For any security professional it’s fair to say that ensuring the flexibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness and ease of use of security investments will be essential when it comes to running business operations efficiently, safely and with minimal risk.
As security ecosystems with their numerous and disparate technologies (including aging legacy software) requiring continual upgrades and new, cutting-edge solutions become increasingly complex, so these responsibilities become more challenging to meet: most notably when budgets remain flat and, in some cases, are shrinking.
To help organisations in ‘operating smarter’, security professionals need a technology that will create security solutions out of piecemeal environments without what might best be described as ‘major surgery’ on the existing infrastructure.
In doing so, organisations can bolster their safety and security efforts without significant changes or costly integrations.
One way executives have successfully extended the value of existing technology investments while improving security and operational efficiencies is through investing in Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) solutions.
Those security executives who are looking to build a business case for investing in such technology might like to consider the following areas…
Maximising the existing resources
Organisations are constantly adding new technologies and upgrading existing ones while also looking for ways in which to maximise their legacy security systems.
With this in mind, organisations have come to expect improved security and better policy compliance. However, when it comes to integrating volumes of new and old technologies, those same organisations are faced with an endless stream of costly bespoke device integrations and support challenges.
Without the adequate integration of these technologies, it’s difficult to demonstrate the benefits an organisation has gained from its current security ecosystem because there is no common operating picture that shows how each technology is used and the value it has provided.
Furthermore, the integration costs and ongoing support can be staggering, in turn commanding a significant share of the physical security budget and delaying or blocking the implementation of new security initiatives.
By investing in PSIM technology to address these challenges, organisations are able to glean intelligence from a system that collects and correlates data from a myriad of old and new security devices and information systems (eg video, access control, sensors, analytics, networks and building systems, etc) to empower personnel to identify and proactively resolve situations as fast and as cost-effectively as possible.
Also, by enabling organisations to continue to take advantage of their existing investments while also being able to integrate newer technologies without expensive custom integrations, the deployment of PSIM technology leads to lower risk, increased security, faster response to situations, better compliance with policies and lower operational costs.
Unmatched levels of intelligence
In an emergency or ‘incident situation’, every second counts. However, the data deluge of information that’s produced from an organisation’s array of technologies makes it nearly impossible for authorised personnel to manually find, filter and analyse intelligence and then respond to situations in real-time.
Unlike other security technologies such as video management systems and access control solutions, PSIM technology provides an unparalleled level of data integration and has a level of intelligence that’s built-in to the software.
In terms of integration, PSIM provides organisations with a solution that overcomes the technology integration (eg video, access control, alarm, building management, etc), multiple locations and real-time collaboration challenges. This ensures the disparate data is translated to relevant information that can be distributed in real-time to assist organisations in detecting, analysing, diagnosing and ultimately resolving situations.
In addition to seamless integration, PSIM can identify, analyse and prioritise situations to ensure all appropriate information is presented in an integrated and easy-to-use interface. This makes it far easier for authorised personnel to focus on the situation and not the technology, as well as co-ordinate a faster solution without wasting time and resources.
Improve operational efficiencies for additional cost savings
PSIM technology can also help organisations establish and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs). By providing step-by-step instructions based on Best Practice and real-time intelligence, PSIM eliminates the guesswork in resolving a situation and provides public and private sector organisations with a tool to resolve situations faster, smarter and more cost-effectively.
Moreover, PSIM technology acts as an intelligent system as it regularly analyses how security situations have been handled to identify areas of improvement. By documenting steps taken and Best Practice employed, organisations and responders are able to learn from past experiences to speed appropriate responses and maximise resources around future events.
With PSIM, authorised personnel are able to view whether or not there are any trends around an occurrence. Or, if responses have been inconsistent, PSIM technology can highlight where there may be a particular SOP that’s out of date or ineffective.
SOPs are not updated frequently, so PSIM can help highlight weaknesses in an organisation’s set of procedures that may have been established years ago without any modifications.
While businesses strive to drive down costs and improve operational efficiencies, making smart investments that address critical business challenges can have a substantial impact on the business in terms of ROI and improved security and safety.
With an unmatched level of real-time intelligence, the ability to maximise all existing security investments and the elimination of guess work in how authorised personnel should respond to a threat, PSIM enables public and private organisations to effectively optimise resources and operations while addressing any threat in the most efficient and effective way possible.
Darren Chalmers-Stevens is vice-president (EMEA operations) at VidSys
To learn more about PSIM or VidSys send an e-mail to: [email protected]
