoft Azure, and the subsequent opening of two local data centres in South Africa, 2018 will see increased interest in video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) and cloud storage, as a result of the local cloud storage option. This makes the Genetec offering more relevant and attractive locally, and because we have been working with Microsoft Azure for more than five years, we are well placed to assist with cloud storage and service requirements within the physical security realm—from hybrid-Cloud or all-Cloud archiving to VSaaS.”
Cary says that he expects the demand for cloud-based services in the physical security industry to increase, as local customers realise the cost benefits and potential of remotely locating their IT data and functions. In 2018, the use of the cloud, in physical security in particular, is expected to fast-track, giving the channel an opportunity to take advantage of this emerging trend.
“Cloud services and storage offer customers a wide range of benefits—especially since today’s IP cameras are capturing higher resolution video surveillance footage and feature-rich analytics, and longer retention periods—all requiring greater volumes of storage. The majority of security customers don’t have the physical space or the budget to purchase, maintain, and cool on-premises storage arrays. The cloud is an increasingly attractive, secure, and affordable solution,” added Cary.
Surveillance customers will achieve great cost savings according to Cary. By sending video data to the cloud and storing video footage in a remote database, customers can upgrade their storage in a way that meets current and new demands, but without providing the space requirements and budget commitment related to on-premises storage.
Addressing the security concerns of cloud for physical storage, Cary says that today’s cloud service providers have successfully achieved very high levels of security and ‘hardened’ protocols to thwart cyber-attacks—and in most cases, this protection is better than what can be provided by on-premises storage solutions.
“We fully expect the physical security industry to continue to move toward cloud-based services, fueled by rising trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT) integration. A service provider’s IT experience is going to be more important than ever before. A customer needs to know that their entry into any cloud-based services will really benefit the bottom line and productivity of their business,” says Cary.
