Secom plc’s sales and marketing director John White semi-retired at the end of December after 40 years in the industry, and is now predicting a bold future for professional security companies in the UK.
“New threats emerge all the time, so this industry will never reach saturation,” he told Info4Security. “Companies like ourselves are dedicated to building a safer society and constantly striving to find innovative solutions to combat these threats.”
The emergence of new technologies – such as wireless alarms, IP signalling, HD digital video recording and systems to integrate alarms, CCTV and access control – means that almost any site in the UK, however remote, can be protected adequately against ‘normal’ threats.
“However, as the recent riots in London and elsewhere have shown, no property can ever be totally secure in such extreme cases. On a more positive note, the subsequent spate of prosecutions clearly demonstrated the power of CCTV – both indoors and outdoors – in assisting the police to apprehend offenders.”
Apart from the riots, White said that crime continues to become more sophisticated. That being the case, companies like Secom cannot rest on their laurels and must continuously be searching for better solutions to offer their customers.
White predicts that security systems will become “more compact and more powerful” in the next decade, and that there will be widespread use of analytical, biometric, facial recognition and retina scan devices to identify ‘authorised’ personnel.
Security must not be bought on price alone
Importantly, White asserted that security should never be bought on price alone.
“People invest in security to protect their assets, both human and material. A small saving on the cost of security is meaningless if the provider cannot offer adequate service and a rapid response in an emergency. It may be better to pay slightly more to enjoy the peace of mind that a security company will respond appropriately if an alarm is raised.”
White explained: “Our team at Secom is typical of the industry’s leaders, and we have a proud record of foiled crimes as a result of the quality of the systems we install and the quick responses of the monitoring staff in our Alarm Receiving Centre. In many cases they are also able to identify false alarms, so these do not waste police time or affect insurance premiums.”
Although White has officially retired, he will continue to assist Secom in an advisory role.
His successor is Alan Blake, who was appointed to the Secom plc Board as national accounts director in January 2011, and now takes over the sales and marketing portfolio in addition to national accounts.
Blake has been in the security industry for 30 years. He joined Secom 21 years ago and has managed the national accounts operation for the past eight years.
Secom plc is a leading total security provider, with innovative tailored security solutions for commercial, public sector and domestic customers throughout the UK.
Its ongoing service includes 24-hour monitoring of intruder and fire alarms and video surveillance systems.
Secom plc is the UK arm of a GB pound 5 billion per annum global electronic security group established in the 1960s. The group operates in 12 countries and its 48,400 employees serve two million customers.
