Leveraging Security to Maximize Revenue
Security has long been a vital business partner to companies big and small, protecting company assets and intellectual property. Security technology provides safe work environments and gives management the peace of mind to know they can make business decisions for business improvement.
Today, a new partnership is taking shape, one that sees companies using technology to not only enhance the security of their organizations, but to simultaneously improve business processes and promote operational efficiencies. With today’s technology requirements, end user and integrator ingenuity are merging to bring services long talked about and others never before conceived to life. Video surveillance and access control services provide the clearest example of this evolution.
The Internet provides realtime, anywhere access to surveillance cameras, as well as to the comings and goings of employees and visitors via access control logs. This access provides invaluable information as to the security measures in place at a given facility. But take a closer look at the data and a treasure trove of customer and employee patterns begin to emerge.
New RMR Rising With Technology
Forward-thinking businesses use security data to improve their processes and make better, more informed business decisions.
Is the new line of merchandise displayed prominently in the front of the store? Do I need more lunch staff on Thursdays and Fridays? Are my employees being honest about their hours worked?
Security technology allows for operational efficiencies as well. A security director based in Jacksonville, Fla., can view and download footage of an incident online in Orlando without having to make the four-hour roundtrip drive to the facility to pull the incident from the DVR. Now, imagine having facilities across the entire state of Florida or across North America.
During the course of a year, consider how much remote access can potentially save a business in fleet expenses, travel expenditures, and time and resource management.
With security technology you can literally be in multiple places at one time. A win-win for all parties involved, this anytime, anywhere access helps end users more easily justify their security investments.
Because security technology is becoming more integral to the overall business operation, funding is now coming from the customer’s IT, sales and marketing departments. This convergence opens new recurring monthly revenue (RMR) opportunities for security providers, many of whom are investing research and development dollars to position themselves at the forefront of the convergence revolution.
Leverage Customer IT Investments
New video services are changing the way companies conduct business. Many security providers can offer, in various forms, online services that allow a customer to access their local video surveillance systems via the Internet for realtime and historical viewing of their cameras, plus control pan/tilt/zoom (p/t/z) units. This service allows customers to view, store and retrieve video images from their local DVR unit, all while leveraging their existing infrastructure.
A common misconception by customers is that they need Internet protocol (IP) video solutions to perform the aforementioned tasks. When a customer requests IP video, oftentimes what they are truly asking for is simply the ability to access live and stored video footage using a secure Internet network.
Monitoring Via Video Auditing
An example of taking video to the next level is Stanley Convergent Security Solutions’ new video auditing service. eVideo Audit is a video monitoring service that provides realtime audits, notification and exception reporting of a customer’s business processes. Using a secure Internet connection, eVideo specialists connect to the customer’s CCTV system to view the activity at the customer’s local premises to ensure their documented business practices are being followed with immediate notification to customers as needed.
For example, a regional manager or owner with multiple locations may need to ensure his employees are wearing the correct attire, the correct promotional items are displayed, the correct number of employees is behind the service counter, and the sales demo units are on display. However, time and cost to travel to each location to ensure these basic processes are being followed diverts their time from focusing on customers and more pressing business activities. With eVideo Audit, the work is done by Stanley remotely with the customer being notified only if a process is not followed.
This type of service represents a true business partnership, helping customers ensure that their business processes are being followed on a daily basis by their employees at all locations.
On Guard With 24/7 Virtual Security
Video verification is another example of a solution set that simultaneously improves overall security and produces business efficiencies not before realized. New technologies allow audio and video clips to be more quickly filtered, reviewed, transmitted and verified. By integrating audio and video with intrusion and access control systems, monitoring centers can now become a virtual security guard for an organization, protecting it during or after-hours.
Systems can be programmed to transmit audio or video when an activation signal is tripped. For instance, when someone enters an invalid alarm code after-hours, when an outside motion detector is crossed or whenever anyone enters a server room. Best of all, when installing a new alarm and video system, there is typically no need for additional equipment for video alarm verification services.
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