The world has changed a lot in the past year and a half. The COVID-19 pandemic forced every industry to find ways to adapt, including security.
Asking the Experts
To better understand the state of the market today, we sat down with MERAT Regional Sales Manager Rami Fakhreddine, who joined the BCD team in July and oversees Video Surveillance, IoT, and Computer Vision throughout Qatar and the Gulf States.
Fakhreddine brings over a decade of computer-industry experience, having spent his last 10 years focused specifically on the security and surveillance marketplace, working with DELL EMC specifically for the last six. Today, he specializes in video surveillance and analytic appliances, purpose-built for video management systems (VMS) at BCD.
What do you think the business trends are going to be through the end of 2022?
Because of the needs that have arisen in light of COVID-19, I expect end-users to consider implementing data analytics with every surveillance solution. Today, video security systems, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), are being used to conduct contactless temperature measurements, detect queues forming where people are not social distancing, and detect whether employees or guests are wearing face masks. With all of these analytic applications, I expect a substantial need to scale video storage systems to accommodate this influx of video data. Only storage servers purpose-built for video, with greater computing power and storage capacity, will support these systems.
What new or existing security technology will be the most impactful in your region?
It’s not necessarily about a single technology, but rather the evolution of technologies across the security industry that will create impact. Overall, video surveillance cameras are getting more advanced and feature-rich, thanks to chip processing and analytics improvements. Simultaneously, manufacturers are making these solutions more efficient and bringing down the price point. Therefore, end-users are getting higher-performing solutions with greater affordability.
As data plays an instrumental role in video solutions, technological advancements that improve computing and storage efficiency at the edge, core, and cloud will see steady demand.
How much of an impact will the pandemic have on business in your region?
The region where I work—the Gulf, Qatar and much of South Africa—was hit hardest by the pandemic in the very beginning. Many governments in the region declared the pandemic a national state of disaster; they announced measures such as immediate travel restrictions and the closure of schools very early on to reduce community transmission. This also meant they established remote work more rapidly, allowing businesses to adjust sooner.
Of course, folks across the industry have responded to the pandemic differently. For example, the 2020 Security Business State of the Industry report found that while 20 percent of integrators said COVID-19 had a major, negative impact on overall revenue, 48 percent stated it had a minor impact, and about 31 percent said it either had no impact or a positive impact.
What events over the next 18 months are you planning on paying attention to? Which do you expect will have a huge impact in your region?
The priority events for my team include SecurMiddle East in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as the Milestone Systems Partner Open Platform (MPOP) event later this month. Intersec in 2022 will be another focal point. I plan to attend round tables, seminars, and regional events. We look forward to connecting with our partners and customers.