Security is mandatory to protect life, property & business

In a slowdown environment, how necessary is it to invest in security?

In the current scenario this investment is inevitable and mandatory to protect life, property and business.

How does one ensure maximum return on investment?

Security infrastructure is acts as a deterrent. It is not a growth driver but is meant to mitigate risk and threat. It is a non-discretionary expenditure and hence should not be measured based on ROI.

What role does planning play? What are the factors that need to be taken into consideration before installation/ up-gradation of security solutions?

One must conduct a pre-deployment audit and survey to identify vulnerabilities and possible vantage points. Then one should assess relevant technology options that are scalable with future proofing attributes and finally one should correlate cost of the security system vs. loss mitigating steps.

Why are IT firms getting into this area which has traditionally been the preserve of security agencies?

The building blocks of the new age Security systems are IP enabled like IP cameras, servers, storage and demand a strong networking infrastructure and intelligent software for real time monitoring to provide actionable intelligence
This kind of deployment can only be successfully done by a partner with a strong domain knowledge in IT and relevant technology deployment experience and support capabilities