FEATURE FIRE & SECURITY SECURITY: A GROWING CONCERN


small commercial premises, where the requirements for specialist knowledge and ongoing service contracts are less important. The majority of electronic security installations in the domestic sector are intruder alarms, along with access control systems, which are predominantly installed in apartments. Home automation is a growing


Are you missing out on £2 billion of business? Neil Baldwin, sales director at ESP, examines the opportunities for electrical contractors in the booming electrical security sector


W


hether you already have a foot in the door of the security sector or


are considering entering, opportunities are abound for the security-minded contractor. Economic uncertainty intensifies the need to identify and pursue business opportunities in growing markets and the security systems market is a sound option. We have never been on a higher state of alert in the UK, and because of that, people are more conscious of having a high level of security in place. The police are encouraging us to use CCTV to protect homes and businesses, and manufacturers are constantly developing products to make them as user-friendly and reliable as possible. With businesses and homeowners


seeing the value of investing in security to protect their premises and properties, and seeking the appropriate measures to do so, the UK security market continues to grow. According to a report published by AMA Research, the total UK electronic security market, comprising electronic access control, intruder alarms, CCTV and associated services, was estimated to have been worth approximately £2bn in 2015, at installed prices. CCTV sales were estimated to account


for a 50 per cent share by value, followed by intruder alarms with 30 per cent and access control with 20 per cent. Technological developments and cloud-


2 MAY 2017 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 2


based solutions have continued to drive the market. The market for intruder alarms is mature and competition with other security products, such as CCTV and access control, remains high, particularly systems which can be monitored remotely. However, intruder alarms as standalone products in the commercial sector are in decline. The access control market has remained stable during recent years and there has been a gradual shift to wireless and networked systems, which are forecast to continue to drive replacement sales. Opportunities for electrical contractors


within the security products sector are primarily in the domestic market and


application area and is currently experiencing double digit growth. This market provides significant opportunities for electrical contractors to offer an integrated package that can be centrally controlled e.g. security products, lighting, climate control and home entertainment. Sources covering the sector such as IFSEC, Keynote and BASEC are forecasting double-digit growth for the product ranges that ESP covers. Yet, as it stands, security remains a sector that is largely untapped by the electrical contracting market. It is still considered to be a specialist area and, as such, currently comes under the remit of the professional security installer. However, there is no reason for the electrical contractor to shy away from these products and this sector. The electricians already have the necessary skills and, with the right products and some training, they can take advantage of the potential this sector offers. ESP are putting a lot of time and investment behind getting this message out there.


ESP has relaunched its access control range with a simplified collection of products under the brand name, Aperta (Italian for open)


KEY FACTS AND CONSIDERATIONS It is estimated that the UK has 4.9m CCTV cameras, and following the 2011 London riots, Scotland Yard published that 2,200 prosecutions were made due to the use of CCTV footage. Furthermore, installation of CCTV in schools reduces vandalism by 90 per cent Met Police Commissioner, Bernard


Hogan-Howe, said: “CCTV cameras should be installed by homeowners and businesses to help detectives solve crimes in the age of austerity.” Detective Chief Superintendent, Mick


Nevill, spoke about CCTV at IFSEC 2015 and commented that the biggest challenge facing police when it comes to CCTV is downloading images, especially as 80 per cent of CCTV owners cannot use their own systems. His top tip for businesses wanting to improve the way they use surveillance is to learn how to connect the CCTV to the Internet so the police can remotely view it. While there has been a proliferation of


surveillance cameras in the UK, there has been an issue of poor image quality. It is


/ ELECTRICALENGINEERING


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