• Data from physical security technology is seen as a “mission critical” tool for business operations
• Cybersecurity concerns
• The industry is embracing hybrid cloud infrastructures and unified solutions.

Genetec, global technology provider for unified security management, public safety and business intelligence, has released the results of its “State of Physical Security 2022 Survey”. More than 3,700 physical security professionals worldwide (including end-users and system integrators/installers/vendors) share their experiences on the security strategies used in their organisations to effectively meet the challenges of a changing reality.

The future of security is hybrid
Some 54% of end-users surveyed said their company plans to use a mix of on-premises and cloud-based solutions for its security strategy. The hybrid approach allows companies to further optimise their existing on-premise investments while leveraging meaningful cloud options to reduce costs, increase security and efficiency, and enable remote access to systems and sensors.

Cybersecurity concerns are on the rise
The convergence of information technology (IT) and security is leading to new approaches to implementing and managing a strong cybersecurity strategy. 64% of IT respondents and 54% of security respondents said cybersecurity tools are a key concern this year.

Use of physical security for business operations
In the survey, nearly two-thirds (63%) of all respondents and seven out of 10 companies with more than 10,000 employees confirmed that physical security and related data are considered “mission critical”. In recent years, physical security has evolved into a strategic resource to address a variety of challenges beyond simply mitigating risk. In addition, physical security now plays a much more important role in the digital transformation of businesses.

Physical security is being unified
Most respondents (64%) said they use both video surveillance and access control in their physical security installations. Some 77% of these confirmed that their organisation has implemented either integration between video surveillance and access control systems from different vendors or a unified video surveillance and access control solution from one vendor.

“Every organisation wants to use the latest technology. However, with budget constraints, skills shortages and ever-changing priorities, security managers need to do more with less,” says Pervez Siddiqui, Vice-President of Offerings and Transformation at Genetec. “A unified security platform offers organisations the opportunity to modernise their aging systems while continuing to leverage their existing infrastructure without having to develop expensive and complex custom solutions.”

Survey methodology
Genetec surveyed physical security professionals from 25 August to 21 September 2022. After a review of submitted responses, results from 3,711 respondents were included in the sample analysed. The survey was conducted in the regions of North America, Central America, Caribbean, South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and Australia-New Zealand.

The full report can be downloaded at https://www.genetec.com/a/physical-security-re