Before I talk about why I believe PSIM signals the beginning of the ‘new’ security world, I wanted to throw out a challenge. No prizes, just stimulating debate I hope.
The area of Situation Management uses the acronym PSIM (pronounced Pee-SIM) as the generic term for Physical Security Information Management. First conceived by Chuck Teubner (at that time CEO of VidSys, a leading PSIM vendor) back in late 2005, the term has become synonymous with Situation Management.
I currently have two issues with this. The first is my own need to define PSIM as Situation Management. If the acronym requires further explanation then should we not be using an alternative generic term?
My second concern about the use of Physical Security Information Management as a term is that it has become somewhat limiting. Yes, Physical Security is a major beneficiary of the software but we are already impacting a range of other business areas and the association with Physical Security may not always be particularly helpful.
When Chuck devised the term over six years ago it was not only necessary but also accurate and it has enabled us all to understand, in headline terms, what was being described. However, at this point in our sector’s evolution, has it outgrow the name and does the term PSIM diminish the potential capability of the software to impact areas of the business outside of Physical Security? Your thoughts are welcomed.
Global interest in PSIM
Now on to my main topic this month…
In among our current business activity the subject of Physical Security Information Management represents a topic of interest with many of our clients. This interest is generally derived from either curiosity triggered by the ‘buzz’ that still exists in relation to this subject around the security industry or as a direct consequence of having heard of or read some of the burgeoning column inches given over to this thought-provoking theme.
During my years in the security industry, which now amount to more than 20, I can’t recall such a level of sustained interest around a subject that is still so poorly understood.
I recall many industry landmarks that, at the time, seemed to be a pivotal moment for the sector. I can remember the leaps in technology that have occurred and resulted in products that we now take for granted: online access control systems, the introduction of the functional dome CCTV camera, the move to Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and, more recently, IP are but some examples.
With the exception of IP, many of the other innovations have focused upon the development of a specific product area. For most of us, this makes adopting the new technology that much easier as we have a clear understanding of the function that this product has been designed to perform.
The rapid ‘take-up’ of DVRs was in part due to the fact that they didn’t require a massive amount of adjustment or re-training to install as, generally, the original DVR products had been designed to replicate the operation of a multiplexer and VCR. In addition, the end client was supportive as the DVR was easier to operate and manage, produced a better quality end result and enabled other functionality such as video clip download to CD or DVD and the ability to view images via a data network.
In essence, in the case of the DVR, the security would caught up with technology that people had already become familiar with in their own homes and this paved the way and made the transition that much easier.
Small steps towards development
In the case of security product development there has been an evolutionary process involved, with products developing through a series of small steps as opposed to a ‘big bang’.
However, the introduction of Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled security devices has taken a different path. The proliferation of IP in the security industry has more to do with the convergence of security with the Information Technology (IT) world than it does with traditional security manufacturers’ product development roadmaps.
This conjunction has challenged, in particular, the electronic security industry as the knowledge and engineering experience established throughout many years of analogue installation activity suddenly requires a fundamental update and also introduces competition from a new source not relevant until this moment.
Almost overnight, security system installers have found that their traditional markets are being targeted (with a great deal of success in some cases) by a range of IT installation companies who already have an expertise in this new IP arena, and who also have relationships with parts of their clients’ business that are spending money.
Does anyone remember the debate from only seven or eight years ago that queried whether IP security would ever really challenge traditional security? Well, that discussion has of course been well and truly ‘put to bed’ as many traditional electronic security manufacturers have been all but washed away in the ‘Tsunami’ of IP technology now prevalent in every aspect of electronic security.
Faster network speeds, improved compression techniques, Power over Ethernet (PoE) and greater power available from a PoE switch are just a few of the second and third generation product developments now inherent in security system design, and this is just the start.
Design development in this converged world will move quickly, piggy-backing on the architecture and strategies deployed in other technology-driven market sectors.
What about the next decade?
Within the next decade (and, in reality, probably a lot sooner), the design principles that have been developed and adapted over many years of electronic security system implementation will be severely challenged.
Led by technology, everything that we accept today as a limitation or constraint will be removed. The reason that clients buy will also change, and pricing structures and business models will have to adapt accordingly.
In my view, we are about to enter a period of intense and radical change that will make the last ten years look tranquil by comparison.
So, what has that got to do with PSIM? Well, in my view the need for higher quality, more accurate and more readily accessible information at the time of a potential security situation will be at the core of the requirements that the new technology will seek to provide.
Now that network infrastructure and architecture has developed, processor speeds have increased and component production costs are reducing, our ability to address some of the issues that have impacted security incident management effectiveness have greatly improved.
The concept of Situation Management was really focused upon after the 9/11 attacks. One of the major findings from the post-incident analyses was that communication systems were inadequate and not integrated, hampering not only the rescue effort but also the ability to manage the incident effectively by any of the responsible authorities.
In addition to ineffective systems, there was also a siloed mentality which resulted in relevant information not being shared between agencies.
In the UK in 2005, we still apparently hadn’t learned the lessons as highlighted within the Coroners Report on the 7/7 London bombings. This document makes numerous recommendations relating to the need for improved inter-agency communication and incident management which was hampered due to ill-prepared procedures and the lack of an appropriate management system.
Situational Awareness or PSIM solutions are now deployed across the United States in many city centres and locations such as airports, ports and transport hubs. Additionally, many corporate enterprises are using the same technology to improve their risk management capability and security response as well as benefiting from a broad range of business process efficiencies that PSIM can deliver.
The UK is following in these footsteps and Situational Management concepts and strategies have developed rapidly during the last three or four years.
Building blocks for the future
In my opinion, PSIM is one of the building blocks that will facilitate the new security world. It meets the philosophical objectives of providing a more integrated and interoperable management environment. It enables operational improvements that can drive efficiencies and save businesses valuable time and resource, which obviously results in saving money.
It also offers ‘open’, non-proprietary integration with not only security products and systems but also other enterprise level business systems. These might include identity management systems, fraud detection and monitoring solutions, energy management and even network diagnostic tools that can be used to understand building utilisation patterns.
As a consequence of PSIM platform design, future security innovation will not render PSIM obsolete. The contrary will in fact be true in that increased product functionality will only add to the benefits PSIM can deliver both the private and public sector in the years to come.
So, as the rapid transition of security products occurs and the present lines of delineation between what has traditionally been more rigid industry sectors continue to blur, PSIM will not only endure but it will flourish and play an even more pivotal role in security management operation.
As knowledge and understanding of the benefits of PSIM continue to grow and clients continue to demand higher levels of value for money and a better return on investment, greater emphasis will be placed upon the development of new business processes that PSIM is able to augment.
These processes will be where improved efficiencies can be assimilated and potential savings squeezed from. Once the project is beyond the technical integration phase, this is where clients and PSIM consultants will invest their time to facilitate maximum return.
We’ll look at the area of PSIM design and continued development in future blogs, but suffice to say that the PSIM business process arena is set to expand during the next few years as the demand continues to grow as a result of past successes and better understood case history.
Jon Roadnight MSyI is a director of independent security consultant CornerStone
