|
|
|
To make sure you continue to receive our newsletter, please add systemsintegrator@bnpmedia-email.com to your address book or approved sender list.
To view this email as a web page, go
here.
|
 |
 |
|
Moving from Traditional Security to Advanced Security: What 'Traditional' Security Systems Integrators Need to Know
By Tom Condon
Advanced security is all the buzz today, and it seems like every systems integrator wants to get in on implementing advanced systems like digital video, analytics, wireless networks, biometrics and license plate recognition. But entering the advanced security market requires a set of skills that are rarely found in the more 'traditional' systems integrator. Some integrators believe that getting these new skills is as easy as hiring a few new people. But many who think it's that simple are running into problems they never anticipated.
O
ne huge problem that many integrators encounter when trying to enter the world of advanced security is that they don't speak the language of IT. This is especially a problem when trying to recruit new staff. While many seasoned integrators know how to sniff out the best people in traditional security, understanding the dizzying array of IT skills, certifications and experience is a whole new world.
For example, there are literally hundreds of different IT certifications from many institutions and organizations, with a huge range of content and skill level. I know one traditional integrator who hired a certified network specialist, only to later find that the new hire had no experience in multicasting digital video, a key requirement. While his certification did provide him with network skills, advanced security required some specialty skills that were unusual in administrative networks.
Even when integrators think they are well staffed, the seemingly endless number of technologies in the IT world can cause a 'specialty skill-gap'. One integrator had great network and server technicians, but they encountered a client who required a virtual private network (VPN). Lacking this skill, they had to delay parts of the project while they looked for a resource.
Another unexpected problem is cultural: IT and physical security are 'strange bedfellows', and have never had to coexist so closely before. Here we have two disciplines, both highly skilled and intelligent, but with very different perspectives and cultures. If this aspect is not handled delicately, you may have what one integrator called a war of 'tool belts vs. pocket protectors'. He told me that the cultural problems got so extreme that the 'tool belts' locked the 'pocket protectors' out of a project space, which prompted them to shut down the access control server. The integrator told me that he finally got them to 'play nice', but it took several months.
And the challenges are not only in the technical team; the sales staff will also need different skills to sell advanced security. The sales staff will now be interacting with client IT staff at a new level of increased IT detail. They may need to answer questions about topics they're not familiar with like programming languages, application programming interfaces, virtual local area networks, or multicasting. The sales staff will need to be conversant in these areas; a good IT manager can quickly sniff out people who don't walk the walk.
One way that many integrators are solving these problems is by finding IT service firms to partner with on advanced security projects. The right IT partner will solve these problems by having the technical skills, depth of staff and the ability to accommodate a fluctuating workload. When looking for a partner, find one who not only knows IT, but also has experience in physical security and advanced security. There are not many out there, and they are not cheap, but they will provide a level of credibility, risk reduction and flexibility that is almost impossible to achieve in-house for 'traditional' security systems integrators.
About the Author:
Thomas Condon is a Senior Consultant at SDI (System Development Integration, LLC) in Chicago, a Systems Integrator specializing in Information Technology and security consulting. Condon has over 20 years experience in the design, implementation and management of technology and security systems, including the design and construction of mission critical command centers.
For more information call (312) 580-7595 or visit www.sdienterprises.com |
National Training Conference 2009
Many in the industry are referring to the National Training Conference 2009 as 'the training event of the year'. Find out for yourself on February 2-3, 2009 in Las Vegas.
This Conference offers four different comprehensive tracks, which include:
- Business Development - Crucial advice on getting the most our of business practices.
- NICET Preparation for Sprinklers - Preparation for NICET certification for sprinklers.
- NICET Preparation for Fire Alarms - Preparation for NICET certification for fire alarms.
- IP Technology - Overview of IP technology using video security and access control.
For details and registration, visit the National Training Center's Web site at www.NationalTrainingCenter.net or call (702) 648-8899. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Vallejo Security Specialist Offers Digital Fingerprinting
He has parachuted from airplanes, fought terrorists and common criminals and talked people down from bridges. Now Wes Easley fights crime in a slightly different way. About three years ago, following a career-ending injury, the Fairfield resident opened ValI.D. Live Scan Services in Vallejo, and now he's among Solano County's few authorized high-tech fingerprint scanners.
What will this be used for?
Airport Security Upgraded; First In Nation To Get
Facial Recognition System
Security is the paramount issue among air travelers these days, but Evansville Regional Airport - like other commercial airports throughout the world - rely on videocassette recorder security systems whose nonspecific tapes can take hours, days and sometimes weeks to decipher when suspicious concerns arise. That, however, is about to change at the local airport.
What makes this airport advanced?
Port Authority Bus Riders See Beefed-up Security
The best evidence of the beefed-up security at the Port Authority Bus Terminal might be that a guy snapping photos inside can get stopped three times -- twice by Port Authority employees and once by a plainclothes cop -- within five minutes.
How is this station more secure?
|
 
Why Change is so Hard -
And How to Handle It
Imagine that right before you drove home from work, someone told you that all the old traffic laws had changed forever: red no longer meant stop and green no longer meant go. In fact, all of the signs that used to guide you were no longer valid. The old laws were gone but the new laws were yet to be written. How would you feel and what would you think as you set out for home?
Look for the rest of this article in the
July Issue of Security Magazine, or
sign up for a free subscription.
|
|
Integration Intelligence:
Insight From A CSO
Security convergence is sometimes defined as a technology challenge visavis a product migration path. One often-overlooked aspect is the differing paths of security deployments within the customer organization.
Look for the rest of this article in the July Issue of SDM Magazine, or
sign up for a free subscription. |
|
| | | |
| You are receiving this email because you are a qualified industry professional who subscribes to another BNP Media product. If you no longer wish to receive Today's Systems Integrator eNewsletter, please click on the unsubscribe link below. |
| BNP Media
2401 W. Big Beaver Rd
Troy, MI 48084
USA | For comments, feedback or information about advertising in this eNewsletter, contact:
Jackie Seigle, Online Media Manager
(610) 436-4220
Bill Zalud, Editorial Director
(630) 694-4029 |
|
|
| |
| | |
