As it is within Law Enforcement, low morale is also prevalent in the security industry, particularly among contracted security officers. They rate their job satisfaction in the bottom 7% of careers.[1] The cause-and-effect relationship between low employee morale and an inferior customer experience is well documented. Therefore, part of my job as a security consultant is to help clients create a positive corporate culture. Yes – our primary business is creating safe and secure environments, but even the best security technologies and programs will fail if they are supported by a disgruntled workforce.

Gallup reports that teams with low morale experience 18 to 43% higher turnover. [2] Glassdoor reports a strong statistical link between customer satisfaction and the well-being of the employees delivering those services. Its study concludes that happy workers lead to happy customers.[3] Research by Eagle Hill Consulting found that 64% of U.S. workers say their employee experience impacts their ability to serve customers, with low-morale workers half as likely to deliver quality outcomes.[4]

Security services management may complain about their workers’ lackluster performance, calling in sick, no-shows, and high rates of turnover, but the root of their problem is often not the fault of the employees. It’s dysfunctional management and the environment they’ve created that makes workers feel unappreciated, unempowered, and underpaid. The first two are things companies can easily fix. As for the third, employees are more than 10 times more likely to leave a job due to a toxic culture than salary.[5] If companies can make employees feel appreciated and empowered, they will save money by reducing workforce churn. This, in turn, could free up money to pay higher wages.

So, how do we fix low employee morale among security guards and others hourly workers in the security services sector? Here is a list of suggestions:

1. Train your supervisors on how to be effective leaders. The number one reason employees leave their jobs is because of their supervisor. The CEO of Gallup, Jim Clifton, says it best. “When you name the wrong person supervisor, nothing fixes that bad decision. Not compensation, not benefits – nothing.”[6]

Promoting from within has a positive impact on workers because they see that there are opportunities for advancement, but those benefits only accrue if you provide associated management training. The skills that make a successful “worker bee” vastly differ from those needed to manage the hive. Yet 82% of people promoted to supervisory roles do not receive any formal training, according to a 2023 study by the Chartered Management Institute.[7]

• Solicit feedback from employees. Encourage them to offer solutions – not just identify problems. Simply being heard immediately makes them feel more valued – even if acting on their suggestions takes time.
  
  
• Make sure supervisors are clear about expectations and don’t criticize their underlings’ every move, especially if there are no written guidelines defining roles and responsibilities. If your organization lacks such guidelines, create them and put them in writing!  

Everyone on your team, from the top down, should make it a habit to offer praise and recognition for jobs well done. When employees know their efforts are appreciated, they are more likely to repeat them. Small gestures go far!

• Make security guards feel like they are part of a team. Keep them informed about news or changes happening at the corporate level.

Companies that contract guard services will find that those officers are more dedicated when they feel like they are part of the organization where they are assigned to work. They appreciate inclusion in workplace events and value privileges like access to the company gym and break room.

• Empower guards so that they can feel pride in their job. Patrolling a predictable route or sitting behind a desk with no power to do anything gets old fast. Provide guards with technology to maintain better situational awareness and tools that alert them to suspicious behavior. When security officers can be strategic and proactive about how they perform their duties, they’ll find their jobs far more exciting and rewarding.

Many of these tactics can be employed by your in-house management team. Corporate culture doesn’t change overnight, but with dedicated efforts, progress will occur.

Hiring a consultant can be instrumental in moving the process along. An outsider’s perspective often pinpoints problems and strategizes solutions more objectively than managers who have skin in the game and egos that bruise. If that’s you, reach out. We may be security consultants, but solving morale issues is essential in running an effective security team. We’re here to help!

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The post Don’t Let Low Employee Morale Get You Down. Instead, Fix It! appeared first on ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´.

VIPs may be targets of stalkers, protesters, the paparazzi, and other bad actors seeking to do harm. Security teams need the tools to maintain situational awareness and facilitate command and control wherever heightened protection is called for. It’s a tall order.

Public events like parades, political rallies, sporting events, speeches, and performances, as well as private affairs, like the weddings and funerals of the rich and famous, occur in locations that are difficult to secure. Coverage must often span massive areas. Threats can come from any direction, including overhead and far beyond the event’s official perimeter.

Event security is focused on maintaining a secure environment for the public at large. Meanwhile, executive protection services must stand up separate command and controls dedicated to keeping their clients safe.

Deploying a dedicated command and control is expensive, as it must be equipped with much of the same technology as a permanent security operations center (SOC). Plus, it must provide reliable and redundant connectivity to all systems and devices utilized across the event site without the benefit of a permanent infrastructure.

Public sector dignitaries have protective details equipped to mount exhaustive security operations on their behalf. The U.S. Capitol Police, Secret Service, federal, and state agencies each have an abundance of resources, including a fleet of mobile command vehicles ready to deploy to protect dignitaries and politicians. The private sector does not. Unless such individuals face a specific threat against them, they typically must pay for their own security.

Fortunately, a new option has recently entered the security marketplace: mobile command as a service (MCaaS). Just as VIPs may invest in fractional jet ownership, MCaaS provides access to a fully equipped, state-of-the-art mobile command vehicle for a specified number of engagements per year.

When comparing services, here’s what stakeholders should consider.

What Technologies Are Included?
To approximate the command-and-control systems utilized by public sector dignitaries, an MCaaS solution should include an array of integrated security technologies from best-in-class manufacturers. Look for:

Video surveillance

Video analytics

Aerial drone surveillance

Drone detection

Gunfire detection

Perimeter protection

Real-time weather monitoring

Social media monitoring

Communication systems are equally important. A fully equipped mobile command should offer the following:

VoIP telephones

2-way radios

Cellular PTT radios

Satellite telephone, TV, and radio

Satellite and cellular data

Public address systems

The service should include the deployment of temporary cameras and other devices across the event site. Coverage should extend to broad perimeter monitoring, while placing an emphasis on areas where the client is most vulnerable, such as the green room, stage, and any walkways the client may traverse.

Live monitoring of social media is critical, as it may provide advance warning of potential threats. There should also be communication channels between event security and private security teams. If event security must contend with danger anywhere onsite, private security must have sufficient knowledge to evacuate its charge via the safest route possible

How Is It Deployed?
The “S” in mobile command as a service differentiates today’s new offerings from more traditional rental models. A quick Web search of mobile command rentals will result in rental trailers equipped with communication systems and a workstation for video surveillance monitoring.

MCaaS represents a much broader suite of technologies, plus it includes the expertise of security professionals to assist private details with systems engineering, training, and onsite deployment. They can also attend events, working side-by-side with members of the executive protection service. MCaaS provides high-profile executives, high-net-worth individuals, and celebrities with the same tools and technologies used to protect top-level public sector VIPs.

To ensure the availability of vehicles, MCaaS providers may cap the number of clients they enroll to maintain a suitable client/vehicle ratio. They may also offer services to a limited geographic area, minimizing travel time before an event. An overextended MCaaS provider may not be able to deliver services when needed, negating the value of the investment.

A Paradigm Shift
The security industry’s digital transformation has brought countless new technologies to the market. Unfortunately, they only help the customers that can afford them. Many technology manufacturers have migrated to a recurring revenue model to reduce upfront hardware costs, thus making their cutting-edge solutions accessible to a broader base. Customers benefit from always-current systems that require less maintenance, include free updates, and offer operational expenditure tax advantages.

MCaaS offers similar value propositions, albeit on a grander scale. VIPs, or the executive protection services that protect them, may have previously deemed a fully-equipped mobile command as beyond budget. MCaaS will level the playing field, bringing grade-A resources to the private sector. It’s a paradigm shift whose time has come.

Article Link –

Paul F Benne is the President of ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

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DIY security technology is being marketed everywhere – TV commercials, online advertisements, big box stores, home improvement stores, etc., and just about every big name (Amazon with Blink, Ring and Alexa Guard Plus, Google with Nest, Blackstone with Vivint, Netgear with Arlo, ADT with Blue, and independents like SimpliSafe, Cove and many others) have positioned themselves in the DIY security game.

You can find alarm systems, various detectors, cameras, smart locks, just about every traditional security endpoint now comes as a IoT device that can easily be added to a home network or installed and configured with a smartphone.

The DIY market has a lot going for it, providing some significant advantages over its more traditional security technology predecessors. Here are five:

1. Easy to install and configure: In many cases, device enrollment is as easy as downloading an app and scanning a QR code, and the user is operational. Let’s face it, this is not the case in the commercial world, where knowledge of the device, the platform its operating on, and the networking system that connects the edge devices are all a part of the configuration process.

2. Quality and reliability: The output quality is comparable to commercial grade (noting some significant drawbacks with the DIY systems) and the reliability – while not to the level of its commercial grade comparable devices – is good enough for most consumers.

3. Low cost and barrier to entry: From cameras under $25 to smart locks hovering around $250, costs for this technology comparative to the commercial market are significantly lower. Many systems offer a trial or feature limited version of service that make the barrier to entry also very low – enabling consumers to try it out without making a big commitment. This is also very cleverly designed to draw them into a service plan.

4. Built-in RMR: The holy grail of the residential security market, these products have significant Recurring Monthly Revenue (RMR), making this a gold rush to grab market share.

5. Public safety impact: Many service providers have programs to support local law enforcement efforts with camera feeds. While this is a great tool for crime fighting, it is also a concern for privacy advocates in the over use of private-sector security technology for public sector use, and in the mass collection of data on the populous by big tech.

How Integrators Can Take Advantage

The pace has been set, the DIY installation of IoT security edge devices is here to stay. With its rapid growth and benefits that clearly make this an advantageous business venture for manufacturers, is the commercial market in danger of losing market share to innovations in DIY applications?

I believe the answer is yes, as least for small to mid-sized applications. The truth is that VSaaS and ACaaS companies are moving in this direction already, making the installation of security edge devices like cameras, sensors, and access points easier than ever to install and configure.

That said, I see some significant gaps that DIY manufacturers are not in a position to address, and it is where these gaps exist that commercial security integrators can provide a value-add to the emerging residential and commercial DIY market.

While DIY manufacturers are banking on the DIYer, the integration industry should be looking at the obvious holes it creates in both the residential and commercial marketplace. For us as an industry to adapt and embrace advances in technology, we need to find the areas where we can bring value to the user in the process of planning, designing, deploying, and managing this technology. Here are three key areas:

Advanced applications – These aaS and DIY systems are limited in their enterprise-level applications – especially when a customer needs high availability in critical facilities and applications, advanced configurations, integrations, and features from third-party manufacturers. Integrators and consultants need to know how to properly advise clients when they are considering what appears to be an easier solution. What are they losing with the “easier” solution? What are the holes of the “easy” solution?

Design and installation – Sure, any novice can put a camera up to watch the door, but what about resolution, pixels on target, frame rate, back light considerations, retention periods, etc., for video surveillance applications? Consider door hardware, egress requirements, credentialing technologies, etc., for access control. What about appropriate sensor selection and use, local code compliance, communications redundancy, etc., with alarm systems? These are all areas where the security professional is able to surpass a novice in designing and deploying a commercial or enterprise class system.

Specialized expertise – At the end of the day, even the most crafty DIYers have other responsibilities. Taking the time to review, select, purchase, install, and configure DIY systems is still extra work. Integrators have an opportunity to pick up this void in the market by offering residential and small business packages that are turnkey and also provide RMR.

Security technology professionals need to be ready to identify and respond to the changes in the market with viable solutions. By studying this and other market trends, you can see where the emerging technology is going and where it will influence the rest of the industry.

Article Link –

This article originally appeared in theĚýĚý´Ç´ÚĚý. Paul F Benne is the President of ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: Is Commercial Sector DIY a Threat? appeared first on ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´.

Why is the security industry so fearful of intrepidly moving forward and embracing these new technologies to enhance the overall effectiveness of their – or their customers’ – protection programs?

Common Barriers to Entry

In working with many end-users over the years, I have seen numerous, consistent, and repeating barriers to entry in adopting and embracing emerging technology. Often these barriers to entry are largely centered on leaving a comfort zone of the known for the unknown.

Let’s explore four of the key barriers to entry for end-users considering new and emerging technology:

Cutting edge vs. bleeding edge: Being an early adopter can be appealing – you are first in line to grab up the latest technology. Unfortunately, many times as new technology is first rolled out, it comes with a host of complexities in getting it to operate as intended. This is where the cutting edge turns into the bleeding edge – when the new technology causes the user, integrator and everyone involved in the rollout of the technology a painful go at getting it right.

In the meantime, someone needs to answer to the person in the organization who is paying the bills as to why this technology is not performing as expected – making the venture of becoming an early adopter painful, expensive, and potentially embarrassing.

How do you avoid this type of blunder in being an early adopter? You could, of course, wait until the manufacturer of the technology has taken their lumps from other early adopters. A better practice would be to think ahead of the curve using a lab environment to bench test any new technology before it gets introduced to you or your customer’s systems in an active capacity.

Have a rollback strategy vetted to ensure you have a path to return to a previous system configuration should your technology rollout go wrong. These best practices are valid for both emerging technology or simply adding new technology to your organization.

Leadership buy-in: Often, if leadership cannot see the direct correlation to saving time or money, it is a harder sell to get new and emerging technology embraced and funded. Sometimes the reverse is true, where leadership is introduced to a shiny new thing, and they want it – now!

Because of the urgency, it is everyone else’s task to make it happen.

How do you make the business case for a new technology? It is all in the numbers. In evaluating technology, most all technology is designed to do something better, faster, smarter, etc., and that gets expressed by two key factors: time and money. When making the case for new technology, detailing the short- and long-term savings in capital and operational expenses, as well as the human capital savings for adding technology, should enable end-users to express the return on investment. This is the key selling factor to obtaining leadership buy-in, and it is something integrators should be helping their clients to achieve.

Regulatory factors: Having new technology that can solve a problem for a regulated industry may have the customers lined up at an integrator’s door with interest, but they may be hesitant to make the purchase until the “powers that be” chime in with direction or approval.

For example, in the airport vertical, many new technologies that can work well in the airport environment take considerable time for the solution to be evaluated by the FAA and the National Safe Skies Alliance. Most airports will wait for this evaluation before it is is willing to dedicate the funding required to implement the solution.

In the regulated environment, there is not much workaround to this process; thus, it is best to set new and emerging technology up for early review. In some cases, the customer can serve as a test bed if they are willing.

Skepticism: The product always looks good on the trade show floor, but will it perform in the real world? Salespeople are great at pitching the promise, but battle-hardened security professionals know that big promises can come with big disappointments.

Unfortunately, those disappointments can tarnish good reputations. For that reason, seasoned security professionals are far more likely to shy away from technology that has not been vetted by peers and endorsed by other reputable firms and manufacturers.

To avoid the “cold shoulder” when introducing new and emerging technology to customers, it is best to know your facts about the product. Explain how it has been proven in the marketplace and what guarantees the manufacturer and supplier are willing to make behind its successful deployment. If you are truly confident in how the technology will perform, base your payment structure on the technology’s successful deployment and performance.

Take the risk off the customer. If the technology does not perform, remove it at no cost. If it works successfully, the customer pays a 10% premium – a win/win.

Keep Pedaling

Overall, removing the barriers to entry on new and emerging technology falls on the manufacturer. The end-user wants to know they will not end up spending money on something that does not perform, has a costly and frustrating implementation, and creates a generally embarrassing situation professionally that needs to be explained to leadership.

In the meantime, manufacturers should keep bringing those solutions to market and integrators and consultants should be making the case for their successful implementation.

Article Link –

This article originally appeared in theĚýĚý´Ç´ÚĚý.ĚýPaul F Benne is the President of ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

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For years, AX – formally known as Anime Con – earned the unfortunate nickname of “line-con” due to massive crowds that formed just to gain entrance, which meant headaches for security and operations staff.

Thanks to a unique combination of weapons screening technology, guard and canine services, and temporary security technology – all coordinated by security firm ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ – AX 2022 was a rousing success. The project has been named has been named as an honorable mention in the 2022 Security Vanguard Awards from SecurityInfoWatch, Security Business magazine and Security Technology Executive (STE) magazine.

The Crowd Control Challenge
Based on turnstiles at the entrances, more than 110,000 people attended the Anime Expo over the three days at multiple venues, including the Los Angeles Convention Center, Novo (an indoor club), and the Microsoft Theater.

Efficient screening was the first challenge for Michael Grossman, a senior advisor at New York City-based ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´
Photo: Anime Expo
A carefully crafted screening strategy helped was part of a successful crowd control effort at the 2022 Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
A carefully crafted screening strategy helped was part of a successful crowd control effort at the 2022 Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
Consulting, who was responsible for all security planning and operations, including the preparation of a comprehensive operations plan and the management of the overall on- site security operations.

A massive crowd is one thing, but the vast majority of these attendees came to the AX venues in full costumes – many including imitation weapons. The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), the event organizer, also required COVID-19 checkpoints.

“We were getting people into the buildings, but the crowding on the outside [creates] a soft target,” explains Matthew Thomas, SPJA’s senior director of operations.

Thankfully, Grossman and the ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ team came up with a multi-faceted solution, combining high-throughput weapons screening technology with good, old-fashioned security officers – provided by Ayvar Security, JRM Security and Executive Event Services – and canine teams from MSA Security Services, a division of Allied Universal. Additionally, RFID badging implemented at the show helped with counting attendees and protected against people getting in without the proper credentials.

“It is not all high-tech, but when you use all those things to your advantage and integrate their use, that makes a system more efficient and there are a lot fewer problems,” Grossman says.

As for the technology aspect of the crowd control technology, Thomas and Grossman zeroed in on the Evolv Express, a high-throughput walk-through weapons screening system that uses digital sensors and artificial intelligence to spot concealed weapons and other threats.

The company claims a unit can screen 4,000 people per hour, and that the technology has been successfully used at stadiums, theme parks, hospitals, schools and other busy venues. Ideally, the technology is accurate enough that people are not required to stop, empty their pockets or remove bags as they are screened.

2022 was the first year that AX used the screening technology, and Thomas – who held previous security operations roles at Universal Studios and Westfield malls – says it enhanced the throughput of patrons from 55 people per hour to 300 people per hour at each entry point.

“Honestly, I think it was a little too quick, and we slowed that down on site just to be very thorough,” Thomas admits. “That was due to my thinking that it is impossible. I am used to the metal detector going off on every belt buckle.”

Achieving Situational Awareness
Grossman – who retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2013 as chief of the Homeland Security Division and later served as SVP of U.S. National Security for Westfield Corp., where he oversaw security operations for 32 malls across the nation – assembled a security command center at AX that coordinated the activities of all security and life safety agencies, including convention center security and private contractors, Los Angeles Police Department, and many others.

Through the assistance of Las Vegas-based Unified Command, a temporary surveillance system was also deployed, with cameras placed at strategic locations to maintain situational awareness at key points throughout the venue. The temporary system focused on areas outside the venues, since the buildings had their own cameras.

“We were working with the existing Convention Center security with their technology and adding on our technology to compliment,” Thomas says. “That really helps us get good angles to manage crowds and respond to certain things from the [security monitoring] perspective.”

Those working in the Unified Command post could monitor cameras, zoom in on nearly any area or focus on certain cameras. “They know exactly the things that need to be seen and where to put cameras,” Grossman says, adding that the command post at AX was similar to one that he might set up for a large wildfire or other major event.

“You have representatives from all the agencies that do security or emergency response in the same room and monitor for 24 hours a day through the entire event,” he explains. “If you don’t have adequate planning, and documented planning, a clear organizational chart, clear lines of communication, and contingency plans, [if] something comes up, it is pretty tough to manage,” Grossman says.

In reviewing the successful AX 2022 security operations, Thomas says “the secret sauce is there right now” to maintain an effective security program for AX in the future. As for similar events, he implores event security managers to take advantage of all the technology and tools available, even if the cost is hard to swallow.

“All it could take is one situation, and you no longer have an event anymore,” Thomas says. “I like spending a bunch of money on security…because [it means] we’ve done the most that we can to protect everybody.”

John Dobberstein is managing editor of SecurityInfoWatch.com.

Project Overview: Anime Expo

Project submitted by: ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´

Weapons Screening: Evolv Technology

Temporary Surveillance System: Unified Command

Video Management System: Milestone

Guard Services: Ayvar Security, JRM Security and Executive Event Services

Canine Services: MSA Security Services

This article is part of the annual Security Vanguard Awards, presented by SecurityInfoWatch.com, Security Business magazine and Security Technology Executive (STE) magazine. Learn more about the Vanguard and its many winners over the years at www.securityinfowatch.com/vanguard.

Article Link – https://www.securityinfowatch.com/security-executives/article/21284746/keeping-350k-anime-expo-attendees-safe

The post Keeping 350K Anime Expo Attendees Safe appeared first on ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´.

If you are considering this as a provider or an end-user, you will need to look beyond the sales pitch to see the true value – and the drawbacks – of this technology trend.

At first pass, the “aaS” model can be very annoying to me as a consumer. I used to go into a store or browse online at the software available and buy it outright. If I elected to upgrade to a newer version in the future I could, but my hand was seldom forced, and the power was all mine.

Now, you are hard-pressed to find a software platform that is not offered in some type of subscription or SaaS model, and this trend is moving from the software world to hardware, systems and services. It is like you cannot “buy” anymore, only rent, but is this all bad?

The Pros and Cons
Understanding some of the pros and cons of this trend can help you understand its value, both to yourself individually and to an overall organization. While there are many aspects of the “aaS” sales model, here are five considerations you should evaluate prior to making the commitment – keeping in mind that one person’s pro may be another person’s con. Thus, consider these points under your own application and circumstances.

1. Limits expensive server hardware: When using platforms like Ava Security, Brivo, OpenEye, IronYun, etc. certain configurations of these services can be cloud-based. This can reduce or eliminate the need for on-premises servers, which are costly and have a limited lifespan.

If your customer is considering a traditional deployment of security technology, they need to consider that the servers installed on premises will come at a high cost and will need to be replaced in 5-8 years. They will also need to consider that they will likely need a Software Service Agreement (SSA) and a preventive maintenance contract to keep the system updated with patches, fixes and version releases. With an “aaS” model, all of this is included.

2. CapEx vs OpEx: While evaluating “aaS” options, take into consideration how the customer will buy the technology. Many construction projects have deeper CapEx budgets to allow for the initial procurement and installation of expensive security technology; however, buying “aaS” typically gets expensed through OpEx budgets and is a recurring monthly or annual expense – which can be more highly scrutinized. Having a thorough understanding of how “aaS” is funded and working out the details with the end-user’s finance department is critical to resolving push-back regardless of what solution is up for consideration.
3. Critical facilities, SOCs and uptime requirements: For facilities that operate in a critical capacity and have an on-site SOC, GSOC, or other real-time point of aggregating security information, close attention to “aaS” features are mandatory. Most “aaS” offerings have some or all features that are entirely dependent on outbound network connectivity; therefore, if the network fails, the security operation loses the ability to access and use the “aaS” product.

When evaluating “aaS,” ask your customer very pointed and hard questions about what services operate and if there are critical services that will not work in the event that outbound network connectivity is severed.

4. Bandwidth and network: The “aaS” sales pitch is typically a good one when it is well-perfected and delivered, but there are some downsides to consider, and integrators will need the end-user’s IT department or a non-biased third party like a consultant to help navigate the sales pitch and dig into the tech requirements of the network.

Having 10, 50, 100, or 1000 cameras at a facility that are going to a cloud-based “aaS” will have big implications on network architecture and bandwidth. Be sure this is fully understood before making a commitment to the “aaS” technology.

5. Proprietary equipment: Some “aaS” platforms openly accept cameras and edge technology from multiple manufacturers; others have cameras that can be used on other systems should you elect to stop using those systems in the future. That said, be warned that this is not the case for all “aaS” providers; in fact, some providers’ cameras are as good as a brick should your customer stop using the “aaS” platform. This could be a costly and embarrassing mistake.

Best Practices
Here are key takeaways for considering any type of “aaS” model for software, systems, or services:

Thoroughly understand what your customer’s needs are before calling “aaS” companies in to do a sales pitch. Not having this will distract you with sales presentation sparkles, bells, and whistles that may be great features, but can deviate from the core performance objectives required to serve the business.

Understand the points of failure in “aaS” models and be willing to accept the risks they present. Knowing exactly where the points of failure are enables the integrator and end-user to build operational processes to stopgap the vulnerability should a failure occur.

Know the total cost of ownership (TCO) of both the “aaS” and traditional deployment of the software, systems, and services you are evaluating.

Don’t go it alone. Bring in IT, Finance, and other key stakeholders of the business to help evaluate the solution from their areas of expertise.

Paul F. Benne is a 35-year veteran in the protective services industry. He is President of ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ LLC, a security consulting and design firm in based in New York City. Connect with him at www.linkedin.com/in/paulbenne or visit www.sentinelconsulting.us.

Article Link – https://www.securityinfowatch.com/integrators/article/21278024/tech-trends-security-tech-for-nonsecurity-stakeholders

This article originally appeared in the November 2022 issue of Security Business magazine. Paul F Benne is the President of ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

The post Tech Trends: Everything as a Service appeared first on ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´.

By bringing in other stakeholders in the planning process of designing and deploying security technology, a security integrator or consultant can leverage the business objectives of those stakeholders to build security technology that serves an entire organization.

When you plan for a security technology project, think outside the box and bring the as many relevant stakeholders to the table as possible. Security technology can be leveraged to maximize its organizational benefits. Sometimes it requires thinking outside the box; other times a technology’s benefit to a sister department is readily apparent. Soliciting the input of security-adjacent stakeholders will not only lead to a better overall design of the security technology, but it may also revel funding in places the integrator and security department did not expect.

As an integrator, consider the needs of these five key organizational stakeholders. If you do, you stand a much greater chance that the funding can be procured to green-light a project.

1. IT

Your security technology will most likely run on a network backbone, and for that to happen, and integrator and security end-user will need a strong working relationship with the technology stakeholder – typically, IT.

This is important because IT is responsible for the overall “data-highway” of a business. Leveraging this relationship can bring synergies to purchasing, deploying, securing and managing network technologies. Do not go it alone.

2. Facility Management

This stakeholder is running the show, literally. They need information on all aspects of the facility and its operations. Bringing this stakeholder to the table will give insight to what is important outside of the security department’s point of view. For example, managing subcontractors like snow removal, landscaping, cleaning, deliveries, and repair and maintenance services, are all critical to keeping a business running smoothly. Visitor management technologies and apps are a key area to help in this regard.  

Security-based mobile apps, in fact, are often being developed to help businesses cater to the technology needs of clients.

These mobile apps provide their client users with a host of valuable information at their fingertips – from access control to way-finding, duress and incident reporting.

It is now possible to use technology to create a mobile access control app. For example, STid, whose card readers work with any standing access control system, can embed access control credentials into a business’s mobile app.

SaaS solutions like VOLO and Everbridge can support real-time duress and incident reporting. Making the use of these technologies are low friction, promoting easier adoption into a culture.

3. Sales & Marketing

With facilities having better video surveillance coverage than ever, new Automated Intelligence (AI) platforms can leverage those video streams to provide valuable data to drive both business and security decisions.

There are plenty of video analytic-based solutions from surveillance and VMS vendors that are aimed at increasing business intelligence, from retail to industrial manufacturing.

One solution by DeepNorth () uses existing video cameras to drive data-rich reports on foot traffic to, from and within a facility. This data can be used to create heat maps of traffic patterns, dwell times, peak hours and flow rates – all of which can be used to drive the sales of tenant space, merchandise and real estate, as well as adjust staffing, space planning, and increase customer service.

Specific to marketing, many organizations – especially retail establishments – are looking to attract people to their facilities. You never know when security technology may provide a vehicle to drive traffic to a customer. Case in point: One customer I have worked with has annually nesting falcons on their rooftop. They installed a “Falcon Cam” and streamed that video to their website, along with information on the birds’ migration and conservatory efforts in the city. The addition to the website was a hit and brought much more attention and traffic to the building and to the business’s website.

4. Risk Management & Compliance

While the security function of a business typically determines the video surveillance coverage to help with investigations and situational awareness, risk and compliance can play an important role in determining the storage and archiving of video. While most security incidents are discovered and investigated within 45 days, litigation can have a much larger duration needed for discovery.

In some industry-specific cases, such as cannabis growing, archiving requirements can be multiple years. This can be very expensive if this storage requirement is fulfilled as hot storage, onsite.

Introducing this stakeholder to software solutions like the one from Tiger Technology () may make the difference. Tiger Technology’s software ties a local VMS to cloud-based hot, cold, and glacier storage solutions that can drastically reduce the overall cost of long-term video retention requirements.

5. Law Enforcement

Many cities now have formal public/private partnership programs where the business stakeholder can elect to share camera feeds with local law enforcement in real-time. This enables the police to quickly observe and respond to criminal incidents involving the business’s property. If a facility is in a high-crime area, or it is iconic or high-profile in nature this could dramatically help improve police response on or around your client’s property. Integrators and consultants should serve as a trusted resource for customers by helping them to initiate and participate in these public/private partnerships.

Article Link – https://www.securityinfowatch.com/integrators/article/21278024/tech-trends-security-tech-for-nonsecurity-stakeholders

This article originally appeared in the ĚýofĚý.ĚýPaul F Benne is the President of ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ and has over 35 years in the protective service industry.

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Using their extensive security knowledge, Paul teaches the officers about Perimeter Security and the Security Survey. John teaches on Video Surveillance System and Biometrics.

Other classes such as Access Control, Window Glazing, and CPTED are provided. ĚýAll the instructors are volunteers and many, including Paul and John, are members of ASIS councils.

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ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´’s approach to security design is a holistic one. ĚýIt focuses on the what and how of risk mitigation. ĚýIt is beyond a best practices approach, in that countermeasures are not selected and deployed simply because its a standard or general industry practice. ĚýInstead, a risk-based approach is used. ĚýAll aspects of a Client’s operation are considered and the risks are studied. ĚýCountermeasures are then selected and deployed to mitigate these observed risks.

This is where the relationship between our Security Consultants and Security Engineers becomes so apparent. ĚýOur Security Consultants specialize in identifying threats and vulnerabilities against given assets, resulting in a risk profile. ĚýThis is the WHAT and WHY.

Security Engineers then review this risk profile with our Security Consultants and determine what countermeasures are appropriate, whether they be physical or electronic, or a combination thereof. ĚýThis is the HOW.

WHAT and WHY are we protecting? HOW are we going to protect it?

These questions form the basis of every design that ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ produces. ĚýSecurity Engineers cannot alone determine the proper countermeasures, where there needed, and why they’re needed. Security Consultants cannot alone determine how physical and electronic security countermeasures can be deployed and managed. ĚýOnly working together, and combining knowledge and experience, can a successful security program be implemented.

The Security Consultants at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ have in depth, real world knowledge of security operations, emergency response, and understand how countermeasures are used to mitigate risks.

The Security Engineers at ĐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ are educated engineers with knowledge and experience in a variety of physical and electronic countermeasures, their design requirements, deployment, and how they are operated.

Don’t simply lock your front door and back door because its a best practice. ĚýConsider your risks, and mitigate those risks properly. ĚýSimply placing a lock on a door may not be adequate protection for your most valued assets. ĚýWhat assets do you have that require specific mitigations?

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