Entering the security industry shortly after leaving school, Kevin Cameron established Brisbane security firm Alarm Innovations—now Four Walls Security—in 2003. With over 20 years’ experience in commercial and home security, he is a leading authority on alarm and surveillance technology.
Here Kevin discusses how he broke into the industry, the ways security has evolved in the past two decades, and the story behind Alarm Innovations’ recent name change.
What led you to start Alarm Innovations?
I essentially fell into the security game after finishing school. My uncle was working in the industry and offered me a job at his company. That was 22 years ago. I worked for two Brisbane security firms—one that handled mainly government jobs and schools, the other that specialised in home security—and after seven years, I started Alarm Innovations. That was 2003 and in July this year we rebranded to become Four Walls Security.
Why the name change?
Every member of our team is passionate about doing the right thing by people. We take a lot of pride in what we do, and our name wasn’t telling that story. I wanted our brand to truly reflect who we are and our values. Alarm Innovations wasn’t getting that message across.
Having the word ‘alarm’ in our name was also limiting. We do sell alarms, but that’s just a small part of our security offering. We wanted to move away from a product-centric name to something more people oriented.
At the end of the day, our service sets us apart and we’re committed to ensuring the peace of mind of our business and home security customers. So, we changed our name to Four Walls Security in July this year.
What’s different about Four Walls Security?
We often receive referrals from suppliers who deal with a lot of different security companies. When I ask them why they referred us, they say, “Well, you genuinely care about what you do and delivering the best outcome for your clients.” In a nutshell, that’s who we are. We’re about building relationships and solving our customers’ security problems, not pushing products.
What areas do you service?
The majority of our clients are in Brisbane, where our head office is located. However, we operate throughout Queensland and Sydney.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the security industry since starting?
The biggest shift is in the availability of DIY security products. It’s a challenge for us as we can’t compete with these off-the-shelf alarms and CCTV cameras on a price basis. What we can offer, however, is a higher quality product, professional installation and outstanding service.
Why should a homeowner or business work with Four Walls, rather than buying products off-the-shelf or online?
We offer service and support, and all our products meet Australian standards. Our warranties are on site, meaning you don’t have to pull the product out and take it to the shop if there’s a problem. We also test all our products before installing. Unfortunately, a lot of companies push products out that don’t always work as advertised… You can avoid a lot of hassle by using a reputable security company.
What are the latest challenges the security industry is facing?
Cyber security is the big one. When designing a home or business security system, we take into consideration each client’s unique cyber security requirements.
What are the most exciting security developments you’ve seen in recent years?
There has been a vast improvement in CCTV and surveillance camera quality in the past few years. There are still a lot of homes and businesses running on analogue systems, and the new surveillance cameras are far higher resolution.
There are also some exciting developments for alarm systems in terms of smart integration. Integrating in lights and intercoms and devices using smart home assistants like Amazon’s Alexa. That’s really the big development at the moment.
What’s the biggest mistake people make with their business or home security?
Doing nothing at all, or not servicing their alarm and security systems. Many people install an alarm system or surveillance camera, then forget about it until something happens. Only then do they discover the product’s not working.
ASIAL recommends annual servicing of security products. You need to clean the parts and ensure everything’s working at full potential. There’s no point having a surveillance system if your camera lenses are dirty. They’re not going to see a lot, particularly at night.
How does the purchase decision differ for residential and commercial security customers?
Home owners are most concerned with protecting their property and keeping their family safe, as well as protecting assets. In addition to protecting their staff, business owners want to protect their livelihood. They’re concerned with having things damaged or stolen. They also have a responsibility for privacy protection—they don’t want data stolen.
To find out more about securing your home or business, call Four Walls Security on 1300 376 233.
