It’s no secret that to be successful in today’s professional security market, security integrators can no longer rely on revenues from simply selling products and performing break/fix. Integrators who want to prosper in this increasingly competitive space need to adopt new business models as equipment prices continue to drop with diminishing margins.

Traditional service models simply aren’t enough as systems and applications evolve and get smarter. End users today expect their security systems to deliver maximum performance and reliability; so it’s time for integrators to move out of their comfort zones a bit and embrace the changing landscape that new technologies provide.

The primary change integrators have to embrace is the transition from providing largely reactive maintenance and other services toward taking a more proactive approach. Proactive services make integrators more efficient and look smarter while customers are much more satisfied.

The reality is that IP components fail. Even if they are all working properly, failures can still occur when certain conditions exist across multiple devices (such as video not recording because a PoE switch is intermittently overloaded). Across an IP-based physical security network there are a lot of devices making up the workflow (servers, networking, storage, VMS, to name a few).

In today’s integrated security systems, that means that a single device failure could take down a meaningful portion of the security infrastructure. Until the device can be repaired, replaced or simply restarted, security is compromised.

For integrators and end users alike, improved security system uptime and reliability are critical. The vital nature of security for protecting people, places and assets means systems must be operating at all times. The alternative simply isn’t acceptable, as downtime creates tremendous risk and liability.

However, staying ahead of problems and identifying potential issues before they can compromise security are among security integrators’ biggest challenges. Viakoo’s Automated System and Data Verification Solution removes this impediment and opens the door for integrators to seize on the new — and very real — RMR opportunities it provides.

Imagine for a moment that someone files a slip-and-fall claim against an integrator’s retail customers. No problem, right? They’ll be able to determine if the claim is valid by reviewing video from the time when the incident allegedly occurred. Or will they? Far too often, video recording is interrupted, leaving gaps in stored or archived video. However, if that customer had subscribed to the integrator’s Viakoo-based service, the integrator would have received an alert when the video signal was interrupted. It’s quite possible that the system would send an alert that the signal was about to be interrupted, which would allow the integrator to spring into action to prevent the issue and save the day. Then the customer could find the video, see that the slip-and-fall claim was fraudulent and be done with it.

Integrators are able to generate RMR by offering proactive services, whether as an add-on service or as part of their standard offering. The Automated System and Data Verification Solution runs advanced system analytics to provide scientific diagnosis and early problem detection, along with automated creation of “fix-it” plans to ensure surveillance and access control systems are operating continuously. The systems are fully documented and remain in full compliance with any internal or external rules and regulations.

Integrators can access the Viakoo multi-client platform remotely from a smartphone or PC, providing them with all the resources they need to quickly and effectively detect, diagnose and solve surveillance and access control issues from anywhere at any time.

In today’s crowded and competitive market, traditional reactive services just won’t cut it for integrators looking to differentiate themselves. With Viakoo’s Automated System and Data Verification Solution, proactive incident detection and prevention services are no longer out of reach for security professionals, who can now seize the opportunity to generate valuable RMR while providing end users with the heightened security and peace of mind that comes from continuously operating security systems. — Contributed by Bud Broomhead, CEO, Viakoo