IPfocus - IP UserGroup

IPfocusOn-the-RecordOn-the-Record;Ian Tredinnick, ManagingDirector, Chiron TechnologyThe latest in the series of interviews with those influencingthe future of security and surveillance technology. IPfocusquizzes those in the know and gains an insight into opinionsthat will be shaping the industry in the future.Q. Why is IP becoming important to the alarm receiving and monitoring sector?A. Right now IP is proving to be a liberating technology for the alarms sector, right acrossEurope and in many countries worldwide. What we are seeing, in country after country,is that former state-monopoly providers are losing their hold. From Scandinavia toAustralia IP is freeing-up the market from domination by formerly-powerful PSTNoperators and is allowing innovation, competition and all the benefits that brings.More importantly the old PSTN and ISDN networks are being removed and replaced withVOIP which can give problems and higher rates of failure for alarms. When we arelooking at Fire, and Social Care where lives are at risk, such lowering of reliability isunacceptable and the only real option is to use IP.So far the UK has been an unusual case. Here, the domination by BT Redcare wasparticularly entrenched, and before IP came along it was the best solution forcustomers. But fixed lines are no longer the best answer and, ultimately, the UK industrywill follow business logic. Customers are becoming aware of the benefits of moreflexible alternatives for alarm transmission, not least significantly lower costs and asignificantly smarter service.Q. Will BT and 21CN alter the attitude to IP networks?A. Almost certainly, as there will be no option other than to use IP whether it is as VOIP ordata, and systems such as Iris Touch will become mandatory for security monitoringand alerting. Whilst the UK is well behind Europe with introducing IP and BT’s delays inintroducing modern technology such as 21CN, we will see an uptake in IP as Fibre isrolled out and corporate networks take up the IP opportunities for corporatecommercial services and CCTVQ. How do you see the IP transmission systems and monitoring sector developing in theshort and long term?A. This is a hugely exciting time for us as a company, and for the wider market. Ok, thingsare moving at different speeds in different countries, but the direction is all forwardsand in every market things are accelerating. Our newly launched IRIS Secure Appssolution is the culmination of two years of development (more if you take into accountall the work that went into all the products that led us to this point) and we think theeffects are going to be dramatic. We are giving ARCs the ability to do things thatthey’ve never been able to do before, such as having a complete overview and fullcontrol over all their monitored alarms – allowing them to see how their systems areperforming, both in real time and historically. The ARCs will pass these benefits toinstallers (allowing them to work much more independently) and ultimately the massmarketend-user will win too.Q. Where is Chiron placed in the market?A. In sales volumes, we are Europe’s market leading supplier of IP-based alarmtransmission technology. More than 38,000 of our IRIS and IRIS Touch products are nowinstalled, and more than 180 ARCs monitor them for customers across 28 countries. Ourturnover has increased by 100% for the past two years, and it’s going to be double thatthis year – not just because of our sales techniques but because the market reallywants what we’ve developed.We aim to be the technology leader in this market. We were the first to achieveindependent certification by the highly regarded VdS testing house, and no othercompany has matched us in that.Q. What new plans does Chiron have to help alarm customers and alarm receivingcentres make the jump?A. We’ve just made the big jump, with the introduction of IRIS Secure Apps. We arealso developing new services such as Social Care and Visual Verification, whichwill come in just below the current CCTV cost threshold and link Alarm monitoringwith Visual notification in a more integrated way.The next step will be that we’ll push hard to promote it in the market, and at thesame time we will continue developing it technically. One great feature of thesystem is that upgrades will be automatically uploaded, so as customers come onboard they’ll stay with us at the leading edge.Q. Will the IT sector ever take over the alarm security sector?A. The alarm security sector is evolving – we’ve seen how the more nimblecompanies have taken advantage of IP technology in the CCTV field, and the sameis happening in the alarms sector. But I don’t think there will be a wholesale takeover,because there doesn’t need to be. The biggest gulf is in that the IT industrydoes not understand fully yet the regulated state and requirements of theSecurity industry. In many parts of the IT industry there is a relatively simplisticbelief that the security that is used in IT systems is adequate for securitysystems. Whilst we may use the same technology there is a gulf in understanding.While it’s true that more skilled and IT-literate people are coming into the market,both working for and running security companies, long-standing securityinstallers shouldn’t be worried about adapting. We’ve reached a point where thetechnology is really designed to be easy to use, and at the same time mostpeople now have a good grasp of key IT skills – so anyone who wants to make thejump into IP-alarms will be able to, if they are reasonably competent.Q. How can traditional security and alarm providers win contracts against the ITintegrators. What is the best piece of advice you could give?A. Do what you are good at – give solid advice based on knowledge of risk, crimeprevention and security techniques, as well as regulatory and Insurancerequirements – but make sure you upskill in the IT arena as well. Collaboration ismore useful than competition and if good security companies pick the rightpartners (solutions providers, consultants and specialist integrators) there’s noreason for them to be left behind.Q. Do installers respond well to new technology or are they slow?A. Installers are great with new technology, as long as it makes good business sensefor them. When the sums add up, they take to new systems willingly. What theydon’t want is things that make their lives more difficult, or change for change’ssake. If it’s good innovation that will help them be profitable, they will run with it -as we have seen everywhere in Europe. Things have been slower in the UK, but it’snot the installers who are unimaginative but really the market conditions here.38_issue 27