Electrical Contracting News (ECN) September 2016 | Page 42

SPECIAL FEATURE WIRING ACCESSORIES sophisticated systems to be brought to market – you have a recipe for continued expansion of the sector. Yet, as it stands, security remains a sector that is largely untapped by the electrical contracting market. Although historically the electrical trade has been involved in the supply and installation of intruder alarm systems, there is a general opinion that, over and above this particular product category, security is still considered to be a specialist area and as such comes under the remit of the professional security installer. The reality is that the security industry presents electrical contractors with a tangible opportunity for diversification. CCTV Modular wiring’s flexibility means that there is no minimum project size. means that everything can be easily set and adjusted from this one single control panel. Because of its flexibility it can be easily installed into any property – with a whole house installation taking on average no more than three days. This makes it a very attractive proposition for electrical installers who can offer it to their customers as an entry level smart home solution. 40-42 Wiring Accessories – Scolmore.indd 42 Security With businesses and homeowners seeing the value of investing in security to protect their premises and properties, and seeking the appropriate measures to do so, the UK security market continues to grow apace and is estimated to be worth in the region of £2.4bn. When you add to this the continued development of technology – which is driving replacement levels and allowing more CCTV accounts for the biggest slice of the security market, with a 50 per cent share, and therefore represents a significant opportunity for expansion for installers, who will already possess the necessary skills to operate in this complementary and growing sector. The development in technology means more sophisticated, yet simple to install CCTV systems are being brought to the market. Analogue High Definition (AHD) is the latest technology, and it has been embraced by ESP, for example, with the launch of the HDView CCTV collection, which offers installers a professional, highly affordable CCTV range that delivers superior image quality and is quick and easy to install and set up. It takes just a few simple steps to complete the setup process, as long as there is data connection. Any qualified electrician could pick it up in under an hour. The system comes with its own App that can be downloaded easily and connected to the device in seconds. This allows customers to view the CCTV from anywhere in the world. The quality is exceptional with HD quality providing recordings that are now so clear that police are utilising the footage more than ever before. This makes the retrofit market a real opportunity too – upgrading a customer’s older CCTV to HD will take minutes as all the cabling can be reused. Adapting Operating within a market place which is constantly changing, means that it is vital for electrical installers to keep up to date with the latest legislation, technologies and customer requirements. With these changes, comes opportunities and by adapting the broad range of skills they already possess, installers are in a prime position to embrace these challenges and guarantee a secure future for their businesses. Manufacturers too are playing their part in educating installers, contractors and wholesalers and driving the sector, by offering training courses to help develop their knowledge, confidence and skillset. 11/08/2016 12:46