Intrusion detection is becoming only one part of a much broader security architecture. Customers increasingly expect alarm systems to provide context, visual verification and technical monitoring while integrating selected building functions. At the same time, installers need systems that remain transparent, serviceable and manageable over the long term.

SATEL is positioning BE WAVE at precisely this intersection. The platform combines professional intrusion detection, technical hazard monitoring and building automation and can be deployed as a wireless, wired or hybrid system.

At Security Essen 2026, Euro Security spoke with Piotr Stoppel, Area Manager at SATEL, about the changing role of the alarm system, the limits of app-centric product strategies, the relevance of EN 50131 Grade 2 and why system architecture matters more than the number of functions listed on a datasheet.

Euro Security: Mr Stoppel, alarm systems are becoming increasingly connected. What is still their primary task?

Piotr Stoppel: Reliable protection remains the first priority. That may sound obvious, but in discussions about apps, design and smart-home functions, this basic requirement can sometimes move into the background.

At the same time, detecting an intrusion and activating a siren is no longer enough. Customers want to know what happened, where it happened and how the system is responding. Intrusion detection, visual verification, technical sensors and automation therefore have to work together in a meaningful way.

Euro Security: At what point does an alarm system become a building platform rather than simply a security system?

Piotr Stoppel: BE WAVE comes from professional security technology, and that remains the foundation. Additional functions are built on top of that — smoke, gas and water detection, temperature monitoring, camera images and the control of lighting, heating or shutters.

The order is important. We add comfort and automation to security, not security to an automation platform.

Euro Security: Many manufacturers now talk about integration. Where does the real operational benefit begin?

Piotr Stoppel: With context. A single signal initially tells you only that something has happened. If additional information is available, the situation can be assessed more accurately.

Detected movement can, for example, be verified by a camera image. A water detector can trigger an alarm while simultaneously initiating a technical response. The real added value comes when an event leads to a useful and clearly predefined sequence of actions.

Euro Security: Does that mean BE WAVE automatically interprets and prioritises different events?

Piotr Stoppel: The system can link conditions, measured values, schedules and events. But we deliberately avoid a black-box approach that is difficult to understand.

The installer defines transparent rules according to the requirements of the property. In security technology, it must remain clear why a particular response has been triggered. That is important not only during planning, but also for diagnostics and later maintenance.

Euro Security: BE WAVE meets EN 50131 Grade 2 requirements. In a market where some competitors emphasise higher security grades, does Grade 2 risk being perceived as insufficient?

Piotr Stoppel: Grade 2 corresponds to the risk level of a very broad range of residential and commercial applications. The decisive factor is to match the level of security to the actual risk of the property.

Grade 3 is intended for higher-risk applications and brings additional requirements for equipment as well as for system design and operation. Where that level is not required, additional complexity does not automatically create a corresponding benefit for the user. It can, however, increase costs and make installation and daily operation more demanding.

We therefore do not see Grade 2 as a compromise. It is a professional security level intended for defined applications. A good security system should above all be appropriate to the risk, correctly designed and reliable.

Euro Security: Yet “higher grade” is an easy marketing message. How do you respond to that?

Piotr Stoppel: Security cannot be reduced to a single parameter.

The security grade is important, but it has to reflect the requirements of the property. Installing a solution designed for a higher risk level where that level is not necessary does not automatically mean the system has been better designed.

In practice, communication stability, protection against tampering, system architecture, diagnostic capabilities, installation quality and reliability over the entire operating life are equally important.

Our approach is therefore holistic. The system should provide an appropriate level of protection while remaining user-friendly, manageable for the installer and economically sensible.

Euro Security: The user interface has become a major differentiator in the security market. How much importance should an app actually have?

Piotr Stoppel: A good app is expected today. But it is not a complete security concept.

We look at the system from the perspective of professional security technology: How stable is communication? How are user permissions structured? How can the installer diagnose the system? How can it be expanded without becoming difficult to manage?

BE WAVE combines that technical depth with contemporary operation. The customer gets the convenience expected today, while the professional installer retains control over planning, configuration and maintenance.

Euro Security: So where do you see SATEL’s real point of differentiation?

Piotr Stoppel: In the combination.

We offer wireless, wired and hybrid architectures within one coordinated system environment. We combine professional intrusion detection with technical monitoring and automation. And we develop products not only for quick installation, but for a long operating life.

A good system should still remain stable, understandable and economically maintainable after several extensions. Quality is not defined by how quickly the first three detectors can be connected to an app.

Euro Security: Wireless, wired or hybrid — is there still a preferred architecture?

Piotr Stoppel: The building decides.

In existing properties, wireless technology is often the most economical solution because new cable routes are not required. In a new building, wired infrastructure may make more sense. In larger properties, sites undergoing gradual modernisation or buildings with different usage areas, hybrid technology can offer particular advantages.

BE WAVE gives the installer that choice. The project does not have to be adapted to a predetermined technology. The architecture can be designed around the property.

Euro Security: Greater flexibility usually means greater complexity. Is that the price of hybrid systems?

Piotr Stoppel: More options certainly mean greater responsibility during planning. But they also help prevent technical compromises that may become expensive or impractical later.

The important point is that components, configuration and diagnostics remain within one system environment.

For us, the professional installer is therefore not merely a step in the sales chain. The installer is a central part of the security concept. Their experience plays a decisive role in how well the system performs in practice.

Euro Security: SATEL speaks about market leadership. How do you define it in a fragmented and highly competitive market?

Piotr Stoppel: Market leadership does not begin with the loudest advertising campaign or with one individual product feature.

It is demonstrated by whether a manufacturer can supply reliable technology over the long term, support its professional partners and address different customer requirements professionally. That requires system stability, technical depth, a broad portfolio and the ability to continue developing solutions over time.

The nomination of BE WAVE Hybrid for the GIT Security Award 2027 is encouraging because it shows that the combination of professional intrusion detection, flexible hybrid architecture and building automation is being recognised by the market.

But practical performance remains the decisive criterion. A system has to work reliably after years of operation, remain expandable and give the installer the level of control required. That is how we want BE WAVE to be judged.

Euro Security: What should security professionals actually test when they see BE WAVE at Security Essen?

Piotr Stoppel: They should look at how the different security and building functions interact.

The direct comparison between wireless, wired and hybrid architectures is particularly useful. Visual verification and the automated responses to different sensor events are also easier to understand when demonstrated live.

Datasheets provide individual technical values. At the stand, visitors can see how the overall system works together and discuss their own projects directly with our specialists.

Euro Security: And what kind of discussion are you hoping to have with installers and consultants at the exhibition?

Piotr Stoppel: We do not want to present individual components in isolation.

We want to discuss with professional installers, planners and security managers how a modern and sustainable security concept should be designed. Visitors are therefore welcome to bring concrete projects, critical questions and unusual requirements.

Security Essen is a good opportunity to assess systems beyond the datasheet. BE WAVE is one of our key highlights, and we want the industry to experience the solution in practice.