The Security.World community voted during the summer of 2016 and selected the Physical Security and Video Surveillance industry’s Top 12 Influencers. This Profile is one in the series of 12 of those individuals that are making a difference in our industry. Congratulations to Jumbi Edulbehram, Regional President Americas, Oncam. We reached out to Jumbi to get his views and insight on what is happening in the physical security and video surveillance market. Here are his thoughts:

The vast Security.World community of physical security professionals has just selected you as one of their Top 12 industry Influencers for 2016. What is your reaction to that?

Jumbi: To be honest, I was surprised and I’m humbled because this industry has a lot of very dedicated, hard-working and sincere professionals.

How long have you been active in the physical security/video surveillance industry and what brought you into this industry?

Jumbi: I’ve been in the security industry for more than 15 years, having previously worked as the Director of Business Development for Samsung Techwin, where I was responsible for managing strategic partnerships with technology partners, consultants/A&Es and large national integrators. I’ve also worked for Next Level Security Systems, Axis Communications, IntelliVid, and Intel.

How did you get started (what was your first job) in this industry?

Jumbi: I got into the industry when I joined a company called Idealogix just before 9/11. After the event, we focused on developing new technology for video surveillance.

What are some of the changes in the industry that you saw coming and are most proud about being accurate?

Jumbi: Around 2000, I realized that there was a large amount of video being collected, but only a very small amount actually being viewed; so there was an opportunity to extract useful information using video analytics. I was involved with founding Intellivid, one of the first companies to develop video analytics for retail business intelligence, apart from security and loss prevention.

How have you seen the industry change over the past few years?

Jumbi: Several factors have played a part in changing the industry over the last few years. First, today’s surveillance technology is incorporating more IT department protocols as we see an increase in high-profile cyber attacks and data theft incidents that have left consumers uneasy about the security of their devices. These IT standards are really going to start being adopted by security system manufacturers as the two departments begin to collaborate to meet the needs of enterprise organizations. Second, we’ve seen a rise in decision-making based on intelligent analytics gathered by surveillance cameras and a push to utilize video data in new ways. Along those lines, we’ve seen significant improvement in analytics software programs. Finally, we’ve seen many organizations shift their businesses and storage into the cloud, demanding mobile applications and technology to coincide with the constantly changing technology environment.

What do you see has been the single most impactful technology in the industry?

Jumbi: Data that is derived from video surveillance footage using analytics software is probably one of the most impactful technologies in the industry. This is mainly because the possibilities are endless. Years ago when analytics started coming into the marketplace, manufacturers overpromised on the capabilities, but now the technology is really starting to catch up to the expectations and as a result, analytics software is enabling the extraction of data for business intelligence, apart from simply video surveillance. The future of this includes more widespread adoption of intelligent analytics and big data analysis, which has the potential to streamline processes and optimize sales operations for organizations to drive new levels of business intelligence.

As an industry influencer, can you share with us a business success story or case study that you are most proud about?

Jumbi: I was involved with one of the first storewide deployments of video analytics in the industry. The customer realized that they could get valuable business intelligence from the large amount of video that they were already collecting and the information was widely shared within the company.

Please share with us your visions of this industry and what it will look like for manufacturers, integrators, installers, central stations, and end-users in the near future.

Jumbi: In each and every sector of the industry, technology innovation needs to be top-of-mind. Manufacturers need to keep up with technological advances and develop exciting products that meet the needs of security customers. For integrators and installers, that means looking out for new products, the best technology available and innovative ways to add value to their customers. For end users, it’s taking the initiative to research new technology that will make their jobs easier and communicating effectively with their integrators and installers to make that idea a reality. Truly successful relationships between integrators and end users should be based on open communication about the needs of the organization and how those needs can be met through the latest technology offerings from security manufacturers. Customers, in turn, will trust integrators that bring them the best solutions for their business as opposed to the status quo – and my hopes would be this would become the norm in the future.

Tell us about a current industry FAD or trend that you do _not_ see being around in the future (i.e.: NFC, gesture technology for access control, body worn cameras, patient biometric authentication, certain video analytics, etc).

Jumbi: The trend that I do not see being around in the future is the practice of integrators and resellers making large margins on reselling hardware, without adding significant value to solving customers’ needs. Similar to the IT world, integrators will have to come up with business models where they make a large portion of their revenue from integration services and technical expertise, rather than from margins on reselling hardware.

Tell us about a newer technology that you think is going to significantly alter the industry landscape.

Jumbi: Cloud-based services are poised to significantly influence the industry landscape, as more and more organizations need the ability to access data and video on mobile devices from remote locations. Broadly speaking, customers with a large number of relatively small sites that need to be managed centrally would be good candidates for this kind of technology, and as many organizations are shifting to a global presence with multiple sites, Cloud-based services can fit the bill.

What vertical market do you think is going to witness the biggest impact of industry advancements and why? (Airports, Seaports, Campus (K12/Univ), Hospitals, Law Enforcement, Banking, Oil/Gas, Retail, etc)

Jumbi: There are several vertical markets that are poised to gain a lot from advancements in technology from the security industry. Schools – both K-12 and higher ed – are better able to show necessity for implementing more robust security solutions as a result of increasing threats. Technology such as panoramic and 360-degree cameras is becoming more budget-friendly as a single camera can replace between four and five traditional narrow field-of-view cameras. Retail is another market where industry advancements are resulting in some significant changes. More and more retailers are looking to capitalize on the video data already being collected through surveillance cameras and apply software analytics to analyze this data and collect significant business intelligence. This data, when analyzed, can be used across a number of departments, such as operations or marketing, to increase sales and make security measures less of a grudge purchase. Finally, the transportation market, which encompasses cruise liners, trains, bus stops, airports and seaports, will see a rapid rise in a shift to fully IP networked devices, which makes it easier to access footage remotely and apply analytics to video data. Using this information, officials can identify potential incidents and threats in real-time, from any location.

What are your thoughts on laws or legislation that are currently being considered or do you think may be forthcoming that will have an impact on the industry: ( i.e: Banning of LPR cameras for police, cruise lines to requiring shipboard video surveillance, schools banned from collecting biometric data on students, drone legislation, etc).

Jumbi: We’re already seeing an impact in the marketplace from regulations set forth within the cruise ship industry in the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010, which includes a statute that says that a vessel carrying at least 250 passengers is required to have a video surveillance system in place that covers all areas of the ship where passengers or crew members have common access. Cruise companies must adhere to these standards and budget the cost of this technology into their plans, which significantly impacts manufacturers and integrators tasked with delivering on these requirements.

What is your position on where the privacy line is located today, where you see that line in the future, and do you personally agree with those positions?

Jumbi: Different regions and countries have different views and regulations with respect to privacy expectations. Some countries, such as Denmark, have restrictions on video surveillance in public places, whereas in countries like the UK and United States there is greater acceptance of video surveillance in public areas. There is a fine line with regard to the safety of the public and their right to privacy, and governmental agencies and private organizations must weigh privacy concerns against public safety before engaging in a comprehensive surveillance solution.

What are your thoughts about technologies that may be intersecting with more individual/personal applications (i.e.: biometrics, cloud, IoT, wearables, etc.)?

Jumbi: Individuals have to weigh privacy concerns against the benefits that personalized applications may provide for security or convenience. For example, the GPS tracking technology on phones and other devices could enable rapid response if the individual is in a risky situation or provide timely and personalized information on amenities available in the area. These days, where even mobile phones can collect biometric data from individuals —such as fingerprints and facial identification— there is much greater acceptance for sharing personal information for getting the associated benefits.

How can the industry support or accelerate these synergistic partnership opportunities?

Jumbi: The industry has a unique obligation to make sure that customers and the general public understand tradeoffs between privacy and enhanced security. While for intrusion detection and access control this is much less of an issue; for video surveillance, the personal and public safety aspects need to be clearly elucidated.

What M&A activity do you think has been significant and what do you see happening with companies in the near future?

Jumbi: The significance in some of the mergers and acquisitions the industry has seen in the past several years is that many of these larger companies are identifying holes in their product portfolios that are putting them at a disadvantage with customers and integrators. To remedy this, these organizations are seeking out smaller companies with innovative technologies and products to fill that gap, strategically thinking about ways to grow their business and meet the needs of their customers. I see this continuing to happen, along with the rise in Chinese companies selling products at relative low prices.

Is there anything in the “lab” that you’re currently working on or involved with that you would like to share with our readership?

Jumbi: My company, Oncam, is on the leading edge of developing video surveillance technology that enhances total situational awareness, while at the same time, enabling customers to get other useful information from their video. Our research and development engineers are working on ways to extract a plethora of rich information and make it available whenever and wherever needed.

Who do you look to as an industry influencer? Who or what are some other resources that you follow?

Jumbi: I’ve always found that the key to success in this industry is in the support and mentorship you receive from your leaders and peers, so I look to these individuals as influencers. To be an influencer, it’s important to have experience in, or at least some knowledge of, the different aspects of security, such as video, access control, intrusion and cyber security. I regularly read printed and online resources in the industry.