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Integrated systems beat the alarm blues

An alarm is an alarm, and an intruder detection system is an intruder detection system – unless you actually want these products to do something. Gone are the days when the cheapest solution was acceptable. Today users, whether business or home users, need to rely on their alarms and intrusion detection to protect assets and lives. Fortunately, today’s systems are more reliable, more flexible and more open than ever before. In fact, an integrated perimeter, intrusion and alarm solution can provide three layers of protection crucial to an efficient security system – but is it enough?

Hi-Tech Security Solutions wanted to know what the latest technology in intrusion, alarm and perimeter detection is and how these systems are being integrated and enhanced to provide intelligent security – meaning more than simply making a noise. We asked some industry players to give us their take on a few questions relating to this large, growing and lucrative industry.

Hi-Tech Security Solutions: How important is it today to have your security systems integrated in a way that allows for control of everything from a single console/dashboard? Are customers out there even aware of the integration/intelligence prospects? Do they want them?

Tony Janse, Reditron: More customers are requesting integrated security systems (ISS). This allows the control room operation to be more efficient and allows it to launch an appropriate response to the threat. By combining video surveillance, we allow operators to verify the possible cause of the alarm without exposing security patrol personnel to a possible overwhelming threat. With appropriate video management system (VMS) and alarm verification/management software, intrusion detection and video surveillance can be managed on one console.

Larry Lien, Tyco Security Products: Customers, whether commercial or residential, are looking for an integrated experience. Because of the consumerisation of many applications that they use on a day-to-day basis, they are looking for products to work together and for information to be shared. By combining information, you can get better information, make better decisions and this increases the value to an individual residential user or an operator sitting in a security operations centre.

As a simple example, if an alarm is tripped inside your home, wouldn’t you want to be able to see why the alarm was tripped? Wouldn’t you want to know where it was set off? This information increases value and users want to be able to access this information quickly and easily. They don’t want to spend precious time looking for video from a different system. Users are looking for quick and instant access to information. Some users are aware of this and there has been some awareness of this in the market, but I don’t think it is widespread.

Theo Biehler, Viasys Intelligent Video Africa: Some customers are afraid of the possibility that integrated security solutions mean that there will be a single point of failure. If these systems are designed and installed correctly, they can function independently while having a reasonable degree of integration from a functionality perspective. This gives peace of mind that while all the layers of security technology are able to function as a single system, each layer has a separate point of failure. This has many dimensions.

Since the technologies have tamper alerts, we have found that periodically staff members have tampered with the security solutions by re-organising cabinets and raising stacks of stock in the business to obscure the areas which are under surveillance by cameras and other detectors. In this respect, ongoing information/training for business owners or management teams is essential. They need to be alert to the fact that people may either deliberately attempt to modify the surroundings in order to create opportunities for crime to take place, or may do so out of ignorance.

Regular site inspections and maintenance by trained personnel is also essential to ensure that all systems are working as they are supposed to. This will also alert people to possibilities of tampering with security equipment.

An increasingly important aspect of the systems integration and technological development is the increased potential for control of systems by the client, as well as alternative forms of monitoring. In recent months, we have been experiencing an increase in enquiries by clients who want the monitoring service to be independent of their security company offering physical guarding and armed reaction, as they feel that this will add an additional dimension/layer of security. In most instances, the clients are planning to leave the alarm monitoring with the armed response company, but they increasingly want us to handle their CCTV monitoring for increased accountability. With CCTV monitoring, it is possible to get a visual on site very quickly if the alarm is triggered and also to assess how many perpetrators have entered a site or are attempting to. An advantage of perimeter cameras with video analytics is that they can monitor the area immediately around the perimeter more accurately than most other detection systems, and they can transmit an instant picture of what is happening in the trigger zone.

Where clients are aware that they can also receive information and interact with their security systems, they want this functionality and they want training to become proficient. If people receive information timeously, they can make decisions that can prevent or limit the effects of crime.

Nicolas Garcia, Gallagher: Today it has become extremely important for end users to make use of a fully integrated security system to make sure they remain on top of the game. End users are generally educated in this regard by manufacturers and consultants.

Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Why should customers be interested in integrated solutions? What are the benefits as opposed to the traditional home or business alarm?

Tony Janse, Reditron: There is more benefit to customers that are connected to an alarm response company which monitors sites remotely. The alarm response company is able to verify the alarm and respond appropriately. The video verification of the intrusion allows the response company to gather identification information of the intruder and event.

Charl Mijnhardt, Centurion Systems: Besides being vastly more cost-effective than having several standalone systems operating solo, integrated solutions are infinitely more desirable from a practicality point of view. This enables users to have a central hub or control centre from which they can manage their entire security infrastructure. GSM technology is a prime example taking several aspects of access control and security and combining it into one central, intelligent solution. I foresee much greater take-up of this all-in-one solution in the near future.

Larry Lien, Tyco Security Products: As mentioned above, there is a convenience aspect, but this can go much further. Having an integrated solution enables people to make better decisions about actions that they want to take in a more timely manner. If we were to ‘boil’ this down, it comes to reducing risk and cost savings.

First, by having timely access to the information from multiple systems integrated together enables the operator or user to make quicker assessment about an incident. There may be actions that need to be taken to respond to the incident. Time is critical and having quick access to information from the multiple systems can help to prevent incidents altogether and reduce security or safety risks.

Secondly, by having integrated solutions, the situation can be more easily assessed and analysed to prevent dispatching of unnecessary resources. Think of false alarms that may come in – in many cases alarms are false alarms and if there was a way to better assess the situation from multiple systems to be smarter about the alarm, this prevents having to send someone on site which can be costly in both residential or commercial alarms.

Theo Biehler, Viasys Intelligent Video Africa: When a traditional alert is triggered, no one knows exactly what has happened. There might be an intruder, or a curtain blowing in the wind. Often reaction companies, which have received many alerts from a site without an intrusion, don’t seem to treat the next trigger with as much urgency and this can put people at risk.

An advantage of the integrated systems is that there is better control over a site. With different layers of security, the system can be set to trigger different levels of alerts and they can be more accurately monitored to ensure the safety of people. Using these systems, it is increasingly possible to prevent intrusions rather than to simply trigger an alert when an intrusion has occurred, as is the case with the old traditional alarms. If only one layer of detection is triggered, it will indicate something different than if two or three layers of security detection in the same environment are triggered.

Using surveillance cameras, even home-owners and business owners can quickly check their cameras via a smartphone or tablet when their alarm systems trigger an alert. This can aid them in making appropriate decisions to avoid danger. If they are on the property, they can take measures to secure the family or staff members from harm by intruders. If they are heading towards the property when they receive an alert, if they see suspicious activity on the cameras, they can avoid entering the property and walking into a crime in progress.

Nicolas Garcia, Gallagher: Firstly, an integrated system makes life easier for the operator, as they don’t have to use several interfaces to access different information.

Secondly, as all relevant information is available within the same system, it allows for faster reaction and decision-making.

Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What security technologies can be effectively integrated today (e.g. CCTV/alarms/perimeter/etc.)?

Tony Janse, Reditron: CCTV systems and intrusion devices and systems can be effectively integrated, including perimeter detection systems. Integration can be done by the use of control room management software where many cameras and detection devices are being deployed. For a smaller system, direct connection to the controlling devices like DVRs can be made.

Charl Mijnhardt, Centurion Systems: Personally, we have seen great success with users integrating our gate automation solutions with infrared gate safety beams and GSM monitoring and controlling devices to create a comprehensive intruder-detection system. Our D-Series range of gate operators have intruder-detection alarms, which work in tandem with the gate beams and trigger the onboard buzzer or third-party alarm when the beams are interrupted or remain interrupted for a predefined period. Many homeowners integrate this with GSM devices to receive SMS notifications on their phones when a breach occurs.

Larry Lien, Tyco Security Products: There are many types of security systems that can be integrated. You have traditional security systems such as video systems, access control systems and intrusion alarm systems. But there are many other systems that can be integrated as well.

For commercial environments, this includes more advanced security systems such as video analytics systems, perimeter detection systems, tracking systems, mass notification systems etc. This may even extend out to systems that are not security systems per se, but important as a piece of overall operations. This includes systems such as building control systems, IT systems/network health systems, fire systems, etc.

Theo Biehler, Viasys Intelligent Video Africa: There are many, a few include:

* CCTV (analogue, HD-SDI or IP surveillance systems).

* Alarm systems.

* Perimeter protection systems (electric fences, fibre optic vibration detection systems, IR beams, ground-based radar systems). These can be linked to the concept of an alarm system, or can be established as standalone systems which can integrate with other solutions.

* Cable theft detection systems.

* RFID systems.

* EAS systems in retail environments.

* Point of Sale overlay systems – these overlay the information of a transaction as it reflects on the till slip over the camera image. The unit can be programmed to send alerts when particular actions are performed during a transaction to alert business owners of potential problems. These units work with analogue CCTV systems and can send an e-mail with an image of the camera and till slip overlay when a cash transaction is reversed, or when a refund is processed. Several staff syndicates have been caught using this method of extracting cash from the business without the business owner being aware for a long time. This solution allows the business owner to search for potential problems by specific events. If they find discrepancies, they can delve deeper.

* Facial recognition software.

* Licence plate recognition systems.

* Access control solutions (smart tags, biometric readers, etc.).

Nicolas Garcia, Gallagher: Access control, fire alarm systems, CCTV, alarms, perimeter.

Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Can surveillance technologies really be integrated effectively (and in a usable way) into intrusion and perimeter systems? Can they be integrated and simple enough to use that people would be attracted to the option?

Tony Janse, Reditron: The effectiveness of intrusion systems are enhanced by the integration of video cameras. Video allows the operator, either on- or off-site, to view the cause of the alarm. The rate of reacting to false alarms will be dramatically reduced. Video surveillance and intrusion systems can be integrated effectively and simply. With IP camera systems of today, cameras have the facility to connect an intrusion detector directly to the camera. This allows for efficient use of cabling and connectivity. Video verification of the intrusion event is then done by the basic software supplied with most reputable brands of network video recorders (NVRs). Basic digital video recorders using traditional analogue technology allow for connection of detectors directly to them. This connection allows for recording and/or viewing of the intrusion event only, allowing efficient use of the recording resources and attention of the security operators.

Charl Mijnhardt, Centurion Systems: They are two sides of the same coin. With the right system to act as a link, surveillance and intrusion/perimeter systems are seamlessly united. If one considers how technologies such as Wi-Fi and Zigbee are changing the access control game – not even to speak of the myriad solutions that add smartphones to the mix – then it is plain to see that integration really is the way forward for the security industry.

Larry Lien, Tyco Security Products: Absolutely. This is being done today in many different ways depending on what the end user is looking to do. In the most simple example, it may be integrating an alarm point/zone with a video camera feed and when an alarm occurs to pop up video. This can be done in many different video and alarming systems today as optional add-ons. However, there are a new class of systems called Physical Security Information Management Systems (PSIM) that enable many different systems to be integrated together in to a single platform – i.e. multiple video systems from multiple vendors, multiple intrusion systems from multiple vendors, multiple access control systems from multiple vendors, etc.

The exciting thing about the PSIM platform is that it is an open, modular platform that allows new systems to be plugged in and added as required. Therefore, if a user initially needs to just integrate video and their intrusion system, they can start with that first and then as they bring on a video analytics system or a perimeter system, they can go ahead and add that in to the platform.

Integration is not a problem and best in class PSIM solutions make this easy with a large library of already supported integrated systems and a drag-’n-drop type of configuration that makes it easy to set up.

Theo Biehler, Viasys Intelligent Video Africa: Indeed. The various detection solutions are also becoming more affordable, except for the impact of the current currency fluctuations. In relative terms, some detection systems which are capable of reliable performance over more than 800 m (with line of sight) are more cost effective than many systems that only monitor shorter distances, such as the conventional IR beams, and have proven to be more reliable detectors. Some of these detection systems can transpose the detection onto a screen to track intruders who are at the perimeter or have breached the perimeter.

A crucial advantage is using systems which can track the intruders, so that the monitoring centre still knows where they are after a few minutes when the reaction team arrives. With some basic systems, the reaction team will be sent to the point of intrusion or original detection, but the intruders will have moved on, making this effort a little futile. With the more advanced systems, security can be sent to point to which the intruders have moved. This is likely to significantly raise the effectiveness of a reaction team, but only if the reaction team responds fast enough.

Nicolas Garcia, Gallagher: Yes, it can be integrated into our Command Centre and thanks to its GUI, is very easy to operate.

Hi-Tech Security Solutions: We often hear about video being used for perimeter protection, but how viable is this from a cost and reliability point of view? Do video analytics work well enough to boost intrusion and perimeter security or are they more of a hassle?

Tony Janse, Reditron: Although video analytics has come a long way in the past few years, it is not infallible. The verification of an event by some form of intrusion detector that required an actual physical event to take place will reduce the number of false alarms that are generated from video analytics. The two technologies should be seen as complementary to each other. Video analytics fails when the lighting of the area in view is very poor, which is often the case on perimeters. Video analytics is exactly what it says – it analyses the area of view, but it cannot apply logical thinking it would not know the difference between a person and large piece of paper blowing into the scene. By the use of detection systems, both video and alarm events can be verified by the control system.

Charl Mijnhardt, Centurion Systems: There is much to be said for video as a perimeter detection and protection device, and it has certainly proved its worth by virtue alone of how long this has been the preferred method of surveillance. However, with so many emerging technologies making the scene, it is safe to say that more compact and versatile solutions may become more attractive to home and business owners.

Larry Lien, Tyco Security Products: Video analytics have come a long way in the last 10 years. Algorithms are more sophisticated and are able to drop the number of false alarms. Using it as a sole factor for perimeter protection will depend on the risk tolerance level that is required, the environment, and how it works with an organisation’s standard operating procedures.

At the same time, a pure fence sensor technology has its strengths and weaknesses as well. However, the whole idea with integrated solutions is that multiple solutions working in conjunction with each other will provide improved value – in this case, it can create improved accuracy and reduce false alarms.

Working together you might get many alarms from the video analytics system – some real and some false, as well as many alarms from the fence system – some real and some false. If alarms from both systems can be correlated in an integrated system, then only those alarms that are raised in both systems will be the alarms that are likely to be real alarms.

Theo Biehler, Viasys Intelligent Video Africa: Video alarm systems are becoming much more reliable and popular. Systems designed specifically for perimeter protection are proving to be the most reliable. Other multi-purpose systems which have some detection capabilities that are being harnessed for perimeter protection are proving to be less reliable. When contemplating a video surveillance solution for perimeter protection, people should check on the history of its use for such purposes.

If the video surveillance for the perimeter is simply a nice-to-have and not essential, you can use almost any system which can offer some form of solution. Where the perimeter security is vital and safety-critical, then use a specialised system which has been specifically designed and engineered to perform the function. In specialised solutions, the system used is as important as the correct selection of cameras for the environment and the placement of those cameras.

A simple analogy is relevant. Some people spend large sums of money on specifically designed 4x4 vehicles to go on off-road adventures, and some people simply use a 4x2 bakkie with diff lock. While the bakkie with diff lock can often go to several of the places that the 4x4 can reach, there will be a point at which the demands of the situation exceed the capabilities of the bakkie (even with an experienced driver). A 4x4 would then be required to rescue the bakkie. Even though the two vehicles may reach many of the same destinations, they cannot both perform to the same extremes, and the drivers/owners take different levels of risk in achieving the goal.

Nicolas Garcia, Gallagher: It does. With the cost of thermal camera coming down and with the development of video analytics, false alarms can be masked/reduced to allow a hassle free operation.

Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Does remote monitoring change the game when it comes to adding video to perimeter or intrusion detection/prevention?

Tony Janse, Reditron: Yes. The remote monitoring service provider needs to operate its business as efficiently as possible. This can only be done by the reduction of false alarm events. For remote monitoring, event triggers are used to verify the event so that an appropriate response can be initiated. Of importance to the alarm monitoring company is the management of alarm events by proper recording and logging of the events and an audit trail of actions taken and by whom. This is where control centre management software plays an important role and is just as essential to the operation as the electronic security equipment deployed.

Larry Lien, Tyco Security Products: The ability to assess incidents becomes much easier and accurate with integrated solutions. More information is available in a timely manner to the remote operator and he/she is more able to respond to the alarm.

Theo Biehler, Viasys Intelligent Video Africa: Yes, but the understanding and perception of people requires a change. I suspect that the perceptions and understanding of the end users are shaped by the people who sell these systems, which may also require a change.

For some reason, people seem to understand that traditional alarms need to be armed to be active, and will only activate the armed response team when a sensor is triggered and an alert is transmitted. When it comes to video surveillance, they seem to think that personnel can physically monitor multiple cameras continuously for an entire shift.

Perimeter surveillance with an analytics aspect and a secondary detection system has proven the most successful in our experience. Such a system can be monitored on site by a guarding team, and triggers can alert the guards to focus on specific cameras when the trigger(s) occur. This, combined with the remote monitoring capability, offers several advantages:

* A small monitoring team is needed, as the trigger(s) will alert the personnel when incidents occur. This reduces the cost of the monitoring solution.

* With the primary and secondary detection systems, the reliability of the system is greatly enhanced and it is unlikely that an incident will occur without being detected.

* With remote monitoring capabilities, even if there is a monitoring service on site, a remote monitoring centre can ensure the reliability of the on-site monitoring. A major advantage of remote monitoring is that a single monitoring centre can monitor multiple sites in a variety of geographic locations. For each site where on-site monitoring occurs, a monitoring centre must be built. This can be beneficial in reducing the overall cost of monitoring.

* Systems which have been specifically designed may also include advanced features, such as automatic escalation if an incident is not dealt with by an operator in a video monitoring centre.

* A solution such as Viasys, which has been specifically designed and engineered for perimeter protection has an additional advantage – it can operate reliably on a 512 Kb Internet connection. This makes Viasys suitable for use in Africa where band width may be low at many sites that need to be monitored, such as outlying farming areas where farmers are being attacked, cellular towers in remote locations, etc.

Nicolas Garcia, Gallagher: Remote monitoring does change the game as, besides its ease of use, it brings the cost down as many sites can be monitored remotely from one central point. It furthermore reduces chances of on-site collusion, as a remote operator is less likely to meet/know on-site people.

Finally, it also brings peace of mind as all footage can be stored off-site, ensuring that all evidence is available in case of events, as the footage is less likely to be stolen.

Contacts: Reditron, 087 802 CCTV (2288), [email protected], www.reditron.co.za; Centurion Systems, +27 (0)11 699 2400, [email protected], www.centsys.co.za; Tyco Security Products, +27 (0)82 566 5274, [email protected], www.tycosecurityproducts.com; Viasys Intelligent Video Africa, +27 (0)11 326 0099, [email protected], www.viasys-iv.com; Gallagher, +27 (0)11 971 4202, [email protected], www.gallagher.co

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