How AI and cloud-managed tech make physical security simpler, smarter and faster, by Brandon Salzberg, Chief Technology Officer, Rhombus.
In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, physical security is undergoing a significant transformation.
From increasing theft and workplace safety concerns to rising operational costs and staff shortages, the pressure on security, IT and facilities teams has never been greater.
Leaders are expected to do more with less – monitor more sites, respond faster to incidents and provide insights into how spaces are being used – all while keeping budgets under control.
For decades, traditional physical security systems relied on complex, on-premise infrastructure: network video recorders (NVRs) and digital video recorders (DVRs), siloed access control systems and limited remote access.
These solutions were not only costly to install and maintain but also difficult to scale and manage across multiple sites.
That model is no longer sustainable. Enter cloud-managed physical security.
By combining intelligent devices with cloud-managed infrastructure, over the last few years we’ve seen modern security platforms offer a fundamentally new way to protect people, property and operations, at lower costs and with dramatically less complexity.
Now we’re seeing the next wave of innovation in the physical security space, with the addition of powerful AI capabilities to those cloud-managed systems.
At Rhombus, we’ve witnessed this transformation first-hand.
As a leader in cloud-managed physical security, we collaborate with organisations worldwide, from schools and hospitals to manufacturers and retailers, who are replacing legacy systems with smarter, faster and more scalable technology.
One of the most significant burdens with legacy systems is infrastructure.
NVRs and servers require upfront capital expenditure, dedicated IT support and ongoing maintenance.
If a hard drive fails or a server goes down, so does your visibility and recording.
Scaling to new locations means duplicating that infrastructure, which is costly, time-consuming and prone to failure.
In contrast, cloud-managed systems eliminate this complexity.
Cameras, door readers, sensors and alarms connect directly to the internet via secure, encrypted channels.
Video is stored safely in the cloud or with encrypted local storage as needed.
There’s no need to manually configure firewalls, set up VPNs or worry about ageing hardware.
With Rhombus, for example, organisations can deploy a new site in under an hour.
Devices self-configure and automatically connect to the platform.
Everything is managed centrally through an intuitive web and mobile interface; no need to be onsite or logged into multiple systems.
One of the biggest concerns when considering a move to cloud-managed physical security is the perceived need for a full “rip and replace” of existing systems; an expensive and disruptive prospect.
Fortunately, many modern cloud-based solutions are designed to integrate with a wide range of existing infrastructure.
Whether it’s legacy cameras, access control hardware, or third-party software systems, you should look to adopt cloud-managed platforms that allow organisations to modernise at their own pace.
IT, facilities and security teams can begin by layering cloud capabilities on top of what’s already in place, gradually replacing outdated equipment over time as budget and priorities allow.
This flexible approach not only minimises disruption and upfront costs but also accelerates ROI by extending the value of past investments while unlocking the efficiency and intelligence of the cloud.
Traditional security systems generate massive amounts of footage, most of which is never watched.
When an incident occurs, teams are forced to scrub through hours of video or sift through access logs; slow, manual and error-prone.
AI changes that equation entirely.
Today’s cloud-managed systems use on-device and cloud-based AI to automatically analyse video, detect anomalies and surface what matters.
For example, Rhombus cameras can distinguish between people, vehicles and motion.
You can search by appearance or activity – “man in red jacket”, “woman carrying cardboard box”, “FedEx delivery van” – across any timeframe or site, without having to manually review footage.
Alerts can be triggered for tailgating, loitering or crowding events and indexed directly to time-stamped video clips.
This dramatically speeds up investigations.
One of our logistics customers reduced average incident review time from three hours to under ten minutes. That’s not just more efficient, it’s a clear return on investment (ROI) story.
With multi-camera analysis, an AI-powered system automatically reviews footage across multiple angles simultaneously, offering a more complete view of events.
Results are generated in seconds, drastically reducing investigation time.
Advanced AI also provides contextual understanding, interpreting complex scenarios like group behaviour or unusual activity, not just identifying people or objects.
Additionally, similarity search enables users to find visually similar individuals or items based on a single reference image, making it easier to track persons of interest across time and locations.
In the past, video surveillance, access control, alarms and environmental sensors operated in separate silos, often managed by different teams.
That’s a recipe for gaps and inefficiencies.
Cloud-managed solutions bring these elements together into one platform.
With Rhombus, for example, video, access control, intrusion detection and air quality sensors are fully integrated.
You can instantly pull up video linked to an access event, trigger alerts when a door is forced open or correlate temperature and noise anomalies with activity in the space.
This not only improves response times and operational awareness but also simplifies training and reduces the number of systems your team needs to maintain.
Everything is searchable, indexed and available from anywhere.
For multi-site organisations, from hospital trusts to retail chains to global manufacturers, scaling physical security has traditionally meant layering system upon system, with each site managed independently.
It’s hard to enforce consistent policies, hard to track user access and even harder to keep everything updated.
Cloud-managed security platforms were built for scale.
You can onboard new locations in minutes, apply global settings and permissions and instantly roll out firmware updates without touching a single device.
Integrations with identity providers like Okta mean user access is controlled centrally and securely.
This scalability also benefits integrators and managed service providers (MSPs) who manage multiple customers.
With centralised dashboards, remote diagnostics and health monitoring, service teams can support thousands of devices across dozens or hundreds of sites without needing to be onsite.
A common concern with cloud-managed systems is cybersecurity and rightly so.
But in reality, cloud-native platforms are often more secure than legacy on-premise setups.
With Rhombus, all data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
Devices are hard-coded to only communicate with the cloud-managed systems, using certificate-based authentication.
Regular updates are pushed automatically, closing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Compare that with a ten-year-old NVR sitting in a comms cabinet with outdated firmware, port forwarding enabled and default credentials still active; it’s a clear security risk.
In regulated environments like healthcare, education and government, cloud-managed systems can also help with compliance.
Detailed audit logs, role-based access and data residency controls make it easier to meet legal and organisational requirements.
Cloud-managed systems don’t just reduce capital expenditures, they reduce operational expenses too. They enable faster investigations, less downtime and fewer support calls.
They free up IT and facilities teams from maintenance and micromanagement.
And they give organisations the agility to adapt to changing needs.
One logistics firm that switched to Rhombus saw a 30% reduction in security-related operational costs within the first year.
A national retail chain improved theft prevention by enabling real-time alerts and instant video sharing with local authorities.
A public school system streamlined access management across 40 campuses with a single login and unified dashboard.
Physical security is no longer just about preventing theft or responding retrospectively to break-ins.
It’s about ensuring workplace safety, managing access, monitoring environmental conditions and delivering peace of mind in an increasingly complex world.
Beyond that it’s about understanding how your spaces are used and making changes that benefit staff and customers, that lead to operational efficiencies and in the case of many of our retail clients, even increased revenue.
The old model – hardware-heavy, siloed and difficult to manage – simply can’t keep up.
Cloud and AI aren’t just buzzwords.
They’re the foundation of a smarter approach to security: one that reduces cost and complexity, delivers better outcomes and empowers teams to do more with less.
I firmly believe every organisation deserves security that’s simple, smart and scalable.
If your team is still burdened by legacy systems – or looking for a better way to protect your people and property – it might be time to make the switch to the cloud.
Because in today’s world, speed, intelligence and simplicity aren’t optional, they’re essential.
Click here to sign up for our exclusive webinar! Join experts from Rhombus as they discuss the benefits of moving to the cloud.
Brandon Salzberg is the Chief Technology Officer at Rhombus, a leading provider of cloud-managed physical security solutions.
Rhombus helps organisations around the world simplify their security with intelligent cameras, access control, sensors and AI-powered insights.
This article was originally published in the June edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.
