It always seems that you blink and another year is gone, and 2019 was no different.  With a new decade on the horizon, there are many new challenges and opportunities ahead of the whole industry.  As we step into 2020, here are six of the most interesting emerging trends that we are watching.

1. The Growth of Cloud-Based Security

As more of the services and technologies that we use transition into the cloud, we’re seeing cloud-based Security platforms start to become more readily available.  The forecasted numbers support this as the Global Cloud Security Market is expected to grow to $13 billion by 2022!

Mobility and the ability to access security devices through a smart phone or web-based browser is becoming increasingly important for physical security.  Cloud-based security provides this functionality in addition to reducing costs and improving protection.

2. Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT has been on the top of everyone’s mind over the past few years.  This will only continue to be grow as we integrate more and different security devices into the network.  The collection and analysis of all the data generated by these devices is driving enhanced functionality like intelligent building management, event management, and much more.  Physical security is benefiting from having additional information while also being able to provide value-added business insights.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Enabled Devices

Today’s software companies are increasingly leaning on AI to drive analytics that allow them to be proactive in their identification of threats or abnormalities.  AI is truly taking video and data analytics to new levels with applications such as facial recognition.  But perhaps its most valuable contribution is its ability to make sense of the huge amount of data being generated by the large number of devices and amount of video footage.

4. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Vulnerable emails and passwords have plagued businesses for years, and it appears that it’s finally reached a point where they are ready to move towards MFA as a solution.  In the past, MFA services were not user-friendly. However, recently, SMS and app-based technology has made this much simpler.  This improved user experience will take steps in helping to make MFA a staple in most buildings.

5. Lone worker Safety and Security

Lone worker devices are a critical tool in helping to keep those who work on their own safe while performing their job functions.  In fact, these devices continue to get more sophisticated by providing cross-functional features that help keep workers safe while also providing more value to businesses.  Today’s Lone Worker Devices include features such as:

• Man-down detection
• Peer-to-peer wireless communication
• Panic alarm
• Live cloud-hosted software for configuration and emergency response management
• Live gas detection
• And other data analytic features

6. Phone based credentials

According to Proxy’s 2019 Physical Security Trends Report, 17.3% of card or fob users have lost at least one card or fob in the last year.  The world of access control continues to evolve, and soon, having your security credentials accessible at all times will be the norm.  With the prevalence of smart phones, they provide the easiest solution to achieve this level of accessibility while helping to reduce the issues caused by lost cards of fobs.

Learn More

From all of us at Fire Monitoring of Canada we wish you all the best for the new year.  If you have any questions about how to get your security system future proof, please contact us at 1 888 789 FIRE (3473), email [email protected], or fill out the contact form below.