The holiday season from Thanksgiving through to the end of the year is a particularly active time for most industries. Retailers are geared up for shoppers, airports have all hands on deck to handle the additional holiday traffic and hotels and restaurants are overbooked with holiday parties.

Over the past several years, physical security in the gaming environment, while always mission critical, has morphed from a tactical function to a more strategic operational policy. The conversion has happened in part due to the need for more sophisticated and encompassing casino security, but it has also been affected by the capability of various security solutions to communicate with other solutions on the network. An integrated and unified physical security system adds to operational efficiencies as well as enhancing the safety and security of the overall casino environment.

Regardless of how it is measured, digital information is an often untapped source of business intelligence. And while there is temptation to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data available to us, there is also potential to translate the data into useful and actionable intelligence.

When it comes time to look at expanding the capabilities and functionality of a security system, users are faced with options that can often be overwhelming in number and complexity. For example, in a video surveillance system, choices include analog, IP and megapixel, while access control system upgrades can entail issuing all new identification cards. In many cases, once a decision has been made the implementation and programming can be equally daunting.

In today’s competitive physical security environment, nothing can torpedo a product faster than poor quality workmanship and spotty performance. Because security is such a critical function in the organization, product solutions such as key control and asset management systems must be designed and manufactured to withstand rigorous use and abuse. Features must be easy to use and provide tangible benefits. Product spec sheets tell some of the story but there are three easy to spot visual clues that can help identify a well-made, effective key control system.