INDUSTRY FOCUS

Opening Your Business Safely

I’m a pretty lucky guy. I get to drive to work with my best friend. Each day when I drop my wife off at her office I am hopeful that everything is OK when she goes into her office. My wife is a banker. One of the highest risk times for any business is during the act of opening and closing. I worry about this enough that I asked a couple of security professionals how someone can stay safe and secure in this environment. I turned to Jason Goldberg at Verint and Felix Gonzalez at Securitas Electronic Systems.

My curiosity piqued, I learned about Secure All-Clear. This is not a product endorsement— it is information that could be beneficial to my spouse and to others working in industries like her own.

The software is brought to market by Verint. SES Alarm Monitoring Center has deployed in as a way to soften the costs of security, and it seems to revolutionize opening and closing procedures for businesses. The solution creates a direct link to the SES Center, and can be used easily through a mobile device app.

According to Goldberg, the ideal platform for Secure-All Clear is the smartphone. The first person of the day to open the business can take the necessary tour after entering the facility, then use their phone to message the alarm center that all is well. If they do not respond in the prescribed time limit, an alarm is sounded. Other employees need not enter the facility until the coast is clear.

The app is a money saver for starters. Generally, two people arrive at the workplace at the same time. One person enters and if it is all clear, a predetermined sign is given. If not, the person outside understands it is not safe and an alarm is given. With Secure All-Clear, one person arrives at the workplace and enters the building. As that person moves throughout the facility, a checklist of items is determined, and if it is safe, the SES Alarm Monitoring Center is notified that all is well. Money is saved by having only one person verify the security of the facility.

It is a single solution that enhances an employee’s safety during businesses’ critical daily activities, such as opening and closing. The solution empowers alarm dispatchers with critical information needed to respond to threatening events while providing peace of mind.

The system is cloud-based on your own device via a mobile app. The employee is in touch with the SES Alarm Monitoring Center, and it reduces operating expense and labor savings. It is a single-employee procedure, reducing operation risk and it is compliant by offering digital documentation, customized procedures and dynamic reporting.

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.