A whitepaper published by Synectics illustrates how strategic communications and security can enhance the scope and efficiency of a site’s security mechanisms and processes through Unified Communications.
A whitepaper published by
Synectics illustrates how strategic communications and security can enhance the scope and efficiency of a site’s security mechanisms and processes through Unified Communications.
Unified Communications refers to the integration of both real-time and non-real-time communications services exchanged via a network. By looking at the practical requirements and operational benefits of integration Unified Communications via surveillance command and control technology, it can be seen how beneficial surveillance integration can be especially in terms of aiding critical decision processes and incident response management.
Surveillance command and control: the switchboard of the future
The best way to demonstrate the effectiveness of adopting this approach to communications is to look at real world scenarios.
A lone worker is completing safety checks at various locations on an industrial plant. Every 20 minutes, they press a button on their mobile. This is programmed to be recognized by the surveillance command and control platform. If the button is not pressed after a certain period of time has elapsed, an alert automatically flags up on the surveillance team’s monitors. Locating the worker’s edge device, live feeds from the nearest cameras are automatically prioritized on-screen in order to visually verify the safety of the worker. Footage show the worker is on the ground and not moving. A “man-down” voice command is routed to the nearest SIP devices to alert support teams located closest to the worker. This also triggers a workflow to guide the surveillance team through further “man-down” protocols.
What this scenario shows: Combining communications, visual data and workflow management delivers a safety resource particularly valuable to organizations operating remote, hazardous or multi-location sites.
Looking beyond the misconceptions
With so many potential benefits to integrating communications via unifying command and control platform, why is this a trend yet to gain significant momentum? To answer this, it is useful to look at some common misconceptions.
Hardware Restrictions
A concern linked to cost is that in adopting an integrated IP communications structure, organizations will find themselves restricted to specific hardware and software providers (and their associated fees). But as a matter of fact, industry standardization and open APIs ensure those adopting IP-based communications benefit from system/device interoperability. Using an open platform command and control solution to converge voice, video, audio and data communications does not restrict end-users to specific vendors. This safeguards effective buying strategies by allowing organizations to select communications solutions and edge-devices that suit their specific needs, rather than forcing them to purchase specific proprietary technology.
Size
Only large organizations will benefit from integrating communications via a networked command and control platform. In fact, one of the biggest benefits of adopting this approach to communications is that it is highly scalable. Facilitating and managing communications using an IP-based solution permits end-users of any size to boost or reduce their system to match the organic growth of their business.
Security
Protecting data is a priority for any organization – particularly for those critical to a country’s economic or operational infrastructure. In truth, however, hacking is not a key threat. The level of data encryption now available - particularly when using a central command and control platform to manage data - means unauthorized access to communications transmissions is highly improbable. A more significant threat to security and operations is data loss, as an IP-based solution is reliant on network resiliency.
While integrating communications into a single IP-based command and control environment is not yet widespread, its broader adoption is inevitable – particularly as edge device technology advances within industrial/business settings.