Competing Against G4S

By Ari Erenthal, Published Aug 09, 2017, 10:46am EDT

G4S Secure Solutions [link no longer available] is a global company, operating in multiple countries and offering a suite of products and services from guards to their AMAG access control product. How do local integrators compete with such a large and diverse company?

110+ integrators provided detailed responses on how and when they come up against G4S, and the strengths and weakness of G4S in these situations.

G4S ** **** ********** ** **** ***** *************

**** *********** ** *** compete **** *** ** all. The ********* *** **** G4S ** **** ********** in ****** *************. **** large *********** (**** **** 100 *********) **** ***** up ** *********** **** G4S ******** **** ***** than *** ******* ******* (7% ** *%):

*********** **** *** ********* who *** ******* **** G4S *********:

  • "** *** **** **** time ** **** ** large ****** *************. *** often."
  • "***** **** *** ******** account ******** ***** **** have **** *** ******** among *** ************."
  • "****. ********* ******** **********. Only ***** *********, *** generally **** ***********."
  • "**** ***** *********."

******* *********** (**** ***** than *** *********) *** barely **** ***** ** G4S, **** ******** ********* indicating *** ******* ** competition ** ********* **** size:

  • "**** *** **** ****** them * ***."
  • "***? * **** *** encountered **** ****** ** remember ****."
  • "*****. ** ** *** really *** **** ** our ******."
  • "** ***** ******* ******* them."
  • "***? * **** *** encountered **** ****** ** remember ****."
  • "**** **** ****** ** a *** ***** *** we ***** *** **** them ** ****."

Guard ******** ******

***'* ***** ******** *** often ***** ** * lead-in ** *********** ************* for ***, **** *** company ********* ***** ******** customers ** ***** *********** services: 

  • "**** ** *** **** when **** **** *** guard ******* ** **** and *** ****** *** looking *** ******** ******** quotes."
  • "******* ** ** *** compete **** *** ** they **** ** *** guard ****. * **** heard **** **** *** on *** ********* ****, but ******* **** **** a **** ********** **** the ***** ****** ** accounts **** **** ****** guard ******** ***- ************** trained ****** ** ********** to **** ** *** local ********* **** ***** anyone ** * ***** uniform."
  • "***, *** ****** ** this ******. ***** ******* presence *** **** **** in ***** ******* ****** with *************, ********* **, slap **, *** ****, no ******* ***** ***** support."
  • "**** *** * ***** company **** ****** * systems *********** ******** *** to ** *** ***** still ******* ** ** a *** ** *** guard ******* ******* ** their **********."
  • "*********. **** ********** **** competitive ********. *** **** sales ***** ** ************* on *** ***** ****."
  • "*****. ** ********** ** they *** **** ****** in ***** *** ********** services *** ****** ******** integration **** **** ***** clients."

G4S ** ****** ******* ****

****** ******* ** **** common ** *** ****** jobs ***** *** ***** tend ** *******, ******* their ********* ** **** was *** ********* **** as ****** *** ******* significantly **** ***********:

  • "*********, **** **** ** their ******** ***** ** AMAG, *** **** ***'* do **** ****. *** AMAG ******** **** *** tough ** ****, ***** they **** *** ***** advantage *** ** *** gate *** **** *** technically ****** **** **** product ****."
  • "***** - ****** *** them ** ****** ******* sales *** **** **** to ** **** ****."

Comments (8)

Avatar

Bob Kusche

08/09/17 04:05pm

OK, be honest before you raise your hand to this question:

Who out there even knew that AMAG was owned by G4S?

This is why I love IPVM!

Avatar

Bob Kusche

In reply to Bob Kusche | 08/09/17 04:30pm

UPDATE: A colleague of mine whose opinion I highly respect politely pointed out to me that I am showing off my ignorance of Access Control with my G4S mini-poll. Mea culpa, I am but a minnow when it comes to door access control industry (talk to me about wide area ground-based radar access control instead).

So your honor, I withdraw the question!

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Bob Kusche | 08/09/17 05:14pm

Who out there even knew that AMAG was owned by G4S?

A lot less people than know that Omar Mateen was employed by G4S...

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 08/09/17 05:23pm

From May 2017: Pulse victims sue shooter's wife, employer G4S

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | In reply to John Honovich | 08/09/17 07:34pm

Though it might be hardly relevant or fair, mentioning the association with the gunman and the pending litigation could certainly be considered a way of 'Competing against G4S'.

Undisclosed Integrator #2

08/09/17 08:40pm

"They are a guard company that bought a systems integration business and to my eye there still appears to be a lot of the guard company mindset in their management."

Speaking from experience as an integrator who worked within a division of a guard company this is an absolute recipe for disaster.  There is some benefit as the protective services can be a lead-in to integration work, but there is zero adaptation of mindset to integration.  Salaried integration managers and technicians are not easily replaceable guards.

Avatar

Michael Gonzalez

Integrated Security Technologies, Inc.
08/09/17 10:55pm

Based on my experience with them, the G4S guard services business is definitely a leader in the industry, especially when it comes to securing critical infrastructure. They have been offering quite a few more services lately, a lot of those services include integrated access control and video surveillance packaged with their guard and monitoring services.

A lot of different companies are following the same line, you can see that trend in the Knightscope articles on IPVM, most of their major investors are large guard companies that are looking to capitalize on the shift toward electronic systems.

Most guard companies are starting to see the writing on the wall, the big customers are looking at reducing annual O&M costs by capitalizing their electronic security installation projects and standing up internal monitoring centers. The shift toward using electronics as a force multiplier and subsequently cutting traditional guard services hasn't been lost on the big security services providers, so we can expect to see a lot more of this kind of thing in the coming years.

Undisclosed #3

08/10/17 12:18am

G4S and their counterparts could be missing a powerful trend in the US, thus opening a new business model with new long term revenue opportunities… private response to monitored alarm systems. Historically, local law enforcement held this exclusive role in the US, but the alarm industry, like ADT, Stanley, Rapid Response, COPS, Monitronics/Moni, (several thousand more) has badly abused the privilege (near 100% error/false), causing local law enforcement to lower the priority, or give up that role. Over 25 Million monitored deterrent alarm customers in the US, paying over $7Billion annually, could need a substitute. The historic high market value of RMR will collapse without it, so the motives and incentives are high. Who is going to step up?

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