Specifically Speaking with Lim Chan

What's your title and role at the company?

I work at Jensen Hughes as a senior consultant in charge of security/safety programming, security system designs/integration and managing projects from inception to system commissioning.

What kinds of systems do you design or specify? What vertical markets do you work in?

I have designed and specified virtually all security related systems, depending on the project requirements and client needs—physical access control, intrusion detection, alarm monitoring, video surveillance, intercom communications, assistance calls, parking control, visitor/package screening and management, dedicated security network, infant protection and situation awareness/PSIM integration.

My main expertise is in the following markets:

·      Museums/art galleries/exhibition assemblies

·      Banks and financial institutions

·      Corporate HQs and campuses

·      Education facilities including high schools and universities

·      Hospitalities

·      Hospitals

·      Government/municipal buildings including police stations

·      Federal court houses

·      Transportation hubs and air terminals

How did you get started in security and designing/specifying?

I was educated as an architect in Hong Kong and received my professional degree in 1975. I assumed different roles in the architectural design field and building project management for about 20 years. I became an electronic hobbyist while in high school, building radios, amplifiers, assembling single board computers and PDP-11 minicomputer from Heathkit.

While I was working as an in-house project manager in a pharmaceutical company, I had to manage the security integrator for a major R&D renovation project and got an interesting glimpse of security systems design field. In 1995, after I was laid off, I accepted the offer from Sako & Associates (now Jensen Hughes) and became a security consultant to work on a major bank-building project in China. I considered it a rewarding experience to combine my technical knowledge in electronics/computer and architectural expertise to provide appropriate solutions to meet my clients' needs and expectations.

Can you talk about what new or emerging technologies you are seeing or specifying today?

I see the Internet of Things (IoT), wireless connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI) as the emerging technologies. The IoT and wireless communications provide a broad base for standardization using unified standards for communications. AI provides the means to eliminate information overload and weed out irrelevance.

What is your view on the industry moving forward?

My view is hopeful and one that sees the industry embracing open-source philosophies, furthering collaboration, and striving toward standardization and promoting integration using unified communications/protocols. Over time, customers or end users will not appreciate proprietary designs that protect manufacturers' market share.