Despite the impact of COVID-19, the Middle East banking sector is the midst of an exciting transformation. As oil prices dipped, the need for diversification particularly for financial institutions became even more imperative and any reticence around the modernisation investments faded. At the same time, the sector has acted swiftly to tighten compliance, to counter misplaced global perceptions that Middle East banking regulations are lax when it comes to money laundering and terrorist financing.

The ongoing coronavirus has quickly and irrevocably changed the economic landscape. Many sectors have been hit hard by the pandemic, and while many are now bouncing back others have managed to thrive. Cannabis, which was deemed essential during the first lockdowns in 2020, is enjoying record-breaking sales numbers.

Many systems integrators have had their fingers burned by the overpromise of AI solutions or previously worked with systems that hadn’t kept pace with advances in imaging processing and deep learning. As a result, many ANPR projects have been associated with complex installations, often involving highly accurate positioning, new infrastructure and expensive civil engineering works, and constant configuration that resulted in project overruns and recurring engineering visits, eroding profit margins for integrators.

Enterprises across pretty much every single market sector have been impacted by the pandemic. Sudden shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and an uptick in violent crime have each wreaked havoc on businesses large and small in the U.S. and all over the globe.

Job vacancies in the UK are now at a record high. By August, the figure was over a million for the first time since records began, according to the Office for National Statistics. While that may sound like good news after such a challenging year, it reflects a significant underlying problem for the economy: more and more sectors report work force insufficiency.
The story that has really hit the headlines in recent days is the UK’s shortfall of HGV drivers - 100,000, according to the Road Haulage Association. The accuracy of that figure is questioned, but nobody doubts that many more drivers are now needed.

There’s a whole list of reasons why heightened vigilance and improved situational awareness are desirable, and why it’s best provided by tech that’s affordable, long-lasting, and easy to use.
In some states, there’s a particular concern about increasing gun violence, as gun control laws are relaxed, as crime remains high, and divisions in society persist.
Those divisions seem particularly acute right now – a heated dispute is never far below the surface, and with it, the potential for rising tempers. One thing that most Americans seem to agree on is that society is more polarized than any time they can remember. The pandemic also continues to cause concern health concerns for many, while others are frustrated by continued infringement on civil liberties, such as mandates to wear face coverings, which can cause flashpoints.

The last five years have been busy since I joined Hall & Kay. Despite some disruption in the market, we’ve seen our sales continue to grow.
Where has the new business come from? We’ve delivered some significant projects in sectors where we see demand growing further, including social housing and public space video, mixed commercial and office developments, heritage sites and schools.

US security and FM managers have had to deal with a succession of emergencies over the last 18 months - spikes in gun violence, protests and civil unrest, and extreme weather events including flash floods, wildfires, air quality deterioration, and extreme heat incidents - all against the ongoing backdrop of COVID-19.

In the last month alone we’ve seen devastating flash floods in Europe and China, a record-breaking ‘heat dome’ over the northwest US and then Turkey, which has extended heatwaves into Algeria, Tunisia, and multiple countries in Southeast Europe, causing numerous localized extreme weather incidents – and records broken – some that are not even making international headlines.

In our last blog, we looked at the cost advantages that NVR-based on-prem video solutions have over VSaaS. Despite all the marketing hype around VSaaS, the established on-prem model offers better value in key areas including lower storage costs and fairer, more transparent pricing models without prohibitive ongoing license fees that can soon mount up. The advantages don’t stop there. Now let’s look at performance.

There’s been much debate recently about the rise of cloud video. But end-users need to be aware of the hype.
While VSaaS (Video Surveillance as a Service) vendors tout their surveillance models as the future, for most customers it’s likely hybrid models will prove to be the best option. There are many reasons to suggest customers will opt to use a mix of on-premises and cloud-based systems – and many reasons why we’re not seeing anything like the levels of adoption that have been predicted. Although many VSaaS vendors have tried to bypass the security buying chain by selling direct to IT departments, too often we’re seeing myths emerging concerning on-prem solutions.

These days, there’s a growing list of compliance boxes that need be ticked. That’s good news for the video sector, and for customers in particular.
Because regulations are not just about ‘box ticking’, they’re about making sure that our systems are truly fit for purpose and that they don’t fail on a growing list of metrics now regarded as non-negotiable.

Last summer saw a spate of illegal raves, reminiscent of those back the 1990s. There have been reports of excessive drinking and illicit drug taking in public spaces and private grounds, for example supermarket car parks. It’s hardly surprising if people have become frustrated by the continued lack social activity, by economic hardship, or by the monotony of home working that offers little in the way of human engagement.

It feels as if we’re all about to emerge blinking into the sun, and after a lost year of pandemic lockdowns and canceled trips, the possibility of a decent summer season is finally just weeks away. For most Americans - almost three-quarters according to one recent survey from CNBC - that will mean taking a vacation in the U.S. and staying closer to home, as concerns remain about traveling overseas.

A welcome milestone has just been reached in the UK with the re-opening of ‘non-essential’ retail, with indoor dining set to return next month.
It’s an important turning point for a sector that has faced such turbulence over the last year, with some major successes in the grocery sector overshadowed by big losses in areas such as fashion and eating out sectors, not least for the thousands of staff whose jobs have gone.