The Difference Between VMS and PSIM, and How Both Can Boost Physical Security On Campus

The assessment of alarms and data from the PSIM can follow a standard operating procedure developed by the facility. In such a case, the operator would follow the directions on the PSIM screen in front of them and would be given step-by-step directions as to how to respond appropriately to an event.

In some instances, the operator may be instructed to handle the event and notify external security guards, but in other instances a security issue may require the operator to alert a manager or a campus security director. The system can then gather the pertinent data relating to the security issue, share information with responders in the field through integration with a computer-aided dispatch system, and generate a report of the incident to assist in investigations.

PSIMs are beginning to be used in other applications as well. Some cities are using the solution in concert with surveillance systems that monitor city buildings, police/emergency dispatch systems and traffic cameras, for example. In this particular use case, a city command center has a holistic view of its entire security and can bring needed perspective to individual events.

Connected devices, mobility and data analysis have become embedded in our everyday life, and with that our expectations of what software products can do and how they can integrate with other systems are changing as well.

For both the VMS and PSIM platforms, the ability to leverage developments in cloud computing, new biometric capabilities and the evolving Internet of Things (IoT) will result in exciting new capabilities we can only imagine now. The result is a security system built for the future no matter what the specific needs of your organization.

Michael Mesaros, CISSP, is Group Product Manager for Proximex, part of Tyco Security Products. He is responsible for product definition and delivery strategies for Surveillint, the company’s PSIM solution.