Watching over digital Britain

Tim Close looks at security opportunities in the wake of the Carter report

Close: The Carter report means resellers should start thinking about potential opportunities

Lord Carter’s interim report on the future of digital Britain covered diverse topics, from broadband access and media production to the infrastructure required to support the vision.

One of the first areas seeing investment already is security. Local government, police forces and housing associations have a duty of care to the communities they represent.

Physical and IT security requirements may converge, so opportunities exist around connecting physical access with network security. An example is IP CCTV and access control, where old analogue systems are being replaced with IP networkable set-ups. Physical security resellers may also expand their portfolio by partnering with IT specialists.

The ‘Digital Britain’ report suggests that CCTV adoption may drive increased networking. IP CCTV requires a lot of network bandwidth, and therefore investment. Metropolitan area networks (MANs) may provide this connectivity. Also, traditional IT services will be required for further developments and applications that make use of that connectivity.

There is likely to be a need for more digital TV support and internet connectivity, as well as various tech investments meant to improve healthcare and education.

For resellers that get their feet in the door, other projects may arise. Service expansion, whether to the public or private sector, depends on the existence of suitable networks and business models. The channel can already provide networking and wireless expertise, but there is a need for more knowledge on opportunities for technology collaboration between public sector bodies. This may provide resellers with opportunities for cross-selling products and services, while embedding them in such new projects.

Such ‘shared service’ opportunities can extend customer investments and provide better results. It also means the reseller may get the chance to lead such projects, and make more money from services and consultancy.

No one partner can cover all the possible ‘Digital Britain’ initiatives, but resellers could team up to offer the widest possible portfolios of services and support.

The full 'Digital Britain' report is due in June, so why not prepare for the future?

Tim Close is managing director at 802 Global