An organization’s budget is a critical component of asset protection, personnel management, and branding. Your organization may be looking to trim the budget, but the security system just isn’t the right line item to cut and minimize. Underfunding at the initial purchase phase, or failure to fund through upgrades, can be a headache if you’re lucky and a catastrophe if something goes wrong.
Here is a closer look at the hidden costs of limited security resources:
#1 A Security System that’s not fully Backed-Up
While some organizations will want the ability to save a simple database for system rebuilds, others may want a redundant recording platform for video surveillance at separate locations. These two examples vary significantly in cost resources. If your organization doesn’t clearly define the term “back-up” when building this process into the total cost of the system, you’ll likely lose important data.
#2 A Security System that won’t be ‘Up-to-Date’
Version upgrades are typically covered under a Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA) that must be budgeted as a recurrent and long-term expense. The SMA, in most cases, is an annual license fee, charged by the manufacturer for ongoing access to system updates and upgrades. Without an SMA, security professionals may eventually find their system is partially or fully outdated. This can result in cyber security vulnerabilities, version mismatches with integrated systems, ongoing bug challenges, and regular bouts of IT and security staff irritation.
#3 An Unhappy IT Staff
It’s not ok to burden the IT department with tasks that are normally covered under a maintenance contract. It’s frustrating for the IT department because security system maintenance likely exceeds the scope of their duties and can be incredibly time consuming. Security system maintenance is highly specific to manufacturers and the integrators that work with these systems are specially trained to schedule, plan, and conduct system maintenance. A maintenance contract ensures that specific parts of the security system are managed by your trained, and certified, security integration partner. When a robust maintenance contract isn’t in the budget, the IT department suffers, and morale can plummet.
#4 Not following Policies and Procedures
Your organization likely has a set of policies and procedures for daily operations, administrative services, and building management. Log files and alarm reports may need to be prepared and delivered to administrators and managers in a planned, scheduled fashion. If your organization doesn’t budget for a managed solution with scheduled system reporting, you’ll be relying on your existing staff to schedule, develop, and manage these reports. This is likely in addition to their baseline duties, so the risk of a missing or incomplete report increases.
#5 Potential Risk to Your Business
Underfunded systems quickly become reactive systems. It’s tough to prevent or mitigate a security breach, system failure, or major emergency when you’re working diligently just to maintain the system under daily operations. You’ll be risking profitability, efficiency, and overall brand value if, and when, an event occurs.
Long-Term Solution
Implementing a system is a great start, however, ongoing maintenance must be performed to keep it running optimally. The hidden cost of an unmaintained, out of date system can be significant. And while the system may appear to be performing optimally to the security team, cyber vulnerabilities may be
lurking as well as the unseen benefits of new features offered by new versions of software. Even firmware within the peripheral devices, like cameras, needs to be updated in order to maximize camera functionality and features.
Whether your electronic security system is a basic IP-based video or access control system or is a fully integrated security management system, it’s a serious investment that deserves protection. Systems supported by regular maintenance programs, like the Vision Investment Protection (VIP) program can eliminate every one of these problems. Your solution is completely up-to-date, backed-up, and consistently cyber secure. Maintenance is performed regularly, and the system’s server hardware and software aren’t an IT concern.
Vision Investment Protection consists of maintenance and service plan levels that, like your system, can grow and change. The complexity of your facility’s system will determine the appropriate VIP service plan level. Your VIP plan can then be customized as your electronic security system expands.
VIP plans include many of these benefits:
* 27/7 priority contact representative
* Guaranteed response
* Emergency weekend response
* System updates ensure latest versions and cyber security updates
* VIP rates and discounts
* Customer login portal
* Ongoing, preventative maintenance
Your Opportunity to Act Today
The goal of a security assessment and site survey is to uncover potential threats at schools, buildings, and campuses of all sizes. Ultimately, these solutions can help integrate a variety of technologies as part of a plan that works in unison to help secure occupants, protect valuable assets, and assist in preventing physical access to sensitive areas.
Contact the Vision team to discuss security options for your organization.