Once within the budget of only the wealthiest homeowners, lighting control now is finding its way into the mainstream. While there are only about one million North American “luxury” homes valued at $1 million or more, there are seven to 10 million homes valued between $500,000 and $1 million, observes David Weinstein, vice president of residential sales for Coopersford, Pa.-based light control manufacturer Lutron Electronics. Weinstein calls this the “mid-market,” adding that “the revolution or evolution is in the mid-market.”
American Digital Security, a security dealer based in Liberty, Mo., specializes in alarm systems but sometimes is called upon to install locks for a customer. Because the company doesn’t install locks as frequently as it does alarm equipment, it relies heavily on its equipment distributor for advice on which products to use. The distributor also helps make sure American Digital gets all the parts it needs for a complete installation, explains Buddy Mason, president of American Digital Security.
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.
From Z-Wave and Wi-Fi to video-enabled touchscreens and home automation capability, intrusion panels are gaining a wide range of technology enhancements that can help dealers sell more systems and keep more customers.
From the dealer’s point of view this should yield increased sales, a higher average sale and increased recurring monthly revenue, as most dealers charge an extra monthly fee for interactive control.
The move to IP communications has created new power requirements, but also has fostered new power capabilities. Get answers to these 12 common questions about power for IP security.
Another benefit of the shift to IP is that more information can be communicated across the network than with analog systems. Managed PoE and UPS systems use this capability to send alerts about the system.
Security systems protecting outdoor areas can be some of the most challenging to sell, install and maintain. Security integrators that have experience in this area offered tips on how to handle the trickiest outdoor jobs.
Just when it seemed like everything that could be done with intrusion sensors had already been done, along came a host of new ideas for how to improve on motion detectors, contacts and other devices.
Business intelligence applications — made possible by surveillance cameras, video analytics, and video management systems — are a growing opportunity for integrators who can accrue the skills and show clients the return on investment.
Interest in emergency communications has driven the creation of the UL 2572 standard — and a new crop of fire panels now have the required capabilities.
Businesses and other organizations have taken an increased interest in emergency communications systems (ECSs) in the wake of several tragic shootings. And as the security industry considered the requirements for an optimal ECS, it was a logical choice to use fire panels to control the system.