October 19th, 2003

Netwatch Joins Battle to Crack SME Crime [Sunday Business Post]

The number of crimes perpetrated against Ireland's small business community is on the rise but a new Carlow-based company claims that is has developed a cost-effective solution to crime in the SME sector.

In the run-up to Christmas, retailers, producers and manufacturers across a variety of sectors will be forced to step up in-house security measures.  However, according to Pat Delaney of the Small Firms Association, the estimated €573 million spent annually by small business on security is not enough. "The crime rate against business continues to rise and we are dealing with planned professional criminality across a wide range of areas such as theft, criminal damage, burning, burglary, fraud, extortion and armed robbery" said Delaney.

He added: "Retailers in particular now require CCTV, security staff, tagging systems, hi-tech tilling systems, floor walkers, alarm systems and protective shuttering. The use of hidden cameras alone has increased over 600% since 1997".

According to David Walsh of Netwatch Security Systems business owners who survive a break-in are often forced to endure a 'double whammy' with many subsequently forced to pay substantial insurance hikes. However, Walsh added that many SME's are not in a position to install expensive CCTV systems or pay on-site security personnel on an ongoing basis.

"What many of them don't realise is that, especially in the run-up to Christmas, you will get an increase in the number of well-prepared and professional break-ins, which you might almost describe as 'robbery-to-order' affairs because they will know in advance exactly what they want, who is going to buy in and how much of it they're going to buy" said Walsh.

Launched last January, Netwatch combines alarm technology with CCTV techniques to create what Walsh describes as in 'intelligent' security system. Netwatch, said Walsh, cold enable businesses across a variety of sectors to call a halt to crimes as they happen for an ongoing daily cost of €12.

"From its command Centre in Carlow, Netwatch provides extremely cost effective monitoring and control of a remote site activity 24 hours a day, reducing the need for on-site guards" he said.  According to Walsh, staff at the Netwatch Command Centre can watch in 'real-time' as an intrusion takes place at any one of their client's business premises. They can then speak directly to the criminals before they commit the crime and alert Gardaí as to what is happening.

"When an alarm is triggered on a premises, live pictures of the area where the security breach has occurred are sent down ISDN lines to the Netwatch Command Centre. It is a fully interactive system. The cameras can be controlled remotely to focus on different areas and they are equipped with microphones and speakers allowing the command centre to communicate directly with the intruder" Walsh says.