By: Peter Giacalone, Giacalone & Associates
I consider myself fortunate to have enjoyed success in the security and life safety monitoring industry for more than 45 years. It is equally rewarding to participate in the ongoing evolution of new and improved platforms which continuously develop to serve our industry’s tangible markets. In retrospect, it was equal parts persistence, tenacity and paying attention to my mentors which have contributed most to my success story. It’s an industry which has afforded me a platform to lend my counsel to the benefit of my peers. I reflect on this often and I am beyond grateful for these opportunities.
When back in Florida last year with my close friends of thirty-nine years, Laurie and John, we reflected on our many years of friendship and our paths within the security industry. John and I started our journeys almost simultaneously in the late 1970’s.
While John started in New Jersey, my start was in New York City. When I visited them again this year, our course of conversation took us to comparing the technology that was mainstream when we started our careers to the current innovative technology and its assimilation into the market. Although many of the innovative technology in today’s security products and services are exponentially advanced from when our journeys began, the fundamentals remain the same.
As far back as I can remember, industry fundamentals were detection, verification, annunciation and response. Although the steps in my early days were straightforward, for the most part they were manual due to the limited capabilities of technology. Today, we have a wide selection of converging technologies that can be leveraged toward better outcomes. One of my most memorable and rewarding experiences was during my ten years as Chief Operating Officer of Criticom International, where I was part of leadership of a team which built, at the time, the largest third-party monitoring company in the industry.
It was incumbent on us as leaders to study and innovate toward false alarm reduction as well as inducing better outcomes when events were real. We studied, we innovated, we collaborated with others, and we deployed what was possible to increase verifications and bring context to dispatches when an emergency event presented itself. We also created knowledge bases for our agents toward providing consistent, accurate and swift customer service at every level.
Today, these defining principles of alarm response are not at all that different. The distinguishing difference now is we have intuitive technology that not only brings all of this together, but it also delivers it in a more efficient and effective manner.
Our thoughts, goals and aspirations of the past have been realized and brought to mainstream in elegant fashion. The introduction and adoption of Artificial Intelligence on various levels has afforded the creation of platforms that flourish on an ongoing basis.
Here are some of the most obvious technology platforms which are changing and improving the industry in very meaningful ways.
Conversational AI
Conversational AI, powered by natural language processing and machine learning, has revolutionized various sectors, from customer service to healthcare. By enabling machines to understand and respond to human language, conversational AI facilitates seamless interactions between humans and technology. When integrated with central station monitoring automation systems, premise-based presence detection platforms and video analytics, conversational AI can significantly enhance the capabilities of these systems and the overall customer value proposition while improving service levels in a more effective and efficient manner.
Reducing False Alarms and Improving Accuracy
False alarms are a common issue in traditional systems, often triggered by various user activities or environmental factors. Utilizing AI driven Presence Detection allows these platforms to decipher friends from foes by learning from historical data. AI technology in this context continuously updates its models as it relates to premise data where the AI can improve its accuracy over time, reducing the frequency of false alarms. Additionally, AI platforms can provide detailed explanations of the detected events, allowing monitoring operators and/or security personnel to make informed decisions.
Conversational AI, Presence Detection & Remote Video Monitoring
This is where I really get enthusiastic about where we are as an industry. The integration of conversational AI, presence detection, and video monitoring has greatly enhanced our ability to streamline security operations. AI-powered systems can automate routine tasks, such as monitoring video feeds, generating reports with more tangible data, and efficiently managing access control.
This automation removes this often-tedious task from security personnel to focus on more critical tasks, such as investigating incidents and implementing security protocols. Additionally, because video cameras can’t view what’s around a corner, presence detection, when integrated in an intuitive manner, can work in concert with video analytics and conversational AI to deliver services and immense value to the end user.
Additionally, conversational AI can facilitate better communication and coordination among security teams. By providing a centralized platform where personnel can receive alerts, share information, and collaborate in real-time, the AI system can enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of security operations.
The understanding of the presence of individuals as it relates to their behavior and identity is of tremendous value when monitoring for safety and security. Utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence to detect and identify the known and unknown who are entering and leaving a premise provides substantial value for both fundamental monitoring of premise activity and especially for the central station monitoring center when required to handle, verify, dispatch and notify on any event transmitted by a premise system.
Although the technologies behind these platforms take different approaches in providing these valuable and much needed services, they are all able to monitor, analyze and report various points without compromising security or personal data. When integrated, individually and collectively, the latest technology trends we are experiencing pose a tremendous value in the effort to reduce false alarms and false dispatches. The bottom line is when combining Conversational AI, Presence Detection, and Remote Video – the best level of enhanced security and safety can be achieved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter P. Giacalone is a security professional of 40 years and is President of Giacalone Associates, LLC, an independent security consulting firm serving central stations, manufacturers and dealers internationally. Mr. Giacalone can be contacted at 201-394-5536 or peter@giacaloneassociates.com