Branko Angebrant, Director of AllControl: Investment in safety is investment in prevention

Business security is jeopardized by increasingly sophisticated and complex threats. The protection of employees, facilities and overall operations has long since become a priority for each company, but it`s the trends that are changing and demanding new, safer solutions. The mission of presenting an investment in intelligent security solutions as an investment in prevention, which can be defined with the saying “better safe than sorry”, belongs, among others, to AllControl.

This tech company specializes in design and implementation of advanced systems for technical protection of business, industrial and strategically important facilities with critical infrastructure. Founded in 2018, as a part of the TeleGroup system, it realizes projects in the wider market of the Western Balkans.

We talked to Branko Angebrant, the director of AllControl, about the importance of prevention and investments in business securities, the changes that occur in the market and the best ways for each company to respond to them.

AllControl is a young company that specializes in designing and implementing systems of technical protection. Why have you chosen to go into this business now when there are so many companies which have been dealing in these technologies in the region for a long time now, and very successfully at that?

We have entered this business with previous knowledge, as our origins are in the TeleGroup system, which has been in the business of technical protection systems for years now. However, in mid-2018, it was decided for a new company, AllControl, to be founded, which would focus on further developing the expertise and implementing innovations in this domain. An additional reason is that the tech protection industry has expanded remarkably in the past five years, primarily as a consequence of integration with information technologies. Analog, slow system have therefore accelerated and there has been a development of intelligent solutions whose task it is to increase the security of people, facilities and business to a new level. However, this development has led to the fact that human rights protection agencies and non-governmental organization are worried, with good reason, about how those data are collected and used. That`s why the GDPR was formed, in an attempt to introduce rules of conduct to this field.

All these changes have led to the fact that, in a sea of new solutions and regulations, users are looking for a reliable technological partner that would help them solve real problems in their business operations in the long term. Our role is to back our users in establishing a security strategy and implementing the optimal technological solutions.

What are the experiences from the period behind us? What are the perspectives for the further development of this tech field?

The current year 2020 has brought new challenges and new security threats. The worst threat for any community and society is the panic that arises as a consequence of the fear of some global threat. The Covid pandemic, which has affected us all, is a concrete example of that. Realistically, we have been living in fear for nearly a year now. In these situations, the market and the people want to additionally protect and insure themselves. Looking at the numbers, the statistics say that the value of this market in 2020 on a global level has been estimated at USD 93 billion. The trend of the development of the market will continue and, by 2025, it will be worth more than EUR 120 billion. This is a clear indicator that there is and that there will be room for the development of companies such as AllControl.

How do you see the question of the security of the modern society as a whole?

The question of security is one of the most complicated questions for any society or state. We all want to feel safe, at home, on the street and at work. One of the ways to sleep better is to take preventive measures and do everything in our power to live in a safer environment.

Technologies from the domain of not just technical, but also information safety, play a great role here. With the implementation of an increasing number of these systems, the big question is where the limit is when it comes to collecting and using data in the context of protection. In our experience, there is no such limit. An analogy can be found in the sphere of cyber security, because it`s a constant cat-and-mouse game, where hackers, motivated by various goals, are trying to get to the citizens` business and personal data, whereas, on the other hand, the producers of cyber security systems are trying to be one step ahead. There needs to be a compromise, and the citizens themselves need to be aware that the threats are increasing and that, accordingly, the systems which are supposed to prevent those threats need to develop so as to justify their purpose, which is the safety of us all.

Do investments in security influence the protection of privacy?

– No one here wants to live in an Orwellian society, that`s a fact, but the reality that few people want to face is that there is no more privacy. Social networks are a good example. Or, for example, how many people, before they install a new app, or switch on their new smartphone, read the terms of use? Very few, maybe 1% or below. Just by agreeing to the terms of use, they give the producers the right to use their private data for various purposes. The most important question is – who controls the controllers? That`s a question for the state. How are these data, which are collected for safety, used and what is then done with them? There`s no end to this trend and we can ask ourselves whether the Machiavellian approach is justified, because the question of safety is the question of prevention. At AllControl, we believe that investing in security in fact means investing in prevention. If we want to sleep safely, we must waive some of our privacy.

AllControl offers intelligent systems for the protection of people, facilities and overall business. What would you highlight as your unique feature?

This is an extremely important question for all businesses today. It seems that companies have somehow forgotten about the users and put them in the background. The business rhetoric that we see everywhere comes down to everyone being leaders, everyone having a universal solution for all business challenges. Equipment manufactures are not exempt from this. What we need to understand is that there is no universal solution that suits everyone.

That is why our approach is a little different. We are aware that this problem exists, so we try to include flexible solutions in our offer that will be able to meet the specific needs of our users. We are a system integrator and our task is to understand their business processes, realize where they are vulnerable and help them implement adequate technological tools that will help them operate in an optimal and efficient manner in a secure environment.

Has the market in Serbia accepted new trends in the domain of technical protection systems?

The process of digitalization in Serbia has gained momentum. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly contributed to this acceleration, but there is still resistance to innovations in our society. It is apparent that said integration of information technologies and systems of technical protection has upgraded numerous functionalities of the systems and brought added value to the users, but it has also provided them with some new business models. Instead of buying the equipment and the accompanying software, the users in Serbia will soon be able to subscribe to systems of technical protection and use them as a service. What we`re referring to here is in fact the cloud-based business model, which is nothing new globally, but is a new approach in our domain.

Producers are opting for this strategy increasingly often, because, on one hand it ensures a constant inflow of funds for investments in further development, while, on the other hand, the users get a system which is at the highest possible level of readiness and technical support which guarantees the highest level of service quality.

To what extent do big companies accept new trends?

Certain big companies in Serbia, state institutions and public companies have a business policy which doesn`t accept cloud services, whereas the industry of technical protection is moving increasingly in the direction of offering entire systems as services. Let`s take video surveillance as a service or access control as a service as an example. The initial investment for the user here is very small, because the “brain” of the system is at the same time the most expensive part of the system available from the cloud. On the other hand, the user should come to terms with the fact that their company`s data are stored in a remote location and not worry about the integrity and the security aspects of the data. This business model primarily advocates data security and the reliability and availability of the service at any moment.

As for Serbia, we expect the possibility of offering technical protection systems as a service to be made available soon, as such systems have already taken root in North America and it is inevitable that they will soon appear here as well. The exception is the access control system, which is already available as part of our offer for the Western Balkans market, but we soon expect the offer to expand to other services too. The reasons for a slower access to our market are insufficient development, financial challenges and infrastructure. In order for video surveillance to function as a service, a reliable and strong internet connection is imperative, and here, internet access is still developing, although we are in a much better position compared to some countries in the region.

Do companies need to be educated when it comes to new trends in technical protection systems and the security industry in general?

The companies themselves need to take on the responsibility and accept the concept of investment in prevention. Many companies learn this lesson the hard way, especially small and medium enterprises. It is only when a theft or a cyber attack occurs that they become aware how important a preventive policy is and, unfortunately, they pay dearly for this mistake. That is why we believe that it is desirable for the state to educate the market about modern threats and to help the efforts to integrate preventive security policy in business strategies. We are not transferring the responsibility to the state nor do we expect the state alone to make that effort. We believe that the entire IT sector is responsible, that everyone should contribute to educating the market in their domain, because knowledge and understanding are the first step toward a systemic solution of the question of business security. AllControl plans to launch special purpose events that will deal with this topic. However, in order for this to become global, social awareness, it is desirable for the state to make an initiative, because the threats are a reality that can “knock on our door” at any time.

Has any of the solutions or tools you offer stood out, that is, has it caused more interest than others?

We are always trying to offer all-encompassing solutions. The users often don`t have a vision as to which system does what and it is our task to explain to them what the value of those solutions is and what level of safety each system provides them with. Video surveillance systems are definitely flourishing, because video is the most complex technology and provides an enormous amount of useful information to the user. By taking a look at video camera footage, you are given much more information than if you read transcripts of an incident that has occurred. Video surveillance is always set up as the first instance of defense, so that the user could monitor the activities in remote locations as well. The biggest focus of the industry`s development is on video surveillance. All other technologies that are being developed, such as, for example, face recognition, are complementary with video surveillance.

What is your view of the expansion of solutions for measuring body temperature through thermal cameras?

When the coronavirus pandemic occurred, there was an explosion in the supply and demand for systems for precision measurement of body temperature through thermal cameras everywhere in the world. Producers of this equipment, primarily from the East, launched strong marketing campaigns in the midst of the pandemic and in the midst of the panic. Of course, because the demand was huge, the prices of those systems were and still are enormous.

The problem with these solutions is that they don`t meet IEC and ISO Fever Screening standards and are not able to measure body temperature with precision. What have the producers of thermal cameras in fact done? They have used the existing equipment, which is meant for technical protection systems, and allegedly adapted it to the new purpose. However, that`s not enough, because those cameras are not designed for that purpose and therefore aren`t reliable in measuring body temperature. The market was deceived that these solutions could help prevent the spreading of the infection, which only deepened the problem. As a consequence of this campaign, the users were led to believe that they had solved the problem. However, that`s not true, because inadequate measuring of body temperature led to situations in which people with high temperature were let into facilities, because the camera had not presented the true state of things. They could potentially infect all others, without even being aware that they are carriers, because they felt no symptoms. Our company`s position is that we refuse to act opportunistically in selling the equipment, because it runs against our mission and the values we advocate. That is why we advised the users who asked us for a quick solution that the moment was not right for something like that and that they shouldn`t invest in such solutions. We dealt with this topic in a special article, which you can read (in Serbian) HERE.

The good news is that responsible producers have in the meantime dedicated themselves to developing a special-purpose solution designed in line with the recommendations of the standards and measuring protocols, so all interested users can address us about all uncertainties regarding this technology, so that we could find an adequate solution for them together.

Which challenges have you faced during the pandemic and how are you overcoming them?

Like all companies in the world, we have faced the difficulties that Covid has caused for everyone. The nature of our business is that we work on-site, implementing systems at the users` premises. Due to the quarantine and the closing of the borders, we were unable to access the locations where we had started implementing the systems, so we are consequently late with the realization of the contracts. There are even cases where the users have fully terminated all contact with the partners, waiting to see what will happen, so that uncertainty has brought us a range of additional challenges in adapting our business to this new situation.

Luckily, we had some previously agreed projects, which helped us overcome the first wave of the crisis and secure sustainable operations. One of those projects is the video surveillance of cities in Montenegro, which is realized for the purposes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro, However, when the borders closed, during the first wave, we were not able to send engineering teams. The first wave of the pandemic therefore prolonged this project, but when the borders re-opened, we went full force in the realization, which is ongoing. I honestly hope that borders will not be closed again and that there won`t be another quarantine, and I hope even more that, this way or that, we will soon overcome all the difficulties that the epidemic has brought.

All Control d.o.o. Beograd

TeleGroup doo Beograd

Ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova Crne Gore

All Control

AllControl

TeleGroup

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro

Branko Angebrant

technical protection systems

technical protection of business facilities

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measuring body temperature with thermal cameras

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ISO Fever Screening standard

video surveillance of cities in Montenegro

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