By Amir Shechter, Executive Director of Innovation and Technology at Convergint
Financial institutions are overlooking one of the most valuable sources of operational intelligence they already own — the continuous stream of data generated by their physical security systems. Advances in AI, smart sensors, and emerging Vision Language Models (VLMs) are creating new opportunities to extend the value of these systems beyond traditional loss prevention. Video, access control, and environmental sensors are evolving from passive monitoring tools into intelligent, data-driven assets that can see, interpret, and act on real-world activity.
At a time when leaders are being asked to optimise estates, manage rising energy costs, improve customer experience, and deliver consistent performance across distributed branch networks, this shift matters. Security is often treated as a necessary cost. But the data it produces offers far broader organisational value, particularly as financial institutions rethink the role and performance of their physical environments.
The industry is already recognising this change. Research shows that 77 percent of physical security and IT departments are working together to make better use of security data and to improve reporting and decision-making. This aligns with a wider modernisation trend — not wholesale replacement, but a phased shift from siloed, ageing platforms to interoperable, hybrid, cloud-aligned architectures that can support automation and AI. For financial services, this creates a practical path to unlock value from existing investments.
From insight to action
One immediate opportunity lies in understanding how spaces are actually used. AI-enabled video analytics and access control data can illustrate footfall patterns, dwell times, queue formation, and underutilised areas across branches and offices. These insights help align staffing with real demand, improve service availability, reduce inefficiencies, and support estate planning decisions.
ATM vestibules are a clear example of how this intelligence can be applied. Monitoring occupancy levels, usage patterns, loitering behaviour, cleanliness, and hazardous conditions improves both safety and customer experience. From a security standpoint, AI can assist with detecting suspicious behaviour, ATM skimming attempts, vandalism, or medical emergencies in real time. Operational teams gain insight into peak usage times and recurring issues that affect availability and trust.
Within branches and corporate offices, AI-driven security systems can also identify hazardous conditions during off-hours, when sites may be unoccupied. Capabilities such as zone control, real-time occupancy tracking, smart parking management, and lone-worker protection support safety and efficiency. Customer experience teams can use wait-time analysis to identify bottlenecks, while facilities teams gain clearer insight into utilisation and maintenance needs.
Building utilisation is another area where security data delivers measurable value. Occupancy information derived from cameras, access events, or sensors provides a clearer picture of how space is used. When integrated with building management systems, HVAC and lighting can respond to actual usage rather than fixed schedules. Across a multi-site banking network, this can reduce energy consumption and support sustainability reporting without compromising comfort or safety.
Where to start
Many financial institutions still rely on legacy security environments made up of multiple standalone systems. Modernising this technology stack is a critical step toward unlocking long-term AI value. The starting point is an honest assessment of existing systems and sensors. If the environment cannot support evolving requirements or future use cases, it is time to reassess the strategy.
This does not mean replacing everything at once. Modernisation works best as a phased journey, extending the life of existing assets while introducing interoperable platforms that support broader data access. Expanding from a purely security-centric design to an AI-ready architecture allows organisations to access insights that support use cases beyond security alone.
Collaboration is key
Delivering meaningful, business-driven AI outcomes requires close collaboration across IT, facilities, operations, customer experience, cybersecurity, legal, and compliance teams. This ensures security data is used responsibly, with clear guardrails around privacy, governance, and cyber resilience.
This is where a systems integrator plays a vital role. Convergint works with financial institutions to design practical modernisation roadmaps that align with IT standards and deliver outcomes one site, one capability, and one budget cycle at a time. The focus is on turning existing security investments into a continuous source of operational and strategic value.
When physical security data is treated as enterprise intelligence, security evolves from a reactive cost centre into a contributor to business performance. Staffing becomes evidence-based. Energy usage becomes more precise. Facilities management becomes predictive. The data already exists — the opportunity now is to put it to work.
