Perimeter protection has become a somewhat hot topic in the physical security industry and the market is growing with a CAGR of approximately 13 per cent. “We can now see radars and other technology becoming more cost effective, these were in the past quite expensive solutions. And with those technologies come additional features, that were not available in the past”, says Mark Cosgrave, Division Manager for Western Europe at Optex.
There are many reasons for why the global perimeter security market is growing. Market research companies such as Statistics MRC and Marketsandmarkets highlight rising number of perimeter intrusions, increasing urban infrastructure across the globe, strict government rules and rising technological advancement in perimeter security as well as the rise in terror attacks worldwide. Various market reports estimate that the market for perimeter security will reach around 200–225 billion dollars within the next 3–4 years.
Edward Knoch, Project Manager at Spotter RF, says that the perimeter market is growing because of mainly two reasons. One is because customers are recognising that physical penetrations of their properties are happening whether they know it or not. He says: “People are penetrating properties, stealing critical assets such as copper, aluminium, valuable metals and other things that they can sell on the open market.”
The second reason is the terrorist threat. Edward Knoch says: “A number of terrorist incidents have occurred in the USA and around the world, where people have penetrated properties, taken shots at critical infrastructure, like power substations and such. And that can take out your entire infrastructure for a specific area. If you ignore perimeter protection, then you are ignoring a critical piece of your security portfolio.”
Price drop
Nick D´hoedt, Regional Sales Director, Genetec, believes the perimeter market is growing because there are more big sites. He says; “A couple of years ago, everyone was putting fences around some projects, but today we are really looking at very large situations. I am talking city-wise where we are focusing on critical infrastructure and airports.”
Jimmy Ek, Sales Manager, Nordics, Axis Communications, stresses that the threat levels and needs have changed over time and that a lot of companies are investing to ensure that they have good perimeter protection. He also says another reason for why the perimeter market is growing is that technology has dropped in price and today the technology is available for a broader portion of end customers.
“The average enterprise customers could all fit it into their budgets”, Jimmy Ek says.
Mark Cosgrave stresses the rise of new technology and that automated solutions have helped to improve sensing technology and drive the market. He says: “The different types of technologies that we now see are able to provide unique solutions to people’s demands. The threat levels also have increased globally, and I think there is much more of a requirement for this type of solution today than there has been in the past”.
Rapid development of sensing technology
Jimmy Ek claims that the growth in the perimeter market is higher than ever before. He says: “What we hear when we meet with customers is how impressed they are that we are continually inventing new ideas and products. And it is not just the product itself, but the availability of integrating different technologies together.”
There are many different technologies that are being used for perimeter protection: video surveillance systems, thermal cameras, radars, access control systems, alarms and notification systems, fencing, lighting and others. Nick D´hoedt from Genetec says that new kinds of sensors have changed a lot over the last couple of years. “Today we are looking at noise, speed, colours, we have so many sensors around us, that complete the image with cameras that we had already before, so that we can take much more intelligent decisions,” he says.
The devices also work better together than before. For example, security cameras are good at verifying alarms from different sensors and can bring the information together to a central platform or system that are providing situational awareness for customers.
A combination of technologies
Most industry professionals agree that there is no single technology that can solve all situations. Mark Cosgrave thinks every technology has its strengths and its weaknesses – what is important is that you tailor the product to the application. He says: “It is also important to ensure that you have a layered protection solution, so you cannot just depend on using one particular type of sensing technology, it is important to incorporate the technologies together, to create a harmony and a solution that works really well for the end user.”
Nick D´hoedt and Edward Knoch also have more or less the same opinion: there are a lot of security technologies that can be applied to a customer’s property. Edward Knoch says: “If you think about the layering of the security from outside the perimeter to the inside perimeter, the building and inside the building itself, you have to have layers of security as you go out. We are looking at protection beyond fences and offering a solution where I can go hundreds of metres beyond your fence line if you want.” Finally, Jimmy Ek, who believes you have to ask yourself what the customer needs are and what the threat level and budget looks like. He says: “When you have those, you can put together a solution that fits that need for that customer, and without specifying any technology. I think that is how you have to do it.”
