"Beware of my network": system managers

The development of computing has led to the emergence of new forms of  communication (VOICE IP / e-mail / chats) that today are more used than conventional communications such as telephone, face-to-face conversations or letters. Likewise, these advances made possible the birth of work in computer networks, which allow a mutual connection between two or more computers and can share information and resources.

Currently with the advancement of Information Technologies, networking and the massive use of the Internet, thousands of companies and technological sectors have based their actions on these computer characteristics taking advantage of their benefits, as has been happening in the electronic security industry, however, this use has created some conflicts in the networks.

When they began to implement security systems on networks, users began to mix these applications without realizing that they were occupying more bandwidth than they were allowed, thus hindering the actions of the companies.

As a result of this, network administrators began to take some distance from applications that intended to mount on the essence of their work. But in the same way, some administrators considered that such services could run on their networks, as long as some recommendations were carried out.

It should be noted that the conflicts that arise in the networks of the companies after the application of security solutions, start from the same ignorance that their installers have about the operation of the networks, as proposed by  Andrés Cardona, technological director of the Colombian company Sima Tecnología.

In the same way, Carlos Mosquera, regional director of Links, assures that "security systems consume a lot of bandwidth and what happens is that installing them when you do not have means of control, and you do not have the knowledge on the part of the technicians and the manager himself, generates many problems.

Some of these conflicts have improved with the implementation of better compression protocols, with the appearance of network management applications that control the bandwidth consumption of each service, and with the acquisition of equipment that transmits with a good level of compression, such as those working with MPEG-4;  this allows each application, both administrative and security, to function properly.

It is also important, as explained by the professionals consulted, that when implementing electronic security systems, the guidelines and regulations that are within the company for the management of resources are complied with, in addition to applying the technology correctly; for which security integrators should study and investigate a little more about the management of networks.

But who should manage the safety nets? Just as integrators and security managers need to know how networks work, their features and specifications, it is also necessary for network administrators to know about security solutions and how they work. Both professionals must increase their skills and understand the environments, both computer and security and of course, work as a team.

For both Cardona and Mosquera, the important thing when managing security systems such as networks is that professionals complement each other, share information and know how far they can go with the company's resources.

Currently, the electronic security industry is in continuous movement in order to provide new applications to companies through the implementation of solutions on networks, which leads security professionals to understand, respect and work in such a way that their actions benefit users instead of harming them by saturating the network.