REMOTE SECURITY monitoring firm Netwatch hopes to create at least 20 jobs with the launch of a new managed service.

Carlow-based Netwatch will absorb the costs of a site survey, install its cameras at the client’s premises and charge a monthly monitoring fee. Prior to this, the company sold cameras and ancillary monitoring equipment to clients and charged what managing director David Walsh described as a “modest” monitoring fee.

Netwatch, which has clients in Ireland, Britain, the US, Spain and South Africa, remotely monitors security cameras that are connected to its command centre in Carlow. Software systems built into the cameras analyse the images and notify staff in Carlow of suspicious activity.

Mr Walsh said the technology had improved immeasurably in recent years so that false alarms were relatively rare. For example, it can differentiate between someone leaving a site having set an alarm and an intruder entering.

As part of the managed service, Netwatch will offer options such as “virtual patrols”, whereby it will check all cameras monitoring a site at an agreed interval to prevent rather than detect crimes.

Mr Walsh estimated that a typical factory, warehouse or site with three security guards could save €60,000 to €70,000 a year by using the managed service.

Netwatch currently employs 70 staff.