By Tom Condon
The latest security hot topic is Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software. PSIM solves a fundamental problem in security today: There are myriad systems for staff to operate, and little or no integration between systems. PSIM links multiple security systems into a single user interface that provides better information and better control for security staff.
A typical PSIM implementation integrates access control, fire and intrusion alarm systems, and video surveillance with the PSIM software. When an alarm occurs in any of the alarm systems, the PSIM system senses it and starts a series of preprogrammed actions. The PSIM user interface displays a floor plan of the facility showing the location of the alarm, usually with a flashing, color-coded icon. At the same time, the system calls up the nearest video surveillance camera to the location of the alarm (these are programmed into the system during implementation so the proper camera is called up for each alarm). Now the security officer has a complete picture of the incident; he/she knows where the alarm was, why it was going off and can view live video from the scene.
The value of PSIM is that it provides this complete situational awareness of the incident so quickly and in a single user interface, allowing security staff to better assess and respond. Without PSIM, operators must determine the best camera to view the incident and manually call it up. This can be complicated by the fact that the location name in the access control system may not be the same as in the video surveillance system, requiring the operator to 'translate' the location from one system to another. With PSIM, all this is done automatically, usually in less than one second.