Since the inception of the Euro grading system for intruder alarms, insurance companies have typically continued to recommend high performance signalling – what’s now referred at as Grade 4 (ATS5) – regardless of the alarm system grade.
However, across the last two years it’s fair to say that low grade, low cost signalling has tended to proliferate within the market. Such systems reduce the cost of analogue signalling but increase the risk for end users and insurance companies alike as such systems may not report a path failure – or a total Alarm Transmission System (ATS) failure/catastrophic failure – for many hours.
WebWay technology focuses on confirmation scenarios as described in BS 8243. BS 8243 states that identifying dual path signalling failure can be treated as ‘high confidence’ an intrusion is taking place. Grade 2 and 3 signalling systems may not report dual path failure for between one and 24 hours. Key holders will attend site as it’s unclear whether the secondary remains operational.
In turn, WebWay recommends that insurers and installers add warnings to the specification of Grade 2 and Grade 3 signalling systems with long path failure reporting times. If clearer guidance is provided, end users can then make more readily informed choices based on risk and ATS functionality rather than just price.
Put simply, the advice emanating from WebWay is that those involved in the specification of remote signalling solutions need to ask themselves and/or end users only three simple questions to help determine the best system for them:
Answer: “Within a few seconds.”
Answer: “Yes. I care about encryption over any PSTN, IP or GSM/GPRS network.”
Answer: “Within a few minutes.”
Guide to communications technology
At the seminar, guest speakers from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), ISS Finland and O2 Telefonica addressed a sizeable audience of representatives from insurance companies, security consultancies, installation firms and Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs).
WebWay provided members of the audience at Bletchley Park with a guide to communications technology from the security sector’s perspective, with commercial director Chris Carter Brennan explaining that copper lines and radio technology provide the ‘access’ path to the shared national infrastructure.
Technologies such as PSTN, ADSL, GSM, GPRS and 3G are all methods of accessing that infrastructure, and are not in themselves separate networks.
All communications equipment, networks and receiving platforms can be considered highly reliable whether using PSTN, IP or GSM/GPRS connections. WebWay stated that only frequent polling of networks enables the ATS service provider to identify sites with possible performance issues. In this regard, WebWay provides a proactive monitoring service which notifies ARCs and installers of those sites requiring remedial action.
“WebWay products continuously monitor the networks to performance levels described in LPS 1277 Issue 3 as an enhanced ATS5 and enhanced ATS4 plus,” said Carter Brennan. “Using digital technology, a much higher degree of accuracy and decision-making can automatically take place. Security installers’ jobs are made easier as they’re provided with remote diagnostics instead of simple ‘fault’ alerts.”
Representing the BRE, Martin Aris explained how LPCB approval to LPS 1277 Issue 3 provides specifiers with assurances that the installed product (supervised premises transceiver) will operate to specification, and how the process of ongoing product audits and regular factory production control inspections assists in ensuring continued compliance.
LPS 1277 covers all types of alarm signalling including PSTN and Ethernet-based IP solutions. Taking WebWayOne as an example; both the WebWay GPRS/PSTN and Webway IP/GPRS solutions are LPCB-approved.
LPS 1277 Issue 3 links the requirements of the European alarm signalling standards with specific UK requirements, bringing system specification into line with the confirmation scenarios of BS 8243.
There are now so many misleading terms employed to promote the use of alarm signalling products – among them ‘designed to comply with’, meets…’ and ‘operates in accordance with’ – none of which actually mean the given product has been independently tested and assessed for compliance.
Specifiers need a clear and unambiguous method for identifying products that genuinely comply with the requirements. For the avoidance of doubt, Aris advised specifiers to make use of the LPCB approvals scheme. Legitimate claims of compliance may be swiftly verified simply by looking for the LPCB ‘horseshoe’ mark on the products or associated literature and entering the LPCB certificate number at: www.Redbooklive.com
Concluding his speech, Aris stated: “It has been a pleasure to work with WebWayOne throughout the approval process. The company has always responded quickly to our requests. LPCB feels reassured that WebWayOne is able to offer its clients an excellent level of support.”
Migration from analogue to IP signalling
Sampo Jokinen – R&D manager at ISS and a CENELEC participant – went on to discuss how WebWayOne products and solutions are being used to migrate thousands of ISS’ customers in Europe from analogue to IP signalling.
ISS has implemented four ‘mirrored’ WebWay servers in its ARCs which route events to the 15 regional fire stations ‘in country’.
He explained that the role of the service provider is to ensure an event can be transmitted at any moment. The only way to do so is proactively monitor all connections and automatically identify those that have low availability. WebWay technology has provided the communications and management solution enabling ISS to make the change.
“ISS has worked with WebWayOne to provide a secure service in Finland for fire alarm transmission,” asserted Jokinen. “Our companies work in partnership to deliver a professional and quality service whatever the challenge. We continue to work together to provide service and technological innovation.”
Graham Doe of O2 M2M (Machine-to-Machine) solutions explained how the relationship between 02 adn WebWayOne had resulted in the “most secure and reliable signalling solution” for GPRS communications.
O2 provides WebWayOne with a management platform for all SIMs, with roaming enabled for both GPRS/PSTN and IP/GPRS solutions. The system goes further by providing real-time SIM and network diagnostics, bandwidth management (essential when providing BS 8418-compliant CCTV solutions) and the ability to limit access to an underperforming mobile network.
Doe explained how the O2 network completes over six billion telephone calls every month and transmits over 1.5 billion Mb of data – in turn delivering a massively scalable, robust and secure system for all stakeholders.
What did the attendees say?
“It was an interesting seminar with a good range of speakers,” said Richard Underwood, risk advisor and security specialist in the property section at Aviva Risk Management Solutions.
“At Aviva, we recognise the benefits of using products and services that have been independently assessed by an appropriate certification body as meeting a suitable level of performance. Companies achieving LPCB approval for alarm transmission products under the LPS 1277 3 approval scheme, and most notably those that perform at the ‘Enhanced’ ATS4+ and ATS5 levels, demonstrate a commitment to providing quality products in a manner that assists specifiers and end users in making informed choices.”
Donna Hamer – portfolio technical manager for UK underwriting at Royal and Sun Alliance – stated: “We consider IP dual signalling systems that have been certified by the Loss Prevention Certification Board as LPS 1277 Issue 3-compliant products, operating at performance level ATS5 and installed in accordance with Annex C of the standard, to be acceptable for the vast majority of UK theft risks.”
Senior technical consultant at Cornerstone GRG, Marc Lucking told Info4Security: “This was an excellent seminar focused on education over marketing. Of particular interest was the clear understanding of confirmation scenarios, approval using Loss Prevention Standards and WebWay’s partnership with O2. Most of all, the event highlighted the fact that WebWay provides a clear alternative to current market solutions.”
Lucking also said: “The broad range of attendees and the location made this a very worthwhile seminar to attend. We’ll now be considering using WebWay technology in future projects.”
Mark Barnett – sales and marketing director with Swift Fire and Security – had this to say: “I’ve worked with WebWay and its solutions for many years. Those solutions deliver excellent return on investment for stakeholders in the supply chain in terms of savings, security and management.”
Also in attendance at Bletchley Park was Douglas Gray from Honeywell. “It was a most informative day,” he told Info4Security. “WebWay and Honeywell products are used in thousands of monitored connections for retail clients both in the UK and abroad. The solution delivers network monitoring, SIA protocol alarms and use of the Honeywell Remote Service Suite over WebWay’s encrypted protocol. This benefits the end user and installer.”
In conversation with Info4Security, James Wilson of Secure It All explained: “Providing end users with clear specification guidance can add value to professional installers’ proposals. Fast confirmation of events is critical, while end users must be allowed to make an informed choice when selecting any security product. WebWay’s seminar has given new clarity to that process using LPS 1277 Issue 3 as the basis.”
The last word is left to one of the speakers, the aforementioned Graham Doe. “O2 Telefonica continues to support WebWayOne in providing secure and reliable GPRS solutions for the electronic security market in the UK and across Europe. Working together is certainly helping to deliver new innovation to this segment of the M2M market. These factors continue to have a positive impact on growth and the wide adoption of WebWay technology.”
