AV Trends 2019: Two Ways Security and AV go Hand-in-Hand

Simply put, security plays an instrumental – and multifaceted – role in the audiovisual industry.

This post is one of a five part series taking a deeper dive into each of the prevalent trends we identified in January. Our goal is to provide you with some insight into what these trends mean going forward.

Delivering Experiences Depends on Data

Many of the trends impacting the AV industry in one way or another center around the collection, manipulation, and usage of data. In many instances, this data is sensitive or even personally identifiable. The reason why data has become a pivotal component of today’s AV deployments is quite simple – the ability to deliver highly customizable, immersive experiences. These experiences are only feasible when you have access to data that empowers customization.

Consider, for instance, a video wall deployed to deliver mission critical information to key personnel. For this to happen without requiring the user to manually log-in, it is necessary to identify the team member, often through a mix of facial recognition, smartphone chips or another RFID-enabled device. This may not be a big deal in some industries, especially if the information presented on the screen lacks mission-critical status. However, if the deployment is within a defense contractor’s engineering headquarters, the lack of proper security controls could prove devastating.

The more AV deployments depend on data, the more significant the security concern, and the larger the potential liability. This is quite clear when looking at the growing number of data breaches. Bottom line, security cannot be an afterthought. When investing in data-centric AV systems, you need to pay close attention to what data you collect, how you are using the data, the storage methods you are using, and who has access. It’s also crucial to embrace a comprehensive governance policy. Anyone with access needs to understand and adhere to the ethical and legal aspects of AV and IT.

Fortunately, as AV continues to converge with IT, the urgency to protect data access is already at the forefront of daily operations.

Data Empowering AV with Security Enhancements

Video in particular has always played an instrumental role in providing security. However, with the continued maturity of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the opportunity exists for AV tools to provide truly intuitive security capabilities.

For instance, facial recognition and guest identification have improved significantly, with the ability to leverage AV deployments to effectively control access to areas within sensitive environments as well as manage content access based off known data attached to personnel. Consider the defense contractor example. Combining AI/ML with today’s data-driven AV technology can limit access to new project areas if it requires clearances such as the current development of Multi Domain Warfare technologies.

The benefit here is that by coupling intelligence with AV, you have the ability to improve operations. And, the potential associated with AI and ML only continues to expand as data engines improve. As such, the ability to seamlessly leverage these insights significantly increases the value of security-based AV deployments.

This post is one of a five-part series taking a deeper dive into the impactful trends we identified at the beginning of the year. Follow these links to learn more about each of the trends impacting the audiovisual industry today:

AV Trends 2019: Understanding the Smart Environment

AV Trends 2019: Recognizing Platform Evolutions

AV Trends 2019: Two Ways Security and AV go Hand-in-Hand

AV Trends 2019: Constant Convergence is Here to Stay. And Why it Matters

AV Trends 2019: The Future of AV Starts with Self-Generating Content

Overview Article: Top 5 Trends Driving AV in 2019