Exclusive: Welcoming the next generation of security

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been far-reaching across all aspects of society. In the realm of security, we have seen a renewed focus on cybersecurity, increased use of video analytics to monitor the wearing of face masks and adherence to social distancing guidelines as well as a rapid rise in touchless access control solutions to help stop the spread of the virus.

The industry is developing at breakneck speed and it is imperative that manufacturers keep pace or they will be in danger of being left behind. STANLEY Security is one example of a vendor that is leading the charge into this new era.

STANLEY Security is the world’s second largest electronic security company with over 5,000 employees worldwide across 200 offices. The firm designs, installs, monitors and services integrated security and fire safety solutions.

The company has been ahead of the curve when it comes to recognising the shifting security requirements of end user organisations in the post-pandemic era and has therefore swiftly pivoted its business to accommodate these.

Looking to the cloud

One area that STANLEY Security has significantly expanded its capabilities is within its portfolio of cloud-based solutions. It recently introduced Remote Guard, a product which uses a clever combination of CCTV, access control, intercoms and remote monitoring to take over the duties of security guards, all at a fraction of the cost.

At the heart of Remote Guard is STANLEY Security’s Category 2 NSI Gold Standard BS5979 accredited monitoring centre, where highly trained professional operatives use electronic security systems on customers’ sites to remotely conduct security guard tasks such as visitor validation, vehicle access and area lockdowns. CCTV cameras enable operatives to identify and validate incoming vehicles. Intercom and cameras with two-way audio provide effective communication with drivers and enable any instructions to be clearly delivered. Access control is used to unlock doors, gates and barriers.

Wherever possible, existing on-site security equipment is used by Remote Guard to make it highly cost-effective and sustainable, although this will depend on the age and sophistication of that equipment.  

Speaking exclusively with International Security Journal, Ashley Hickling, National SaaS Sales Manager for STANLEY Security revealed that he is now seeing much greater demand than ever before for cloud-based solutions.

He said: “I think the tide seems to be turning in the UK when it comes to cloud-based solutions. I believe we are still a little behind the rest of the world at this stage but the impact of COVID-19 has certainly ramped up demand. I don’t believe there are any other companies the size of STANLEY that are so aggressively transforming to a more cloud-based offering.

“People are realising that cloud security isn’t scary and there are significant benefits to be had by utilising such solutions. Just one example is that it hugely improves an organisation’s resiliency, if a physical CCTV recorder fails then the whole system will go down. However, if you are recording to the cloud and one camera goes down, the failure will be isolated to that one location and everything else will still record, providing the customer with reassurance that their security is still functioning.”

The move towards the cloud has also coincided with a greater requirement for integrated security systems. Users are asking for their surveillance, access control, intruder detection and fire protection systems to be combined on one platform.

STANLEY Security’s UK Technical Product Manager, Chris Coughlin is enthusiastic about the trend for increased integration and explained some of the advantages that companies are experiencing: “It is so much more efficient to have an integrated security system. Integrating your surveillance, access control, intruder detection and fire systems together gives you one over-arching solution where each system talks to each other.

“For example, if you have an incident on site, you are able to go into one interface and triage multiple systems simultaneously, such as CCTV, access control, T&A, intruder and fire to give a holistic view of which system has triggered the incident and gather the supporting insights from those linked systems to provide a root cause analysis.”

Coughlin added: “From a technology perspective, the information you glean is unparalleled. The integration provides you with an event log which makes post-incident investigations so much quicker and easier. Without the integration, an organisation would require a member of staff to trawl through every system which is incredibly slow and cumbersome.”

Introducing the next generation

As part of the company’s aim to educate organisations about the new generation of security systems that are now available, STANLEY Security is hosting a free-to-attend webinar on Thursday 11 February 2021 which will be delving into topics such as:

• Getting your premises technology ready
• Future proofing your security technology  
• Meeting Government guidelines with touchless access control
• Get more from your security budget with remote monitoring
• Creating a seamless security experience through integration
• Managing a remote workforce through the cloud
• Working examples of businesses already benefiting from these solutions

Chris Coughlin will be one of the speakers featuring in the webinar and provided some further information: “This isn’t going to be a sales pitch; we want to take our customers on a journey through the solutions that are now available and how they can help them. I’m bringing the experience of not only how the technology works but how it operates and integrates into everyday business processes to create safer and healthier security solutions.” 

Ashley Hickling expanded on how the webinar will prove to be extremely helpful: “We will be discussing the different aspects of our disruptive solution, remote guarding, whether that is replacing a traditional manned gatehouse with a fully operable electronic alternative or fully utilising surveillance systems in order to provide a complete monitored solution for client sites.”

The webinar is just one activity in what looks to be an extremely busy next 12 months for STANLEY Security. As well as the technology developments that have already been mentioned, the company will also be enhancing its customer service offering.

Coughlin stated: “For us, it’s not exclusively about launching new tangible products. We are revisiting services that we currently provide and looking at how we can use modern technology to enhance them which will bring an improved experience for our customers.

“For example, we are working on how we can make our remote maintenance service more efficient. We will be bringing to market a solution that will potentially identify a fault in the product before the customer even knows one exists. It gives a whole new meaning to preventative maintenance and is a real game-changer.”

The quick changes that have been made by the team at STANLEY Security have certainly put the company in a good position heading into 2021. STANLEY Security customers look set to receive first-class customer service as well as a raft of next generation solutions that will future-proof them against a multitude of security challenges.

To register for the Next Generation Security webinar, please click here