The need for higher levels of security is pushing organisations towards multi-layered products that offer access control, video surveillance and other security devices in a single platform.

Open communications protocols, networks and faster computers have led to the diversification of IP networks to newer areas of the organisation, according to Archana Umesh Rao, a research analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

As a result, interoperability is being extended to other applications such as security.
The research revealed that, as the security industry moves from analogue to digital to IP, vendors and customers are looking to create more secure environments by integrating services rather than using isolated security products.

Corporate security services such as video surveillance, access control and fraud detection are increasingly database-driven and network-delivered, leading to IP becoming more tightly tied in with physical security.

Combined services can have other benefits such as preventing hackers from accessing corporate networks internally by slipping through security gates behind genuine employees.

However, the research also found that implementation has been sluggish owing to low end-user awareness about the benefits of integrating disparate security products.

The use of integrated systems has also been restricted to high-end applications because of the high cost of network infrastructure and integration software.

"The convergence of physical security with IP involves a complex amalgamation of security and networking technology," explained Rao.

"In this context, superior customer service and technical support will be crucial to gaining a competitive advantage in the market."

The report concludes that user education about the benefits and return on investment of security integration should be the key focus for industry participants in order to drive adoption.