By Jay Jason Bartlett, Security.World
In orchestral music, a movement refers to a self-contained section within a larger composition. For example, a symphony usually consists of four movements, each with its own distinctive musical material and structure. The movements typically have different tempos, keys, and moods, and they often follow a traditional pattern. As an audience member, you can listen for a movement by paying attention to changes in the music. Typically, there will be a pause between movements, and you may notice a shift in tempo or key.
When it comes to the physical security market, we have witnessed a number of movements. A distinctive change in tempo came just after 2008 when we had the change from analog surveillance systems to IP-based digital systems. Then around 2012 when the pattern in camera resolution went megapixel and HD. And in 2018, the physical security market mood shifted to be more cybersecurity conscious.
All of this has not been missed by Genetec, a leading software company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and led by Pierre Racz and his team. Racz founded Genetec initially as a video management software (VMS) company and the company has evolved to expand its product portfolio, offering solutions for video surveillance, access control, and license plate recognition among others.
Unlike most of the over 120 VMS vendors in the market where those vendors allow for “third party options” such as video analytics, access control, or other functionality, Genetec has remained constant in its belief to remain open to certain technology partners but to grow its core unified platform organically with few corporate or technology acquisitions over their 25-year history.
Much of that reasoning has been in the overarching (and underlying) security issues within the security software they provide. To understand the new movement at Genetec with their newly introduced “Powered By Genetec” initiative, you have to understand a couple of the company’s core beliefs. One primary belief is that the software they provide must be as safe and as secure to operate as possible.
If we go back to 2018, Genetec was a leading voice in the issue of cybersecurity issues and understood the vulnerabilities systems such as IP-based surveillance cameras posed. Genetec was one of the first VMS companies to stop supporting certain Chinese-government owned surveillance camera manufacturers because of their cybersecurity risks. Also in 2018, Genetec was one of the first companies in the market to promote the “zero trust” concept, a concept still barely understood – or implemented – in today’s products.
What does all this have to do with Genetec’s new “Powered by Genetec” initiative? It’s a new movement within Genetec to work with third party partners in such a way to continue building on their core beliefs that the software they provide be secure. And if they are to do that with third party partners, they have to have a system and architecture in place that will provide a safe and secure application experience.
Advances in other computing technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes has allowed Genetec to containerize its architecture – key to enabling initiatives such as “Powered By Genetec” – which helps to ensure the safe, streamlined, and secure operation of Genetec software on a wide variety of third-party platforms within its partner ecosystem. We will not get into the technical weeds of Docker or Kubernetes here but do Google these systems and see how they fit into what Genetec is embracing in order to work with other partners.
Genetec was quick to point out that this new “Powered by Genetec” initiative is not a partner program. It is an ongoing development effort within Genetec where they can find synergistic value with other vendors, and where they can push more computing functionality closer to the edge of the overall infrastructure. Such capabilities within edge devices -think network door controllers- would push the computing decision making workload closer to where it is needed and occurring at that moment.
There have been other advancements in technology –specifically the adoption of cloud computing– wherein customers are starting to look at cloud computing capabilities as opposed to traditional on-premises computing.
Genetec’s VP of Marketing, Andrew Elvish stated that the conversations about “cloud solutions” versus “on-premises” solutions is a false dichotomy. Systems running on-prem and in the cloud form a continuum– especially where physical edge devices are concerned– and one that needs to be built and managed with an eye to hybrid edge/core structures.
Take a look at the first offering of this “Powered by Genetec” initiative. It is with their long-time industry partner, Axis Communication, on an access control solution integrated with Genetec’s Synergis. In their press release announcing the new offering, you can spot the importance of safe and secure operation: “…and cybersecurity updates from both Axis and Genetec directly through Genetec Synergis.”
“It is important that our partners share our values in an underlying security and responsible operation of the combined solution,”
stated Despina Stamatelos, Commercial Senior Manager for Access Control at Genetec.
“Working with Axis on this offering, we have loaded the Synergis Cloud Link software directly onto the Axis network door controllers. We could not provide this kind of integration if Axis and Genetec didn’t share the same underlying security values for our customers.”
“Harnessing the power of computing at the edge will become essential in modern system architecture,”
said Christian Morin, Vice President of Research and Development at Genetec Inc.
“As we reach the limits of Moore’s Law, initiatives that distribute processing into containerized, hybrid edge/core structures will act to increase available computing power for complex applications. Initiatives such as Axis Powered by Genetec are at the forefront of such innovation and mark the beginning of other edge initiatives at Genetec.”
As Genetec identifies other needs in the physical security industry that they are not offering directly themselves, and they find partners that share the values of cybersecurity, trust, and innovation, you will find new “Powered by Genetec” solution sets in the future.
This should be music to the ears of many potential vendors in the physical security market that are interested in working with Genetec on features and functionality that end-customers need to improve the safety and resiliency of their environments and physical security networks. Just make sure you have all your cybersecurity and safety measures in order.
See more articles by: Genetec
Source: genetec.com