In the September issue of SDM Magazine, read about how and why integrators succeed in building automation, as well as the popular brands used among top systems integrators. Find out is your business has curb appeal, and learn solutions on creating deeper relationships with your customers. Also, discover the latest products and resources to help you better your enterprise.
Security integrators can gain revenue opportunities and deepen customer relationships when integrating security systems with building automation systems. But there’s a learning curve.
Operational costs savings and energy efficiency are major drivers of BAS installations and retrofits. Industry surveys have determined that building owners and managers are realizing the many financial benefits of intelligent technologies, such as lower energy costs, lower maintenance costs and lower repair and replacement costs.
Another trend in the lighting space is to maintain a low-noise color image in low light rather than switching to black-and-white or changing to an IR illuminator setting. One way this is made possible is with better sensors, specifically larger sensors with more pixels.
Like a surfer waiting for the perfect wave, wireless surveillance products can offer a great ride for those installations where cabling would be impossible or cost-prohibitive.
Although Wi-Fi might be what most often comes to mind when talking about wireless cameras, video transmission isn’t the only way in which a camera might be considered “wireless.” Battery-powered and solar-powered cameras with battery backup are available to meet certain customer needs.
SDM talks to four experienced integrators about the future of convergence, how integrators can profit from it, and what will actually drive growth of the market.
For the past several years, talk about converging physical and logical access control has been mostly just that — talk. Budget constraints, perceived lack of need and an absence of cohesive, affordable solutions have made it difficult for integrators to find much traction in this market.
In determining the best solution for a customer, “the big things are topology and what kind of communications they have on site,” comments Al Lewis, vice president of Okeechobee, Fla.-based dealer, Gator Security.
Lighting control systems do not have to be elaborate to have a positive impact, enabling integrators to start at the level with which they are comfortable. Simply suggesting the move from old bulbs to LEDs can cut a lot from lighting costs, and that exponentially grows as more energy efficacy is enabled with lighting controls, King says.
The first step in designing an intelligible voice system is to determine what type of ECS the building owner desires. The voice communication system often will include in-building fire EVACS, in-building mass notification, and a paging system to meet the day-to-day operational objectives.
A great leader’s character is more enduring than his or her dossier. While your ancestry and accomplishments may bring you notoriety and invitations, it is ultimately your aptitude for inspiring, energizing and connecting with people that draws them to you.
Which suppliers do the largest systems integrators use? This Top Systems Integrators brand-usage report lists the top 15 manufacturers and top 13 distributors that earn the business of the largest systems integrators in the physical security channel.
These brand-usage lists were compiled from the 2014 Top Systems Integrators Report. Earlier this year, integrators were instructed to list their top three suppliers (both manufacturers and distributors, unprompted) in order of volume purchased from them.
LEDs differ quite a bit from traditional incandescent lamps in that they lack a glass bulb or tungsten filament. Instead, an LED is comprised of a chemical chip embedded in a clear plastic capsule.
The U.S. market for building automation equipment is set to grow by more than 40 percent within a five-year period ending in 2017, spurred by the need in commercial buildings for more efficient energy consumption, according to a report from IHS Inc. released in late 2013, and is a “must watch” growth opportunity for integrators.
A case recently decided by the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire — although not an alarm company case — relied heavily on law created in cases involving alarm companies.
When a contract is reduced to writing, the parties’ intention is determined from the writing alone, if possible. The court then pointed out that the plaintiffs relied on the case of H.S. Perlin Co. versus Morse Signal Devices of San Diego, as a case in which a plaintiff’s recovery was limited by a liquidated damages provision.
Sellers and presale engineers have limited time and the cost of chasing bad business confines them from growing their existing accounts or developing new ones.
Collaboration is critical, and will yield the best return. Be sure to document your findings, create a formal action plan with ownership and metrics for measurement.
Every day we are programmed to tune off advertising but every once in a while we see something that makes us laugh or think just a little bit longer about that product or service. If I asked which company has the talking baby always in front of a computer screen discussing and buying stocks or bonds, you’d know instantly who I was referring to.
What is one of the most difficult issues people at work face on a daily basis? It is how to effectively communicate with their colleagues or clients, or both.
Company leaders should also be excellent communicators; indeed, communication should start with the head of a business. A great owner needs to set the company’s agenda, goals, and priorities. If you are not a natural communicator, as an owner or supervisor, you should either learn them, or find someone who is a great communicator to help you.
Mission 500, Miami, and ESA Gives Back, the association’s charitable and philanthropic program, joined forces during ESX 2014 in Nashville, to raise money for a security-industry mission trip bringing aid and education to Mexico.
Nest Labs Inc., Palo Alto, Calif., has released a new white paper sharing field data on the incidence and characteristics of carbon monoxide (CO) events detected by the Nest Protect: Smoke + Carbon Monoxide™ alarm.
Genetec™ announced a strategic partnership with BCDVideo, giving Genetec exclusive rights to resell BCDVideo servers and storage equipment. Through this agreement, Genetec channel partners and integrators now have access to all BCDVideo Nova Series servers and storage arrays, which come pre-loaded with Genetec's Security Center software.
Behavioral Recognition Systems Inc. (BRS Labs), creator of AISight®, the artificial intelligence analytics solution that teaches itself to recognize and alert on unexpected patterns within massive volumes of data, announced that 27 value added resellers have joined the company's rapidly expanding channel partner program during the second quarter of the year.
“You Speak. Your Home Listens,” boldly states security and home automation provider ADT, Boca Raton, Fla., when announcing the availability of ADT Pulse® Voice, a new app that combines the ADT features customers know and love with the security and convenience of personal voice commands that allows users to safely manage their home with personal commands.
Intermedia announced today that Hosted PBX, its cloud-based voice service, will now be available as a new offering at ADI locations across the United States. Designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses, Intermedia’s Hosted PBX phone service will allow ADI dealers to sell a cloud-based phone service on a per-seat basis.
Tyco SimplexGrinnell was selected by Confirmit to receive both the 2014 ACE (Achievement in Customer Excellence) Award and the 2014 ACE Award for Best Use of Feedback Solutions. The awards were presented at the annual Confirmit Community Conference held in Orlando, Florida.
SDM received word that Safeguard Security, Scottsdale, Ariz., sold its alarm division to SAFE Security, San Ramon, Calif., for an undisclosed amount. Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP represented the seller in the transaction. The deal closed yesterday, August 19, 2014. Lessing Gold and Alan Pepper worked on the transition.
SAFE Security, San Ramon, Calif., announcedthat industry veteran Gary Franklyn joined the firm as vice president of marketing and business partnerships. In this role he is responsible for developing and producing creative, innovative strategic partnership programs and multi-faceted marketing and promotional campaigns targeted at recurring monthly revenue (RMR) growth and customer retention.
Monitronics, located in Dallas, is the first company in the security industry to partner with Mission 500 to support the organization’s Children Fleeing Violence Project. The effort is dedicated to providing protection and basic resources for tens of thousands of children from Central America who are traveling unaccompanied to the United States to escape gang violence and high levels of poverty in their home countries. The majority of the children are stalled at the border in their search for safety as authorities decide how to proceed.
Honeywell added Summit Security Systems to its First Alert Professional dealer program. Summit Security customizes security systems that include local and hosted intrusion, access control and video verification technologies for homes and small businesses in Raleigh, N.C.
Guardian Protection Services of Warrendale, Pa. recently achieved the successful implementation of ASAP-to-PSAP processing protocol for the communication of alarm information to the City of Richmond, Virginia. The protocol went live after successful data transmissions between Guardian’s U.L. certified CSAA Five Diamond monitoring center and the City of Richmond’s 9-1-1 center.
Earlier this week, Reuters reported that the private equity firm GTCR LLC has plans to sell Protection 1, Romeoville, Ill., ranked No. 6 on the SDM 100 Report, for more than a reported $1.5 billion. This news set off speculation by other news outlets, with some saying the firm planned to take the privately held company back into the public sector by way of an Initial Public Offering (IPO), stating the reports to sell it were incorrect. Others stood by Reuters’ report of a pending sale.
Power Home Technologies celebrated 75,000 customers installed and their 10-year anniversary. Out of the 75,000 installs, more than half of those customers have been installed since Power Home Technologies became a Monitronics authorized dealer in 2011.
The Security Industry Association (SIA) announced the selection of Gordon Hope, general manager of Honeywell's AlarmNet communications network, as the 2014 recipient of the George R. Lippert Memorial Award.
CSAA International, the voice for central station monitoring companies, announced that Steve Doyle, who has led the association for twenty-two years, will retire in October 2014.
Anixter International Inc., Glenview, Ill., announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tri-Ed, Woodbury, N.Y., an independent distributor of security and low-voltage technology products, from Audax Group for a purchase price of $420 million.