Renewed activity, health risks, and work-from-home trends have placed a fresh focus on building security. And whether the goal is to protect physical occupants or safeguard data, property managers rely on the latest tech and best practices to keep critical assets secure.
Cetra Solutions is no stranger to the rising demand for physical and digital security solutions. The firm works with clients to bring their security measures in line with today’s challenges and expectations. Canadian Property Management reached out to Steven from Cetra Solutions for insights.
How has the pandemic sharpened the focus on building security?
The pandemic forced companies to adapt to new ways of working. Those that had employees work from home, for example, had to implement or increase their remote access and network security capabilities. They also had to ensure employees had secure access to company servers from home since their home networks were often more susceptible to network intrusions.
There have also been companies that continued in-person operations because they were deemed essential or had pandemic restrictions lifted. In both cases, they’ve had to implement ways of effectively tracking everyone entering the building for contact tracing while also validating that workers were sticking to safety protocols. This meant implementing or revamping guest logging and tracing/restricting practices, or perhaps limiting access to certain building areas via access control or facial recognition so they know exactly who is coming into contact with who.
What advice would you offer property managers who are looking to upgrade or replace their security systems?
Today, data is worth more than oil. Information is king. Property stakeholders — whether they’re with a multifamily residence, office building, or commercial building — need to make sure their systems can provide the security, control, and solutions that suit their operational needs and work at the speed of modern business.
Remember, the people looking to gain control of your systems are always using the latest tools and techniques, so you need to be adapting to stay ahead. Having the right security system can do that while saving costs by mitigating preventable losses.
How have security cameras, alarms, and access technologies evolved in recent years?
For one, artificially intelligent (AI) systems are almost the bare minimum. An AI system can detect and stop an incident faster than any human can through advanced facial recognition, license plate recognition, or other advanced functions. AI aside, tracking and tracing for recovery and reports are the next best thing.
The most reliable security systems have also become future-proof. Our systems, for example, allow for total scalability and flexibility. Clients can add or remove devices as needed without having to upgrade the entire system. They simply pay for the device to be added, and that’s it. Moreover, if a company has multiple buildings, their security systems can be controlled under one user interface (UI).
How important is it that these security technologies are connected and integrated?
Integration is key for system performance. The ability to collect and analyze data is great, but the ability to use that data across multiple technologies in real-time is where the best systems shine.
For example, imagine your cameras pick up someone you don’t want in approaching the building. Rather than waiting for the proper authorities to come, your systems could automatically lock the doors they are trying to enter from, thereby preventing an incident and giving property teams valuable time to react. Reversely, you may have a delivery person arrive with a package but no one is there to greet them. Here again, the system could be programmed to unlock the door only for them and display their interactions on a live feed to ensure things are done properly.
Integrated tech can also protect occupant health. For instance, an environmental sensor can be installed that detects harmful indoor air elements. Once detected, it can automatically trigger the alarm for everyone to leave and use facial recognition to identify and contact the people who may have been in contact with that dangerous element.
In short, we can collect, share, and react to real-time data across multiple security technologies. Doing so effectively only adds to the building’s safety and efficiency.
Once a system is installed, how can property management teams make sure they’re using it effectively?
I can only speak to what Cetra Solutions does to make sure clients make full use of their investment. Once our security equipment is set up, it can all be controlled with a user-friendly interface that can be accessed from any computer or mobile device. We also offer a 30-day free trial of the system and provide initial training to educate users on what to do in various scenarios. After that, our clients only need to accept software updates when they arise.
The important thing to know is that our systems never go out of date. Much like how a Tesla vehicle receives “over the air” updates, our systems receive consistent updates to stay ahead of risks and changes. We also provide an industry-leading 10-year warranty, and no annual maintenance is required. That goes a long way towards future savings.
Where do you see security systems evolving from here?
Live monitoring is gaining traction. In a traditional system, an alarm gets triggered and a security guard is sent to investigate. The challenge is that they may already be too late by the time they get there. Live monitoring, on the other hand, allows a person to view an incident immediately when it’s triggered and notify proper authorities depending on what the incident is. It also has the ability to detect if it’s a false alarm (e.g., stray animal) and avoid costly emergency services being called.
Otherwise, we’re always looking for ways to bring greater peace of mind to our clients, be it through a new piece of tech or more sophisticated data security solutions. It’s a changing world, so we have to be ready to react.
Sign up for Cetra Solutions’ free 30-day security system trial or learn more about its security, energy management, building automation, network, and other smart solutions. Visit www.cetrasolutions.ca. or contact info@cetrasolutions.ca.
