Page 42 - Security Today, July/August 2021

Hear Me Out
How network audio can be key to security, safety and operations
By Chris Wildfoerster
Spoken words have power. A verbal warning can deter someone from breaking and entering. A calming voice can direct an evacuating crowd to safety. A cautioning message can remind visitors to don protective gear before entering a hazardous area. In the security world, an effective way to extend that power is through network audio system.
Integrating network audio into a security solution is easy. Because it operates on the network via PoE, you can seamlessly integrate it with existing video cameras, access control systems, intercoms, speakers, and other network-based devices. As part of a total security solution, network audio not only adds a layer of proactive deterrence and safety alerts, it can also improve opera- tion efficiencies and positively effect a company’s bottom line. Be- ing a network-based solution, it’s also significantly more scalable and flexible than legacy analog audio technology.
Adding a speaker is simply a matter of running a CAT-5 cable to the speaker from the nearest PoE switch. Want to relocate a speaker? Simply unplug it and reconnect its cable to a different PoE switch. No need to pull cables or rewire racks because the system is configured via software.
WHY NETWORK AUDIO SYSTEMS
ARE A BETTER OPTION
Most analog speakers in use today are little more than static back- ground music and paging systems. In sharp contrast, PoE-pow- ered network audio systems are intelligent solutions that deliver a wealth of programmable options for broadcasting live and/or scheduling pre-recorded announcements and playing background
music. They even include built-in system health monitoring to en- sure speakers and network connections are functioning properly. They also include intuitive software to manage single and multi- zone applications – to make it easy for network audio users to:
• Pre-schedule tones, audio content and announcements by hour, day, season, or even special events
• Group zones together logically to play different content in spe- cific clusters of speakers
• Synchronize music and announcements across an entire enter- prise (such as a chain of retail stores)
• Add insightful analytics such as occupancy sensing, queue man- agement, loitering detection, emergency mass notification and more to enhance a facility’s ambiance while improving service and safety
What’s more, network audio has built-in SIP support which makes it easy to integrate the technology with an organization’s IP or VoIP telephone system for live announcements.
MAKING A PROACTIVE DIFFERENCE
WITH NETWORK AUDIO
Integrating network audio in its total security solution can help almost any organizations enhance its safety, security, and opera- tions. Here are a few scenarios that demonstrate the technology’s versatility.
Network audio systems are also intuitive to program. Users can easily change messages stored in the speaker, select which zones of speakers should broadcast a message, schedule broadcasts by time zone, even monitor the health of the system remotely. They can also integrate with a range of third-party analytics from perimeter
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JULY/AUGUST 2021 | SECURITY TODAY
AUDIO WITHIN SECURITY
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