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Only tens of years ago hiring a body-guard in Armenia was a privilege of high-ranking officials, but each wealthy person can hire a guard today. The “convoy” of similar cars with state numbers is usual to see in Yerevan now. Who or what are the people behind the blackout glasses are concerned of? Are such expenses cost-effective?
This is the main topic of Panorama.am interview with Vahe Hakobyan, a security expert, owner of a company specialized in security systems.

- Which of the products is much in demand at security market today?
- There’s a great demand for video facilities, recording backup equipment, signal systems, technical equipment for detection of information flows’ directions, tracing and search techniques, integrated access systems for offices, apartments and industrial units. There are some specific orders as well, but the listed is much in demand.

- What is the main factor of security - human or equipment?
- There is basic difference between protection of people and units in western and post-soviet countries. And a tendency to the western model is registered today. In western countries equipment is applied for 90%, the human factor makes 10%. Unfortunately, we have the opposite. In any case, the most important is the right correlation of people and equipment, which is more effective. .

- Do you think the private persons’ guarding is effective in Armenia?
- May be the guard structures created on the basis of former special services are the most professional. They have experience and special equipment application skills.

- Concerning special equipment by the way: is it possible to keep track of the latest novelties considering current technical progress?
- As we are a part of this business, we have to stay updated. As a rule, we try to miss no international exhibition where the legal representatives of this field present their production.

- BBC journalists carried out lately a market research on so-called “spy-phone” technologies. Appearance of such equipment like telephone pickups for mobile phones at the market is very suspicious. Is application of “spy-phones” possible in Armenia?

- The technical progress is so high that it’s impossible to predict the kind of new equipment to appear at the market next year. The cellular phones branch is the most actively developing. Theoretically various features are possible; but we didn’t meet any in practice yet. So we can not confirm or refuse existence of such projects.

- Do you have anything to add?

- If you are not an outstanding politician or a businessman, have no enemies, you have no reasons for caution, except the accidents, which are the job of insurance companies.