PSIM Problems

Published Apr 22, 2008 00:00 AM

PSIM is a great concept but has major structural problems that may limit its utility to the very largest security organizations. Expect video and access systems to continue to add features that provide the most fundamental aspects of PSIM with greater reliability and lower cost. Look carefully before deploying PSIMs and seriously evaluate less fancy but more solid alternatives from your video and access systems.

What is PSIM?

Physical Security Information Management is defined [link no longer available] as "Technologies and processes to collect, understand, and respond to data relevant for security. Products in this category variously offer aggregation, visualization, system control, incident response and reporting."

What problems do PSIM present?

PSIM has 5 serious operational limitations and deployment complexities:

  • Requires integration with dozens of subsystem manufacturers because the market is fractured amongst many different providers.
  • Requires on-site integration services.
  • PSIM functionality is constrained by limitations of different subsystem manufacturers can provide.
  • Suffers from exponential false alerts when attempting to cross-analyze information from different subsystems.
  • You are stuck with your PSIM system so be careful before you buy.

1. ******** *********** **** ****** ** ********* ************* ******* *** ****** ** ********* ******* **** ********* *********.

**** *** *** ***** **** ******* but ******* **** ** ***********. *** video **********, ****** *** ***** ******** market *** ********* ****** ****** ** player **** ** ****** ****** * majority ***** ** ***** *****. **** means ** **** *** ** ******* your ************, *** ****** **** **** have ** *** ******* *** ********** you **** *** **** ********* ** not.

**** ** *********, **** ********* *** risky ****. ****, ** ********* ************* update ***** ********, *** ******** *** break ***** ****, ******** **** **** system.

** ***** **** **** * ** 10 ********** ** **** ****, **** would *** ** * *** **** but **** ********* ***+ ***** *** various **********, **** ** * ******** cost.

2. ******** **-**** *********** ********.

********* ******* ** *** ******* ********* above, **** ******* **-**** *********** ********. This ***** ****** ******* *** *** days ** * *** ***** ** integate *** ******** **** ******. **'* hard ** ******* ***** **** ******** close ** **** *** **** *** because ** **** ******** ***** *** always ***** ** ** ** *** $20,000 ** $**,*** *****. ** *** are * ****** ***** ************, **** is ** *** ****. *** ******** else, **** ******* ****** *** ******.

3. **** ************* ** *********** ** *********** ** ********* ********* ************* *** *******.

****'* ****** ** *** ************* ** the ********** ******* ** ***** ***** overall *************. **** ***** ** **** to ********* ******** ************* ******* **** an ********** ******** ************ (*** ** you ****** ** ** **** **** interface ** **** *** ******* *** the *******?). ***********, **** ******* **** to *********** ** **** ***** ************* that ** ********* ****** **** **********, constraining *** ***** ** *** **** solution.

4. ******* **** *********** ***** ****** **** ********** ** *****-******* *********** **** ********* **********.

**** ** *** ******* ******* ** PSIMs *** *** ******* ** *********, analyze *** ****** ******** ****** ********* subsystems. ***** **** ******* ********** ***** alerts ** ********** **** ** **. Essentially, *** **** ****** ***** ** guess *** ************ ******* ****** *** receiving ******* *** ********** ** ** monitoring. ********** *** *** ** *** more ****** ********* ** ****** ***** that ********* ** ** **** *** it ***** ********** ******. **** **** many ***** ** ****** *** ****** still ********** ********* **** ***** ******. I ***'* ***** ********** *** * bad *******, ****** *** **** *** technologically *** ********* ** ********.

5. *** *** ***** **** **** **** ****** ** ** ******* ****** *** ***.

*** **** ******* *** ****** *****, young ********* (******, *****, ********) ****** to ***** **** *** ******. **** means **** *** ******** ****** ** solve *** ******** *** ** **** means **** *** ** *** ** business ** *** ****** *** *** go ******* (*.*., **********). ***** **** there *** ** **** ** **** and *** ************ **** ******** ***, I ******* *** **** ** ****. I **** **** **** ****** **** PSIM *** ****** ******** *********** ******* in *** ******. *** ** *** customer *** ***** **** **** *** monitoring ****** *** ***** *********. ***** all *** ***** *** ****, ** won't ** **** ** ***** ** out *** *** * *** ***.

What *** ****** **

** *** *** * ********** ****** or * ******* ***, **** ***** be ***** *** ***. **** ******** concerns **** ** ** **** *** the **** ** ******* *** **** with ** *****, ******** ******** ** thousands ** * **** *** ******* with *** ********* ***** ** *** right ****.

** *** *** ****** **** (*** that ***** *** ***** **% ** security ********), **** ** **** ****** control ** ***** ********** ******. *** years, ********* **** *****, ****, ****, Genetec (**** ** **** * ***) have **** ****** ** **** ***** functionalities. ** ***'* ** ** **** or ******* **** *** ** **** get *** *** *** **** **** mapping *** *****/****** ***********. ****, ** will ** ******* *** *** ***'* need ** ***** ***** **** *** day *** ********** **.