D-Link bets on Cloud as the future in Surveillance

Sanjay Sehgal,
Vice-President – Sales,
D-Link (India) Limited. 

The surveillance market in India is on a growth trajectory. New trends in surveillance technology have given rise to new opportunities and prospects and this, in turn, has encouraged brands like D-Link to foresee a future of surging demand coming in for surveillance solutions. Sanjay Sehgal, Vice-President – Sales, D-Link (India) Limited, shares with VARINDIA of what he feels the current surveillance market in India is like and the prospects for D-Link in this space.

The surveillance market is a growing segment in India. The demand for tailor-made surveillance solutions has evolved over a period of time in response to the alarming rise in the crime rate, recent reports of untoward incidences in public along with growing awareness. Further, the growth of shopping malls, open plan offices and bank branches as well as other retail segments has increased the need for surveillance not only for larger issues of security like terrorist attacks but for petty shop thefts and irregularities of clients and staff. Besides, small and medium enterprises, shops and residential complexes as well as large enterprises with an aim to secure their premises are looking for reliable and cost-effective surveillance solutions. Hence, today surveillance has become a necessity rather than luxury.

Talking about the Indian security and surveillance market in terms of size, it comprises of about 30 per cent of the entire security industry and is still growing at a rapid pace. 

Transition in Technology – from analogue to digital…

When seen from a global standpoint, the Indian market is, more or less, on the same platform when it comes to adoption of technology in the surveillance space. While the industry is primarily concentrated with CCTV surveillance solutions, IP Surveillance is slowly gaining significant ground over conventional analog closed circuit television security camera, for reasons of performance. Customers today are knowledgeable and understand the benefits that an IP Surveillance solution delivers vis-à-vis an analog solution. However, due to low-cost offerings on the analog front, customers do offer a stiff resistance to the acceptance of a digital surveillance solution on the price front. 

But with time even this mindset will change. With the increase in volume and reduction in the price gap between digital and analog solutions, the acceptance of IP Surveillance will grow. Also, going ahead, it will be important for the customer to remember that it is not only price but long-term support, customization, features, cabling, power, etc that must be taken into consideration in totality while evaluating a solution. 

Digital solutions are the future of the surveillance industry as both resource and money continue to be deployed for its betterment. Analog solution is an old technology. Additionally, Cloud Computing is another factor that has transformed the entire IT industry in the recent past and a similar pattern will be seen in the surveillance space as well. 

D-Link and Surveillance…

Keeping in view the current trends in the IP Surveillance domain, D-Link has been in the forefront and is the first to offer Video Surveillance on the cloud platform with its mydlink cloud service. The mydlink platform is a secure cloud-based solution that records and presents images, footages and information from remotely connected cameras onto connected devices that can be monitored by customers from anywhere in the world using Internet-enabled devices like smartphones, tablets, or PCs. 

“We provide not just part of the solution but complete offering in the form of IP Cameras, Storage, Software, Switches, Routers, and Cabling. D-Link has also partnered with the leading internet service providers to take the mydlink Vsaas platform to larger audience present across the length and breadth of the country. The next step in mydlink offering to customers will be storage facilities on mydlink cloud,” says jubilant Sanjay Sehgal, Vice-President – Sales, D-Link (India) Limited.

Finally…

With Surveillance steadily emerging, it is creating a whole new market for networking resellers and integrators, besides growing as a compelling investment area. “With the advent and large- scale acceptance of IP Surveillance solutions, Security which till recently had a separate owner in an organization is now being brought under the umbrella of Network team,” opines Sehgal. “Also, with the transition from analog to IP Surveillance technology, many organizations are looking at IT channel to help install and provide services around the next-generation devices, rather than going with the traditional physical security providers."

Surveillance has witnessed steady growth in verticals like enterprises, educational institutes, hospitality industry, retail and government sector with big opportunities still lying untapped. Additionally, the growth potential for Video Surveillance-as-a-Service (Vsaas) in the Indian context also looks huge. 

samrita@varindia.com