What's wrong with conventional security and what VideoControlRoom is doing to fix it

The current practice of text based alarms and manpower alarm responses is defunct. But why is it still so prevalent and why are security companies not pushing hard into IP reporting and video alarms?

The answer lies in the current security industry revenue streams of telco rebates and guard call outs, both of which are driven by false alarm events. It’s these hidden costs that explain why the cost of alarm monitoring hasn't moved on from $7 or $8 per week in the last two decades. These revenue streams account for millions and millions of dollars in revenue for the major security companies. Little wonder your current security vendor is not keen on moving you to a transparent solution that removes these lucrative income streams.

Telco rebates
Did you know- Every time your current alarm panel arms, disarms or sends a daily test report to your monitoring station, your security company is receiving 12 to 16 cents in kick back. If you have a busy site with multiple areas this accounts for a big hidden cost. Look through your phone bill for calls to a 1345 or 1300 number and see for yourself.
At VideoControlRoom we have developed dual redundant IP coms - its secure, cost effective and transparent.

Text based false alarms
Did you know - 99% of alarms in control rooms are false? Between staff, cats, foxes, birds, and poorly sealed doors, most monitoring center traffic is nuisance. Because of the revenue this generates, security companies are not so interested in fixing the issues.

At VideoControlRoom we replay 10 seconds of quality video to quickly verify the alarm cause - cutting out the guesswork.

Incorrect data
The security industry has done such a good job of locking down alarm panels they have made the whole system unmanageable. If you want to add a new alarm panel user you have to keep the data updated in both the control room data base and the alarm panel database. The two are not synchronised and thus are continually out of date. Fact is, you run a much greater risk of getting robbed with a PIN someone forgot to delete out then by someone hacking your panel and adding an un-authorised PIN in.

We are normalising panel and control room data (Thankfully we have smart IT guys and an alarm panel manufacturer who gets it)

30-45 Minute Alarm responses
Did you know- the average time to get a manpower alarm response (that’s a guy in security car) to site is 30-40 mins. And that’s just the average (it can get a lot worse). Criminals know they have this much time and they use it to good effect, leaving you seriously exposed.

Our entire video alarm verification process is often completed by the time your current control room has received a text based dialler alarm. How’s that for fast? If it’s an actual intruder, we jump on the phone to police or warn a less threatening intruder off with remote public address. 

Standards
The security industry standards are written around text based alarm monitoring. They incorporate some very good redundancy and standard operational procedure practices. Being monitored by a grade A1 monitoring center (the top grade) still doesn’t protect you when it still takes a guard 30-40 minutes to get to site.