What is Security System Integration?
Systems integration occurs when you tie all of your different building protection systems (burglar, fire, access control, and surveillance cameras) into a single ecosystem. Integrated systems share information and allow you to view all systems from a single console.
SECURITY INTEGRATION BENEFITS
Increased safety for your employees
Increased security for your building and assets
Immediate response to alarms across all systems
Increased efficiencies by streamlining operations
Ease of systems management by controlling all systems from one program
Maximized ROI on the cost of all your building protection systems
Ability to use existing infrastructure while upgrading and adding on to it
SECURITY INTEGRATION FEATURES
Ability to see via your security cameras what trigged a burglar, access control or fire alarm, and where you need to respond
Ability to provide automatic visual verification to the proper authorities when an alarm is triggered
Transparency and information sharing between building protection systems
Instantly add or remove building access for employees, contractors, cleaning crews, or other service personnel
Systems can be monitored from a remote location
Turns data from disparate systems into actionable information for decision-makers
Why Should I Integrate My Building Protection Systems?
At the 10,000-foot view, integrating your systems will allow you to increase security, save money, create efficiencies, simplify processes, increase productivity, and gain actionable insights into building operations and help you make informed decisions about your systems and processes.
INCREASED SECURITY
Integrated systems increase security by saving valuable seconds after an alarm is triggered by providing a unified view of all systems to help security personnel quickly identify what system was tripped and how they need to respond.
Another boost to security is because integrated systems can be completely customized, so you have a wide range of different types of sensors and devices that can be connected to your system. They can be programmed to interact with each other and provide you with more comprehensive safety and security features. For example, suppose an access-controlled door sets off an alarm in the middle of the night. In that case, you can have your integrated system turn on the surveillance camera pointed at that door. The security system can alert your smartphone with the live stream video of what is happening at that location. Without integration, you would only get the alert to your phone and have no visibility into whether there is an intruder and unsure of what action you need to take.
SAVE MONEY
Who doesn’t like to save money? With an integrated system, you can save money in a variety of ways. The first is through design, installation, monitoring, and maintenance through a single security provider. Having a single provider instead of multiple ones will always be a more cost-effective way to maintain your building protection systems.
The next is the ability to utilize your existing infrastructure and then upgrade and add on as your needs evolve. A common misconception about integrating all your systems is that you will have to rip out all of your existing equipment, but that is not the case. Today’s advanced integration platforms can utilize thousands of existing devices, saving you the expense of having to upgrade everything all at once.
Another way these systems save you money is through the rich data and analytics they provide. They provide businesses with a holistic view of building operations with actionable information that decision-makers can use to improve their systems and processes.
And lastly, you can save money by further integrating with other building systems like lighting and HVAC. For example, when the building alarm is armed for the evening, your security system can communicate with lighting controls to turn off all the lights left on in the building and adjust the air for the empty building, saving you money on your power bill.
CREATE EFFICIENCIES
With data coming in from all of your systems into a single location, you can analyze your building’s operations and make informed decisions about your policies, procedures, and building protection equipment. You can utilize that data to identify patterns, such as false alerts, and determine if equipment needs to be repaired or replaced ahead of an actual event or emergency.
SIMPLIFY PROCESSES
The ability to view all of your building protection systems on a single dashboard will simplify (and speed up) building management. Security directors won’t have to toggle between screens and different software for security cameras, access control, and burglar alarms. Security directors can also view integrated systems from a remote location, which means they do not have to be in a centralized operations center to view alerts and take action.
INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
While workplace safety is paramount for numerous reasons, one of the additional benefits of enhancing safety is that it can be a way to boost productivity. Numerous studies have shown that employees are happier when they know how much the company appreciates, respects, and values them on a personal level. Providing a safe working environment is a great way to show employees you value them, and happy employees are productive employees.
Security Integration Examples
When you tie all of your building protection systems together, you can unleash a whole new world of benefits and efficiencies for your business. So, what all is possible when you tie all of your building protection systems together? To give you an idea, here are some examples.
CAMERA RECORDING AND INSTANT NOTIFICATION
Suppose an unauthorized person is trying to enter your building. With an integrated ecosystem, your Access Control system can communicate with your Surveillance Camera, have the camera start recording, and your Burglar Alarm / Security system can alert you via text or email.
SCHEDULE DOORS TO AUTOMATICALLY LOCK AND ARM YOUR BURGLAR ALARM
Another feature made possible by integrating with your Burglar Alarm / Security system is that you can use your Access Control system’s scheduling feature to lock your doors and turn on your alarm. This will allow you to arm your system after contractors, cleaning crews, and other service providers are done working.
VISUAL CONFIRMATION
Another gain from system integration is that you can save crucial seconds when determining where an alarm was triggered. Suppose a Fire Alarm goes off in your building, and your systems are integrated. In that case, you can program the Surveillance Camera closest to the Fire Alarm to start recording and show video to confirm where the fire is located.
MORE EXAMPLES
Some other things an integrated system can do is have cameras with two-way audio that work with your Access Control system so you can verify a person’s identity and allow or deny access to your building. You can program cameras to start recording when a glass break or motion sensor is tripped and view a live stream of the video from anywhere in the world. You can even have your Access Control system to detect unwanted off-hours activity and send you alerts.
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
The possibilities are practically limitless with the right security experts and equipment. With an integrated system, you will have multiple building protection systems working together to reduce risk, improve security, streamline your business operations and realize the ROI from all of your systems.
