Survey finds IP-based solutions continue to increase

SAVANNAH, Ga.--A new survey of security system integrators and manufacturers reports that the use of IP-ready security technology is on a steady upswing. The report, co-commissioned by Security Director News and Security Systems News, found that 69 percent of nearly 500 respondents are currently installing the necessary IP infrastructure to support IP-based security technology and another 79 percent said they are using digital devices in security applications. Approximately 67 percent of survey takers are working with IP-based video surveillance products and 52 percent are installing access control and intrusion detection products that reside on the network. More results from this survey will be made available at this year's TechSec Solutions, an educational conference on enterprise security founded by the two publications. The event will be held Feb. 26-28, in Savannah, Ga., at the Westin Harbor Resort. Steve Hunt is president of 4A International, a research and consulting firm focused on the convergence of physical security with IT that just launched an end user consulting segment in December. He will be moderating a panel at TechSec and said that in the past year his firm has worked alongside security integrators, manufacturers and end users on collecting best practices for implementing an IP-based system. "We found that there are quite a lot of projects underway right now that are utilizing IP-based solutions," Hunt said, "but they are being undertaken by the end users themselves. They are whipping up their own solutions with bubble gum and bailing twine trying to get something to work." Hunt said this is because there are not enough integrators educated on the issues surrounding IP products to work on these specific jobs. "There are frustrations," he said. "Customers are actually starting projects without much help." Hunt attributed that to the predictable pattern an emerging technology such as this takes. He estimated that, as the industry is still trying to grasp the convergence issue, only one-third of systems integrators are currently learning more about IP systems, but that number will grow as the technology moves past its infancy stage in the market. These topics and more will be discussed at TechSec Solutions. The event will feature speakers from Cisco, Georgia Pacific, OfficeMax and Northrop Grumman. For more information, visit www.techsecsol.com.