Ryan Taylor, Principal of TRUSYS, was recently interviewed in a leading security magazine.  Martha Entwistle, of Security Systems News, contacted TRUSYS to help their readers understand the role of a consultant and how they add value to the security industry and technology suppliers.  This article covers insightful questions that provide some history of TRUSYS and Mr. Taylor’s experience in the industry.  To see the published article, click here: securitysystemsnews

TRUSYS chose The Hague due to its focus on Peace and Justice, Private and Public security, and the network of people and companies involved in the industry.  The Hague is a logical choice due to its central location and easy access to other parts of Europe and beyond. In October, 2011, TRUSYS joined the Border Security Innovation Center (BIC) in The Hague.  The www.bordersecurity.eu Innovation Center is an initiative co-funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Economical Affairs and the City of The Hague, to support collaborative use of commercial technologies in public and private security.  “The BIC provides TRUSYS with several advantages that enables our company to hit the ground running as we take on this exciting venture in Europe”, says Mr. Taylor.

To find out how TRUSYS can help reduce the impact of disruptive events, please contact us at info@trusys.com.

TRUSYS saw adding a qualified Industrial Designer as a strategic expansion to the quality of the services we offer to our clients.  Industrial Designers are trained to understand how humans interact with technology; and security technologies that are not adopted easily hinder Organizational resilience rather than enhance it.  The R-SEC Organizational Resilience framework proposed by TRUSYS identifies clearly the need for effective human/technology interactions as part of a successful security implementation.  Colin’s skills fit well in the continuum of the development of TRUSYS knowledge base.

Since graduation in 2002, Colin got hands-on experience with the installation of complex security systems while working with a local system integrator.  This field experience is a valued asset when working at TRUSYS as we believe that understanding firsthand the challenges faced by field personnel enhances the quality of the security designs produced.

Managing Principal, John Gargett, comments: “Already Colin has earned the respect of his colleagues and of our clients with high quality representation of the design concepts proposed by our senior consultants.  His understanding of the technologies of our industry and his high level of software knowledge makes him a great complement to our Seattle team.  We also appreciate his spirit of cooperation and initiative when it comes to supporting our corporate technology initiatives.  Colin is a natural problem solver whose great attitude is appreciated by all.”

Colin can be reached at colin.edmonds@trusys.com, at (800) 905-6810 or on Skype at colin.edmonds-trusys.

Satish, tell us a bit about yourself?

I did my primary & higher education at Christian missionary Maria Niketan School and I completed my Diploma in Electronics & Telecommunication at Mahatma Gandhi Polytechnic. Having an interest in Electronics, I joined an evening class on Radio & TV hardware practical training from the LIZZNER Institute.  I then added Computer Hardware & Networking training from the Sahara Institute of Technology.  And I completed the certification in AutoCAD & REVIT MEP at Kruthy Computers.

I started my Career in the Physical Security Industry with a leading Integrator in the Indian Market.  My career started with Field engineering as a trainee and in a short time I was able to learn the technology & concepts of Physical security.  I have successfully served when given the opportunity as a Field engineer, Technical engineer, Design Engineer, Project Co-ordinator and project manager.  I was ready and delighted when TRUSYS CEO Ryan Taylor asked me to spearhead the start of our company in India.

What attracted you to a career in the Physical Security Industry?

Initially I was interested in camera technology, their angle of view, coverage etc.  I worked with my brother in that Industry.  Naturally, I came across many security related products and concepts used in different configuration as per clients’ requirements.  I learned about CCTV, Access, Alarm, Fire, PA etc. Integrating them to respond between them in critical situation is the challenge that attracted me to the Physical security Industry.

India’s economic growth rate is the envy of the world.  How is this fast paced economy affecting your work?

Not only is there a lot of internal growth in India, but our economy is rapidly integrating itself with the rest of the world.  Large Indian firms like Tata or Mittal are rapidly becoming multinational firms as they invest abroad.  As they expand abroad and as multinational firms invest in India, there is a need for better security practices to protect the benefits we all get from international commerce.  This is one of the reasons why we felt that TRUSYS needed at its inception a presence in both the United States and India.

As to how it affects my work, it means that we work to the best international standards to satisfy both local and international clients.  It is also interesting to work for a multinational firm like TRUSYS as we can help one another by sharing best practices and expertise.

Tell us about the state of the physical security industry in India?
In the past, India was considered a very safe place where people relied on Indian defence and security.  The first blow that shattered that feeling was the suicide attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that killed Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi.  At that moment the physical security industry started slowly to develop in the Indian market.

Later the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament and a series of low intensity bomb blasts in major cities pushed the growth of Physical Security industry.   After the 2008 “26/11” attack by Terrorist in Mumbai, the Physical Security Industry saw significant increases in sales & implementation.  In addition, the Fire incidents in Bangalore Carlton Tower fire and the Kolkata Shopping Mall fire increased the desire for physical security in the people of India.

Are the typical security practices in India different from other countries?

After the “26/11” attack the Physical Security practices aims to be no different than in other developed countries.

What are the main concerns you hear from your clients?

·    First, that the security system is not optimized to take full advantage of its features.
·    Second, the integration of fire and security devices like access control is a critical issue in case of emergency that is not always well planned.
·    Often CCTV installations are not optimized to the manufacturers’ specs and the coverage does not meet the clients’ needs.
·    Pre design document for a proposed project are inadequate.
·    And installations do not have proper “as built” documents produced for future maintenance or upgrading.

These are all typical needs that TRUSYS India professionals address.

Concluding a month long trip to the Middle East that included advancing his Arabic and client visits, TRUSYS Principal Jeff Baker attended the 5^th Middle East Energy Security Forum in Abu Dhabi.  Jeff reports:

“The speakers and panelists were of extremely high caliber and discussed a variety of topics affecting the security of energy within the Middle East. The entire event was narrowly focused at regional security professionals in oil, gas, and energy production.  The event attracted over 85 attendees from 19 different nations. It was self evident that the recent events of the Middle East and North Africa over the last six months has changed the status quo and highlighted new perspectives on a professionals approach to security.

A reccurring theme was that the traditional definition of “Security” should not be limited to the stereotypical view of guns, guards and gates. Matthew Hulbert; a Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Studies in Zurich, was the opening speaker and brought light to the instability and impact of “perception,” delivered from a geo political and world energy markets perspective. Libya for example represented 1% of the worlds’ oil production, yet the loss of this capacity brought about a corresponding 30% price increase based on their research. Security at an individual facility is only reflective of the overall security of a region, and security professionals must be prepared and proactive at a macro level, versus being reactive at a micro level. A very practical example of this was given by Dennis Amachree of Addax Petroleum based in Nigeria. In the last few years there have been hundreds of kidnappings amongst the Oil & Gas firms of Nigeria, and is now inherent to the environment. As a proactive measure, training is conducted for employees in preparation of a possible kidnapping and “proof of life” forms are the responsibility of the security department. Upon a show of hands within the room, Addax was the only company utilizing simple and proven “proof of life” forms as a tool for identification of employees. Highlighting once again to understand the potentials and not to address, only those things which has occurred previously.

All the presenters in some form or another emphasized that Security is no longer a service department, but is an integral part of protecting the ability of the firm to deliver value to their clients and shareholders. It is a promising maturation of thought that falls in line with Organizational Resilience Standards. It may sound redundant, but Organizational Resilience is about the Resilience – According to Webster, an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change; and not the traditional view of security alone. As Nigel Carpenter of AMEC (a 30,000+ employee engineering and professional services operating in over 40 countries) said “Security is everyone’s’ business.” William Bryan of the US Department of Energy emphasized this approach even further when sharing about how the DOE approaches risk & security. In DOE language it is all about Reliability, Survivability, and Resiliency; notice that is about the firms abilities and not a specific technology or solution. In practice you cannot protect everything, so it is crucial to match your investment to the most probable and highest impact risks; any other approach is unwise, another way to say it is that you must have an understanding of your organizations’ “Risk Appetite.”

Amongst the attendees there was much discussion surrounding where “Security” fits within the organization. I was surprised to find the discussion was not as tactical in nature that I first expected. I believe it has been the recent events of the region that have driven this thought process. Granted we would like to believe our industry is proactive, but that is not necessarily the case as it is with human nature; pro-activity must be instituted as a process within organizations at least. To some extent the industry has done what we can; to highlight the point, if a Health & Safety department has had no issue they are applauded for the wonderful job they have done, and in contrast if a Security & Risk Management department has had no incidence they are written off as unneeded. Proving the value of security within an organization is an ever present need.

A second point of interest amongst the speakers was the commonality of extraction of personnel from the region in the recent months. Baker Hughes, Weatherford, Talisman and Hunt Oil all dealt with this issue and the sooner they acted and the more preparation there was the more successful the effort. These of course were only the companies highlighted that dealt with this issue; meaning there were many others that it had effected. These extractions decisions were based on intelligence. A presentation given by Bassam Ghellal of Whispering Bell provided an overview of the events in Libya and highlighted the value of accurate intelligence. Whispering Bell believes so much in the need for accurate intelligence that they have developed a product/service offering that gleans data from the populous, in a social media sort of way, is analyzed and made into actionable data in real time. This approach to information sharing was complimented by Fawzi Al Zamzami of Saudi Aramco, in sharing how their approach to information has changed from one of protecting to one of sharing in just the last few years.

This conference concludes this trip to the Middle East and reaffirms that the Middle East is a complex and challenging region, and for multi-nationals to truly be resilient they must possess a holistic perspective that is closely paired with the execution of the security strategy. As commonly occurs, a divide arises between the strategy and the execution for a variety of reasons but not limited to multiple service providers and inherently conflicting interests of the various service providers. This is precisely why the TRUSYS model of incorporating Strategy and Execution into the same service offering has been so successful with our clients.”

TRUSYS CEO, Ryan Taylor, commented: “When we founded TRUSYS in 2007, we envisioned the day when we could contribute to advancing the knowledge of our industry by creating the TRUSYS Institute.  Since then TRUSYS has completed work in dozens of locations around the world and has a presence in five countries on four continents. The day to launch the TRUSYS Institute has finally arrived.  We see it as a place to congregate the thought leaders of our industry for meaningful learning and exchanges.”

The event was timed with the first visit to Seattle by the TRUSYS Netherlands team led by Léon de Brujin.  Mr de Brujin, a highly respected security expert in the Netherlands, explained some of the differences in security practices in the Netherlands.  He focused on organizational practices and on the growing need for Organizational Resilience best practices like R-SEC™, TRUSYS own Organizational Resilience methodology.

The second speaker for the event was Mr Paul Pattynama.  Mr Pattynama is a former Netherlands Provincial Fire Chief.  Mr Pattynama focused on Fire and Safety practices in the Netherlands and Europe.  Again the need for better Organizational Resilience practices was stressed.  Interestingly, most of the participants’ questions referred to organizational issues rather than technical or technology matters.

The event was followed by a reception, and as most such events, valuable connections were made and good business relationships were enhanced.

Mr Ryan Taylor Founded and CEO of TRUSYS, is pleased to announce the opening of the TRUSYS Institute with a first event scheduled for June 9, 2011.  In addition Mr Taylor announces that TRUSYS Managing Principal, Mr John Gargett, has been named Director of the Institute.

MR Taylor comments: “We first envisioned the TRUSYS Institute when we were writing the original business plan for TRUSYS.  TRUSYS was going to sell only knowledge, no hardware, no software and no guard services.  So we had to establish a “thought leader” advantage to separate TRUSYS from our competition.  We saw the TRUSYS Institute as a place to research, learn and teach the newest concepts related to organizational resilience.”

“We were convinced of the need for such an organization, but until John Gargett joined the TRUSYS team we were not in a position to start the Institute, John took on the responsibility of Managing Principal to lead the TRUSYS team in the execution of our strategic and tactical plans and I am delighted that he accepted the additional role of Director of the TRUSYS Institute.  John is eminently qualified for this role.  His experience starting with his early leadership in the development of the original courses on technology for the National Emergency Training Center to his development of R-SEC™ , to implementing Organizational Resilience.  He participates in several industry committees helping TRUSYS contribute to the advancement of our industry practices.  Now he will lead hands-on advances in Organizational Resilience knowledge.”

John Gargett adds: “Leading the TRUSYS-Institute is a rewarding role after spending over 30 years in the industry.  Our industry has a valuable mission to fulfill.  We need to develop new knowledge and practices and to teach other leaders how to implement best practices.  We are privileged to participate in industry forums and committees and we plan to be the first ones to implement and share the best practices leaders of our various security and safety disciplines recommend.”

The TRUSYS Institute’s first program is a perfect example of bringing industry thought leaders together.  On June 9, two TRUSYS colleagues from the Netherlands will share their reflections with a selected audience.

• Mr Leon de Brujin, co-founder of the Physical Security Innovation Center (PSIC) in The Hague will speak on “Crisis Management and Terrorism Preparedness in the Netherlands – 20 years of Lessons.”
• And Mr Paul Pattynama, who has served as a safety leader in the Netherlands will speak on “Preparedness and Planning between the Public and Private Sector”.

This event will be followed by an intimate reception to launch the TRUSYS Institute.

Follow this link to the TRUSYS Institute site if you would like to register for this first event

“Today in Amman, Jordan, I attended the quarterly Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC, www.osac.gov) Country Council Meeting. The program began with a briefing by the Regional Security Officer for the U.S. Diplomatic Security, Bart Gorman, on the current state of the region. Mr. Gorman’s presentation was a chronological review of the wave of events that have rocked the Middle East Region within 2011.

It all began as a typical day the first week of January in Tunisia. A single demonstration by an individual escalated into full blown protests culminating in the stepping down of President Ben Ali after nearly 24 years in power. These events empowered others to rise up against established powers in Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt and most recently Syria with varied success, though all have made world headlines. Then the month of May was ushered in by news that Osama Bin Laden had been found and killed, and in the process revealing massive amounts of intelligence data, further heightening the sense of vulnerability in the region.

Adding further context to the current events of the region was Simon Howe, Director of Security for MEA (Middle East, Africa) for Marriot International. His presentation highlighted the detailed efforts required for organizational resilience in light of security risks faced in Egypt, Libya and Bahrain. The story of one event in Libya was a perfect example of organization resilience.

The Marriot in Tripoli, Libya was forced to close only 10 days after opening, leaving 180 staff requiring extraction. A plan was formed and executed, which brought the staff to Amman, Jordan with flights arranged to their home destinations within six hours of arrival. A secondary plan for extraction by sea was in place in the event that air travel was eliminated as an option. This is Organizational Resilience in action!

The Marriot Corporation has spent decades building their own security program in-house because standards did not previously exist and the maturity of the market meant they were best served by in-house cultivation of best practices.  Fortunately, things are changing for the better.  The introduction of the ANSI/ASIS Organizational Resilience and ISO 31000 Risk Management Standards in the security industry is a catalyst to the capacity maturity of the industry.”

Stay tuned for more from the region as TRUSYS visits the UAE and attends the 5^th Annual Middle Energy Security Forum (http://www.fleminggulf.com/energy/middle-east/5th-middle-east-energy-security-forum).

Based in Portland Oregon, Dave Miller SET, is the TRUSYS Principal leading the Fire Safety portfolio of our firm.  In this article Dave explains how the convergence of fire alarm and IP technology is here at last, and how it delivers immediate and significant cost savings to organizations willing to make the transition.

While the transition to this new technology requires some adaptation to the communications tools present in a facility, the changes are simple to implement when properly planned with the help of people with the right knowledge.  A little planning effort goes a long way in saving precious financial resources in these challenging times.

Dave has over 20 years of experience in a wide variety of fire/life safety applications and provides NICET Fire Alarm exam preparation courses throughout the U.S. He is a regular contributor to the TRUSYS Institute. He can be reached at dave.miller@trusys.com or 503-537-9200.

“This Standard provides the principles and requirements for a quality assurance system (QAMS) for private sector security organizations to abide by and demonstrate accountability to internationally recognized norms of civil rights while providing quality assurance in the provision of their products and services.”  Click here for more details.