February 6, 2017, 7:00 PM
Technological innovations are leaving a significant footprint on the security industry. Video surveillance is at its all-time best, drones are slowly edging into the sector, and the cyber security industry is being forced to push itself into a new era of efficiency. Labor costs are among the heaviest expenses for security companies.
The mean annual wage for a security guard is $28,460, while corporate investigators charge up to $54,900 a year. These costs only balloon in more challenging nations and industries, so investors have pushed labor-saving technology all the way to the top of priority lists.
Advanced Electronics
Drones are one of the most interesting evolving technologies, not only for their impact on human resources, but also on the standards of security offered in disaster zones. First responders are able to gauge risk before doing perimeter checks, and threat is far easier to assess than it once was. Drones are already being used for national security, but as their battery lives increase, they will become a private 24/7 security solution that will cut staffing costs down significantly. Their potential has been estimated to soon become worth $10.5 billion a year.
System Integration
False alarms have been a stain on the industry for years, and now that many municipalities are charging penalties for them, video verification is being used to stem the tide. With fewer dispatches, staffing needs are scaling back, but high definition and 4K monitoring has had its own unique effect. Video surveillance is only as efficient as the quality of its images. Now that high-resolution video retrieval and analysis are possible, areas can be secured more accurately in less time. With the increased distance video can manage these days, larger areas can be monitored from behind the camera instead of in front of it, so one security guard can handle an area that used to require several employees.
The Power of Self-Monitoring
The demand for self-monitoring has risen steeply with advances to the humble smartphone. This cuts down on staffing needs without the required revenue increases that would make mobile devices worthwhile. Security dealers will lose a large portion of their market share if they don’t have a strategy in place to benefit from smartphone integration. Mobile apps that give field technicians the ability to sense and track motion are thrilling enough to impress even James Bond’s Q, and they’re an excellent solution to the worrying development of self-operated security systems.
The Mobile Camera
Body-worn cameras let video and city surveillance be integrated into mass notification systems, evidence collection, and access control. They can’t take the place of a guard, but they certainly can cut back on administration staffing needs by automating storage, data processing, and information aggregation. Soon, open platform systems will merge private and public needs, which will improve chain of custody and data sharing.
The Power of Knowledge
Big data and analytics let you distribute your human resources more efficiently and adapt your staff compliment to every area, industry, and budget. An integrated security system collects all the information you need, so analytics software that works with your bandwidth is the only addition required. It can even help you to assess the efficacy of each system type, which means you can serve new clients according to individual statistics related to their area and industry.
Today’s security systems are as personalized as a bespoke suit. Every client deserves unique service, something that technology has at last made possible. Service excellence has never been as impressive as it is today, and technological evolution is what is making this possible.
