Building security and risk management: made easier and more affordable by technology.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: TELECOM & TECHNOLOGY

Building security is an important area that businesses must address to protect their employees, physical space, and other assets. Alaska's security services providers offer some of the latest solutions to help companies use technology to secure their premises and manage their risks.

Security measures can encompass everything from the interior and exterior of the building--including the parking lot and any other elements on the premises--to the people and information technology assets that keep the business running. Common threats to security range from theft and vandalism to slip-trip-fall incidents. Higher-risk events involving disgruntled former employees or domestic disputes can also threaten the workplace. So can an active-shooter situation, which is an extreme but growing possibility on corporate and college campuses.

Whatever the potential threat, experts say businesses should have a complete and proactive security program. And, ideally, security measures can be incorporated during a construction or remodeling project to optimize efficiency and cost savings.

High-Tech Solutions

Modern surveillance solutions built around state-of-the art alarms, video camera systems, radar, and radio frequency identification (RFID) are making it easier for businesses to safeguard their property and manage their risk more effectively. Alaska's security firms offer a plethora of products to facilitate the process.

NMS Security is a prime example. The firm, partly owned by NANA Development Corporation, has decades of experience providing security services to some of the world's largest and most technologically-advanced companies. "We provide just about anything you can think of, from cameras, alarms, and servers to radar and RFID solutions," says Vice President of Operations Bill Tandeske. "Then, when you couple that with the traditional guard services, we can create a blended solution."

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The company's "blended" solution can incorporate the basic security force as appropriate and then apply technology to enhance the effect. With ground radar, for instance, businesses can combine small radar units with a camera to achieve broad coverage. "You can cover parking lots and larger areas without having to put out a lot of cameras," Tandeske says.

Businesses can also pair RFID with high-tech cameras to keep track of employees and their property. RFID is a developing wireless technology that uses electronic tags and readers to monitor inventory and other assets. Employed in a wide variety of applications, RFID is a growing element of security programs for larger enterprises.

The specific elements required to meet a company's security needs is generally based on the demands of the site involved. Security solutions, however, are typically provided by multiple vendors. A facility's security often may...