Security systems that work together and communicate with each other and with other business systems are effective, intelligent, and collectively deliver a high level of security. Communication between the various underlying systems (from various manufacturers) is possible thanks to interfaces and an overarching security management system. However, when the management system and the underlying security systems are made and merged by the same manufacturer, they already speak the same ‘language’ and form a single unit. In this article, you will read about the advantages of such a ‘unified system’.

In a unified system, no interfaces are needed to translate information from the subsystems to the management system and vice versa. You implement just one platform that contains multiple security systems, such as intrusion detection, access control, or video surveillance. A ‘unified system’ can best be compared to Microsoft Office. Depending on your needs, you use more functionalities, and all applications can communicate with each other. Importantly, data is transmitted securely – that is, automatically encrypted. Moreover, information exchange is easy and complete; without functionality being lost in ‘translation’. For example, all Video Management System functions are available when searching for footage of an event from the access control system.

The user interface of a unified system therefore offers significantly more functionality than that of a standard integrated system where components from multiple manufacturers work together. Through the unified user interface, you can monitor, operate, and manage all components – as if it were one system – at all levels. This also applies to logging, dashboard, and reporting capabilities.

Ease of use and efficient incident follow-up

A major advantage of a unified system is that it consists of one software package and one interface. Therefore, you only need to master that software. Afterward, you can configure, operate, upgrade, and manage all merged systems from the same interface. The common interface provides all information from the relevant subsystems, such as (live) video footage, license plates, access points, alarms, and intercom calls. In a unified system, all components, such as cameras, doors, and intercoms, can also be clearly visualized in maps and floor plans; with active icons that provide notifications when an event occurs.

In case of an incident, the operator gets a comprehensive view of the situation. They are fully situationally aware and can therefore follow up on the incident quickly and effectively. A unified system can also establish connections between events from different system components. This allows false alarms to be filtered out and provides faster insight into an event. When using the app (which offers almost the same capabilities), security managers can also be notified of the situation via their mobile devices.