The Security Portfolio at United Business Media is gearing up for a brand new series of webinars covering a host of essential topics. Our main aim is to offer you – our dedicated readers and securtiy sector professionals – essential information that will boost your knowledge base and inform Best Practice operation.
If you’re new to the world of the webinar, what we’re talking about is a seminar – complete with detailed presentations and open forum real-time discussion – transmitted live over the Internet.
The key feature of a webinar is its interactive elements – the ability to give, receive and discuss information. That’s a deliberate contrast, by the way, with a webcast (in which the data transmission is one way and doesn’t allow interaction between the presenters and the live audience).
You can log on to these events from the comfort of your office or home study, listen to what our carefully selected speakers have to say and then offer your own opinions by way of a live Q&A session.
Network video in retail: security or business intelligence?
Click here to register for free
Our initial webinar – which is kindly sponsored by Axis Communications – is scheduled to examine the current and future development of network video and its impact – both realised and potential – in the retail sector.
Legacy investments in analogue video surveillance have primarily been based around loss prevention and security, and it has often been difficult to measure a clear return on investment (ROI).
However, retailers faced by a challenging economic climate and fierce competition need to maximise their (ROI) on any hardware spend, considering all the while how investment in new technologies will positively impact the bottom line.
On that note, retailers are now starting to realise that IP video surveillance – in conjunction with analytics – can also provide valuable real-time business intelligence and increase the value of their investment in video.
Leveraging network video to improve store layouts, optimise merchandising strategies and increase operational efficiencies will ultimately drive sales and profitability, not to mention instigate a change in perspective when it comes to the role of video surveillance within retail.
With this in mind, a panel of experts has been assembled to discuss and debate the key issues involved, focusing on the technology, its specification, deployment and management in the real world.
Attendees who pre-register will be invited to submit their questions and opinions to be answered and debated live by the panel members.
Key topics to be discussed
The key topics up for discussion in the webinar will include:
– retail sector overview: latest crime and fraud statistics, end user spending patterns, systems development and the ‘politics’ of retail crime (the view from central Government and the police)
– loss prevention: prime concerns and issues for managers
– end-to-end network video solutions: the business benefits to be realised
– maximising customer ROI on hardware spend
– means of increasing operational efficiency in the retail space
– successful migration from analogue to network video
Case Studies: where network video makes a genuine difference
Featured speakers on the day
Brian was appointed Editor of Security Management Today (SMT) in November 2000. In his eight years in charge of the sector’s premier monthly print journal for security managers and directors, he built SMT into the industry’s leading opinion former and foremost educational vehicle.
In 2006, the journal’s Editorial Campaign entitled ‘Four Issues, One Voice’ played a huge role in influencing the Home Office on issues pertaining to private sector regulation.
That same year, Brian was honoured to receive the Skills for Security Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Security Business Sector in recognition of his commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for security professionals.
Brian has won two further awards from the security sector. In 2005, he received the BSIA Chairman’s Award and, in 2008, was The Security Institute’s nomination for the ASC’s Imbert Prize.
Brian plays a hugely active role in the wider security community. He’s an Honorary Fellow of The Security Institute, and sits on the Judging Panels for the Security Excellence Awards, the BSIA Security Personnel of the Year Awards, the Skills for Security National Training Awards and the IFSEC Awards.
In late 2008, Brian became the Editor of Security Management Today Online and was promoted to Group Content Editor for UBM Live’s Security Portfolio, with additional responsibility for sector-specific awards, conferences and webinars. He continues to pioneer digital and social media developments across the security sector.
Colin is a hugely respected loss prevention and risk management professional with over 30 years’ experience gained in the retail sector (and, more recently, as a solutions provider).
Previously head of risk and loss prevention for HMV UK, Colin is recognised for having developed one of the most effective retail loss prevention functions on the High Street.
He consistently delivered shrink levels below 0.50% across a self-service store environment, working closely with retail operations colleagues and vendors to ensure the most effective and efficient product protection regimes that complimented open merchandising.
Colin has actively assisted with the development of security and ‘benefit denial’ products, receiving commendations from the UK Design Council for the success and environmental benefits of self-sealing tags and the Red Tag.
During his final two years at HMV, Colin implemented a radical non-arrest (or selective arrest) policy that successfully reduced the risk – and consequences – of violence. Changes to the design and use of CCTV were both fundamental and instrumental to the success of this policy.
As the retail business development manager for Axis Communications, Atul is directly responsible for the Northern European market and, specifically, raising awareness of the role network video can play in tackling loss prevention.
Indeed, he has recently authored a White Paper detailing the security and business benefits network video can offer end users in the retail sector.
Atul is one of the most experienced network video professionals in the security sector, having focused on this subject area for over 15 years. Acknowledged among his peers for a well-defined understanding of the network video market, Atul has also been involved in some of the UK’s most high profile video deployments (including those for a number of Tier 1 retailers).
With a diverse background spanning business development, account management, pre-sales and training disciplines, as well as being a regular speaker at numerous industry events, over the years Atul has played an active role in articulating the benefits of network video to security buyers.
Atul was also instrumental in designing and launching the Axis Academy in the UK: one of the most comprehensive training initiatives in the market supporting the ongoing migration from analogue to network video systems.
Professor Joshua Bamfield is the author of the annual Global Retail Theft Barometer, the retail community’s only global source of statistical data concerning shrink and loss prevention.
Joshua is an acknowledged expert on ‘the retail world’, with a plethora of his work having been published in reports or within articles across the trade media, as well as in book format.
Professor Bamfield has worked with major retail corporations and suppliers across Europe and in the USA. He’s a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and former head of the Business School at the University of Northampton.
Based in Nottingham, the Centre for Retail Research evolved from a university Research Centre to provide commissioned reports/analyses on retail futures, retail crime issues and economic trends as they affect retailers themselves.
A business intelligence (BI) specialist, since early 2008 David Barlow has been working in a consultancy role on a project aimed at developing the marketing materials – and eventual trials – of a ‘unique’ specialist BI software application.
David’s first engagement with the CCTV sector was in 1978 when he took on the general manager’s role at installation company Cam Era UK. As such, he became one of the ‘founding fathers’ of the UK video industry.
In 1984, David established Visual Information Systems as managing director and co-owner. The company became the largest independent CCTV installation concern in the UK, and was eventually acquired by Sensormatic in 1993.
David was then appointed sales director of Sensormatic, remaining in that role until the brand was acquired by Tyco in 2001.
At that point, David became EMEA sales director for Tyco International. For seven years, he steadily built a top class sales team and distribution network for Tyco’s video and access control products.
His ‘career change’ in February 2008 resulted in a move into what is now becoming known as ‘meaning-based computing’. The innovative Altworx product uses “the 85% of data that’s unstructured but nevertheless extremely valuable” for business decision-making and efficiency, encompassing video, BMS and SMS, etc.
How to register
Click here to register for free for the ‘Network video in retail: security or business intelligence?’ webinar or click on any of the advertisements to be found on the Home Page of Info4Security.com
We look forward to ‘seeing’ you on the day!
About Axis Communications
Axis Communications is an IT company offering network video solutions for professional installations. The organisation is one of the global market leaders in network video, continually driving end users’ migration from analogue to digital video surveillance.
The company’s products and solutions focus on security surveillance and remote monitoring, and are based on innovative open technology platforms.
A Swedish-based operation, Axis Communications has developed on the world stage (with offices in over 20 countries and partners in more than 70). Founded in 1984, the company is listed on the NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm.
For more information visit: www.axis.com
About Info4Security
Info4Security is the security sector’s leading web portal and the home of SMT Online. Launched at IFSEC in May 2007, the site features all the latest news, opinion, comment and advice from right across the installation and end user sectors, as well as information on other UBM Live Security Portfolio associated events (including the Security Excellence Awards and, of course, IFSEC).
The site attracts an average of 45,000 unique users every month, with those visitors generating over 105,000 page views of both the most recent, up-to-the-minute (and, very often, exclusive) news overview. There’s also an unrivalled archive for the most comprehensive security coverage. The very latest analytics software is used to measure visitor traffic.
All current vacancies and careers advice can be found on the www.jobs4securityandfire.com channel, while there’s also advice on Best Practice in management and installation, useful White Papers and detailed discussion on all solutions (among them, of course, CCTV and IP and networks).
For more information visit: www.info4security.com
About SMT Online
Security Management Today (SMT) Online is the UK’s premier online information resource for practising security managers, directors, consultants, facilities managers, crime prevention officers, defence analysts and leading procurement specialists in both Government and the police service.
Borne from the multiple award-winning Security Management Today (the industry’s longest-established and foremost print journal for end users), SMT Online carries fresh and updated content on a daily basis, including news items, features and profiles of all the leading security professionals.
There’s a wealth of product information, Case Studies of recent systems projects, all the latest on guarding and Security Industry Authority regulation and many editorial campaigns covering the most important issues of the day.
For more information visit: www.info4security.com/smtonline
