GIT SECURITY: We celebrate our 20-Year Anniversary this year. What do you think was the greatest game-changing technology for the security industry in the last 20 years if you had to choose one?
Tony Yang: I’d say it’s Artificial Intelligence AI, which is one of the most transformative and game-changing technologies we’ve seen in the last few decades. It has the potential to revolutionize numerous industries and aspects of our lives. What we have seen in recent years is how diversified AI products and applications have helped solve intricate problems daily and meet customers‘ fragmented needs much better than was possible earlier. On one hand, AI has assisted security personnel by automating routine, repetitive, and time-consuming security tasks, so that they no longer have to locate incidents from thousands of hours of video clips. This frees them up to focus on more critical tasks and helps improve response times in emergency situations.

On the other hand, AI has enabled security systems to learn from data patterns, detect anomalies, and predict potential security threats, aiding security professionals in making better decisions and being proactive in addressing potential risks and vulnerabilities. But if we look back even further, the transition from analog to IP-based security systems changed the way security is implemented and managed, and created a foundation that enabled the emergence and adoption of AI.

In your opinion, what are the most pressing challenges your customers currently face – and what special demands do they in turn place on you as their partner?
Tony Yang: The economic slowdown has placed increasing pressure on companies to revisit their operational strategies to maximize profits. Likewise, our customers have become more focused on risk mitigation, cost reduction, and operational efficiency. In such challenging times, an effective and reliable security system or solution can help them level up safety, streamline operation, reduce cost and increase productivity.

We can list some examples how Hikvision can help customers to overcome challenges. A convenience store chain can rely on our smart retail solution to connect all their branches through a centralized management platform and perform remote store audits, reducing labor costs and improve operational standardization. A logistics company can use our dock management solution to visualize loading and unloading records, improve vehicle allocation, and achieve maximum efficiency. An SMB owner can benefit from our end-to-end one-stop security system that combines smart video security, alarm systems, and access control solutions to manage all security activities on the move via a mobile app, which reduces time spent on manual security checks, and maximizes efficiency in daily operations.

The next ten years will be dominated by AI applications. Do you agree and what will be the biggest benefit for our industry?
Tony Yang: Yes, of course. We believe the combination of AI and IoT will continue to be a major trend for the next 10 years, reshaping the scope of the security industry. AI adds substantial value to IoT, which in turn converges into AIoT. These AIoT solutions will not only provide intelligent protections but also help advance the efficiency of operations across a multitude of industries and organizations. It will create an important path for boosting the digital evolution across industries.

Looking in to the future, what do you think will be the impact your company will have on the industry?
Tony Yang: We’ll continue to serve the evolving needs of customers and propel the industry forward through our cutting-edge technologies. With more ‘senses’ added to the security industry, we’re helping to expand people’s capabilities of perceiving the physical world in new ways. By developing advanced machine perception technologies, we’re enabling the collection of multi-dimensional information. This, coupled with the development of artificial intelligence, paves the way for a wider and more innovative application of AIoT, and takes the security industry to the next level.

Looking beyond technology innovation, we are also fostering an open ecosystem that help to unleash the power of collaboration among stakeholders within the industry. By providing partners and developers with easier access to our products and technologies, together, we can facilitate co-creation of value for customers. To make this happen, we have built an open ecosystem that incorporates open devices, platforms, and cooperation resources, where we and our partners can accelerate the exchange of ideas and solution innovation. As a result, our customers can benefit from an easier and more cost-effective path to AI adoption and success with the digital transformation of their operations.

New products, solutions, services: What are you working on most intensively at the moment? And what news can we expect from you in the near future?
Tony Yang: We are working intensively on enriching our product portfolio, through which we deliver multi-dimensional perception and customized intelligence at the customer’s fingertips. In the first place, we are enhancing our multi-dimensional perception capabilities, going far beyond visible light, extending out along the electromagnetic spectrum, so that they can be used in wider scenarios and applications. Moreover, we are continuously strengthening our imaging technology to enable crystal clear security imaging in any weather, under any conditions, any time of day or night.

Apart from these, we’re also enriching our product mix to adapt to end-users‘ complex demands across multiple scenarios and designing more customized solutions to provide comprehensive, end-to-end capabilities for diverse industries, from traffic to shipping, from retail to healthcare and beyond. Furthermore, we are focusing on increasing the sustainability of our operations, and delivering greener, more sustainable products and solutions. We will keep rolling out products featuring longer life expectancies, recyclable materials and packaging, as well as renewable energy usage. Each of these initiatives aims to reduce waste and emissions and contribute towards creating a greener footprint.