21 Apr Africa’s enterprises are rethinking cloud security

A growing number of enterprises are rethinking their approach to cloud adoption in physical security, as industry experts warn that the process is far more involved than it is often presented.

While cloud technology is frequently marketed as a simple upgrade, large organisations face a more complicated reality.

Many operate across hundreds of sites, managing systems that must meet strict regulatory and cybersecurity requirements while continuing to function reliably over long periods.

In this context, moving to the cloud is not just a technical shift, but a broader operational decision that affects how systems are run and maintained.

Findings from the recent Genetec 2026 State of Physical Security Survey, with input from over 7,300 respondents, show:

· 39% of enterprises cite scalability as a key reason for adopting hybrid-cloud environments

· 38% cite redundancy as a key reason for adopting hybrid-cloud environments, reinforcing a focus on long-term resilience and continuity

“Enterprise physical security seldom operates within a single deployment model, and cloud strategies must reflect that reality,” said Francis Lachance, Senior Director, Product, Genetec Inc. “Organisations run cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments in parallel, and their systems must work seamlessly across all of them. That is how enterprises maintain governance, visibility, and control over environments that are built to operate for years.”

Rather than treating cloud adoption as a quick transition, organisations are being encouraged to consider accountability, risk and control from the outset, building these into their plans instead of trying to address them later.

“For enterprises, cloud is an operating model that must withstand ongoing operational, regulatory, and threat pressures,” continued Lachance. “The goal is not to become cloud-only, but to adopt cloud in ways that preserve governance and continuity over time.”

According to Genetec, this approach shows an effort to balance flexibility with continuity, particularly in environments where disruption is not an option.

This shift is also shaping how organisations think about resilience. By spreading systems across different environments, businesses are better able to keep operations running if one part fails, rather than relying on a single model.

Security and compliance are also becoming central considerations as experts warn that these cannot be treated as afterthoughts, particularly as systems become more interconnected and complex. Instead, they need to be factored in from the beginning to ensure systems remain secure and manageable over time.

But there’s more. Long-term reliability remains a key concern, per the global giant.

Physical security infrastructure is expected to continue operating through network outages, disruptions and changing conditions, making it essential for organisations to have systems that can adapt without compromising performance.

Taken together, these trends suggest that rather than focusing on speed or simplicity, organisations are placing increased focus on stability, control and long-term performance as they plan their next steps.

According to Genetec, enterprises across Africa should heed this advice.