eNews 01-22-09 - SDM -- New Directions for Security Systems & Integration

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SDM 2009 Industry Forecast: A Good Place To Be

By Laura Stepanek

      Two astonishing findings came out of SDM's 2009 Industry Forecast Study, an annual survey of subscribers that gauges the health of their businesses and the viability of the electronic security industry.
      First, respondents to the survey - which was conducted in October 2008 - revealed that for the first time in the study's recent history, security dealers and systems integrators predict total industry revenue will turn down. They are expecting a 7.8 percent decline in total industry revenue, from $48.45 billion in 2008 to $44.67 billion in 2009.
      Second, for the first time in five years, respondents indicated that their greatest challenge in 2009 would not be finding and retaining employees - as it had been since 2004 - but increasing sales, selected by a wide margin of survey respondents.
      These findings are astonishing not because they are unexpected in light of the state of the economy, but because the security industry had heretofore been considered somewhat recession-proof.
      That's what the nearly 600 dealers and integrators who participated in SDM's annual Industry Forecast Study indicated anonymously. But based on personal interviews with dealers and integrators of all types and sizes, the security industry barometer is a bit more optimistic.

Click here to read the full report.

Fiber Optic Technician One-day Training and Certification - Feb. 13 in Chicago

Learn all aspects of connecting CCTV and network devices to fiber optic links. This class blends an online tutorial with a one-day, hands-on certification lab. Fiber Optic Association certification testing included. Only $695 per person. Group discounts available. Register at www.slaytonsolutionsltd.com or call (708) 212-5150 for more info.

Electronic Security Networking Technician Two-day Training and Certification - March 26-27 in Chicago

Approved and complete training in all aspects of IP networking for security integration technicians. Learn how to address, program, connect, and troubleshoot IP-enabled security cameras, intercoms, access control, and other devices. Course and instructors approved by the Electronic Technicians Association. Price includes ETA testing and certification fee. Only $695 per person. Group discounts available. Register at www.slaytonsolutionsltd.com or call (708) 212-5150 for more info.

2009 AIREF Golf Classic Now Open to Players and Sponsors

The Alarm Industry Research & Educational Foundation (AIREF) announced details regarding the sixth annual AIREF Golf Classic, which will be held during ISC West in Las Vegas, March 31, 2009. The event is located at the Revere Golf Club/Lexington Golf Course in Henderson, Nev., and the day's events will include breakfast, lunch, 19th-hole cocktails and an AIREF reception on the Las Vegas strip.

The AIREF Golf Classic is the single largest fundraising event for the AIREFF, which is a tax-exempt foundation representing the electronic, life safety, security and systems industry and their associations, under the auspices of the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA).

AIREF is engaged in initiatives critical to public safety, consumers and the alarm industry, and through research and education, AIREF provides the resources and statistics that public safety officials can use to better understand and utilize our industry in their effort to protect and serve the community.

AIREF is continually working on industry research projects and welcomes donations and new ideas that would benefit the industry.

Jamie Orvis and Bart Didden are the event's co-chairs. For player and sponsor information, visit www.AIREF.org or call Ryan Makovsky at 310-821-7309.

More information can also be found by viewing the fact sheet located at www.airef.org/golf/golf2009/airef2009fact.pdf.

NEWS

Cameras Keep Ohio State U. Campus Under The Lens

With more than 500 security cameras covering the campus area, it is likely that every student has passed under the lens of Ohio State. "Our camera monitors, just this past year, have helped the police catch a criminal suspect breaking into vehicles at the vet hospital, suspects who were stealing bikes, and on several occasions people who were vandalizing property," said Ron Balser, director of University Security and Protective Services.
Focus on the facts.

Virginia; Female Student Stabbed To Death

A female student was stabbed to death on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg, the first killing there since a deadly mass shooting in 2007.
Get the details.

PNNL Works On Protection

Firefighters, police and others who are the first on the scene in terrorist events should be better protected thanks to work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.The Department of Energy national lab in Richland is the first to be accepted by the Department of Homeland Security to test and evaluate commercially available radiation detectors for a new program. The program is intended to help emergency response teams buy accurate and reliable radiation detectors.
Read the rest.

ON SDM's WEB SITE

Globe Trotting
In the 21st century climate of globalism, everything from the economy to the Internet has a worldwide bent. It's only natural that the security industry in general and access control in particular would eventually follow. It makes sense that companies that operate worldwide would want a uniform way of protecting their investments.
Go international.

Focal Point
Some CCTV cameras are sold by bundling together the cameras with lenses, housing, cable and other necessary accessories. But other cameras require separate selection and purchase of a lens, which can include fixed focal length, variable focal length, megapixel, pinhole and 360-degree lenses, among others. How should security professionals identify the types of applications for which those lenses are best suited?
Learn about lenses.