As the Head of IT and Security, Joshua Olds oversees technology and security operations across Kogan and its encompassing businesses. “From loss prevention to a safe return-to-work, having the right information and systems in place is crucial to making the right decisions.”

The Challenge

Protecting people and assets across Kogan’s large retail footprint – which includes 21 warehouses and a head office – is no small feat. Joshua had to address three key challenges:

1. Analog security cameras connected to a digital or network video recorder

2. Outdated access control tied to an unintuitive Windows interface and server

3. Disparate alarm monitoring with no visibility into ongoing events

Legacy, disjointed security systems led to long response times and inefficient processes. “We've all been there at some stage when dealing with physical security systems in the workplace: technology does not integrate, is difficult to manage and requires jumping through multiple hoops to operate.”

Why Verkada?

"We have a single solution where we manage security and building operations across the entire organization. Our teams can respond within seconds of an incident occurring, helping keep employees and assets safe.”

With Verkada, Joshua has an all-in-one building solution that is easy to use, manage and scale. His product fleet is seamlessly integrated behind an intuitive cloud-based platform, enabling Joshua and his team to:

1. Reduce investigation time by over 90% with Cameras

2. Automate emergency response with integrated Alarms

3. Enhance security with end-user convenience through Access Control

4. Streamline administrative workflows with Guest

He reduces the investigation time by over 90% with Verkada’s integrated solutions – strengthening loss prevention, employee safety and asset protection across Kogan. Beyond meeting physical security needs, he leverages Verkada’s modern software stack to enhance business operations and convenience for end users. 

“The technology we have today will continue to improve through intelligent software and over-the-air updates. Verkada's flexibility to meet compliance standards and provide global technical support around the clock were also critical factors in our decision to choose them as our security partner."

1. Reduce investigation time by over 90% with Cameras

“The mobile app has been a game-changer, our team can now resolve incidents on-the-go. No matter where we are, we can archive and access footage, as well as share it with the police and other contacts.”’

From the Command mobile app and web-based browser, Joshua and his team can take care of their safety and security needs from anywhere. The ability to find key events through actionable insights – such as People Analytics and motion-based search – has reduced investigation time by over 90%. 

They can find and share footage in seconds, control who has access and revoke access after the case is closed. To easily manage digital evidence, video clips are saved to cloud-based archives and can be shared through a time-restricted link via SMS or email. According to Joshua, "The fact that I'm not having to share USBs and actual proper footage is a big advantage, particularly around the legal side of things where we need to be careful about where the data is going.” 

He combines the scalability of cloud storage with the reliability of local storage with Verkada’s hybrid cloud infrastructure. To help Kogan meet data security, disaster recovery and privacy standards, Verkada uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres located on Australian soil. Additionally, Verkada’s system makes outbound-only connections to AWS cloud services to minimize the attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors. Each camera also has built-in local storage (up to 365 days), eliminating the need to maintain external servers, network (NVRs) or digital video recorders (DVRs). At 20-50 kbps per device, Joshua can deploy several Verkada cameras using the same network bandwidth as a single cloud camera. “Cameras were plug-and-play, they required no configurations to bring online. I was able to see that high-quality feed in minutes.”

2. Automate intrusion detection and response

“As an Australian company, it is important for us to have a security solution that is tailored to our needs. Not only can we respond quickly to incidents, but we can also accelerate and automate emergency response.”

Joshua maintains 24/7 intrusion detection, deterrence and response through integrated Alarms and Professional Monitoring. Trained monitoring agents based in Australia can take immediate action against active threats, remotely monitor incidents in-progress, screen out false alarms and ensure priority police response. If an alarm is raised, they can:

1. Visually confirm the threat through integrated cameras.

2. Notify emergency contacts through text, email, or phone call.

3. Take action through custom response flows – including police dispatch and lockdown capabilities.

Any Verkada device activity – such as a person detected after hours – can be easily configured as a trigger event to trip the alarm. For Joshua, this means no additional intrusion sensor hardware or alarm panel is required, but can be added to increase the coverage of his Verkada ecosystem. To get started, all he needs is a Verkada device and software license with professional monitoring. He can also customize his monitoring rules and set up multiple responses to a single raised alarm, such as sharing a live video feed with first responders.

3. Modernise access control to improve convenience and security

“In today's world where smartphones have Apple Pay, Verkada Access Control provides our employees a modern entry method through Bluetooth. Not only do we eliminate the expense and security risk of lost keycards, but it’s also more convenient for employees to unlock doors through their phone.”

Joshua empowers Kogan employees to use their smartphones as digital keycards through the Verkada Pass App. Employees can access designated workspaces with touchless entry enabled through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This eliminates the need for traditional keys, saving the company $10 per employee keycard and removing the security vulnerability of lost keys.

He also leverages existing profiles through existing Azure Active Directory SCIM integrations to automate user on/offboarding. Access groups and door schedules make it easy to provision types of users with different levels of access. By creating access groups, Joshua easily manages permissions for different teams or roles, while door schedules can ensure that doors are only accessible during specific times of the day. “Granular permission settings allow us to fine-tune site and role-based access levels, ensuring that only authorised individuals can enter certain areas.”

4. Streamline administrative workflows with Guest

“We can remotely manage visitors, unlock doors from them and streamline front-desk operations. Plus, we have the information we need – like visit history and access logs – to safely and strategically bring our teams back to the office.”

Joshua streamlines front-desk management with Verkada Guest while keeping security at the forefront with Guest. By bringing visitor management to the cloud:

1. Guests sign in through their smartphone with a calendar invite and complete tailored check-in flows on an iPad (complete with touchless sign-in, photos and document signing.)

2. Hosts are notified through SMS or email when their guests arrive.

3. Staff can remotely unlock doors from their smartphone, grant delivery personnel access to the building, or provide contractors one-time access to specific doors across facilities.

Having a centralized source of visitor information means that designated administrators can search through audit logs to find complete records of visit history and documents. Not only do they understand who's coming in and out of their locations, but they can also identify important trends, optimize staffing and ensure a safe return to work. Unlimited visitor check-ins and upgrades are also included as part of his software licensing agreement – he can add guests, credentials and sites without worrying about incremental costs. 

Looking Ahead

“Knowledge is our biggest asset as we continue growing as a business. Verkada provides us with the data-driven insights to effectively protect our people and property.”

Joshua is continuing to expand the capabilities and coverage of his Verkada fleet. Automatic over-the-air updates contain the latest security and feature enhancements, further expanding his current functionalities. He also plans to add Verkada Intercom to bring more building solutions behind a single pane of glass, further improving end-user experiences across teams along with security across facilities.

Learn more about protecting your organization with Verkada, request a live demo or join an upcoming webinar.