KEY TO SAFTEY

It’s the new-fangled approach to fortifying your home. More and more companies are tapping technology to make surveillance easier at an affordable cost

At a time when crime is increasingly repulsing all efforts to curb it and homes are no longer safe havens, technology is stepping in to provide feasible security solutions. With electronic applications and apparatus that can be easily installed in houses, it is now becoming possible to thwart unsolicited presence and fortify your homes. While some still see dogs, guards and alarms as effective deterrents, companies like Zicom and Godrej are introducing hi-tech video door phones, control panels, closed circuit surveillance and other gadgets to make your home burglarproof. Here are some options worth a dekko.

Doors: Eye for an eye
If you want to see who rang the bell without opening the door, go for the video door phone. This system has a camera mounted outside next to the door and a small screen that is placed inside. When the doorbell rings, the screen lights up, showing the face of the person outside. The camera module comes with in-built lights, ensuring that it works in darkness outside. A speaker also allows you to talk to the person without having to open the door. The camera can also be used for surveillance: with a touch of a button you can see what’s happening outside. The video door phone manufactured by Godrej & Boyce has an advantage over that of Zicom’s. “Our version doesn’t use visible light. Instead, it uses infrared so that you get a clear picture even in extremely dark conditions,” says Manu Sehgal, head sales and service, Zicom.
Zicom Video Door Phone:Rs 7,990-Rs 17,495
l Godrej Video Door Phone: Rs 6,600-Rs 22,000

Hands-on approach
Zicom has introduced fingerprint door locks which open only if they recognise a person’s fingerprints. When someone wants to open the door he has to place his finger on the sensor, which scans the print and compares it with a list of prints stored within. Only if it finds a match does it open the door. These locks can store up to 120 fingerprints, which can be added or deleted one at a time. “These locks are being used in a lot of installations in Rajastan and even in the excessive dust the fingerprint scanner works just fine,” says Bals Rajan, General Manager (North), Zicom Electronic Security Systems.
Price: Rs 13,990-Rs 29,990

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Control Panel: Sensing trouble
Burglar alarms may be an old concept, but in their modern, modified versions, they work like magic. The brain and nerve centre of the system is a flat control panel to which a variety of sensors and a hooter connect. “The USP of the product is that all the sensors and the hooter connect to the control panel wirelessly and you don’t have to change the interior of your house,” explains Rajan.
The Zicom system comes with three basic sensors: a sensor for open doors, a motion sensor and a gas leak sensor. As per need, the user can pick the type he wants. Each control panel can connect to 23 sensors: 15 wireless and eight wired. The Godrej product has an edge as it allows for a total of 128 sensors that can be attached to the main module. Unfortunately, the system only connects to movement and door sensors and is a lot more expensive.
The Zicom system goes a step further. The control panel uses the phone line to dial and connect to the company’s call centre, informing them about the tripped sensor and its location in the house. The Zicom centre then calls one of the five pre-furbished numbers provided by the user. This is called the I-alert 24X7, which comes at a monthly cost. “In 43 seconds, we can contact the customer and let him know what’s happening,” adds Rajan.
Zicom Burglar alarm system: Rs 7,990 for the system, Rs 199 per month in metros and Rs149 per month in other cities for I-alert 24×7. Includes installation.
The Godrej variant is priced at Rs 11,000 and requires self-installation.

Safes: Credit worthy
Godrej has introduced safes which open with credit cards and a pin. “The user has to swipe his card in the safe which reads the information on its magnetic strip. If the card is registered in the safe, it opens,” explains Sehgal. The company is also planning to launch a safe that will open with the user’s fingerprints.
Price: Rs 9,000

CCTV: Close connection
There are ways to keep an eye on your house even when you are away from it. Zicom has launched two CCTV variants: a low-end model records everything in the house and a higher-end one stores images onto a DVR (digital video recorder) from which copies can be made on to a USB drive or a CD. “A unit can also be connected to a broadband connection. So even if you are away, you can access the cameras in your house through the Internet and see what’s happening,” says Rajan.
Godrej, on the other hand, does not have a ready-to-use CCTV system. “Interested customers can come to us and after assessment we design a CCTV system that is ideal for them,” says Sehgal.
Zicom CCTV System: Rs 15,000-Rs 1,35,000

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