Major UK companies turning to physical security over IP
A quarter of the IT Directors interviewed from the retail, distribution and transport sector were very positive about physical security over IP with a quarter who have already adopted it and a further 52 percent expecting to do so in the next 12 months. Manufacturing has been sluggish in taking up this technology with just 9 percent so far, but the signs are very positive for the future, with 43 percent planning to implement it in the next twelve months. 25 percent of companies with over 3,000 employees have adopted security over IP with a further 48 percent planning to implement it this year, bringing the total to 73 percent. As to be expected, smaller companies have not yet embraced this technology in a big way with just 16% percent adopting it so far, however 36 percent plan to do so in 2006. Rick Marshall, managing director of Comunica Limited commented, "There are many advantages to controlling physical security over IP, including cost reduction resulting from being able to use one network for all the security systems and devices. Also control will be improved and simplified by being able to manage all the security devices on a single platform. The investment in IP based security will also be future proofed as it will also allow other systems such as lifts, lighting, energy and other building management systems to be managed over the IP network as they become IP based." A third of the IT directors surveyed said that as a result of being able to control physical security systems over IP this area will become their responsibility instead of the facilities or operations departments. In the manufacturing sector 57 percent of IT directors expected their departments to become responsible for physical security, and in the retail, distribution and transport sector it was 32 percent. In other commercial sectors it rose to 36 percent and it fell to only 6 percent in the financial services sector. The main barriers to the adoption of security over IP given by IT directors were cultural and acceptance issues (20 percent), followed by availability of personnel resources and skills (13 percent), cost vs benefit (12 percent), reliability (11 percent), and complexity of infrastructure (11 percent). Rick Marshall, Managing Director of Comunica Limited commented, "As IP based devices proliferate, the trend of physical security being controlled by the IT department is a logical step, as this department is already responsible for IT security. Many of the objections to the adoption of security over IP are a result of a need to educate both employees and mangers about the benefits and cost savings that can be achieved." The survey of IT directors was conducted by Vanson Bourne Limited.
•Date: 27th Feb 2006• Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: Physical security |
