20 January 2014

Bank Aljazira (BAJ), a leading Shari’ah compliant financial institution in Saudi Arabia, has deployed VidSysPhysical Security Information Management (PSIM) software, in order to reduce risk and enforce standards across its security operations. With the financial industry institutions facing increasingly sophisticated threats directed at bank assets and brand integrity, BAJ’s security team sought to reduce risk and ensure compliance with recently strengthened Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) security regulations.  BAJ selected the VidSys PSIM to help implement rigorous corporate standard operating procedures (SOPs) across all its facilities, including ATMs, cash centres, branches and corporate buildings.  With a multitude of systems, sensors and devices all generating alerts and alarms, BAJ needed to create a streamlined and centralised view of operations.  Leveraging the PSIM platform, the BAJ security team can now efficiently detect, analyse and respond to any incident across its geographically dispersed locations, while simultaneously adhering to its SOPs and complying with new SAMA regulations and standards. SecuTronic, a leading Middle East systems integrator, deployed the VidSys PSIM software platform, leveraging this technology to enable integration of multiple proprietary systems, including GE and Nedap access control technology, fire systems from Bosch and Simplex, video from Dedicated Micros and American Dynamics and a large network of ATMs.  The VidSys multi-vendor video management application tightly integrates BAJ’s surveillance capability with alarms to provide real-time verification.  By combining all of the systems into one user interface, the VidSys solution facilitates greater situation awareness and resolution of incidents according to BAJ-configured protocols, in each case generating a time-stamped audit trail. Kamal Kazi, Chief Executive Officer at SecuTronic, said, “VidSys PSIM is a commercial-off-the-shelf solution enabling rapid deployment and the integration of multiple systems, all without custom coding.  That provided Bank AlJazira a fast route to compliance.  The BAJ security team can now identify, analyse and prioritise situations automatically, with all the appropriate information and systematic procedures presented to security officers in one easily-managed common view.” Iyad Alyousf, Vice President, Head of Logistics Division at Bank AlJazira, noted, “We are delighted that following the deployment of VidSys PSIM, Bank AlJazira is the first SAMA compliant financial institution in Saudi Arabia.  By digitising and automating standard operating procedures, we can now enforce and track corporate policy to ensure compliance across our entire enterprise.  This consistent approach to all of our security applications is delivering operational efficiencies.  It also provides centralised awareness across all BAJ facilities, reducing the time required to manage data across previously disparate systems and ensuring a rapid and appropriate response to incidents.” Darren Chalmers-Stevens, Vice-President EMEA, commented, “The success of the BAJ project signals an upsurge in demand for PSIM in the region as well as a greater appreciation of the fast and meaningful return on investment that comes with adoption of the VidSys software platform.  Our teams on the ground in Saudi Arabia and the UAE – as well as purpose-built training and demonstration facilities in the region – underscore continued investment and commitment to the region by VidSys.  Our commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product now supports a rapidly-growing number of projects, while allowing system integrators to deliver jobs on-time and on-budget.” Darren Chalmers-Stevens also spoke on the subject to Philip Ingram, Managing Director of Security Media Publishing, at the Intersec 2014 exhibition underway in Dubai. For a VidSys PSIM demonstration, visit Secutronic stand on 19 – 21 January).  For more information, go to www.vidsys.com.  To book a demonstration at VidSys training facilities in Europe or the Middle East, e-mail emeainfo@vidsys.com.