In this SJUK exclusive, Digital Content Editor, Eve Goode speaks with Mark Taylor, National Accounts Director for Corps Security.
My name is Mark Taylor and I am the National Accounts Director for Corps Security.
The company has been developing its capability to provide autonomous drone-in-box security solutions, integrating advanced aerial surveillance, AI-driven detection and real-time intelligence into traditional guarding and monitoring devices.
I currently provide strategic leadership across our national accounts portfolio, overseeing contract performance, regional operations and the development of long‑term client partnerships.
My role centres on navigating large, complex environments and providing clients with security solutions that bring people, technology and innovation together.
While some aspects of the role are reactive, a significant part of my work is dedicated to shaping the future of our service delivery.
This includes working closely with our innovations group, who are tasked with looking at new service integrations and technology rollouts like drone deployments, to ensure our clients receive high‑value, future‑ready solutions.
After introducing drones and deploying them for clients we were able to identify a number of significant and measurable improvements.
Firstly, from adding drones, this massively boosts the amount of site coverage. Across multiple trials, the drones expanded the security coverage by up to 500% compared to relying solely on traditional patrols.
Drones give visibility into blind spots and also areas that are unreachable by foot. They also offer remote security which is attractive to many clients.
Another positive we noticed was that by incorporating drones into our solution meant the speed of response times rapidly increased.
When an alarm is triggered, we found that it took on average 45 seconds for autonomous deployment. We also found that it took around 90 seconds for pre-programmed dispatch to other deployments.
Drones have a superior night-time, low-light and thermal performance, making them suitable for all settings.
With their thermal imaging, spotlight capability and AI-assisted tracking, the drones are able to identify individuals or vehicles in complete darkness, fog/smoke or around an obstruction that foot patrols may not be able to reach.
Situational awareness has rapidly improved since introducing drones into security planning with clients reporting that the addition of the overhead visibility meant they were able to conduct real-time threat assessments, quicker operational decision-making and “eyes on areas” that were previously impossible to monitor.
One of the biggest benefits of incorporating drones is that there is enhanced safety for security personnel.
Security Officers no longer have to physically enter high-risk environments to assess threats.
Finally, many customers wonder how the drones integrate with pre-existing security systems, we found that the drones easily and successfully integrated with CCTV, access control, alarms and monitoring allowing there to be a single intelligence picture.
We found that there were a number of operational challenges that emerged across deployments. The first issue that stuck out to us was that there needed to be reliable internet connectivity.
Autonomous docks require stable and high band-width connections, and we found at some locations, there was a lot of intermittent connectivity.
To fix this, we installed temporary and permanent Starlink that achieved up to 90Mbps.
We had to factor in that there may be weather and environmental constraints when it came to drones.
This includes high winds, bird activity and remote locations that required robust flight planning.
To fix this we deployed weather -rated systems that can be used in up to 26mph wind speeds and also made altitude adjustments to ensure we avoided any bird interactions.
We had to take into consideration that all operations must satisfy CAA regulation, site-specific permits, privacy laws and risk assessments.
To overcome this we provide pre-site surveys, method statements, dedicated CAA-compliant processes as well as stakeholder training.
When it came to client and guard education, we had a lot of initial confusion around drone capabilities meaning that their operating limits were common.
To solve this, we knew that we had to provide on-site demonstrations, detailed documentation and integrated training to ensure that staff were full equipped before incorporating drones into their security strategy.
Lastly, from an infrastructure perspective, we needed stable power, safe landing zones and elevated positioning for optimal signal.
Based on internal data and case studies, there are many sectors set to benefit. Heavy industry and manufacturing sectors such as steelworks and industrial estates will certainly benefit from autonomous patrols, thermal imaging and rapid investigation.
Retail distribution and logistics will be able to use drone systems to combat theft, track vehicles, monitor yards and conduct regular roof inspections which are all crucial in this sector.
Media and broadcast estates are complex, multi‑building environments containing high‑value assets and facing significant operational challenges. Introducing drones helps to manage the vast majority of these challenges.
Critical Infrastructure and utilities such as reservoirs, power sites and remote facilities face the challenge of physical patrol coverage.
When coverage is limited, drones act as way to get this area covered without the need for increased foot patrols as drones can detect when a perimeter has been breached.
“Drones are rapidly evolving and will become essential assets that are transforming the modern security outlook.”
Case studies show a clear shift from traditional patrols to tech‑enabled oversight, where drones combine with CCTV, sensors and access control to deliver predictive threat detection, automated workflows and real‑time situational awareness.
This transformation is already seeing customers look at reducing the need for routine guarding hours and improving overall safety and responsiveness.
Organisations also gain major operational benefits:
Recent advances in regulation, particularly the UK’s adoption of the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) framework and the industry’s progression toward more standardised “Beyond Visual Line of Sight” (BVLOS) approvals are paving the way for broader, more flexible drone operations.
These changes make it possible to deliver wider regional coverage and fully autonomous 24/7 patrol capabilities.
At the same time, drone applications are expanding well beyond security.
Organisations can now deploy autonomous systems for maintenance inspections, environmental and estate monitoring and wider facilities‑management tasks.
This shift reduces reliance on external contractors, streamlines operations and unlocks new efficiencies across multiple functions.
As regulatory and technological maturity continue to align, the benefits will drive lower long‑term operating costs, enhanced risk management, stronger insurance positioning, reduced incident frequency and improved organisational resilience through AI‑enabled detection and automated response workflows.
