Enterprise organizations constantly review and update their security as the challenges they face are ever changing. A large organization must prepare for events such as an active shooter, a drone attack and network hacks, as well as other security problems facing businesses of any size.
Where to start? Look for a security integrator with experience working with enterprise organizations. It’s likely the integrator will want to conduct a risk assessment, a thorough look at the overall security system and the many factors influencing it. An assessment serves as a road map by highlighting security strengths and weaknesses. By concentrating limited budgets on those areas most in need of improvement, a security director can get the greatest value for an investment. The best integrators will provide their customer with enhanced situational awareness, ensure regulatory compliance and integrate into their customer's business continuity plans.
Importantly, make sure your integrator is knowledgeable about the role IT plays in an enterprise installation. Some say IT professionals aren’t knowledgeable about security needs. However, with today’s networked-enabled systems, the assistance of the IT staff is invaluable. An integrator capable of easily communicating with an IT staff will increase the chances of a successful project.
It’s not unusual for an enterprise organization to require unification of 15 or more disparate systems. This makes the case for choosing equipment supporting open standards. Unification would be virtually impossible with proprietary systems in the mix. Open systems also allow for planned migrations to new and/or updated technologies. Equipment can be selected based on its performance and price. Failed devices can be replaced as needed.
One of the key challenges is making it all work without just uprooting everything and starting over. There may have been millions of dollars spent on the current legacy system. An integrator brings great value to their customer when they find ways to reuse as much of the existing infrastructure as possible.
In coming blogs, we’ll take a look at two of the systems – access control and video – that provide the greatest impact on an enterprise-level physical security solution.