A control room environment comes in a number of forms and functions, but one thing remains consistent: the need for these spaces to meet the security demands of a 24/7/365 mission-critical environment.
Incorporating the right technology and equipment, coupled with the support security leaders and operators need to make decisions, means that these spaces require thoughtful design and integration. This is where a control room integrator can come in and help deliver a number of results, such as:
Integrated Intelligence
The tools and technology used in a control room environment deliver data from a number of sources, including video, audio, access control, fire and intrusion alarms, weather reports and more. The result is a level of intelligence previously unseen in overly siloed system management.
Aggregated Big Data
“Big data” is thrown around a lot and at its core, the term is a phrase that ultimately describes the massive volume of structured and unstructured data that is so large, it’s hard to process. In a control room space, all of this information has to be filtered somehow, and implementing software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to parse out the relevant data points is essential.
Efficient Collaboration
The operators responding to incidents as they arise are an integral piece of a large-scale puzzle that includes internal and external stakeholders, including first responders and public entities. When implemented properly, a control room acts as a centralized location for information to be filtered to the proper contacts, but this doesn’t happen in a vacuum. For example, this level of collaboration allows an operator to provide first responders with weather conditions, traffic patterns, and basic information in an effort to help them take decisive, efficient action.
Improved Situational Awareness
All of the incoming information being filtered through control room technologies have a singular goal: to provide as much information about a specific incident as possible. The ability for an operator to provide that information to give more situational awareness to relevant stakeholders ensures that a response is appropriate. For example, when an intrusion or perimeter is breached, being able to pull up various time-stamped video and images that capture all angles, as well as any access control information, brings a new level of awareness to those responding to incidents.
Common Operational Picture
A control room doesn’t have to be in a singular location; in certain situations, it’s necessary to be able to send information to another room or across a campus in an effort to involve even more decision-makers, both on-site and remotely. In these instances, control room technologies can paint a common operational picture, which is essential for ensuring all relevant data points are considered in each decision made.
Enhanced Decision-making
Making security-related decisions across an organization has traditionally been difficult, as siloed systems rarely — if ever — “talked” to each other. That is not the case anymore. Control rooms are now in place to help enhance decision-making abilities for operators who take relevant information from a variety of sources, including TV stations, radio, VMS, videos, and more, using SOPs and acting accordingly to threats.
Vistacom will highlight its control room technologies during the ISC West Conference and Expo, March 18-20, in Las Vegas, in booth #L28 (in the lobby of the show). Stop by and see these innovations for yourself or schedule a one-on-one meeting with the team. See you in Las Vegas!
