A new system, known as the Tenant Active System (TAS) from ACCL, is currently installed in Chapelfield in Norwich; Grand Arcade, Wigan, and at Princesshay in Exeter. The system has been designed following feedback from several major UK shopping malls over their dissatisfaction with what is available in the marketplace. They put together an operational specification describing what they did and didn't like and what they wanted from a communications system.

The system is run on an internet protocol, so information can be fed directly to the terminal. It will also work happily across the cabled infrastructures found in many of today's shopping centres. Communications can be one-dimensional or multi-functional to meet individual circumstances. This can range from one-way text-based alerts to two-way telephony and beyond.

Managing director of ACCL Wayne Conners says: "In shopping centres today there is no communication between retailer and centre management. The main thing they wanted was to send alarms to the tenant, saying retail statistics are needed, a child is missing, a thief is operating in the area or fire alarm tests need to be carried out. You can send basic information to the tenant that comes up on a display and then they press an accept button."

The system comes with a number of security benefits. For example, as soon as a panic button is pressed, a recording is made of the background noise. "We're also working with Panasonic to link into the CCTV so that when you hit the panic button, the nearest camera starts recording," says Conners.

"It's not revolutionising but we are using the technology we have in the marketplace and it's all IP based, so we can integrate into any other IP package.

"We've even got a product now where we can send texts and pictures down to security guards, so the walkie talkies are being replaced with a PDA so we can send information about trouble spots or people causing problems discretely to specific security guards or send a blanket broadcast to all the security guards. That system is currently running in Wigan."

Another bonus is the child alerts whereby ACCL can tag children in shopping centres so they can be tracked through the wireless network. "If a child walks out of the centre we can track them electronically, and we can track them from anywhere within the centre too," he says. "We use a wireless network in the store and GPS outside, so if a child walks 10 meters outside the centre, we will be alerted. From what shopping centres are telling us, there's a big market for this. If someone takes the child and removes the tagging system, it sends an alert straight away."

Both Modus and Land Securities are backing the product.

At the Bullring in Birmingham, network manager Ben Darji is always on the lookout for new add-ons to the communications system, which is based on an IP infrastructure. The system currently includes an intranet that allows easy communication between centre management and the tenants on various matters. But for security it incorporates a system called React.

"If a tenant experiences trouble or requires assistance from Bullring staff, then they hit the panic button on the system and that sends a message saying which tenant needs assistance and their placement on the map," says Darji. "Resources are then radioed through to the relevant tenant. There's also another system whereby messages can be sent on a zone by zone basis notifying not just emergencies and security alerts but also things related to maintenance in the centre, such as lifts that are out of order. Messages are set on a priority basis of low level, intermediate and high. The latter two require acknowledgement by the tenants, so they sign onto the system to say that they've read the message and that's sent back to control."

Moving forward, Darji is looking in depth at radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for lost child tagging. Bullring currently has a fully operative wireless network for internal applications and wi-fi coverage throughout the centre. But RFID and 'spectrum management', which is the creation of technology that deals with lost children and tagging devices, is the next step.

"I'm investigating spectrum management and will be looking into triangulation technologies, which are related and required by technology such as RFID to provide a tracking system to locate a lost child," says Darji. "It's something I hope to put in place in the centre in the very near future."

The infrastructure that was put into place when Bullring was built has contributed towards large cost savings and allows the centre to add to the network very quickly. "We don't even need external resources to do that," adds Darji.

But for those centres that don't have the technology in place, Child Safe Zones offers an alternative wristband system to tackle the problem of lost children. With 90 shopping centres now on the list, Child Safe Zones is a proven system that allows parents to contact the local security team by following the contact information on the posters and stickers. An additional benefit is that anyone who finds a lost child can contact the parents directly as their contact details will be found on the wristband.

Director of Child Safe Zones Richard Manville says: "At West Quay in Southampton, the guards were fantastic and got involved in the launch, and the centre marketing manager and security guards are the co-ordinators of Child Safe. They came up with a lost teddy bear scenario with posters of the lost bear, and the kids had to find the posters. That idea came from the security staff to promote the fact that it's a safe centre. Importantly it also introduces children to security guards and shows them to be human, rather than scary figures of authority.

"I'm starting to get calls from security staff, whereas previously centre managers and marketing managers were calling me. The security staff are the unsung heroes. Centres should use them a lot more in terms of different promotional events. It has a humanising effect.

"Our scheme doesn't change their procedures but a lot of resources can be used up on one lost child, so a wristband helps in getting that situation dealt with."

Crystal Peaks shopping centre on the outskirts of Sheffield has installed the Shop Alert Plus retail communication and major incident management system.

The 600,000-sq ft centre is successfully using Shop Alert Plus - a two-way method of communication between centre security control rooms and retailers - in all 81 units within the covered malls to enhance security provision for both tenants and customers.

The major incident management facility offers an immediate response to potential crisis situations such as bomb warning evacuation procedures or missing children. The system also helps combat instances of theft and fraud.

Crystal Peaks has also opted for the system's bolt-on Interactive Retail Sales Performance software, which collects and collates sales performance information from retailers, providing them with immediate feedback in relation to store category and general centre performance.

Centre manager Chris Jones says: "We chose Shop Alert Plus and the Retail Sales Performance software option because of its high-spec reputation within the industry and its simplicity of use. I have no doubt that this will prove to be a very significant tool in both operational security and performance management.

"Response times between security control and retailers have dramatically improved since installation. Tenants and security personnel appear to be very pleased with the new facility."

The Cadogan Estate uses CDC's IP-enabled building management system, Integra, to deploy a state-of-the-art, intelligent security system at the Duke of York Square retail and office complex off London's King's Road. Cadogan required a technology solution to integrate all the site's security systems such as CCTV, access, fire and communications as well as other technical site assets into a single coherent system to ensure that the team in the control room was presented with all the appropriate information pertinent to each event, together with the required responses.

Managing director of CDC Mike Williams says: "The system means that an alarm created in one system will automatically start things going in another system - for example bringing up images on the relevant camera.

"The whole process of being able to do things smoothly, in a joined up way and in a corporate way, allows you to make quite significant savings in cost of operation. Integra links together anything powered by electricity and anything that uses digital communication. Access control uses digital communication and cameras use digital communication, so if an alarm goes off, then it's tracked by Integra and we have a response saying we want to send messages out to people on their radios. You can send voice messages to people on radios or SMS messages to a manager's mobile phone if they're off site at the time of a major incident.

"The control room knows the message has been received because the system acknowledges that."

Everything that happens is also recorded by Integra, creating an audit trail of images and audio. "If anything goes wrong you know who did what and when, so we can look at that and then look to improve the processes. It's an adaptive learning environment."

In addition, a sophisticated video software behavioural analysis tool is used in conjunction with CCTV to watch the activity of potential thieves and help identify any suspicious packages. When an alert is generated, the guards are shown the exact cause of the alert and are presented with the relevant camera views. This allows them to follow up on only genuine and serious alerts, rather than waste time on false alarms.

Elite Security enter the Premier League

The UK's largest provider of shopping centre security, EFM Security, has been bought by Elite Security Guarding Services of Birmingham.

Elite will retain more than 120 staff from EFM Security, which was part of Boultbee - one of the fastest growing private property investment companies in Europe, specialising in shopping centres.

The acquisition means that Elite has added more than 20 major shopping centres to its portfolio of high street retail chains, distribution and warehousing, MOD and government, sporting venues, corporate and commercial, and CCTV. David Hoey, managing director of Elite, says he has been keen to get into shopping centre security - considered to be the Premier League of the total £1bn UK security market.

"This is an ideal time to acquire a major shopping centre security specialist like EFM Security," he says. "Its 100 trained officers and its contracts with more than 20 shopping centres will dovetail perfectly with our existing business - and the acquisition will open doors for us to other shopping centres."

Proactive control

CCTV expert G1 says communications technology is galloping forward within the security sector. And the company is now taking full advantage of new communication solutions on the market.

According to G1 director Chris Best: "The most exciting developments have been in the information and how you present it. IP cameras, network digital recording and management databases all provide fast and efficient communication."

Best says the role that the control room plays in supervising an incident on the malls is essential in ensuring an efficient communications network.

"CCTV is a key part of the communication process, for example, and high-speed domes that can be pre-set to Help Points make control rooms proactive. When a Help Point is activated the operator accepts the call, which automatically switches the camera to a specific monitor and records the conversation on the audio channels of the video recorder."

Contacts

ACCL: 01689 896961

Bullring: 0121 632 1500

Child Safe Zones: 08700 624919

Shop Alert Plus: shopalert.co.uk

CDC: 020 7928 9150

G1: 020 8687 3140

Elite Security Guarding Services: 0121 706 1498

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