How is smart technology making businesses more safe and secure?

It’s no secret that founding, growing and managing a business takes a lot of determination and hard work.

As a business owner, it’s common to feel extremely proud yet protective of the business you’ve invested a lot of money and time into – from the office building itself, to the furniture inside it and the tech-savvy devices you’ve purchased to ensure your employees are able to do the best job possible.

Thanks to smart technology, businesses are starting to rely on the latest digital trends and developments to stay ahead in their industries. But, innovative technology and the Internet of things (IoT) is not only making businesses more efficient, it’s also being used to improve business’ safety and security systems.

As home-owners we ensure that our houses are burglar-proof and protected against risks and hazards but, as business owners, are we implementing the same safety measures? In fact, with the amount of expensive technology and equipment businesses have, it could be argued that businesses have more to lose if their properties don’t have substantial safety and security measures in place.

So, how should businesses be using smart technology to keep their property as safe and secure as possible?

Use technology to oversee the office remotely

Whether you’re out of town for a business trip, working from home or on a well-deserved holiday, it’s expected for you to feel concerned about whether everything is in order in your absence.

With smart technology, business owners are able to put their minds at ease and oversee the office remotely. Smart security systems that connect to cameras, such as Netgear’s security camera, enable you to view areas of your office and property straight from a smartphone – from anywhere around the world.

As smart security cameras develop, more and more are equipped to detect suspicious activity and notify the owner with a simple text or email to their smartphone, and video recording features mean you can replay and watch back footage too.

In a similar way to smart security cameras, smart alarm kits work to keep offices safe and secure except with the use of motion sensors or detectors; as soon as a business owner leaves the office for the evening, the kit can be activated and will instantly notify them via smartphone if the alarms are triggered.

With both a security camera and a smart alarm kit working around the clock to keep your property safe and secure when no employees are at work, business owners can focus on running their business rather than worrying about safety and security measures.

Your very own flying CCTV

This smart tech device is particularly useful for owners of large businesses that occupy a lot of land, such as a factory. Whilst smart security cameras can be set up all around the area, a flying drone can take security levels one step further.

Drones can take on watchdog tendencies and patrol your business’ property; they circulate the land or follow intruders whilst filming any suspicious activity, which is streamed directly to your smartphone.

For businesses that aren’t as large, a drone might not be necessary so technology such as a smart security light or even a RoboDog could be better suited for your security needs. Kuna’s security light combines both a security camera and a light; it starts recording 10 seconds before an event is triggered so you can see the full footage of any suspicious activity, and you can choose what you want to happen when the device is triggered – such as sound an alarm or call the police.

No key? No problem

If you, or a few members of your staff, are guilty of losing your office keys from time to time – causing a lot of issues with the risk of burglars and replacing locks and keys – smart locks, virtual keys and geofencing technology could be your saviour.

Smart security systems allow you and your team to enter and leave the office without a key, as long as you have a smartphone on your person – and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t? August’s smart lock allows multiple people onto its system and supplies each individual with their own virtual key, so they can all lock and unlock a door with just their smartphone.

Similarly, geofencing technology – defined as a “virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area” – enables business owners to be notified when someone enters or leaves the property, so any out of hours trespassers will be caught out.

As a business owner, your time should be spent on growing your business and managing employees – and shouldn’t be consumed by concerns over your property’s safety and security. We’re already seeing smart technology shape security systems that are making our businesses more burglar and hazard proof than ever before, and we can only expect to see this technology continue to advance.