By Jeanny Lim

In an interview with SecurityWorld INT’L, Leon Chlimper, Vice President of Systems for Bosch Security Systems, provides a manufacturer’s view of the enterprise system.

Addressing the fact that systems are intimately tied to technological advancements in IT and telecommunications, Leon noted that the relationship between IT and security must start well in advance of installation.  He viewed that more and more companies are assigning or attaching their security budgets to their IT departments -- and using enterprise systems for more than security functions.

“The IT world needs to teach the security systems manufacturers, because we don’t know what we don’t know,” Leon says.  “The IT industry should work with us to help us help you.”

Leon pointed out that the actual beginning of the IT/security convergence was more than 10 years ago -- when access-control systems moved from proprietary to standard operating systems and databases like Windows and SQL.

He believes that the best integration comes from a single vendor who networks among its different technologies.  Most of the time, this integration allows for alarm and event reporting, command and control, and programming of edge devices -- all from a single GUI.  The key for customers is to look for solutions, not just products.

Customers should start with the Electronic Access Control (EAC) system: the backbone of any enterprise system.  EAC is used to both control access for security and to gather data for any number of uses.  EAC systems typically employ either biometrics (e.g., fingerprint, iris scan, face recognition) or smart card technology.  Next comes the integration of CCTV -- and features like video over IP, which can have a significant effect on your network bandwidth if it’s not done correctly.

Leon concluded that the true power of an enterprise system lies in its ability to provide a solid Return on Investment (ROI).

Jeanny Lim is Editor-in-Chief of SecurityWorld INT’L.  Send your comments to swied@infothe.com.

For more information, please send your e-mails to swm@infothe.com.

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