Security in store

January 25, 2014 by

We’ve just passed the Christmas shopping rush and, although this is a very profitable time for retailers, it also highlights security and safety issues that can’t be ignored. The economy recovery has encouraged people to go shopping. But more people out and about also represent more risk.

When it comes to larger retail areas, such as shopping malls, getting accurate safety and security measures makes good business sense to avoid law suits and keep crowds under control.

Follow this link to see the PDF: Security in store_Jan14

Filed Under: Leisure, Security Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Security when needed the most

December 15, 2013 by
Risk UK - Geny Caloisi looks at security solutions in the healthcare sector

Risk UK – Geny Caloisi looks at security solutions in the healthcare sector

The safety and security requirements in healthcare are unique. Hospitals are dynamic, stressful environments, where there is a high volume of people circulating, staff trying to do their jobs and expensive equipment that needs to be in the right place at the right time.

In common with any other public space, you will find CCTV cameras, fire alarms and voice alarms as well as access control systems. What differs is that the design and location of security and safety measures have to be carefully tailored to the needs of the hospital.

Follow this link to see the PDF: Security when needed the most_Dec13

Filed Under: Healthcare, Security Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Service with a smile

November 15, 2013 by
Risk uk - Geny Caloisi looks at the best forms of leisure industry security and how to properly deal with the public

Risk uk – Geny Caloisi looks at the best forms of leisure industry security and how to properly deal with the public

Leisure industry security encompasses a variety of venues, events and businesses. From night clubs, casinos and stadia, to gyms, retail and restaurants; they all have their own specific needs. Some can automate parts using security cameras, but the human input is essential and it also provides good customer services.

Security measures in this area can range from the preventative type, where people will be searched to avoid allowing offensive items entering the event, or crowd management techniques will be used to ensure a smooth flow; to the intervention in a case of disorderly behaviour or an emergency. Leisure facilities have to show a commitment to reducing anti- social behaviour and preventative measures can go a long way to achieve success.

Jean-Paul Frenett from Access Control Security (ACS) says, “Access control and CCTV are invaluable during opening hours for any business. These methods combined mean you can track movement of both visitors and staff, with historical checks to see who accessed certain areas and when. At night, fire and security alarms guard leisure businesses.”

Follow this link to see the PDF: Service with a smile_Nov13

Filed Under: Leisure, Security Tagged With: , , , ,

Honeywell on security technologies balancing act

June 30, 2012 by

Honeywell Security, is an international player in the security sector with insight knowledge on the industry’s most talked about areas including IP migration, integration, convergence and standards.

Jeremy Kimber - Honeywell

Jeremy Kimber, Commercial Operational Marketing Leader, EMEA, Honeywell Security talks to Geny Caloisi about the old and the new co-existing in a world were technical advances as well as cost savings strategies are key ingredients for success. The security sector needs to future-proof its solutions by adopting new technologies and being aware of current regulations. Remote monitoring through IP adoption, for instance, is becoming mandatory in some countries. Also the emerging trend of mobile devices deployed as user interfaces, cannot be ignored. But one size does not fit all, so here is his overview on the current state of the market.

What are the biggest issues/trends in the security sector at the moment?

Current economic conditions have led to a slowdown in the adoption of IP technology at the mid to lower end of the security market. This slow down suggests there is still significant room for new business in the analogue space. The prevailing attitude amongst a significant number of customers is that in a period of economic ‘belt-tightening’, an analogue system, although not as ‘future proof’ as an IP equivalent, may offer a more cost effective security solution for the short to medium term. For end users and installers, adopting an analogue solution over an IP solution can also reduce the need for training, allowing them to make or offer additional cost and time savings.

Conversely, at the top end of the market we are seeing IP migration increase quickly particularly in more sophisticated integrated solutions. Significantly though, there is not an equal surge in demand for products across all elements of the IP portfolio – rather customers are going straight for the more sophisticated products. The rationale for this is that end users who are investing heavily in IP want to ensure they reap the maximum benefits by installing the best possible system at the front and back end. So, for example, they are focusing more on high definition cameras since one of the key benefits to investing in IP is improved picture quality and are looking for seamless video and access control integration as standard.

Smartphones and tablets will demand a revolution in the user interfaces currently used in security systems. Existing keypads are steadily being replaced by touch screen controls, something we’re already seeing strong demand for, with our Galaxy TouchCenter keypad. Going forward, these will increasingly be superseded by mobile applications, as customers will expect a user experience aligned to the best iPad or Android apps on the market at the time. This functionality will be as important as the quality of the system itself when it comes to securing a sale. Video applications are already prevalent on mobiles. Similarly, we also expect to see access cards replaced by smartphones in the future. With smartphones replacing other cards in a consumer’s wallet – like a bank card for example – it’s only a matter of time before access cards go the same way.

We will also continue to see end-users migrating towards cloud-based and managed service models as they become increasingly aware of the value that these services can bring through round-the-clock protection, increased reliability and trouble-free servicing. A combination of future-proofed systems that are low maintenance as a result of programming, training and software upgrades handled off-site, combined with system health checks and notification of critical system events available on demand offer increased peace of mind for the end-user. When coupled with a reduced cost of ownership we will increasingly see the tide turn to adopt this model.

What were the main trends you saw at IFSEC this year?

In this challenging environment, installers are increasingly looking to the industry’s most trusted, established providers, who can offer stability of service, and consistency of products and have the resources to weather the current economic pressure.  These organisations are trusted partners of installers, integrators and specifiers, offering the training and technical support required to ease pressure on them during this tough economic period.

‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ is a cliché, but installers that have traditionally relied on just one piece of the technology mix – access control, CCTV or intruder alarms for example – are increasingly recognising the need to diversify to survive and thrive. Since integration is a huge priority for customers everywhere, the ability to provide a range of solutions that bridge a series of technologies is an important differentiator for installers. Diversifying into new areas will ultimately make these companies more robust, and manufacturers like Honeywell are happy to support the move through training and education programmes.

What are the latest technologies advances at Honeywell?

Honeywell has recently released several enhancements to its widely used WIN-PAK® integrated security platform that gives users greater ability to integrate digital video into their security systems, as well as work with a wider range of access control panels. WIN-PAK now seamlessly supports Honeywell’s NetAXS-123, NetAXS-4 and NS2 access control panels to provide full compatibility for legacy and new systems. Honeywell also recently announced the addition of six IP cameras to its existing EQUIP® IP product series. The new true day/night cameras are split into two ranges – 1080p and 720p wide dynamic – with each range incorporating three different models; an indoor only mini dome, a vandal resistant mini dome and a box camera. These support our new SE and XE 2.0 range of MaxProNVR’s which are now fully ONVIF compatible.

What are the key legislation companies need to bear in mind when dealing with their security issues?

European countries are increasingly introducing new regulations around mandatory installation of certain products. In Spain for example, for remotely monitored installations, it is now mandatory to have an alarm system that is compliant with latest EN standards. In France, the installation of standalone smoke alarms is now mandatory in homes, not just public places. This trend has boosted, and will continue to boost, the sale of certified intruder systems and integrated intruder alarms that incorporate life safety functions such as autonomous smoke sensors. Similarly, as home broadband becomes ubiquitous there is a growing appetite for IP in the residential market versus old fashioned analogue lines.

Will end-users see any changes with the introduction of the new PD6662 standard this year?

Although most of the changes in PD6662 will only be visible to manufacturers and installers, they have been introduced in order to improve the level of security for end users. The introduction of the new PD662 standard will resolve inconsistencies present in the previous implementation through clarifications such as the stipulation of tamper switches, enhancement of battery monitoring and changes to the way alarms are handled and verified (within BS8243:2010). This will result in systems that are more reliable, more capable of generating genuine alarms, much reduced false alarms and more police captures from genuine alarms. All of which is good news for end users.

First Published In June 2012 by Risk UK

Filed Under: Security

Samsung says: Competition in the Security Market is at a High

May 14, 2012 by

 

Simon Shawley - Samsung

For the past four years Samsung Techwin has been focusing in European market. Since 2008 it has a head office in the UK with sales and support offices across Europe. In January 2010 the security business of Samsung Electronics was transferred to Samsung to create a single Samsung security product offering.

Samsung has a broad product portfolio, encompassing CCTV, IP & Network, Access Control, Door Entry and Intruder Detection.

Simon Shawley, General Manager, UK and Ireland for Samsung Techwin Europe Limited talked to Risk UK about the current state of the industry and its evolution. Shawley has worked within the security industry for over 20 years and is the driving force behind a team of seasoned professionals who have been instrumental in Samsung becoming one of Europe’s fastest growing security brands.

Q: What are your predictions for the next twelve months in the security sector?

A: I can safely predict that the next 12 months and beyond should be very good for Risk UK’s readers, the majority of whom are end- users, as there is certainly no shortage of manufacturers wishing to compete  for their business.  At a time when security budgets may be under pressure, it is very good news that this competition between manufacturers is pushing down the cost of security equipment. Equally importantly, recent advances in technology, such as intelligent video analytics and the availability of Full HD cameras, means that end-users can now achieve significantly more from their investment in security.

Q: At IFSEC this year Samsung is focusing on education, specifically getting people up to speed on IP. How much of a problem is this knowledge gap and what are its effects?

A: For every installer or system integrator who is knowledgeable about network based security systems, there are still many more who do not yet know what questions to ask when they have a requirement to specify an IP network based solution. Until recently, Video over IP was only perceived as a solution for large projects but we are now seeing the technology increasingly utilised in small to medium sized installations. As a major stakeholder in the security industry, we feel it is essential that we share our knowledge and expertise in respect of IP network solutions and technologies with our existing and potential customers. IFSEC will give us the opportunity to do this but we will also be conducting training courses throughout the year.

Q: Do you think that new security technology hits the market too often for end users to keep up? Does this contribute to the knowledge gap problem?

A: Much of the technology which has been introduced by the security industry has its origins in the massive investment that companies like Samsung have made in consumer products. Other technological advances have come about as a result of a response to evolving customers’ requirements. Whatever the reason, the pace at which new technology has been introduced is not generally the problem. Any difficulties have usually come because of the lack of training on how to implement any new technology and a misunderstanding of what can be achieved from it. Video analytics is a very good example of this. When first launched some years back, stand-alone video analytics software was oversold and many users became disillusioned because it did not meet their expectations.

Q: What would you say are the other big issues/concerns you are seeing from customers at the moment?

A: In a tough economic climate customers are understandably looking for exceptional ‘value’. For a leading brand such as Samsung to succeed, we recognise that it is not therefore sufficient just to offer competitively priced ‘Best in Class’ products. They have to be backed up with the highest levels of pre and post sales support and that includes free technical support, a free system design service to help customers choose the correct combination of products for each project, and a full three-year warranty on all products.

Q: How long has analogue CCTV got left in the UK?

A: Whilst it would seem inevitable that in the future the vast majority of video surveillance systems will be IP based, there will always be situations where an analogue based solution best meets the requirements of specific projects. There is already a rapid growth in the demand for IP network based systems and in respect of new systems, it is hard to make the case for analogue. However, the UK has more existing analogue based CCTV systems than any other country in Europe and many of these systems are more than capable of doing the job in hand. Customers are therefore unlikely to want to completely replace these with an IP system and may instead, when their requirements expand or change, look to introduce a hybrid system which allows the introduction of new technology, whilst retaining existing cameras, DVRs, etc.  A good example of the HD-SDI is technology which can offer all the benefits of Full HD over analogue cabling. We don’t believe in IP for IP’s sake – our customers should be able to choose a solution that delivers the quality of image and operational features required at a price that fits their budget.  Quite often it can be a mixture of technologies and that’s where Samsung can win – we have a complete analogue and IP product portfolio that can be mixed if required to optimise budget allocation either for new systems or an upgrade of existing systems.

Q: Samsung has integrated its SRD series of DVR with SureView, which also offers Immix cloud control software.  Is there a tendency amongst your clients to use more DVRs and get the service from the Cloud?

A: Our motivation for integrating with the SureView Systems’ Immix®  software was to ensure that installers who recommend a Samsung SRD DVR to their customers can do so knowing that control rooms can remotely take advantage of the DVR’s key functions and its ability to record very high quality images. The recently introduced web based ‘Cloud’ version of the SureView Systems’ Immix®, will undoubtedly be an attractive proposition to users who are looking for customised services which can be viewed by a web browser or mobile device, but this is a separate issue to how many DVRs may be required at each site. This is just as relevant in the IP arena and we are currently working with SureView to get similar integration for our NVR range – watch this space!

Q: Is the Cloud a safe place for security?

A: According to recent research conducted by PwC, many UK companies are failing to keep a proper check on the security of their data held by third parties offering Cloud computing services.  Although three quarters (73%) of organisations are using at least one outsourced service over the Internet, only 38% of large organisations ensure that data being held by external providers is encrypted.  It is important, however, to point out that the SureView Immix® Cloud software platform allows customers who have a control room, as well as commercially run remote monitoring centres, to create a ‘Private Cloud’ where data is stored on their own servicers and not third party servers which may or may not have the required level of security.

Q: What does the future hold for UK trade associations?  Are you a fan of them?

A: Samsung is appreciative of any association that seeks to raise standards and promote the best interests of the security industry.  As a manufacturer we are particularly keen to support any organisation which encourages and makes it easier for end-users to implement an electronic security solution which is why, for example, we are members of ONVIF which is an open industry forum for the development of a global standard for the interface of network video products.  The ONVIF standard is intended to ensure interoperability between network video products regardless of the manufacturer.

Q:  You are about to launch a multiple-language website, which languages will this include?

A:  Initially, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian, but the number of different language versions of the website will increase over the coming months.

Q:  What countries do you work with?

A:  Samsung’s professional security products are supplied and supported by Samsung Techwin Europe Ltd across Europe, Russia and CIS.  Our head offices are in Chertsey but we also have local offices in France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Spain and Russia.

Q:  What is your security pet hate?

A: My pet hate is that a security solution is generally considered a grudge purchase, and is a spend that is often difficult to justify with a tangible return on the investment. In my opinion, if a camera is worth paying for, it is worth recording at the best quality it can deliver.  If it is worth recording it is also worth protecting that recording by using, for example, RAID storage so that evidence is not lost the event of hard drive failure, which will inevitably happen at some point. RAID is pretty standard in the IP world and the cost is rarely resented – it is simply good practice.  It is disappointing that an industry offering a security solution to protect people and property quite often does not consider it worth paying a little extra to secure the evidence capture, which after all is the main purpose of the system.

 

 

Filed Under: Security, Technology