Internet Protocol-based security systems company Genetec is reporting growing interest in its Internet of Things (IoT) platform for access control and video as a service (ACaaS and VaaS) offerings in the sub-Saharan Africa region, says Genetec Africa regional sales manager Brent Cary.

The cybersecurity protection afforded by such unified Internet Protocol security solutions is a key aspect of the new business queries, as small and medium-sized enterprises aim to increase their defence against and reduce their vulnerability to cyberthreats.

The ACaaS and VaaS platform enables companies to monitor and manage thousands of devices, access points, video cameras and perimeter detection systems on one system.

While larger enterprises may have the resources to maintain on-premises cloud infrastructure, smaller companies do not always have the capacity to hire specialist skills, and cannot afford and maintain hardware and manage patching and services.

However, even larger enterprises are using international cloud systems and hosts, particularly as their on-premises systems come to their end of life, owing to the predictability of the costs of cloud platforms.

Open-architecture IoT platforms also enable small and medium-sized companies to analyse the data of their combined systems more easily and improve their operations.

“The visibility of the costs for these systems and the ability to leverage data to forecast and plan provide the biggest benefits for customers, and demand is starting to pick up across Africa,” says Cary, adding that almost half of all business meetings he attends across the continent involve questions about the use of IoT and cloud-based platforms in various industries.

“Transitioning to cloud platforms does not disrupt a business’s operations. However, some considerations change when using cloud platforms, such as determining how much storage will be required and for how long, and these are typically the queries we address when talking to customers in Africa.”

The IoT platform provides in-house employee authorisation and authentication, as well as cybersecurity and hardening measures against the hacking of devices and business networks. These advanced solutions can play a significant role in the efforts to deal with the changing nature of cyberthreats and new hazards threatening companies’ security and commercial operations.

Genetec has also launched its decision support system, called Mission Control, which leverages analytics outputs to provide a set of solutions that offer new situational intelligence, visualisation, and complete incident management and post-event evaluation capabilities, he adds.

Mission Control enables security personnel to make strategic decisions when faced with routine tasks or key situations, which ensure the continuing and timely flow of information.

Further, the new version ofGenetec’s SecurityCentre comes with additional cybersecurity measures, integration of electronic locks, biometrics readers and devices and the ability to enrol licence plates as access control credentials using suitable cameras.