AI transforming physical security into enterprise data solution

Artificial intelligence and cloud technology are driving a closer integration between physical security and enterprise IT, with cameras increasingly being used as intelligent computing devices rather than just tools for surveillance.

Organisations are increasingly looking at how cameras, audio systems and other IoT devices can be integrated into broader technology environments as AI adoption accelerates.

The changing role of connected devices is creating new opportunities for businesses to use security infrastructure to improve operational efficiency, rather than limiting it to traditional security applications.

Axis' cloud connectivity capabilities are designed to support this convergence, allowing organisations to connect cameras, audio devices and other technologies into broader solutions, said Regional Director Oceania at Axis Communications, Wai King Wong,

"The world is changing, especially with AI and cloud," Wong said.

"Connectivity is borderless today."

The shift is also increasing the importance of interoperability, as customers look to combine physical security technologies with existing IT and operational systems.

According to Wong, the evolution of camera technology means cameras can now interact directly with business systems and trigger actions based on what they detect.

He cited an example of a manufacturing environment in which a camera could identify that a vehicle or product was being sent to the wrong location.

"If I can integrate my cameras into the manufacturing system, I can trigger (an action) straight away," he said. 

"The camera can tell the systems, stop. You're going to the wrong place."

This type of integration demonstrates why interoperability is no longer a future consideration for physical security customers - it's already here.

Processing AI at the edge

The growing role of AI in physical security is also changing where video data is processed.

Rather than sending all camera footage back to a central data centre for analysis, Axis puts processing capabilities directly into its cameras through its own chipsets.

This approach allows businesses to analyse information at the edge and receive results immediately, without having to wait for footage to be transferred elsewhere for processing.

As an example, Wong described a scenario in which an organisation could search across a large camera deployment for a person matching particular characteristics.

A customer could potentially search for an individual wearing a particular colour of clothing or matching other physical attributes and receive results directly from cameras equipped with the necessary analytics capabilities.

"That's the beauty of it. I don't have to wait for it to process backwards," Wong said.

"It's all live."

Axis' Object Analytics technology is enabled by its system-on-chip architecture, allowing AI processing to take place within the camera itself.

For organisations operating hundreds or even thousands of cameras, the ability to process information at the edge mitigates the burden of moving large volumes of video data across networks.

The same approach provides benefits beyond security, allowing businesses to extract operational insights from their existing camera infrastructure.

Cameras become business intelligence tools

Large camera deployments are creating another challenge for customers: managing the devices themselves.

Managing a fleet of cameras across multiple locations can become increasingly complex without centralised systems capable of monitoring and maintaining the infrastructure.

Axis' cloud connectivity platform allows customers to consolidate camera management, monitor whether devices are operational and distribute firmware updates across large deployments.

For a retailer operating hundreds of outlets across a country or regional market, centralised management could allow IT and security teams to identify cameras that have gone offline and deploy firmware updates across multiple branches.

The data generated by its cameras are also capable of providing insights into how businesses operate.

People-counting capabilities are used to determine how many customers are entering retail locations during specific periods.

That information could then be used to inform decisions around staffing, store expansion or the allocation of resources.

A retailer could identify stores with particularly high customer traffic and use that information to determine whether additional employees are needed or whether a location could support expansion.

The result is a shift from physical security infrastructure being viewed primarily as a cost centre towards it becoming a source of operational data.

More AI, greater customisation on the horizon

Looking ahead, Wong expects AI capabilities and video compression technology to remain important areas of development for Axis.

The company has invested in developing its own chipsets that provide the underlying processing capabilities for its cameras and other connected devices.

Axis is also expanding the use of AV1 video compression, which can reduce the bandwidth required to transmit high-quality video.

Its camera hardware is positioned as an open platform for third-party software developers.

Rather than limiting customers to analytics developed by Axis, its architecture allows technology partners to develop specialised applications that can run on the company's devices.

"We have a group of partners who develop software, different solutions for retail, for manufacturing, for whatever solutions they need," Wong said.

This could allow customers to deploy more specialised AI capabilities according to the requirements of particular industries or applications.

Security remains critical

The developing convergence between physical security and enterprise IT also brings cybersecurity concerns, particularly as organisations deploy hundreds of connected cameras across their network.

Wong said Axis had designed its chipset architecture with cybersecurity in mind, arguing that securing the underlying hardware was an important part of protecting connected physical security systems.

As physical security becomes increasingly connected to corporate networks and operational systems, cybersecurity will remain a central consideration, alongside AI, cloud connectivity and interoperability.

Axis's broader objective is to build what the company sees as a 'blueprint for tomorrow' by combining its chipset technology, cloud solutions, AI capabilities and partner ecosystem.