Specifically Speaking with Terry Basford

Terry Basford, President, 4b Technology Group, Houston

Tell me about the mission, size and geographical reach of 4b Technology and how the three components of your business—IT, audiovisual and security—overlap.

4b Technology Group is a woman-owned independent technology consulting firm specializing in the design of IT, AV and Security solutions for large new construction and renovation projects. We started 12 years ago in IT infrastructure design and have diversified into physical security and AV design as those systems began to migrate into the “converged system” space. This gives us an advantage over more traditional security design firms that sometimes struggle in communicating with CIOs, network administrators and technology staff that are having a great influence over security policy decisions.

I understand that you do health care, science and technology, education, municipal government, aviation, oil and gas, commercial and federal government work. What are some of the most interesting projects that you're working on now?

We are currently working on the new Houston Hobby International Terminal, University of Houston Cougar Stadium, Harris County Forensic Center and UTMB Jennie Sealy Replacement Hospital/Clinical Services Wing, all of which require complex, varied types of ESS.

How do you keep up to date on the latest technology? 

Besides attending local and national tradeshows, 4b dedicates every Wednesday morning for vendor and manufacturer education. Since we are an independent consulting firm, we are constantly searching for new products and concepts that offer more benefit to our clients.

This month Security Systems News is writing profiles of women leaders in the security industry from all of the different sectors that our publications covers. Have you noticed more women in the industry over the past decade?

[There are a lot more women in the security industry than there used to be], but security is still a man's world. You have to have sort of a thick skin to work in this business, but I love what I do.

You note that 4b Technology is licensed with the State of Texas to provide security consulting and design. Also, because 4b is a woman-owned business, it is registered with the city of Houston, city of Austin, the federal government and elsewhere as a disadvantaged business. I would think this would be good for 4b Technology.

There are definite advantages for a woman to be in this business.

—Martha Entwistle

Specifically Speaking features a Q-and-A with a different security consultant every month. Consultants are provided to Security Systems News by www.SecuritySpecifiers.com.