A marketing campaign for G4S Secure Solutions has turned into a global fundraising effort after a song meant to publicize new branding, called “Securing Your World” by recording artist Jon Christopher Davis and record producer Sparky Pearson, was played live at an event and became an instant hit with employees and customers.

With the ISC West Show in Las Vegas, Nev. around the corner, companies in all sectors of the industry are getting ready to unveil their latest projects and news. With general optimism from the industry on improving economic conditions, this year’s show promises not a dull moment and may require careful planning to ensure nothing is missed. As you plot your assault on the show floor and prepare for information-gathering, here are some new offerings and announcements you may want to add to your agenda.

The broadcaster of 30 Rock and Days of Our Lives is now offering home security. Just since last October, Xfinity from Comcast, which also owns NBC Universal, rolled out home security and monitoring; ADT, the world’s biggest home security firm, introduced a multi-level lifestyle monitoring and control service; Verizon, one of the largest U.S. communications companies, with a recent iPhone deal and a cloud computing acquisition in hand, has its own home monitoring experiment in motion; APX Alarm Security Solutions Inc., Provo, Utah,  the fifth-largest alarm monitoring company on the SDM 100, rebranded as Vivint™ and launched new products turning its focus from alarm monitoring to a focus on whole home automation and monitoring (see page 149 for more on APX’s rebrand as Vivint™). And that’s not an all-inclusive list.
 

Basler Vision Technologies, Ahrensburg, Germany, added Renee Janda as a new regional sales manager for Basler IP Cameras. Renee is based in Katy, Texas, and is responsible for Basler’s IP Camera customers in the Midwestern United States, from Texas to Minnesota.

Micro Key Solutions, Kissimmee, Fla., a provider of software solutions for the security alarm industry, in cooperation with the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), a trade association that represents companies offering security (alarm) monitoring systems through a central station, is offering to pay the first year’s CSAA membership dues for any CSAA-approved, nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL) central station using Micro Key Solutions’ Millennium Series™ monitoring software. This offer, which began Jan. 1, 2011, is open to non-CSAA members, and will be in effect for proprietary and commercial central stations throughout the United States and Canada throughout the rest of 2011.

A drafted bill in the state of New York has garnered much attention and zealous opinions from the alarm industry in the past few months. Article 6-E was developed by a committee of volunteers from the New York Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NYBFAA) and would require all central stations to become licensed in the state in order to provide monitoring services. The licensing application would require fingerprinting of all operators and central station staff, a provision for potential State-required competency examinations and continued training among others.

Preparations for the Super Bowl were taking place around-the-clock at Dallas Cowboys Stadium when, amidst the excitement happening on the field, the Electronic Security Association (ESA) held its Leadership Awards presentation on a level of the stadium that overlooks the magnificent playing field and the world’s largest LED display made by Mitsubishi at 72-ft. high by 160-ft. wide on each of its two sides.

The Boston Police Department has adopted a new policy in its public safety answering point (PSAP) that gives dispatch priority to video intrusion alarms. A security industry group including representatives from Stanley CSS, ASG Security, American Alarm, Wayne Alarm Systems and Videofied has been campaigning for PSAPs to implement formal procedures to deal with alarm events where video that confirms a probable crime in progress is present. Boston is the first large city to formally implement such a policy.