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Camera firm says new model puts it in ANPR fast lane
July 2009 - By Richard Morris - rmorris@crain.com

The increasing use of security cameras, which captured at least 1.82 billion car number plates on roads in England and Wales last year, provokes complaints from motorists. But the growth of the surveillance society is potentially good news for Greater Manchester security company Secure Options Group Ltd. It has developed a high definition Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera and software that it claims could become a UK market leader.

Director Mike Braddock, who established the Oldham-based business 19 years ago as a sole trader, turning it into a limited company in 2003, said the cameras are unique in the UK because of their ability to capture vehicle number plates across up to four lanes, 24-hours-a-day in heavy traffic, irrespective of the weather. He said there is only one other product on the market able to view multiple lanes and that can only cover two.

Braddock added: “We have got different routes to market, either through the police, who'd use them to gather intelligence on criminals and people going up and down motorways, while the other would be traffic management.” The cameras cost around £4,000 each and are currently in 30 locations around the UK. They could also be used to cover streets in a city centre to catch people parking for too long. A car's number plate would be tracked entering the area and after a certain period if it had not been seen exiting the area the cameras could notify traffic wardens it was overdue.

Secure Options has 180 employees in the UK and also manufactures security devices for cash machines which are used in 6,000 ATMs around the UK, CCTV systems and steel doors and shutters. Reined back Turnover for the group was £15m to March 31, 2008 and Braddock expects it to reach £30m over the next five years. However he admits the recession has had an effect on the company and predictions of hitting £20m by next March have been reined back, with customers taking longer to approve orders. He said: “I'm not negative about it, but I do feel its going to be a tough year for everyone in our sector. We're getting the back end but the property and retail boys have had to take a fair bit of medicine already.” Although the number of ANPR cameras being used in the UK has grown rapidly in the UK, Secure Options faces some stiff competition in the market.

Hampshire-based PIPS Technology Ltd, part of US-based Federal Signal Corporation based in Illinois, also designs and manufactures its own ANPR cameras, hardware and software and claims to have over 9,000 cameras in operation around the world. John Dean, a former police officer and current national ANPR co-ordinator for the National Policing Improvement Agency, said the fact the cameras are high definition would not make much difference to the police as they are only used to read number plates. He said: “From my perspective, looking at the current police use of cameras, it probably won't help us much at all. The HD aspect for private use may be a more important factor but the police just identify vehicles through the number plates. We specify quite high standards for these devices to perform to and most of the equipment I'm aware of meets that.”

The Great Walk 2009.
June 2009

The Great Walk 2009 took place in June 2009. Mick Wood, Group Operations Director, led an exhibition around the infamous “Fairfield Horseshoe” in the Lake District, near Ambleside. Blisters were compared, cramp was common, but laughs and smiles were plentiful. The group would like to thank Mick Wood for organising this event which was a huge success.

BSIA: Excellence in crime prevention celebrated at raid-control awards.
June 2009

Excellence in crime prevention was celebrated at the Annual Raid-control Awards dinner held on Thursday 7th May. Three awards were presented to individuals for their "Outstanding achievement in promoting the Raid-control concept.”

Raid-control Chairman, John Birkenshaw, comments: "Raid-control is proud to honour this year's award winners. Without the hard work of Raid-control members, retailers across the UK would not be benefiting from a considerably reduced risk of robbery. Each of our winners thoroughly deserve their awards and I congratulate them on their success."

Secure Options Group award winner as follows:

Mike Braddock, Secure Options Group

Mike has been involved with Raid-control from the outset and has been a regular supporter of the initiative over the years. He participated in developing the initiative and more recently agreed to allow his financial director become the Secretary/Treasurer of Raid-control. One of Mike’s major contributions was entering the till protection market by which means his company helped reduce the overall cost of the product across the board, enabling greater numbers of retailers to adopt Raid-control in their premises.

The award was presented by Deputy Chief Constable Andy Parker of Warwickshire Police, who expressed his support of Raid-control and the value of such partnerships not only to retailers, but to the community at large. For further information relating to Raid-control™ please visit raid-control.org … a safer retail environment

Read full article and other winners here..

Technology Proves the Key to Success in the Fragmented Protection Industry
May 2009

Security as a sector spans a huge business space, from large multinational companies to one-man bands setting up with little more than their own manpower in an industry that at its very base contains no barriers to entry.

Security as a sector spans a huge business space, from large multinational companies to one-man bands setting up with little more than their own manpower in an industry that at its very base contains no barriers to entry.

Yet, as Mike Braddock argues, players in the market are easily differentiated by size, systems and technology. Mr Braddock set up Secure Options Group in 1990 in Oldham and has grown the business to a turnover of £15m and 170 staff. “We don’t do manned guards,” he says. “In fact, we’re probably the scourge of the manned guarding industry because we use technology, rather than people, to protect, except in remote locations where we encourage the use of both people and our technology.

Mr Braddock’s involvement in security began with systems for cash collection trucks but it has since grown to span CCTV and access control systems plus what he calls “technology solutions”. “We were asked by a large cash collection company to help with security for ATM machines,” he says. “They were being robbed.” Secure Options Group’s solution was an electronic device that it has since installed in 6,000 machines.

The company now installs and monitors CCTV cameras and writes software allowing access to designated people into plants and offices. “We are solving problems at the front end, then rolling out solutions and monitoring them,” says Mr Braddock. Secure Options Group faces competition from a handful of large companies such as ADT and Chubb as well as specialists in biometrics, fingerprinting and smart card access. “It is a very fragmented market,” says Mr Braddock. “I think that getting to a turnover of £30m would get us into the top 10 UK players. We are probably already in the top 20.”

Paul Smith, area director, Bank of Scotland Corporate, says: “Secure options differentiates itself by continually looking for new markets and opportunities. The management have a clear five-year plan and are truly entrepreneurial.”

Read more here..

Secure Options Group Business of the Year 2009
April 2009

Oldham Business Community enjoyed a lavish celebration of its achievements on an evening which will long live in memory.

The inaugural One Oldham Business Awards, supported by the Oldham chronicle, attracted more than 420 guests who saw nine accolades handed out on a night few will ever forget. The Queen Elizabeth Hall was transformed into an eye-catching venue with all the glitz glamour and razzmatazz of a Hollywood evening complete with live video as the borough celebrated in style.

Chronicle Business editor Martyn Torr commented. “There is much to commend about the business community of Oldham – It’s spirit, its tenacity, it’s willingness to adapt and battle on in the face of adversity. “No one is pretending that all is well in the business world, but we have shown this evening that Oldhamers will always look forward and that attitude will see us through come what may. “Tonight has been a triumph for the business community – here’s to next year.”

The judges felt that Secure Options Group deserved the Business of the year award – starting from a kitchen table, and growing to its current position with sales well in excess of seven figures.

The company has grown by providing excellent customer service and developing new products to meet their customers needs while also exploiting new markets. Secure Options Group are committed to staff training and now employ more than 150 people in their head office in Royton. The company was seen as a worthy winner of Business of the Year 2009.

Read more here..