Not for the Faint of Heart

• By Dan Myslewski
• Oct 01, 2011

Providing security in the government sector is not for the faint of heart or the uncommitted. The government sector requires expertise in high-level security applications, advanced compliance requirements and the challenge of securing funding.

I’ve been working in the government sector for more than a decade and would say that these challenges are present constantly, though they change a bit from year to year, committee to committee and administration to administration. Thus, integrators must be fully staffed and trained on design, integration, installation and maintenance of physical security systems and solutions for government customers.

As I’ve done in the past, this year I found myself navigating the government procurement process, though it was a unique year due to the funding issues facing Washington. Many government clients did not have access to funding until late into the fiscal year because Congress was passing a series of continuing funding resolutions rather than a comprehensive budget that covered the whole year. Budgeting constraints such as these provide an especially important reason to stay close to government clients, because they cause clients to have to prioritize their needs.

We worked closely with end users to maximize their budgets and increase transparency. Also, our government program worked to enhance the existing customers’ security platforms in unique ways to maximize their investment.

When providing products and technology for the government sector, a balance of innovative and proven solutions must be delivered. Yes, the government sector in many instances is able to pay for the highest security products and technology and also tends to seek the newest, most innovative use of technology. However, just as with all security customers, the end result has to be a product and technology that is proven, reliable, stable and able to meet the demanding everyday use of government facilities.

Right now, we are working on an exciting new product technology offering for the government sector: an in-motion, at-a-distance, iris biometric management solution. It offers the highest level of identity management access control for areas, rooms, vehicle entry points and especially high-throughput gates.

The product is made by the Hoyos Group, and we are working with the company as an exclusive provider in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The government has already used the product, and we are working to secure approval for additional government agencies and applications.

The key to our success will be collaboration with government agencies on their compliance requirements for this innovative and game-changing technology.

Our government program works closely with decision-makers in Washington, D.C. For that reason, we have an office in Washington, so we can collaboratively interact with our government customers. Our national footprint allows us to work closely with the regional security decision-makers on their specialized needs, as well. Multiple contracting vehicles are helpful in developing government agency contracts that can quickly be completed as the government fiscal year comes to a close. One must understand that the speed of procurement, a tangible ROI and transparency are of the utmost importance. We work with our government end users to tailor solutions that fit their needs.

I have found that, in the same manner government customers balance innovative technology with proven products, government security end users are looking for a national provider with local resources—someone who can work with the government customer on unique application needs and local compliance requirements.

Forming strategic partnerships with government programs to develop services and solutions greatly decreases the turnaround time of proposal acceptance, installation completion and final project certification approval. A government program needs to focus on HSPD-12 and high-security solutions for our clients.

This article originally appeared in the October 2011 issue of Security Today.