SCSI: continuously redefining an industry

Security Communications Solutions International (SCSI) and Optus have a 25-year partnership in Australian security and telecommunications. SCSI pioneered cellular-based alarm systems and introduced SecureCall, a TAS managing millions of security events monthly, setting a high industry standard for secure solutions.

Customer Story Snapshot 

Customer: Security Communication Solutions International (SCSI)

Industry: Security Industry in multiple vertical market segments, including banking, disability services, government, retail, transport

Applications supported by Optus: M2M-based back-to-base B2B security services, IoT connectivity, Optus 4G & 5G mobile network

A customer-vendor relationship can sometimes transcend expectations. Security Communication Solutions International (SCSI) and Optus have such a relationship.

It's built on a shared track record of technology and service innovation. For more than 25 years SCSI has led the Australian security services and telecommunications solutions industry from the landline era through to the emerging high-speed, low-latency 5G, end-to-end secure use case opportunities of the future.

SCSI is a market leader in wireless alarm monitoring technology, and a pioneer of cellular/mobile network-based Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications in the Australian security industry. 

The company effectively reinvented the security industry in Australia with the development of cellular-based alarm systems and services, a response to the weakness of fixed-line systems being cut or otherwise compromised.  

As an early adopter of 1G and 2G communications, SCSI’s Guardcell™/ DirectWireless™ alarm panel interface was one of the first commercial M2M devices to send data back to base over the Australian cellular network. Along with Its back-to-base security monitoring solution, SCSI in partnership with Optus also provided the Australian market with a total access service (TAS) called SecureCall, which from its earliest implementation has managed millions of security events (calls, security breaches and real-time monitoring) per month.

The Optus-SCSI relationship extends far beyond that of carrier and customer. Both organisations work together as technology partners, with Optus providing expertise in network infrastructure that has evolved over the 25 years from landlines and 2G through to today's 5G infrastructure (Australia's fastest) and software-defined network management.

The adoption of 2G in the early-2000s saw SCSI and Optus pioneer the Internet of Things (IoT), with more than 14,000 SIM installations. Since then, the partnership has grown significantly with over 45,000 customer premises, protected by back-to-base alarm and video monitoring across the Optus 4G network, utilising management platforms hosted within Optus’ datacenters and supported by SCSI’s managed services support desk in Melbourne.

Today, with the accelerated roll-out and adoption of 5G in Australia, SCSI is developing new security monitoring technology that will include fully integrated real-time incident detection, as well as video surveillance and automated alarm systems.

Exceeding customer expectations in real-time

SCSI has been a long-time user of the M2M consortium's Jasper Wireless Control Centre (originally developed for the M2M consortium and now owned by Cisco), which provides SCSI with real-time connectivity management, and which allows the company to provide fully integrated mobile services, support services, diagnostics and billing. Optus parent company Singtel is a founding-member of the M2M alliance.

At the centre of everything sits SCSI's customers. "Our business is built on using technology to deliver great customer experiences - critical for businesses as diverse as banking and disability services," says Dan Cananzi, VP Partnerships, SCSI. 

"We've worked closely with all levels within the Optus team over the past 25 years, from their technical experts to senior management. It's been the strength of this partnership that has seen us achieve milestones and innovation breakthroughs in our industry.”

"An example is our ability to offer carbon footprint reductions as a direct consequence of using our services. By providing real-time, online monitoring, security managers can access their own security network to confirm whether there has been a real event or whether an alarm is spurious. Technicians no longer need to drive to the customer's site, saving time and money but also eliminating unwanted emissions. We've managed to provide that offset as a part of our overall service offering, an indirect benefit of the technology we're using with Optus - and it's a great example of how the two organisations continue to create new value for SCSI's customers."

Migration to SD-WAN and liquid infrastructure

SCSI operates using multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) which ensures that data packets are securely transmitted by the fastest-possible route back to base across the Optus network. 

It remains the backbone of the SCSI network, but Optus and SCSI are also developing innovative SD-WAN (software-defined wide area networking) solutions via its data centres, utilising Optus' software-defined infrastructure (SDI, or liquid infrastructure) at the hardware level. 

As an evolution to the existing services offering, the new capability provides SCSI increased flexibility to manage and configure its network to accommodate growth, particularly each customers' unique requirements to allow the development of new services built around real-time bandwidth allocation and network latency management. 

"We're working closely with Optus to consider and assess business models around implementing SD-WAN or liquid infrastructure," says Dan Cananzi. "We see real-time management of our networks at either the software or overlay levels as an option because it would allow us to be more efficient in our management tasks, more flexible in our responses to customers' needs, and would give us the option of creating new offerings for a number of our customers around their particular business needs.” 

"It's the latest example of how the two companies work together. The strength of the relationship has allowed us to consider ideas that in the past may not have been commercially viable. It has also allowed us to fix problems and to help us to win when we have an idea. Optus understands the critical nature of our business, and there is a willingness to adapt, learn and use the network capabilities in the best way possible."

Business outcomes

• Long term trusted partner that has together with Optus realised over $250M in business revenues over two decades
  
• One of only a select number of fully private end-to-end alarm transmission networks in operation in Australia
• Instant real-time management of critical security with long-run service levels above 99% utilising the latest available technology upgrades
• Continuous technology development of critical network infrastructure and solutions in partnership with Optus.

Find out more

To discuss how Optus can help you with solutions that deliver tangible business and operational outcomes, contact your Optus Account Manager or call Optus Enterprise and Business on 1800 555 937.