Mixed-use or multi-tenant properties are those occupied by different tenants, for example offices, retailers and restaurants. For these properties, they can benefit greatly from interoperable security systems that seamlessly communicate with one another. This article looks at ways interoperability can optimize the security and operations of mixed-use properties.
Across the globe, mixed-use properties are on the rise. Benefits of mixed-use properties, for example more diversified revenue streams, more efficient land use and better promotion of sustainability, are prompting developers to build more and more such properties. In fact, according to
HTF Market Intelligence, the mixed-use property market is experiencing robust growth, projected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 5.8 percent by 2033.
Since these properties are occupied by different tenants, when it comes to security, it’s natural for each tenant to use their own security systems.
“When developers build and hand over these sites, they typically provide shared infrastructure in the common areas. However, once tenants move in, each occupant tends to fine tune security to match its own operational needs, while the building owner maintains a separate, often disconnected, security architecture for the common zones. The result is not a unified security platform but a patchwork of isolated ‘security islands,’” said Dhananjay Birwadkar, Founder and Principal of ARRC Global.
Verghese Thirumala, MD of Maxitulin, uses one of their mixed-use projects in Malaysia as an example. “What they've done is the public areas have been defined clearly in terms of what is necessary. But the plot of land is purchased by individual owners … so maybe one particular office or company, they use a particular security system, but for another company, they use another security system,” he said. “The biggest challenge is different tenants, they have different systems, different brands. Even if it is the same brand, it could be different models.”
When different tenants use different security systems that do not communicate with each other or with central command, it creates security and safety issues.
“Security gaps thrive in siloed operations – when a property’s access control, visitor management, video monitoring, and intrusion systems don't communicate, teams lose valuable context. For example, if a visitor checks in at reception but the access system doesn't recognize them, security teams aren’t informed when they enter a restricted area. When systems talk to each other, teams can correlate their security data to paint a bigger picture of their building,” said Sarah Rodrigues, Chief Product Officer at Acre Security.
“When something happens, piecing together what occurred across multiple camera systems – each with its own interface, its own footage format, its own playback controls – takes time that investigations don’t have. A suspect walks from one tenancy into another and effectively disappears from the security record,” said Angelo Salvatore, VP of Business Development for APAC at OpenEye. “Separate systems aren’t just inconvenient. They create a real security risk. The incidents that matter most happen across exactly the boundaries these systems cannot see.”
Benefits of interoperability
Yet things change when disparate systems can seamlessly communicate with each other through interoperability, which offers various benefits for mixed-use properties. Below we take a closer look.
Better visibility: Interoperability provides better visibility, where the building manager gets a single operational picture instead of looking for footage from different systems.
“What teams really want is clarity. A unified platform brings systems into one clear view, with a single interface that shows what’s happening across the property – every door, camera, and alarm. Teams no longer chase information across disconnected tools or rely on manual work to fill the gaps. They see what’s happening in real time across their entire portfolio and can make decisions with confidence,” Rodrigues said.
Faster incident response: When an incident happens at mixed-use properties, seconds matter. Interoperability can accelerate incident response and enhance post-event investigation.
“Security operators get a single, clear view across the whole property rather than switching between separate screens while an incident is unfolding. That sounds simple. In practice it’s the difference between a useful investigation and a useless one,” Salvatore said. “Tracing a person or event across tenancy boundaries takes minutes rather than hours when all footage is accessible through one interface. The footage record is cleaner. Law enforcement gets something they can actually work with.”
Better intelligence: When different systems communicate with each other well, better intelligence can be achieved.
“At ARRC Global we treat every multi-tenant building as a single, connected digital ecosystem. Access control readers, video analytics engines, visitor management portals, perimeter sensors, and even HVAC and lighting systems all feed a common risk intelligence layer. The goal isn’t simply to make disparate tools talk to each other for convenience – it’s to give the property predictive foresight,” Birwadkar said. “When these subsystems exchange data, hidden patterns surface: unusual traffic routes, irregular badge use, sudden changes in crowd density, or coordinated intrusion attempts. This seamless communication lets the building function like a living organism – sensing, correlating, and reacting as one unit instead of a collection of isolated silos.”
Scalability: In mixed-use properties, tenants come and go. With interoperability, new tenants can connect their security with other systems and with the central command in no time.
“There’s also a growth argument. A well-connected video system means adding a new tenant doesn’t mean adding another separate, disconnected system. It means extending a platform that already works. The management burden stays the same. That matters enormously when you’re managing a property with tenants who come and go regularly,” Salvatore said.