Taming the tech

New figures from MSI show yet another hike in the market for centralised monitoring of alarms. According to its latest report, the market grew by 5% in 1999 to reach a total of £239 million. This rise is largely attributed to ACPO intruder alarms policy, which discourages police from responding to alarm systems unless they are connected to a monitoring centre and are able to receive verified alarms — increasingly made possible by the growing sophistication of visual communications technology.

Almost in parallel, the cost of manned security services has risen, having had to absorb the repercussions of imposed legislation including the Minimum Wage and Working Time Directive, not to mention increased systems training for guards.

Meanwhile end users have been bombarded with strong economic reasons for opting for technology in favour of fewer guards. The argument goes like this: "Technology allows sites to be protected 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A guard cannot do that on his own unless there are lots of guards. That involves costs (see panel) which are easily recouped by putting in sophisticated remote CCTV systems which are able to monitor multiple sites from a remote monitoring centre."

The heat is on security managers to look at the alternatives available and break down their threat and requirement costing and make choices about guards or technology based on detailed risk assessments and value for money.

Technology pluses

According to Mike Paul, a director of REMAS (Remote Management and Security Ltd), a new player in the remote monitoring market, technology is working against the guard. "Without any doubt, we can put forward a proposal to clients where the costs of the systems are paid for in one year from the savings they make from paying the guard. There are huge financial and operational benefits to be had from using a visual monitoring service. Insurers like it, police like it because it is a kind of confirmed alarm, and the monitoring station can watch the criminal and guide police to the exact site of the criminal."

So does that mean guards are no longer going to be needed on site to perform guard tours, nor even to respond to alarms? Well, not quite. Even though it is technologically possible for a monitoring centre to use CCTV to look around the site, that isn't the whole story of managing an alarm situation. According to Colin Walters, business development manager of Remote Video Response (RVR), a service being driven by SMC, although there are areas where manned guarding cannot hope to compete with its technological equivalents the two are not mutually exclusive. "There are several cases where the two are complementary," says Walters. "A manned guard can become more effective because he is supported by technology." Also while technology can be used to tour sites remotely, there are still some 'blind spots' that it cannot cope with. Indeed many companies opt for 'mantech' solutions, where guards form an integral part of site monitoring and are able to call into visual monitoring centres before they set off on their tour of the sites so the centre can 'virtually' accompany them.

Says Paul Davey, managing director of Sirrus: "There will be situations where any amount of technology won't replace having a body there. Where we have seen it used successfully is where clients have a flying squad [of guards] who are able to go out rapidly when they get visual verification following an alarm. Even if you have an audio link where you can shout at the criminal, you have to have a human body to back it up."

Paul Bromley, technical director at Farsight UK, agrees that technology will never replace the man, but customers will look for added value. "Technology offers cost savings and offers a tool for guarding companies to provide solutions to their customers. In the past, some central monitoring centres have had their own guarding companies, but in terms of offering a national service, the solution has not carried. But we are allying with guarding companies to introduce technology on sites, and it means the guarding companies themselves can offer a better solution to customers if they have technology in their portfolio."

Changing of the guard

Inevitably for guards themselves, the long boring wait in the site hut is going to have to change. Guards will have to take on extra duties, such as issuing ID badges, searching vehicles or specialising in first aid. But they will also have to take a more active role in response duties. Steve Nelson, operations director of Visual Verification which provides a monitoring service in the north, says: "The role of the guard is going to change. Remote monitoring technology cannot apprehend burglars, or put out fires. But the role of police is also changing, and many monitoring centres won't be able to work without a physical response."

Indeed West Midlands police has just announced it will withdraw police response to commercial sites, allowing more room for monitoring centres to provide alternative response options for customers. Nelson continues: "If criminals can only get shouted at by the person monitoring the site from a remote location, that isn't going to be enough. I think the guards' role will change for their benefit. They will be expected to do a lot more advanced specialist work on customers sites in conjunction with CCTV companies."

Indeed the guarding industry has taken note of the added value now being expected of them. Richard Jemson, director of Reliance, says: "With the demographic curve of available manpower, the role of the on-site security officer has changed. They have to be more technical, more customer facing, to embrace technology and be computer-literate. Generally speaking they are expected to be of a 'higher calibre' from the customer's perception. What CCTV monitoring is doing is allowing companies like us to offer a wider range of services. We are now expected to give faster, more accurate reporting in real time that is more useful to larger corporate establishments."

Jemson believes the emphasis of the guard's role may shift, but only for those customers who are able to purchase sophisticated systems. "In a lot of cases, there will be intruders on the premises, and the police won't want to come out. It will allow more decisions and help the police in being more selective about response. But it will complement, rather than take away the need for mobile responses or even static response. There may well be less out of hours, night and weekend shift work as a result of monitoring centres offering better technology. It will make security officers a more valued commodity."