businessinfomag.uk magazine 26 their roles, helping to improve governance, reduce risk and enhance GDPR compliance. Simpler pricing Another key benefit is SEiNG’s pricing structure , a simple monthly payment with no unexpected maintenance fees. “When you start talking about a CCTV project, the reaction can cause a nervousness around costs, whereas this cloud solution allows us to pay for support and the software on a monthly subscription model,” explains Calverley. SEiNG keeps deployment costs in check through a Red Hat–based architecture that enables patchable, softwaredriven installations without the need for additional on-site servers or complex infrastructure. Cameras connect via a Secured By Design-accredited cloud gateway, a small plug-and-play device that manages communication between on-site hardware and the cloud environment. This has allowed Charlie Bigham to eliminate the costs of on-premises servers at its sites in Wells and Park Royal London and, because SEiNG is vendorneutral and works with any ONVIF/ RTSP camera, re-use existing cameras to save more money and reduce e-waste. To this end, SEiNG’s integration partner, AlertSystems, provided an audit of the company’s cameras to ensure coverage was optimised. “It was all straightforward,” explains Calverley. “AlertSystems mapped out where we had cameras and To address these limitations in line with Bigham’s cloud-first IT strategy, Calverley turned to SEiNG, a cloud-based video surveillance-asa-service (VSaaS) platform designed to modernise legacy surveillance systems, improve security and simplify management. The right fit As a fully managed cloud CCTV platform, SEiNG is designed to solve many of the challenges presented by Charlie Bigham’s legacy on-prem system. It processes and analyses all footage in its UK cloud, which eliminates the need for on‑site servers and network video recorders (NVRs) and the attendant risks of unpatched hardware; it provides enterprise-grade features like AI-analytics for any camera; all footage stays in the country, helping with GDPR compliance; automatic updates ensure the system continuously evolves to address emerging security risks while removing the burden of manual maintenance from Charlie Bigham’s IT team; and proactive, ongoing monitoring and support provide greater operational resilience. Of all these benefits, Calverley highlights enhanced access control as a major step forward: “For me, the big tick is the security side. SEiNG solves a problem that is a real threat to businesses in the 21st century – cybersecurity.” The platform integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 through Single Sign-On (SSO) and 2-factor authentication, simplifying access management while automatically revoking permissions when an employee leaves. This saves considerable IT time and helps ensure compliance with Cyber Essentials Plus. Granular role-based access control makes sure that HR, Health & Safety and site managers only see CCTV footage relevant to When Mike Calverley joined Waitrose-favourite Charlie Bigham as Head of IT in 2023, with a mandate to modernise systems and achieve Cyber Essentials Plus certification, a key area of concern was the company’s ageing, unpatched CCTV system. “Making Bigham’s safe was a key priority – and that meant rethinking everything, including CCTV”, he explains. The company’s existing decadesold, on-prem surveillance system covering two sites in London and Somerset presented a range of operational and security challenges: Outdated cameras and unmanaged switches created cyber and infrastructure risks, with unpatched components leaving the system vulnerable to attack; CCTV footage could be viewed by anyone within the business, highlighting a lack of governance and access control; The on-premises servers required ongoing maintenance, diverting IT resources from higher-value strategic projects; The system was difficult and costly to scale, with limited vendor support and no clear accountability; and Fragmented CCTV setups across the company’s two sites in Wells and London made it difficult to gain consistent visibility or manage footage effectively. Premium food brand Charlie Bigham has beefed up security at its two UK sites by moving from a fragmented, legacy CCTV infrastructure to a cloud-first video surveillance-as-a-service platform SEiNG is believing SECURITY
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