At this year ’ s Data Centre World ( DCW ) event , we caught up with Nick Smith , Business Development Manager , Genetec , to talk all things physical 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 .

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 .

To learn more about Genetec ’ s latest case study with Vantage Data Centers click HERE . �

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 cyberattackers . 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 ?

INTELLIGENT OPERATIONS

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 .

Nick Smith , Business Development Manager , Genetec

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