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New Age security services

A combination of manpower and technology is the route G4S Security Services is going in order to offer clients a ‘one-stop’ holistic security solution.

Group 4 Securicor is the product of a merger in 2004 of two of the world's largest security companies, Securicor and the security business of Group 4 Falck. The result was the creation of a company operating in over 100 countries throughout the world, employing around 470 000 people. Part of the worldwide Group 4 Securicor group of companies, G4S Security Services (South Africa) is able to provide its customers with a service that draws upon our global experience and expert local knowledge.

The company operates in three key sectors - security services; security systems; and cash and valuables. Within South Africa, G4S is one of the largest security companies in the sector with over 15 500 employees. The company is also proud to boast the country's most comprehensive operational footprint with a presence in all nine provinces of South Africa.

Tim Kendall is the executive director: integrated solutions at G4S Security Services and he is upbeat about the combination of technology and traditional manned services. "We have to change the culture of the guarding industry," he says of the new approach. "G4S's philosophy is to get so close to our clients that it is possible to really understand their needs and supply seamless solutions. The key to a successful solution is that the clients trust the company implicitly, as they will now be putting all their security eggs into one basket."

Kendall cites Silver Lakes residential and golfing estate in Pretoria as one of the company's new contracts in which it provides such an integrated service.

G4S has managed the access control to the estate both electronically and physically, using manned guarding and the existing access control system, which is also in the process of being upgraded to a biometric system to be installed, maintained and managed by the company.

"The old visitors' register has been done away with. The guards at the gate use earpieces to communicate a visitor's details to the controller who then enters those details onto a computer to register the guest electronically, and also dials the house of the resident being visited to confirm that the guest may be allowed into the estate. Only then is access granted."

The service also provides for an electronic occurrence book in which all incidents that take place on the estate are recorded. This can provide a complete history of events over a period of time and in the case of a police investigation, for example, the information can be analysed and will supply investigators with information such as dates and times of occurrences as well as vehicle registration numbers and ID numbers of people who have entered the estate.

A response team services the perimeter of the grounds and individual residences are also able to make use of this service on a subscription basis.

"But we are not going to enter into integrated solutions with companies to which we are not already providing a guarding service, in other words we will not just provide technology to companies that are not clients of ours.

"This approach has been taken to ensure that G4S does not become a technology company. The integrated option has been tried before, but I maintain we will succeed because we will not allow the technology to have an 'ego' of its own."

The guards and controllers employed by G4S undergo integrity and competency profiling to determine suitability for the specific job descriptions and background tests are also run on their ID numbers and fingerprints.

Kendall likens the service to a supermarket: "A shopper goes into one store and buys a range of products without having to deal directly with all the different suppliers of those products. Similarly, this is what we are now in a position to offer - a complete and seamless solution from a single point of contact."

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