Government, healthcare, education, restaurants, banks, and religious organizations all have one thing in common. They face huge risks that can be mitigated through commercial security integration. What most organizations do not know is that security system integration opens up tremendous business opportunities and can solve business challenges.
What is Security System Integration?
A physical security system is a collection of devices and software designed to detect and deter crime and increase safety. Common security systems include intrusion detection, access control, video surveillance, and video management. These systems may run independently or be integrated to form one system.
Physical security system integration brings together security system components, sub-system devices, and logical security into one highly-functional system that ensures all components work together for greatly enhanced performance. Once integrated, security systems can react to one another to gain greater security and insights.
Why Aren’t All Systems Integrated?
Many security companies focus primarily on installation. The technicians become certified in several security device providers and offer products from those makers. While the products might all be very high quality, they may not all run on compatible platforms or be able to communicate with each other.
Security System Installation or Integration: What Does Your Facility Need?
Anyone tasked with securing a facility realizes that physical security is much more complex than it would seem, and requires far more management than expected. Ultimately, it becomes a question of approaching security from an installation or integration perspective.
So what’s the difference?
A security system installer or a professional security installation company installs security technologies, including:
- Alarms
- CCTV
- Video Surveillance
- Access Control
- Fire and Life Safety
- Intrusion detection
- Monitoring
Security installation professionals assess your facility, determine how many cameras or alarms you need, and install them using the latest security technology. Typically, security companies will become familiar with, certified in, and offer a more narrow range of products. While many security systems and devices work well, they may not all work together, resulting in siloed technologies, or ones that work independently of one another and whose data cannot be easily accessed by other users or departments.
Security integration takes a unified approach to technologies and their use in meeting the overall needs of the facility, even beyond security needs.
Security integrators specialize in creating interconnected security systems and devices consisting of intrusion alarms, video surveillance cameras, access control devices, other security technologies, and logical security, ensuring compatibility between components.
The process includes creating customized systems solutions and installation designs that consider the facility’s needs, risks, demands, specifications, technology compatibility, wiring, installation demands, and budgetary requirements.
What are the Advantages of Security Integration?
Most organizations utilize various security technologies such as video surveillance, access control, fire systems, and visitor management systems to address their unique security needs. All of these systems require management or monitoring from trained personnel.
By connecting these systems, physical security integration provides better security coverage with fewer human resources. Successful security systems emphasize a growing awareness of technological developments and their integration with human resources for maximized security and awareness.
The Top Advantages of Physical Security Integration Include:
Increased Safety
An integrated system ensures that the facility’s specific needs are met, and the systems work interactively for the optimal level of safety and security.
Increased Emergency Communication
In a security event, seconds can count. An integrated security system can help ensure that direct threats are communicated to the right audience so that employees can help facilitate swift and appropriate action, such as taking cover, relocating, or evacuating.
Informed Emergency Response
Integrated security systems mean a better flow of critical information. Better and faster communication means a quicker and more accurate emergency response.
One Information Platform
Having one platform means that daily security operations run seamlessly. During a security event, security personnel can manage response across all systems in real-time.
Better Business Intelligence
Integrated systems provide better data and unlock business opportunities by increasing efficiencies, managing inventory, improving customer service, identifying bottlenecks, prioritizing labor deployments, and more.
Increased IT Security
Integrated physical security also helps improve IT security. Access control, video surveillance, and intrusion detection help restrict access to data centers.
Better Value
An integrated security system saves money because you can provide specific upgrades to improve the system rather than having to replace an entire system. Additionally, your system will need fewer human resources to manage it. This fact will save you money on administrative costs.
Scalability
Systems that are designed to work together are also scalable and adapt from small businesses to huge enterprises.
What to Look for in a Security Integrator
Protecting lives and property depend on the effectiveness and responsiveness of the facility’s security system. Finding the right provider is vital for ensuring the facility is adequately protected.
Here’s how to find the right security integrator:
- Look for Specific Experience. Make sure the security provider has experience in facilities such as yours. This helps ensure compliance with regulations pertaining to your vertical.
- Look for Wide Experience. While a provider should have specific experience in your vertical, they should also be able to show success in many verticals. This means the integrator has a vast knowledge base and can apply those learnings to your project.
- Find Out About Professional Certifications. Professional certifications show an integrator’s commitment to quality and reflect a person’s mastery of security principles and skills.
- Ask What Product Certifications They Carry. Certifications from top equipment security system manufacturers require comprehensive classes followed by rigorous testing. Manufacturers use these classes to protect their market reputation and help integrators learn which products are best for their customer’s specific needs.
- Does the Security Integrator Offer Cloud-based Solutions for Video Surveillance and Access Control? Video as a Service and Access Control as a Service eliminates the need for on-campus servers and saves money.
- Does the Integrator Embrace New Technology? Look for an integrator that stays ahead of the technology curve.
Commercial Security System Integrators
ProNet Security Solutions has over 30 years of dedicated commercial physical security expertise. Locally owned and operated with offices in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, ProNet Security Solutions provides service and monitoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week in 3 facilities throughout the U.S. for true redundancy.
ProNet’s specialties include intrusion systems, video cameras, access control, and fire alarms in high-security applications for small and large facilities. ProNet Security Solutions is one of only a few companies that are UL listed for 681 and 2050 for commercial alarm installations in the DFW, Austin, and Houston areas.