Home Security Systems
More Advanced, More Accessible, More Options
Lifestyles change, and so do our living requirements. Inner city dwellers are now spreading out to the leafy green suburbs. More space, healthier environment, cleaner air – what’s not to love about moving to a new home? Especially if you have a summer pad as well, so you can enjoy the North Coast scene. More mobile lifestyles mean a greater need for home security: peace of mind should be top of your list.
Cairo West Magazine caught up with two leading suppliers of hi-tech security systems and equipment to see what is available, and how it can be installed.
We first spoke with Maged Abdel Wadood, CEO of IntelliTECH:
CWM: What are the latest innovations in systems for home and property security?
MA: Systems for home security have pretty much remained the same over the past decade or so, but with enhancements in quality, sensitivity, reliability and intelligence. The basic structure of a system is a number of detection devices connected to a central processing unit, which then triggers various types of alerts/alarms. With the pervasiveness of communications technology, these modern day systems communicate remotely with monitoring stations and are capable of being controlled and polled remotely for ease of use, safety and convenience.
Home security and property security systems are used for detection of intrusion or attempts at intrusion. Security systems can be single layered or multilayered depending on the “Threat Assessment” conducted by the security professional. Layering is the implementation of multiple levels of security in an installation so that the aggressor has to bypass multiple barriers prior to gaining egress into the location. As an example, in a home we could install perimeter beams to detected any movement across them triggering a preliminary alert and possibly switching on garden lights to scare away intruders, the second level could be a CCTV system to track and record video, a third and final layer would be the motion detectors inside the home, which would set off the alarm and dial out to the Central Monitoring Station and the Quick Response Security Team.
How can they be installed?
It is generally best to always hire a professional company to do the assessment and installation for you. Do-it-yourself systems work but are never as reliable or safe as a professionally designed and installed system. Installation of the actual components and programming of the system shouldn’t take more than a day’s work if all goes well.
How can we monitor our homes through CCTV or video connections when we are out of town?
With the modern day CCTV systems available in abundance everywhere you can monitor your home or place of business from anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection. There are systems that will stream full HD video directly to your smart phone / tablet or PC. The installer will setup the software and configure it for you.
Capabilities such as selecting which camera to view and control of the camera features such as zoom in and out are built into this software. This technology lends itself to a plethora of utilizations such as viewing the kids at home with the nanny or checking that employees are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
There is a wide range of pricing and it usually reflects the quality, reliability and transmission speed of the images.
Are wireless security systems available?
Wireless systems are available and are very useful in places where it is difficult to pull wire. In most cases in Egypt, however, a couple of wire runs will need to be made to install boosters to overcome the attenuation effects of the concrete walls.
The down side of wireless is that it requires changing of batteries in the detectors from time to time and limitations in range. Usually wired systems are more reliable and quicker to maintain.
Can systems be installed in existing properties without a need to break surfaces or damage existing construction?
Yes they can. This is where wireless security systems come into play. However to do wireless CCTV systems would be extremely costly as a video transmitter/receiver pair would be required for each camera and range concerns would come into play.
What systems are available for apartments, and which for villas?
The systems for both are identical in theory. The differences would be in the number and type of detectors and/or cameras used. It is always best to speak to a professional company with a good reputation to get a proper assessment of your needs.
Tech Hauz expert, Islam Nasr Addin also shared information on available products:
IN: The new technology to watch is IOT connected home security systems. This year has witnessed an unprecedented number of smart technologies showcased as the ‘Internet of things’ revolution gathers pace. And the security industry, whose presence in the residential market was hitherto focused around alarms, gates and locks, is at the forefront of the trend in smart technologies, building advanced video surveillance and biometric security capabilities into everyday objects.
In order to make things less complicated for customers, manufacturers are making sure to keep the setup steps simple by enabling purchasers to plug the smart hub to a router, download its mobile app and run a few steps to connect any new or existing sensors in the home.
What is new in garden lighting using solar powered systems that come on at sunset?
Smarter than ever! We now have smart color LED solar garden lights to add special lighting effects to home gardens. Known as RGB color LED garden lighting, with a mobile app it is possible change the lighting tone of your garden with the tap of one finger. They are purely driven by solar power and therefore they are just as green as your garden. With added intelligence and a built-in light sensor, it can detect the lighting conditions and automatically turn on or off accordingly.
How can we monitor our homes through CCTV or video connections when we are out of town?
Home Automation widened home security boundaries to the max, connected cameras/sensors/relays/devices have become so smart, you can build scenarios and actions based on triggers and conditions and get notified instantly with what’s happening via your mobile phone.
What about installing systems in existing properties without a need to break surfaces or damage existing construction?
Yes, most of new the sensors/relays are wireless and can be pasted on the walls or doors or any surface using a double sided tape.
What systems are available for apartments, and which for villas?
Home Automation Hubs are the same for both; the only difference is the amount of sensors/security devices. There are many wireless technology systems used in the world for security and automation, such as Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth, WiFi etc, they vary by the nature of the automation or security system you would like to use and how manufacturers build their own products. Some automation and security hubs support their own brand and frequency, other hubs support all wireless technologies, which is a plus point as it will support a wider range of IOT and security devices.
Contact Info:
http://www.2intellitech.com/
https://www.techhauz.com/
