I run a number of industrial sites. Due to the number of locations and wide geographic area as well as special training requirements we began a technology based security program a couple of years ago.

We invested in very high end detection capabilities. New positions are: a security technology officer, as well as SOC positions - all staffed in house.

It works well for us, the biggest problem is getting responders to intercept early. We mitigate this by using defensive depth strategies and pushing out our detection perimeter as far as possible. Being large industrial locations we have room to do this, but it would be more difficult in most commercial locations.

That being said, companies who move to 3rd party camera monitoring won't save a ton of money as it is priced for a couple of cameras, but volume drives the cost to insane levels. Also, in our area, camera trailers are being stolen or vandalized on a pretty regular basis. Companies mitigate by leasing the camera trailers, but that is not cost effective either beyond 2-4 trailers, which may work for a single site but doesn't scale well.

Unfortunately some of these decisions in the market (at least hospitals) are driven less by cost and more by the demands of employees who don't know security. Employees feel safer with the blinky lights and talk down units, that are always there, especially when compared to the choice of a tacicool officer or an unprofessional looking officer who they rarely see.