What are the advantages of installing security as a unified platform?

What we are hearing from many security professionals is that they want a seamless user experience, regardless of which technology they are deploying. The reality is that many security professionals are still battling having multiple software vendors across their locations, and if they are planning to make the investment to get under one VMS, it makes sense to move towards a unified solution to simplify operations. Combining access control and video surveillance means allowing security personnel to monitor and respond to events through one platform, eliminating unnecessary confusion that comes from juggling multiple disparate systems via different applications. Additionally, this streamlined approach facilitates quicker and more effective incident response by generating timely alerts and linking related events across systems. Reducing the number of devices and systems in place can also create significant cost savings for organisations, allowing them to reinvest that money into other security and operational enhancements.

Unified security platforms break down traditional silos, creating unprecedented flexibility for nearly any organisation. By integrating multiple technologies into a "single pane of glass" view (often within the video management software platform), security teams gain enhanced situational awareness and the ability to respond faster to incidents. Breaking down these silos allows departments that previously operated independently to collaborate through shared data and unified workflows, improving efficiency while reducing redundant systems and costs. An open platform approach enables organisations to leverage existing investments while incrementally adding new capabilities. Video management systems can integrate with licence plate recognition, gunshot detection sensors, access control systems, and IoT devices, transforming security from purely protective to a valuable proactive asset. Unified platforms facilitate seamless information sharing among stakeholders, whether they are security personnel monitoring multiple sites, executives accessing business intelligence remotely, or first responders needing critical data during emergencies. This ensures the right information reaches the right people at the right time, improving decision-making and response coordination.

A unified platform is more than the sum of its connected systems. Unlike simple system-to-system APIs, every capability included in a unified platform adds interactions with all the existing capabilities. Think of intercoms. In a basic integration, you might add the ability to begin or end a call directly from a VMS. In a unified platform, as soon as you add intercoms, you gain potential interactions between intercoms and all existing systems. This includes not only making calls and seeing video but using the intercom as a door station to directly unlock a front door, automatic assistance at entry gates when an unknown licence plate is picked up, emergency call protocols from call boxes, public addresses, and more. Unified solutions, like Genetec Security Centre, deliver real-time insights, automated workflows, and powerful analytics, helping to transform physical security from a cost centre into a strategic advantage. Operators respond faster, while administrators benefit from streamlined configuration, consistent upgrades, and single-source support.

Efficiently managing data across intrusion, access control and video surveillance devices on a unified platform ultimately means a richer, deeper security experience for end-users. Rather than having to spend time and effort monitoring different, misaligned systems, this approach creates a connected ecosystem that seamlessly analyses, informs, and aids response. Utilising an optimised platform not only ensures seamless interoperability, but it also provides the foundation for future expansion. This has the added advantage of aiding the delivery of building systems needs beyond security, such as fire suppression and HVAC usage. By facilitating greater intelligence and proactivity, unified ecosystems make people and buildings more secure, safer, and even more sustainable.

For enterprise security teams, time, scale, and complexity are the enemies. Managing access control, video surveillance, intercoms, sensors, and alarms across multiple disconnected systems does not just waste hours — it invites risk, inflates costs, and slows response times when every second counts. Unified physical security platforms flip that script. By consolidating all systems into a single cloud-based environment, enterprises can streamline deployment at scale — from five doors to five hundred buildings. No more juggling interfaces, reconciling data between silos, or managing redundant configurations. Instead, integrators gain a frictionless setup experience with capabilities like:

• Bulk device onboarding: Enter one order number, activate hundreds of devices instantly.
• Centralised configuration: Set policies, permissions, and settings once — apply them everywhere.
• Consistent user experience: One login, one dashboard, full visibility.

The result? Faster rollouts, stronger compliance, lower total cost of ownership, and a system that scales with your business — not against it. In a world where physical threats evolve fast, a unified platform is not just a technical upgrade — it’s a competitive edge.

In many companies, the management and utilisation of corporate physical security systems falls to human resources members. They are tasked with understanding, utilising, and keeping records safe and up to date within the system of choice. When issues arise, either with a lack of knowledge, incorrect operation, or missing features requiring management (or updating), then IT and other corporate teams join in to support. In larger organisations, there are team members able to support a multi-platform deployment, even though (from their perspective) the deployments could be difficult to support cross-platform. But when the company size is smaller, diverse teams with specific capabilities and responsibilities may not exist. The use of multiple systems will fall to HR teams to manage, and the situation will get worse if key HR people leave the organisation, taking their accumulated knowledge with them. A single unified platform offers the following benefits: no need to integrate multiple platforms for data or feature sharing; a single point of responsibility for training and support; and platform knowledge (while still somewhat lost when people leave or change roles) can be more easily re-obtained via training with their platform support team. When challenges arise, it is always best to have a single point of contact with a platform team that takes responsibility for all aspects of customer support.

Installing physical security systems as a unified platform offers significant benefits by integrating components like access control, intrusion alarms, and perimeter protection into a single interface. This centralised management simplifies operations, reduces training requirements, and boosts efficiency. It enhances situational awareness by correlating events across systems, providing a clearer, real-time understanding of security incidents. Unified platforms enable faster response through automated alerts and integrated data, helping security teams act quickly and effectively. They are also highly scalable and flexible, supporting future growth without vendor lock-in or hardware conflicts. Cost efficiency is improved by reducing redundant infrastructure and streamlining maintenance. Additionally, unified systems offer advanced reporting and analytics, allowing for better trend analysis, compliance tracking, and audit support. Lastly, they strengthen the overall security posture by closing gaps between systems and enabling consistent enforcement of security policies such as role-based access control and unified threat detection, ensuring a more resilient and proactive security environment.

When it comes to building security management, a unified system is often safer, simpler, more efficient, and more cost-effective. With one platform controlling a series of security devices around the premises, users can easily control, monitor, and manage access from a centralised interface – reducing complexity and minimising the risk of oversight. A single integrated system can lock down buildings, trigger alarms and alert staff in the event of a breach, speeding up response times and keeping occupants safe in the process. With all security devices connected, data can spot threats more accurately while ensuring a consistent approach to compliance for audits, event reports and security standards. The use of a unified system can also save on costs, by reducing the need for multiple servers, software licences and split maintenance fees. From a project delivery perspective, specifying unified systems can support simplified procurement, installation, and maintenance periods and as the needs of the modern built environment grows, this is the smart choice for those seeking superior and more efficient building security.

Unifying systems allows security teams to view and manage all their security data from a central location, which helps them quickly understand what's happening across multiple sites. This centralised approach improves response times, reduces downtime, and makes it easier to address potential threats as they arise. This setup also makes expanding operations to new locations easier without rebuilding systems from scratch. Businesses gain flexibility to grow their security measures alongside their overall operations. Additionally, unifying system management can support future integrations, ensuring the system can grow to meet evolving organisational security needs. The combined data can also be used beyond security, for example, to monitor employee activity or customer behaviour, which can help streamline day-to-day operations for businesses.