PA picked as hot prospect

As a result of security installers fitting systems with extra features such as PA, Gardiner Security has set up a dedicated PA division, complete with its own catalogue.

The company has a long history of supplying security systems fitted with PA technology, notably for making warning announcements to ward off intruders identified by CCTV.

But increasing evidence on the wider benefits of PA to employers and retailers has prompted a new look at PA as one of the major potential growth areas for the industry.

Gardiner says that with the Disability Discrimination Act now law, installers need to be aware that induction loop systems take on particular significance for any workplace or concourse area.

The PA division’s national sales manager Geoff Aitken says that with such a strong focus on countering the threat to public safety, voice evacuation systems is another market which installers should consider tapping into.

“To some security managers and installers, fitting CCTV and PA together will be nothing new,” he says. “But even among those who’ve installed PA, or are considering it, there are still real gaps in understanding what it can do for the end user – and hence untapped business opportunities for themselves as suppliers of value-added systems. One of the strongest examples of this is background music.”

He points to a study carried out by the Music Research Group in the department of Psychology at Leicester university in 1999, which found that productivity was higher when fast music was played than when no music was played, and higher again when fast music was played compared to slow music. Morale levels also improved, and studies have shown that in retail, background music can influence purchasing behaviour beyond conscious awareness.

“In tandem with security, PA systems transform the working environment,” Aitken says. “They enable users to monitor and manage at the same time, backing up the independent broadcast of music and sales announcements with voice evacuation systems linked to fire alarms in case of emergency, where good communication is essential.”