Finding the right security monitoring provider for your company isn’t always easy. It is an important business decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially when the safety and security of businesses, sites and individuals are at stake. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive list of the top things to consider when choosing a security monitoring provider for your business.
- 7 things to consider when choosing a security monitoring provider
- Choose RMS as Your Security Monitoring Provider
7 things to consider when choosing a security monitoring provider
1. Experience
The more experience a security monitoring provider has, the more knowledge they will hold and the more adaptable they will be to various situations, as well as being able to offer more flexible and reactive solutions. They will have worked through many more situations than a provider with less experience and will therefore be knowledgeable in their approach.
With business crime remaining a persistent challenge in the UK, exemplified by shoplifting offences reaching their highest recorded level in England and Wales since 2003, and robbery of business property showing a significant rise, the importance of experienced, rapid-response monitoring is clear.
A provider with years of operation has built robust, tested procedures to handle these escalated threats. You can read more about how artificial intelligence is being used to increase efficiency and reduce false alarms and operator fatigue in modern Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs).
This experience is particularly crucial in high-risk environments like offices and large commercial sites, where threats are often dynamic and require specific operational protocols. They should then be able to offer numerous case studies and customer reviews on their service, further aiding in the decision-making process.
2. Range of Services
It’s important to make sure that a monitoring provider can provide the right services and solutions for the business at hand. Talk extensively with the provider and explain the company proposition and logistics, as well as the needs of the end-user. This ensures that the provider is aware of all aspects of the business and can work to provide the very best solutions, perhaps even some that weren’t thought to be needed!
A wide range of services—whether that involves high-end remote CCTV monitoring, dedicated lone worker monitoring services, or a comprehensive non-security monitoring package—that are backed up with good client reviews also shows that they are a professional company with the resources to offer multiple and reputable services which may prove to be useful long-term. This versatility is increasingly vital as businesses seek single-point solutions for both security and operational monitoring.
3. Accreditations
When choosing a monitoring provider, consider their accreditations. Among others, the NSI Gold accreditation is a key one to look out for as it signifies a gold standard within the security and fire safety industries. It indicates that the company has gone through various audits and complies with the most stringent standards within the industry. Crucially, for alarm monitoring centres, this requires adherence to key standards like BS EN 50518 for Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs), ensuring operational resilience, backup power, and encrypted communications. This rigorous standard is particularly important when considering a comprehensive fire alarm monitoring solution, adherence to standards is paramount.
This adherence is critical, as alarm monitoring is crucial, especially considering that in a recent year, only 58% of fire safety audits completed by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England had a satisfactory outcome recorded, according to government statistics. Furthermore, NSI Gold compliance underpins a strong Quality Management System, often via ISO 9001, providing assurance that the provider’s processes are consistently audited and improved. Learn more about what NSI Gold means for your business.
4. Ongoing Support
The possibility of ongoing support is an important factor to consider when choosing a security monitoring provider. It’s important to feel in control of the security of your sites, even though they are being monitored by a third party, so knowing that there is ongoing support, no matter the time of day, is a key thing to know. A dedicated, 24/7 team also goes beyond just reacting to an intruder alarm.
For many large organisations, the ability of a monitoring partner to offer comprehensive out-of-hours support is a significant asset in facility management efficiency, ensuring that critical environmental or operational issues are addressed immediately, regardless of the time. This round-the-clock vigilance helps maintain business continuity and protects non-security assets like HVAC systems and industrial machinery.
5. Customer Service
The level of customer service a provider has can really impact the user experience as well as the ways of working together. It’s important to consider a monitoring provider as an extension of a business, working as a partnership rather than a separate entity. Therefore, knowing that there will be a friendly team on the end of the phone who will go above and beyond to solve any issues or answer questions is a major benefit.
6. Total Cost
As with signing any business deal, it’s important to understand the total cost of a contract, including any additional add-ons that may crop up, before taking the plunge. Make sure the total monthly cost has been established when deciding on which monitoring provider to go with, to avoid any unexpected costs further down the line. When considering value, it is also important to consider how remote monitoring impacts premiums.
A reliable, accredited monitoring service can often lead to reduced insurance costs, effectively offsetting a portion of the service fee and providing greater long-term value than a cheaper, non-compliant option.
7. The Critical Layer of Cybersecurity
In the modern era of connected devices and IP-based systems, a provider’s commitment to digital security is just as important as their physical security measures. Alarm and CCTV systems are often connected to the internet, making them potential targets for cyber-attacks designed to gain access to sensitive data or disable the physical security infrastructure. Therefore, you must assess how your chosen provider protects your digital assets.
Reputable providers will adhere to strict cybersecurity protocols, including the use of strong encryption for all video and alarm signals, regular firmware updates for connected devices, and segregated networks to isolate your security systems from the wider business IT infrastructure, protecting your operations from disruption. This proactive digital defense is critical for modern security and complements physical measures like intruder monitoring. This approach is essential for any modern security strategy, and you can delve deeper into the role of cybersecurity in alarm and CCTV monitoring.
Choose RMS as Your Security Monitoring Provider
There are therefore some key points to consider when choosing your monitoring provider. At RMS, we are fully NSI Gold approved and committed to providing a wide selection of premium services with 5* customer service. We have extensive experience within the monitoring space and hand-pick our monitoring operative to ensure we have only the best, most experienced and knowledgeable talent.
If you’re interested in a new security monitoring contract or are looking to transfer an existing one then get in touch with the team today. Call us on 0330 002 1149 today for a FREE quote.
Share:
