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Scalable security

Successful business owners will attest to the fact that hard work, passion and commitment are the cornerstones of their operations.

Yet, in the absence of effective security systems, their efforts could end up being badly compromised, warns Zane Greeff, technical director for Elvey Security Technologies.

“There was a time when building security options comprised little more than basic burglar alarms, coupled with simple motion and smoke detectors,” says Greeff. “But in the face of rampant crime and increasingly determined and violent criminals, only a premium security system can be relied upon to protect one’s business, assets and personnel.”

In keeping with changing times and evolutionary technologies, he says DSC has raised the bar with the release of its new MAXSYS system. Whatever one’s concerns, whether intrusion, fire, alarm communications, access control, automation, wireless/addressable expansion or structured cabling, DSC’s latest offering can be tailored to meet specific needs. “MAXSYS is a single-system solution ideal for use in commercial, industrial and institutional facilities, as well as in large or multilevel residential units,” says Greeff.

The PC4020 control panel comes standard with 16 on-board zones, expandable to 128 zones, through the use of hardwire and wireless modules. The system boasts eight partitions to allow bespoke grouping of alarm peripherals. “This is an extremely handy feature for those wanting to arm only the top floor of a double-storey building, or only the warehouse, so that workers in the office building can move around freely.”

With 1500 assignable user codes, up to 16 hardwired keypads and a 3000 event buffer, the system is ideal for deployment in factories, distribution centres, mines, banks and large industries.

The control panel, with its 16 programmable outputs, can be used to activate other devices such as video verification equipment that allows for the recording of events the moment a zone is triggered. Another output could link the alarm panel to the monitoring station with the use of an Internet or network alarm communicator.

Its network alarm communicator is a low-cost alternative to traditional, and often unreliable, phone line alarm communication. In addition, it supports both T-Link and GSM alarm communicators within existing intranets (LAN/WAN) to ensure secure communication of alarm signals to a central monitoring station. This, he says, makes it ideal for large retail chains or campus-style installations where significant networks have already been established and are being used for a variety of purposes.

Cost-conscious business owners will be impressed with its Internet alarm communicator, he adds. This feature saves money by taking advantage of existing Internet/intranet networks to create fully supervised security solutions between protected premises and the central monitoring station. And from a security point of view, there is nothing to beat its industry-leading 128-bit AES encryption, which ensures the most secure Internet alarm communication possible.

For large sites, the MAXSYS panel, in conjunction with a wireless receiver, can support 64 wireless zones, 16 wireless keys and up to eight backup receivers. Further, advanced products such as smoke detectors and a host of other detectors and modules are available for installation.

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