Page 36 - Security Today, May/June 2021

from those of a jewelry store. The former may be more interested in using their video system to ensure that their drive-through is moving along expeditiously throughout the day, that their food prep is being handled in a healthy and safe manner, and that people aren’t waiting too long in line to be served. For the latter, it may be more about pro- tecting high-value merchandise from sophisticated burglary attempts.
Hence, one of the first questions to ask an integrator is wheth- er they serve businesses similar to yours. You don’t want your business to be the guinea pig for an inexperienced systems inte- grator. Only with adequate prior experience in your industry ver- tical will they understand your unique requirements.
This is especially true if you are in an industry that needs to meet stringent regulatory standards. Take cannabis retailers, for example. Every state and even some municipalities have their own unique requirements for video surveillance, as part of their “seed to sale” regulations. Cannabis businesses have to follow extremely specific and varied requirements set by the authorities regarding how much video needs to be retained, where cameras should be placed, and even access control standards.
The security integrator must know those requirements or they’re going to put you in potential jeopardy from a regulatory standpoint. We see businesses getting fined all the time in various spaces for failure to comply with state and local regulations.
DO THEY OFFER NATIONWIDE COVERAGE?
If you have a nationwide, multi-location business and want a uni- fied solution for comprehensive security, you need a nationwide integrator. It’s not uncommon for a small but growing business to initially associate with a local or regional integrator. But as they grow, they are forced to move on to integrators who can serve
them throughout their footprint.
It can be very frustrating to have a business that has grown
to hundreds of locations throughout the country and have, for instance, multiple different alarm monitoring companies. Each company will have different processes, procedures, invoices, and contract terms that you will have to deal with separately, resulting in a material waste of time and resources.
At the same time, local and regional integrators can bring tre- mendous value to the equation when it comes to installing and servicing certain key facilities, like a corporate headquarters or college campus. A local integrator can give these types of proj- ects the special attention they need. Importantly, a local integra- tor and their technicians can develop intimate knowledge about a particular mission-critical facility allowing them too quickly and expertly service the system when problems arise.
THE FINAL WORD
Choosing a systems integrator who understands your needs and can provide the best solutions and service is integral to ensuring peace of mind regarding security. However, rapid advancements in technology, changes in regulatory requirements, and increased sophistication of security attacks make it difficult for end-users to navigate the long list of systems integrator options.
The five questions listed above provide the best starting point to choose a partner who can protect your employees, customers, and assets, and also deliver actionable business insights.
Sean Foley is the senior vice president of Inter- face Security Systems.
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SYSTEMS INTEGRATION