As the retail proliferates across the country, the safety inside the malls is gaining importance. The technology has evolved and software solutions are now available to monitor malls that cover over one million sq ft of space. Every sq ft of space could be watched 24x7 with the help of sensors.
Increase in physical security by deploying more security personnel would spoil the ambience of a mall. Too many close circuit TV is another option, which is silent and less intrusive. But the person managing the control room would find it tough to keep an eye on the monitor displaying the visuals tracked by all the cameras. He might miss something because of visual fatigue caused by watching the monitor for a long stretch of time. Honeywell has developed an integrated software solution, which is capable of noticing even minor changes in the environment and alerting personnel immediately to take appropriate action.
The software solution could detect minor vibrations through the sensors placed on different locations inside a mall. An unattended packet or bag could be noticed easily and action could be taken swiftly. It can even alert if a camera is damaged. A fire in the premises could be detected early and thus could be extinguished promptly.
The software solution could also play a faceless guard in a store or a chain of stores when the store is closed. It would set an alarm if the cash box is opened or people enter the store when it is supposed to be closed. It can help a chain of stores to monitor security from a central location and take prompt action immediately if something unusual is noticed.
Interestingly the same software could be used as a tool to track footfalls daily in a store and thus assign the number of personnel needed to manage the store.
(Deepak Thakur is Director, South Asia, Security & Data Collection, Honeywell)
