At this year’s Data Centre World (DCW) event, we caught up with Nick Smith, Business Development Manager, Genetec, to talk all things physical and cybersecurity in the data centre space. He discusses the company’s strategic initiatives for the year ahead and how it is leveraging emerging technologies.
Why was it important for Genetec to attend DCW and what’s a key message you’d like to communicate with our readers?
This is the third time we’ve attended. It was immediately apparent how important it is to be here to engage with our partners and customers that we don’t typically meet with face-to-face. It gets busier and busier each year and we gain more and more value from attending. It’s a great place to engage, network and meet people from all aspects of the data centre industry.
What challenges and opportunities do you foresee for data centres in 2024?
Of all IoT devices, security cameras have emerged as a prime target for cyber-attackers. Mitigating against these risks – both from a physical security perspective and a cybersecurity perspective – is crucial for data centres. We’re also starting to see the convergence of physical security and IT teams as they work together to form a strategic and unified plan to manage threats.
What strategic initiatives does Genetec have in store for the year ahead?
We’re very much focused on innovating solutions for the data centre sector that address common challenges across the industry. We’re looking at ingesting data from different systems and devices throughout facilities to make running sites a lot easier and more frictionless.
We’re largely focusing on the cloud this year too. We have a new offering in the pipeline, so we’re looking forward to sharing more information with you soon.
How can physical security technology help data centres to achieve their sustainability goals?
Physical security systems can support green building initiatives by optimising resource usage, enhancing building efficiency and providing data-driven insights that help reduce environmental impact.
IP-based physical security systems such as access control for instance, can be integrated with building automation systems. This can ensure that lighting and HVAC systems are matched with real-time occupancy levels through the facility. It can also help maintain optimal environmental conditions while minimising resource consumption.
Watch the video interview here.
You can find Genetec’s latest case study here.
