Tyson Barnett, Business Analyst for security manufacturer, Gallagher, explains the rise of cloud-based security and its benefits as a convenient and secure solution for small to medium businesses.
Cloud-based software isn’t the future – it’s the everyday. Businesses are already using cloud-based software to collaborate on shared documents, maintain customer relationships, manage finances, and more. The demand for cloud-based technology shows no signs of slowing. A recent forecast by Gartner showed that worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is forecast to grow by 23.1 per cent in 2021, to total US$332.3 billion.
When it comes to physical security, the extensive benefits that cloud-based security solutions offer make them highly desirable for businesses globally. For small and medium businesses, those benefits include a platform that is convenient and easy to use, without compromising on safety and security.
Security at your fingertips
The agility and flexibility of a cloud security solution, enables businesses to conveniently manage the safety and security of staff, buildings, and assets from anywhere, at any time – all from a smartphone. A cloud-based security solution frees the facility manager from being onsite and provides them with the freedom to arm and disarm alarms and lock and unlock doors remotely.
“For small businesses, this means the control of their security, quite literally is in the palm of their hand. They can add, edit, and delete users and modify access rights, without being on site,” Tyson says.
Cloud migration and integration
Many businesses are migrating traditional IT systems to the cloud. A cloud-based security solution is compliant with a cloud-first policy that is being adopted by businesses and government agencies alike, and it’s easy to understand why.
In addition to providing remote control, a cloud-based security solution allows a business to subscribe to services that work for them and is tailored to meet their needs.
Tyson explains when it comes to site security, choosing the right solution is paramount and for small to medium businesses it needs to be both flexible and extensible. “A cloud solution allows businesses to make use of existing cloud-to-cloud integrations, sharing events, alarms, and user data between systems,” he says. “We know that for some large organisations cloud may not be right for them for a little while yet. However, for small businesses requiring a flexible, convenient, and secure solution, choosing a cloud approach is an investment in the future that will be well supported in years to come,” Tyson adds.
Uncompromised site security
With the rising threat of cyber security attacks and data falling into the wrong hands, the need for robust protection against cyber-threats is more important than ever. A cloud-based solution gives businesses greater security and governance over both their own data and the data shared with them by their customers. Cloud-based service providers are responsible for the protection of their servers and employ IT experts to ensure their servers are cyber-secure. For small business owners, this means that not only do they have peace of mind knowing that they are as protected as possible, but also that their data is backed-up and secure should the unforeseen occur.
In addition to protected data, a secure solution will continue to operate when communication to the cloud fails. “If communication between the security system and the cloud breaks down, the site remains secure – users can continue to request access at doors, and the site can be armed or disarmed at a local interface, providing uncompromised site security,” Tyson explains.
An investment for the future
A cloud-based security solution provides business owners with remote access to security, automatic firmware updates, built in cyber and data protection, and flexibility for all those involved. As a reputable security manufacturer that protects some of the world’s most critical infrastructure, Gallagher identified the need to provide a solution that answered the needs of small and medium businesses (SMB), delivering world class security that is simple for business owners to self-manage.
“Gallagher security for SMB is a cloud-first solution that is uniquely positioned to offer small and medium business owners the high level of security and performance that wired systems provide, with the added freedom to manage their security from anywhere, anytime, via an easy-to-use app,” Tyson says.
For more information about the Gallagher security for SMB solution, visit: https://security.gallagher.com/Solutions/SMB.
