By 
Genetec Inc., a global technology leader in unified security, public safety, and operational intelligence, has unveiled its top predictions for the physical security industry in 2026. The forecast highlights a pivotal shift from fragmented, proprietary systems toward open, intelligent, and flexible platforms that deliver tangible business value beyond traditional security.
RELATED: From Artificial Intelligence to Artificial Innovation: My predictions
The coming year is expected to be defined by pragmatic technology adoption, where choice, automation, and convergence take center stage to address complex operational challenges.
Prediction 1: The Era of Strategic Cloud Flexibility
The conversation around cloud adoption will mature beyond a simple “cloud vs. on-premises” debate. In 2026, organizations will demand deployment flexibility, choosing the optimal environment—cloud, on-premises, or hybrid—for each specific workload based on performance, cost, and data governance needs.
Vendors with open architecture solutions that support full-range deployment options and strong interoperability will lead the market. This approach empowers organizations to extend the life of existing investments while seamlessly integrating new cloud services where they add the most value, avoiding costly vendor lock-in.
Prediction 2: Intelligent Automation Replaces AI Hype
The focus will decisively shift from artificial intelligence (AI) as a buzzword to practical Intelligent Automation (IA). Security teams will prioritize IA solutions that automate repetitive tasks, enhance monitoring accuracy, and deliver measurable outcomes like faster investigation times and reduced false alarms.
With this maturity comes greater demand for responsible implementation. Organizations will expect transparency in how AI is used and will prioritize vendors that embed cybersecurity and data protection into their IA features, ensuring deployments are safe, accountable, and trustworthy.
Prediction 3: Access Control Expands Its Business Role
Modernizing legacy access control systems will accelerate, driven by the need for better ROI. The function of access control is expanding from securing doors to enabling business intelligence—managing energy use, optimizing space occupancy, and generating operational insights.
Adoption of Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) and hybrid models will grow for their scalability and predictable costs. Furthermore, the convergence of ACaaS and Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) onto unified platforms will provide unparalleled visibility. Mobile credentials and biometrics will continue to redefine secure and convenient identity management.
Prediction 4: Convergence Creates Unified Operational Intelligence
The surge in connected IoT devices, building systems, and security sensors will drive the need for unified platforms. The convergence of IT, operational technology (OT), and physical security will enable real-time data sharing, facilitating smarter, faster decisions across entire facilities.
Leading solutions will be open and scalable platforms that securely unify diverse devices and data streams. Success will depend on a vendor’s ability to provide cloud-native and hybrid options while designing systems with inherent cybersecurity and data residency controls from the ground up.
