The ASOFIA 2012 Interior Fitout Awards, a program of the Australian Shop and Office Fitting Industry Association (ASOFIA), celebrates shop and office fitting projects completed within Australia over the past 18 months. “The breadth of this year’s entries was astounding and very different from what we’ve seen over the past few years,” Gerard Ryan, CEO of ASOFIA, comments.
“In the midst of what has been a challenging two-year period within the shop fitting industry, it has come as a pleasant surprise to see the Association’s program attract a record number of submissions of such quality. The significant increase in entries is reflective of a shift in the type of fitout work that members have completed over the past year. This shift includes an increase in restaurant and leisure related facilities, and a substantial increase in the high-end retail sector.”
All entries were closely examined and judged by two highly regarded shopfitters, and received a rating by the end client. The winners were announced at the ASOFIA 17th National Conference Gala Dinner, which was held in Fiji on 28 April 2012. The winners are:

• National fitout of the year: Linneys by Clarke Interiors
• Victoria interior fitout of the year: Prada by Stag Shopfittings
• Queensland interior fitout of the year: Mitchell Ogilvie Menswear by TU Projects
• Western Australia interior fitout of the year: McDonalds Restaurant by Associated Shopfitters
• South Australia interior fitout of the year: Southern Cross Care Oaklands Park by Comace
• Tasmania interior fitout of the year: Hudsons Coffee by VOS Construction & Joinery
• New South Wales interior fitout of the year: Versace by Sidgreaves Group

• Interior fitout: Fitouts over $1 million: Chanel by Stag Shopfitters
• Interior fitout: Commercial fitouts under $750,000: Winport Executive Office by Easton Builders
• Interior fitout: Food/restaurants between $1 million and $2,5 million: T.G.I. Fridays by Krueger Shopfitters & Commercial Interiors
• Interior fitout: Food/restaurants over $2,5 million: Vue De Monde at the Rialto by Liquid Lines
• Interior fitout: Kiosks: Travelex Currency Exchange Kiosk by Transform Retail Projects
• Interior fitout: Fitouts up to $150,000: Beko Showroom (Beko A&NZ) by RJR Shopfitting
• Interior fitout: Fitouts between $150,001 and $300,000:  Maurice Meade by Associated Shopfitters
• Interior fitout: Fitouts between $300,001 and $500,000: Dreamtime Spirit (Souvenir World Group) by Ryder Shop & Office Fitting
• Interior fitout: Fitouts between $500,001 and $1 million: Mecca Cosmetics by Alexander Interiors
• Interior fitout: Health and beauty: Leichhardt Amcal Max Chemist by Dixon & Swanson
• Interior fitout: Commercial fitouts over $750,001: Commonwealth Bank Flagship by Branch Better Build Constructions
• Interior fitout: Food/restaurant fitouts up to $250,000: Jamaica Blue by ONE Group Retail Experience
• Interior fitout: Food/restaurant fitouts between $250,001 and $500,000: 85 Degrees Coffee Australia by MBBG
• Interior fitout: Food/restaurant fitouts between $500,001 and $1 million: Bondi Pizza Bar & Grill by Crosbie Projects

• Best use of sponsor’s products: Polyflor: Adidas Australia by Faculty Shopfitting
• Best use of major sponsors product: Laminex: McDonald’s Restaurant by Associated Shopfitters
• Outstanding base building works: Westfield Sydney Central Plaza by Prestige Joinery (NSW)
• Outstanding fitout within a heritage building: Starbucks Coffee Haymarket by Ryder Shop & Office Fitting
• Unique fitout in a remote area: Derby Visitors Centre by Masterplanners Interiors

More information
The Australian Shop and Office Fitting Industry Association (ASOFIA)
www.asofia.com.au

Peninsula Village Retirement Centre adopted a new cleaning regime five years ago and reports that savings in labour and materials are as much as half a million dollars. According to Jackie Bennett, environmental services manager at the 283-room centre, the new methodology resulted in less work and reduced labour costs by 30 percent. In just six months the centre achieved its cost saving targets.
The new cleaning regime was developed around a new trolley system, namely Interclean’s Microfibre Trolley. The trolley system involves the use of one trolley that is stocked in the morning with enough equipment, including cloths, mops and brooms – all the tools needed for high dusting, wall washing, surface wiping, floor mopping and waste emptying – to clean 10 washrooms and ward areas. It does away with the traditional method of staff needing to return to the cleaner’s cupboard every two rooms to re-stock their trolley with clean cloths and change dirty water.
“One of our cleaners can clean up to 20 rooms in one shift. That meant they had to go back and forth to the cupboard 10 times and it wasted so much time”, Heather Martin, domestic supervisor and head of housekeeping at the centre, imparts. “With the new system they only go back to the cupboard once at the end of their shift. The staff also benefit as it is physically easier.”
“We had six months to make the transition so we gradually cut back hours over that time and gave more hours to our permanent staff. We were really clever with that so we did it by natural attrition. There were no redundancies which is a nicer way to implement a system so it started on a positive note,” Bennett notes.

70 PERCENT REDUCTION IN THE COST OF CLEANING PRODUCTS
The new approach to cleaning has also led to a 70 percent reduction in the cost of cleaning products, Bennett adds. “Cleaners tend to think the more chemicals used the cleaner the surface will be, but that’s a misconception. You only need a few drops of chemicals or none at all to get an effective result. It was a learning curve for many of the staff, who were accustomed to the old ‘mop and bucket’ method of cleaning. We use one set of cloths and mop head per room that are then put straight into the laundry. While before any infected rooms would be cleaned last so cleaners had to double back, and now they don’t have to as it’s one use-one room.”
Bennett notes that although the integration of the trolley system was a costly venture in the beginning, the benefits outweighed the costs. “It has changed the way we work in so many way. It’s physically easier on the staff, it has cut our labour and product costs dramatically and helps us combat infection control to create a very clean and hygienic facility for both the residents and staff to enjoy,” Bennett concludes.
The team at Peninsula Village are now considering using their cost-saving system as the foundation for pioneering a cleaning service to the local community.

More information
Interclean
www.interclean.com.au

Pitney Bowes Australia’s pbLobbyTrac Access is an all-in-one security system that processes visitors entering and leaving buildings. It features a touchscreen monitor and easy step-by- step visual instructions and audio cues. Visitors can expedite the registration process independently without staff involve- ment. The self-contained device is also equipped with a built-in driver’s licence and barcode scanner, label printer, camera and speakers.
Information on repeat visitors is automatically retrievable, and frequent visitors can be registered and issued a barcoded keytag. pbLobbyTrac Access sends an email or text message with information of the guest’s arrival and it runs background checks against a red flag list of restricted individu- als. It also generates timesheets and various reports, such as the list of visitors currently logged in and customised reports by date range to show visitors’ history.

More information
Pitney Bowes
www.pitneybowes.com.au

Congratulations to John Griffith, facilities services manager at QBuild. He has won two Model 10 Air Pear systems, courtesy of Vento and Facility Management.
The Air Pear destratification free-hanging fan is an efficient and silent air turbine that is suspended just below ceiling height and the unit can be angled by up to 90 degrees off vertical.The Model 10 Air Pear can also be used in low or suspended ceilings where a typical ceiling fan would be impractical. No HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) ducting is required. The Air Pear comes with a three-year warranty and is re-buildable.
It enables the saving of 20 to 50 percent in heating costs, 20 to 40 percent in cooling costs, and 20 to 50 percent in carbon dioxide emissions. The Air Pear also optimises comfort levels by ensuring that temperatures are balanced within zero and three degrees from floor to ceiling. The Carbon Trust (UK) rates thermal destratification as one of the top three carbon reduction strategies in any building and, in four years, in the UK alone, 45,000 Air Pears have been sold.

More information
Vento
www.vento.com.au

Testing and tagging is one element of electrical safety that has caused confusion and controversy since its inception. Many people believe it to be an important part of a comprehensive electrical safety management system, some people believe it to be a waste of time and simply an additional cost to businesses across Australia, and then there are those that believe it to be important only in a construction environment. But, the fact remains that, even in a non-construction environment, up to 10 percent of appliances fail first round testing and many of these appliances have the potential to kill.
The standard that applies in this area – AS/NZS 3760:2010 In-Service Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment – was completely revised in 2010. This revised standard specifies the safety inspection and maintenance standards for Australia and New Zealand, and can assist in complying with OHS legislation.
It is vital to remember that the standard should be read in conjunction with both national and state specific legislation as testing and retesting requirements detailed in legislation will still vary from state to state.
Many people have been caught out with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to testing and tagging. For example, the equipment used in a workshop of a manufacturing facility should be tested on a six-monthly basis, and unscrupulous test and tag providers have been known to test the entire facility on a six-monthly basis. It’s no wonder some businesses believe it is simply an add-on cost!
With the introduction of the new model Work Health and Safety Acts (WHS), Safe Work Australia has attempted to clear up some of the confusion surrounding testing and tagging. These regulations are far more prescribed and state all appliances located in a hostile operating environment must be inspected, tested and tagged regularly by a competent person and a record maintained of the testing. All items not located in these environments should be the subject of a documented risk assessment, which may in fact recommend the testing and tagging of the appliance.
A hostile environment is one that is exposed to heat, dust, moisture, corrosion, abrasion or vibration. This includes kitchens, tearooms, poorly designed workstations with leads on the floor, training rooms and laptops, along with all manufacturing environments.
With regards to RCD (safety switch testing), the new WHS regulations state that all circuits operating in a hostile environment must be protected by an RCD. That RCD must then be tested 12 monthly in accordance with the Australian standard.

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR TESTING AND TAGGING?
The new standard makes specific references to the responsibilities of ‘the responsible person’ to ensure the competency of technicians undertaking a test and tag program. The responsible person is the owner of the premises, equipment or, under new WHS regulations, the PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) or officer deemed to be responsible for the safety of the workplace.
One of the most important areas of competency is the understanding of the standard. I encourage all ‘responsible persons’ to ensure their test and tag provider owns a current copy of the standard and understands the changes.
It is also worth checking that the test and tag provider holds both public liability and professional indemnity insurances.

All appliances located in a hostile operating environment – which includes kitchens, tearooms, poorly designed workstations, training rooms, laptops and all manufacturing environments – must be inspected, tested and tagged regularly.

NEW RETESTING TIMEFRAMES
When the newly revised standard AS/NZS 3760:2010 was launched in Australia in October 2010, it contained a number of modifications on the previous standard. In order to reduce confusion within manufacturing environments, there are no longer different retesting time-frames for Class I and Class II equipment. Therefore, all portable electrical equipment located in a manufacturing environment is now subject to retesting every six months.
Portable RCDs used in commercial cleaning are now required to be tested by the ‘push button’ daily or prior to use (whichever is longer) and an operating time test must be conducted every 12 months.
It is important to note that as the Queensland Electrical Safety Regulations specify retesting timeframes based on Classes of Work, in Queensland the Queensland Electrical Safety Regulations should be referred to for retesting time-frames.
Concerning equipment supplied by a cord set, the cord set and the equipment must now be tested and tagged separately. For example, a kettle with a removable IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) lead would consist of two tests. One test for the kettle, with a tag applied to the kettle, and one test for the IEC lead, with the tag applied to the plug end of the IEC lead.

NEW INFORMATION REQUIRED ON TAG
AS/NZS 3760:2010 now specifies that the retest date must be added to the durable, non-reusable, non-metallic tag placed on the item after testing. This is in addition to the requirement for technician/company name, test or inspection date and whether the item passed or failed testing. This addition has been made to assist workplaces in easily identifying when their appliances are due for retesting.
In addition, all new items being introduced to service must be tagged with a New to Service tag. Apart from stating the item is New to Service, it must also state the date of entry to service, the date it will be tested and that “this appliance has not been tested in accordance with AS/NZS 3760”.

Many people have been caught out with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to testing and tagging.

LEASED EQUIPMENT NOW INCLUDED
In the 2003 standard, reference was made to hired equipment, but not to the requirements for the testing and tagging of leased equipment. AS/NZS 3760:2010 now states that the hiree or the lessee is responsible for the inspection testing, and tagging of hired and leased equipment while the equipment is in their possession. Traditionally leased appliances, such as vending machines, water coolers, computers, photocopiers and the like, should be inspected tested and tagged by the hiree or lessee in accordance with the required retest frequencies while the equipment is in their possession.

TAKING ELECTRIC SHOCK SERIOUSLY
The first step in the test and tag process is for each item to be examined visually for defects and faults, and an appliance is only ever electrically tested after it has passed this visual test. The majority of items fail this visual testing and often the user is horrified that it has been deemed no longer safe to use.
Electricity is not visible and most people have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude when it comes to electric shock. Providing a safe workplace is obligatory, regardless of attitudes and misconceptions about electricity, and the sometimes blatant disregard of the seriousness of an electric shock.

Sarah Allen is the co-founder and business development manager of Appliance Tagging Services (ATS), an electrical test and tag franchise system that was established by Allen and her husband Ainslie in 2006. She has worked closely with some of Australia’s largest brands to implement national electrical safety management systems.

More information
Appliance Tagging Services
www.appliancetaggingservices.com.au

2 Freshwater Place, a 55,000-square metre office building in Melbourne, Australia, was built in 2003/2004 and occupied in 2005. The building has achieved a 4.5 Star NABERS Energy Rating unassisted (zero percent Green Power) for the second consecutive year and a 3.5 Star NABERS Water Rating.
The nearby Twenty8 Freshwater Place is 34,000 square metres and has achieved a 5 Star NABERS Energy Rating unassisted (zero percent Green Power) one and a half years later after the defect liability period (DLP) and a 4.5 Star NABERS Water Rating. This was a great achievement for Twenty8 Freshwater Place, considering the building was only designed for a 4.5 Star NABERS Energy Rating.
2 Freshwater Place was built to achieve the highest efficiency in both energy and water in order to reflect the quality of a premium grade building. Unfortunately, the building did not meet the performance target after the DLP. Various efforts were initiated to patch up the shortfall.
The lighting strategy for the building was one of the effective actions taken that formed part of the process of converting its 2.5 Star NABERS Energy Rating into a 4.5 Star NABERS Energy Rating. It also demonstrates part of the effort that can be contributed towards reducing a building’s carbon footprint. This can be achieved at a very minimal cost, while at the same time maintaining the quality of the services provided to the building.

AUDIT BEFORE TAKING ACTION
The key processes of the first stage of the lighting strategy at 2 Freshwater Place involved auditing and the compilation of a report for assessment, taking action and collecting results, and finally reassessment for confirmation.
The building was first divided into the two main categories of lighting that exist in any commercial building:

• office lighting/tenancy lighting, and
• common area lighting/base building lighting.

The base building lighting was then further segregated into two different groups of action:

• a grey area that included plant rooms, service riser, goods lift lobby, roof top, loading dock, compactor room, service corridor, stores and all other service/utility rooms, and
•  a key area including all main foyers, tenancy lift lobbies, the main building perimeter, the lifts, the feature lighting and the toilets.

The first stage of the lighting strategy at 2 Freshwater Place achieved a monthly average saving of 18,000 kilowatts per hour – 22 percent down compared to the original monthly consumption.

EASY WAY TO REDUCE LIGHTING COSTS
Cost is always a major concern when it comes to formulating a lighting strategy; however, there are many environmentally friendly ways to reduce the cost of lighting that do not involve lamp replacement.
For instance, one way is to remove excess lamps when light levels are greater than needed. This can be easily achieved throughout all the grey areas and potentially in some of the key areas.
Another way is to reprogram existing lighting automation. Commercial towers usually have a lighting automation system installed during the construction stage. It’s possible to implement a lighting control strategy through reprogramming using a lighting automation system by:

• matching up the building operation schedule and the after-hours schedule
• rescheduling the grey areas so that they have the lowest possible operational hours
• reprogramming the key areas so as to make full use of natural lighting, possibly using photo electric sensors in some areas
• reprogramming the key areas that are unable to use natural light via existing sensors and timers to shut down the lights when not required, and
• reprogramming existing motion sensors and incorporating them with a timer to ensure that all lighting turns off when a floor is not occupied after hours.

2 Freshwater Place’s lighting control system includes different automation strategies for external, concierge, car park, podium, event day, special days, loading dock and back of house switching, network state, tower public areas levels 8 to 14, tower public areas levels 15 to 20, tower public areas level 21 to 27, tower public areas levels 28 to 32, tower public areas levels 33 to 36 and Earth Hour, among others.
The first stage of the lighting strategy for 2 Freshwater Place was very effective. It has achieved a monthly average saving of 18,000 kilowatts per hour – 22 percent down compared to the original monthly consumption.

REVIEWING AND REPLACING LAMPS
In the second stage of the building’s lighting strategy, all possible retrofits or replacement of lighting were reviewed. A few common upgrades include:

• replacing lift cars’ 50-watt halogen dichroic lamps with 11-watt compact fluorescent lights
• replacing 50-watt halogen dichroic lamps with LED lamps (three-watt to nine-watt, depending on ceiling height) and with 20-watt halogen dichroic lamps, if LED lamps are not suitable
• replacing 10-watt exit and emergency lights with one-watt LED exit and emergency lights
• progressively replacing two 36-watt fluorescent stairwell lights with 26.3-watt LED lights
• progressively replacing two 35-watt fluorescent car park lights with 26.3-watt LED lights, and
• installing motion detectors/timers in all possible grey areas.

The outcome of the second stage of the lighting strategy for 2 Freshwater Place also proved successful. Power consumption was reduced by more than 50 percent consistently.
The building’s lighting strategy also indirectly reduced the power consumption of the HVAC system in the base building. The main reason for this was that the lighting strategy reduced the massive heat load in the base building, thereby relieving the HVAC system’s load.

A simple way to reduce the cost of lighting is to reprogram existing lighting automation. The lighting automation control strategy at 2 Freshwater Place provides an example of how this can be done effectively.

PASSING ON THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED
The NABERS Energy Rating was one of the tools used to measure the achievements at 2 Freshwater Place. The continuous reduction of energy consumption has confirmed the success of all the strategies conducted, which included a major reduction in HVAC energy usage. An average of 35 percent in total power consumption has been registered.
Through this simple process, 2 Freshwater Place has converted its 2.5 Star NABERS Energy Rating into a 4.5 Star NABERS Energy Rating. The learning curve from 2 Freshwater Place subsequently had a massive impact on the design and development of Twenty8 Freshwater Place, which was occupied in 2009 and achieved a 5 Star NABERS Energy Rating one and a half years after the DLP.

More information
Jones Lang LaSalle Australia
www.joneslanglasalle.com.au

As architecture and minimal interior design have evolved since the squashy ’70s, the lot of the acoustic consultant has become increasingly difficult as interior surfaces become smoother, harder and more acoustically reflective.
Trendy restaurants with their shiny concrete floors, glass walls and Eames plastic chairs look fantastic, but as soon as two or three couples start chatting, the sound has nowhere to go and rattles around the interior. As the sound builds up, the diners compete to be heard and the sound level increases. When the restaurant is busy, it’s so noisy you can barely understand what your partner is saying and they are only centimetres away. A quick and easy fix here is to absorb sound using acoustic panels, thereby preventing the sound from building up.
Sound builds up in the same way as these restaurants in modern interior workspaces with large expanses of glass, deconstructed ceilings with exposed services, wooden floors and desktop laminate. So, putting up acoustic panels and suspended acoustic ceilings should solve the problem then.
Actually, it doesn’t. This is because the activity of the occupants in a workplace is different. Although project teams gather and other meetings take place, many are trying to focus on individual tasks and deadlines. Absorbing all the sound in a workplace environment actually makes matters worse and productivity takes a nosedive.
It has to do with the ambient or background sound level. This is the sound in a space that is there all the time. It usually comes from air-conditioning, computer fans or plumbing. Adding to this is the sound from human activity that has not yet dissipated. If this is eliminated through the use of acoustic panels, essential background sound is reduced. In a restaurant, conversation will sustain a reasonable amount of ambient sound, creating a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere in which to dine; however, in an open plan office or hospital ward, the sound activity is much more inconsistent. While some workers try to concentrate on detail, others are on the phone or chatting with colleagues. When some patients are trying to sleep, others are coughing or receiving support from nursing staff.
In both of these workplace situations, if acoustic panels absorb the ambient sound, the sound level between the peaks of sound made by human activity is very low and the effect is an increase in the impact of the peaks of sound on others. This, an effect often experienced in a library, is often unnoticed by workers in quiet offices, but, as energy is used to block out distracting sounds, they can feel stressed and idle.

OPTIMUM OFFICE SOUNDSCAPE
Sound conditioning is a new technology that maintains an optimum soundscape no matter what the activity within the workspace. Until now, building designers have had to manipulate whatever sound the building construction could offer, such as air-conditioning sound and other plant sound, to maintain productive ambient sound levels.
These sounds, however, are not uniform across the workspace, are not constant and little can be done to change the shape of the sound. The ability to change the shape of ambient sound is essential, as too much sound in certain frequencies causes irritation, with low frequency rumbling or high frequency hissing air-conditioning sounds being common offenders.
A possible solution is new technology from Canadian manufacturer, Soft dB, which actively listens to the space via small inconspicuous microphones and adjusts the sound level as activity in the space fluctuates. However, even the most sophisticated sound systems only work from a quiet base; thus, they have to be tailored to each project.
For instance, we would create the necessary library effect with our CALM sound conditioning solution, which consists of a combination of physical acoustic treatments, such as acoustic wall panels, screens and acoustic partitioning, and then, from there, install Soft dB’s system to create the right soundscape to deliver a productive workplace. Sound conditioning reduces speech intelligibility over a distance, so although workers can communicate with their local team, normally they are not distracted by others in the wider office.
Acoustic fitout solutions can now not only solve the existing problems encountered by traditional methods of acoustic management, but provide increased productivity, privacy and comfort at the same time.

More information
Hufcor Sound Management
www.hufcor.com.au

The Air Pear circulates trapped warm air from high levels or ceiling spaces back to the cooler floor in a streamlined and controlled manner. In doing so, a facility’s HVAC system will require less run time because it will not have such extreme temperatures to heat or cool.
The Air Pear is a plug and play product that works alone or in conjunction with all types of HVAC equipment, making it easy to install in any facility, simple to maintain and easily adaptable to changing floor plans.

More information
Vento
www.vento.com.au

After four years of work, Büro North has completed its wayfinding and signage project for The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH). It has provided a 45 percent reduction in average journey times compared to the old system, and the average number of users needing to ask for assistance to find their way was reduced from 78 percent in the old facility to under 10 percent in the new RCH.
Büro North developed the illustrations to create highly distinctive wayfinding graphics and over 5000 signs, wall panels and essential landmarks for the large hospital site, introducing a playful and distinctive personality to the interior of the new RCH.
Using an evidence-based approach to wayfinding and design, Büro North commissioned and collaborated with local illustrator, Jane Reiseger, on the development of illustrations for the wayfinding signage. The aim was to create an environment where, as patients move through different floors of the hospital, their journey takes them from underground at the lower ground levels through to sky on the top floor. Specific areas within each level are described in relation to an appropriate animal, for example the Koala Ward exists on the Tree Tops level. The wayfinding solution was subjected to rigorous testing prior to building occupation.

More information
Büro North
www.buronorth.com

With access to the internet and search engines, today’s end users are more knowledgeable about security products and services than ever before. They expect higher quality service and more varied engagements, while also expecting integrators to provide comprehensive, packaged security solutions with the latest technology, exceptional professional service and personal control. This is the future of security.

INCREASED INTEGRATION AND INTEROPERABILITY
Integrators like us should more openly discuss the processes and technologies that form the key components of a strategic, comprehensive and integrated security solution directly with their clients. Through these open dialogues with end users, combined with integrators’ knowledge and expertise, innovation for security products will be formed.
Much of today’s manual intervention to events will soon be replaced with a sophisticated array of integrated technologies, designed to automate portions of routine decision-making and ensure process compliance. In the ’60s, analogue video surveillance systems or CCTV (closed-circuit television) systems were considered a breakthrough innovation for crime prevention. They comprised a limited variety of cumbersome, basic and costly equipment. These products were primarily used for the purpose of security in high-priority applications, such as government buildings, banks and casinos.
The security industry is more sophisticated now, evolving and shifting away from breakthroughs to more incremental innovations, such as reducing the costs of purchasing and implementing security systems. We have evolved from cumbersome analogue video surveillance systems to continually recording digital video surveillance systems. These surveillance systems are capable of remote viewing, as well as numerous other features that were unimaginable only a few years ago.
Many devices were and are designed as stand-alone solutions and do not necessarily work with other security products or technology. This limits the choices of end users when selecting security products. As we look to tomorrow, we will see that the adoption of robust industry standards will enable greater product interoperability and more rapid adoption of emerging technologies. This expanded interoperability will provide end users with more flexibility and choices when selecting security technologies.

NEW INNOVATIONS IN SECURITY
With the inevitable advance of technology, integrators with specialised knowledge of a broad range of security products and systems will be able to conduct a more thorough, comprehensive physical security and technology assessment, provide better tailored recommendations to fit the end user and also greater product interoperability.
It is now possible to link and combine security products to provide the best in class security system. For example, in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray for Maribyrnong Council, we installed 31 high-definition cameras, seven pan tilt zoom (PTZ), fully encrypted wireless mesh technology and relatively inconspicuous. The PTZ cameras allow end users to focus in and track subjects for video surveillance and also have built-in auto tracking features, allowing the camera to automatically follow movement within a scene and track the subject by panning, tilting and zooming in on the subject.
For high-end luxury retail stores, security measures can also be strengthened by installing a spray system that is mounted on the ceiling and, when activated via a remote control, will emit a fine mist onto the offender while simultaneously notifying the local police of the incident in real time.
The spray solution glows blue under ultraviolet light and is completely insoluble, remaining on a criminal’s skin for up to two weeks. When the solution is analysed, the unique DNA marker present in each spray provides the police with irrefutable evidence of the offender’s crime.
An alternative set-up involves sending live video feeds to the end user’s mobile or tablet. This will enable the end user to take action instantaneously, zoom into the crime scene and determine whether security guards and/or police intervention is required.

LIFE PARTNERSHIPS THE FUTURE
Today, integrators typically focus most of their efforts on implementation. Tomorrow, integrators will need to have the skills and commitment to partner with their end users through the entire life cycle – from strategy development through to ongoing adaptation.
End users should expect their integrators to be proficient in providing the right combination of people, processes and technology to tailor a unique solution that can evolve with their business.

SNP Security is an Australian-owned company with over 85 years’ experience, providing advice and installing integrated security solutions for government departments, major corporations, retail, banking and small businesses. The company provides security officers, mobile security patrols, Grade A1 monitoring and electronic security, including security alarms, CCTV systems, access controls and security intercom systems.

More information
SNP Security
www.snpsecurity.com.au