On Monday, the PSA Security Network, an organized group of security integrators, announced that it was partnering nationally with network services firm 1nservice. The goal, according to the PSA was to bring together integrators from both the physical security and the logical security camps to provide full-service security needs for companies in North America.
1nservice, like the PSA Security Network, is a group of affiliated IT VARs which formed in 1998. 1nservice has offices around the U.S. and a core of 600 trained technicians. The group offers network solutions as well as other advanced technologies.
The linking of PSA and 1nservice reflects a change within the corporate technology landscape, especially as today's security technologies are running over business computer networks and driving network upgrades, says PSA Security Network President and CEO Bill Bozeman, who says that businesses are "definitely" erasing the line between IT purchases and physical security purchases. Additionally, says Bozeman, "storage and storage management are drivers [for IT infrastructure upgrades]." At the same time, he says the adoption of megapixel surveillance cameras and a propensity toward around-the-clock surveillance at multiple locations are each creating issues for the IT network.
"I see video analytics resolving some of these issues," said Bozeman, "but unlike some, I still see bandwidth as a big concern."
Yet Bozeman says that much of existing landscape of security integrators is still not recognizing that link between corporate network service and the usage of today's cutting-edge physical security technologies.
"The fact that this [erasing of the line between IT purchases and physical security purchases] is an on going reality does not seem to concern many security integrators who continue to live in the RG 59 world," said Bozeman.
As that line is erased, PSA Central Region Manager Dave Homet says that, "It's no longer necessary to have individual vendors servicing different needs," a challenge that the 1nservice/PSA agreement seeks to correct.
1nservice executive Paul Cronin said his company was seeing the need to link with physical security expertise as well.
"We needed to pair our IT expertise and knowledge with their physical security needs," said Cronin. "The two are not mutually exclusive,†said Cronin.
According to Bozeman, the driver for this kind of collaboration isn't about cost for the end-user; rather, it is about simplifying their technology purchases, maintenance and service.
"My conversations with the CSO community are more focused on competition, not cost," explained Bozeman. "Cost savings will come, however the 'total network base security provider' remains elusive. Many CSOs are frustrated with security integrators who struggle with the network, and they are just as frustrated with the network integrators who have never dealt and have little interest in life safety codes and door locking mechanisms. The answer is obvious, network integrators and security integrators need to partner as their services are needed now, not five years from now."
In addition to the ability to better serve their clients, PSA said the agreement gives each organization the ability to share products and supplier discounts and to leverage both businesses sales and service departments.
On the web:
PSA Security Network: www.psasecurity.com
1nservice: www.1nservice.com
