Background
Thriving UK pub chain with reputation for pricing, service and consistent atmosphere
JD Wetherspoon is one of the UK’s best-loved pub chains, with a reputation built on affordable pricing, quality service, and a consistent atmosphere across all its locations. Each pub maintains a familiar menu, décor, and ambiance, ensuring customers know what to expect. From a single pub in 1979, JD Wetherspoon now has over 800 locations. It takes pride in repurposing historic buildings into pubs, preserving their architectural charm while giving them a new lease of life.
Centrally monitored video surveillance is a vital capability for the company to support efficient management of this growing portfolio and ensure service consistency. However, by 2017, its camera systems were aging and becoming harder to manage, so they needed upgrading.
Challenge
Looking for a large-scale IP video upgrade - without waste, cost, or disruption
SECOM was chosen to deliver the ambitious, multi-year video infrastructure upgrade, drawing on its 25-year partnership with JD Wetherspoon. This long-standing relationship includes the supply and maintenance of key security systems—such as intruder alarms, access control, body-worn cameras, and incident reporting platforms. This established trust and understanding of JDW’s estate operations gave SECOM a unique advantage in shaping and delivering a tailored solution, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum impact.
JD Wetherspoon wanted to move from analogue CCTV technology to an IP solution that would enhance safety and service for customers and staff.
The upgrade had to be delivered in phases to minimise waste, cost, and disruption. The new video solution would incorporate a mix of older technologies and camera brands. These existing devices would be gradually replaced when they reached the end of their serviceable life. The new IP solution would offer all the advantages of improved functionality, usability, and value while providing simple future expansion and upgrade options.
IDIS video technology ticked all the boxes and was chosen for the project. It would deliver all the advantages without the need for a wasteful rip-and-replace programme.
Solution
End-to-end IDIS video solution with federated architecture and high-performance components
A range of IDIS cameras, including 2MP LightMaster domes and 5MP turrets, capture HD video in all locations—including bars, tills, back-of-house service areas, entrances, and exteriors—regardless of lighting conditions. IDIS 12MP Fisheye cameras provide the foundation for complete scene coverage in each pub as they allow wide-area surveillance without blind spots.
Every location has a workstation with a PC server running IDIS Center VMS. In addition, every recorder is integrated with servers at JD Wetherspoons’ head office, which run the enterprise-level VMS, IDIS Solution Suite (ISS), allowing a federated system architecture with click-and-connect configuration, and efficient bandwidth management. At all times, ISS directs the video data transmitted from each location to the server with the necessary bandwidth capacity; this, along with IDIS failover technology, ensures that no video is lost, even during periods of high data throughput or network instability.
IDIS Solution Suite also allows a range of user access rights to be set, for example, with different authorisations for regional managers, the audit department, and customer service teams. IDIS makes it easy for data privacy managers to retrieve and supply redacted video footage in compliance with data access requests.
Results
Efficient installation delivers comprehensive video coverage, with easy expansion options
With plug-and-play installation and guaranteed instant operability of all components, the IDIS video technology was fast and easy to install. Rapid setup of cameras, recorders, and VMS software ensured cost efficiency and will support easy system expansion as further pubs open or existing locations are upgraded.
The system is easy to use, allowing JD Wetherspoon’s audit team to investigate and verify all activity as required, to ensure the highest standards of safety, comfort, and service for customers.
The IDIS solution also offers the advantages of a low total cost of ownership (TCO), with minimal operating costs, no hidden licence fees, and extended industry-best warranties against equipment failure.
Working collaboratively, SECOM managed all aspects of the rollout, project planning, logistics, installation, and ongoing support, leveraging its national engineering workforce and deep understanding of JD Wetherspoon’s operational model. SECOM’s strong delivery capabilities helped ensure a smooth and timely deployment across more than 800 live locations.
The long-term nature of the partnership between SECOM and JD Wetherspoon is also a considerable advantage when setting out a future vision for integrated security. With a deep operational understanding and a responsive support model, SECOM continues to play a critical role in maintaining the effectiveness of the solution and advising on future enhancements.
"Our video systems upgrade, delivered efficiently across over 800 locations by SECOM, now provides us with exceptional quality footage. This IDIS video solution also gives us the confidence that we’ll be able to expand and update our systems whenever we choose to. "
James Ullman,
Personnel and Retail Audit Director,
JD Wetherspoon
