The Hindu Business Line : Building security into the scene

Public spaces such as hotels, malls, multiplexes, railway stations and airports support thousands of visitors every day. Accessibility is vital to their smooth functioning. At the same time, the situation calls for fool-proof crowd management and security, says Mr Milind Godbole, Regional General Manager, Honeywell Building Solutions.

Providing prison-like security in a hotel-like environment has gained significance now more than ever. Hotels are turning fortresses these days with hoteliers increasing their budget for security. For instance, at the recently-opened Vivanta by Taj in Bangalore there are 70 surveillance cameras, baggage scanners at the main and employee entrances, high-end door-frame metal detectors and access-controlled elevators.

A balancing act

Reconciling the competing priorities of access and security is a delicate balancing act, which can be done only with investments in systems integration. The focus earlier was on procuring technologies and products as separate packages from specific vendors, he adds.

This “best-of-breed” strategy resulted in the creation of “islands of technologies,” which caused limited information sharing. For example, inability of intruder alarm to automatically switch the correct CCTV camera onto a monitor, duplication of databases, and operational complexities. What is required is a flexible technology platform that can share and act on critical information, and adapt to changing requirements.

According to Mr Deepak C. Thakur, Director-South Asia, Honeywell Security, there is a growing need for integrated systems in the current context.

“A risk assessment of the space should be done first, plan made and depending on budget and priorities, an integrated system should be implemented in a phased manner,” he says.

There are two aspects to security systems, says Mr M.C. Muthanna, Chief Operating Officer, Firepro Systems, — prevention and post-event measures.

The market

The Rs 1,200-1,400-crore electronic security market is the fastest growing in the world. CCTVs constitute about 50 per cent of the market, and access and intrusion products the rest. The company manufactures security products that suit the Indian requirements . Some of them include: Armour — a wireless intrusion product; Hello — an integrated product which functions as a video door phone and intercom.

Strategic projects in the government space, infrastructure/transportation projects, IT and commercial spaces, and residential segment constitute a major chunk of business for Honeywell. In the past 12-18 months, the focus on security has increased multi-fold with a growing demand from the Government for equipment for public safety, traffic monitoring, etc.

According to Mr Palash Nandy, Deputy General Manager - Marketing and Communication, Legrand, there is a visible change in the security perception in the residential segment. Many builders are now providing door-entry phones even in medium-end projects . This was initially limited to only the high-end projects. “We expect that in 2009 there will be a significant increase in the business of door phones,” he adds.

Thanks to better awareness of technology and the brands available, the growth rate of the electronic security market is the same as last year, which in the current context of slowdown means that end-users are looking more at security, says Mr Thakur.

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