Security Matters Podcast – Episode 9 now live to view

Episode 9 of the Security Matters Podcast includes two practitioner interviews. Our guests this time around are Richard Jenkins (CEO at the National Security Inspectorate, the certification body for the security and fire protection sectors here in the UK) and John Davies, managing director at access control solutions developer TDSi.

For over 40 years, the NSI has helped to protect businesses and homeowners alike by providing robust, high quality audits of business and home security and fire safety service providers. Businesses and homeowners who choose NSI-approved companies have the reassurance that their selected contractors will work to the highest industry standards as demanded by the police service, the Fire and Rescue Services and, indeed, the insurance industry.

The NSI story began back in 1971, in fact, with the formation of the National Supervisory Council for Intruder Alarms (NSCIA) to deal with the problem of poor quality installations and ‘cowboys’ within the intruder alarm market. Two decades later, the National Approval Council for Security Systems (NACOSS) was formed from the merger of the NSCIA and the Security Systems Inspectorate (SSI). Its role was to continue to improve standards in line with the increasingly tougher requirements of the insurance sector and the police service’s own national alarms policy.

For its part, NACOSS was instrumental in improving standards in the security industry, achieving widespread recognition from insurers, the police service and security buyers. CCTV and access control systems were added to the portfolio covered by NACOSS.

The Inspectorate of the Security Industry (ISI) – itself formed in 1992 – offered a voluntary inspection regime for the security guarding sector. In 2001, the ISI and NACOSS merged to create a unified inspectorate – ie the NSI as we know it today – covering all elements of the security industry, with the goal of creating one definitive certification body for the benefit of customers and suppliers.

COVID-19 and the inspection regime

Having graduated with a degree in Economics from Durham University in 1978, Richard Jenkins worked across several sales and marketing roles before becoming process improvement consultant for Mitcorp in May 2006. He subsequently worked at the IKEA Group and Steelcase before becoming CEO at the NSI in March 2014.

During Episode 9 of the Security Matters Podcast, Richard outlines – in conversation with Security Matters’ Editor Brian Sims – the NSI’s present tasks in the sector and addresses the ways in which COVID-19 has impacted inspections. What action has the NSI taken to maintain them during the pandemic? Richard explains what’s being done.

As we look ahead to a post-COVID world, what opportunities might open up for security installers and guarding companies operating within the sector? Richard offers his views on the matter.

In addition, Richard also discusses developments in standards and asserts precisely why certification bodies have a long-term role to play in the future security landscape.

Contactless access control

As stated, our second guest on Episode 9 of the Security Matters Podcast is John Davies, the managing director at access control solutions specialist TDSi. John has served in this role since 2003.

He graduated with a BSc degree in Chemistry from the University of London in 1979, subsequently taking on sales and marketing roles with Core Laboratories, BOVAR, Zellweger Analytics and Voice Integrated Products before joining TDSi and leading a management buy-out in 2005.

TDSi is one of the UK’s leading developers of integrated access control systems, offering an extensive range of readers, controllers and software solutions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic there has been much discussion about the future of access control as a hugely important strand of security provision. Much of the debate in recent times has focused on contactless access control in order to avoid contamination and infection. John assesses this issue in some detail.

In a similar vein, what about the future of security solutions in general in a post-COVID environment? There has been a fair amount of talk centred on Security-as-a-Service in terms of being a cost-effective solution which is flexible and adaptable to changing needs. John affords the readers of Security Matters his take on this particular topic.

As a business, TDSi has been developing ‘Track-and-Trace’-style applications for its popular EXgarde and GARDiS software platforms. John duly unveils some of the detail behind this move. He also concentrates on the issue of card cloning, advising end users on how they can ensure their credentials are as secure as they need to be.

How might security solutions be designed to more effectively deal with today’s evolving threats and issues, among them pandemics, civil unrest and acts of terrorism? John answers this question with specific reference to safeguards for emerging Smart Cities.

Listen to the Security Matters Podcast

You can listen to the Security Matters Podcast – kindly sponsored by The Security Event, which runs at the NEC in Birmingham from 27-29 April 2021 – for free on iTunes or Spotify. To download the Security Matters Podcast on iTunes or Spotify, all you need to do is enter the term ‘Security Matters’ into your chosen platform’s search box.

Alternatively, you can listen to the Security Matters Podcast online at https://securitymatters.podbean.com/ or via the dedicated Security Matters YouTube channel by clicking here.

*If there are any particular topics or themes you would like us to cover on future editions of the Security Matters Podcast (which are live to view every fortnight on Wednesdays) please do contact us. You can do so on Twitter by using the hashtag #SecurityPod or simply send an e-mail direct to bsims@westernbusiness.media

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