
Choosing the Right Technology
In many ways, the electronic security industry is like the .com companies of the 1990’s. In the last 10 years the world has been flooded with more security technology than ever before. According to an IHS Market video surveillance report, the number of professional surveillance cameras shipped has increased by 10 times between 2006 and 2016 from 9.9 million in 2006 to over 106 million in 2016 and is expected to reach 160 million annually by 2020. Other security related products have seen similar growth.
Like with the .com boom, sadly many of the companies in the market today promise technologies that do not perform as advertised and will likely not be around 10 years from now. Investing in the right security technologies can bring significant security, operational and financial benefits to the organization. Investing in the wrong technologies can result in wasted capital, frustrated stakeholders and managers, and increased security vulnerabilities.
Developing an effective technology strategy prior to the procurement and deployment of electronic security systems is key to avoid these negative outcomes. Proper planning prior to design or deployment of the technology is necessary and must consider the following:
- Develop clear and measurable performance metrics for each security system
- Identify technologies that meet performance metrics (on paper) and shortlisting a viable number of testable options.
- Test potential technologies for performance, robustness and ability to integrate into your security system.
- Prepare the system deployment, maintenance and training.
Before we dive into these planning milestones, it is worth exploring how the planning phase fits into the larger project picture:
Phases of a Security Enhancement Project:
- Identify the Security Need
- Project Planning
- System Design
- Training and Implementation
- Assessment
- Maintenance
If the project planning is done correctly, then you set the course for a successful overall enhancement project.