London attacks prompt surge in security enquiries and business

The months following July's terrorist incidents in London have seen an increase in the level of business for installers for the time of year – especially those based in or near the capital – as well as an increase in public awareness and business interest in security issues.

This awareness has only been heightened by the continuing focus placed on the "missing" CCTV footage from the police shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell tube station on July 22.

Ting-Ting Hung of London-based manufacturer Hunt Electronic said that trade has definitely increased in the months following the attacks.

"It has been significant, even in comparison to last year's demand," she said. "We have been very busy – enquiries have almost doubled in July and August, in comparison to this time last year. The great majority of people don't normally install that much in summer, so it's very unusual.

"Installers have been telling us that they have been very busy. The ones we have been dealing with, in the main, have been enquiries about DVRs and cameras. The majority of these have been for installations in shops and franchises.

"We used to sell a lot of four-channel DVRs, and now many enquiries relate to nine or 16 channel models. This suggests that clients are looking for additional coverage options for their premises."

This is backed up by stories from the Financial Times, which reported "a surge of inquiries from businesses about security and how to remain trading in the event of a terrorist attack".

Contingency planning agency the Continuity Forum said requests for information and advice had increased by 75 per cent since August 1.

The FT quoted Continuity Forum's Russell Price as saying that "a lot of the enquiries were coming from medium-sized businesses that until now had been struggling to understand the concept of business continuity, while smaller companies were hamstrung by the costs involved".

Installers have been telling us that they have been very busy, and the majority have been installations in shops and franchises

But Steve Hunt, CEO of 4A International, said businesses need to think hard before investing in security equipment – and should consider the advantages of newly developed integrated and converged systems.

"The outdated designs of the systems being deployed in the Underground around London, and in private companies around the UK, mean that video, alarms and bomb sensors can only send their signals to one place, and only to people who may or may not be alert at their post," he said.

"The linking of physical security products into the IT systems of organisations will speed up searches, identify anomalies, rule out some threats, and alert us to others before the threats become terrible realities."

Another firm which has identified the need for 'smart' video monitoring and management systems is Viseum Technology, which has a system it claims "could help prevent further attacks by allowing operators spend more time looking at things that really matter".

The system – on trial with two local Police authorities and a university in East London – can detect a range of suspicious behaviours, street crime and potential threats, such as persons leaving bags in public areas or people behaving suspiciously.

Croma Group has also rolled out its King IPT 765 and WASP CCTV systems. The WASP unit, in particular, is a stand-alone wireless CCTV system, which Croma says "is suited to the surveillance of remote utilities such as reservoirs and large government installations".

Amongst a number of companies promoting their mobile CCTV products and systems is CBC, which is launching a mobile DVR specifically for transport applications. It's an eight channel model which has "been engineered to cope with the shock and vibration problems commonly associated with this environment," the company says. CBC is aiming the DVR at markets including buses, coaches, trains, ships and aeroplanes.

And in an interesting development, the Daily Telegraph reported that "thousands of people across Britain have rushed to write new wills" in the wake of the terrorist attacks. "Will-writing agencies and banks offering these services to clients are reporting a surge in enquiries," the report said.