As the adoption of integrated security systems continues to increase, the benefits are becoming clearer and more obvious to installers and end users within the industry. These advantages are not just operational – better features and functionality – but also strategic, as companies seek to protect their upfront capital investment. In this exploratory article Jeremy Kimber, Commercial Operational Marketing Leader EMEA at Honeywell Security Group explores these benefits further, before dispelling the myth that integration is only for the largest sites and biggest budgets.
In the context of security systems, integration in its truest sense is more than just a series of ‘connected’ products. Integrated solutions are capable of bringing together access control, visitor management, intruder and video systems and ensuring they function seamlessly as a unified security management system. But true integration enables products to communicate with each other in their current state and also provides backwards and forwards compatibility with future versions of each product providing lifetime solutions. It also enables the security management system to integrate with wider business platforms.
So it sounds fantastic, but what exactly are the business benefits in favour of investing in an integrated solution?
In the context of a tough economy, an integrated solution can help ensure customers reap the maximum possible value from their total overall investment in security products and services. ‘Future proofing’ is one of the industry’s favourite buzzwords, but it’s of huge importance when it comes to minimising costly capital expenditure. Imagine an insurance company in London’s financial district taking the decision to invest in three separate systems – access control, CCTV and intruder – with limited, fragile interoperability. If the company’s security manager is forced to upgrade one solution, the other two could suddenly lose functionality and require upgrades or replacement too.
Broadly speaking again, integration also boosts an organisation’s ability to collect information from multiple points across their site, analyse it, share it and use it to inform decisions in real-time. Bringing different data streams together provides security personnel with a more complete picture of an organisation’s ongoing risk and protection levels, and plays a key role in speeding up response times, preventing security breaches and reducing risk. In addition, by enabling multiple systems to run off one server and user interface, integration simplifies system operation, and maintenance for security or IT personnel, and allows the company to invest in one central servicing contract.
Mark Thompson, Head of European Security at insurance company QBE quickly identified how essential an integrated system was as soon as he joined the company. “It was immediately obvious that there was no “joined up” approach to security across the UK offices. It was disjointed and lacked any clear priorities – ultimately the business and its assets were at risk”. After embracing integration, QBE’s access control, video and intrusion alarm systems can now all be controlled from the security hub in London. He continues: “the challenge for me was to do this cost effectively and to demonstrate a return on investment… Now we are reaping the rewards as a business.”
There are a number of scenarios in which the integration of the security system with another platform delivers a particularly valuable client solution. One example of this is the integration of leading HR systems with Honeywell’s Pro-Watch® security management and access control solution. This enables a company in any sector to quickly enable or disable an employee’s access based on their status, or manage the distribution of staff across multiple sites using their respective HR profiles. Investment bank Nomura recently implemented the Pro-Watch solution which, according to Head of Security for EMEA Andy Williams “saves us significant administrative time by eliminating repetitive data entry.”
For even greater versatility, security systems can also be integrated with a building management system (BMS) to ensure the development of a secure, comfortable and safe environment right from the outset. For instance, access control, intruder detection and video surveillance systems can be connected to air conditioning systems, fire alarms, and emergency lighting. If, for instance, a fire alarm is triggered, the system can automatically record and display video footage of the affected area. Access control cards can be programmed with the cardholder’s credentials, including their personalised preferences for temperature and lighting settings. Due to the integration with the BMS, these settings can then be applied based on the person’s location within a building.
SmartCity Malta – a 12,000m2 office space with shared facilities for knowledge workers and visitors – is an example. Led by integrator Engineering for Science and Industry (ESI) Malta using Honeywell’s software development kit (HSDK), SmartCity Malta’s BMS and security system were integrated, allowing the system to check the occupation status of each room by monitoring the presence of card holders. It can therefore monitor and regulate the lighting and fresh air flow in each room. For Shadi Khoja, the ICT Business Development Manager, the integration “effortlessly combined what previously would have been two distinct processes for controlling the BMS and the security system into one easy-to-use system.”
Despite the benefits of integration, it is clear that the vast majority of interest in adopting the relevant technology comes from larger organisations. This is partly based on a misconception among end users that integration is expensive and exclusively for the biggest sites.
At Honeywell we have been at the forefront of the industry’s drive towards better integration to support the lower end of the market. Our Open Technology Alliance, a group of global security manufacturers that collaborate to increase interoperability between third-party IP systems and help businesses more easily secure and protect their facilities, was formed with the needs of small and medium sized deployments front and centre. Through promoting compatibility right across the industry, smaller customers are able to enjoy the benefits of integrated and interoperable systems without compromising on cost efficiency and value.
In addition, in order to encourage small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) to adopt integration, Honeywell recently added advanced video capabilities to our NetAXS-123 access control offering. This solution provides video surveillance capability without a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or Network Video Recorder (NVR) – which typically require an investment big enough to deter some smaller businesses – and allows SMBs like pharmacies, day care centres and clinics to record video linked to access control events. Examples might include a member of staff propping open a door, or a former employee trying to gain access to the facility after hours using an invalid card.
Once the end users can see and appreciate the value that this integration brings, these smaller systems can be cost effectively upgraded over time to a fully integrated access, video and intrusion solution through the Honeywell WIN-PAK® access control and integration suite. One of the key benefits of this approach is that it can be done in manageable stages, always enabling the end users to see the benefits of each level of integration before moving to the next stage. WIN-PAK also has an Application Programming Interface (API) which enables the system to interface with third party database management, building management and life safety solutions, so the ultimate integration options are endless. One of the main attractions of this type of modular approach for installers and integrators is that it enables them to offer their clients solutions which are both immediately fit for purpose but can also be expanded and flexed as the security needs of their clients’ develop and change – without having to change or replace earlier equipment and investments. With the constant drive across the security world to improve customer service and the user experience, this type of integration is a real step forward.
To conclude, there are undoubted benefits to investing in an integrated security system. Perhaps most compelling is the ability to future proof a purchase so that the capital expenditure is protected for a much longer period of time. Moreover, integration has also evolved from a ‘luxury’ that only larger commercial customers can afford, to something that the whole market can benefit from. It is the responsibility of manufacturers and installers to keep collaborating closely to ensure that this progress continues, and that organisations of all sizes are emboldened to take their first step towards integration.
