Articles by Karyn Hodgson

Unified security systems are one of the industry’s latest buzzwords. But beyond the hype, what do these types of systems offer the security integrator and, ultimately, the customer? Plenty, say the experts.

Doomsday didn’t happen. For all the concern many security dealers have shown in recent years — particularly about the rapidly changing residential market — all indicators seem to finally point to what was always the hope in the midst of the fear: that all the new entrants, technologies and business models would start to grow the pie for all.

Managed access control — as well as hosted access control — is an area many security integrators are showing a growing interest in exploring.

How do you define the difference between emergency communication and mass notification? It turns out the difference is not so cut and dried.

There has been a big shift in the security market in the past few years — both for commercial and residential systems.

Lexington, Ky., is known for a few things: horses, bluegrass, bourbon, a historic downtown area, and — when it comes to security systems — Bates Security/Sonitrol of Lexington.

Emotions were running high on the last day of Connect 2018, held Nov. 15-17 at a resort in Marco Island, Fla. At the awards banquet, speeches were made, videos watched and the always anticipated reveal of where next year’s event would be held was unveiled. But this year was different. This year, there were two dates — and locations — announced: one for Honeywell (Miami) and another for the recently spun-off independently run Resideo (Phoenix). Friends and former colleagues sought each other out for one last hug, unsure when they might see each other at another event like this. Despite some tears, however, there was a strong feeling of optimism in the room, both that day and in the previous days, filled with lots of informative sessions, general sessions, motivational speakers — and even a camel.