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INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Data Centres
Physical security to increase
for South Africa’s growing data
centre infrastructure
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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.
Brent Cary, Regional Sales Manager, Genetec Inc
M
imicking 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,
www.intelligentcio.com
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
cyberattacks – 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, fuelled 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. n
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