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News of layoffs and joblessness have dominated headlines for so long, it is refreshing good news to learn of a growing company that is adding staff. Hiring is precisely what Electric Guard Dog, a Colombia, S.C., company is doing. In fact, it recently announced plans to triple its regional sales force.

Cars and car parts are hot items for thieves, leaving a car dealer’s inventory especially vulnerable. Sophisticated thieves know how to circumvent security systems to quickly strip or steal them. Vera Cadillac, a dealer in Pembroke Pines, Fla., wanted to combat this threat with an improved security system.

It’s today’s spaghetti western. But, instead of the cut-and-dry of movie stars like Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach, rules and regulations that impact today’s system integrator cut myriad ways — there is some good in the bad, there is some bad in the good, and there can be beauty in the ugly — and all are seemingly ever-changing. Regulations can be cumbersome and expensive; some generate more business or higher profits for the integrator; there are reasonable and effective ones; some are unfair.

Security dealers and integrators are recognizing that consumers increasingly rely on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices to control home security, automation and energy management services. Alarm.com, a provider of interactive security solutions, has evidence to support this trend.

Two U.S. cities announced new non-response policies for unverified alarms in 2011. The Detroit Police Department enacted its policy in August and the San Jose, Calif. PD, followed by announcing a very similar plan a few days before Christmas. As law enforcement budgets are cut across the country and many look to reduce false alarm dispatches to boost efficiency, California and Michigan alarm companies are not the only ones watching these policies.

Just envision the business opportunities in the house of the future. You won’t find traditional furniture styles or old-fashioned appliances. Everything is ultra-modern, a blending of lifestyle and technology.

As the newly installed president of CSAA, I am grateful for all of the exceptional work of our past presidents, boards and committees. However, I also am mindful of the magnitude of issues facing our association and our industry.

Monitoring center employees are a security provider’s most valuable resource for protecting clients’ enterprises, assets, people and customers. That’s why it’s so important for providers to ensure employees are committed to their jobs and motivated to deliver exemplary customer service.

Avigilon, Vancouver, a provider of high-definition (HD) and megapixel video surveillance solutions, announced that the SGL Arena in Augsburg, Germany — a 30,660 seat stadium that is home to the FC Augsburg football club — deployed the Avigilon high-definition surveillance system to ensure spectator safety, confirm regulatory compliance, and reduce liability costs. Vulnerable to the threat of football-related violence and disorderly conduct, the SGL Arena deployed system as a strategic component of its security plan.

Sometimes it makes a difference when an integrator can more quickly bring best-of-breed solutions to an anxious client.