April 10, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by Direct Companies.

The same Sioux Falls company that delivers automation solutions and managed IT services to businesses now also can help keep the physical workplace secure.

Direct Technologies, which is part of Direct Companies, has expanded in recent years to offer increasingly cutting-edge security cameras and access-control systems.

“It’s a fast-growing part of our business as customers appreciate how we can integrate so many services for them,” said Thom DeWald, industrial sales representative. “We’ve seen a lot of antiquated systems now realizing the benefit of upgrading to new technology.”

Direct Technologies offers an integrated “smart” system of cameras that monitor your workplace, and equipment and software that determine who is allowed access.

“These are self-learning cameras, so they learn the environment and in a short amount of time are able to filter out false positives the system may detect,” DeWald said. “They’re continually learning, and the system is advanced enough that it can offer things like license plate and facial recognition.”

With facial recognition, “you can search for people and scan through past footage much faster and more easily than in the past,” he added.

Why might you want to do that as an employer? Many reasons.

“A lot can happen in the course of business,” DeWald said. “There’s the obvious concern about theft or unwanted people, but there also can be falls or other accidents on the premises, possibly personnel reasons, along with wanting to proactively gain insight on your customers’ experience.”

The system also allows workplaces to control who can access doors, automatically lock doors, receive an alert if a designated individual uses a door card and activate a panic button if necessary in emergencies.

“You can lock an entire building with just the press of a button,” DeWald said.

Direct Technologies generally serves Sioux Falls and the surrounding multistate area.

“But some of our business is national, so if there’s a plant that we’re supporting with automation services for instance, we definitely can also support it with security cameras and access control,” DeWald said.

Other clients include public buildings such as courthouses and schools.

“Our ability to integrate systems is key,” DeWald said. “So if a back door in a school happens to be accidentally propped open, for instance, it triggers the system to alert the school personnel so they can secure the access right away.”

Enhanced facial recognition also is a benefit for facilities where certain individuals aren’t supposed to enter. Consider an adult who is not supposed to be in a school, for instance.

“By adding the image of a face to the software, you can tell it to find the face and whether it’s been anywhere on the premises,” DeWald said. “It’s very accurate and can be done with anything from an existing photo of the person to footage off another camera.”

Even more cutting edge, Direct Technologies now is offering gun-detection software made possible through artificial intelligence.

“Essentially, you put sensors inside a facility, and in the event a gun goes off, the noise will be detected and notify the person in charge of monitoring the cameras,” DeWald said. “It will bring up a map showing exactly where the gun went off, notify police with the mapping and send text and email messages to key stakeholders.”

Not only that, the technology has become so advanced that it can recognize the image of a gun in certain scenarios.

While schools are an obvious fit, the technology also is a fit for everywhere from airports to arenas.

“If you’re going into any place where weapons aren’t allowed, you can consider placing gun-detection software,” DeWald said. “The biggest takeaway is that all of these systems now can work together by working with one provider. From outside your facility to inside to your IT, we’re positioned to keep your business safe using the latest in technology.”

To connect with Direct Technologies, click here.

Sioux Falls tech-focused company triples in size with multiple acquisitions