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ADT - massive investment in people and technology

Massive, ongoing investment in cutting edge technology and intensive, meaningful training for its staff is what keeps ADT Security at the forefront of the local security industry, says Danna Strydom, CEO of ADT.

To this end the company recently installed a sophisticated, fully integrated and automated software system, which, it claims, keeps the company a step ahead of its competitors and criminals.

The system, which took millions of rands to develop and implement, allows the company to monitor its vehicles and guards at all times as well as track crime trends and hotspots. In this way ADT can better utilise its resources and respond to criminal activity in a proactive way and, more importantly, ensure the safety of its staff on the ground.

According to Terry van Zyl, ADT's technical manager, a global positioning system (GPS) is fitted in all the company's armed response vehicles. Not only does the GPS assist the company in monitoring the vehicle's movements, but it also improves the vehicle response times as they can be positioned in specific 'hotspots'.

"Should a client press his panic button we can see, in an instant, which is the closest vehicle to him and thereby improve our response times. We can also detect crime hotspots and position our vehicles in such a way that they act as a deterrent," he says, pointing out that the company has had many successes simply by positioning its vehicles in the right place after analysing data collected by the system.

The system also automatically sends SMS alerts to ADT managers if a vehicle leaves its demarcated area and it tracks vehicle routes and times.

Widely considered to be the first software system of its kind in the world and tailored to cope with local conditions and thousands of clients, the ADT system offers both residential and corporate clients world-class protection. Combined with the company's commitment to standardising all its operating and training procedures, this new approach has made ADT what it is today.

Says Strydom, "Our commitment to service excellence and continued investment in technology, together with the ongoing training of our staff has set high standards for the industry. Combine this with our continued growth and we fully expect to maintain our current number one position in the industry."

According to Strydom, the company continually benchmarks all its services against its sister operations worldwide and it has never found its people, or technology, to be lacking. This, he believes, reflects the local trend to set the standard worldwide - particularly in terms of armed response.

This leap in security systems and procedures is indicative of South Africa's willingness to adopt and embrace new technology and systems, he adds, pointing out that it is this proactive trend in the industry, together with new market sectors which are opening up, that will help the industry maintain its current stable and effective track record.

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