Fog machines are one of the security products that the retail sector is currently looking at with interest. Being devices that, thanks to detection sensors, release a dense fog in the event of a break-in, they are an effective and quick deterrent against attempted intruders, while safeguarding persons or property.

As emerged from our conversation with Bandit, Defendertech, and UR-Fog, three of the most active companies in this field and already confirmed as participants in SICUREZZA 2023, the advantage of these solutions is that traditional alarm systems, such as cameras and sirens, may often not be sufficient to intimidate attackers. After all, most break-ins take a maximum of 3-4 minutes, and the shortest possible time in which police and security are able to intervene is around 10 minutes.

The fog generated, on the other hand, has the ability to quickly fill a space, drastically reducing visibility to zero or near zero, and the fog machines are designed to turn on immediately upon detection of suspicious activity or attempted theft, even in synergy with other security systems, preventing in a few seconds the crime from happening or from causing further damage.

Defendertech, an Italian company that produces innovative equipment for all-round security, specialising in high-performance and versatile fog machines, told us how they managed to drastically reduce, if not eliminate, criminal activity at Sarni Oro shops, a company active in Italy with over 300 outlets. Until Defendertech's intervention, Sarni Oro's losses had been substantial and caused by organised crime and unstoppable through traditional security systems. Fog machines were installed in all shops with effective results.

Bandit, a Belgian company active in the distribution of harmless and environmentally friendly security solutions, also firmly supports the power of fog machines as anti-intrusion tools. They patented the Bandit^®system, a non-toxic white fog released at a rate of 28 cubic metres per second, whose effectiveness is the immediate physical and psychological confusion of the attackers. Each of the atomisers, which can be connected to any type of security system, saturates a 180 m2 room in a matter of seconds.

URfog, an Italian company expert in fog systems, has always offered the use of such anti-intrusion tools as non-aggressive but extremely effective tools with multiple functions: today, in fact, they can also have a sanitising function and offer, in addition, the great advantage of low energy consumption. The fog machines proposed by URFog are a security system that nips attempted theft in the bud without harming people or objects; it is quick, covering a 70 square metre room in 28 seconds.

Therefore, fog proves to be an important security tool for the retail world: non-invasive for goods or people, it covers and protects valuable objects within the environment, such as products for sale, electronic devices, jewellery or any other valuable merchandise, creating a dense physical barrier that makes any criminal activity difficult.