Mark Jarman, president of wireless sensor networks provider Inovonics, recently outlined major trends for wireless security systems for 2011.

"People and assets are mobile, so security needs to be as well. People are 'connected' thanks to mobile devices, so they can stay linked to their security and data systems in real time," he explained. "When security is mobile, you need to be able to track it. People and assets are increasingly mobile, so Real Time Location Solutions (RTLS) will become increasingly important."

Jarman's additional top predictions for 2011 include:
1. Integration of access control panels, video management systems and alarm sensors with IP-based security solutions will increase substantially. Jarman said there is a convergence that's been taking place in the security world with manufacturers of access control panels and video management systems integrating their systems into a cohesive IP-based solution. In 2011, development of IP-based specifications to achieve system-wide interoperability of IP security devices will accelerate and will soon become reality, forcing vendors to shift their product strategies to comply with the new requirements.
2. Location and situational awareness in conjunction with mobile security capabilities will become a key requirement of campus-wide security systems. Today, security guards are mobile and have smart phones or two-way radios driving the growing trend toward mobility. With an increasing number of security persons and human assets mobile these days, knowing where they are within a building or campus setting when they activate a duress alarm, such as a pendant, is mission critical. Then notifying others within that same environment via an integrated, easy-to-deploy and use mass notification system ensures they will get out of harm's way quickly and safely.
3. Wireless sensor networks in commercial settings will continue to gain traction against traditional hard-wired solutions due to their ease in extending monitored sensor types, speed of installation, cost savings and mobility, as well as overall reliability. Altogether, this will improve the tangible ROI property owners expect. Increasingly, security dealers and directors are leveraging wireless throughout their organizations for these reasons, especially when a security breech occurs and the weaknesses of wired solutions are exposed.

"Wireless security systems are poised to take advantage of a number of market factors in 2011," said Jeff Kessler, managing director of Imperial Capital, a security market research and advisory firm. "In the coming years ahead, we will see security directors and integrators asking vendors to better integrate access control, video analytics and external sensors into a single view to achieve true Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) capabilities. Wireless systems will play an important part in this evolution."

Echoing this same sentiment, Jarman added, "Despite all the advances in technology, one thing rings clear: an integrated security solution needs to be simple, not over-featured. As elegant as many integrated solutions can be, their sheer complexity can make them fall short of expectations for usability, and therefore performance, reliability and in realizing a return on investment. That is why simple to install, easy-to-use, reliable and cost-effective wireless systems will gain growing acceptance among security directors and integrators across many markets in the years ahead."