LähiTapiola and Loihde Build Safety Together

LähiTapiola’s Head of Security Leo Niemelä describes Loihde as an adaptable partner that genuinely listens to the customer.

“I appreciate that ideas are picked up quickly and taken forward. The service‑minded attitude is a major advantage, and the fact that things are done as agreed. Everything has gone very smoothly.”

LähiTapiola has found in Loihde a like‑minded, long‑term partner in exploring new perspectives for improving safety. Both Loihde and LähiTapiola view safety in the same way — as a single, holistic concept approached through innovation.

“We have extremely good cooperation, and every Loihde professional I have worked with has proven to be a valuable contact,” Niemelä says.

LähiTapiola wants to continuously develop safety with a holistic, positive approach. Loihde has also been a partner for several years in LähiTapiola’s HackDay events, where white‑hat hackers search for system vulnerabilities.

“Discussions around cybersecurity often tend to be very negatively toned. We, however, want to approach the topic positively and think about how we can proactively promote safety ourselves. Living in constant negativity is not sustainable for anyone,” Niemelä explains.

A Comprehensive Service Portfolio

Cooperation between Loihde and LähiTapiola began in the early 2000s with a firewall solution, later expanding into networking, digital security, and eventually also physical security services.

“It is important that physical and digital security solutions integrate naturally with each other. Only then can you achieve the right outcome,” Niemelä summarises.

Loihde provides a wide range of security services for LähiTapiola. The portfolio includes, for example, camera surveillance and access control services, administrator services, intrusion detection systems, Loihde’s alarm centre services, as well as firewall, CSOC, LAN, and WLAN services. The overall service can be monitored in the OneManage customer portal, where service status, events, alerts, and reports are visible.

Loihde’s Regional Sales Director for Southern Finland, Tuomo Heikkinen, describes LähiTapiola as an active and open‑minded partner that continuously seeks new ways to improve safety.

“The best cooperation happens when both parties challenge each other to explore new solutions — this allows both to keep developing. Our shared goal is to create an environment where security is as seamless and effortless for users as possible. The value of security solutions must also be measurable. For instance, cybersecurity metrics must be at a level where the customer can clearly verify the added value of their investment.”

Standardised Service Concepts Guarantee Quality

LähiTapiola wants to invest in productized security services that support its strategy. According to Niemelä, isolated point solutions are not appealing.

“In the traditional model, everything is purchased into the balance sheet — and we all know how that ends. Systems and equipment will deteriorate. Lifecycle thinking is an essential part of safety,” Niemelä notes.

Standardized solutions are, for good reason, more reliable and predictable than individual customizations.

“Uniformity, quality, manageability, and predictability are key advantages,” Heikkinen confirms.

Improving security is an ongoing effort, and development takes time, but according to Niemelä, the essential thing is being on the right path. Security can always be improved, and the important part is doing the right things and staying up to date.

“Security‑related risks have increased especially on the digital side. We have a great deal of valuable data, including personal information, and protecting it is critically important. Our extensive network of over 240 offices and around 3,500 employees also sets its own requirements for security,” Niemelä concludes.