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Integration and information is the name of the game

If you’re a regular Hi-Tech Security Solutions subscriber (do you follow our LinkedIn Group?), you’ll know that we’re about to launch our 2015 version of the Hi-Tech Security Business Directory, the most comprehensive resource in Africa for all things security. Whether you’re looking for contact details for a specific company, or for potential companies to contact for a specific job, the Hi-Tech Security Business Directory has answers for you.

Naturally, the print copy of the Hi-Tech Security Business Directory is supported by an online site (www.hsbd.co.za) where you can search for whomever or whatever you need. This year we have not only updated the online site in conjunction with the release of the printed publication, but we have also applied a few tweaks to the Hi-Tech Security Solutions website (www.securitysa.com) to keep it as smooth and slick as possible. The look and feel is not that much different, but the performance and functionality has been improved substantially.

The big news, however, is not simply the improved websites and new database for the directory. As part of the revamp, we have integrated both sites with relevant links to each other. If, for example, you are reading an article on access control on www.securitysa.com, above the article will be a few tags that you can click on to take you to the relevant category in the directory where suppliers of access equipment are listed. Similarly, when you’re in www.hsbd.co.za, the top of the page will list tags that will take you to the relevant section in www.securitysa.com.

The tags are colour coded, meaning that clicking on green tags will take you to the directory, while red tags take you to Hi-Tech Security Solutions.

If you’re in the directory, looking at a particular company’s details, you not only get their address, email, website and phone numbers, but also the option to find branches, key contact people, their distributors (for vendors) or the brands they sell. Naturally, the accuracy of this information depends on whether the company supplied us with their details; and if you speak to some companies listed in the directory they will tell you nightmare stories of being called numerous times with queries in our effort to get it right.

Another addition to the directory is that underneath all the company details, you will find a list of the articles Hi-Tech Security Solutions has run about that company over the past months or years – depending on how much they have had to say. If they are the silent type, we supplement the list of articles with those from the relevant section – such as Surveillance or Alarms etc.

We have done a significant amount of work to make our sites more relevant and useful to the security industry and we hope you find it useful. We know it’s not perfect, but we’re getting there. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know on [email protected].

But wait, there’s more

Our October issue will be posted with the Access & Identity Management Handbook 2015, another one-of-its-kind annual in Africa. Be on the lookout!

Andrew Seldon

Editor

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