The vulnerability in terms of security in the countries of the Latin American region is definitely a focus that arouses the interest of many actors in the industry, as is the case of alarm monitoring companies, a segment that definitely works tooth and nail for being at the forefront.
By Santiago Jaramillo Hincapié
From the residential sector, to the banking, government, industrial, commercial and corporate sectors, they use, to a lesser or greater extent, alarm monitoring as a tool to bend the inclement figures of insecurity that concern the countries of our region.
This has made security become a habit, which more than an expense in its coffers, is a differential element that delivers tranquility, comfort and gives a differentiating element to the daily life of people.
For this reason, we invited Benito Cuezva, General Director of the SCATI company, to comment on the current situation of the monitoring segment in the Latin American region.
SECURITY SALES: What is required to have a well-equipped monitoring center and counteract the security problems that currently concern Latin America?
Benito Cuezva, Director General of SCATI: It requires an advanced visualization system, operator positions with the necessary software to process all inputs and a global software that allows to manage operations. In this way we can ensure that all alarms are managed with a homogeneous procedure.
SECURITY SALES: In the electronic security industry, what is the importance of the monitoring center segment? What is the balance sheet of 2015, especially in the countries where your company is present? At the same time, what are the future prospects in the region?
Benito Cuezva, Director General of SCATI: This is a market that is divided into public and private. On the one hand, large cities or states usually have advanced control centers with significant investments; on the other hand, some special and very large private sector clients, such as financial institutions or energy transport managers, also have this type of monitoring center solutions. For SCATI the year has been good since we have managed the entry of three large control centers: in Salvador de Bahia (Brazil), Banco Itaú and Banco Santander in Brazil; and we have improved the monitoring centers in Mexico and Spain of some financial institutions.
SECURITY SALES: How does having security subsystems built into a monitoring center benefit users?
Benito Cuezva, Director General of SCATI: It substantially benefits users since the synergy that occurs by having all the information concentrated is enormous. If security systems are not integrated, security management becomes virtually impossible and response times are excessively lengthened and we do not get what we are looking for. If we are able to integrate vehicle positioning with a voice call and a panic button, we are able to react. If that information is not integrated, we may have difficulty responding to such incidents.
SECURITY SALES: When thinking about integrating a security solution with other subsystems in a monitoring center, what should be taken into account?
Benito Cuezva, Director General of SCATI: It must take into account both the existence of standards, as well as the number of solutions, and the certification by the company that is going to carry out that integration and its experience. When talking about certification we talk about a guarantee that ensures the proper management of the software, in the line of CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) or similar, and experience in equivalent projects. The existence of an existing product that facilitates this task must also be taken into account.
SECURITY SALES: As far as monitoring centers are concerned, are there still security solutions that have closed architecture in old facilities and that hinder integration? What is done in those cases?
Benito Cuezva, Director General of SCATI: Yes, there are still many entities, public and private, that work with systems in which integration is on the wheels of the chair. The user changes the operator position to access each of the subsystems of the security system. In this way, it goes from the call screen to the alarm screen, and goes back. There is still enormous growth potential in this line, and most of the existing centers are not technologically optimal. In these cases, what is usually done is to try to find possible ways, even if they are partial integration. Integration of subsystems that allow a simpler integration. This can be done taking into account the requirements mentioned above. Questionnaire
SECURITY SALES: What are the main problems and/or difficulties that exist in terms of integration for a monitoring center in the Latin American region?
Benito Cuezva, Director General of SCATI: The biggest problem is the park installed and that in addition, that installed park is of a great heterogeneity. These are old systems, without updated integration tools that make it practically impossible to put the systems in communication.
SECURITY SALES: What recommendations could you make so that users and/or integrators of electronic security systems obtain optimal results with this type of systems in the monitoring center segment?
Benito Cuezva, Director General of SCATI: It is necessary that when carrying out the process of collecting materials, the use of standards by the different manufacturers that are going to participate is taken into account and that a figure of project manager or technological partner is always contemplated. This will be responsible for ensuring that all systems can function in coordination; if not in its entirety, yes at least in part, so that the systems can interoperate. Today there is more than enough technology to be able to do this with guarantees.
SECURITY SALES: In the near future and speaking specifically about the topic of innovation and expansion, what new proposals or developments do your company prepare for the aforementioned sector?
Benito Cuezva, Director General of SCATI: SCATI has an extensive portfolio for this type of systems that, in recent months, has been expanded by audio transmission systems, based on IP voice technologies, video matrix systems and screen display and also the inclusion of intelligence elements based on image analysis. These elements come mainly from the use of analytics platforms that allow the use of advanced filters for detection of perimeter violations or anomalous situations on the streets. At the same time we have a different processor, also very necessary, which is the reading of license plates, which allows the intensive monitoring of a key element of security, such as traffic.
