Stacey Steiger, Vice President of Product and Marketing, Salient Systems explores how AI is the diagnostic, predictive and informative solution of tomorrow
Sitting down with Stacey Steiger, Security Journal Americas learns why AI will become a holistic and strategic problem solver.
Can you tell me about your role and what you do?
I am the Vice President of Product and Marketing at Salient. On the product side, I focus on product strategy and definition – ensuring that the future releases of our software meet the needs of our market. That includes the video management system (VMS) component, as well as our hardware and cloud services.
Having worked in executive software leadership for over 20 years across a variety of markets, I’m used to engaging with customers to understand the pain points they face, so that I can help to deliver solutions that truly benefit them.
Since joining Salient six months ago, I have been able to blend my software background with a fresh perspective of the security industry. This unique outlook, while working across both the product and marketing areas, means I can identify the problems we need to solve for our customers, while effectively conveying this message back to them.
What have you discovered about Salient Systems since you joined?
My time here has been one of deep learning and absorption. I’ve been discovering what the security industry cares about, in preparation for revisiting and refining our product vision and strategy.
Part of this is ensuring that we have a clear direction in the context of the massive technology shift we’re seeing right now with the rise of AI.
What I’ve been able to understand about Salient is just how incredibly smart, motivated and genuinely interested people are at this company. They want to make sure that our customers succeed at what they do. That’s not something you can manufacture. There’s a great culture here that is very real.
This is evident in the way our customers view us and our willingness to help. At Salient, our teams are deeply invested in the success of our customers – whether that means jumping on a support call, troubleshooting an integration challenge, or going the extra mile to ensure a seamless installation. Our systems engineering team exemplifies this commitment, ready to get on a plane at the drop of a hat to assist a customer or integrator on-site. But that dedication runs throughout the entire organization – it’s simply part of who we are.
We also serve a wide range of customers – from smaller businesses to large multinational enterprises and air-gapped critical infrastructure sites. While customers need to have their security systems on premise, others are happy to work within the cloud space completely. Many work on a hybrid model, but Salient is unique in providing each with a solution that fits their needs. No matter who we work with, we seek to understand the complexity of each environment and build an infrastructure around this.
What are some of the main trends in the industry at the moment and what’s on the horizon?
One of the conversations we hear all the time right now is about AI – sometimes it’s hard to get away from it! But I think what we should focus on more is how to use this tool to better solve problems in the industry.
AI is often discussed primarily in the context of video analytics, where it is typically applied to support a single, specific task. Imagine an investigator using AI to interpret video. The AI offers an analysis, but it’s still the investigator that must take the next action.
In the future, AI will be leveraged holistically and it will be able to solve entire problems. For example, when an end user approaches our integration partners, they will be telling them about the kinds of alerts they need. The channel partner will then be able to configure and install with AI that solves the customer’s specific challenges. It won’t be a blanket product – it is something built specifically for them.
We’re also seeing an increasing interest in cloud solutions. Of course, the cloud has been around for a while, but even five years ago there was still a lot of hesitancy from some of the industry. However, many of those organizations that rejected the idea of the cloud are now coming round to it – whether they’re choosing full cloud or hybrid options. This acceptance and adoption rate is accelerating year-on-year and not just in video, but access control and other systems too.
Another trend I’m seeing is a meaningful shift in how organizations think about their video infrastructure. Traditional VMS platforms see cameras as sources of video – inputs to recording. What we’re increasingly seeing is customers wanting their platforms to treat cameras as devices to maintain and manage. Are they online? Are they performing as they should? Is the firmware current? Enterprise and mid-market customers in particular are starting to expect both the traditional VMS capability alongside this device management mindset. That’s a shift we’re paying close attention to.
Beyond this, we will eventually see the VMS not only bringing these alerts to the customer’s attention but addressing them on their behalf. This can help both with compliance and operations and there’s an unmet need there right now.
What advice or recommendations would you like to share with our readers?
I would advise readers not to let outdated perceptions of AI hold you back from embracing it. Concerns that were valid even 18 months ago have already evolved. If you’re not actively staying informed, you risk falling behind.
Think about how far AI has come in just the last three years. The pace of advancement is only accelerating, so don’t wait to start figuring out how it fits into your world, start today.
Having said that, there’s no requirement to suddenly change all your systems and overhaul your entire infrastructure. Start small and grow it in a way that benefits your organizations. When AI systems are designed to address entire problems, rather than isolated tasks, the true transformative power of the technology becomes clear.
How is video helping businesses from a wider perspective?
While the primary use case for surveillance will always be safety and security of people and property, we’re seeing more organizations branch out. The same solution they have already been using can help them to minimize liability or streamline operations.
In retail, a store might use video surveillance for security purposes, but also for customer flow analysis or merchandising optimization.
In healthcare, a clinic might use video for medication compliance, or to check on healthcare staff, or to ensure procedures are being followed correctly.
In manufacturing and logistics, video can be used for quality control.
These are just some of the many examples of where we’re seeing video expand beyond security.
What is one key takeaway you’d like our readers to know?
The shift I most want people to understand is that AI is moving from being a tool that helps with individual tasks to something that can take on an entire problem set.
Right now you might use AI to help an investigator search footage – that’s valuable. But we’re heading toward a place where you hand AI a complete problem and it helps figure out the answer. An organization with 50,000 cameras across a global enterprise doesn’t just need search – it needs something that can identify risk, flag infrastructure issues and inform decisions holistically. That’s where this is going and it’s moving faster than most people realize.
What makes Salient a trustworthy partner?
We use our own secure platform to monitor our physical security and the people on our property. As an end user ourselves, we know that we can trust this solution, but we’re also constantly in touch with the rest of the market. That means the channel, our integrators, resellers and consultants, know we are building an infrastructure that works for them.
We are extremely intentional in all we do, using a well-structured, strategic and measured approach to help our customers achieve their goals. Ultimately, we see our role in the future of AI by sculpting it based on the complex needs of the market.
As a product leader I want us to be aware of the sea change happening in this industry and in the world and respond to it carefully and intentionally – not racing to be first, but making sure we’re never left behind. That balance positions us to lead our customers confidently into whatever comes next.
