Andrew Atkinson is the Managing Director at Fidelity Integrated Systems located in the South East.
What’s your company all about and what makes it stand out?
Fidelity Integrated Systems is a BAFE Gold and NACOSS Gold accredited company providing consultation, design, installation and ongoing maintenance services across the electronic Security and Fire Alarm disciplines.
Currently in our 25th year of trading, we operate from our offices in Orpington covering London and the Southeast. We have recently joined the Ranger Fire and Security Group which aims to provide a national one stop solution for all fire and security services. This will allow us to expand our services nationally in partnership with our sister companies within the Ranger Group.
What makes us stand out now is exactly the same as it was 25 years ago: great customer service. I have been in the industry since joining as a school leaver apprentice and I have experience working within a variety of roles for various sized companies, prior to founding Fidelity. What those years taught me is that being successful in this industry is not rocket science. It is simply working hard to provide the best service you can for your customers.
All the staff at Fidelity think the same way: “What sort of service would I expect to receive as a customer?” This ethos has helped us build a reputation for being quick to respond to a customer’s requirements while being friendly and communicative and providing a proactive approach. We pride ourselves on quickly identifying potential issues and striving for first time fixes whenever possible. As we all know, not every day is perfect and things do go wrong. These are the times when a good service provider should step up, and I have always been extremely proud of the feedback from customers who recognise the way the Fidelity team work together to resolve issues in a speedy and efficient manner.
Another aspect of Fidelity that makes us stand out is the supportive work ethic of everyone on the team. Everyone works together to support each other in their various day-to-day roles and this is clearly reflected in the level of service we provide and the great customer feedback we receive. As part of Ranger Fire and Security, this support extends to our partner companies, including the teamwork that happens within the group.
What kind of projects do you most enjoy working on?
The most enjoyable projects for me are those based on integrated solutions. Not simply integrating a set of electronic systems together, but integrating the system with the building, the people and the existing resources on the site. We believe that the simplest solutions that effectively address the client’s needs are the best solution.
This is where our consultancy and design services come into their own. It is crucial to spend time with the client to really understand their security and life safety challenges. In particular, how we can build a solution around them, utilising the most appropriate system – or systems – rather than just having bells and whistles for the sake of them. I have seen instances where an integrator has installed a solution that looks fantastic, but the daily management of the system requires human resources that the client just cannot provide.
Designing integrated systems around the customer’s existing building and resources is what we love to do – creating a consultation and design service that is truly client centred. One of the great advantages of being part of the Ranger group is that we can now extend our security and life safety disciplines to systems that we haven’t historically covered. While also being able to work with Ranger’s network of sister companies to provide these additional services via businesses that have the same client centric ethos as Fidelity.
Which technologies or products are exciting you right now?
For me, the most exciting developments in system design have been the development of network and cloud-based systems over the years. This involved a transformative period during which system integrators were required to become educated about IT networks as the previously standalone security and fire systems became an increasingly integral part of clients’ existing network architecture.
This was not always a smooth transition in the early days, but now it is routine for our engineers to work closely with a client’s IT provider. Systems are now designed with network and cloud capabilities as standard and our industry is benefitting for being part of the cloud-based revolution.
A recent example is an upgrade we are currently implementing for a legacy fire alarm GUI at a shopping centre. The upgrade of GUI located in the security control room will include cloud connectivity allowing users to remotely view the status of fire panels, devices, fire activations, faults, isolations, and disablements in real time. For me, this is a great example of how cloud technology is modernising our industry. We can deliver instant visibility, improved response times, and simple intuitive remote management for our client’s facilities management teams.
How does NSI certification make a difference to your business?
NSI certification is incredibly important for our business. When our clients employ us, they have made a critical decision in relation to system design and implementation that is vital to the protection of their business and assets. By being accredited and regulated by the leading UKAS certification body for our industry in the UK, we give our clients confidence that they are employing a company that has a rigorous and ongoing audit process for our business operations, from initial enquiry through to system handover and ongoing maintenance and customer care.
Being an NSI accredited company demonstrates our high level of competence, and a commitment to consistently delivering a high level of performance and service. We are extremely proud of our NACOSS and BAFE Gold accreditations and we are also specialists in the fields of Gate and Door Automation for which we are regulated and accredited by DHF and ADSA. The team all work hard to ensure we deserve the recognition our certifications provide us with for being an outstanding fire and security company.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is to see the development of team members over the years. We have many staff members in a variety of roles who have been with us for ten years and more.
Fidelity has a history of recruiting school leaver apprentices as well as trainees from related industries that we have put through college and enhanced their progression with in-house training. We have a number of core management staff who started with us as apprentices and trainees, working their way up to their current roles – allowing them to pass on their in-depth knowledge and expertise to new team members. I have always enjoyed being part of their in-house training, both technically and operationally, and our senior engineering staff are really invested in developing the apprentices and trainees to give them the best possible start in the industry.
Read the full interview in the August 2026 edition of PSi magazine
