Determining the True Definition of Cloud-Based Access Control
AUSTIN, Texas — As access control as a service (ACaaS) continues to take on varying forms of definition, IMS Research has released a new report that describes what constitutes true cloud, outlining its core features and functionalities.
“In order for the ACaaS industry to reach its full potential, the industry needs to establish set definitions, solutions and offerings,” says Blake Kozak, senior analyst at IMS Research.
The report titled, “The North American and European Markets for Access Control as a Service (ACaaS),” mentions that there are two main types of ACaaS offerings — true cloud, defined as a multitenant, scalable (on demand) and redundant; and rack server, which is essentially extending the network connection to a third-party location rather than a server closet on site.
The majority of ACaaS offerings on the market are rack servers, due to high costs associated with building private data centers and the complexity of providing a multitenant solutions, according to report. The study also finds that although rack servers may have some characteristics of true cloud, the economies of scale presented with a rack server are not the same as with true cloud (multitenant). As a result, many of the players in this market are regional dealers, software providers and alarm monitoring companies that have a smaller customer base in order to provide customized solutions.
Before entering into the ACaaS space, it is crucial for integrators to decide on the type of hosting solution they plan to offer. Additionally, they must identify how they plan to sell licenses and bill customers.
“To enter the ACaaS space, preparation will be key to success,” Kozak says. “With confusion continuing to circulate as to what constitutes true cloud it is vital that suppliers looking to enter this space plan for how they intend to price and operate their ACaaS offering before entering the market.”
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