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From the Editor's desk: Security on the side

Welcome to the second Residential Security Handbook of 2021. In this issue, named Secure Living, we turn our attention a little more inwards and, as you will see in the pages to follow, place more focus on securing homes inside estates.

Andrew Seldon, Editor

Living where we do, security is a no-brainer when it comes to homes, we all need whatever we can afford (and more). However, the march of technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) in particular is changing the way security is seen and how it operates. In some cases, security is seen as the ‘must-have’ or grudge purchase for the home, but the real value is seen in the home automation technologies that come with the security.

Home automation from companies like Google or Amazon are way ahead of the pack when it comes to the ‘coolness’ factor (as well as the ‘no privacy’ factor, but let’s not go there), but they lack the security aspect. Security installers and integrators have a great chance to deliver home automation along with security, starting with common features like gate and door automation as part of an alarm installation (perhaps an over-simplified example).

However, as can be seen in the handbook, there are so many additional non-security automation features and functions that can be integrated into your security system that it might as well be a new business model for installers. Installing a new alarm is boring and definitely a grudge purchase, but when you explain what else can be done, such as switching the lights off, locking all the doors and alarming the outside and certain interior parts of the house at night with a couple of taps on your smartphone, it suddenly becomes interesting. There’s an opportunity to sell some electronic locks and other goodies that makes the alarm more of a side benefit.

Of course, when dealing with estates one can never get away from the broader security function that makes estates so popular, and we deal with a few of the issues in the handbook as well. What I found most interesting was the round table we held with a few security/operations/estate managers where we heard about the things the people in the trenches are focusing on.

The round table was held before the riots (or attempted coup, depending on who you believe) in July, so it may be worthwhile asking these same security professionals what their focus is on nowadays. If anyone is interested in a round table that asks the security managers how their jobs have changed, let me know and we can see if we can get a few around a table – or a virtual table, depending on COVID.

I hope you enjoy the handbook, and as always, if you have any comments or criticisms, or any specific topics you would like to see us cover in future, please let me know at andrew@technews.co.za.

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