Raising the Standard through Intelligent Integration

Brochures and advertisements always offer to make life easier for us through the use of technology and new concepts. The Building Fire & Security market sector is no different. With integration being the word that’s on everyone’s lips at the moment, what are the challenges faced by suppliers of integration software and systems integrators?

By Nick Honess

Today’s video is integrated with access control, alarms, perimeter, DVRs and intercoms.  (Photo by Cortech Development Ltd.)

MARKET DRIVERS 

The market is now driving the need for integration in earnest and in turn driving product development.  Today’s video is integrated with access control, alarms, perimeter, DVRs and Intercoms.  Within a control room environment, video must be easy to fit and equally easy to get at when it is needed.

With the cost of labour increasing all the time, particularly in western society and the cost of technology going down, these two factors are driving the market towards integration of security into a solution that offers the following to the end user:

-Reduced costs of manpower

-An audit trail of alarm activations

-An easy to use graphics user interface

-One routine for all systems in the security control room

In terms of technology, security is steadily moving towards more IP-based systems.  However, this convergence of technologies and the launch of open standards for video will hopefully shift the perception of security from being a grudge purchase to adding genuine strategic value to the client.

THE ”LOCK-IN” FACTOR

In the past, big manufacturers have benefited significantly from ”Locking-in” end users, thus prohibiting them from looking at new technologies.

Why?  It has simply been too expensive and often means replacing existing security equipment.  This means that existing installations which may be in need of an upgrade or end users wishing to take advantage of the latest technology have been prevented from doing so because the perceived cost and hassle factor is too great.

USER CHOICE

Historically products have been about proprietary software.  Nowadays, however, end users want and expect to be able to pick the best-in-breed products from across a range of different specialist suppliers.  They want the best camera manufacturer, the latest DVR, the most reliable alarm equipment, up to date access control technology, innovative perimeter solutions and audio/visual communications kit, etc. 

Extensive research tells us that high security applications such as prisons, hospitals, power stations, custodial centres, educational institutions, pharmaceutical companies and HQ’s of large corporations require the best equipment available to counter the various risks associated with their operations.  This means that a high level integration is often the optimum means to secure these sites.

The advantages of using an independent supplier of integrated security management software are numerous:

-Ability to choose the best security equipment available

-Highly scaleable, thus enabling the system to grow with the security needs

-Flexible, able to cater for large or small installations

-Cost-effective

Phil Barker, a senior consultant with leading consultancy Ove Arup comments on the importance of choice in this instance, ”Interfaces to existing/other equipment are a big factor, so the more available drivers there are, the better, and gives us more choice when we are actually putting together the system design.”

THE SOLUTION?

These are interesting times, especially for the independent SMS suppliers such as Cortech Developments (www.cortech.co.uk) to offer solutions.  Datalog 4 is a modular software application 15 years in the making; and through listening to the clients, Cortech has a product that is supported by dedicated engineering and development teams.

This allows the end user to select the best products on the market from a range of manufacturers to secure its assets and the safety of its people. 

Let’s find out how Prince Charles Hospital in Wales, the U.K., took advantage of using the best-of-breed products through integration

Nick Honess is a contributing writer, specializing in the integration sector of the security industry.

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