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By Chris Angelini |
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When it comes to enabling technology, I stick to what I know. But when a customer recently asked me about deploying surveillance cameras next to gas wells and monitoring them wirelessly as a potentially new stream of revenue, I told them I'd have to get back to them with more information. It wasn't that I didn't know where to look for cameras or the wireless technology they'd use to communicate. Rather, I was more concerned about the notion of moving from IT into security and any associated liabilities. As it turns out, you shouldn't have to approach physical security with a "guards, gates, and guns" mindset. There's also no need to make it a facilities issue—you're not going to spend 24 hours a day monitoring all of your customers' server enclosures or back doors. Instead, look at security from the same angle as servers and workstations; success is all in the IT. Security From The Customer's Eyes A majority of your small business customers probably pay a service provider to keep track of security through an alarm system, which monitors doors and windows. Some communicate directly with the contractor while others summon law enforcement concurrently once they're tripped. Your goal shouldn't be to replace existing security measures, though that seems like the logical path to saving money. Instead, George Cravens, technical marketing engineer at D-Link, recommends complementing existing small business security systems with technologies that might not have previously been available to your customer. Cameras are perhaps the most practical item to implement in the reseller's arsenal of physical security offerings. "Many customers look to VARs for solutions that'll save money today. When it comes to security, SMBs might instead be put in the position to spend more now for greater efficiency down the road. In the example where a small business wants to keep an eye on oil or gas wells, multiple cash registers, assembly lines, and so on, adding cameras would be a good way to aid the human contingent, not eliminate it." D-Link's Cravens lays out the following scenario: consider an SMB currently paying a monthly fee for full-time monitoring service. In the span of two weeks, the president—the only one who gets called when the alarm goes off—is repeatedly woken up at 3:00 AM knowing only that one of the sensors was triggered. Without your IT-oriented value-adds, he has to get dressed, drive to the office, give an all-clear, lock back up, and head home, all without any clue whether the alarm was real or false.
Now factor Web-enabled cameras into the equation. With motion-sensitive monitoring trained on doors, windows, server rooms, and so on, it's easy to get a snapshot of any suspicious activity beamed directly to a cell phone or PDA. Moreover, video recording gives small business owners verifiable evidence for court or insurance purposes should a break-in occur. Getting to Know Cameras You might be surprised to learn that many of the vendors you deal with on a daily basis are already elbows-deep in the security scene. Thus, it's remarkably easy to make a swift move into physical security if you're not already involved there. For instance, D-Link is most familiarly known for its networking switches, routers, and clients. But the company is increasingly dedicating resources to networked cameras with an emphasis on security and conferencing. One quick look at D-Link's product page reveals seven separate camera families, many of which appear quite similar at first glance. "The difference between each," Cravens says, "is in functionality. A product with pan, tilt, and zoom is best suited for SMBs with a security staffer who needs to look around in real-time. When routing power is an issue, PoE support lends special versatility to our DCS-1110. And in environments without easy access to CAT5e cabling, 802.11g wireless networking is plenty fast enough to stream audio and video over the Web for remote monitoring." One of D-Link's most innovative offerings, the DCS-2120, facilitates video streaming directly to a 3G phone or PDA whereas most other cameras will simply forward a notification to your mobile email address. The DCS-2120 doesn't make you choose between wired and wireless communication, either—it supports both. And, like many of D-Link's other cameras, the DCS-2120 has an audio component that picks up sound once motion triggers recording to a network storage device. A solid entry-level surveillance upsell, you really can't go wrong at $350. As with graphics cards, refrigerators, and cars, some cameras qualify as mainstream while others populate a more premium rung on the ladder, enabling sexier features at elevated prices. Axis Communications caters to the customer with somewhat higher-end needs, but as a means to an end. When many small businesses shut down for the night, the lights get turned off along with everything else. A standard security camera is rendered blind in such a situation. Axis' Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)-enabled 221 Day and Night Network Camera, on the other hand, features an automatic infrared-cut filter, switching from color to monochrome in low-light environments. Value-Added Accessories
According to Fredrik Nilsson, director of business development for Axis Communications, the 221's infrared-cut filter works well in parking garages or dimly lit streets. However, the camera is also suited for operation in complete darkness when it's complemented by an infrared illuminator—an accessory laden with LEDs that emit light beyond the visible spectrum. The 221 can, however, pick up infrared and record viable video. Axis naturally sells a handful of different illuminators optimized for different ranges and wavelengths, as does SMB-friendly Videoalarm. You'll also need to pay close attention to where cameras are being installed. Sealed enclosures should be considered mandatory for any outdoor setup, if only for moisture and dust protection. Certain models, such as D-Link's DCS-60, even sport heating elements and coolers to help combat harsh temperatures. Should a particular camera seem vulnerable to tampering, opt for one of Videoalarm's vandal-resistant housings. Indoor models feature 14-gauge steel and security access locks while the outdoor BMT10 is actually bullet-resistant. Lastly, familiarize yourself with each product's accompanying software package. D-Link's IP surveillance app, for instance, manages up to 16 cameras, sets recording schedules, and configures motion detection settings. Meanwhile, each of Axis' cameras is accessible independently, but managing multiple units requires a pricey piece of software.
The benefit of any accessory upsell should be clear whether you're offering components that help make cameras work more effectively, enclosures built for protection, or software written to simplify administration. The goal is a physical security subsystem that's reliable and easy to manage. Of course, it helps when your physical security offerings extend beyond traditional threats. Protecting Sensitive Equipment It's no secret than internal threats are among the most serious security concerns. Instant messaging, email, and worm viruses all rank high on the list of suspects. And when IT professionals aren't trying to design security measures around plugging the IT-oriented holes inside the boat, they're working on ways to keep outsiders from coming in over the wires. But just because your customers have a player covering all the bases doesn't mean they're safe. You still have the well-being of servers to think about. The capacity to monitor physical and environmental variables serves as your shortstop between traditional external blocks, such as firewalls, and internal safeguards, such as group policies. Although enterprise-class customers would appear to be the best candidates for real-time environmental monitoring, Chris Gaskins, product line manager for security and environmental products at APC, argues that the small and medium businesses are increasingly better suited for the same protection. "The way things are working, SMBs are packing more power into sub-optimal spaces. Expensive equipment is being pushed out to the edge, spread into branch offices, wiring closets, and so on. Medium-sized organizations don't have the IT budgets for specially designed server rooms. And even within a single rack densely packed with blade servers, it's difficult to keep tabs on temperatures. Thus, a relatively small number of IT professionals are forced to contend with enterprise problems."
APC's solution is contained in a somewhat recent acquisition of NetBotz, which focuses on physical threat management not only from malicious individuals but also environmental factors. Each NetBotz setup centers on three key components: monitoring appliances, add-on sensors, and a central management server. The edge appliances, responsible for aggregating video and sensory data, are perhaps the largest determiners of scalability. APC's NetBotz 500, for example, is a $15,000 behemoth built for data centers. SMBs will probably be more receptive to the 420 or 320, both sub-$2,000 Linux-based wall- and rack-mountable units, each with a built-in camera. Both appliances are able to record unauthorized access to a rack or room, send notifications to PDAs with links to a live video feed, and record footage based on event triggers. NetBotz 420 adds support for additional branded camera and sensor pods, which keep tabs on temperature, humidity, airflow, and audio—variables that take physical security beyond simply warding off disgruntled employees and late-night robbers. APC even enables third-party dry contact sensor support for vibration, breaking glass, and gases. "Resellers can add a lot of value to a NetBotz installation with the right sensors," says APC's Gaskins. "For instance, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange employs a dense blade environment where temperatures may vary quite a bit within each enclosure. By mounting three sensors at the top, middle, and bottom of every rack, the CME IT staff avoids overloading its cooling subsystem." The third puzzle piece, APC's NetBotz Central Standard Appliance, is more of an enterprise implement since it costs nearly $10,000 and helps control environments with multiple edge appliances. Businesses that can afford the management server will certainly benefit from its functionality, though. Auto-discovery of new NetBotz components, alarm trending, exportable reports, authentication, and custom networking mapping are but a handful of the server's administrative capabilities. Investing in Security Armed with a little more knowledge about security, I actually advised my customer against monitoring all of those gas wells with networked cameras. Sure, the weatherproof enclosures were readily available. The cameras were no problem, either. These guys specialized in wireless communication, so I knew it'd be little trouble to set up a handful of Yagi's and get great network performance. Instead, it all came down to the role technology was to play in the operation. They didn't want to hire any more staff. Rather, the plan was to base a security package exclusively on the technology I'd be rolling out. That's the "guards, gates, and guns" mindset resellers should shun, and I certainly wasn't comfortable in such a role. Instead, approach physical security from the IT perspective. Offer the complementary infrastructure—the hardware that gives small business owners information when the alarm company calls at 3:00 in the morning or sends an SMS message to you, the small business consultant, when temperatures in a rack exceed the predetermined threshold. In taking the IT route, you're in a better position to add value. And frankly, it's a lot easier to sleep at night when you don't feel stuck in the role of a safe-keeper. |
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