For any new business owner or soon-to-be entrepreneur, the safety and security of their customers and employees is perhaps one of their most important priorities during their day-to-day operations. However, despite the urgency of applying the necessary security measures, these often fall on the back end of the planning process, leaving a business vulnerable and potentially susceptible to crime carried out by malicious individuals.
In the U.S., commercial and office building burglaries are the second-highest reported burglaries in the country. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data, more than 49,854 commercial burglaries were reported in 2022.
In addition, many small business owners have reported increased in-store theft and shoplifting. Overall, roughly 37 percent, or four in ten small business owners, reported having been robbed by theft or shoplifting in the past year. In total, 14 percent of owners have said that this has become a monthly occurrence, while more than a third have recalled that they have noticed a surge in theft during the last year than any other previous year.
Despite safety and security taking up such an important position on the list of things business owners need to consider when starting, many tend to be neglectful, creating seemingly hypothetical backdoors through which bad actors could enter their business premises undetected and untraceable.
The Importance of Digital Security Solutions
As more everyday business activities become automated, physical and virtual security have received a massive upgrade in recent years. These advanced security systems are now more accurate and allow business owners to have a full-rounded view of their business at any given time.
For many years, the development of intelligently integrated, cloud-based management solutions has been a rising trend across major industries. By centralizing the collection, analysis, and organization of actionable data within remote-accessible, unified environments, business owners can streamline a wide variety of core processes and positively impact productivity metrics.
These fundamental benefits underline the popularity of X-as-a-Service (XaaS) business models, with around 55% of IT professionals believed to have invested in one or more of these services in recent years. While many businesses may already be well-acquainted with some iterations of XaaS, subscription-based video security plans are a more recent trend.
Video Surveillance-as-a-Service (VSaaS) is projected to see a strong increase in activity in the coming years, with the market expected to grow more than 18.5% in the next four to five years.
However, this raises the question of whether this approach to commercial security is really more effective than traditional native video security operations. In some cases, it might be, and new business owners need to be aware of these developments.
What is Video Surveillance-as-a-Service?
At its core, Video Surveillance-as-a-Service allows businesses to store, access, and manage surveillance footage on a secure cloud-based server. The main advantage of such solutions is that internal teams can freely access live and historical surveillance data from any location and at any time. This provides businesses with great flexibility in security management.
VSaaS packages also usually include additional security features and integrations, including automated video recording, real-time alerts, cybersecurity tools, and integrations with security alarm systems. If a business requires a flexible approach to commercial security and lacks the resources to develop native management platforms, VSaaS is an excellent solution.
How does VSaaS work?
In operation, VSaaS plans work similarly to subscription-based cloud data storage solutions. Cameras installed on the property are linked to an off-site cloud storage and management platform, removing the need for on-premises physical storage devices.
Data is streamed to the provider for reporting and monitoring, with internal teams able to access feeds remotely. VSaaS vendors also handle all maintenance, management, and software update processes, affording businesses peace of mind that their security systems will remain free from novel vulnerabilities.
Additionally, the cloud-based foundation of VSaaS packages allows for simple scalability, enabling SMEs to expand or reduce operations per evolving requirements.
The benefits of VSaaS for SMEs
The transition from traditional on-premises security management systems to novel VSaaS solutions can bring significant benefits to organizations of all sizes. For SMEs, VSaaS plans may reduce workloads shouldered by limited internal teams.
When broken down, the key benefits of VSaaS for SMEs include:
- Optimized data storage: Surveillance systems continuously collect vast amounts of data, the organization and management of which can be incredibly time and resource-intensive. VSaaS solutions ensure the service provider performs these tasks to a high standard, reducing workloads for internal management teams.
- Streamlined compliance: Navigating strict data privacy and security management regulations requires constant vigilance from knowledgeable professionals. Under a VSaaS deployment, service providers will ensure all systems maintain HIPAA, FIPS, and NDAA compliance, suggesting adjustments if guidelines are expected to change.
- Simple scalability: Taking on the expense of developing on-premises surveillance management solutions may be unwise for SMEs planning to scale, with adjustments made to physical systems incurring costs and avoidable downtime. VSaaS solutions can instead be adjusted by providers in direct response to changing business needs.
- Remote accessibility: All surveillance and wider security data are automatically stored, managed, and made available on a cloud-based platform so stakeholders can access required information from anywhere and at any time. Teams can monitor live security feeds 24/7 from any secure smart device to ensure continuous protection.
The drawbacks of VSaaS for SMEs
While it’s possible that VSaaS could become a priority for newer and more tech-savvy business owners, considering the drawbacks they might encounter along the way could help paint a better picture of how well these systems can be integrated into their business and day-to-day operations.
From a business point of view, drawbacks of VSaaS for SMEs may include:
- Data privacy concerns: VSaaS systems can collect vast amounts of data. This can pose a problem for business owners, who need to ensure that these systems are secure and equipped with the necessary cybersecurity safety nets to prevent a potential data breach of valuable and highly sensitive information that ends up in the hands of bad actors.
- Disaster management: Working with multiple or potentially unreliable vendors can cause friction between a business owner and the VSaaS provider. Choosing a provider that can assist with data recovery and numerous storage solutions can ensure that all relevant data is securely stored and that the necessary protocols are in place should a breach or any other security threat occur.
- Long-term vendor lock-in: As a business begins to scale, seeing a more significant need for more security solutions, many new business owners might be unable to switch vendors or opt for additional third-party VSaaS providers. This could be due to limited vendor capacity or the unavailability of relevant products or services. Business owners could employ additional vendors, which might create complexities among service providers.
- Regulatory compliance: The data collection and storage rules may differ for VSaaS vendors. Though these rules exist, this isn’t to say that all service providers or vendors may be compliant or follow the guidelines provided. When choosing a vendor, business owners must review regulatory compliance and whether service providers have the necessary licenses to operate or deliver VSaaS products and services.
- Costs: Although it’s impossible to put a price on the safety of any customer or employee’s life, many up-and-coming businesses have extremely limited financial resources to implement advanced and highly sophisticated security systems. Even as the business begins to scale, many owners might leave these measures off until the very last minute instead, focusing their efforts and resources on business activities that will help them grow and succeed.
To Finish Off
Physical security will always remain a top priority for any business operating out of a physical location. The ability to both monitor key locations and review historical security data forms the backbone of commercial security best practices. However, developing, maintaining, and adjusting on-premises security solutions can be incredibly costly and time-consuming.
With many leaders continuing to explore the development of cloud-based business solutions, it’s only natural that security operations have been considered for migration. With the ability to streamline essential surveillance solutions’ management, operation, and scalability, VSaaS deployments are only expected to become more popular among global businesses.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by James Thomas; Pexels
