AlliedBarton Security Services and Viewpoint CRM announced they’ve entered into a partnership to provide a higher level of security offerings. According to the companies, by blending AlliedBarton’s expertise and long history providing security officer services and Viewpoint’s innovative technologies, they will create a stronger offering.

“AlliedBarton is a provider of total security solutions — what Viewpoint refers to as ‘Blended Solutions’ — that incorporate people, process, and technology into a holistic security solution to empower a customer’s security program,” said David Feeney, IT director, Integrated Solutions for AlliedBarton in his blog on this partnership.

Feeney pointed out that while in the past, security officer companies like AlliedBarton and monitoring companies like Viewpoint may have been seen as competitors, the two have found synergies that can benefit both businesses and ultimately, the end user.

“AlliedBarton is widely acknowledged as the leading provider of high-end security officers and security solutions, so it is very prestigious for Viewpoint to be chosen by them as a technology partner,” said Brad Gordon, chief executive officer of Viewpoint CRM. ”AB recognized us as the leader in our industry and was also impressed that Viewpoint is equipment agnostic, meaning that we can monitor most of the various CCTV systems in use today.  This allows them to introduce our services with a minimum of time and expense.”

Through this partnership, Viewpoint and AlliedBarton will bring together new technology allowing innovative remote monitoring services with a history of more than 50 years in the security services industry. Security officers are central to this strategy, Feeney said, the human element being the most critical factor in any security plan.

However, the companies agree that there are other key elements in a successful security program.

“Technology allows officers to be more efficient, more effective, and to spend their time handling their most important responsibilities,” Feeney wrote. “This is accomplished by repurposing certain tasks that can be handled more efficiently by a monitoring command center.”

For example, an integrated security program these two companies collate on may include camera monitoring being turned over to a monitoring command center where video agents trained in all types of systems and software will be responsible for all monitoring duties including reviewing archived video, providing authorities with images and watching an entire property. Security officers, then, are able to focus on tasks such as performing patrols, customer service and emergency response.

Gordon added, “We have worked very closely with a few of the leading analytics companies and have had input over the years in developing their products.  AB recognizes our expertise in this area and will leverage our ability to deploy and successfully use these various analytics systems in their pursuit of offering the best all-around security solutions to their clients.”

A “blended system” can also enhance site coverage through communication and collaboration between the “eyes on the sky” at the monitoring center and the security officers at the site. “A security officer can inform the monitoring center when he or she is about to conduct a foot patrol, respond to an incident, or take time to escort employees to the parking lot,” Feeney explained. ”And if the monitoring center detects an event away from the security officer’s current patrol, they can notify the security officer of the details of that event in real-time. With some systems, officers can even access video coverage of the event via mobile devices before they arrive on the scene.”

This program can create important efficiencies in access control as well. During “slow” periods of time, it is advantageous to have Viewpoint manage access control while an officer is assigned additional duties — rather than not being able to leave an access point to handle infrequent visitors.

“The remote monitoring center can answer calls, check identification, open doors and gates, and log each interaction, much like an on-site officer would,” Feeney said. “And the security officers can be dispatched or re-routed by the monitoring center as needed.”

The monitoring center can serve as back-up to the security officer through video/voice technology, so that a potential perpetrator is never only dealing with the officers on site. The monitoring center can dispatch authorities if needed or make deterrent “voicedown” announcements.

“Put simply, the ‘Blended Solution’ provides security officers with more time to do what they do best,” Feeney said.

“This partnership is more than prestigious for us.  Even though the service we provide (live remote video monitoring with voice technology) has been around for over a decade and has been proven effective, it is still considered relatively new,” Gordon commented. ”This partnership shows the world of CSO’s and security directors what the future will look like and will encourage them to seek the ‘Blended Solution’ that we are offering.”