Beatriz

Alfonso Mata tells us about the challenges faced by the industry

To begin with, what do you think are the fundamental premises that a security company must currently follow in order to adapt to the new needs?

Without a doubt: active listening to our customers. To adapt to change you need to know what the customer needs. There is a lot of competition in the video surveillance market, but there are not many companies like SCATI that are able to customize solutions and adapt them to change. Therefore, the key is to be able to actively listen to customers, to understand what their problems are in order to adapt the technology to their needs.

Secondly: developing own technology. We are developers and we do not depend on anyone to be able to provide these customized solutions to our customers. In short, trying to understand what you need and being able to put it into practice is a fundamental value in adapting to technological change.

And the third element, focused within the video surveillance and security chapter, especially in video, is to be able to offer a complete solution. That is, from end to end: from the cameras to the application used to operate the system, through all the intermediate elements that exist: recorders, management servers, all types of analytics, license plate readings, facial recognition…

Concepts such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data… how do you think they will affect and what implementation will they develop in the fields of security in the coming years?

These are technologies that are already in place. The clearest application in the security world, and the one in which we are specialists, is to analyze the video to extract information and data. Artificial Intelligence is a novel mechanism to perform these analytics, extracting, as I pointed out, information with increasingly interesting applications such as the classification of people or objects.

Being able to offer a security manager an investigation tool to locate in video images “people with a red sweater or a certain yellow car” is possible with these tools thanks to algorithms.

Today this is key, and many of our customers are already asking us for this type of application. In addition, there are others that are also booming, such as the reading of QR codes through cameras. These new solutions are aimed at extracting information and being able to trace the supply chain.

How do you foresee SCATI evolving over this decade to adapt to society’s new security needs?

SCATI is a company that has always been characterized by its ability to adapt to the needs of its customers. Users are becoming increasingly demanding and require comprehensive, comprehensive solutions with a higher level of customization.

SCATI’s evolution will always be in tune with that of its customers, providing more and more products in the field of electronic security, beyond video surveillance and even beyond security. And the recipe for doing this will be the same that is in the company’s DNA: proprietary technology, flexibility and maximum care in the pre-sale, execution and post-sale of the projects. In this way, we provide integral services, evolving from a video products company to a company that develops and commercializes technological products and services in the field of security and the application of technology for the automation and control of critical business processes.

No one knows what new disruptions will emerge in the next ten years, but SCATI will always have its customers at the center of its activities., to be a technology partner to guarantee investments in security technology, addressing the challenges imposed by technologies that we cannot even guess at today, new corporate policies or new regulations that will undoubtedly appear to humanize the artificial intelligence applications of the next decade.

“Our main objective is to continue to consolidate our position in the markets and verticals in which we operate.”

What is the company’s business strategy for the coming years?

Our main objective is to consolidate our position in the markets and verticals in which we have a strong presence: Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. At the sector level, we will continue to focus on offering customized, high-value solutions for banking, logistics and critical infrastructure.

Our goal is to continue offering technological solutions and to provide more complete services.

We are also developing our activity in other markets such as Southeast Asia and creating other business areas to expand our portfolio of solutions. We have recently created a new division oriented to the development of our own Access Control and Systems Integration solutions. With this leap, we seek growth within the aforementioned markets, in addition to positioning ourselves as a benchmark in the development and commercialization of technological products and services in the field of security and the application of technology for the automation and control of critical business processes.

The company has always been characterized by its capacity for innovation, flexibility and active listening in order to offer customized, integral and comprehensive solutions demanded by its customers.

SCATI, manufacturer of video solutions that go beyond security, announces the creation of this new Access Control and Systems Integration division with the objective of becoming a unique player in the development of flexible and comprehensive solutions for corporate users.

These new Access Control and Systems Integration solutions are conceived using the same recipe that is part of SCATI’s DNA: proprietary technology, flexibility and maximum care in the pre-sale, execution and post-sale of projects, providing comprehensive services.

With this leap, SCATI seeks growth within the markets in which it operates (Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Southeast Asia), providing comprehensive services. With the creation of this new division, the company aims to position itself as a benchmark in the development and marketing of technological products and services in the field of security and the application of technology for the automation and control of critical business processes.

“I am very grateful to Scati for having chosen me to lead this new division, and I am ready to put into practice all my experience accumulated over the last few years in the sector. We will continue with the business strategy that Scati has been using to date, prioritizing the design and development of proprietary technology solutions, with a high capacity to adapt to the specific needs of our customers”, comments Sergio Gómez, Access Control & Smart Integrations Director.

As for the security it must provide during its operation, we will focus on two basic aspects to enhance it, the physical and the logical:

• At the physical level, having the hardware redundant in failover mode will give us a plus of reliability, as well as the installation of this hardware in suitable and controlled environments for 24×7 uninterrupted operation.
• At a logical level, our main ally is the IT area of the company, being them who guide us with the logical security policies that are more recommendable to use and that are in tune with those applied in a general way in the company.

What are the limitations and/or vulnerabilities that these types of systems may have?

To speak of limitations or vulnerabilities specific to a VMS, without putting it in context with respect to the company’s general logical security policies or internal CCTV system management and operation procedures, would be inconsistent.

The security of the company as a whole must be taken into account, and the fragility of the weakest link is always present in the whole. Therefore, having a VMS that is initially very robust and secure, but is not accompanied by the rest of the company’s security policies and operating procedures can make it very vulnerable. On the contrary, by making use of optimal logical security policies and having well-defined operating procedures adapted to the company, the value of each individual element is enhanced.

What are the most important innovations or developments around VMS functionalities in recent years?

VMSs have been adapting and developing for some years now as new technologies are democratizing and extending their use. AI, cloud-computing, IoT and cybersecurity are rapidly being driven on these platforms.

In addition, making use of Big Data and Business Intelligence (or business intelligence) is converging into a unified management platform to increase collaboration and help management make better decisions based on more comprehensive data and analytics.

Several players are focusing on VMS as a VSaaS, but this type of operation will depend a lot on the particular conditions of each user, since not all of them are currently potential candidates to use it.

What is it that the end user usually does not take advantage of or neglects the possibilities offered by a Video Management System?

Although the list to answer this question could be quite long, let’s approach it from another point of view: is my VMS oversized for my company’s security needs? In other words, would you buy a Ferrari if its only use is to transport tools on a farm?

In this regard, the previous work of technical definition of the needs of each user is very important and will allow the construction of the tailor-made suit that each company needs (the VMS in this case), to adjust it to the most appropriate operation.

You hear/read a lot, in the electronic security industry, that resilience should be strengthened in this type of solutions, do you agree with this? Explain your answer.

Video surveillance systems, and especially VMS, are becoming very important tools for maintaining the security of a facility. The system must be resilient so that it can detect abnormal events early in its operation and quickly send alerts to the operators maintaining the security system when they occur.

A resilient video surveillance system architecture, which persists even when the workload increases due to any eventuality, is usually based on a distributed platform that can dynamically allocate virtual machines in response to the increase in processing demand on the system. Another possibility, if there is budget, is to have redundant servers and other hardware elements and make them work in failover mode.

But do not forget about the network elementsis a key element in ensuring that information reaches the VMS for processing, so being able to have QoS measurement mechanisms and balanced routing so that in the event that a node goes down, traffic can be redirected to a complementary one is a vital element to be taken into account.

What characteristic/strength would you say this type of technology (VMS) should have or develop, in light of today’s security and cybersecurity challenges?

A VMS platform should enable security managers to manage incidents and the response to them, leveraging tools such as intelligent video analytics, big data or business intelligence, as well as gathering the relevant information needed to properly manage a situation. Being able to control these tasks remotely on a centralized platform can significantly benefit a company that is working with limited staff and resources, as many companies are right now.

It must also allow fast integrations among key systems for improving the operator’s situational awareness, i.e., his ability to understand the world around him and the events that occur and require his action or attention, known as situational awareness. the latest in AI Artificial Intelligence and Big Datais the ideal VMS for organizations that need to manage multiple locations, with hundreds or even thousands of surveillance cameras, in an agile, simple and secure way.

“Active listening to our customers is one of SCATI’s fundamental pillars”

Interview by Cuadernos de Seguridad

With the clear objective for 2023 of continuing to consolidate in the markets in which they operate (Europe, Middle East and Latin America), and in sectors such as Logistics, Banking and Critical Infrastructure, but also with a focus on new projects, Alfonso Mata, Managing Director de SCATI, discusses in this conversation with Cuadernos de Seguridad, the pillars on which SCATI’s strategy is based, which remain intact since its creation, as well as the role that technological innovation plays and will play in the world of security.

To begin with, what are the fundamental pillars on which SCATI has been built since its inception?

The fundamental pillars of SCATI are three. The first, active listening to our customers, that is, within the video surveillance market there is a lot of competition, but companies like SCATI that are able to customize solutions, there are not so many. Therefore, the key is to be able to actively listen to your customers, to understand what their problems are and to be able to adapt your products and solutions to those needs and not the other way around. And to be able to do this, the key is to differentiate yourself in the commercial treatment, in pre-sales and after-sales, as well as having a team on which this way of working is based.

The second element, without a doubt, is to have your own technology. We are developers and we do not depend on anyone to be able to provide these solutions adapted to our clients. In short, we try to understand what you need and be able to put it into practice.

And the third element, focused within the video surveillance and security chapter, especially in video, is to be able to offer a complete solution,, that is, from end to end, from the cameras to the application used to operate the system, including all the intermediate elements: recorders, management servers, all types of analytics, license plate reading, facial recognition…

What are the differential elements of SCATI in relation to other companies operating in the same field?

One of our differential elements is flexibility, and the ability to customize a specific customer need, or a corporate policy or cybersecurity rule that a company sets for itself One of our differential elements is flexibility, and the ability to customize a specific customer need, or a corporate policy or cybersecurity rule that a company sets for itself In the end, the market is varied, global and very diverse, and you need, as in the case of SCATI, which does not only operate in Spain, to be flexible when encountering all kinds of cases.

What business strategy has the company set for itself between now and 2023?

Firstly, our objective for 2023 will be to continue to consolidate our position in the markets and verticals in which we are strong. Within the markets I am referring to all of Europe, the Middle East and the Latin American region and, in terms of verticals, we can highlight Banking, Logistics and Critical Infrastructure.

This is our goal, to be able to continue offering new technological solutions that are demanded and to respond to the most complete services. In addition, we are not only focusing on these markets, but we are also doing things in the United States, in Southeast Asia… looking for new partners and markets, etc.

Does SCATI plan to expand its business strategy to other sectors?

Yes, at the level of verticals we are making a great effort both commercially and technologically in improving our video solutions, focused mainly for industry, without leaving out other segments such as public safety or Smart City. The key to these sectors is that video is not necessarily used for security purposes, especially in industry.

We are seeing that there is a huge market where video is valued as another technology to improve processes, to make certain supply chains more efficient, not only to protect us against security risks: that is, it is a way of democratizing video so that it not only serves for security, but for other fields or areas.

Concepts such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data…, how do you think they will affect and what implementation will they develop in the fields of security in the coming years?

These are technologies that are already implemented. The clearest application in the world of security, and in which we are specialists, which is video, is to analyze video, that is, to analyze images in order to extract information and data from them. Artificial Intelligence is a novel mechanism for performing these analytics, extracting, as I said, information with increasingly interesting applications such as the classification of people or objects.

Being able to offer a security manager an investigation tool where I could search the video for “people with a red sweater or a certain yellow car” is possible with these tools thanks to algorithms. Today this is key, and many of our customers are already asking us for this type of application, and others such as reading QR codes through cameras to extract information and be able to trace the supply chain.

“Our goal for 2023 is going to continue to be to consolidate in the markets and verticals where we are strong”

What solutions does SCATI offer to the market today? What is the added value of its solutions and products?

It is true that today there are many very large and global competitors, but in our region of operation, EMEA, especially Spain, the Middle East and the entire Latin American region, it is difficult to find a company developing video surveillance solutions that meets SCATI’s offer from the point of view of a complete solution. There are companies that focus only on cameras, others on the VMS software, others on analytics: therefore, customers see it as a plus of guarantee and commitment to be able to offer a complete solution.

SCATI has recently inaugurated new offices where the technological factor has been a key factor in the facilities, what has this change meant for the company?

Indeed, during the first quarter we completed our project to adapt the new building where we have moved our headquarters, with the aim of making a leap in our corporate image, deploying all our solutions and technologies, centralizing them in a spectacular showroom that allows us to show everything we are capable of doing.. At the same time, we have more space to develop our work in all areas, as well as greater production and warehouse capacity. We are very satisfied with the result and with our “new home”, ready for our future growth expectations.