LONDON, April 9 /PRNewswire/ --

As the ever-escalating threat of terrorism continues to push security
issues to the foreground, optimisation of security solutions is assuming
great importance. Alarm monitoring and rapid response solutions are being
increasingly deployed in enterprises to effectively tackle any critical
situation. Great stakes are placed on the quality of the service, and vendors
in this space are offering a synthesis of technology and manned guarding,
incorporating video surveillance, access control and intruder detection to
provide a wholesome security solution.

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New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.autoid.frost.com),
European Manned Guarding Market, finds that the market earned revenues of
over euro 24.8 billion in 2007 and estimates this to reach euro 35.7 billion
in 2014.

"Technology or guarding alone cannot address the growing security needs,"
says Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Archana Rao. "An optimum
solution combining manned guarding services and security technology will
emerge as the most preferred solution in the future."

Another significant issue exerting its influence on the market is that of
de-policing, which has encouraged the migration of former police officers to
manned guarding services provided by private security companies. Faced with
an acute shortage of police authorities, countries across Europe are
grappling with the rising crime graph. This is expected to enhance the
prospects for adoption and outsourcing of manned guarding services to private
security service providers. Video surveillance technology has added another
layer to security, further optimising the solution.

"Shortage of trained guards is forcing companies across Europe to raise
the wages of guards, negatively impacting profit margins of smaller companies
in the market," explains Archana Rao. "This rising cost is driving the
adoption of technology among end users, thereby cutting down on the number of
static guards required."

Nevertheless, manned guards are scarce and there is a huge discrepancy
between demand and availability. In the United Kingdom, shortage of guards is
taking on serious dimensions. Low wages are at the crux of the problem as
guards are typically paid around 18,500 pounds sterling - 22,500 pounds
sterling a year. Unless companies take serious note of this and hike wages in
the United Kingdom, the market will continue to encounter serious roadblocks.

Besides shortage of guards, cost of service and low margins have
restrained market progression. In the wake of the economic slowdown, cost
control has become critical, and companies are pressurising service providers
to cut costs. Service providers are circumventing cost challenges by
deploying technology that can help expedite the efficiency of guards and
security measures.

The market is characterised by stiff competition and participants are
operating on very tight margins. Companies have found it extremely difficult
to sustain in such a scenario. To offset the margin crunch, companies are
offering comprehensive security packages that combine guarding and electronic
security. Businesses are opting for services that combine manned guarding
with other facility services such as cleaning and building maintenance, where
all services are handled by a single contractor.

Going forward, manned guarding services will entail packages that combine
both security service and facility service. Service providers must strive to
upscale customer value by offering optimised guarding services. End users
must also be made aware of the benefits of combining state-of-the-art
security technologies with manned guarding to achieve better penetration
capability in this competitive marketplace.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides a brief
synopsis of the research and a table of contents, then send an e-mail to
Joanna Lewandowska, Corporate Communications, at 
joanna.lewandowska@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, 
telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and 
country. Upon receipt of the above information, a brochure will be sent to 
you by e-mail.

European Manned Guarding Market is part of the Automatic Identification
and Security Growth Partnership Service program, which also includes research
in the following markets: European access control security markets, European
security services market, world physical security solutions in retail
service, and world physical security solutions in Banking. All research
services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and
industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with
market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

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GIL 2009: Europe

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European Manned Guarding Market
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    Contact:
    Joanna Lewandowska
    Corporate Communications - Europe
    P: +48-22-390-41-46
    E: joanna.lewandowska@frost.com
    http://www.frost.com