When it comes to crime, size doesn’t matter, writes Rafael Schrijvers at Tyco Security Products.
Criminals seek opportunity, and that is just as likely to present itself at a small to mid-size retail or commercial enterprise, as it is with a larger one. In fact, research shows that nearly one in four small businesses in the UK have been targeted by criminals.
Small and medium businesses make up the lion’s share of operations worldwide. In the UK, SMEs (small to medium size enterprises) account for 99.9 percent of all private sector businesses, according to 2012 statistics from the Federation of Small Businesses. SMEs — identified as businesses with 249 employees or fewer — employ 14.1 million people and had combined revenues of £1,500 billion. In reality, small business is big business and runs the likelihood of encountering many of the same security-related issues.
The headlines are filled with tales of smaller businesses that have fallen victim to opportunistic criminals. Statistics gathered by the Home Office on the police.uk website showed that in Oxford alone, nightclubs and supermarkets were numbers one and three on the list of crime locations. Although it’s not known what type of security systems, if any, were in place at these establishments, this shows just how vulnerable businesses can be.
In response, businesses such as these will often look to install a combination of video, intruder alarm and maybe even access control systems that can provide them with the ability to react in real time or at least respond after the fact with video that the police can use to identify the criminals or help make the case when the thieves are apprehended. The drawback, however, has been that small businesses often don’t have staff to monitor video, respond to alarms and stay on top of the developments with the system, let alone be responsible for training others. The person who may be responsible for security may also be the one managing the store or at the checkout.
And when a business does invest in security — installing a few cameras around the store, alarming the doors or putting in an access control system so employees can swipe a card to enter the store’s loading area — the systems often aren’t integrated. So if there is a problem, someone would likely have to sit down and manually view the video, then access the card-based system data or the alarm information separately, comparing the time stamp to see where it all fits together. Another problem has been that all of this information is often stored on a PC that is vulnerable to viruses and hacking. It could also be the same machine that is used every day by employees who may not be trained on or understand the nuances of the security software that is also housed there. What alternatives do small to medium business operators have?
One option is to invest in the same enterprise-level security solution that larger businesses have adopted. But this is usually overkill for the independent grocer, the three-store pharmacy chain or even a small town with two or three school buildings in need of protection. These organisations aren’t managing hundreds of cameras or arming thousands of doors or granting access privileges to an army of workers. The investment could be out of line with current or even future needs. And this also doesn’t address the need for a solution that can be handled easily by one or more individuals who are tasked with other responsibilities. In listening to the needs of small and mid-size businesses, technology platforms now exist that address the key concerns: Ease of use, minimal training and the ability of the security system to grow and evolve with the business. Looking again at the grocer model, the main requirements for this type of organisation are a way to monitor the premise, respond to alarms as they happen or after the fact as well as provide access to employees — ideally all from a single platform. With one platform for the control of video, intrusion and access control, there is just one system to learn and one main apparatus to deal with that isn’t a PC, but rather a dedicated appliance for security. Although bringing together three diverse systems, the individual or individuals responsible for premises security can customise a dashboard so they can move among the different software applications easily, viewing cameras or recorded video or locking and unlocking doors or requesting reports as needed.
And because the software is accessible via a phone or tablet-based app, these individuals don’t need to be on-site, sitting at a particular desktop or laptop to perform these tasks. If an alarm goes off in the middle of the night, the store owner doesn’t need to hurry to his office to see what is happening. Rather, he can sign onto his mobile device and manage the situation in real time. It’s after hours but a worker needs to get back into the building to handle a delivery? The owner can unlock the door. A new employee needs an access card created for her? That can also be handled remotely so the manager doesn’t have to be on site to perform the task. An event, such as a door being forced open, triggers an alarm? He is able to attach the event to the associated video and quickly play it back to see just what occurred and take the appropriate action.
While initial training is needed to get a true understanding of how such an integrated system works, the focus in developing these new products for small to mid-size businesses has been on keeping training minimal and operations simple. So even if someone hasn’t created an access card or developed a new report in weeks, the process is intuitive enough that they can easily walk through the process without seeking assistance from their integrator or calling for technical support.
And a business, such as the independent supermarket, need not invest in all levels of security to reap the benefits of this type of system. Initially, the user may want to focus on building a video surveillance solution for his business, but with this integrated product he knows he can also move into access control or intrusion alarms when the time is right. And if he expands his store into a neighbouring space, additional cameras can be added by the integrator with minimal effort. The Intevo from Kantech is an example of this latest evolution in integrated security platforms aimed at the small to medium-size business operator. A compact, easy-to-use platform, Intevo is preloaded with Kantech’s EntraPass Corporate Edition security management software and IP video software from American Dynamics so users can access recorded video for playback as well as view video in real time.
A customised dashboard serves as the navigation tool, allowing the user to switch between software applications quickly so they can access IP video, access control and intrusion from a single platform. Intevo supports up to 32 American Dynamics Illustra IP or mini dome cameras for a fully integrated digital video surveillance solution. It also supports DSC PowerSeries, MAXSYS and other alarm panel integrations for intrusion, and covers up to 256 card readers and 10,000 cardholders. For micro businesses, the Intevo Compact is another alternative, supporting up to 16 cameras, whilst offering comparable levels of support for card readers and card users.
A downloadable application, called EntraPass Go, allows the user to manage the security system in real time from any location. More than 20 security tasks are controllable via the application, including creating and managing cards, locking and unlocking doors, configuring the alarm panel, requesting reports and more. The app is available from the App Store or Google Play. A web client also makes it easy to perform these same remote functions from a laptop or desktop.
Other features, such as a built-in report generator, allow the user to generate reports manually or automatically and send them via email to an administrator for viewing on their desktop or mobile device. It also sends basic work time registration reports on a scheduled timeframe if needed.
The need for security among all levels of businesses is growing, and now there are solutions on the market that can allow these enterprises to build an integrated system that is just right for them.
About the author
Rafael Schrijvers is Product Marketing Manager, EMEA, Tyco Security Products. Rafael can be reached by email at [email protected].
