Partner solutions

The flexible advantages of cloud security to help retailers post-lockdown

Morphean’s retail segment lead, Andy Martin, explains how hosted security solutions can help the retail industry unlock intelligence and improve operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the challenges already being faced by many retailers. As infection rates slowly decrease and businesses open their doors once more, there is much to consider. With staff and customers returning to the shop floor, retailers will need to maintain the controls that have given staff and customers the confidence to shop. Implementing a new operating model changes the store’s performance and resourcing, requiring close attention. Efficiency is the key, and data can provide real insights to manage the change successfully, trade profitably and avoid further lockdown measures.

The pandemic has taught the retail industry that it’s better to be prepared for every eventuality in an increasingly uncertain world. Cloud technology demonstrated its value under lockdown, manifestly evident in the surge in use of video conferencing platforms that kept people connected. Change was implemented with lightening speed and in complete confidence globally by a variety of businesses.

It is this technology that can also be utilised to help retailers ensure the safety and security of their premises as well as meeting operational goals. The cloud has transformed business across many sectors; it is immediately scalable, easily managed from one central location and visible to the entire organisation. CCTV now forms part of a wider IoT world where connectivity and customisation make most things possible. CCTV should not stand alone with only surveillance in mind. Here we explore some of the many flexible benefits to help retailers rise to the challenge. Cloud technology: Secure, flexible and easy to deploy Cloud-based video surveillance and access control solutions are built around an ‘as-a-service’ operational expenditure (OpEx) business model which offers many key benefits to the retail organisation. Video surveillance as-a-service (VSaaS) and access control as-a-service (ACaaS) offer complete flexibility in that they can be easily deployed via an existing IT network, customised and scaled up or down to directly match spend to the operational need and business challenges. Importantly, they are also backed by the latest security software and firmware upgrades, for a solution that’s always up to date and online.

In contrast, solutions built around a traditional capital expenditure (CapEx) model are quicker to age and less futureproofed.

Such systems not only represent a considerable investment, requiring large capital expenditure upfront, but they also lack some of the guarantees around system security. A cloud platform for video surveillance that is designed from the ground up to ensure data is encrypted, and to be sensitive to new vulnerabilities or malwares, provides a secure layer of defence against both physical and cyber attack.

Stop spending on security: invest in intelligence As security equipment is connected to the wider IT network, the data that it generates can be used for a much wider variety of purposes beyond protection of people and assets. By their nature, security devices such as IP-enabled network cameras are present at critical points of physical infrastructure, and as more data is gathered, analysed and combined with other information in the cloud, more uses can be unlocked. Mindsets needs to adapt. Cameras should be thought less of in terms of security devices, and more as part of a mix of technologies that, when combined with data from multiple sources, can produce valuable business insights and automate decision making. Security is just one benefit of a much greater system.

Use case: measuring retail occupancy The setting and control of in store occupancy levels can prove invaluable in this current transition period between full lockdown and the ‘new normal’. Understanding and being able to respond to occupancy data is an important part of not only improving onsite security and situational awareness, but is also integral to delivering great service, appropriate resourcing and creating a secure and positive shopping environment.

Through the use of sensors placed at entrances and exit points, customers coming and going can be counted to establish the total occupancy number within the store at any one time. Downward placement of cameras ensures GDPR compliance by performing a head count rather than identifying individuals. Retail managers can use this data, combined with information from the instore surveillance system, to automate customer reminders of the importance of maintaining a safe social distance through network (IP) audio speakers. Such intelligence can also support general operational decisions about signage placement, deployment of staff or re-ordering of goods in response to customer behaviour and demand.

Find out more about unlocking cloud intelligence in retail: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=D_DvKHcTCEA

For more info about Morphean: https://morphean.com

Streamlined futures – why enterprise customers now see integration as vital

By Phil Campbell, European Sales Director, Quanika

Today’s business landscape is changing rapidly. In almost every part of the economy we are seeing major challenges and disruptions.

Each business faces its own sectorspecific pressures: retailers, most obviously, adapting to the challenges of e-commerce, oil giants facing hefty carbon taxes, the education sector shifting to e-learning, healthcare providers treating increasingly aging populations as well as dealing with major public health crises. And, above all this, organisations are being hit by wave after wave powerful global economic and technological forces, from the shift towards greater sustainability to the rise of artificial intelligence.

But all this disruption doesn’t have to be bad news. Along with all these challenges come very real opportunities. Tech savvy organisations know that to evolve and adapt they need to eliminate disparate systems and silos of information, to give them improved insights and decision-making power and to let them better manage staff and facilities.

Whereas just a few years ago it would have been impractical and unaffordable for many businesses to integrate security systems beyond access control, surveillance and intruder, today they can use the next gen software platforms that make it far more straightforward to connect with an array of security and life safety systems as well as back-office systems and prevalent databases.

And the latest research from Data Bridge Market Research¹ released in June backs this up, forecasting the systems integration market to rise an estimated value of USD 58.73 billion in 2018 to USD 90.82 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 5.6% in the forecast period of 20192026.

Enhanced protection and streamlined operations Even a minimal level of integration, such as pulling together access control and surveillance, makes security and safety operations simpler to operate from a single interface and offers clear advantages and a practical way forward for even for the most complex, multilocation organisation.

But going beyond this, today organisations can benefit from easy, off-the-shelf integration with dozens of building management systems – from elevator controls, fire detection and parking management to asset tracking – and streamline identity management by exchanging data with Microsoft’s Active Directory and other popular databases.

An easy-to-use, centralised system can reduce the burden of ensuring enterprise security from all angles and eliminate the need to deal with repetitive challenges, such as managing and responding to alarms and processing and analysing data from disparate systems.

Integrated solutions also offer remote access capabilities which allow security managers to maintain oversight away from the control room. Single or multiple facilities can be monitored from any location.

Assimilating alarms from multiple systems also gives operators improved ability to visually verify notifications and automatically capture events using video. And streamlined reporting gives managers the required intelligence to implement changes quickly. Adopting the latest AI technology will also act as a force multiplier, and integrated solution will increase operational efficiency by allowing security teams to detect, verify and respond quickly and effectively with easy coordination and streamlined processes.

Benefits of end-to-end solutions Next gen software that comes with off-the-shelf integrations is also helping tackle industry specific challenges. In the hospitality sector, for example, forwardthinking hotels can now integrate their front of house and back of house operations using Oracle's OPERA to not only improve efficiency – reducing pressure on busy reception desks by automating aspects of check in and housekeeping, for example – but they can offer guests a significantly enhanced experience, with hassle-free arrivals and departures, and more efficient room service. That gives them a competitive advantage.

In healthcare settings, it’s now much easier to divert medical teams and reallocate resources from hospital to hospital, with integrated systems that allow floating staff to work flexibly wherever they are needed. We’re seeing a growing number of examples of this in action, and seeing how the resulting efficiency is helping healthcare providers manage times of peak demand more efficiently.

Ultimately, these solutions make life less stressful for individual medical workers too, making it easier for them to access the right facilities and associated IT systems and networks, even when the location is unfamiliar to them, and cutting down on the effort it takes to get where they are needed.

In sectors from retail, finance and logistics, to manufacturing, integrators and technology vendors are delivering ever more capable, more flexible solutions. And they are making them applicable to for every type of mediumto-large business, from those that operate standalone large buildings and campuses to those with complex, dispersed, and multi-site estates.

Today, scalable, flexible, and future-proof solutions can be adapted to meet new requirements and changing priorities – new functions added for example - with minimal expense and disruption. And today it is faster than ever for engineers to develop new integrations using the latest architectures and APIs. This has reduced the time it takes to satisfy customers’ requests for new integrations from months to weeks. This means that organisations can move as quickly as they need to by upgrading and scaling systems, to pivot operations and stay fully in control.

More info about Quanika: http://quanika.com