An antitheft security system for monitoring, and reporting data relating to, merchandise, having security tags coupled to or embedded therein, leaving a business establishment and alerting business establishment personnel when a theft may be occurring, said security system comprising: a plurality of electronic article surveillance or radio frequency identification (RFID) pedestals that automatically monitor respective pedestal zones for the presence of said security tags and for collecting data relating to the presence of said security tags and to associated product data, each of said pedestals comprising an electronics board comprising: security tag reader or interrogation electronics which includes a receiver for receiving wireless signals from the security tags and for demodulating said signals over a wide range of frequencies using software-defined radio methodology that permits varying local oscillator portions of the receiver; communication processor and associated electronics (47A, 47B) for interfacing with communications media; a storage device for storing said collected data; a plurality of associated devices coupled to each one of said pedestals for providing security tag presence data and said associated product data to said storage device on said electronics board in each one of said corresponding one of said pedestals; at least one remote server for retrieving said collected data from said storage devices of said plurality of said pedestals via said communications media; and wherein each of said pedestals includes: a direction detector for detecting the direction in which a person is passing through said pedestal; and means for providing a respective alarm, associated with said pedestal, for manifesting the movement of a person through said pedestals, a first alarm indicating through said pedestal and out of the business establishment, and a second alarm indicating movement through said pedestal into the business establishment, characterized by means for providing a third alarm indicating a stationary position of a person at said pedestal. a plurality of electronic article surveillance or radio frequency identification (RFID) pedestals that automatically monitor respective pedestal zones for the presence of said security tags and for collecting data relating to the presence of said security tags and to associated product data, each of said pedestals comprising an electronics board comprising: security tag reader or interrogation electronics which includes a receiver for receiving wireless signals from the security tags and for demodulating said signals over a wide range of frequencies using software-defined radio methodology that permits varying local oscillator portions of the receiver; communication processor and associated electronics (47A, 47B) for interfacing with communications media; a storage device for storing said collected data; a plurality of associated devices coupled to each one of said pedestals for providing security tag presence data and said associated product data to said storage device on said electronics board in each one of said corresponding one of said pedestals; at least one remote server for retrieving said collected data from said storage devices of said plurality of said pedestals via said communications media; and wherein each of said pedestals includes: security tag reader or interrogation electronics which includes a receiver for receiving wireless signals from the security tags and for demodulating said signals over a wide range of frequencies using software-defined radio methodology that permits varying local oscillator portions of the receiver; communication processor and associated electronics (47A, 47B) for interfacing with communications media; a storage device for storing said collected data; a plurality of associated devices coupled to each one of said pedestals for providing security tag presence data and said associated product data to said storage device on said electronics board in each one of said corresponding one of said pedestals; at least one remote server for retrieving said collected data from said storage devices of said plurality of said pedestals via said communications media; and wherein each of said pedestals includes: a direction detector for detecting the direction in which a person is passing through said pedestal; and means for providing a respective alarm, associated with said pedestal, for manifesting the movement of a person through said pedestals, a first alarm indicating through said pedestal and out of the business establishment, and a second alarm indicating movement through said pedestal into the business establishment, means for providing a third alarm indicating a stationary position of a person at said pedestal.