Darren Green is the Operations Director for the Spy Group of companies which includes Spy Alarms, Fire Action, Firelec Control and Guardian Security and Fire – all four companies hold individual NSI Gold security and fire status.
What are your company’s main business activities?
While initially catering to the residential and SME clients, Spy Group has expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of fire-based businesses, further solidifying its reputation in the fire industry
What emerging technologies do you see shaping the future of the industry, and how is your company adapting to stay ahead?
I believe emerging technologies in the security and fire sectors are moving towards systems with built-in self-testing capabilities, such as the new Gent solution. I’m confident more manufacturers will begin to introduce similar technology in the near future.
Remote access to fire and security systems will also be a game-changer. It enables companies to triage faults more effectively, carry out remote servicing, and even provide end users with weekly reports on the status of their systems. This greatly improves first-time fix rates and overall service efficiency.
The Hik-Partner Pro platform for CCTV is outstanding — it’s a great example of how remote system management can make a real impact. With this platform, we can reconfigure systems, reset passwords for the NVR, support the end user with playback requests, create weekly system health reports, identify offline cameras, and check the operational status of hard drives.
What ways does NSI Certification differentiate your company from competitors and enhance your credibility within the industry?
Being part of the NSI is seen as being among the best of the best. Over the years, some of our acquisitions have been aligned with other governing bodies, but we always streamline them towards NSI certification. NSI truly sets us apart from other less-regulated installers.
When clients engage with a credible NSI-approved organisation, it confirms that we are a professional and trusted company. NSI certification has helped us secure major contractor opportunities and long-term service agreements.
How has the rise of smart/home automation technology influenced your business and the services you offer?
As a group, we’ve always preferred to stick with simpler, more vanilla systems. There’s a method to the madness—fewer complications generally mean a higher chance of first-time fixes and less maintenance overhead.
That said, following our acquisition last year of a company that was Control4 approved, we’ve broadened our scope. We’re now certified to install and commission Control4 systems, and over the last 12 months, we’ve successfully completed several projects using this platform.
What we’ve observed with Control4 is that, while it’s powerful and flexible, it often requires ongoing maintenance and seasonal tweaks. Integration with third-party systems can be particularly challenging, as it introduces a ‘finger-pointing’ dynamic when issues arise.
We continue to weigh the pros and cons of more advanced systems like Control4 against our original ethos of reliability, simplicity, and fast, effective service.
Read the full interview in the June 2025 edition of PSi magazine
