Security Information Systems
Broadening the Scope of Security

The year was 1980. After the uproar created by giant computers in transforming the business world, the need for personal computing systems intensified. The idea was to devise compact, affordable, and accessible units that can be easily used by non-technical customers. Soon, manufacturers and software players incorporated integrated computing technology to bring home computers intended for everyday use to the market. During this computing revolution emerged the need for broadening the security landscape at the behest of integrated PC-based monitoring and automation devices that are more intuitive. This led to the inception of Security Information Systems (SIS).

A global leader in alarm integration and monitoring software for the security industry, SIS has evolved itself over the years to find its niche in catering to government customers. The company provides a state-of-the-art Alarm Center that paves a migration path from a single user system through an enterprise network on a standard PC platform. The feature-rich, affordable software accommodates dispatch centers of all sizes and keeps them on the “leading edge” by offering periodic upgrades throughout the product pipeline.
Eric Young, Senior Vice President, Operations, SIS, says that it was 30 years back when the SIS founders identified the need for highly reliable security systems that safeguard life and property for large institutions such as government organizations and federal entities. “SIS came to the limelight to solve this unmet life safety need,” remarks Young. He further mentions that tons of companies within the security panorama build sensors and equipment necessary for making a robust security and alarm system. And while these companies sell complete security solutions that ensure the utmost safety, often, they fail to function collectively. SIS acts as the glue that holds the individual parts crucial to guaranteeing security together.

Despite challenges like budget constraints and congressional scrutiny while protecting high-profile incidents, SIS manages to upgrade government enterprises’ old-school infrastructures into structures that derive maximum value in return. It infuses the same into helping governmental agencies fortify and streamline their annual budgeting process to shield their installations and funding during the process.

How? It infuses its platform technology to gain the latest access control like IP and also capitalize on the already-existing analog components to send signals that can be easily interpreted, automated, and centralized with the SIS Alarm Center. This makes room for productivity enhancement, allows smaller task forces at security operation centers, enables clients to oversee larger global footprints, and empowers them to make better decisions regarding the security of facilities.In doing so, the SIS proactive alarm arrangement also saves customers immediate costs such as upfront investment, spend on staffing, and the likes of it.

Underpinning the excellence of SIS is the unmatched expertise that gives it an edge over its competitors. In essence, the sensor agnostic firm offers an automation platform that allows customers to retain their existing sensors/enterprise while availing the benefits of the latest technology. It lets them process signals from pre-installed sensors and align with a brand-new automated solution to extract maximum advantages.

We lie in between the large sensors and panel manufacturers/computer-aided dispatch manufacturers, thereby positioning ourselves at the unique juncture between two sides of the security value stream

Not only does this save costs, but it also maintains the ease of working with standard installations. “We lie in between the large sensors and panel manufacturers/computer-aided dispatch manufacturers, thereby positioning ourselves at the unique juncture between two sides of the security value stream,” affirms the Senior Vice President.

SIS relies on its successful customer collaborations to grow organically via word-of-mouth. So far, the company has partnered with almost 5000 clients spread across 200 countries. In one such engagement, the company joined hands with the Department of Homeland Security, the Protective Services facility in particular, and helped them defend the US Federal Government’s infrastructure within the US. With its branches spread across disparate locations across the country, the government client could not tackle some of the protest episodes due to a lack of situational awareness, leading to massive operational failure. The need of the hour was to collect and maintain the information of all the centers at a centralized location. With its Alarm Center, SIS linked the details of all the operating branches of the client and fused the collective data to paint a single situational picture. This enabled the federal agency to get a broader perspective of its operations and helped reduce failover capabilities by taking prompt actions during the case of emergencies.

Speaking of the current pandemic scenario, Young entails the slowdown in procurement activity due to remote working structures. However, with the momentum coming back to its pace, several companies are taking an active interest in terms of security, automated alerting and dispatching, and others. SIS is playing an integral role in driving the industrial shift and helping them to consolidate their security systems.

As a forward-thinking firm, SIS mastered the art of sensor-agnostic fusion automation prior to its popularity. Over the last three decades, SIS has amassed a library of hundreds of sensor communication protocols through its undeterred research and developments with various manufacturers. Banking on the same, the company now looks forward to expanding its core capability–automation of signal processing. It even aims to extend its reach into other parts of the physical security automation value chain by utilizing its single-code base platform. “We’re actively looking at ways to enhance our platform, modernize our interfaces, and continue to build on our industry-leading library of communication protocols,” concludes Young.