Emulating European practices will enable the UK to strengthen its security infrastructure, writes Wim Harthoorn, Director of Sales, Smart Alarms, AddSecure.

A shift in the security alarm market

The UK fire and security alarm market is undergoing a significant shift, driven by technological advancements, regulatory changes and the transition from legacy infrastructure.

These changes bring challenges, including system reliability and cybersecurity risks, but also create opportunities for innovation and improved alarm signalling.

By adopting proven European best practices, the UK can strengthen its security infrastructure and ensure a smooth transition from outdated networks.

Businesses that collaborate with experienced alarm providers will be better prepared to navigate these changes efficiently.

For the UK to fully benefit from these advancements, education, awareness and a clear migration strategy must be priorities.

By planning ahead and learning from Europe’s experience, businesses can ensure their alarm systems remain secure, reliable and future-ready.

What challenges does the UK market face?

There are a number of challenges that the UK alarm market is currently facing and businesses must be aware of these in order to help prevent disruption and maintain onsite security.

One challenge, for example, is the transition from legacy infrastructure.

Relying on an outdated alarm signalling solution leaves businesses vulnerable, as these systems can become unreliable and even fail, once the older networks are decommissioned.

With the upcoming transition in mind, businesses will need to move from outdated PSTN, 2G and 3G networks and upgrade to 4G or 5G solutions to avoid connectivity loss or performance drop.

Another challenge that the UK market faces is cybersecurity.

As businesses move over to newer IP-based solutions, they must make sure that robust security measures are in place to prevent cyber-threats and safeguard critical systems.

To address these challenges, the market needs both better education and structured migration planning.

To prepare for the likes of PSTN switch-off, it’s important that businesses plan ahead and avoid last-minute transitions by starting the migration process now.

Proactively assessing current alarm systems and identifying if they are reliant on old technology, will help identify if the system needs upgrading ahead of the switch over and reduce the chances of security systems being down – a forward-thinking approach mitigates the risk of compromised safety.

One way to overcome this challenge is to work with an experienced leader in alarm signalling.

Collaborating with a trusted fire and security alarm provider, who has experience in tackling these issues, is a one way to ensure your systems are future-proofed.

Some European countries have advanced further in transitioning to IP-based alarm systems.

The key to success is to work together as an industry, with alarm receiving centres, installers and customers to make sure all critical security systems move over to future-proof technology in advance of planned shutdowns.

Leveraging best practice from Europe

It is understandable that there may be apprehension about future network transitions, especially when fire and security system operations are at stake.

However, the UK will benefit from a number of innovative solutions that have been implemented across Europe, resulting in a stronger and more stable alarm monitoring network across the country before, during and after the legacy infrastructure switch-off.

Taking advantage of proven technology from the continent – that has strong encryption and redundancy – ensures that systems have a strong performance and highly secure communication in the network.

This approach helps to maintain trust among users, emergency responders and insurers as it reduces the risk of communication failures.

Scalable cloud-based systems are another key advantage that the UK market can leverage.

A reliable cloud-based system enables remote management and real-time monitoring of fire and security alarms and this capability is suited for businesses with multiple sites like retail chains or educational facilities.

Operating remotely, via the cloud, allows for quicker identification of issues or threats and therefore can lead to faster response times by emergency services.

Additionally, the scalability of these systems ensures that businesses can adapt their security solutions as they grow, avoiding the need for costly overhauls or replacements.

Cloud-based systems have successfully been used across a number of European customers and UK businesses can take advantage of these when implementing them for their own sites.

Another best practise that the UK can adopt is the integration of smart analytics and AI-driven solutions into alarm signalling solutions.

These technologies can help enhance threat detection by spotting unusual patterns or changes early, such as smoke or heat and produce an alert quicker, improving the likelihood of preventing a fire or security breach.

These types of technology have also helped reduce the number of false alarms, as they are better equipped for differentiating between genuine threats.

In Europe, this alarm technology has helped save resources and minimised unnecessary call outs, proving an important solution when optimising the overall efficiency of alarm operations.

The UK is likely to benefit from a modernised fire and security alarm infrastructure by enhancing system reliability and potentially lowering costs associated with false alarms.

Leveraging knowledge from the European market will not only provide better protection for businesses but also improve public safety outcomes across the UK.

Transitioning from legacy infrastructure

Following significant transformations with legacy infrastructure, there are several key trends that are shaping the UK fire and security sector landscape.

The most impactful change is the ongoing shift from traditional copper networks to all-IP and 5G connectivity.

This transition is particularly important for fire and security alarm systems that currently rely on older mobile networks.

To address this, businesses need to work with a partner who provides future-proofed alarm signalling solutions designed to support IP-based and 5G connectivity.

This proactive approach improves service stability for businesses during the changeover period, and it’s beneficial for businesses to leverage existing knowledge to ensure a smooth transition.

As the industry continues to evolve, a focus on innovative technology, improved education and strategic collaborative partnerships will likely play an important role in improving the UK’s security infrastructure.

Leveraging the experience from the European market will help enhance the UK’s alarm signalling capabilities and ensure a seamless transition from legacy infrastructure is achieved in the years to come.

AddSecure’s experience

With an expansion strategy focusing on strengthening partnerships and increasing market presence, AddSecure is introducing new smart security solutions, including advanced encryption and cloud-based technologies, to meet the evolving needs of the UK sector and ensure the transition from old networks is seamless.

The partnership with BT Redcare is a great example of expert knowledge in practise.

AddSecure’s experience in the European market means that its can assist BT Redcare business customers with seamless migration support and move them on to modern, future-proofed solutions.

AddSecure has proven secure communication technology, ensuring that UK customers nationwide will have access to the latest alarm signalling technology.

This work ensures that businesses and homes continue to receive high-quality fire and security alarm services, even as legacy networks phase out.

Looking ahead, AddSecure plans to drive industry awareness by educating businesses on the importance of future-proof alarm signalling solutions.

The company has insider knowledge and live-experience that can be transferred from the European market, so customers can have peace of mind when it comes to network transitions.

This article was originally published in the July edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.