PSIApril2018

INTERVIEW
“Decisions will be
made cloud-to-cloud
in the future and ARC
services and intruder
alarms as we know
them might not be
needed because video
systems will decide
what events need to
be actioned”
20
(continued from previous page)
example, if ARCs will have a role to play in the
future when you consider what is happening
with artificial intelligence and how it is moving
us to intelligence assisted technology. How long
will it be before services like Alexa turns alarms
on and off, or informs you of someone
approaching the premises? The technology will
be able to learn about these events to the point
when it also knows who it is that is approaching.
AI will allow systems to recognise when
someone is having a problem and can call the
emergency services with video of what has
happened. The intelligence will change the way
our industry works completely and unless
people take this technology on board they will
become “intermediarised”.
What does that mean for the security
industry?
In the security supply chain people could go
around ARCs, installers and manufacturer and
going straight to the end user and this is called
being intermediarised; you are no longer part of
the chain. This is where I see a big move from
manufacturers where ARCs and installers are
being bypassed to go straight to the new
generation of clients who are aware of what
they want their system to do and work directly
with developers. As an industry there is a risk
that we can find ourselves no longer part of the
security supply chain with the end user
specifying from the manufacturer what they
want and it being supplied and this consumer
demand could wipe out standards and
regulations.
Decisions will be made cloud-to-cloud in the
future and ARC services and intruder alarms as
we know them might not be needed because
video systems will decide what events need to
be actioned. There is only one factor that
prevents ARCs from being bypassed in the
chain and that is allowing the end user to have
the URN number and confirm it to the police - if
that happened it would be the so-called
intermediarisation of the industry.
Do you think that the UK will keep up
with this compared to other countries?
I do worry. Just look at how slow we have been
to switch off PSTN while there are countries
that are turning their service off years before
our target of 2025. We are behind when it
comes to adoption of some of the technology
and the concern is that the technology will
exist elsewhere and then hit us like a tidal
wave, a bit like we have seen with IoT devices
and edge analytics. There are companies that I
know that are realising that they have missed
out on the evolution of technology and as such
are just seeing out the next five years or so
until the industry changes completely. CCTV
cannot continue to be bought and sold solely
for crime prevention and reporting it has to
work for the consumer and add value to their
business and have a day-to-day purpose.
What advice do you have for anyone
setting up in security today?
You have to start from the technology down
and decide what is relevant to the people you
are selling to today and will be in the future. I
do not know how much longer that traditional
intruder alarms have left as everything is about
CCTV, analytics and access control. If you have
a good video and access system then you may
not need an intruder alarm. I would also advise
training staff and getting the best people on
board that you can when it comes to
networking systems and analytics.
Do you have a final message to those
who know you in the security sector?
I am very grateful for all the support and
encouragement I have had from the people
that I have worked with and made friends with
over the last 30 years. I love this industry and I
still have the same passion and hunger I had
30 years ago, it's in my DNA!
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