Partner Article

Man guarding versus technology

It’s Technology Week on Bdaily. John Roddy, chief executive of The Shield Guarding Company Ltd. discussed the use of technology in the security industry.

Technology is the back bone of professional security services. However, technology alone does not do the complete job and it is the collaborative effort of well-trained and skilled staff, who are able to use technology in a smart and sophisticated way, as well as investing in the technology itself. This becomes increasingly important as 2013 will see the rise of technology within the security sector, especially within digital and computing security as we see higher levels of integration between all factors of the security trade, from physical to digital, computing to electrical.

People are relying on technological advancements for improved convenience in their work and business life. Technology has become a substantial part of our life and many of us can’t even remember the days when we couldn’t connect to the internet via our phone. The security sector experienced this very same trend and has moved forward. With these advancements in place, we have already seen sufficient improvements in terms of monitoring and safety. For example, the value of CCTV can be visible when combined with good man guarding. Last year’s riots across the UK have demonstrated this. London businesses that had guards present on their premises did not lose as much money and stock as the businesses only “protected” by CCTV. Another example of smart technology in operation is our Alarm Response Centre (ARC) in Preston. The ARC will have full Category II status which will enhance the range of services that the Company can provide to its clients.

However, although technology in the security sector is vital, it is important that this is not just for aesthetic purposes. It should be effective technology which provides full security cover of an assignment and therefore we invest in training our staff as well as into technology. This demonstrates an integrated approach which is also in line with The Shield Guarding Company Limited’s move to become a national, total security solutions provider. So whilst CCTV and other technology provides us with invaluable information to improve our safety, it is the role of well qualified guards who are properly skilled and trained on the newest technology used to protect us from crime, to optimize the success of security services.

Check out some of the technology week articles, including: Bdaily talks IT technology; the UK tech sector: a health check; and the web-developers perspective;Bdaily talks to Care.com;the growth of the UK tech sector; and flying ahead in the technology sector.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Roddy .