SECURITY & CYBERSECURITY
MANAGING THE REALITY OF A MIXED TECHNOLOGY ESTATE
A diverse estate does not have to mean fragmented information. Integration can connect different technologies and create a shared operational view, while allowing individual buildings to retain the systems that suit their needs, says Ric Martin, CEO of Pinnacle Systems.
Few facilities managers are responsible for an estate where every building was constructed at the same time, refurbished to the same specification or equipped with the same security technology.
Over time sites are expanded, acquired, upgraded and adapted to meet changing operational and legislative requirements, creating a mix of systems from different manufacturers and different generations of solutions. He highlights the solution to integrate systems to provide essential data as required, available remotely at any time, from any location.
A security mix can extend across intrusion detection, video surveillance, intercoms, perimeter protection, fire detection, building management, environmental monitoring and other connected systems. Each may have been introduced to address a particular requirement at a specific point in a building's lifecycle.
For facilities teams, this can leave operational information spread across multiple platforms. Alarms, faults, system status, events and other data may each sit within different applications, making it harder to manage and maintain a consistent view across multiple buildings.
As estates grow, teams need to maintain oversight of individual sites while also understanding what is happening across the wider portfolio. This is where integration can provide a way forward, bringing relevant information from supported systems into a shared operational environment.
Connecting a diverse estate Individual systems continue to perform their intended functions, while relevant information can be made available through a central platform. This can include alarms, equipment status, faults, access events, video, environmental conditions and other information generated by connected technologies.
Having this data available through a common interface can make it easier to investigate events and identify where attention is required. Information from several systems can be considered together, providing greater context around an incident or fault.
For organisations managing multiple buildings, the same approach can provide a consistent way of accessing data across estate.
This can be relevant to estates that have grown through acquisition. New buildings can introduce different
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manufacturers and systems, which can be assessed and incorporated into the wider operational environment where appropriate.
From events to estate-wide visibility The operational value extends beyond responding to individual incidents. Centralised information can support routine monitoring, allowing teams to review system status, identify faults and maintain awareness of activity across different locations.
For geographically dispersed estates, this can reduce the need to monitor each building through a separate operational environment. Teams can access information remotely and establish where attention may be required.
Information collected over time can also provide useful context for future planning. Recurring faults, equipment issues or patterns in alarms can help identify where resources may need to be directed and where further investigation could be worthwhile.
Developing the estate in stages Technology within an estate reaches different stages of its operational life, while investment is often driven by specific sites, requirements and available budgets.
This creates scope for integration to develop alongside the estate. An organisation might initially connect systems supporting a particular operational requirement, before extending the approach to other buildings or incorporating additional technologies as needs develop.
A newly acquired building, for example, can be assessed according to the systems already in place and the information the organisation needs to access. Relevant technologies can be incorporated into the wider operational environment where appropriate.
The same principle applies when an individual system reaches the point of replacement. New technology can be introduced according to the requirements of that site while contributing information to the wider estate.
This provides a route for individual technology projects to support broader estate objectives over time.
Maintaining choice across the estate Different buildings have different requirements, which can influence the technology selected for each site.
A manufacturer-independent approach to integration allows supported systems from suppliers to contribute
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