d e t e k t o r i n t e r n a t i o n a l ˇ 1 7
Security News Every Day
www. securityworldhotel.com
Security News Every Day
www. securityworldhotel.com
security-as-a-service
that aspect may not last long, as
the entire industry is moving up
to the cloud world. But SaaS also
does provide you as a manufac-
turer and integrator essential data
about your product and service
quality, your alarm response rates,
the effectiveness of your solutions
for your customers. It is equally
critical to continuously enhance
your cloud-based security services,
both in depth and breadth, in
order to stay ahead of the curve,
and be seen as a competency
leader who can deliver the best
returns for your customers.
2
The benefits for our users are
immense, particularly for our
global or multi-site customers. The
advantages can be summarised as
"lower TCO" total cost of
ownership, but it actually goes
further. SaaS provides faster
returns of any given IP-based
security investment, as it drives
increased efficiency of in-house
security personnel, coupled with
faster and more reliable security
data prompting right and timely
actions to limit or prevent
damage. Probably one of the most
critical aspects is the reduction of
the sheer amount of data captured
by video or other security sensors.
3
SaaS is an essential solutions
component of our global account
programme through which it has
been specifically brought to life in
support of the worldwide
operations of our strategic global
customers such as Facebook, GE,
Shell or Visa. We have categorised
our SaaS offerings, and differenti-
ate between hosted and managed
services. For instance, we provide
global access control management
services (remote programming,
card services, health checks),
remote video security (central
viewing, video guard tours, VIP
and lone worker video-assistance),
global service and response
management and reporting
(central dispatch of our global
service teams via our 24/7 global
account monitoring centre),
remote audit services.
easily implement the solution
across the whole platform.
2
The opportunity to focus on
their core business. Purchasing
Security-as-a-Service means that
the customers do not have to e.g.
build-up, develop and maintain
their own security resources.
Instead they can fully focus on
further developing their own
business. It also provides better
overview and control of the
security costs of the company
through the preset and agreed
fixed monthly cost as well as access
to security expertise. It can be
quite difficult and costly for a
company to in-house develop and
maintain a high enough security
competence and resource. In a
functional outsourcing solution, it
is the supplier who is responsible
for securing both the resources
and expertise.
3
At Stanley Security Solutions
we define Security-as-a-Service in
three categories: technical outsourc-
ing, e.g. leasing agreements which
provides the customer with the
option of shifting investment cost
to operational cost, personnel
outsourcing, e.g. service agreements
with proactive maintenance and
technical support and lastly
functional outsourcing, e.g. SLA
driven outsourcing providing the
customer with a predefined, agreed
and guaranteed functional service
level.
The first two categories are
already quite established business
models in the security industry as
a whole, and have been for many
years. What we experience now
is an increased need and demand
from the customers for functional
outsourcing solutions.
Matthias Ernst, vice
president global
accounts, Tyco
1
The advantages of offering
these services are several for
security suppliers. For one, this is
the point of differentiation, but
Alf Göransson,
president and
CEO of Securitas
1
Integrated solutions give us as
a security company a great
opportunity to offer more
complex and advanced security
solutions with more profit and
long-term customer relations in
return. The key to success is using
our expert knowledge in security
and innovation to develop and
offer effective solutions.
2
The customer gets a more
optimal and custom security
solution that starts with his/her
unique needs and that fits the
budget. We can more easily find
the right balance between what
should be done by on-site security
personnel and external security
personnel, and also the ratio
between personnel and technical
solutions.
3
We have started launching the
remote video solutions in Sweden
and already work there with over a
hundred customers. The plan for
the other countries is to step by
step start offering customers these
kinds of solutions.
Massimo Grassi,
president of Stanley
Security Solutions
Europe.
1
An opportunity to further
deepen the partnership and close
cooperation with the customer.
This will result in a more in-depth
knowledge and understanding of
the customers' business and
security needs. This knowledge is
also valuable input to the business
development and service innova-
tion process of the supplier. Since
the customer is buying a function,
and not a specific technical
platform, the supplier has the
opportunity to actively and
continuously work on platform
capabilities, quality and efficiency
improvements. The supplier can
solve a potential problem and then
these because the customers no
longer have to incur a huge initial
financial outlay on large security
investments, and instead can take
the decision based on a monthly
expense. In effect the decision
making process is quicker when
Security-as-a-Service has been
accepted by the suppliers and their
customers. The company deliver-
ing the solution will become more
than a supplier. If done correctly,
the supplier will be a partner over
time with a clearly defined func-
tion and an operating responsibil-
ity. In this way, Security-as-a-Ser-
vice is without a doubt a win-win
situation for both security users
and security suppliers.
Security as an expense
Today the suppliers on the security
market charge their customers
mainly for hardware, software and
installation time. The technical
sector should immediately start
the process towards SaaS and
charge in terms of service usage.
Packaging and financing are the
keys to the future. Security is
needed for companies to function
as they should, and therefore secu-
rity should be an expense and not
seen as a heavy investment.
An extensive process
Getting on the SaaS train should
start with an analysis of a sup-
plier's business. How can the
internal changes required to
support product development
based on a service model be made?
How should business and price
models be designed so that they
are logical and clearly show the
customer benefits so that they
become profitable? How can the
offer be standardised? How can
the services be scaled?
SaaS is the future
Security-as-a-Service is the way
forward. Everyone in need of any
kind of security really wants a
solution based on services at an
attractive expense for the best pos-
sible ROI. With security systems
based on scalable technology,
remote service and cloud services,
together with competent person-
nel there is a great opportunity
to deliver cost effective customer
benefits. This applies as long
as Security-as-a-Service is not con-
sidered to be just a temporary
hype... n
Detektor asked a couple of leading players on the security
market the same three questions about Security-as-a-Service
1. what advantages does SaaS give the suppliers of the security market?
2. what advantages does SaaS give the customers (the security users)?
3. How far has your company come regarding SaaS? Where are you right now?
?