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March 2012 CONTENTS Vol. 34, No. 3

The 2012 Industry Census shows a sharp upswing in minorities throughout organizations; strong push for sustainability; fewer family owned companies; and more community service efforts.

— See page 74

Five Join Hall’s Elite Ranks

Are You Ready to Pass the ISC West Test?

Training, Tech Support Help Tri-Ed/Northern Video Triumph

Resorts World’s World-Class Surveillance

Two pre-eminent installing company leaders, the face of a dominant industry manufacturer, an access control pioneer, and a late, great former CSAA and NBFAA president earn entry into SSI’s Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement. See how the paths they blazed led to such great successes and enduring legacies. By Scott Goldfine As one of the industry’s most exhilarating and exhausting events, ISC West can be a tad overwhelming. SSI’s show overview aims to identify the highlights and help attendees organize their schedules. And, a glimpse into the 17th annual SAMMY Awards reveals this year’s finalists. By Ashley Willis

The distribution firm has aggressively expanded its market share and footprint since being acquired from Tyco Int’l in 2005. Helping its staunchly analog-centric dealer clientele transition to IP-based products is chief among its growth strategies. By Rodney Bosch Brand-new Resorts World Casino located in New York City is equipped with a state-of-theart 1,500-channel IP HD video surveillance system. The project’s team tells how they put together one of America’s most advanced systems incorporating a fiber backbone and POS integration. By the Editors of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION

The Changing Faces of Security

Slowly but surely installing North American security contractor companies are becoming more diverse. SSI’s fourth biannual Security Industry Demographic Census shows that changes along gender, race, ethnicity and other lines are transforming this historically homogenous business. The 2012 Census not only profiles and reveals the practices of a typical manager working in the industry today, but also operational facets of the businesses themselves. By Scott Goldfine

How Energy Management Can Energize Your RMR

Automation Brings More Business Home

100

Technological advances and heightened consumer interest in saving both costs and the environment are creating new sales opportunities in energy management. Learn how to maximize sales and RMR associated with this emerging market segment as an adjunct to traditional security offerings. By Rob Puric and Carlos Lopez-Reyna Technology and consumer interest have advanced to bring about real opportunities for security contractors that offer home automation and entertainment products and services. Get up to speed on in-demand offerings with surefire tips to please customers. By Melissa L. Hirt Cover illustration by Lyne Hall

securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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The “D.U.M.I.E.S.” series explores troubleshooting video surveillance systems and cabling infrastructures, with special focus on hybrid transitioning from analog to IP solutions. — See page A1

Monitoring Missteps Cost Provider $8.6M

The customer of a national monitoring company was beaten and sexually assaulted in her home. An investigation found the provider recklessly breached its duties to the plaintiff due to egregious central station procedures. The case reinforces applying best practices and minimizing liability exposure By Rodney Bosch

District Unifies Its Security 100 School A Southern California school district seeks to overcome a DVR-based analog

surveillance system and its poor video streaming and playback, and contend with unwanted guests gaining access to its campuses. Find out how Culver City students are becoming safer thanks to a new and integrated IP video and access control solution. By Ashley Willis

104 7 Steps to Sell the Value of Open Platform IP Video

securitysales.com Peggy Onstad Publisher, ext. 477 Rodney Bosch Managing Editor, ext. 426 Paul Boucherle, Shane Clary, Ron Davis, Bob Dolph, Peter Giacalone, Ken Kirschenbaum, Jeff Zwirn Contributing Writers

Scott Goldfine Editor-in-Chief 114 Chatworth Lane Mooresville, NC 28117 (704) 663-7125 Fax: (704) 663-7145 Ashley Willis Associate Editor, ext. 419

Sr. Production Manager Sarah Paredes, ext. 497 Art Director Margery Young Audience Marketing Manager Katie Fillingame Staff E-mail addresses are firstname.lastname@security sales.com (e.g. scott.goldfine@securitysales.com) Contributors‘ E-mail addresses are secsales@bobit.com. HOW TO CONTACT ADVERTISING & MARKETING

■ West

Dynise Plaisance-Hiebert 3520 Challenger St. Torrance, CA 90503 (760) 519-5541 Fax: (310) 533-2502

■ East

Peggy Onstad 3520 Challenger St. Torrance, CA 90503 (949) 305-5541 Fax: (949) 305-5549

ADVERTISING SALES TERRITORIES

Learn the skills and methods to sell prospects and existing customers on the benefits of IP video management systems. A VMS provider reviews course material it offers dealers/integrators to educate customers about open platform advantages. By Eric Fullerton

Your Mobile Video Business 108 Mobilizing End users are increasingly expecting instantaneous communications any-

where, anytime, including IP-based video surveillance. Accordingly, solutions are being introduced that accommodate this growing market segment, and also simplify system installation and servicing for integrators. By Brian Galante

❮❮ Special Pullout Section

Troubleshooting Hybrid Surveillance Systems for D.U.M.I.E.S., Part 1 of 4 Isolating Infrastructure Issues By Bob Wimmer

◗

COLUMNS

34 Monitoring Matters With Mark Matlock

10 Between Us Pros With Scott Goldfine

Time to get real about the IP hoopla.

12 Advisory Board Forum

Prizing your customer base.

Concerns surrounding IP transmitters.

136 The Big Idea With Ron Davis

Letting your actions do your talking.

140 Legal Briefing With Ken Kirschenbaum

24 Convergence Channel With

Your action plan in the event your accounts are pilfered.

Paul Boucherle

The right steps for IP video migration.

28 Tech Talk With Bob Dolph

The possibilities of proper intrusion sensors and installation methods.

30 Fire Side Chat With Shane Clary

Mass notification fundamentals.

◗ DEPARTMENTS 6 15 114 120 130 134 138

Security Exchange Industry Pulse Essentials: Intrusion Showcase Ad Index Building Your Business As I See It MarketPlace

Classified-MarketPlace Ads Peggy Onstad, (949) 305-5541 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Ed Bonifas, Alarm Detection Systems, Aurora, Ill. Bill Bozeman, PSA Security Network, Westminster, Colo. Shandon Harbour, SDA Security, San Diego Jim Henry, Henry Bros. Electronics, Fair Lawn, N.J. Michael Jagger, Provident Security, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada John Jennings, Safeguard Security and Communications, Scottsdale, Ariz. Sandy Jones, Sandra Jones and Co., Chardon, Ohio J. Matthew Ladd, The Protection Bureau, Exton, Pa. Mike Miller, Moon Security Service, Pasco, Wash. Joe Nuccio, ASG Security, Beltsville, Md. Alan L. Pepper, Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp LLP, Los Angeles Eric Yunag, Dakota Security Systems, Sioux Falls, S.D. HOW TO GET YOUR NEWS TO US E-mail: secsales@bobit.com Mail: 3520 Challenger St., Torrance, CA 90503 Fax: (310) 533-2502 FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES (888) 239-2455 BOBIT BUSINESS MEDIA Edward J. Bobit, Chairman Ty F. Bobit, President & CEO (310) 533-2400 Printed in USA

Winner • 2005 Finalist • 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

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Security Exchange Web Watch

RIGHT

Sounding Off

NOW ON

securitysales.com SYSTEMS INTEGRATION CHANNEL

securitysales.com/channel/ system-integration.aspx One of the seven targeted channels (others are Business Management, IP / Video Surveillance, Access Control, Fire/Life Safety, Intrusion, Vertical Markets), this section is dedicated to integrated security, control systems and solutions. It includes industry and business news, trends and technology features, installation case studies, application articles, product

notices, expert columns, blogs and much more. Whether it’s tying together access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, fire/life-safety systems, networks, automation or other building controls; video management systems (VMS); data analytics; IT network technologies; convergence trends; open vs. proprietary platforms; interoperability issues; standards development and updates; training; working with IT managers;

etc. — you’ll have all you need at the click of a mouse. Join others who are serious about this market by making the Systems Integration Channel a top online destination.

WEB-O-METER

5 most-viewed news stories during January

Sources: Kratos Acquires Ingersoll Rand’s Systems Integration Business

Verified Video Security System Stops Car Thief in His Tracks

Acquisition Leads Former Honeywell Execs to the PERS Market

Hackett Security Buys Brinkmann Security, Expands Commercial Base

iControl, Time Warner Cable Join Forces to Offer Home Automation

SECURITY SCANNER®

Security Scanner® Web Poll Question:

If a surplus of cash became available, which of the following would your company most likely spend it on? PAY DOWN DEBT

ACQUISITIONS

OWNERS OR EXECUTIVES WOULD KEEP IT

SALES AND MARKETING

BONUSES OR RAISES FOR GENERAL PERSONNEL

STAFF TRAINING

28% 22% 15% 15% 11% 9% Respondents to January’s Security Scanner Web poll are two sides of the same coin. If they found themselves with a surplus of cash, the highest number of installing security companies would either look to extinguish their debt (28%) or expand by spending on acquisitions (22%). In keeping with the rich getting richer and the widening discrepancies between the income of high-level executives and the rank and file, owners or executives pocketing a surplus of cash tied as the third most popular answer. Log onto securitysales.com to view SSI’s Security Scanner archives as well as cast your vote for the March question: Looking at management, sales and technical expertise, how would you rank your company’s most pressing training/education needs? BLOGS

www.securitysales.com/blog

Some of the things we’re talking about …

• P1 CEO Whall Talks Challenges, Technologies and Conduct • Industry Analysts Project BIG Profits for Protection 1 • Gaining Appreciation for Cloud-Based Monitoring • Do the Yellow Pages Have You Seeing Red? • Payroll Tax Cut Extension: How It Affects You and Your Employees Engage in the conversation!

For the latest news as it happens, sign up for SSI’s eControl Panel at www.securitysales.com

Debating Alarm Systems’ Value January’s Advisory Board Forum (securitysales.com/forum012012) by Provident Security President Mike Jagger (“It’s Time to Offer Real Alarm Response”) resulted in the following exchange between SIAC Executive Director Stan Martin and Jagger.— Ed.

Mr. Jagger’s fundamental premise is that alarm companies are misleading customers, police departments and the public about how quickly and effectively response occurs to homes and businesses. Yes, dealers should explain that response can vary from a few minutes to an hour or more (metro areas); however, he calls for a new model. We disagree. The current Model Ordinance, endorsed by the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and many other organizations involved in public safety/alarm management, has been shown to work effectively if properly implemented and executed. It’s nice to hear he has customers willing to pay a premium for a five-minute response in what is likely a small geographic area. That ignores the big city traffic complications and crime activity in larger metro areas. Try applying that model to the city of Dallas, which attempted verified response (VR), and rejected it as unworkable. The city has approximately 140,000 alarm systems and 3,000 sworn officers, and can’t even begin to get to all priority one calls in less than five minutes. There are 36 million legacy systems across the country. These owners are desperate to secure their properties and can’t rely on a police department to patrol or detect break-ins without these affordable systems as their eyes and ears. They also can’t afford personal private response. In some parts (high crime) of major cities, they couldn’t get a response even if they could afford to pay the fee. The Model Ordinance, as noted above, which includes a multitude of features, has been shown to reduce the need for police response up to 90% (60% is typical the first year or so). Is that perfect? No, but that type of

securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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Security Exchange Sounding Off reduction allows police departments to be tremendously more effective. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget, as the Rutgers Study has strongly pointed out: Alarm systems deter crime. STAN MARTIN, SIAC

A few points to clarify: 1. My fundamental premise isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that

alarm companies are simply misleading consumers; it is that the current model of â&#x20AC;&#x153;monitoringâ&#x20AC;? an alarm, coupled with no/very slow response, is going to kill the industry as we now know it. Consumers, particularly those that Stan Martin identifies as â&#x20AC;&#x153;unable to afford personal private response,â&#x20AC;? will

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learn it is far cheaper and more efficient to monitor their own home alarm via their iPhone/Blackberry for free than to pay a third party to call them when their alarm rings. Focusing on â&#x20AC;&#x153;model ordinancesâ&#x20AC;? based on making life easier for the police and/or alarm company, at the expense of the consumer, will eventually backfire. 2. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to hear that he has customers willing to pay a premium for a five-minute response in what is likely a small geographic area. That ignores the big city traffic complications and crime activity in larger metro areas.â&#x20AC;? For the record, we operate in the city of Vancouver, B.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one of the largest metro areas in North America. As recently as 2007, Vancouver was â&#x20AC;&#x153;recognizedâ&#x20AC;? as having the highest break-in rate of all major Canadian and American cities (four times higher than New York City; www.cbc.ca/ news/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/12/14/bc-vancouvertopsinpropertycrime.html). We are not operating in a little town without traffic or crime. We are solving a major problem for both our clients and the Vancouver Police Department. 3. While the Rutgers Study makes for a good sound bite or quote at the bottom of an alarm sales brochure, the study showed that alarms had a positive impact in Newark â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a city with about 100,000 homes and an exceptionally low number of alarms (about 1,500 homes had alarms at the beginning of the study and about 2,800 at the end in 2005). Taking that study and making a blanket statement that â&#x20AC;&#x153;alarm systems deter crimeâ&#x20AC;? is pure spin. In Vancouver, the percentage of homes with alarms is much higher than 3%, and has been for decades. Alarms may deter crime in Newark, but they certainly donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in Vancouver. Our industry is capable of offering tremendous value to consumers. It is in our collective best interest to focus on communicating that value. Spinning stats and pushing self-serving programs like ECV [Enhanced Call Verification] is not good for any of us. MIKE JAGGER, Provident Security

www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/13198

securitysales.com â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH 2012

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Between Us Pros

Time to Stop the ‘IPsanity’

s of this writing, the “Linsanity” sensation is sweeping America, China and other parts of the world. It refers to the inspired play of Jeremy Lin, a rookie point guard of Chinese descent who injected new life into the NBA’s New York Knicks. Although his ex-

By Scott Goldfine scott.goldfine@ securitysales.com

tions; and ongoing technical challenges and inertia across ploits on the basketball court have been sterling, the overthe marketplace. In addition, today’s economics have made blown coverage is another example of today’s media circus. forklift upgrades especially difficult to justify. This month, I aim to bring some sanity to another overAs a consequence, although IP video is growing faster, anhyped topic: IP video. alog remains viable and continues to be more prevalent (esI think I just heard the collective gasp of some (especialtimated two-thirds of the market) in the field. So while some ly manufacturers and distributors) who may point their achad forecasted analog all but vanishing by 2012, 10 years in cusatory fingers at me and exclaim: “Blasphemy!” However, we must now view this as an I believe many more (especialevolutionary transition (one ly dealers and integrators) are While some had forecasted analog that could take another denodding affirmatively and sayall but vanishing by 2012, 10 years cade to reach conclusion). ing, “Finally, a voice of reain we must now view IP video Making the progression as son!” Allow me to further clarmore as evolution than revolution. smooth as possible will reify the premise. quire realistic expectations, Are the capabilities and and careful coordination, cooperation and collaboration all technology of IP video fantastic? Absolutely. Is IP video one along the line from suppliers to integrators to end users. of the industry’s leading growth drivers? Undoubtedly. Does Some manufacturers have reassessed and realigned their it represent great opportunities for all segments of the secuapproaches. As a result there is a greater emphasis on prodrity channel? Without question. Is analog video extinct and ucts and systems that allow analog and IP devices to coexready for the scrap heap? Um, well that is where we need to ist. This trend is giving integrators and their clients migrabegin to slow our roll a bit. tion paths with so-called hybrid solutions that will keep When networked video surveillance was pushed to the them moving toward what most still believe (including electronic security industry some 10 years ago it came from yours truly) will ultimately be IP ubiquity. Some suppliers outside the circle of familiar suppliers. IP video was new have also ramped up providing integrators networked systo established manufacturers and the skill set required for tems sales & marketing and technical training. its deployment unfamiliar to security contractors. Plus the For their part, integrators must take advantage of these optechnology was not yet fully mature, and so the industry portunities to ensure the long-term success of their businesscollectively dug in its resistant heels. es, and even more importantly to enable doing what’s in cusShift forward several years, however, and technologitomers’ best interests. It’s essential to know and understand cal advancements and competitive pressures induced those what is available and achievable, and never stop growing permanufacturers to do about-faces and proselytize networked sonally, professionally, organizationally and profitably. video. IP system components had become better, networks End users must be reasonable in what they envision more secure and reliable, and bandwidth more readily technology accomplishing, be as flexible as possible and available and enhanced by new compression methods. An trust in their integrator’s consultative advice, and not allow onslaught of IP video marketing and promotion ensued. price sensitivity to trump common sense. The revolution was at hand! This continuous feedback loop will help all industry parOnly the revolution has been stymied by a series of revticipants get where they need to be — and uphold the sancelations. These include the extent of legacy systems, existtity and sanity of IP video. ing cabling infrastructures, command centers and trained ■ security personnel; analog solutions continuing to be adeEditor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine has spent more than 13 years with SECURITY SALES & INquate and cost effective, particularly in lower-end applicaTEGRATION. He can be reached at (704) 663-7125 or scott.goldfine@securitysales.com. 10 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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Tech Talk Advisory y Board Forum

Show Your Customers the ‘Love’ By J. Matthew Ladd matthewladd@protectionbureau.com

W When you lose a client to the “competition,” they don’t leave just for price. If you show your client they are important to you, you will have a long and happy relationship together. J. Matthew Ladd is President and CEO of The Protection Bureau, located in Exton, Pa.

henever my fellow integrators gather at industry events, the conversation always starts with, “How’s business?” The responses are normally the same: “We’re doing better than two years ago, but margins are tighter than ever.” This begs the question: Although we all rely on our new business for growth, do we spend enough time on those clients who got us there? I suspect not. As a company with a recurring revenue stream, your existing customer base is one of your most valued possessions. In order to keep those clients, one must all provide the highest level of customer service possible. When you lose a client to the “competition,” they don’t leave just for price. They leave because they don’t see the value they are getting from you. If you show your client, on a regular basis, that they are important to you, you will have a long and happy relationship together. So how does one accomplish this? Like having a successful marriage, communication is the most important thing. Just like showing your spouse how important they are to you, you need to show the “love” to your customer. There are many ways one can communicate with their clients so as not only to show them this love, but also to make sure their people are providing the highest level of service. A quarterly or semi-annual newsletter helps your clients know what’s going on with your company. They don’t have to be elaborate or involved, but outline what’s been happening. A project you are proud of, new services you are offering or even a few basic security tips. The main thing is to show the clients you are thinking of them. Follow-up after every service call and installation with a call to make sure all went well and that they are satisfied. A prewritten

basic questionnaire with four or five questions allows you to get a consistent gauge of how things went. When things need to be addressed, ensure thorough action is taken in a prompt manner. Then follow up again to close that loop. Be sure to end each customer interaction by thanking them for their business. When you receive good reports back from your clients, be sure to issue the employee involved a short note thanking them. Good customer service and communication is driven from the top down. For those of us with recurring revenue, be it monitoring or service plans, send customers a thank you note on their anniversary. This again is an easy thing to do; a simple thank you without an invoice goes a long away to make the customer “feel loved.” Get out from behind your P&Ls and visit customers. An in-person customer visit, where you thank them for their business without waiving a contract under their nose, carries a lot of weight. Customers, like spouses, are people and people like to be reminded that they are appreciated. Providing quality customer service is a team sport. Make sure all your employees understand the importance and practice it every day. Hold regular scheduled training meetings with your team. Make sure they all know how to send a consistent message. With today’s economy being akin to a roller-coaster ride, we have to make sure all aspects of our companies run as effectively and efficiently as possible. We must never forget those who helped us get where we are and make sure they know we appreciate them. Customer service, when done right, can be rewarding and allow you to spend many happy anniversaries together. ■

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Industry Pulse In Depth

WASHINGTON — The federal government has agreed to establish a public safety broadband network for emergency first responders and provide funding for next-generation 911 technologies. The initiatives were included by Congress last month in a stimulus bill that extends the federal payroll-tax reduction and unemployment benefits. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will auction frequency spectrum to help fund the stimulus plan and develop the network with the remaining 10MHz, or D Block, from the 700MHz spectrum auction. The D Block (758-763 and 788-793MHz) was initially slated for auction to commercial wireless carriers, but the minimum bid wasn’t met. The battle to create a public safety broadband network has been waged for more than six years. At times the efforts appeared destined to fail as political wrangling threatened to derail funding. “We are extremely happy that this has finally happened,” says Lou Fiore, chairman of the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC). “[First responders] are our partners. It will obviously benefit their dispatching efforts, which will in turn give our industry side benefits.” AICC has previously been in discussions for the potential to one day utilize a small portion of the D-Block spectrum for the industry’s alarm communications. Those talks became even more significant when last year the FCC announced the nation’s wireless public safety network would rely on LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology. LTE would replace the web of disparate radio frequencies that often thwart communication between police, fire and EMS during incident response. “If we do in fact get to use their network it would give us stability. There is always turmoil with sunsets: 2G is

Photo courtesy White House

Public Safety Gets Funding, Spectrum for Nationwide Network

Vice President Joe Biden met with police and fire responders in the West Wing to discuss the public safety broadband network. The FCC will auction frequency spectrum to help develop the network with the remaining D Block radio spectrum.

going to 3G is going to 4G,” says Fiore. “Hopefully that would put an end to it for a long while. Then at least we would not have AT&T or Verizon or TMobile directing our fate.” Obama administration officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, met with high-ranking police and fire leaders in February at the White House to discuss the network. Police chiefs and sergeants from the New York Police Department and National Association of Police Organization (NAPO) attended the meeting. In a White House statement, Biden said the plan would “enable new spectrum to be used for innovation, to speed wireless communication, and to fulfill a promise made to first responders after 9/11 that they would have the technology they need to stay safe and do their jobs.” The network would be governed through an independent board under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The $7 billion that will be used to fund

the build-out of the network will come from proceeds of spectrum auctions. Public safety officials agreed to eventually give back spectrum in the 470512MHz, or T-Band, range. These channels will be cleared on an 11-year timetable. The feds have agreed to cover the cost to relocate these licensees. Groups such as the APCO Int’l that have advocated for the assigning of the D Block for the public safety network cheered the announcement. “APCO Int’l thanks our congressional supporters on both sides of the aisle in both chambers of Congress for their dedication to responsibly achieving the build-out of a public safety broadband network and in supporting next-generation 911 technologies,” says Gregg Riddle, the group’s president. “We pledge our full cooperaIndustry Pulse AT A GLANCE tion in the implementation of this Industry News..........15, 16 The Hot Seat ................. 18 legislation for the Vendor Views................. 20 betterment of our Company/People nation’s security.” News .............................. 22 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012 15

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Industry Pulse Industry News

Illinois Alarm Industry Helps Quash Onerous Fire Alarm Ordinance ELK GROVE, Ill. — Municipal officials here scrapped a proposed fire alarm ordinance after strong counter efforts by the Illinois Electronic Security Association (IESA). The ordinance would have required all new and existing businesses and multifamily complexes to install fire alarm systems to connect wirelessly to the Northwest Central Dispatch (NWCD). Under the language of the proposed law, ADT would provide the wireless service in conjunction with NWCD. Individual businesses would pay a $81 per month fee, which includes equipment, installation, maintenance and repairs. “The IESA and its member companies that had customers in Elk Grove Village simply informed our customers of what the village had in mind,” IESA Executive Director Kevin Lehan tells SSI. “Originally, Elk Grove Village officials planned to charge $90 a month, and then they changed it to $81. Knowing what they currently pay, those customers were upset by it.” IESA representatives voiced concerns at a recent board meeting about

the ordinance, including Elk Grove Village showing preference to ADT Security Services. To counteract, the board suggested changing the language of the ordinance to clarify that switching to an alarm system would not be mandatory and instead only encouraged. However, IESA reps requested that the town not adopt the ordinance, even with the updated language, citing that it could still discourage competition. Elk Grove Village officials said the town has between 700 to 800 false alarms a year and half of those are due to faulty alarm systems. Because of the fallibility of telephone landlinebased systems, officials sought to upgrade to a wireless system to reduce false alarms. “The village was rightfully trying to get away from direct-connect copper lines,” Lehan says. “I believe they just chose the wrong method to get the rest of the town off direct-connect copper. What we believe — and we’ve said this in every community where we fought this — that the free market should be allowed to play out.”

Moon Security Promoting New Program to Help Dealers Grow RMR PASCO, Wash. — Moon Security has signed on to serve as the master dealer for a new solution that provides installing security contractors with a full viewing platform for access control, fire, intrusion and video surveillance alarm signals. Known as iLinkx, the platform is geared toward helping increase recurring monthly revenue (RMR) for firms with a large commercial account base. The iLinkx system is a supplemental notification service provider primarily for central stations. The platform integrates with monitoring stations and receives the same signal that an alarm system transmits for operators to dispatch to first responders. Within seconds of the signal receipt, the iLinkx system creates color graphic images of the monitored building’s floor plan, which also shows where all alarms and cameras are located throughout the facility. The system then sends a PDF attachment to central station operators via E-mail or text message. In turn, operators can send the PDFs to first responders to help them identify the location of the alarm. Moon Security To help first responders easily Vice President Mike Miller tells SSI the business model can identify where an alarm is coming produce RMR for both central stations and dealers. “Because from, the iLinkx system displays there is no infrastructure requirement, it’s not really going to an encasement of the signaling device, as well as a time-stamped cost dealers anything up front.” For additional reporting, visit securitysales.com/iLinkx. header line of the occurrence.

ObjectVideo Settles Patent Infringement Claims With Sony RESTON, Va. — ObjectVideo (OV) announced Sony Corp. has signed an agreement to license its patented video analytics technology, and it has withdrawn its patent infringement complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). OV said the two firms have settled all outstanding claims. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. Last spring, OV accused Sony, Samsung Techwin Co. and Bosch of infringing on its intellectual property and video analytics patents. It sought ITC intervention to block the import and sale of their products. A week prior to the Feb. 9 notice that OV reached an agreement with Sony, American Dynamics, a Tyco Security Products company, signed a global patent licensing agreement with OV. The pact will allow American Dynamics access to OV’s portfolio of video analytics patents, as the firm develops its own video analytics solutions. OV is still engaged in the legal process with Bosch and Samsung.

Honeywell Acquires Fire Sentry MINNEAPOLIS — Honeywell has acquired Fire Sentry Corp., a provider of fire detection and control products for a broad range of industrial markets. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Based in Yorba Linda, Calif., Fire Sentry’s product portfolio consists of electro-optical flame detectors, portable test lamps and dedicated control panels that are used by customers in industrial settings such as petrochemical, semiconductor and munitions plants. The acquisition will help Honeywell significantly expand its gas and flame detection, and monitoring solutions and builds on the company’s acquisitions of System Sensor in 1984 and Zellweger Analytics in 2005 among others in the gas detection arena. The firm will be folded into Honeywell Life Safety.

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Industry Pulse

HOT SEAT: With Reorg on Horizon, Tyco Security Products Rolls On stand today so the separation is not really a big deal for us. On the services side of the business, they have a good action plan and roadmap to split the residential business from the commercial business and good leadership to make it all happen, so again we have not run into anything unexpected.

Mark VanDover is president of Tyco Security Products, a division that includes DSC, Bentel, Sur-Gard and CONNECT24 intrusion products; the access control lines of Software House, Kantech and CEM Systems; and video surveillance products from American Dynamics. He joins us to discuss Tyco’s recent Visonic acquisition, plans for Tyco Int’l to split into three independent companies and more. How will Visonic be integrated into Tyco Security Products? When we looked at the business there is not a lot of overlap between the Visonic footprint and our own portfolio. There are good synergies. Our focus is going to be how do we take the technologies from both sides of our business — from the DSC platform as well as the Visonic platform — and integrate them into a common roadmap. So we have teams working together from both sides trying to figure out what does the new roadmap look like or how do we tweak our existing roadmaps to leverage the technology. That’s on the intrusion and wireless piece, but also the whole endeavor with the Elpas and the RTLS [realtime location systems] product line is one we are really excited about as well. Leveraging both of those in our existing portfolio will be our focus as we go forward. Which vertical markets do you see wireless being a particular good opportunity? Up until recently wireless has been focused on the residential side of the business. With Visonic’s PowerG technology being so robust and reliable, we think we have a game-changer that allows us to get in and start ex-

Mark VanDover President Tyco Security Products

ploring more in the commercial segments whether that is core commercial and/or retail and banking. We think that it gives us a leg up on what is available today and we actually think it will help the market transition from a hardwired platform into more of a wireless platform. In September 2011, Tyco said it would split into three independent companies. What is the current timetable for the reorganization to be completed? We are pretty much on schedule. Our plan is to try to have this completed in the fall of [this year]. At this point we are working through all the different issues that public companies have to work through with the different filings and announcements, etc. We have not run into any unexpected hurdles and everything continues to look promising. Tyco Security Products is pretty much a self-contained business as we

There’s been no shortage of reorganization plans in the security industry as of late. What is driving the integration across different platforms? From a business perspective, there are some real technology changes happening today. The big switch from analog to digital is a driving force. We are at an interesting point where the technology is once again shifting to advantageous solutions. Just up to the very recent past there was a lot of theory with regard to cloud technology. And it was only theory, but suddenly today we are seeing the transition from land-based application networks to cloud-based networks. It’s actually happening. You are also starting to see other entrants into the marketplace, whether they are service providers, cable companies or utilities. They are forcing businesses to be more innovative, more network- and IP-based, and really focus on technology. In the end it is going to be good for our end users. And as we move forward they are going to have new innovative technologies that will hopefully drive better solutions, whether it’s on the home front or in a business environment.

FIND IT ON THE WEB F For much more from our conversation, visit F securitysales.com/hotseat. se

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Industry Pulse Vendor Views

The Ivory Tower of Power BUSINESS Basics COMPANY NAME: Altronix Corp. YEAR FOUNDED: 1984

The management team at Altronix Corp. includes (l to r), Kirby Han, art director; Alan Forman, president; Gary Zatz, national sales manager; and Frank Owen, marketing manager.

HEADQUARTERS: Brooklyn, N.Y. CONTACT INFORMATION: 140 58th St. Building A, 3 West Brooklyn, N.Y. 11220 Phone: (888) 258-7669 Fax: (718) 567-9056 E-mail: info@altronix.com www.altronix.com NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 245 PRESIDENT: Alan Forman

Strategy and Positioning

alk about the unsung hero. Behind every video surveillance system, fire alarm and myriad other electronic security applications is an integral component making it all go, the power supply. While never credited for helping catch the crook or safeguarding a facility, maybe no one has a better appreciation for power supplies than installing security contractors. And oftentimes their provider of choice is Altronix Corp., led by its founder and president, Alan Forman. The firm’s corporate headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y., occupies more than 100,000 square feet with the latest manufacturing technologies. In fact, all of the company’s products are made in the U.S. “Altronix is one of the few designers and manufacturers of professional security solutions that maintains turnkey operations in the U.S. Unlike other manufacturers that either import products or provide final assembly for products that are sourced overseas, we take great pride in the fact that all Altronix products are exclusively made in the U.S.A.,” says Forman, who is a SSI Hall of Fame inductee. Altronix integrated power solutions and products are deployed in a wide range of vertical markets but not limited to government, health-care, retail, corporate/industrial, transportation, critical infrastructure, financial/banking, retail, hospitality and entertainment venues. The company maintains its innovative edge by keeping close relationships with other manufacturers and staying abreast of the latest hardware and software platforms. Key product development input also comes from security dealers and integrators, consultants, A&Es and end users.

Forman counts the inexorable transition to IP-based security equipment and systems as the most significant agent of change affecting the industry as well has his own company. This has included the need to incorporate network connectivity into more of the firm’s traditional power supplies to allow remote set-up and status monitoring. “The networking trend is redefining how systems are designed, deployed and installed. This trend has affected virtually every security product category,” he says. “At Altronix, we have several new product lines that address network systems compatibility, including solutions like our new eBridge Ethernet adapters that allow IP cameras to be easily deployed over legacy coax cable.”

◗TECHNOLOGIES AND MARKETS

Sectors Served: Video Surveillance, Access Control, Fire/Life Safety, Security Alarms, Automation Product Lines: Ethernet adapters, midspan PoE power injectors, transceiver hubs, power controllers, rack mount power solutions, UPS power supplies, outdoor power solutions, panic device power/controllers, AC/DC power supplies. Marquee Offerings: eBridge Ethernet Adapters, NetWay Midspan PoE Power Injectors, WayPoint Outdoor Power Solutions. Product Availability: Via an international network of distributors. Reseller Value-Adds: Customer support and training for authorized resellers.

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Industry Pulse Company News ◗PEOPLE HID Global appoints Kerry Reid as vice president of HID Connect. Reid will be responsible for driving HID Global hardware and software partnerships and extendReid ing the company’s Genuine HID Technology system. He previously served as vice president of worldwide sales at ATTO Technology, a provider of storage connectivity and infrastructure solutions. Lumidigm Inc.’s Board of Directors appoints Mark Shermetaro as CEO. He served on the company’s board of directors for two years. Shermetaro replaces Shermetaro Lumidigm Co-founder, Chairman and now former CEO Bob Harbour, who will stay on as executive chairman of the board. The Protection Bureau names Jim Braccille as security consultant. With more than 10 years in the electronic security industry, Braccille has owned a MarylandBraccille based electronic security integration company for the past seven years. Additionally, he served on The Protection Bureau’s installation team as a national accounts subcontractor. Protection 1 appoints Juan Perdomo as general manager for its branch in Riverside, Calif. Perdomo previously served at Stanley Convergent Security Solutions Perdomo (CSS) as South Florida general manager servicing Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He also spent a year with HSM Protection Services as district general manager.

World Wide Security Expands Reach in N.Y. With 3 Acquisitions World Wide Security Group, an intrusion and fire alarm systems provider based in Garden City, N.Y., has added three physical security firms to its group of companies. The company acquired Access One Security of Commack, N.Y.; Dart Security of Woodbury, N.Y.; and LSG Security Systems, located in the Bronx. “These acquisitions will help us achieve the ability to increase delivery of quality security solutions and technology to a growing marketplace in the region,” World Wide Security President and CEO Ken Mara says. “There is a lot of industry talent involved with these acquisitions, which will benefit our expanding customer base.”

Vector Security Adds Managed IT Services to Portfolio Vector Security has teamed up with Spacenet Inc., a data network services provider, to offer managed network services to its national accounts and retail customers. As part of the partnership, Spacenet clients will also have access to Vector Security’s interactive security services. The deal allows Vector to offer broadband video monitoring and other ITbased services such as VoIP, Wi-Fi, multicast and merchant connectivity, Vector Security Executive Vice President Michael Grady tells SSI. “It’s become clear that contemporary retail LP [loss prevention]-related services and newer datareliant LP services are migrating to Internet-based platforms,” he says.

NAV Relocates New England Office to New, Larger Location Following its recent acquisition of Nexus Technologies Group, North American Video (NAV) has relocated its northeast regional office to larger facilities in Pearl River, N.Y. The new site will enable the systems integrator to offer enhanced services and support to its customers as well as better facilitate the integration of the two firms. “It takes us into the future and positions us in the strategically important New York market to build on our business model while continuing to grow in New York and across the northeast region,” says Jason Oakley, president and CEO of NAV.

Graybar Celebrates Opening of New Branch in Missouri Graybar, a distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products, has opened a new branch in Joplin, Mo. The facility, which will staff three full-time employees, will stock local inventory with daily deliveries from Graybar’s Springfield, Mo., location. The new facility will serve the cities of Joplin, Webb City, Carthage, Neosho, Carl Junction and the counties of Newton and Jasper. “We’ve been serving the Joplin area out of our Springfield location for some time and are excited to bring a higher level of service to our customers with this new branch,” says Graybar’s St. Louis District Vice President Mike Dumas.

Smarter Security Moves Into New Corporate Headquarters Optical turnstile provider Smarter Security Inc. has relocated its corporate headquarters to a larger office space in Austin, Texas. The new site includes more meeting and training rooms to foster further engagement with systems integrators, partners and other security professionals. “This larger office space provides us with new capabilities which are essential as we prepare for important developments that will redefine Smarter Security and our visibility within the security industry,” says Jeff Brown, Smarter Security Inc. nearly doubled its corporate headquarters after moving into a CEO of Smarter Security. new facility, above, in Austin, Texas.

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Convergence Channel

Helping Clients Kick the Analog Video Habit Whether it’s systems integrators or end users, human beings are creatures of habit. This means resistance to change that extends to technology solutions such as video surveillance. Learn the steps you need to make to help yourself and client migrate from analog to IP.

elephants, need to be treated with respect. You also need to have a plan. If you don’t have a plan bad things can happen, such as your customer needs to replace a broken DVR tomorrow. Good luck laying out all the benefits of IP migration or HD hybrid recorders in that compressed timeframe. The lack of budget bandwidth will make that decision for both of you. So how can you make change work for instead of against you in selling IP video solutions anyway? We’ll figure it out together.

Change Explained as a Formula Let’s try to understand the nature of change a little more clearly. In 1969, David Gleisher and Richard Beckhard developed Gleicher’s Formula to help explain why we resist change. They

©iStockphoto.com/victor zastol skiy

am going to talk about the elephant in the IP video living room, and no it’s not bandwidth. It’s much more challenging. It moves slowly like an elephant. It can act irrational if it is suddenly surprised, like an elephant. It’s called change. All of the logic, technology and operational benefits of IP megapixel video go right out the window when you have to overcome our natural resistance to change. The basics of selling IP video solutions are really about understanding how change works. This includes changes in customers’ needs, in your abilities to sell more complex solutions and the resistance, yours and the customer’s, to newer IP technologies. The smaller elephant in the room is usually the budget issue. Budgets, like

By Paul Boucherle paul@matterhornconsulting.com

provided some very helpful guidelines on how we can influence change in a positive way. Gleicher’s formula states that change will occur if: D x V x F > R D = Dissatisfaction with video quality, quantity, availability or consistent delivery. IP video, as well as managed and hosted services, offers new choices that support IP video migration. V = Vision of what is possible (video used differently to support the business). To follow a successful IP video sales process, you must help paint a graphic picture for your customer’s different departments of how video data is both a business and security service before they can “see” the vision. F = First concrete steps that can be taken toward the vision is, in Woody Allen’s words, to just show up. If you don’t make the effort to care about your video service customers, somebody else just might. It’s rather strange but understandable that your customers, who bought a nonrecurring revenue, no maintenance agreement and “quiet” service like CCTV, might fall off your radar screen. R = Resistance … is diminished and a customer will be prepared to buy IP video services from you and not your competitor when the time is right. The right time might be a lot sooner than either of you think!

6 Steps for Selling IP Video

There is an elephant in the IP video living room. It moves slowly like an elephant. It can act irrational if it is suddenly surprised, like an elephant. It’s called change. Logic, technology and operational benefits of IP video are lost when you have to overcome resistance to change.

Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu (604531 BC) said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Here are six practical steps to get you started on your IP selling journey:

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©iStockphoto.com/Cristian Baitg

1. Make a conscious decision istence of IP video technology. to be proactive and dedicate However, can they clearly state some company resources that the advantages for their compawill make selling IP video a ny? Do they already have budstrategy and a priority. Regetary proposals for a step-bymember that competitor? step migration strategy vetted 2. Dig into your databases or file and planned for in next year’s folders and identify all your exbudget? How about when a isting video system customers. break/fix event occurs, will they It’s time to prioritize and focus already know their decision your sales efforts to grow your path thanks to you? business. Selling upgrades to It may sound like I don’t like existing customers should proDVRs per se, but nothing could vide an additional revenue be further from the truth. They The basics of selling IP video solutions are really about stream of 10-15%. will faithfully serve many marunderstanding how change works. This includes changes in 3. Identify and prioritize concustomers’ needs, in your abilities to sell more complex solu- ket shares for years to come. Pertracts more than three years tions and the resistance, yours and the customer’s, to newer haps an analogy will simply and IP technologies. old that use DVR technoloeffectively help clarify the basics gy. Next, sort those customin selling IP video solutions. ers into a priority ranking of A, B or Think of migrating customers to IP Analog Migration Strategies C based on the size of their systems, solutions in terms of phone communiI would guess the reason analog vidincluding the number of camercation. Have your sales team tell this eo continues to remain strong is the as and DVRs installed. See all A acstory. In the “old days” we had rotary fact that when an existing customer’s counts in the next 60 days, then the dial phones (as analog as you can get), DVR unexpectedly fails, the kneejerk B accounts, etc. then digital phones that had buttons and reaction is to replace it with a simi4. Map customer locations using pen tones … stay with me now. Then we “unlar DVR solution as quickly as possiand paper and mount it where evfettered” ourselves and went with moble. The general tolerance for “the videryone can see it in your office. I bile communication, starting with pageo system is down” has rapidly shrunk like visual reminders, don’t you? ers, then car-mounted cellular, handheld the past five years. 5. Hold your sales team accountable by Motorola “brick” cellular (yes, I am that To make matters worse, the failure making a commitment to visit these old), and then cellular appliances that was unexpected. That may mean an accounts in the next six months. would fit into your pocket or purse. unanticipated expense. Having tight 6. Establish the leadership vision and Unbelievable progress, power and budgets will apply additional presmission statement so that 75% of mobility coverage; it just couldn’t get sure to minimize any financial impact, your customers will be informed and any better, could it? Actually it could which in turn means the lowest cost armed with a budgetary alternative and did get better for phones and secuDVR may be chosen. When you are to an OMG (oh, my God) DVR decirity video technologies. We have witin the reactive mode you may miss an sion. “We will not allow our competinessed and participated in the marvels opportunity to migrate your systems tors to beat us to the punch.” of the iPhone. It redefined customers’ to the right choice for the future. expectations of the usefulness of an In fact, IP video is typically preemerging technology that introduced These steps will help you carve the ferred with a significant market share smarter appliances, communication inelephant into MREs (meals ready to of “green field” installations. The largfrastructure and convenience of data eat) that your sales team can maner the installation, the more often IP delivery, and how and where we want it. age. I believe we have hit a plateau in video technology is specified. The reaTo overcome your customer’s resisthe IP video market that will require son is simple: planning, design and tance to change, take the right steps a bit of retooling of your sales strateappropriate budget allocation. together in your IP video selling jourgies and digging in deeper with your What I have stated is pretty obvious, ney and ask that elephant to leave customers. The culprit is the lack of right? But suppose you take a slightthe room! migration planning by both end users ly more aggressive proactive vs. reac■ and, yes, the sales forces of systems tive strategy in selling IP video soluPaul Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is principal integrators that serve their needs. I am tions to your existing customers. By of Canfield, Ohio-based Matterhorn Consulting (www. matterhornconsulting.com). He has more than 30 years not wagging a finger of blame at you this I mean 80% of your existing video of diverse security and safety industry experience and … well, maybe a little bit! system customers are aware of the excan be contacted at paul@matterhornconsulting.com. securitysales.com • MARCH 2012 25

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Tech Talk

Intrusion Detection Can Work Magic There is certainly more science than hocus pocus involved in maximizing the accuracy and value of an intrusion alarm system. However, a high level of skill is required for a successful technician or magician, and proper use of sensors and installation methods can produce results no less amazing.

his month we are going to take a comprehensive look at some popular intrusion sensors and the installation techniques that are critical for an alarm system to perform reliably. Failing to keep track of the performance parameters of different types of detection devices can lead to false alarms, detection misses, and overall lack of confidence from users and local law enforcement. Read on for some tricks of the trade.

Base Design on ‘5 Ds’ of Security Even a basic alarm system should be designed with specific layers of security. This should consist of both physical and electronic security components. Select a strategy in which layers of security are defined. What is the perimeter of each area and what are the higher risk areas in the home or facility? Remember that every room has six sides, not just four. Do you remember “The 5 Ds” of a good security system (Deter, Delay, Deny, Detect and Dispatch)? What is the true perimeter of each area? How much does the customer want to spend to extend their detection zones for the earliest possible warning? With the advent of remotely controlled electronic door locks I have noticed the beginning of a new security trend, even in home alarm systems. We now have the potential when a system is armed the doors are

automatically locked; when a door is locked, the alarm is armed; and if an intruder is detected at the outer perimeter the access doors are immediately locked. (See this month’s Tool Tip box.)

By Bob Dolph bdolph.ssi@gmail.com

tionally, placing an AGB very close to large windows may cause a saturation of the detection circuit on

Alarm Loop Diagram

Sensor & Installation Guidelines Through the years I have written several “Tech Talk” columns about specific intrusion sensors. Let’s review some of the key installation and application guidelines for different intrusion sensors. Acoustical Glass Break (AGB) — These devices detect the unique sound patterns that breaking glass generates. Follow manufacturer’s instructions closely. An example would be that some allow for AGB devices mounted next to windows, others facing windows. • Use the correct tester as it was designed to test the specific AGB. • Do a final test after carpets, draperies and furniture have been installed. They can substantially affect AGB performance. • Select the correct AGB sensor and settings for the type of glass being protected. • Positioning an AGB too close to glass can create false alarms. Something as simple as tapping a quarter on the glass can trip some AGB detectors. You may want to look at ¾-inch of maximum range with tester and furnishings in place. Addi-

Normally closed (N.C.) alarm contacts should NOT be installed on the ground or common side of an alarm loop. This illustration came from a popular alarm panel manufacturer’s documentation. It is a good example of how techs need to understand the circuits they are installing.

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Tech Talk

TECH TALK Tool Tip

some AGB sensors and a possible missed alarm. • Does the customer have a way to accurately test their AGB devices? Motion Sensors — Unless otherwise mentioned we will be talking about passive infrared (PIR); however, microwave can come in handy at times. • Place PIR in a high traffic area that is facing inward and not looking at changing heat sources, such as AC/ heating vents and windows. • PIRs are more sensitive to movement across a detection area and not approaching the PIR. • Use pulse count settings for false alarm reduction with caution as too many counts in certain locations may result in areas not being protected. • Make sure to seal PIR cable access openings to reduce bug penetration and false alarms. • Place bug strips or spray nondestructive bug spray on a sponge piece and place in PIR. Spray area around PIR with bug spray in commercial and outdoor areas. • Use dual-technology motion devices such as microwave/PIR to reduce false alarms. Wire or program crosszoning of two similar or different devices to reduce false alarms in a particular area. (Suggestion: You might want to reference the previously reviewed Dolph Double Trap circuit for motions that have form C relays; securitysales.com/techtalk_0611)

• Wire the tamper switch and put EOL (end-of-line) resistors in device. Consider PIR models with masking tamper supervision for commercial accounts. Overall Installation Tips — Knowing a few basic installation guidelines can help with installing reliable intrusion systems. • Make sure cable runs are at a right angle to AC line voltage runs. Running cables parallel can cause interference on alarm cable runs due to a coupling effect. • Leave a loop in the cable in your terminations as you never know when you have to make a slight adjustment. • Make sure to use plenum-rated cable in ceiling areas that are considered an air return space. • Keep a log in your alarm panel identifying all cable runs, location of splice boxes and EOL devices. Log all service visits. • Make sure customer understands all operations and functioning of alarm system.

Properly Terminating EOL Loops Recently, a “Tech Talk” reader reminded me of an installation question that often gets overlooked. Thanks to Jim Sutton of AAA Alarm Systems Ltd. in Winnipeg, Canada, for this timely inquiry on EOL loop supervision. If a tech is to take the time to install EOL supervision, then the EOL resis-

Courtesy Kwikset

With products like the SmartCode wireless lockset from Lake Forest, Calif.-based Kwikset (kwikset.com), we now have the capability to arm an alarm through lock activation, lock doors if a perimeter alarm activates, remotely arm/disarm, and transmit text notification via the Internet. These locks will typically work with alarm panels that have the Z-Wave automation communications option. This communication has full 128-bit encryption. The product features BumpGuard protection and easily replaces existing deadbolts. Kwikset is a Stanley Black & Decker brand.

Kwikset’s SmartCode deadbolt with Home Connect technology is a keyless entry electronic lock developed for interoperability with home automation and security systems. It also delivers a variety of access control options.

tors should be placed at the end of the alarm loop. There is often confusion on the correct placement of normally closed (N.C.) series alarm contacts. Note that they should be placed in series on the nongrounded side of the alarm loop. Possible shorting of an alarm loop will most likely be from a ground to alarm loop cable conductor. This could simply be from cable rubbing a sharp metal edge on a conduit or a misplaced staple. Typically the alarm loop common connection is ground. An alarm loop has a better chance of supervising shorts by placing the NC alarm contacts on the hot side of the alarm loop (see diagram).

More Than Meets Eye to Success Well planned alarm intrusion detection is like magic. As you look at a magician’s act you see two actions. One is the obvious display that is intended for the viewers, the other action is either under the palm, behind the back or concealed in some way. The former is often a distraction for the latter. When placing intrusion detectors, do it the same way as the magic act. Have the obvious intrusion detector devices in plain view, but have another hidden detection device strategically located. My favorite is a concealed door contact on key interior doors. ■ Bob Dolph has served in various technical management and advisory positions in the security industry for 30+ years. To share tips and installation questions, E-mail Bob at bdolph.ssi@gmail.com. Check out his Tech Shack blog at www.securitysales.com/blog.

28 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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Fire Side Chat

Behind the Scenes of Mass Notification & Emergency Communications Mass notification systems have received a lot of attention in recent years and represent a growing market for installing life-safety system contractors. Find out how this area developed, where it differs and overlaps with emergency communication systems, and where this market is heading.

f you attend events like the ISC or NFPA expos, you’ve probably noticed a number of exhibitors displaying mass notification equipment. That’s because mass notification has created a buzz for firms that produce life-safety products. But what exactly is mass notification, and where did it originate? In the 2010 edition of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, a new chapter was added. Chapter 24, “Emergency Communications Systems (ECS),” was developed by a new technical committee to the NFPA 72 process called Emergency Communication Systems. This is a separate group from

the Notification Appliances for Fire Alarm Systems Technical Committee. This month, I will discuss the concept of mass notification systems (MNS) and emergency communications systems (ECS). Next month, we’ll look at the different types of systems.

How NFPA Got Involved Prior to the 2007 edition of NFPA 72, the United States Air Force (USAF) proposed to the NFPA Standards Council that a consensus-based standard for MNS be promulgated by NFPA. The Standards Council concurred and forwarded the project to Signaling Systems for the Protection

By Shane Clary smclary@bayalarm.com

of Life and Property Technical Correlating Committee (72 TCC), which is responsible in part for NFPA 72. Prior to the Air Force’s request, the Department of Defense (DoD) had developed the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) Design and O&M Mass Notification Systems (UFC 4-021-01), which was published in 2002. This document defined MNS as “… provides real-time information and instructions to people in a building, area, site, or installation using intelligible voice communications along with visible signals, text, and graphics, and possibly including tactile or other communication methods. The purpose of mass notification is to protect life by indicating the existence of an emergency situation and instructing people of the necessary and appropriate response and action.”

©iStockphoto.com/teekid

Attack Prompts Action

Since the Virginia Tech tragedy, mass notification and emergency communications systems are now being installed at universities, colleges and other institutions. Systems can also be found within communities to provide early warning to residents of an impending emergency.

Prior to the development of this UFC, the DoD and Department of State had no standardized method to alert staff and occupants of a building or site of an emergency or other event that might be occurring from within or from outside of a location. This became very apparent in 1996 at the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. That’s when and where a housing complex that was being used to quarter Air Force personnel came under attack by bombers who parked a tanker truck converted into a mobile bomb

30 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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Major U.S. cellular carriers have made their stance clear:

The 2G Sunset has started. If you install a GSM or GPRS based product you will be forced to replace it with a modern 3G one within a few years. For the average security dealer, this will amount to thousands of dollars of revenue spent on truck rolls and replacement equipment. To avoid the sudden impact of the next sunset, switch to 3G products today.

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Fire Side Chat

directly outside of the compound. An Air Force sentry saw the tanker truck as a threat and, by going door-to-door within the building, was able to alert a large percentage of the occupants, most of whom were sleeping at the time. Nineteen lives were lost and 372 individuals were wounded. Air Force Lt. General James F. Record was tasked to investigate the causes of this attack and determine preventative measures against future incidents. Among the recommendations found within his Independent Review of the Khobar Towers Bombing: “Procure commercially available pagers, in the near term, for alerting/ warning systems in deployed locations; and explore advanced technologies for this capability.” From these recommendations, UFC4-021-01 was developed. While this document was created by the Army, Navy and Air Force, it was not a consensus-based standard. Once assigned the task to develop a standard, the 72 TCC discussed if this should be a separate document or part of NFPA 72. The conclusion was that MNS should be contained within NFPA 72.

Annex Details 4 MNS Factors In the 2007 edition of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code, MNS is found in Annex E. This annex was developed by a task group made up of members from the TCC and various technical committees that develop the 72 standard. Annex E had four parts: 1. Introduction; 2. Fundamentals of Mass Notification Systems; 3. System Features; and 4. Central Control Station(s). The scope of Annex E was: “Annex E covers the application, installation, location, performance, and maintenance of mass notification systems (MNSs). For the purposes of the annex, a MNS was considered to be: “A system used to provide information and instructions to people in a building, area, site, or other space using intelligible voice communications and possibly includ-

◗

ing visible signals, text, graphEmergency Communications ics, tactile, or other communiSystems Types cations methods.” • In-Building Fire Emergency Voice/Alarm CommuniThe stated purpose of these cations Systems (EVACS) systems was: “The systems • In-Building Mass Notification Systems covered under Annex E are • Wide-Area Mass Notification Systems for the protection of life by in• Distributed Recipient Mass Notification Systems dicating the existence of an (DRMNS) • Two-Way In-Building Wired Emergency Services emergency situation and inCommunications Systems structing the occupants of the • Two-Way Radio Communications Enhancement necessary and appropriate reSystems sponse and action.” Within • Area of Refuge Emergency Communication Systems Annex E the basic principles for a MNS was laid out, in that they would provide information intentional), other dangerous situawithin a “building, area site or othtions, accidents, and natural disasters.” er space” using voice and visible comWithin Chapter 24, the following munications or “other communication two basic types of ECS are covered: methods.” These methods could inOne-Way Emergency Communicaclude pagers, cell phones, E-mail and tions Systems; and Two-Way In-Buildreverse 911. ing Emergency Communications SysThe text, however, in the 2007 editems. Within each of these categories tion was written in nonenforceable there are a number of system types language; “should” as opposed to (see box above). “shall.” Annex E was seen as being a ECS and MNS are chiefly found at transition between the UFC and a full government facilities like military basstandard developed by NFPA. Between es, embassies, consulates and other the 2007 and 2010 editions, the new high target properties. But since the technical committee was selected. Virginia Tech tragedy systems are now being installed at universities, colleges and other institutions. Systems can Emergency Communications also be found within communities to While the original concept for a provide early warning to residents of MNS was to mitigate against a terroran impending emergency. ist attack, the newly formed technical MNS/ECS may be used to alert occommittee determined that for other cupants of a building, site or base of types of events there be an automata terrorist threat, armed persons, civic fire alarm system in place to detect il unrest, hazardous spill or release, and warn building occupants. Thus dangerous weather, and other events ECS came to be as a new system type. that may occur at or around the locaWhile ECS is part of NFPA 72, such a tion of the system. The system can be system can encompass more than just triggered from within or outside the voice evacuation, so the title of this site. The extent of these systems may standard was changed to National Fire be small defined zones, larger defined Alarm and Signaling Code. zones, building floor, multiple floors As mentioned earlier, ECS is deor zones, entire buildings, building pescribed within Chapter 24 of NFPA 72. rimeter, block, base, city, county, state The purpose of an ECS is found within or nation. Paragraph 24.2.3: “An emergency com■ munications system is intended to comShane Clary, Ph.D., has more than 37 years of security municate information about emergenand fire alarm industry experience. He serves on a number of NFPA technical committees, and is Vice President cies including, but not limited to, fire, of Codes and Standards Compliance for Pacheco, human-caused events (accidental and Calif.-headquartered Bay Alarm Co.

32 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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Telguard is evolving to 3G. To protect our customers from the negative impact of the 2G Sunset, Telguard’s existing product lines are completely transitioning to 3G. Every time you install a Telguard 3G cellular alarm communicator for residential, commercial or PERS, you’ll know that’s one less customer you have to worry about when the upcoming 2G Sunset arrives.

Switch to 3G for the price of 2G. Learn more at Telguard.com.

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Monitoring Matters

Dirty Little Secret About IP Transmitters

cost to central stations, especially thirdparty central stations that had to accommodate a wide array of formats. During the early 2000s, central stations retired outdated POTS line receivers and replaced them with the new, more efficient virtual receivers. Life was good! More than ever, it felt like the central station world was changing with the times and beginning to move boldly into the future. Now, here we are in 2012 and central stations face the same predicament from the 1980s and ’90s with the receiving of IP signals. Virtually every Central stations cannot load control panel vendor anywhere near as many accounts has designed a proon an IP receiver compared to prietary protocol for any virtual POTS receiver with a their IP transmitters. similar number of available ports. This means the central stations have to buy a receiver and a backup to support (POTS) lines to individual line cards the monitoring of all the different mansectioned off into hunt groups. Instead, ufacturers’ IP transmitters. As Yogi Berthey utilized dynamic port configurara once pontificated, “It’s like déjà vu all tions and the bandwidth from T-1 cirover again!” The same central stations cuits to answer calls from alarm dialers. that were so happy about moving all The virtual receivers provided much their POTS signal traffic to one receivmore bandwidth for incoming alarm er are now lamenting having to buy intransmissions, and just as importantdividual IP receivers. It seems the inly, they enabled central stations to dustry could have worked together to monitor virtually all manufacturers’ develop a universal standard protocol formats on one receiver. for these transmitters so they could be This was a dream come true for cenreceived on one device. tral stations. It provided a much more efficient solution for the receiving of alarm communications. It was also Big Burden on 3rd-Party Centrals great for alarm dealers because they The situation is now being addidn’t have to report to multiple receivdressed by the Contract Monitorer phone numbers to accommodate ing Council, a subcommittee of the different manufacturers’ formats. The Central Station Alarm Association problem prior to virtual receivers was (CSAA). They are working with the that several manufacturers had propripanel manufacturers to develop a etary formats that required central stastandard protocol that can transmit tions to use their proprietary receivers. to a single universal IP receiver. There This was inefficient and came at a huge is no defined timeline as to when this P communications is empowering positive change at a rapid pace across the entire electronic security landscape. This month I’d like discuss, however, a particular downside it is having that you may not yet have fully considered. In the late 1990s, certain alarm receivers frequently referred to as “virtual receivers” were engineered to receive multiple alarm transmission formats from multiple manufacturers’ alarm dialers. Unlike receivers of old, these did not connect plain old telephone service

By Mark Matlock mmatlock@teamucc.com

will be accomplished. Central stations hope that it’s sooner rather than later. Third-party central stations are really paying a big price in this equation. As previously stated, they have to support multiple alarm dealers using a wide array of products. Their dealers are coming to them wanting them to support the latest, greatest IP transmitter. The central station is then in the unenviable position of having to decide whether or not to spend as much as $10,000 or more for a primary and a spare receiver, not to mention the time and expense of installation. This scenario is playing out at thirdparty central stations everywhere. Another interesting fact about IP receivers is that they are very inefficient with bandwidth. Central stations cannot load anywhere near as many accounts on an IP receiver compared to any virtual POTS receiver with a similar number of available ports. This is because of the intense “pinging” that goes on with IP transmitters. It’s great for supervision, but it’s bad for bandwidth consumption. This comes as a big surprise to a lot of people in the industry. IP communications for alarms is great for the industry, and I am not trying to steer alarm dealers away from using IP communicators. I do, however, believe the alarm industry needs to come up to speed regarding the receiving of IP signals from alarm control panels. ■ Mark Matlock is Senior Vice President at United Central Control Inc. (UCC), a wholesale monitoring station based in San Antonio.

34 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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SPECIAL REPORT

By Scott Goldfine

“A

Join Elite

true visionary not only creates products that meet customer needs, but also changes an industry. He reshaped three markets in the process of founding four companies.”

“O

ver the years, the association often sought out his advice, as he was one of the visionaries in our industry. His insight into people and companies was always amazing.”

Two preeminent installing company leaders, the face of a dominant industry manufacturer, an access control pioneer, and a late, great former CSAA and NBFAA president earn entry into SSI’s Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement. See how the paths they blazed led to such great successes and enduring legacies.

“H

is endowment to the business is characterized by his unending willingness to openly and unselfishly engage with his peers for the betterment of all security companies.”

“A

tireless supporter of CSAA, she chaired our education committee during the formation of our most successful online education program, and was the catalyst during the formation of our Fall Central Station Operations Conference.”

“H

e has provided strong leadership to our industry, serves on the Board of CSAA, and actively supports SIAC in word, deed and financial contributions.” 36 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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Hall’s Ranks

he reverential comments to the left were among the many ri ringing inging in i g endorsements voters lavished upon the five very special indiv individuals v viduals whose accolades and accomplishments have propelled them opelled th hem m into the SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION Hall of Fame. order me. In alphabetical alph hab b betical and matching the sequence of quotes, 2012’s Hall of Famee class is: is: Ted Teed Geiszler, Geiszleer, John Mabry, Joe Nuccio, Pam Petrow and Ron Rothman. n. Founded in 2004 to represent the apogee of honor for extrao extraordinary ordinaryy professionalism, conduct and achievement, each year SSI’s SI’s Hall of o Famee pays tribute to those remarkable people who have had an n unforgettable unforgeettablee impact on the industry, continuously sustained over thee duration duratio on of a long and illustrious career. Honorees are recognized in an n official induci tion ceremony held during the SAMMY Awards on the eve ve of ISC C Westt (March 27) at the Venetian Hotel. This year’s group encompasses a broad swatch of excellence xcellencee from m many walks of the electronic security industry. This includes ncludes acaccess control innovation (Geiszler); trade association and business management (Mabry); acquisition mastery, and generosity ity to industry and community (Nuccio); alarm communications, s, training trainin ng g and company leadership (Petrow); and providing dealers ers prod-ucts/solutions and opportunities (Rothman). Nominated by past inductees and other luminaries, these join 57 othhese five now n ers in the industry’s pantheon. The following profiles encapsulate ncapsulate how each one of them met challenges head-on, and enriched themselves, those with whom they have associated and the industry at large. SSI is pleased to officially welcome these exemplary and distinguished members of the security community into the Hall of Fame.

FIND IT ON THE WEB For the comF p plete list and details of all SSI Industry Hall o of Fame members, visit securitysales.com/ halloffame. securitysales.com • MARCH 2012 37

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SSI HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2012

TED Geiszler Current Status

★ The

Chairman of Keri Systems Inc. and Farpointe Data

Geiszler

Keys to Success

“I have been married to my wife, Doreen, for 57 years, which is a testament to my tolerance and patience. I appreciate being known as a new technology innovator and entrepreneur, but just as importantly as someone who dealt with integrity. For me, a handshake was as good as a contract. The feeling I had for all employees of all the companies was that we worked together as a team and were treated like family. I am honored to receive the Hall of Fame recognition, but also surprised since I thought I had successfully stayed under the radar.”

How Things Have Changed

File

★ Born on a farm in North Dakota on Feb. 12, 1932

“There have been sizeable changes in both content and presentation of electronic security shows. In the mid-1970s they were held in small basement ballrooms of the Marriott, L.A. Airport and the Hilton Hotel in New York City. There’s also been a significant expansion of distribution as a sales channel through which more and more sophisticated products are being marketed. And we’ve seen consolidation of major market segments through corporate acquisition. Finally, there’s been the melding or integration of various technologies such as video, alarm and access control into one unified platform with access control as the hub.”

★ One of three children, father was a blacksmith and worked as a ship welder during World War II; mother worked part-time as a fruit packer

Getting SIA Off the Ground

★ Married to Doreen for 57 years, with three sons and seven grandchildren

“In the late 1970s, I worked on a committee to form SIA [Security Industry Alarm Association], to give a voice to the emerging electronic and distribution side of the industry. The security industry at that time was primarily guard service, mechanical locking, burglar alarm and alarm monitoring. Members of that early group were Sandy Jones for distribution; Ted Farrell, president of Linear; Chuck Handley, vice president marketing for ADL [Advanced Devices Labs]; and myself representing the manufacturing side.”

Most Memorable Moment

“In the early days of Stellar, one of our first perimeter detection jobs was overseas in Iraq to protect Saddam Hussein’s nuclear power plant, which was funded by the U.S. government. We had numerous complaints of false alarms and the system not working, so we sent a young field engineer to visit the site and troubleshoot. Some days later we got a message saying he found the false alarm problem: The E field sensor was working perfectly except the local Arabs were hanging their wet laundry on the wires to dry out. The Israelis solved that problem a good number of months later by destroying the entire site.”

Something People Might Not Know

“Due to a combination of genetics and jet engine and ship cannon noise during my Korean War tour with the U.S. Navy, I began losing my hearing in my late 30s. This caused a lot of problems for me in business because I often didn’t hear or misunderstood. I started through a progression of hearing aids. It’s taken me all these years to really understand this problem and try to listen and communicate more effectively. During one stormy product and marketing session at Indala, one of the boys said, ‘Dad, you don’t need a hearing aid, you need a listening aid.’”

Why He’s on the List • Nearly 40 years of technological innovation and success in the access control market, with numerous microwave, electronic sensor and RFID patents • Entrepreneur who launched four different access control manufacturers • In late 1970s, worked on a committee to form SIA as voice for emerging electronic and distribution side of industry • In early 1970s, founded Stellar Systems and introduced E field sensor; with ADT seed funds Stellar became a worldwide leader in perimeter protection • In mid-1980s, founded Indala and introduced proximity cards and readers (a.k.a. RFID) to replace magnetic-stripe and Weigand as preferred access control technology worldwide • Around 1990, established Keri Systems to provide alarm dealers and locksmiths a single door controller and prox reader integrated into a small housing and programmed remotely via an RF handheld controller • A spinoff of Keri, Farpointe Data supplies RFID readers to OEMs and is presently making an impact

★ Oldest son, Dennis, is V.P. of mmarketing at Keri Systems; youngest, Ken, is CEO ★ Did four-year tour in U.S. Navy, serving on aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea during Korean War ★ Graduated from San Jose State in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering ★ In 1962, founded Western Microwave Laboratories, a technology provider to the defense industry ★ Other interests include tennis, golf, boating and open-sea fishing

In a recent photo, access control innovator Ted Geiszler surveys a large test rack system containing hundreds of controllers connected in a variety of manners to simulate almost any type of installation.

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Consider it a badge of authority and a shield for reputations.

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SSI HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2012

JOHN Mabry Current Status

Mabry

Keys to Success

Colleagues, friends and family remember him as an American patriot, loving and devoted family man, inspirational leader, astute businessman, and industry visionary. Qualities he exuded included unshakable integrity, intense focus, hard work ethic and conscientious practice of high ideals. Known as a “loveable curmudgeon,” his children and staff members often recite what they call “Mabryisms,” such as “The slow buffalo drinks dirty water” or “It’s like spitballs against a battleship!”

Industry Accolades and Awards

He often espoused the importance of rewarding and recognizing others stating, “… people go to war for the money, but die for the medals.” However, he never sought recognition, preferring instead to focus on established priorities. Recognizing his many contributions to NBFAA and the alarm industry, he received the Morris F. Weinstock Person of the Year Award in 1983. He received further recognition in 2004 when he was presented the Stanley C. Lott Award, CSAA’s most prestigious recognition of leadership and support.

Being Active in Trade Associations

He perceived that the industry lacked a consistent image of quality and integrity. So he sought to bring cohesion and professionalism to the security alarm industry through involvement in trade associations. He founded NBFAA’s National Training School (NTS) in 1985, which remains the leading training program in the U.S. for alarm professionals. More than 40,000 security professionals have earned NTS certifications or completed courses since 1985 — by far, the most trained by any industry organization in the past 25 years.

Most Memorable Moment

In 1968, on his first business trip as American Alarm president to meet with the V.P. of security for Kroger’s supermarkets in New York, his plane crashed on initial touchdown at LaGuardia and was forced to pull up and land at JFK Airport. His life flashed before his eyes after seeing the ground below through the plane’s fuselage. During the confusion, he was able to save the life of the passenger next to him. Tattered and covered in blood from the other passenger, he was denied a room at a nearby hotel because President Lyndon B. Johnson was staying there. However, after sharing his ordeal with a Secret Service agent, he was granted a room. Later, after a bellman got no answer knocking on the door of his room in an attempt to deliver a new set of clothes, security was summoned. It turned out he had just been in the shower, so they found him alive and clean.

Something People Might Not Know

★ The

Deceased (car accident, Nov. 18, 2011 at age 74)

He was of strong faith, sentimental and caring, having paid college tuition for a less fortunate individual and always responding to employees in need. From his own pocket, he would loan money that while typically paid back was done so without expectation of repayment. These actions resulted in him creating deeper bonds and earning more respect of those around him. Ultimately, he was repaid in hard work and the ethical practice of his high ideals. He often stated, “Your people are a reflection of yourself.”

File

★ Born Oct. Oct 5, 5 1937, 1937 in Kansas City, Mo.

★ One of two children, his father worked in the grocery and liquor industry; mother was a homemaker ★ Married to Sue for 48 years, with three daughters and one son, and 14 grandchildren ★ Daughter Michele recently launched Trax24, a portable personal security device ★ Earned bachelor’s degree from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., later graduated from Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program ★ Served in U.S. Navy and was executive officer in charge of communications aboard the USS Ranger, CV-61 ★ Other interests included golf, skiing, basketball and deep sea fishing

Why He’s on the List • 42 years of elevating the professionalism of electronic security through alarm companies, suppliers and trade associations • In 1969, founded American Alarm Co., selling it to Honeywell in 1983 • In 1972, appointed to Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) Board, later elected CSAA president (1981-83) • From 1983-1993, served as V.P. of Honeywell’s Protection Services Division, later V.P. of sales and business development within Honeywell’s Home & Building Control business unit • Served on National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA; now ESA) Board, and was NBFAA president from 1984-86 • Served as president of Security Network of America (SNA) from 1993-2000 • In 2003, joined the board of Integrated Alarm Services Group (IASG) before being elected chairman in 2006 and presiding over $140 million sale to Protection One in 2007 • Served on alarm company boards including ADS Security, American Alarm and Communications and Protectron

John Mabry's keen security business insights and advice was highly coveted by many, including fellow SSI Hall of Fame inductees like Alarm Detection Systems' Bob Bonifas (center) and ADS Security's Mel Mahler (right).

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JOE Nuccio Current Status

Nuccio

Keys to Success

“The key has been always remaining positive and objective while working with some very talented mentors and co-workers. Like I tell my co-workers and children, it takes much more energy to be negative or aggravated. Take everything as a challenge to learn and better yourself in every situation. Use the positive energy to think clearly. Winners always find a way to win. The biggest challenge of my career was leaving the U.S. to start a company in Australia/New Zealand, and then coming back to the States four years later and having to start at the bottom, all over again. It has also been my most humbling and rewarding experience.”

Most Memorable Moment

“When I was with Ameritech, my last job was in logistics, so I called Ron Rothman to negotiate pricing for all the Ademco products we used. At that time, he was the V.P. of national accounts. That particular day, he was feeling very ill when he came in. Even though he was sick, I really worked him over for many long hours on this master price negotiation. The day eventually concluded as I ended up just writing the prices I wanted on the board and told him if he wanted to go home to recover, this is where he had to be. From that day forward, Ron and I became very close friends and to this day we still both laugh about it. Needless to say, he gave me the pricing I wanted. ”

How Things Have Changed

“During the early days in the industry, it was so much fun working with Jim Covert. He was a brilliant marketer and had an iron-fist drive for excellence. However, his personality was really a very generous and humble one. We became very good friends throughout the years. Security was much more of a cottage industry then, whereas today it is much more complex with bigger players developing better technology faster. But the old days of providing superior customer service is still the same rule for success today. That is something that did not change.”

Industry and Community Involvement

“I believe you have to give back to your industry, so I really enjoy being on the Board of CSAA [Central Station Alarm Association], various ESA [Electronic Security Association] committees and panels, as well as speaking at conferences to help my peers grow and develop. Charity is also very big for me both personally and professionally. I felt it was important from Day 1 at ASG to stress the importance of giving back to the communities we serve. We put programs in place to encourage and sponsor charities throughout the areas served by our branch offices. I instituted a paid time off program for our employees to allow them to participate in organized charitable events during business hours. I am proud we have a SAMMY Award for Community Service.”

What the Future Holds

★ The

President and CEO, ASG Security

“There have been profound changes the past two years, with the method of alarm transmission changing so rapidly and the introduction of plug-and-play interactive and managed services being so affordable and easy to use. I think this will finally allow our industry to increase market penetration, especially in the residential sector. The consequences of failing to act in these areas will be that you will be left behind and eventually extinct like the dinosaurs. I think it is going to be very positive for our industry and this last recession has proved that our industry is extremely resilient. I am looking forward to next chapter in our sector.”

File

★ Born Nov Nov. 9 9, 1958 in Chicago

★ The youngest of four siblings, father worked as an elevator operator for Morton Salt, mother was a legal secretary ★ Married to Kathy 27 years, with two daughters ★ Earned bachelor’s degree in information science from Northeastern Illinois University ★ Began security career in 1984 when Jim Covert hired him as a customer service manager at API Security, ending his life as a “very bored computer programmer” ★ Originally wanted to be a Chicago police officer and eventual attorney ★ Other interests include playing drums, tennis, home remodeling and being a wine connoisseur

Why He’s on the List • Gifted practitioner and eager teacher who has spent 28 years building security companies, and freely sharing business know-how with peers for benefit of all • Teamed with maverick Jim Covert to share success at various executive levels from 1984-2001 with API Security, Securitylink from Ameritech and Australia’s Signature Security Group • Upon return to U.S., served as Protection One’s central region V.P., managing 16 operating companies and 20 states • In 2003, named president and CEO of ASG Security, which he has built into one of the industry’s premier operations • Demonstrated expertise in capital markets by raising $240 million in debt in the U.S., and $130 million in Australia • Negotiated more than 185 career acquisitions, including 60 with ASG Security • Frequent presenter, speaker and avid participant in numerous industry events and groups

Joe Nuccio, a master in building companies and navigating through mergers and acquisitions, has taken less than 10 years to position ASG Security as one of the largest and best-run regional security providers. securitysales.com • MARCH 2012 41

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SSI HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2012

PAM Petrow Current Status

Petrow

Keys to Success

“My parents never told me I couldn’t do something, and my husband has always been supportive of me. Also the board and leaders at Vector Security have provided me with the ability to learn, grow and experience new opportunities. The fact that I have held several positions at Vector Security gave me the opportunity to establish credibility as I moved from one post to another. I did that by understanding the job and understanding the perspective of the employees who do the job. At Vector Security, we recognize that technology is changing the industry and we are positioned to capitalize on the change. We bring in talent that allows us to be more competitive and proactive, addressing not only opportunities today, but also in the future.”

Succeeding an Icon

“Coming into the position of president and CEO of Vector Security, I wanted to respect Mr. [John, also an SSI Hall of Famer] Murphy’s legacy. He was exceptional in many ways. He knew how to separate critical information from less important information when making decisions. He was a strategic thinker and always saw the big picture … anticipating next moves and their impact on the industry. I learned from him the importance of communication and how to surround myself with people who complement my skills. And then giving those people the freedom to do what they are good at.”

Participating in Industry Causes

“I’m a believer that ‘you get back what you put in.’ I’ve found value in every committee I’ve been involved in and the extraordinary people I’ve worked with. They’ve made me better professionally, and they’ve given me a different perspective in life personally. Currently, I’m working with CSAA on the “ASAP2PSAP” program. When fully functional, ASAP allows for automated delivery of monitoring information to public safety answering points [PSAPs]. The program benefits emergency response centers, the public and the security industry as a whole. Vector Security was a beta test center for the initiative.”

How Things Have Changed

“My early days in the industry were central station related. We kept customer account information on 3 X 5-inch color-coded index cards that were filed in plastic sleeves kept in a three-ring binder. When we answered alarms, we would have to look up the cards in the binders and sometimes they were not filed correctly. It was a very manual process. I remember having nightmares about not being able to find the right cards. Today, technology has allowed central stations to be more efficient while reducing incidents of error. Even during a natural disaster, like a hurricane, we can monitor 16,000 alarms effectively.”

Serving as a Role Model

★ The

President and CEO, Vector Security

“I believe the challenges in this industry are similar for both women and men. I’d like to be a role model for anyone — woman or man — who believes in working hard, turning challenges into opportunities, and continually improving themselves personally and professionally.”

File

★ Born in Pittsburgh One of four sisters, father was a teacher and grade school principal, mom a homemaker and grocery store manager ★ Married with one son ★ Bachelor’s degree in management & marketing from Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa., and graduated Harvard Business School’s advanced management program ★ Began electronic security industry career in 1982 as member of Vector Security’s residential sales team ★ If not security, says career would have been in education ★ Reputation at Vector Security as being the “queen” of practical jokes ★ Other interests include cooking and reading

Why She’s on the List • Some 30 years mastering and ascending the ranks to lead Vector Security, one of industry’s most prominent installing security providers • In 1997, appointed senior V.P. of central stations and information services group; 2004, executive V.P.; 2008, COO; 2010, president and CEO • In 2006, her central station staff’s 12-step false alarm reduction plan earned Vector industry’s first Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) award • Since 2007, has served as secretary on the Central Station Alarm Association Executive Committee, co-chaired CSAA’s Education Committee, and conducted CSAA’s Operations Management conferences • Helped bring CSAA training online to make it more accessible; more than 10,000 operators worldwide have completed the program • Represents industry to Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials Int’l (APCO) to develop and implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) project • In 2009, received APCO’s President’s Award for outstanding contributions to electronic transmission of signals between central stations and 911 dispatch centers

Pam Petrow has been at the center (here, pictured second from left) of much success and award-winning efforts at Vector Security. Center is the late John Murphy, Petrow's predecessor as Vector CEO and also an SSI Hall of Famer.

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In. Out. Open. Close. Blah. Blah. Blah.

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SSI HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2012

RON Rothman Current Status

Rothman

Keys to Success

“My success ultimately can be attributed to the products and the value we have been able to bring to our customers. Their success is really my success. I’ve also have had some incredible mentors along the way, including Leo Guthart and Roger Fradin. They have been an inspiration to me and, of course, laid the foundation for everything that exists today in our business.”

Most Memorable Moment

“In my career, a big challenge was being responsible for transitioning ADEMCO to Honeywell after the acquisition in 1999; those were very stressful times. Many other companies acquired during those years are no longer here; their employees and products are gone, and those systems are no longer serviceable. I was determined not to let that happen to ADEMCO or our customers. I am very proud we kept our people and our business legacy intact with its rich history of innovation that extends back to 1929. In fact, we are now significantly larger and invest more in R&D than ever before, and introduce new and innovative products at a faster pace.”

Being Active in Trade Associations

“The industry cause I’ve been most passionate about is SIAC because the work they do battling false dispatches and nonresponse is so important to the industry. We support SIAC financially in a big way but also in an active advisory role. We also do everything we can to help [Executive Director and SSI Hall of Famer] Stan Martin spread the word to dealers about SIAC and the important role it plays in sustaining the highly successful business model that our industry has benefited from for decades. SIAC deserves the support of every dealer in the industry.”

How Things Have Changed

“A change happening all around us now may very well be the most significant: the deployment of broadband and adoption of the smartphone. The digital dialer age is coming to an end and while for our industry it is a transformational change, the great new features related to the connected home are a great opportunity for dealers to increase RMR [recurring monthly revenue] and interest consumers who may never have considered a security system before. At Honeywell, these developments related to the connected home and the connected building are driving everything we do. We are going beyond just security and life safety to awareness, comfort and convenience.”

What the Future Holds

★ The

President, Honeywell Security Group

“This is the best time ever to be in the security business. You’ve got roughly 20% of households with a security system, but now there is the ever-increasing prevalence of broadband and smartphones enabling a whole new array of services. I believe for the first time in a long time there is the real potential to significantly increase the overall penetration rate. On the systems side, while IP has been growing fast it has been mostly in larger systems. It’s been hindered from gaining widespread adoption because of its complexity, but now you are finally seeing that complexity fading away. We are at a point where you will see the growth in IP systems really accelerate.”

File

★ Born in Manhattan in 1961 ★ One of three siblings, father was a New York City police officer, retired to run a “mom-and-pop” motel in Pompano Beach, Fla. ★ Married 30 years to Sally, with two sons ★ Earned bachelor’s degree in marketing from University of Florida, MBA from Nova Southeastern University ★ In 1983, as a new college grad knocking on doors selling copiers, he blindly answered a newspaper ad for an inside salesperson job at ADEMCO ★ Helped father run a Florida motel and “learned how to fix toilets” ★ Other interests include carpentry and handy work, photography and local history

Why He’s on the List • Nearly 30 years as a key figure and face of ADEMCO and Honeywell to legions of installing electronic security professionals • Ascended from inside sales, to V.P. of marketing, to V.P. of national accounts, to president of Honeywell Security and Communications, to president of Honeywell Security Group in January 2010 • Present responsibilities include Honeywell’s intrusion, access and video products manufactured worldwide; First Alert Professional and CSS authorized dealer programs; and ADI distribution business • Enabled security dealers to succeed by developing systems that were easier to sell and install, create additional recurring revenue and lower attrition • Involved in development of VISTA and LYNX systems, AlarmNet long-range radio and Total Connect remote services • Trade association activity, including Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) Board, Electronic Security Association (ESA), Security Industry Association (SIA) and Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC)

Local officials flank Ron Rothman (center) at the opening ceremony for Honeywell Security Group's headquarters in Melville, N.Y. He has been a leader for for the business since coming aboard ADEMCO in 1983.

44 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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It’s the all-in-one megapixel solution… for all. Our new MegaView™ Series Megapixel Cameras bring mainstream video surveillance applications clearly into view. Arecont Vision’s all-in-one design combines the outstanding resolution of megapixel imaging with the efficiency of H.264 compression, IR LED Array Illumination with Day/Night operation for use in complete darkness, and weatherproof IP66 rated, vandal resistant bullet-style housings. Plus all the performance features you demand like programmable motion detection, privacy masking, unrestricted image cropping and so much more. Available in four sensor types, the MegaView™ Series cameras are made in the USA and include the 1.3-megapixel AV1125, 1080p AV2125, 3-megapixel AV3125 £ nÇÇ , nÊUÊ£ n£n ÎÇ äÇää avsales@arecontvision.com and 5-megapixel AV5125. They’re the all-in-one arecontvision.com megapixel solutions for all. www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/13276

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MADE IN THE USA

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EVENT PREVIEW

ARE YOU READY to Pass the

ISC West Test?

As one of the industry’s most exhilarating and exhausting events, ISC West can be a tad overwhelming. SSI’s show overview aims to identify the highlights and help attendees organize their schedules. And, a glimpse into the 17th annual SAMMY Awards reveals this year’s finalists. By Ashley Willis

here did the time go? It seems like only have ISC Mobile will have to download an update to access features new for 2012. yesterday that security professionals Networking opportunities and special events are a favorwere preparing for the 2011 International Security Conference (ISC) West. But on ite among attendees, including SSI’s SAMMY Awards (see box on page 48 for listing of finalists). Show-goers also enjoy March 27-30, a projected 23,000+ security dealers, integrathe Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation’s tors, consultants, manufacturers, distributors, central stations and other industry specialists will once again convene (AIREF) annual golf tournament and SIA’s Ride for Education event, both of which return this year. at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas for To keep the show fresh, more than 125 new vendors will 2012 ISC West to see the latest and greatest electronic secuhighlight the latest products and technologies on the show rity technologies. floor. Attendees can also look forward to SIA’s annual New Hosted by Reed Exhibitions and sponsored by the SecuriProduct Showcase (NPS), which honors the most innovaty Industry Association (SIA), ISC West provides the largest tive product introductions. As part of exhibition space in North America devoted to electronic physical security. To help SEE SSI AT ISC WEST! the showcase, SIA will present the inauBe sure to visit gural NPS Winners’ Forum on March 29 attendees navigate the show floor, build at 9 a.m. Open to all show-goers, repretheir agendas, search conference sessentatives of the top two award-winning sions and more, the ISC Mobile app is becompanies will provide insight into ing made available for Web-enabled cell at Booth No. 11145 how the innovations will transform the phones and tablets. Users who already

46 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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System Sensor thanks you for doing your part. In a fire, response time can make all the

Cooler Bag

difference. When you include monitored smoke detection with the security systems you install, you can provide emergency services the extra minutes and even seconds necessary to save a family’s home, their belongings, and their lives. To thank you for providing the highest level of protection for your customers, when you buy 10 or more i3 smoke detectors in the month of March, you will have the opportunity to choose one of the three gifts shown on the right. Simply print and complete the form found at the Web address below and mail it along with a copy of your original invoice(s) to the address provided on the form. When we receive your completed form and invoice(s), you will also be entered into a drawing to win an Apple® iPad® 2, a $200 Amazon® gift card or a $200 Marriott® gift card.

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Save Lives, Get Stuff.

To learn more, visit systemsensor.com/i3. www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/13209

SS3isc.indd 47

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2012 ISC WEST PREVIEW

industry. A question-and-answer session will follow. But that’s not all. Continue reading to see what electronic security professionals will gain by attending one of the industry’s most anticipated events.

Keeping Education Relevant Event planners have also taken steps to provide top-notch education to help electronic security contractors perfect their skills and improve their businesses. Coordinators have divided the three-day ISC Premier Education Series, held March 27-29, into tracks, allowing attendees to choose which sessions best fit their needs. On the opening day of the series, ISC will offer the IP-T.A.C.² Bootcamp (IP

Technology Advancement Center and Certificate). The one-day course will provide an overview of interoperability standards to help attendees effectively source, sell, and install an IP-based system tailored to their customer’s needs. PSA Security Network will also host the SSI-endorsed “PSA-TEC @ ISC West.” The track will feature four sessions focusing on new security regulations, video and storage management, leadership development and remote video guarding. SSI Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine will moderate the hourlong panel, “The New Video Surveillance Business: How to Generate Profit on Servers, Storage and Video Management” at 10:15 a.m. NICE Systems Training Director Dr. Bob Banerjee and

PSA Security Network Regional Manager Tim Brooks, among others, will also participate in the track.

Business & Technology Tools On the second day of the Premier Education Series, dealers and integrators will have the option to choose courses

SAMMYs at a Glance WHAT: 17th Annual SAMMY Awards and 9th Annual Hall of Fame Inductions WHERE: Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Casanova Conference Room 502, Las Vegas WHEN: March 27, 4:30 p.m. COST: Free ATTIRE: Casual to dressy INFORMATION: thesammyawards.com

2012 SAMMYs Honor Industry’s Best Marketing Practices On the eve of ISC West, electronic security industry professionals throughout the United States and Canada gather for the SAMMY (Sales and Marketing) Awards ceremony. Now in its 17th year, the SAMMY awards program honors some of the industry’s top sales, marketing, business and installation practices. With six nominations, past SAMMY winner Stanley Convergent Security Solutions (CSS) is the top contender throughout the 12-category awards program, including Installer of the Year (large company). Stanley is also up for the coveted Integration Installation of the Year, a category for which Protection 1 is also gunning. P1 garnered four nods in all. A hard-working panel of judges thoroughly perused every SAMMY award entry to pick the finalists. This year’s judges include some of

the top marketing and PR professionals in the security industry. They are: Tom Brigham (principal, Brigham Scully Communications); Jon Daum (co-founder, Daum Weigle Inc.); Richard Hahn (president, Richard Hahn and Associates); Lyne Hall (creative services manager, Bobit Business Media); and Jerry Lenander (president, Syncomm Management Group). Following are the finalists for the 2012 SAMMYs. Winners will be revealed during a free, open-to-all ceremony beginning at 4:30 p.m. on March 27 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas in the Casanova Conference Room 502. SSI will profile the 2012 SAMMY winners and finalists in the June issue, and the Installer of the Year and Integrated Installation of the Year case study will be featured in July.

INSTALLATION & BUSINESS AWARDS Installer of the Year

MARKETING AWARDS Best Overall Integrated Marketing Campaign

Best Broadcast Advertisement

Sponsored by

(Small to midsize company — 150 or fewer employees) Bates Security HS Technology Group Protex Central Inc.

P1 The Protection Bureau Stanley CSS

(Large company — more than 150 employees) ADS Security Stanley Convergent Security Solutions (CSS) Per Mar Security Services Integrated Installation of the Year Sponsored p byy

Electronic Security and Communication Corp. (ESCC) Johnson Controls Inc. Protection 1 (P1) Stanley CSS

Best Sales Brochure Sponsored by

Sponsored by

(TV, radio or online) ADS Security Safeguard Security SDA Security Best Vehicle Graphics Design Sponsored p by

P1 Source Security Services Stanley CSS

The Protection Bureau Protection Networks Stanley CSS

Best Company Logo

Best Community Outreach Program

Sponsored by

Asset Protection and Alarms Devcon Security Interstate Alarm Co.

Sponsored by

ADS Security Per Mar Security Services The Protection Bureau

Best Company Newsletter Sponsored by

Advanced Cabling Systems P1 SecurTek Monitoring Solutions Best Web Site Design Sponsored p byy

Custom Alarm HS Technology Group Source Security Services Best Promotional Giveaway Item Sponsored by

ASG Security Per Mar Security Services Stanley CSS Best Display Advertisement Sponsored by

Interstate Alarm Co. P1 Source Security Services

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2012 ISC WEST PREVIEW

Hall Welcomes 5 Industry Pros Co-located with the SAMMYs, the ninth annual SSI Industry Hall of Fame ceremony will praise five industry stalwarts who have made numerous noteworthy contributions to the electronic security trade. They will join 57 remarkable professionals who have made lasting impressions on the industry and in their communities. In alphabetical order, the inductees are: Ted Geiszler, chairman of Keri Systems and Farpointe Data; the late John Mabry, founder of American Alarm Co.; Joe Nuccio, president and CEO, ASG Security; Pam Petrow, president and CEO, Vector Security; and Ron Rothman, president of Honeywell Security Group. Ron Davis, an original Hall of Fame class member, returns as emcee at this year’s induction ceremony. For an in-depth look at the Hall’s distinguished Class of 2012, check out page 36 or securitysales.com/HOF.

PDQ Award Takes Center Stage at ESX

Formerly held during SSI’s SAMMY Awards program, this year’s Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award will be presented at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) in Nashville, Tenn., June 25-29. A remarkable and deserving company will receive the honor at the ESX Industry IceBreaker Luncheon on June 26 at 12:30 p.m. The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA) and SSI started the PDQ Award program in 2005. The Installation Quality (IQ) program is a new partner for 2012. The accolade honors alarm installing and monitoring businesses for creating best practices that help prevent false alarm dispatches. PDQ Award judges are now reviewing entries. The award-winning company will receive $1,000 courtesy of Honeywell to attend the awards ceremony. Additionally, SSI will highlight the award recipient’s program ideas and best practices in the August issue. Past winners include Custom Alarm, Broadview Security (now ADT), Atronic Alarms, Alarm Detection Systems Inc. (ADS), Brink’s Home Security and Vector Security.

from two education tracks — Business and Technology. With a goal of helping electronic security contractors improve their business plans, the business courses offer tips to help companies improve sales, marketing and boost recurring monthly revenue (RMR). For show-goers interested in the process of buying or selling a company, “The Anatomy of a Transaction” seminar on March 28 at 2:45-3:45 p.m. will provide some insight. Moderated by Davis Mergers & Acquisitions Group Managing Director Ron Davis, who also pens SSI’s “The Big Idea” column, the session will outline the steps and processes for buying or selling a company, preparing a company for sale, and help potential buyers identify the questions to ask a seller. “We will look at a typical transaction from many perspectives,” Davis says. “That includes the outlooks of the buyer, seller, broker and lawyer. Most importantly, the session will cover how the transaction comes together. We will also talk about valuations in the industry, as well as the type of transactions that were recently finalized.” Attendees will also have the opportunity to direct questions to the four-person panel. The technology track will feature introductory to advanced courses that will help dealers and installers effectively implement the latest technologies. Topics discussed include video quality standards and connecting home security services. For conferees interested in physical security information management (PSIM) and systems integration, “PSIM vs. Unified Video & Access Platforms: Making the Right Choice” might be a good fit. The seminar will offer guidance to identify the strengths and limitations of a solution, assess its val-

Five Diamond Marketing Marvel Award to Make Debut The Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) and SSI will launch the first annual CSAA Five Diamond Marketing MARVEL Awards program during the 2012 Electronic Security Expo (ESX). Held during the ESX IceBreaker Luncheon on June 26 at 12:30 p.m., the honor recognizes central stations that creatively use their Five Diamond status to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. It also aims to educate all electronic security companies on best marketing practices and encourage CSAA companies to attain CSAA Five Diamond designation. Interested parties can download the award application at securitysales.com.

ue against overall business needs and develop a roadmap for implementing a PSIM or unified platform solution. A Central Station track is also available for monitoring operators and providers. It will cover NFPA 72 code revisions, personal emergency response systems (PERS), two-way voice monitoring and cloud-based services. The “Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP): An Alarms Notification Revolution” session will address challenges faced by alarm monitoring companies for connectivity and creating valid addresses. Secure Global Solutions Vice President Hank Goldberg, who serves as a panelist for the course, believes it will be beneficial for all central station operators. “The ASAP session is important to everyone who dispatches,” he says. “The industry effort to automate connection with public service answering points [PSAPs] is finally off and running. We have panelists who are ‘in the trenches’ and will bring operators upto-date on the effort. More importantly, attendees will learn how to participate in the program.”

Attendees Earn CE Credit As the last track of the ISC Premier Education Series, the Technology Panel will cover the industry’s most talked-about technologies. Attendees can choose courses from four categories, including access control/biometrics, municipal surveillance, hosted security and video. Seminars will range from one to two hours in length. Offering vendor-neutral education, the Education Series qualifies for continuing education (CE) hours. Attendees will receive certificates of attendance after the show to self-report education hours for CE credit. For more event information, visit iscwest.com. ■ Ashley Willis is Associate Editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. She can be reached at (310) 5332419 or ashley.willis@securitysales.com.

Stay updated with breaking news from the show floor with SSI’s E-Show Daily newsletter during the 44th annual ISC West! Sign up at securitysales.com/EnewsSignup.

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EXCLUSIVE! EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

TRAINING, TECH SUPPORT Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution COO Pat Comunale at the company’s Woodbury, N.Y., headquarters.

Help Tri-Ed/ Northern Video

TRIUMPH The distribution firm has aggressively expanded its market share and footprint since being acquired from Tyco Int’l in 2005. Helping its staunchly analog-centric dealer clientele transition to IP-based products is chief among its growth strategies.

By Rodney Bosch

sk the brain trust of Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution to spell out their strategic mission today and you will receive a similar response given when the previous, much smaller incarnation of the firm was acquired from Tyco Int’l seven years ago. That is, targeting annual double-digit growth, expanding the footprint through acquisitions and organic means, ever-increasing product and brand availability, and providing top-notch training to its installing contractor clientele. It is this steadfast formula, in part, that has served the company so well in its journey to grow and remain vital to its customers in this time of rapid change in the electronic security industry. Understanding some of the company’s history can help put its rise, and struggles, into greater perspective. By the late 1990s, Tri-Ed Distribution had become

the dominant distributor in Canada, primarily by way of the Digital Security Controls (DSC) line of intrusion products. Tri-Ed comprised 10 locations in major Canadian cities along with a handful of U.S.-based branches. Despite a flourishing business in Canada, trouble was brewing all the while. For Tyco, operating a distribution division was all but happenstance anyway. The conglomerate came to own Tri-Ed when it acquired DSC, the distributor’s parent company. With several Tyco companies offering multiple lines of security and fire/life-safety products, along with ADT and Simplex in the Tyco portfolio, dual channel conflict raged. By 2003 rumor had it that Tyco was looking to spinoff Tri-Ed as part of its efforts to jettison noncore businesses. A particular trio of distribution executives

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took notice. Former ADI President Steve Roth spearheaded an effort to acquire the company along with two of his longtime colleagues, Pat Comunale and James Rothstein, both also formerly of ADI. Their acquisitive efforts came to fruition on Jan. 30, 2005. With a strong conviction that vendors and dealers alike would welcome an alternative, branch-based distribution partner, TriEd’s new ownership set course to become North America’s largest independent distributor. Following an arduous six-month period during which the company launched a new operating platform to integrate its Canadian and U.S. operations, the time arrived to open new locations in earnest. And because the original business mainly focused on Tyco-centric companies, it was imperative to build out the Tri-Ed line card with a wider array of brands and product types. In a little more than three years after spinning off from Tyco, Tri-Ed could boast its business had doubled in size. Still, the firm lacked key product brands and the IT/IP savvy that it would need to continue moving progressively forward and fend off increased competition. In the summer of 2009 conversations involving private equity firms were initiated to explore merging Tri-Ed with Northern Video Systems, a highly specialized and successful distributor of IP-based technologies. The potential synergies tantalized. Northern Video Systems operated a centralized business model, shipping mostly video surveillance products from a single location. Tri-Ed’s branch system would allow Northern Video to become a complete security solutions provider with a far greater reach. Northern Video’s IT/IP expertise and high-end integrated brands were exactly what Tri-Ed so badly lacked. A combined company could be leveraged to help TriEd train its analog dealer clientele in the ways of IP and networked projects. A merger was consummated in March 2010 after both distributors were acquired by Dallas-based Brazos Private Equity Partners. The deal com-

Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution operates 47 branch locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Each site carries a wide array of low-voltage products, including brands for intrusion, CCTV, access control, fire/life safety, datacomm, sound and more.

bined Tri-Ed’s 38 branch offices with Northern Video’s three locations. Senior management at both firms took on new roles in the combined company. Among them, Roth is CEO; Comunale, president and COO; Rothstein, executive vice president; and Brian James, senior vice president. In an exclusive and in-depth interview with Comunale, SSI discusses the company’s current state of affairs and strategic outlook, as well as the challenges and changes affecting the world of security products distribution. What was the biggest challenge in merging the two disparate cultures of Tri-Ed and Northern Video? Pat Comunale: The challenge of putting two businesses together is really making sure that your key people are comfortable and understand the longterm vision of the company. Once you have set goals for people and make commitments, and they believe in what you tell them and you deliver on what you say, the rest of it becomes pretty easy. When I look back at the integration of the two businesses there is very little overlap from both the sales and manufacturing segments. We benefitted from not having a lot of customers that did business with the branch-based model and also with the high-end integration space. We had two distinctly different customer bases. Tri-Ed typically dealt with the smaller security

dealer and Northern Video dealt with the high-end integrator. When we put the two businesses together, they became very complementary. The toughest part was we had some redundancy. We had to consolidate the corporate office. It’s never easy to let people go who have been successful in helping you grow your business. Transitioning the [Northern Video Systems] corporate office from California to New York presented a difficult time from an emotional standpoint. Is the Tri-Ed/Northern Video management team able to run the company independent from Brazos’ decision makers? Comunale: Brazos has been an incredible partner. The day-to-day operation of the business is totally reliant on us. We run the business. We have quarterly business meetings to keep them up to speed, but the value they provide is that they own several businesses. We grew up in the security distribution space, so having their knowledge of other businesses is a tremendous asset to us. We only go to them to really seek advice, mostly on the financial end of the business. For instance, how do you leverage banking relationships? They have also shared bigger picture legal advice and things like that. We have actually taken a lot of their suggestions and incorporated them into Tri-Ed/ Northern Video. ➞

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INSIDE TRI-ED/NORTHERN VIDEO DISTRIBUTION

little was in the U.S. We really only had What currently excites you one place to go but up. about the products that are bePart of our growth could have been dising produced for today’s marguised by the opening of new locations, ketplaces? but we also did an excellent job of acquirComunale: The industry is at a great point right now, both on the ing new customers. We probably fared a commercial and the residential lot better than established distribution companies that resided in the U.S. side. For the first time in a while technology is driving a lot of the What is your outlook for 2012? growth in the industry, especialComunale: The exciting thing about ly with wireless technology and IP-based products. On the resi- our business is the cost-selling opportunities we get from both the technicaldential side you are looking at based group with Northern Video and lifestyle enhancement features, then the expertise that they are bringsuch as streaming video of your children coming into the home. ing to the branch locations, and what Tri-Ed and Northern Video Systems merged in 2010 after both firms were acquired by DallasTouchscreen keypads are another the branch-based [personnel] bring to based Brazos Private Equity Partners. The comthe [Northern Video] technical [staff]. important offering. For the first bined company bills itself as North America’s largTri-Ed had a core group of customers time in a while it’s nice to see that est independent security distributor, as displayed on its convention booth at a recent trade show. and now we are able to sell the highthe manufacturers have qualiend integrated products that we never ty products that are really being driven on the technology side. It’s also had. For us it is about capturing more What acquisitions has Tri-Ed made? nice that they are higher end products, share of wallet from our existing cusIs remaining acquisitive necessary tomer base on the branch-based side. which as a distributor we like to see. to support the strategic plans of the And then from the technical side, now company going forward? that they have all these other brands Comunale: We have completed three ac- Generally how did the recession afwithin intrusion and access control quisitions already and they have all been fect your dealer clientele? and fire, we are able to sell the same a little bit strategic in nature. We acquired Comunale: Our industry is similar to customer additional product offerings. a smaller distributor, Martin Security De- others in that Nevada, Arizona and We can continue to grow our busiFlorida were the places hardest hit pot in Northern California. That was a by the housing crisis. However, if you ness both organically by capturing more single-location distributor. From a strashare of wallet from our existing custegic standpoint, an opportunity came looked at our business, we were probtomer base and of course acquiring new ably less impacted overall because a lot available to acquire Security Data & Cacustomers. We’ll be looking to make ble, which got us into Houston, a market of our business wasn’t new construcstrategic acquisitions or open new lotion related. The fact is Tri-Ed, for all we needed to be in. We tried for a while cations. Having Brazos Private Equity intents and purposes, started in the to open a location in Houston but we just gives us the wherewithal to continue to couldn’t get the right people. And then U.S. in 2005. It was mostly a Canadimost recently we acquired Video Secu- an-based distribution company; 80% grow this space, and so we are projecting ➞ double-digit growth for 2012. rity Specialists in Southern California, of the business was in Canada and very which was a great fit for us because that was a business which was solely video products. It was a seamless integration that consolidated right into our Southern California operation. Our most recent greenfield [new] locations would be Elmsford, N.Y.; Plainview [Long Island]; and Atlanta, which has been a market we have tried to get into for a very long time. If it fits our footprint, we are certainly looking for acquisitions. It is a large part of our growth plan for 2012 and beyond. But if we can’t find the right acquisition we To help a large majority of its dealer customers make the transition to IP-based products, Triare not opposed to opening new locaEd/Northern Video created specialized training that is presented during roadshows and at tions as well. Overall since 2005 we other venues throughout the year. Above, attendees to a recent training workshop received coaching from the company’s in-house trainers as well from manufacturer representatives. have opened up 14 branches. 56 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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INSIDE TRI-ED/NORTHERN VIDEO DISTRIBUTION

How has the emergence of new RMRbased business models such as managed services or software-driven products affected distribution in general and Tri-Ed specifically? Comunale: When you look at this business it has always been about recurring monthly revenue. The security dealer and the integrator have always worked

on the premise they wanted RMR. What we are doing is training thousands of dealers in new technology every year. We have an IP staff. We think we do things a little bit different than some of our competitors. But our focus is how do we take our existing customers and get them into that IP business where they may not have been comfortable before.

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We are training at any given time in the branches with our IP roadshows and with our manufacturing partners, and helping our customers transition to that next space. One of the services we provide for our customers is we will preprogram IP cameras and send them out to the jobsite. We have the technical expertise to configure the cameras and put together the switch or router the dealer needs to make the configuration happen. We are becoming more of a value-add distributor. This is not your father’s TriEd distribution. If you haven’t tried us you really should call the technical salespeople at one of our branches. We are really working to deliver the best possible service and deliver the technical expertise that we believe we do better than anybody. How daunting was it organizationally to begin offering a robust slate of IP training? Comunale: The legacy Northern Video distribution company was doing that. It may have been the best-kept secret in the entire industry. That is why they grew their business right through the early 2000s up until we merged in 2010. They had incredible vendor relationships with all of the higher-end brands, delivering the technical expertise that the high-end integrators relied on. We have leveraged that expertise and really have brought that back to our customer base on the local front. Our branches now rely a lot on the technical expertise at our technical support center. We thought we knew everything about security distribution when we merged these two companies. But I can tell you that James Rothstein, myself and Steve Roth, we learned a lot by integrating these two businesses, especially about the highend brands and what Northern Video was doing and providing for their customers. That’s why they were so successful. The other thing we have done is taken that to the next step by delivering that same national technical ability to the local branch level. If you went into our branches now, you’d see we are partnering with some of our key manufacturers. We are giving them space within our branches to set up these IP support centers so that they have working models of programs and products and how they all work together.

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We have an IP specialist in every location to really help the dealer make that next step. Going from analog to digital on the branch-based model is a difficult transition to make, especially to the higherend brands. That’s why we have an entire separate team that just focuses on that. What direct effort do you undertake to help a traditional-minded dealer keep up with the pace of technological change? Comunale: Typically what happens is a dealer is going to go out to a jobsite and either he knows what he wants and he comes in and asks us, ‘Do you have the product?’ Or he says, ‘Look, I have this opportunity … what do I need?’ At that point the branch-based staff will say to him, ‘Do you want IP or do you want traditional products?’ We are finding that our guys will recommend both the IP solution and the analog solution, which our dealers are most comfortable with. The application is what’s really driving what the dealer needs. It’s also competition; some of the competitors are out there promoting IP. If you go back to the 1990s as technology evolved and new products came out, our customer base has always adapted pretty quickly to the latest technology. It’s an adaptable group. I remember when the first control panels came out and downloading was a big feature. We went from programing chips to software-related products. If you talk to most of the larger manufacturers they will tell you somewhere between 15% on the low end and about 25% on the high end of their overall product [sales are now] IP-based. We are going to continue to migrate as the lifestyle features are enhanced, as the wireless technology improves, as bandwidth continues to increase … all of that continues to drive the sales of IP products.

products. We spend as a company probably more than any other distributor on training our people in all the technologies. In any given week we are sending our people to manufacturer facilities to make sure they stay current on the latest technologies. That has been an ongoing focus of ours from when we first started out. This business is about your people

and making sure you have the best people who can talk to the customers in the most educated fashion to make sure they don’t make a mistake when they are laying out their projects. That’s what keeps the customers coming back to us. ■ Rodney Bosch is Managing Editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. He can be reached at (310) 533-2426 or rodney.bosch@securitysales.com.

What types of internal training initiatives do company personnel attend? Comunale: If you think about the segments we are in — access control, video, intrusion, and sound and communication products — they are all low-voltage FIND IT ON THE WEB F For much more from this conversation F ccheck h out the online version at security sales.com/comunale. www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/13114

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INSTALLATION CASE STUDY

Resorts World’s

World-Class Surveillance Brand-new Resorts World Casino located in New York City is equipped with a state-of-the-art 1,500-channel IP HD video surveillance system. The project’s team tells how they put together one of America’s most advanced systems incorporating a fiber backbone and POS integration.

By the Editors of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION

his past October, New York saw the opening of Resorts World Casino New York City (NYC), its first legalized gambling “racino” located at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, just across the Belt Parkway from JFK Int’l Airport. An existing building at the racetrack was gutted in order to create the impressive 400,000-square-foot casino. Part of the project included installing a digital video surveillance and recording system as required by the New York Lottery

(NYL) to protect not only the patrons but also the casino’s significant cash assets and expensive materials. Resorts World NYC is a state-of-theart facility that offers patrons 5,000 video slot machines and electronic games throughout two levels tagged as Times Square (first floor) and Fifth Avenue (second floor). In addition, the casino has 18 food and beverage outlets including a food court, two fine-dinig restaurants, four VIP lounges, and two bars with views of a circular stage showing a

variety of entertainment acts. The third floor has banquet and event space as Genting Group looks to expand Resorts World NYC and introduce a convention center by 2014. Genting is the world’s largest destination resort operator with more Resorts World-branded properties in Malaysia, Singapore and Manila. Shawn Reader of Phoenix-based Security Surveillance Consultants was brought in to oversee the entire $7.5 million procurement and installation process. He has more than 30 years’ experience with a family-owned security

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All photos by Sherry Rayn Barnett, courtesy Synectic Systems Inc.

integration business and has been involved in a range of casino projects, including Mandalay Bay and Bellagio in Las Vegas, and Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino. Reader worked hand-in-hand with John Medolla, surveillance director for Resorts World NYC, and Operations and Technical Manager Jason Arnett to specify and select the equipment to be installed in a three-phased process.

Platform Handles 1,500 Cameras For a casino that sees $150 million a week on average pass through the facil-

ity, choosing a state-of-the-art surveillance system was paramount. Based on the past experience of both Medolla and Arnett, they selected a digital recording system from Synectics. “The driving force behind Synectics being the system of choice for Resorts World New York was its reliable and flexible Synergy video management platform and user-friendly interface. Also a major factor in the decision was Synectics’ ability to create a cost-effective, all HD-IP digital recording solution — the first of its kind in North America,” says Medolla. Another important feature of the platform is Synergy’s ability to pull data from other third-party systems like point-of-sale (POS) or access control. By integrating the video management system (VMS) to the casino’s Micros POS system, surveillance operators can easily review transactions within the recording platform and provide evidentiary verification of suspicious transactions. As for why Medolla and Arnett wanted to go all IP, among the most important reasons was that it would deliver the highest quality video with the most current technology. It also enabled a space-saving solution by cutting out racks’ worth of analog gear while significantly simplifying cabling. “Going all IP also streamlines future expansion because the infrastructure can be added to easily. It’s the difference of running a single fiber to a new closet as opposed to running dozens to hundreds of new analog feeds or utilizing expensive mux units,” says Arnett. At the heart of the system’s IP infrastructure is a Cisco 4500 Series network switch. Covering the front (guest areas) and back of house (staff areas) for the three floors of the casino are a mix of Sanyo HD IP cameras. Internal cameras in the front of house monitor the cash assets and help protect against patron and employee theft. Exterior cameras are in place to ensure patron safety and mitigate property damage. All of the cameras are 1,080p capable and can record at 30 frames per second (fps). Of the 1,500 cameras installed, 300 are pan/tilt/zoom (p/t/z) and mount-

ed strategically throughout the casino to provide coverage of guest and employee areas, and enable visual mobility to track persons of interest or events throughout the gaming areas. The remaining fixed cameras are installed as required by NYL to cover the video lottery terminals and enable the required viewing of the asset number of each machine. In addition to the digital recording system, a Cardax access control system was installed along with a Cheetah fire suppression system from Fike to protect the surveillance control and equipment rooms. Access control was of particular concern to the surveillance team because there are two separate business entities operating on the same property. In addition to Resorts World Casino, the New York Racing Association runs the Aqueduct Racetrack. As a result, the casino’s access control system has five mantraps positioned in critical areas of the facility and controls access to back of house areas for employee protection. Door contacts were also installed as well as hold-up alarms in the cash cages on the casino floor. Cardax alarms can be monitored by workstations in the security and surveillance departments (operating separately) as well as by NYL, which has a separate surveillance review station onsite.

All-IP HD Video Network Deployed Synectics worked closely with the project consultant and end user to help design the network for Resorts World’s HD IP system. “To design the network we had to determine the total number of cameras required in order to calculate the amount of data that the network would have to support every second,” says Daniel Haskell, network engineer for Synectics. “The final count of more than 1,500 streaming HD cameras, combined with the RAID-6 redundancy the customer wanted to implement, influenced the decision to design the network using the Cisco 4510 network switch at the core, with Cisco Catalyst 2960 PoE switches stacked in IDF closets positioned throughout the facility.” securitysales.com • MARCH 2012 61

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RESORTS WORLD CASINO SURVEILLANCE

location of walls, size of rooms, Winsted console layout, etc. He presented design concepts based primarily on the end user’s desire to have ample square footage allotted to the surveillance room construction. Reader was also involved with camera installation and positioning throughout the facility as dictated by NYL regulations. The control room is built on the first floor in the back of house. Unique to a typical casino surveillance room design are the large glass windows between the monitoring and equipment rooms that allow for viewing of the surveillance system. In addition to three desktop displays, each operator sta-

tion has four 19-inch monitors flanking a 60-inch display on a “smart” digital monitor wall, which uses a recording process that requires no extra inputs to track activity on the wall. There is a shift supervisor workstation in the center of the room, as well as a manager station in a private office — all with individual review clients. A challenging component of the surveillance installation was the requirement by the state of New York to use union labor. This created a unique scenario where Reader and Arnett took on the directorial roles an integrator would typically have with this type of project. Another difficult aspect of the project was the installation of cameras in a complex ceiling design that included soffits of varying heights. As the designs evolved and plans were modified, the original camera layout had to be altered to accommodate the fluctuations in the overall design. This resulted in swapping and repositioning of cameras. “I was presented with several redesigns that were required because of changing slot layouts, alterations to ceiling design and the varying heights in the ceiling,” says Reader. “It was my job to consider the regulatory requirements, as well as the needs of the surveillance environment and end user, and meld these together during the install.”

Resorts World Operations and Technical Manager Jason Arnett played a hands-on role working with the electrical and carpenter unions throughout the project.

Delivering Results on Deadline

The complex ceiling design on Resort World NYC’s gaming floors required significant redesign and maneuvering of cameras in and around soffits of varying heights.

Currently, there are 14 IDF closets and eventually there will be 20 when all three phases of the installation are complete later this spring. “An all-IP deployment greatly simplifies the surveillance rack wiring by having a pair of fiber cables transport the data for hundreds of cameras versus hundreds of twisted-pair feeds having to come in to a server room and be terminated,” adds Haskell. As part of the construction, new multimode fiber was run throughout the facility back to the surveillance room to support the existing number of deployed cameras and allow for future expansion as needed.

Unique System Design Challenges As mentioned earlier, before the new casino could be constructed an existing Aqueduct Racetrack building had to be cleared out to create two floors of gaming, an events center and a ground floor to accommodate back-of-house operations. Reader spearheaded the design process for the surveillance and equipment rooms, providing input for the

When the project began last July, the immediate concern was provid-

◗ Case Study in Brief: Resorts World New York City PROJECT: IP HD video surveillance system for Resorts World’s first North American casino venture in Queens, N.Y. SOLUTION: 1,500+ channels of IP HD video recording with 1,080p capability on all cameras (including pan/tilt/zoom models recording at 30 fps across all channels); America’s first “smart” digital monitor wall recording process that requires no extra inputs to track activity on the monitor wall; POS integration; ability to integrate with access control system COST: $7.5 million for surveillance system and installation CONSULTANT: Shawn Reader, Security Surveillance Consultants Inc., Phoenix

FIND IT ON THE WEB F For this project’s equipment list, F Visit securitysales.com/resortsworld. V

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RESORTS WORLD CASINO SURVEILLANCE

lines by providing extra manpower on weekends and holidays,” says Reader. Arnett adds, “The fact that we were installing in to what was essentially a new build helped reduce certain difficulties that could arise from retrofitting existing space and equipment.” Since the new surveillance system has been installed, Arnett reports that there have been a number of incidents where they were able to detain suspects while still on property because of the ability to play back video instantaneously. There have also been a few situations where patrons have slipped

Synectics’ IP camera solution enabled a spacesaving digital recording system and simplified rack wiring (a pair of fiber cables is able to transport the data for hundreds of cameras).

ing camera coverage of the slot machines once they had been delivered to the site to make sure they weren’t tampered with prior to installation. This required setting up the core networking infrastructure in a temporary office to record 100 cameras until the surveillance area was completed. Camera installation also had to precede many aspects of the construction process, which meant certain areas had to be completed before cameras could be wired and installed. With the soft opening set for Oct. 28, 2011, Reader and Arnett knew it would be down to the wire to make the go-live date.

Resorts World’s Dream Team: John Medolla (right), surveillance director, and Jason Arnett, operations and technical manager, have a long history of working together in casino surveillance. Based on their joint experience, the Synectics’ video management platform and user interface was selected for its ease of use and reliability.

“We worked closely with both the electrician and carpenters’ unions and were able to navigate the tight dead-

The control room’s “smart” digital monitor wall requires no extra inputs to track activity and features Winsted consoles for the shift supervisor and operator stations. In addition to desktop displays, each station has four 19-inch monitors flanking a 60-inch center screen.

and fallen. The recorded video has been instrumental in both resolving those events and giving the risk manager the ability to correct problematic areas in the new casino to avoid similar occurrences in the future. Overall, Medolla says they are very pleased with the system: “New operators with no experience have been able to learn the Synergy platform within days and become proficient with minimal training. We are able to resolve incidents from the floor within minutes instead of hours because of the digital system. And, the high quality of the HD IP cameras has proven to be like nothing I’ve seen in my surveillance career. To be able to discern facial features or small objects [i.e. someone putting something suspicious in their pocket] is extremely beneficial to our surveillance operation.” ■

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DUMIES TROUBLESHOOTING HYBRID SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR

DEALERS / USERS / MANAGERS / INSTALLERS / ENGINEERS / SALESPEOPLE

Isolating Infrastructure Issues

Continuing Education Sponsored by PELCO Part 1 of 4 Brought to You by

Presented by

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TROUBLESHOOTING HYBRID SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR

DUMIES

Part 1 of 4

Where to START

When Your System

STOPS

Illustration by Jerry King

The migration from analog to IP video is often an incremental one in which both must co-exist within the same overall surveillance system. Keeping these so-called hybrid systems running as trouble-free as possible requires technicians to understand legacy and new technologies. Find out where to begin when problems do arise.

BY BOB WIMMER

elcome to Part I of the latest in SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION’s acclaimed “D.U.M.I.E.S.” series: “Troubleshooting Hybrid Surveillance Systems for D.U.M.I.E.S.” Brought to you by Pelco by Schneider Electric, this four-part series has been designed to educate readers about recent advances in technology and systems that are likely to shape this decade’s progression of the video surveillance industry. “D.U.M.I.E.S.” stands for dealers, users, managers, installers, engineers and salespeople. The 2012 series will explore the art and science of troubleshooting video

surveillance equipment, systems and cabling infrastructures, with particular attention to the hybrid approaches being widely implemented to transition legacy systems from analog to IPbased digital solutions. Explanations will be provided describing the different methods used to define, isolate and repair problem areas found in the video surveillance arena. What is a hybrid system? Today’s surveillance systems are starting to combine some of the best features and parameters of the analog video output world and the IP networking world. Many dealers and installers are now required to perform upgrades while incor-

porating existing system technologies. And there are many dealers that maintain analog video systems. These facts make it very important they understand how both system types function. Some basic knowledge of simple electronic theory, networking and test equipment will be helpful during these series of articles. However, the learning curve will be served up as painlessly as possible so even those who have little or no knowledge of electronic theory should comprehend it all just fine. In order to be able to troubleshoot any security system, one must first understand the proper methods, materials and procedures required to install a

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system. And so that is where we will jump in with this first installment.

Hybrid Puzzle IP Cameras Analog Output Cameras

Network Video Encoders

Network Switch

What is a hybrid system? Today’s surveillance systems are starting to combine some of the best features and parameters of the analog video output world and the IP networking world.

Most Problems Are Wired Related The following characteristic troubleshooting areas apply for both analog and IP surveillance technologies. To start, a few basic statistics on the problems found in system installations. It is a fact that 65% of most installation and troubleshooting problems are associated with the type of interconnecting cabling, connectors and connections, and installation methods. The next area, which makes up approximately 27%, is related to insufficient input power to camera equipment, line surges and excessive temperature operating environment of the equipment. A technician will have to know and gather information about the system in order to troubleshoot the problem and service the equipment. In order to gather this information — ask questions! Troubleshooting any system is an art form; asking the right questions and in the proper sequence can eliminate many hours of frustration and incorrect system diagnostics. Whether the system is analog, IP or a hybrid, the general starting questions are the same. Many of the questions highlighted in this article, particularly the first few, may seem very basic. However, they are the perfect start-

ing point for proper troubleshooting of any system.

It All Begins With Right Questions One of the first steps in troubleshooting a system is examining the system block diagram. Doing so will allow the service technician to obtain an understanding of the equipment layout. This step is especially important when systems include different camera technologies and monitoring locations. Following the video and data paths of an entire system is essential for troubleshooting procedures. Understanding these paths will help determine, for instance, the proper terminations of all signals. Remember, it is much easier to understand a system on paper than to understand that same system in the field. Examining the diagram or system layout also takes less time than walking through the system in the field. As you take on the troubleshooting task and work through the questions laid out here, remember the axiom: Electronics, for the most part, are logical in design while human behavior is not. Questions Group #1 • Has anyone tried to correct the problem before now? • Has any new equipment been installed? • Have any building changes taken place such as electrical work, new added equipment or removal of equipment? The responses to these questions are usually the most difficult to interpret. If any of the answers are no, it could be a red flag that signifies an incorrect or inaccurate response. The reason is typically due to a lack of knowledge regarding changes or people not wanting to take responsibility for the situation. If a previous technician or installer has shorted a terminal with a screwdriver, adjusted the controls without knowing the functions, did not know proper cable installation procedures or changed an IP address it can add to your headaches. So

it is a good idea to ensure no one else has tried to fix the problem. If you find someone has, you should perform a complete check of all connections and settings before moving forward. It may also be a good idea to speak with the previous technician regarding the problem, but proceed with caution. One person’s impression of the system’s trouble may or may not be accurate. System technicians must rely on the information at hand, but they must also verify it. Assumptions have led to excessive troubleshooting time, and many failed attempts at system repair. If the answer to any of the questions is yes, then usually conducting a factory default of all associated equipment is your first choice of action. However, remember if the equipment offers no backup storage method, once the factory default is enabled a complete manual programming sequence of all equipment may be required. This could be time consuming depending upon the complexity of the system. Since, as mentioned, approximately 65% of troubleshooting problems are cable-related this should be your next area of concern. Question Group # 2 • What type of cable was installed? • When was the cable installed? • Who installed or pulled the cable? System interconnecting cabling is the lifeline for any hybrid surveillance system. Whether it is standard video coaxial cable, shielded twisted pairs for data, Category-5e/6 for unshielded twisted pair (UTP) equipment or Cat5e/6 for networking, all industry recommendations should be followed to ensure proper operation. So let’s take a closer look at what to be concerned about and look for depending on the transmission medium deployed.

All Cables Not Created Equal Let us start with coaxial cable, which has been associated with computing, networking and hybrid systems for securitysales.com • MARCH 2012 A3

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TROUBLESHOOTING HYBRID SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR

many years. While the use of coax has declined, for existing systems built on coax cable backbones that have expanded through the addition of IP equipment or those with longer distance requirements, the use of this tried-and-true wiring remains a popular choice.

DUMIES

formation from outside elements and provides a different means to distribute the signal. It is these characteristics that require different materials be used in the cable construction. Baseband/composite video cable requires a center conductor made of cop-

Coaxial Cable Comparison Chart Composite - Baseband Video • 0 to 10MHz bandwidth • raw video signal • 1V peak to peak / 140 IRE • 75-ohm impedance • copper center • copper shield

CATV / MATV / RF Video • 50 to 990MHz bandwidth • RF-protected signal • 75-ohm impedance • copper-covered steel center • aluminum shield

Do not use aluminum braid or foil shielding for video surveillance cabling.

ductor is made of copper-covered steel, and although the overall impedance is also 75 ohms, the shielding of the cable is aluminum or foil rather than copper. This variance causes much confusion and problems in the security industry, such as distortion of the video signal and an excessive loss of signal strength. Consider this example situation: A hybrid system incorporates an analog output camera for a parking lot application in which the distance from the camera to the first network closet exceeds the normal rules in networking (listed as 100 meters) and, therefore, coaxial cable is installed. The system then converts the composite video into a signal to comply with networking standards. Upon startup, no video is able to be viewed by that parking lot camera on the network; however, when tested at the camera site video is present. Now what? The answer can be as simple as the wrong type of coaxial cable selection.

Ensuring Signal Is Strong Enough

Baseband/composite’s signal consists of video information, color information, and vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals. While RF has all the same information, there is one exception: all of its information is protected by a radio frequency shield.

The types of coaxial cable are referred to by an RG-number or name; however, there are major differences in the construction of each cable called by the same number. The type of material in their composition is critical and can affect a system’s performance. In video surveillance systems, the signal that is transmitted by the analog output camera equipment is known as a baseband or composite. There are significant differences between baseband/composite type and RF (radio frequency) video cable. Baseband/composite’s signal consists of video information, color information, and vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals. While RF has all the same information found in a baseband signal, there is one exception: all of its information is protected by a radio frequency shield. This RF shield safeguards the actual video in-

Part 1 of 4

per (solid or stranded), a 75-ohm impedance characteristic and an overall outer shield construction made of copper. In an RF video cable, the center con-

Most network encoders that convert an analog video signal into a compressed IP addressable signal usually require a signal level strength of 50 IRE units. A signal input to the encoder lower than 50 IRE units will result in the loss of video. An IRE unit is a measurement designated by the Institute of Radio En-

Signal Strength Diagram 100 IRE

50 IRE Encoder

500-Foot Copper Coaxial Cable RG-59

100 IRE

40 IRE Encoder

500-Foot Aluminum Coaxial Cable RG-59

Most network encoders that convert an analog video signal into a compressed IPaddressable signal usually require a signal level strength of 50 IRE units. A signal input to the encoder lower than 50 IRE units will result in loss of video.

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gineers, which has integrated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). The measurement indicates the amount of output signal strength generated by a camera. Or, in the case of an IP encoder, it represents the input signal strength required by the A/D (analog to digital) converter circuitry and Ethernet interface in order to process the video image into a network. A proper camera design should produce video signal strength at the camera location of 100 IRE units. With correct cable selection and the recommended cable distances, the input to the Ethernet encoder will be 50 IRE units. This IRE level is common for most network encoders for proper operation. Less than that level will result in either no video image or a freezeframe effect on the network. The reason for the mismatch is in the resistance or loss of the materials within the coaxial cable construction, as well as the frequency bandwidth of the cable parameters. The reason why aluminum (RF) cable is used comes down to cost. According to major manufacturers, the recommended construction and transmission distances (without amplification or enhancement) for coaxial cable in surveillance applications are as follows: • Copper center conductor — 95% copper shield; 75-ohm impedance • RG-59U — 500 feet • RG-6U —1,000 feet • RG-11U — 1,500 feet These parameters are based on a 100-IRE video input to the cable from the camera to produce 50 IRE at the end of the cable run, and all copper material for the center conductor and shielding of the cable. Aluminum shielding as well as a copper-covered steel center conductor creates a greater loss of signal strength and bandwidth, and failure within the system.

Take Installation Methods to Task What other areas should a technician consider that can cause loss of vid-

eo signal strength? Alternatively, what additional questions will help in determining if the system problem is cablerelated? Let’s return to the question: When was the cable installed? This question may appear to be unnecessary, especially if you installed and maintain the system. However, for those who were not involved with the original installation or are just entering a location for the first time, this question can save a lot of troubleshooting time and effort. If the answer is “The system was just installed,” consider the factors we will now discuss in detail. The odds are, even if the proper type of coaxial cable was installed, excessive force might have been used when it was pulled or someone may have exceeded the cable’s bend radius. These issues will result in no or distorted video signals. When pulling cable, tension must be applied to all elements of the cable in an even fashion without violating the cable’s maximum limits. This means carefully stretching the cable as evenly as possible along its entire length without exceeding recommended tension.

Here are some guidelines (all coax are solid copper center): • RG11 coax — 89 pounds • RG59 coax — 50 pounds • RG6 coax — 40 pounds • 4-pair UTP/Cat-5e — 25 pounds As a result of a precision manufacturing process, coax possesses a number of electrical characteristics and a pull string should be used when running it through conduits, ducts or electrical metallic tubing (EMT). Impedance level, signal loss and return loss can easily result if you distort coaxial cable. Pulling it without the use of a pull string or rope increases the likelihood of stretching the cable and distorting those electrical qualities. This may not sound that significant, but once again we must always remember cable is the lifeline of the surveillance system. Exceeding the recommended bending radius will also distort the signal. Even if you do not actually kink the cable, any severe bends can distort its electrical characteristics. Fortunately, there is a good rule of thumb to follow: The recommended bend radius for coaxial cable installed in any surveillance

Cabling Bend Radius Chart Coaxial Cable RG59,RG6, RG11 Jug handle 4 X dia meter ¾" (19mm)

10 X diameter 2.5" (64mm)

UTP Cable Cat-5e, Cat-6

Stud or framing member

Exceeding the recommended bending radius will distort the signal. Even if you do not actually kink the cable, when you distort it you’re distorting its electrical characteristics. The recommendation for surveillance system coax: 10 times the cable’s outside diameter. securitysales.com • MARCH 2012 A5

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system is 10 times the outside diameter of the cable.

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Part 1 of 4

Hybrid Video Surveillance System Design

Resistance a Key Factor to Check Now that we have a basic understanding of the coaxial cable requirements for a hybrid system, how can a field check be initiated to determine if the coax is within resistive tolerance or if the proper signal strength exists at the network encoder? The first step is to conduct a coaxial cable compliance check. It will only require a simple volt ohm meter (VOM) and BNC shorting stub. If the system has improper cable installed, excessive force was used in pulling the cable or the normal bend radius was violated, the consequent imperfections will be apparent in the coax’s total resistance level. Reference the diagram below to carry out the following test procedure: Short one end of the coaxial cable from the center conductor to the shield using a BNC shorting stub. Connect the other end of the cable under test to a VOM. Use a BNC to banana plug adaptor. Place the VOM in the ohms position. Measure the DC resistance of the cable. The tested DC resistance should not exceed 7 to 10 ohms. This DC resistance reading can indicate whether the cable type, bending and installed distances are within the proper ranges. The resistance level can be less than the required 7 to 10 ohms; however, if the reading is greater than that amount the result could be a loss of video in your system. These readings are compiled with a starting signal reference of 100 IRE at the camera location and the proper coaxial cable.

IP Cameras Analog Output Cameras Recorder/Server

Video Encoder

Client

Troubleshooting any system is an art form. Whether the system is analog, IP or a hybrid, the general starting questions are the same. Asking the right questions and in the proper sequence can eliminate many hours of frustration and incorrect system diagnostics.

Returning once again to the question of when the cable was installed, if the answer is that it was a long time ago the odds are you have corrosion or moisture problems with your cabling network. The above test procedure will also verify this, and the solution will be replacing the cabling.

IP Devices Even More Susceptible What about the other side of a hybrid system when an IP camera is installed with network-grade cabling such as Cat-5e/6; are pulling techniques just as important? The answer is yes, and in most cases the pulling procedures are even more critical than those involving coaxial cable. The reason is in the bandwidth requirements for both standard IP and megapixel cameras. Trouble-

Coaxial Cable Testing Procedure VOM

1) Short one end of coax from center conductor to shield using BNC shorting stub; 2) connect other end of cable to VOM using BNC-to-banana-plug adaptor; 3) place VOM in ohms position, measure cable’s DC resistance (should not exceed 7-10 ohms). Cable Under Test

BNC-to-BananaPlug Adaptor

shooting IP cameras is a bit more complicated than combining analog cameras with a network encoder. If you are not seeing any images in your network system, the first basic test is to ensure that the camera is actually producing video. On the analog-to-network-encoder section side of the surveillance it is quite easy to determine if you have a video signal. Just check the output of the cameras with a basic video test monitor and connect it to the BNC connector on the back of the camera. However, when incorporating an IP or megapixel camera, the output of the camera is a stream of data. Hopefully the installed network camera has a video monitoring output jack. Most high-quality networking cameras do have this important feature. Look for it; it will save a great deal of time and frustration. The output jack allows you to see if the camera has a video signal before it reaches the compression and Ethernet interfaces. If video is present, at least we have a starting point for troubleshooting this

BNC Shorting Stub FIND IT ON THE WEB F Visit the Educational Tools section at secuV ritysales.com/dumies to access nine years’ ri of “D.U.M.I.E.S.” archives.

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Network Camera Test Feature

Analog video service jack

Quality network cameras have a video monitoring output jack, which saves a great deal of time and frustration. It lets you see if the camera has a video signal before it reaches other interfaces.

portion of the system. As before, ask the questions, which now instead of pertaining to coaxial involve networking cable. As to the type of cable, refer to the category of the networking cable. The most common will be either Cat-5e/6. Each has different bandwidth and design characteristics that are important when transporting massive amounts of data. The general differences between Cat5e and Cat-6 are the transmission performance and extension of the available bandwidth from 100MHz for Cat-5e to 200MHz for Cat-6. These improvements provide a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), allowing for higher reliability in video applications and higher data rates when megapixel devices are employed. Cat-6 cable comes with four twisted copper wire pairs, and each twisted pair is built of larger 23-gauge copper. The earlier model, Cat-5e, used 24-gauge copper wires. This reduction of wire size lowers the overall DC resistance loss, which can improve PoE (power over Ethernet) performance. The performance of the cabling network is heavily dependent on the installation. The components used in structured cabling installation have been carefully designed and tested to meet the requirements of EIA/TIA 568 for performance. If you suspect that the cable may be at fault, conduct a visible inspection of the cable runs. Look for items such as

tie wraps being too tight around the cables. In fact, plastic tie wraps should not be installed on any network cabling. The use of Velcro is a more desirable form of support for any type of cable. Look for bends in the cable. The minimum bend radius for Cat-5, -5e and -6 cables is four times (4x) the cable diameter, which is approximately ¾ inch to 1 inch. When cabling is bent beyond this specified minimum bend radius, it can cause transmission failures. All pathways must maintain the minimum bend radius. Do not forget the possibility of excessive force having been exerted when the cable was first installed. Most Cat5 manufacturers recommend a pulling tension of no more than 25 pounds. The conductors inside the cable are small and relatively fragile. Breaking one conductor will render the paired wire useless as well. This means one broken wire will put two out of commission.

Network Testing Techniques In order to check and verify the quality of the network cable, there are three basic tests that can be performed: wire mapping, length and bandwidth. We’ll take a look at each of them and the equipment needed to test these parameters. Wire map or wire mapping — This is a basic test to make sure the cable is connected properly, according to the standard for connecting pin-to-pin within the system. A network testing tool providing wire mapping is relatively inexpensive and will save hours

NEXT UP FOR ‘D.U.M.I.E.S.’: POWER, TERMINATION & SYSTEM INTERFACES Be sure to check out the June issue of SSI for Part 2 of 2012’s “Troubleshooting Hybrid Surveillance Systems for D.U.M.I.E.S.” series. The second installment will explore procedures to assess power requirements, termination points and interferences of solutions bridging the worlds of legacy analog systems and newer IP video.

of work. A wire mapping tool should test for the following: • Open pairs — a wire not connected at either end will report as open. It’s usually caused by a missing or faulty crimp or broken wire. • Shorts — caused by two wires in contact somewhere in the cable. • Reverse pair — one or more wires are not connected to the correct pins at the other end of the cable. • Split pair — pairs should be connected to meet T568A or B standards. Cable length — Since networking cables must not exceed 90 meters (290 feet) for the backbone plus 10 meters (38 feet) for interconnects, or a total 100 meters (328 feet) from device to device, according to networking standards, the length should be tested if you are having a problem with accessing video on the network. This can be accomplished with a time domain reflectometer (TDR). This tester sends out a pulse, waits for an echo from the far end and measures the time it took for the trip. Knowing the speed in the cable, it calculates the length. All cable certification testers include a TDR to measure cable length. Bandwidth — Insufficient system bandwidth can cause severe problems. Every system will have a minimum bandwidth requirement. As always, the weakest link will limit this bandwidth and in most cases the weakest link is the network cable. Cat-5e can be used for video networks up to 100MHz and limited 1,000Mbps transmission speeds. Cat-6 supports 10Gbps (1,000Mbps). In closing, there is one last area that is often overlooked in troubleshooting a system. Whether it is coaxial cable or networking cable, connectors play a very important role in the overall quality of the system performance. So inspect them very closely and always ensure the use of high quality-grade connectors. ■ Robert (Bob) Wimmer is president of Video Security Consultants (www.cctvbob.com) and has more than 38 years of experience in CCTV. His consulting firm provides technical training, system design, technical support and system troubleshooting. Originator of the D.U.M.I.E.S. series (www.dumies.us.com), Wimmer was inducted into SSI’s Industry Hall of Fame in 2006.

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Introducing the New Digital Sentry Simplified. Optimized. More powerful video management. The New Digital Sentry™ hybrid network video recorder provides all the power you need to maximize HD recording and leverage existing analog investments. With 280 Mbps throughput, support for up to 128 IP and analog streams, increased storage options, and built-in reliability, this powerful new platform delivers more HD capability than ever before. Maximize the performance of analog cameras and extend your existing analog investment with hybrid capability. The New Digital Sentry can accommodate up to 64 analog cameras at D1 resolution and full frame rate. Simplify and optimize your video security platform and choose the New Digital Sentry as your one-stop solution for all the HD and analog recording power you need.

www.pelco.com FREE DOWNLOAD THE NEW ANALOG COMPARISON GUIDE

1. Go to www.SEreply.com 2. Enter key code k985v 3. Click on the Analog Comparison Guide link

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SPECIAL REPORT

THE

Changing Faces OF SECURITY

By Scott Goldfine

iversification has been a buzz term for the installing security systems contractor community for some time. Never more so than the past few years when the recession has often rewarded those companies with irons in a multitude of fires rather than just eggs placed in a single basket. This, of course, is speaking to diversification of markets, products and services. However, there is another type of diversification that, while a bit more subtle, is also nevertheless taking place. It’s the changing composition of the industry’s managers and general personnel. That trend along with many others pertaining to both people and businesses are revealed by SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION’s fourth biannual Security Industry Demographic Census. Conducted by the research team at SSI’s parent company Bobit Business Media — with assistance from the Electronic Security Association (ESA), Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), PSA Security Network and Reed Exhibitions (ISC organizer) — the 2012 study polled nearly 700 managers from all levels of installing security dealer and systems integration organizations. Launched in 2005, the Census’ intent is to address a number of salient questions and quantify trends that enable tracking the industry’s evolution. The objectives include answering: Who are the people dedicated to promoting safety and protection? What 74 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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types of individuals possess the business acumen and technical know-how to elevate electronic security and continue to drive the industry forward? Where do they come from? What is their experience? What are their beliefs? How do they run their companies? What are their commonalities and differences? From a managerial standpoint, some of the most interesting developments revealed in the data include: more women, Hispanics and blacks in supervisory roles; a higher incidence of single managers with no children; a declining affiliation with the Republican party; a rise in those new to the industry; more varied past work experiences; a drop in those planning career in security; and a decline in owning and having monitored security systems. From a business standpoint, findings of note include: a sharp upswing in minorities throughout organizations; a strong push for sustainability; fewer family owned companies; and more community service efforts. While the complexion of the industry’s people is changing, overall, security installation firms continue to be college-educated, Republican, 50-year-old Caucasian males who are married with two kids and have spent at least 16 years in the business. Get the full picture of where we’ve come from and where we’re heading as the 2012 Demographic Census unfolds in the ensuing graphs, charts and statistics. ©iStockphoto.com/Joshua Hodge Photography

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2012 SECURITY INDUSTRY DEMOGRAPHIC CENSUS Personal Information |||||||

What Is Your Title? Executive Management

What Is Your Age? Sales and Marketing Management

General Management

Technical Management

10%

11%

Other

14% What Best Describes Your Ethnic Background?

56%

2012

What Is Your Gender?

2008

White, Caucasian

Male

85% 91% 91%

Female

89%

90%

2012

2010

2010 11%

92%

2008 10%

Latin American, Mexican, Hispanic, Chicano, South American, Cuban

What Is the Highest Degree or Level of School Completed? 2012

5% 3% 2%

2010

Black, African American 2008

2% 1% 2%

Other

8% 5% 5%

Graduate degree (e.g. MA, MS, etc.)

38% 37% 39% 30% 36% 27% 9% 6% 11%

What Is Your Marital Status?

High school graduate

10% 8%

Trade/Technical schooling

8% 2%

7% 3%

2% 1%

College Graduate (e.g. AA, BA, BS) Some college

(high school diploma or equivalent)

Military training Post-graduate degree (e.g. MD, DDS, JD, etc.)

Some high school

2012

2010

2008

Married

79%

84%

83%

7% 3%

Divorced

11%

Never married

3% 1%

Separated

Widowed

Are You Physically Disabled?

Do You Have Any Children? Yes

81%

2012

Yes

85%

2010

85%

2012

95%

2008 Yes

19% Average # Children

©iStockphoto.com/TroelsGraugaard

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15% Average # Children

2010

92%

securitysales.com • MARCH 2012 75

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2012 SECURITY INDUSTRY DEMOGRAPHIC CENSUS Personal Information |||||||

What Percentage Has Your Income Increased or Decreased the Past 2 Years? 2012

What Is Your Political Affiliation?

2010

43% 37%

33%

34%

30%

23%

▲ Increased ▼Decreased

No change

★2012

★2010

★2008

Republican R e Party

55%

61%

Democratic Party D

16%

15%

21%

IIndependent n

11%

None/No affiliation N

Li Libertarian Party

O Other

10%

What Is Your Religion? 30% Catholic 9%

Baptist

Nondenominational

How Many Years Have You Worked in the Electronic Security Industry?

Lutheran

Methodist/Wesleyan

5 years or less

Nonreligious/secular

6-10 years

5% 4%

Agnostic

Judaism

11-15 years

Protestant

16-20 years

Latter-Day Saints/Mormon

Churches of Christ

21-25 years

Episcopalian/Anglican

26-30 years

All others

31-35 years

15%

More than 35 years

How Many Years Have You Worked in Your Present Position? 2012

38% 34% 20% 20%

6-10 years

12% 13%

11-15 years

16-20 years

21-25 years

26-30 years

More than 30 years

11% 9% 6% 8% 6% 5% 11%

76 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

SS3census.indd 76

2008

14% 12% 12% 13% 12% 15% 11% 11%

12% 13% 10% 13% 16% 13% 14% 9%

11% 14% 14% 16% 13% 16% 16%* N/A

What Other Experience Do You Have Outside the Industry? (Respondents could check more than one) 2012

2010

2008

Customer Service

34%

35%

38%

Sales

33%

40%

38%

Electronics

32%

41%

39%

Technical

28%

33%

32%

Computers (hardware)

27%

28%

27%

Engineering

21%

19%

17%

Executive Management

20%

29%

24%

Retail

20%

23%

N/A

Clerical/Administrative

18%

14%

21%

Military

18%

21%

26%

Law Enforcement/Firefighter

12%

20%

Food Service

10%

N/A

15%

Security Guard

17%

Software Development

Other

12%

17%

11%

Professor/Instructor

2010

* - range in 2008 only went up to More than 30 years

2010

5 years or less

2012

©iStockphoto.com/Joshua Hodge Photography: businessman/Godfried Edelman: technician

3/2/12 2:53 PM

352 57 6HULHV 836

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2012 SECURITY INDUSTRY DEMOGRAPHIC CENSUS Personal Information |||||||

Do You Have a Security System in Your Own Home? 75%

Yes No

If Yes, Is It Monitored?

85%

2012

2010 25%

69%

Yes

77%

2012

15%

2010 31%

23%

Please Rate the Importance of the Following to You in Your Job: (5 = highly important, 1 = not important at all) >

4.48

4.36

4.22

4.19

3.96

3.94

3.87

3.85

3.59

3.32

2.98

2.66

1.93

1 0

Sense of Challenging accomplishment/ work fulfillment

Benefits

Base salary

Recognition Bonuses and Career and positive incentives advancement reinforcement potential

Corporate culture

Autonomy

Short Telecommuting Working commute with family or friends

Easy work/low expectations

On a Scale of 1-10, 10 Being Highest, How High Would You Rate Your Present Work-Related Stress Level? 2012

54%

2010 2008

9% Stress Rating

37% 8%

1-3

72%

2010 2008

28%

▲ Increased

7-10

On Average, How Many Hours Per Week Do You Work?

2012

70%

58%

34%

4-6

Has Your Work Stress Level Increased or Decreased During the Past Year? 79%

29%

64%

30% 21%

▼Decreased

2012

2010

2008

40 or fewer

16%

10%

11%

41-45

22%

19%

15%

46-50

27%

29%

33%

51-55

14%

18%

16%

More than 55

21%

24%

25%

Do You Plan to Spend Your Entire Career in This Industry? Yes

How Many Times Per Year Do You Travel on Business? 2012

2010

2008

2010 16%

78 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

SS3census.indd 78

87%

84%

2012

89%

2008 13%

11%

©iStockphoto.com/Magnilion: watch/Jacob Wackerhausen: traveler

3/2/12 2:53 PM

2012 SECURITY INDUSTRY DEMOGRAPHIC CENSUS Business Information |||||||

For Business Purposes, How Is Your Company Defined? 48% Privately held corporation 21%

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

21%

Sole Ownership

Partnership

Publicly held corporation

Other

How Do You Handle the Human Resources Function?

57% 18% 12%

One or more full-time human resources employee(s)

Other employee(s) (sharing responsibility with other job functions)

Outsourced (EPO)

Other

One or more part-time human resources employees(s)

Which of the Following Are Handled Internally and Externally? Internally

Externally

Recruitment

96%

Accounting (Billing)

94%

Marketing

92%

Accounting (Payroll)

71%

29%

Customer account monitoring

60%

40%

Web development

51%

56%

Guard patrol

35%

65%

How Do You Recruit New Employees?

(Respondents could check more than one)

Referrals (employee referral, people you know, etc.) Classifieds (newspapers, magazines, etc.) Online (monster.com or similar services) Your own company Web site

Owner takes care of human resources

Technical school placement Hire away from competitors Agencies (headhunters)

Does Your Company Conduct Background Checks of Prospective Employees? 82%

Yes No

2012

84%

Internship programs Job fairs

2010 18%

College/Universities

Trade publications Other

16%

79% 38% 31% 25% 15% 14% 10% 10% 10% 8% 6% 11%

If Your Company Does Conduct Background Checks, Which Types Are Used? (Respondents could check more than one)

91%

97%

2012

2010

72% 71% 57% 57%

46% 49%

36% 39%

39% 38%

34% 34% 9% 7%

Criminal

Reference

ÂŠiStockphoto.com/Jon Schulte: help wanted/ Rich Legg: woman

SS3census.indd 79

DMV

Sex offender

Prison

Credit

Online search

Other

securitysales.com â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH 2012 79

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2012 SECURITY INDUSTRY DEMOGRAPHIC CENSUS Business Information |||||||

What Percentage of Your Company’s Employees Are…? 2010

2012

(Respondents could check more than one)

19% 18% 18%

18%

We do not require any specific training

16%

Workplace safety and ergonomics training

▼

13%

What Type of Mandatory General Training Does Your Company Require of Employees?

Sexual harassment awareness training

○

Diversity in the workplace training Discrimination awareness training

Disability awareness training

Other

45% 44% 25% 22% 20% 13% 14%

To What Extent Has Your Company Become a ‘Greener’ Operation During the Past Two Years? Women

Hispanic

Foreign born or Non-Caucasian

Black/African American

2012

2010

22%

What Type of Educational Programs Does Your Company Provide for Financial Assistance?

No increase

27%

(Respondents could check more than one)

Certifications

45%

Daylong seminars

45%

Trade shows

43%

In-house training

41%

Online training

38%

Industry conferences

33%

We do not provide educational financial assistance

33%

12%

Trade association meetings

32%

12%

Continuing education programs

31%

Tuition reimbursement

20%

College/University

Yes

34%

2010 26%

20%

SS3census.indd 80

Significant increase

6% 3%

Great increase

If Yes, What Is the Present Generation of Ownership? 73%

2008 19%

27%

First 80 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

Moderate increase

81%

74%

Slight increase

38%

Is Your Company/Business Family Owned?

2012

26%

Second

Third

©iStockphoto.com/Ricardo Infante Alvarez

3/2/12 2:53 PM

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2012 SECURITY INDUSTRY DEMOGRAPHIC CENSUS Business Information |||||||

What Type(s) of Insurance Does Your Company Provide? (Respondents could check more than one)

health 72% Individual insurance

47% 40% 37%

Family health insurance

Disability insurance

Life Insurance

What Retirement Program(s) Does Your Company Support?

45%

401k Company-assisted IRA

15%

Simplified Employee Pensions

12%

Defined Benefit (pension) Programs

Company Stock Options

Company Stock Purchase Program

2% 1%

529 College Saving Program

15%

Other

Do You Offer Profit-Sharing Bonuses at the End of the Year for Regular Full-Time Employees?

16%

None

Does Your Company Participate in Community Service Activities? Yes

57%

YES

51%

2012

53%

2010 43%

2008 49%

47%

What Are Your Company’s Top 10 Concerns?

Overall business climate/ economy Keeping costs down/ profits up Government regulations Maintaining current customers Finding new job project leads

Insurance Office recycling/ ”Green” operations Health care Workers’ comp Finding and training employees

FIND IT ON THE WEB F For more industry research and statistics, visit securitysales.com/securitystats. F 82 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

SS3census.indd 82

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Kowa’s 4/3” XC lens series has a wide 23mm diameter with a C-Mount instead of a conventional F-Mount found on similar large format lenses. This means that Kowa’s XC lens series has the advantage of being relatively compact but can accommodate larger camera sensors. In addition, a C-Mount camera paired with our C-Mount XC lens will generally lead to a smaller and less expensive system.

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SALES FUNDAMENTALS

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

How

ENERGIZE Your RMR

Can

Technological advances and heightened consumer interest in saving both costs and the environment are creating new opportunities in energy management. Learn how to maximize sales and RMR associated with this emerging market as an adjunct to traditional security offerings.

By Rob Puric and Carlos Lopez-Reyna

he rotation of technology trends throughout the past few years has truly moved at a dizzying pace. Topics like mobile connectivity, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G networks, sustainability, cloud-based computing … you name it and it’s probably had a turn at some point as the most talked-about subject in the tech world. You could argue, though, that one topic in particular has attracted the most attention above all others: energy management. No matter the industry or the application, the capability to save energy and drive down costs usually finds a way to creep into the conversation, and rightly so. In the era of sustainable/green/clean technology, energy conservation continues to be one of the chief factors consumers and organizations consider when evaluating the actual size of their “environmental footprint.” Similar to many other industries, energy management in physical security continues to gain traction as a hot topic, and not just for its green and sustainable aspects and abilities to help consumers and organizations save money. The prospect of selling energy management solutions alongside security applications opens recurring monthly revenue (RMR) streams for installing security contractors on the hunt to differentiate and diversify their businesses. Not all dealers and integrators have been quick to embrace this latest trend. Adding a new, nonsecurity element to a portfolio may seem like undertaking a whole other occupation. Hence, the prospect of needing to become well-versed in the energy

field isn’t appealing to every professional whose primary livelihood has been designing and installing physical security systems. It’s one thing to sell protection and peace of mind; it’s another to sell energy savings to a home or business. Expanding a portfolio to include energy management solutions may not be as complex and scary as some might think. With the right preparation and product knowledge, traditional-minded dealers and integrators can leverage their physical security savvy to successfully enter this promising market niche.

3 Steps to Get Started Perhaps the biggest misconception about selling energy management for the traditional security installer is believing it necessary to become an “energy

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www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/13319

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SELLING ENERGY MANAGEMENT

expert” before sitting down with a customer. While a solid knowledge base is certainly required, it’s important to realize that many customers often already know what home systems they want to control and measure. Moreover, while it can be challenging for some security dealers to pick up energy/home/building management experience, many professionals in those fields are committed to partnering with security dealers to expand their own portfolios. This translates into great opportunities for natural partnerships. The burgeoning market for energy management will be a key driver in facilitating these partnerships as well as attracting new providers. Consider recent research by Dallas-based Parks Associates that predicts as many

ous open protocols used by metering and sub-metering devices; and 3) overcome any apprehension of speaking directly with energy professionals.

as 13% of American homes will be equipped with an energy management network by 2015. The firm forecasts lighting controls, programmable thermostats and self-monitoring systems will each exceed $1 billion in U.S. revenues by 2015. Additionally, Parks reported in 2011 that one-third of consumers in broadband households find remote control of lights, appliances and thermostats via Web-enabled devices “very appealing.” So how does a dealer or integrator that wants to enter this space get started? Becoming proficient in selling energy management requires dealers to 1) research and learn about the different types of metering devices on the market; 2) build upon their knowledge of IT networks to learn about the vari-

Understanding Wireless Protocols Two key areas where security technology can help improve energy efficiency are lighting systems, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). This type of integration demands different approaches and requirements for residential and commercial environments. In a residential setting, the focus is on achieving the highest level of comfort at the lowest price. In the commercial market, the focus is return on investment or ROI (see sidebar below). Each situation presents its own unique factors to consider. ➞

◗ Get to Know Your Allies in the Commercial Market

a fee that could be applied as credit toward the installation work of an Similar to the concept of the “connected home,” dealers and energy management/security system. integrators can find the “connected building,” a.k.a. the “intelligent” Additionally, one of the biggest advancements dealers and integraor “smarter” building. Applying energy management technology in tors should take advantage of going forward is in the area of software the commercial space is all about return on investment (ROI). Today’s development kits (SDKs). The objective of SDKs is to streamline business owners have come to expect their facilities to function as assystems integration to create intelligent buildings. But more recently, sets that not only impact but improve their bottom lines. Thus, energy management technology that saves costs through improved efficiency SDKs took a major step forward by being able to offer the ability to eliminate the need for manually creating has become a standard expectation. and entering coding needed to achieve The need to prove and document this integration. ROI differentiates many of the technologiThis has rapidly cut down the time recal capabilities in the commercial market quired to tie various subsystems together from the residential. For example, access from days to a matter of hours. With this control systems can accurately document added simplicity, a technician requires less who occupies a building, at what time, training time and is able to get out in the and for how long. If the system can track field sooner. Furthermore, the codes can be this information over the course of a year, saved and repurposed for other installathe information can be fed into an energy tions. In addition, the integrated building management system that can then provide systems are compatible with future software recommendations on how to more effiupdates and upgrades. ciently run HVAC and lighting systems. Energy management tied to an access control system can provide commercial end users with Finally, an important interoperability It can also be used to forecast demand, characteristic to consider is the ability to which can be useful information for bud- value-add business efficiencies. For example, data collected from an access control system can be fed allow subsystems to communicate with one geting, among other business uses. another without having explicit information Other automation opportunities include into an energy management system, which can the capability to engage lighting systems then provide recommendations on how to more ef- about how they operate internally. Once these systems are tied together, the end based on when people are actually using ficiently run HVAC and lighting systems. user can take advantage of the automation the facility versus keeping a schedule. An that ultimately enables energy efficiency improvements, such as the auexample would be instances such as snow days when fewer people are tomated sequences that allow security panels to interact with HVAC and accessing an office building. lighting systems (not to mention improve overall situational awareness). Some protocols to be keenly aware of in this space include BACnet When all is said and done, energy management professionals are and LonWorks, the two most widely used building automation protocols, simply looking for ways to capture information about their energy expenas well as Modbus. Another solid resource to tap in this area is the U.S. ditures in order to manage their facilities in the most efficient, cost-effecGreen Building Council (USGBC), which maintains the well-publicized tive manner. And by installing meters as I/O devices, security professionLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification guidelines, including those relating to energy management requirements. als contribute to the equation by simply measuring the consumption flow of power, electricity, lighting, gas, oil, water, heating and air within Security dealers and integrators new to this market niche should a facility. With all of that in mind, installing security contractors should consider teaming with a certified energy or LEED-accredited profestable any reservations they have about interacting with their energy sional to market their energy management offerings. That industry counterparts. There is more to gain by viewing them as allies. professional, for example, could offer to conduct an energy audit for

86 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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The Nation’s Most Trusted Security Door Hardware Wholesaler

Excellence in customer service is our priority. We go above and beyond your expectations to ensure your security door hardware needs are always met.

Our services include: ~ Expert support ~ Technical advice ~ Takeoffs ~ Line item pricing ~ Templates ~ Installation information ~ Wiring diagrams ~ Cut sheets We know variety matters! We specialize in top quality hardware from Ingersoll-Rand to Assa Abloy, and offer more than 12,000 individual items from over 80 quality manufacturers from our two warehouses. Check out our website where you can find cut sheets, technical information and templates. A passcode allows you to track your order, check your order history and see your customer specific pricing.

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SELLING ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Before jumping into these waters headlong, installers should thoroughly research and learn about the Z-Wave and ZigBee wireless communications protocols, which are the most popular for achieving tight integration between security panels, thermostats and lighting systems. Both protocols have made significant strides toward offering a more widely implemented standard in home control. Note that consumers will want assurances before opting to upgrade to either of them. Manufacturers of Z-Wave devices should design them so they can “talk” to all Z-Wave products on the market. This is an example of a deep integration at both the radio and application levels. ZigBee, however, is integrated only at the radio level. These modules come from a variety of manufacturers. ZigBee-enabled devices are oftentimes developed with propriety software; therefore, interoperability among brands is not usually guaranteed. To this point, the ZigBee Alliance, a user group for manufacturers integrating ZigBee standards, is addressing this issue. In the coming year, the industry can expect to see more security devices on the market with embedded Z-Wave and ZigBee modules than ever before.

Why Touchscreens and Wi-Fi Are Key For homeowners, the concept of a “connected home” is especially vital because lifestyle has become just as important today as life safety. With that in mind, two of the biggest “lifestyle technologies” that have taken their places in everyday living are WiFi and touchscreens. Wi-Fi enables the mobile access and connectivity that today’s consumers have come to expect from their gadgets. The touchscreen has become the interface of choice for everything from smartphones to wall-mounted keypads. It stands to reason that being able to incorporate these types of technologies into energy management solutions is important when trying to market the offering to customers. As mentioned previously, the ability to control a thermostat from a mobile device will be just as appealing to the homeowner — if not more so — than the ability to manage the security system’s control panel. Likewise with the touchscreen interface, technology is leveraged to simplify the overall operation and user experience. Thus, the ability to use a single touchscreen keypad that can handle both security and HVAC operations can be a key selling point to the homeowner. It is also vital to simplify operations for the homeowner by ensuring the user interface of the local device within the home matches that of the mobile device used to remotely connect to it.

How Analytic Tools Provide Value Enabling the connectivity and providing a sleek-yet-simple interface is only the beginning. The bigger fish to fry involves analytic tools and the subsequent automation capabilities. Providing control is good, but is your solution truly providing data and information to the homeowner? And once that data is provided, does the homeowner have the tools to act upon it? Analytic tools are designed to provide the true value of energy management by giving the homeowner an accurate measurement their home’s energy efficiency. For example, the industry can expect to see newer touchscreens on the market that not only

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88 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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KNOW LATER? OR KNOW NOW?

With Nextiva, You’ll Know Now. In today’s world of enhanced threats, you don’t have time to wait for situations to escalate. You need to know what’s happening. And you need to know now. Verint can help. As a global leader in networked video security solutions, our expertise is built on over 100,000 successful deployments. From single sites to enterprise-wide operations, organizations in over 150 countries, including banks, retailers, airports, mass transit systems, ports, campuses and 80% of Fortune 100 companies, trust their systems — and their safety — to us. Our scalable, open, IT-friendly architecture and robust portfolio of video security solutions give your security operations the confidence you need to make the right call, every time.

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SELLING ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Key Residential Energy Management Opportunities U.S. Market at End-user Value

$1,200

Intelligent HVAC Controllers Advanced Multi-category Controllers

$1,000

Lighting Controls

Millions of USD: End User Value

Communicating Programmable Thermostats Self-Monitoring Systems and Services

$800

$600

$400

$200

2011

2015

Source: Parks Associates

Widespread growth is projected for residential energy management solutions, driven by the entrance of multifaceted vendors, increasing consumer demand/awareness for “green” solutions, and significant growth in sales volumes in the next five years. Lighting controls, programmable thermostats and self-monitoring systems are expected to exceed $1 billion in U.S. revenues by 2015.

provide control capabilities, but also show homeowners how much energy their appliances are consuming, the current prices of energy, etc. These capabilities are expected to be enhanced as the highly discussed smart grid concept and associated smart thermostats and meters become bigger realities. By receiving data such as the current cost of electricity per kilowatt hour and how much energy appliances are consuming, for instance, a connected system will theoretically be able to automate responses that enable the home to operate in a more energy-efficient manner. This will give homeowners more flexibility in being able to measure their usage levels by day, week, month or year. With the cost of energy going up each year, this type of information can help close the sale and add RMR.

Information Is Power At present time, it’s difficult to characterize just how big of a market en-

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Sales.......................................Residential/Commercial............................................$200.00 Monitoring .............................Residential/Commercial............................................$200.00 Service....................................Residential/Commercial............................................$200.00 Lease.......................................................................................................................$200.00 Commercial: includes supplemental rider for add ons and to increase limitation of liability All-in-One (Not available in all states)......................................................................$600.00 Sales, Monitoring , Service Contracts (one contract) Residential/Commercial Disclaimer Notice....................................................................................................$175.00 (Additional Equipment Systems & Service, VOIP Disclaimer Notice) Access Control Administration & Service Contract................................................ $375.00 Audio/Video ............................................................................................................ $375.00 Fire Alarm Sale & Installation - Commercial ........................................................$375.00 Fire Alarm Monitoring Commercial fire alarm monitoring.....................................$375.00 Fire Inspection Service .......................................................................................... $375.00 Contract For Fire Equipment/Extinguisher/Smoke Detector/Sprinkler & CO Inspection Fire Alarm All-in-One Combines Sales, Installation, Monitoring, Service & Inspection ...............................................................................................$850.00 Fire Alarm Lease - Commercial .............................................................................$375.00 Includes supplemental rider for add ons & to increase limitation liability Standard Fire Alarm Sales /Fire Suppression .......................................................$375.00 Sprinkler Equipment Contract CCTV Sale Sale, Service and Monitoring/Data storage & Monitoring…...................$375.00 ....... .................$ $375 375.00 .00 CCTV Lease Supervisory Equipment Lease..............................................................$375.00 st ................... ......... ...... . ...$37 $3 5.000 NAPCO I See Video® Sales & Installation Contract................................................$375.00 ito tori r Contract..................................................... ................. ...... ......... .. ... .. ........ . ... .. ........ $375.00 $375 3 .00 Remote Video Monitoring Monitoring ugh cen centra trall stat sstation) tation ion)) (through internet access - not throu through central sponse nse Le Lease ase/Sa /Sale le - Con Consum sumer er Use Use.. ............................ .........$20 $200.00 Personal Emergency Respo Response Lease/Sale Consumer Use.................................$200.00 e Ins Instal tallat latio ion, serv r ice,, monitoring.................................................$200.00 monitor moni toring ing.............................. ...... ...................... ....$2 $200. 0 00 Residential Lease Installation, service, ntractor or Agr Agreem eement For su subb or or gene ggeneral n ral contr t act actor or..................... r ........... .............$20 $2 0.00 Sub-Contractor Agreement contractor.......................................$200.00 letio tionn Cert C ertifi ificat cate e........................... ...... . ............... . ................. .......................................$ ..$40.00 Completion Certifi cate...............................................................................................$40.00 mmer mercia ciall & ResidentialRe Residenttial ial-- use use after afte installation instal talla tal lation & every lat ev ry service eve servicce call se Commercial ploy oymen mentt Agre A greeme em ntt Wit W h Rest estric r tivve Coven C nantt............................................. .. ..... $200.00 $2200.00 Employment Agreement With Restrictive Covenant.............................................. C-1 For Form FFinancial in nci ina ncial a Statement Statemennt .............................................................................. ......................................................................... ..... ...... . . $50.00 $50.0 $50.0 0 0 UCC-1 ntra ral Sta ation ion Co Contr raccts ........................................................................................ ..................................................................................... .. ...... ...... .. . $375.00 $3375. 5.00 00 Central Station Contracts wayy con ntra ract bet be weenn c/o wee /o ins stalleer & sub bscrib ber, separate separaate form form where wheere wher 3-way contract between installer subscriber, /o is ssue UL ce ert rtificcate forr inst tallerr c/o issue certificate installer nstal ta lerr Co C ntrrac act............... ...... ................ . ............ . ...... . .......... .. .............................. . ..............$ $375 375.00 00 Installer Contract.....................................................................................................$375.00 Sta atio t nar aryy Guard Guar ua d “Rent-A-Cop”..............................................................................$375.00 “Re ent-A -A-Co -Cop”......................... .............................. . ...................... ...... .. ... ...... .......$37 375.000 Stationary Tel eleph ephone on Sale Sa les.…..................Comm mmeerciaal or Residential R Resideential al ...................................... ......................... .. .......... ........... ...... ... $200.00 $200.0 $20 0.000 Telephone Sales.…................Commercial Tel e eph ephone one Se Servic ce ..................Commercial ..................Com Commer me cia ial or or Residential Reside dentia iall ...................................... ............................................ $200.00 $ 00. $2 00 000 Telephone Service

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posite; the quest for optimizing energy usage both in the residential and commercial markets is here to stay. Whether it’s in the home or in the office space, security technology in many

ergy management truly is for the electronic security industry. One thing that’s certain, the concerns around improving energy efficiency are not going away any time soon. Quite the op-

The ability to use a single touchscreen keypad that can handle both security and home control operations, such as energy management, can be a key selling point for the homeowner. Touchscreens have become the interface of choice for everything from smartphones to wallmounted keypads.

ways is truly the most logical to facilitate energy management capabilities. The reason is quite simple: Human activity drives energy consumption, and security by nature is designed to track human activity at a very granular level in real-time. The recent advances in security integration capabilities now enable energy systems to draw on the information to enhance energy savings by matching human activity to energy usage. That’s why security installers looking to differentiate their offerings would be correct to embrace this trend as something that can add real value to their services, and build loyal customers in the process. After all, protecting customers’ wallets is just as big a selling point as being able to protect their properties. ■ Rob Puric and Carlos Lopez-Reyna of the Honeywell Security Group are Director of Product Management and Marketing, and Product Marketing Manager, respectively. Contact them at robert.puric@honeywell. com and carlos.lopez-reyna@honeywell.com.

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Technology and consumer interest have advanced to bring about real opportunities for security contractors that offer home automation and entertainment products and services. Get up to speed on in-demand offerings with surefire tips to please customers. By Melissa L. Hirt

he landscape for opportunities in the security industry has changed. Consumers are looking for solutions for home control and energy management that are opening doors for security dealers. These dealers are faced with the decision to embrace these challenges and become more educated with an updated skill set or remain stagnant and watch as these new opportunities go to competitors. Some dealers have adjusted and are offering a variety of additional services. Many dealers are having fun in this environment. They are selling solutions by being the problem solver for their customers’ needs and becoming the first call the end user makes when a change or addition is being considered. If you have a trusted mechanic, you wouldn’t get three bids when you need car repair. Dealers need to foster that same relationship with their client base. Having the security dealer be the first call when an end user is considering a wholehouse audio system or the addition of lighting, is a bridge that many dealers haven’t crossed. It is essential that dealers convey the full array of services they can offer.

Uncovering Automation Possibilities The term automation can bring up preconceived ideas to homeowners, as well as dealers, as being expensive and hard to operate; whereas the terms control and energy management are understood and accepted. A common misconception among consumers is that they do not have a need for automation. Convey to them that the simple task of ramping up lighting to 90% instead of the typical “snap on to 100%” is a form of energy-saving automation. Another simple automation task is turning on an inside light for a period of time when the garage

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HOME CONTROL AND AUTOMATION

door is opened. The security contact for the garage door is the trigger and a Powerline Control Systems’ (PCS) light switch can be the output. It has a built-in timer to accomplish this convenient task. Setting up the outdoor sprinkler system not to come on if it has rained is another simple control option that adds convenience for a consumer. Offer to care about what the end user cares about. This information may not be readily evident, but during a probing conversation or by walking the jobsite, it will reveal itself to the trained

Valuable Functions Meet User Needs Automation provides the ability to monitor many things that are important to customers. A text message or E-mail can be sent to advise of low water levels in a koi pond, fountain or pool using a water sensor from manufacturers such as George Risk Industries (GRI). Backyard entertainment is another way to increase sales. Landscape lighting is easily accomplished via PCS lighting with UPB technology and can be controlled with a simple app. Outdoor speakers are an ©iStockphoto.com/CandyBoxImages

Handheld devices provide an opportunity to use apps to meet client needs. They can turn on a lamp, check the garage door and adjust the ceiling fan, all from the comfort of bed.

eye. Look for opportunities to expand your business and increase profits while making life more comfortable and convenient for the customer. The most successful dealers are the ones that take the time to break down the benefits of automation into layman’s terms. Overwhelming the customer with your technical knowledge can leave the wrong impression of the end result. We all want those timesaving, convenient, comfortable and fun things to live with. Enthusiastically explaining solutions to things customers care about wins jobs.

affordable addition as well. Offering additional options sets a dealer apart from the “two doors and a motion” competitors. For perimeter security, install motion sensors that can trigger indoor voice notification as well as outdoor lighting, which in turn can be beneficial to a CCTV system. Maybe CCTV wasn’t even a part of the initial security bid, but offering this integrated solution can make all the difference to a woman who is home alone. The ability to view this camera from an iPad while lying in bed can provide the homeowner with

a glimpse of a passing deer or other wildlife, as well as deter a possible intruder. Selling the fun gives the equipment a dual purpose, which has more value. Assisted-living applications are another growing market that can benefit from the technology the security industry has been using for years. Automating lighting and voice feedback for time and temperature for the blind, flashing lights for the deaf when a doorbell or phone rings, or offering remote viewing of a loved one over the Web are all readily available and affordable technologies. For example, an ELK M1 Gold control system was recently installed in the home of a quadriplegic man to help him gain independence living in his own home. Among other things, the system enabled him to get a glass of water with a voice command through the use of a simple contact closure on a relay. When it comes to energy management, solar pricing is still out of reach of many budgets, but the concept of going “green” and saving on energy bills is on everyone’s mind. The security system is a natural trigger for predetermined set-points on a thermostat when armed to “Away” mode. It is easy to add more substantial energy savings when arming in “Vacation” mode. (NOTE: For much more on offering energy management solutions, see feature story on page 84.—Ed.) Lighting systems have long been offered by electricians and the highend integrators. Team up with local electricians and offer to do the design and programming while they make their money on the installation. A system can be as simple as two switches. Advantages to the customer are a livedin look, remote access to the lights and ALL OFF commands. These all can occur based on the security system’s internal clock, inputs and armed state. Another lighting option is to create a lit pathway during a fire alarm. Controlling gates is another great automation upsell opportunity. Pool gates, or any gate for that matter, are

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a threat to anyone who has small children or a dog. A switch (such as those from GRI) connected to a wireless contact can communicate to the homeowner that the gate has opened. Handheld devices have provided an opportunity to use an app to meet the client’s needs at an affordable price. A customer can use his iPod Touch to turn on the bedside lamp, check that the garage door is closed and adjust the ceiling fan … all while lying in bed. This convenient and easy-to-use technology is simple to install and provides a WOW factor to the customer.

Smart Steps for More Sales It is important that dealers install and use automation in their own home or office. This ensures confidence in selling and allows witnessing the reaction of friends and families that can be passed on during a presentation. Also consider extending automation sales to small business owners as another way to grow your revenues. A simple camera installation allows remote viewing via a smartphone or laptop. Set up an access control option that is tied to thermostat and lighting for energy management. The coffee pot could even be turned off when the system is armed. A simple access control system eliminates the need and expense of rekeying the locks with employee turnover. An added benefi t is being able to receive voice or E-mail confirmation when an event occurs. Dealers have access to a wealth of opportunities by contacting existing customers and offering expanded services. Often, consumers only expect security from security dealers and are unaware of the other capabilities. With the low interest rates on refinancing available, reaching out to existing customers and offering upgrades can be a much more viable option than closing on a new construction project.

A Dealer Explains His Methods As mentioned earlier, the ELK M1 has become a common control that

Lighting systems have long been offered by electricians and the high-end integrators. Team up with local electricians and offer to do the design and programming while they make their money on the installation. A system can be as simple as two switches.

is used by dealers that want to offer more than just a security system. It also allows the dealer to keep any additional RMR generated by the system’s enhanced features, whereas some devices require a monthly fee for remote access. “The main feature I value is that the firmware in the ELK system is upgradeable,” says Michael Sanfilipo, owner of San Diego-based Integrated Alarm Technologies, who has had success selling the product. “I recently updated the first ELK system I ever installed to the latest firmware so the end user can use his iPad. I haven’t come across anything I haven’t been able to do using [the product].” Sanfilipo programs a button on a keypad to play a message to give audible directions on how to reset smoke detectors for the customer. “Ease of use for the end user, ease of programming and exceptional support are all features I value,” he says.

A unique application Sanfilipo used in a vacation home involved an exterior light being vandalized. The neighbor was removing bulbs because the light was too bright. After enabling the panel to control the light level, the neighbor never tampered with the lighting again and the owner no longer arrived at a dark home. The ideas and applications covered here are merely scratching the surface of what can be achieved using today’s advanced technology as a means to deliver more effective, efficient and convenient system functionality and services tailored to your customers’ individual circumstances. In these tough economic times, this represents opportunities to boost RMR and champion customer loyalty. ■

Melissa L. Hirt has 30 years of industry experience and runs an independent rep firm. She can be reached at securitymelissa@gmail.com.

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LEGAL CASE STUDY

iStockphoto.com/Ricardo Reitmeyer

Monitoring Missteps

Cost Provider $8.6M The customer of a national monitoring company was beaten and sexually assaulted in her home. An investigation found the provider recklessly breached its duties to the plaintiff due to egregious central station procedures. The case reinforces applying best practices and minimizing liability exposure.

By Rodney Bosch

n the morning of March 29, 2006, a 64-year-old woman was at her department store job when an intruder with depraved intentions slipped into her home. Lying in wait for her return that afternoon, the intruder would viciously beat and rape and hold the woman hostage for several hours. Unbeknownst to the woman when she returned from work and entered her home was that her security system had been alarming much of the day. Eventually she would seek retribution in a court of law, and last November a jury awarded her $8.6 million for catastrophic damages suffered. An investigation on behalf of the plaintiff, led by forensic alarm industry expert and president of Teaneck, N.J.-based IDS Research and Development Inc., Jeffrey Zwirn, determined a well-known national monitoring company recklessly breached its duties to the plaintiff.

As part of his investigation, Zwirn extensively studied the procedures surrounding the woman’s monitored system and the provider’s responsibilities to the customer. He discovered the provider failed to warn the woman of the imminent danger in her home and failed to comply with industry standards. Zwirn also contends the provider created a corporate culture more interested in productivity, profitability and quotas than safety and security. Following is a detailed recounting of the tragic event — the name of the victim and monitoring provider are withheld — and how the case points out egregious central station procedures. It also serves as a wakeup call that reinforces implementing best practices and minimizing liability exposure.

Home Alarm Worked as Intended The victim’s home, located in a suburb of Atlanta, was outfitted with a basic alarm system that consisted of contacts on three doors

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$8.6M MONITORING LAWSUIT

Failed Handling of Alarm Signals The following abridged review of the alarm activity, and subsequent actions taken by the monitoring provider’s emergency dispatch operators (EDOs), uncovers dereliction of duty and numerous issues with the firm’s operating procedures, according to Zwirn’s investigation. 10:27 a.m. — The first of numerous alarm signals from the victim’s home began arriving at the monitoring center. An EDO immediately called the premise but received no answer, then contacted police to report the burglary alarm. Next, the EDO attempted to reach the victim at her place of work based on the phone number she had given to her security provider. The EDO, however, reached an auto attendant at the department store and immediately hung up instead of dialing 1 to reach a live person who could have paged the victim. 10:32 a.m. — An EDO phoned the victim’s sister, who was listed on an emergency contact list. However, the sister did not answer the call. The EDO placed the alarm signaling zone on hold or “test” mode for 60 minutes per the company’s

EDO falsified the monitoring account by typing “Answering service, no message per business.”

iStockphoto.com/DNY59

and one motion detector. The system was installed by an authorized dealer of the UL-Listed, CSAA Five Diamondcertified monitoring provider. While the woman was away at work the intruder repeatedly tripped the different alarm zones and the motion detector during a period of more than four hours. The investigation established the victim’s security system was not prone to false alarms and it was free of any technical or mechanical issues. Therefore, the alarm history of the account should have been taken into consideration when multiple alarm signals were being received by the central station. “This is an unusual case because it’s one of the few where there is no installation defect. It was all about the central station only. In other words, their procedures were put on trial,” Zwirn says. “Their attempt to verify was perfectly fine. What they did and did not do afterward is where the damage occurred.”

One final opportunity to warn the victim she may be in imminent danger was missed just before her attack. A monitoring operator contacted the woman to verify an alarm, but ended the call without telling her about numerous other alarms signals received at the central station that day.

standard operating procedure. Only after the one-hour period expires would a subsequent alarm from the test zone drop back to an EDO to handle. The objective is to continue trying to notify the customer during the test mode; however, no meaningful attempt was made to do so, according to the investigation. 10:41 a.m. — A motion sensor signal is transmitted, followed two minutes later by a garage door signal. This signal activity was deemed consistent with an actual burglary in progress, according to the investigation. However, the motion detector signal was disabled at the time because it was still in test mode. An EDO received the garage door signal but aborted the normal procedure to automatically dial the residence. This nonaction was based on the initial efforts to contact the victim as well as dispatch the police. 11:27 a.m. — A motion sensor signal is received at the monitoring center; however, because it had been disabled and still in test mode, no EDO took action on it. 11:33 a.m. — A response was made to a garage door signal. An EDO contacted police and attempted to reach the victim at her workplace; however, the call was again disconnected by the EDO without pressing 1 or holding for an operator. The investigation revealed the

12:06 p.m. — The police department phoned the monitoring center to confirm they had received a second request for dispatch to the premise, but before doing so they required a key holder to be present. An EDO falsely told police the monitoring center so far had only been able to leave voice messages for her. (Note: The police eventually dispatched to the home later in the day, but because there were no signs of forcible entry they did not investigate further. Also, the victim’s sister was eventually reached by an EDO and she drove to the victim’s house. However, she arrived at the premise without a key and therefore did not enter to verify the burglar alarm. The victim’s sister was not made aware of the multitude of alarm activity at the premise.) 1:06 p.m. — A motion signal is received upon which an EDO phones the victim’s workplace and this time presses 1 to reach a live attendant. After waiting for the victim to be paged, the EDO would eventually be told she had already left for the day.

Woman’s Fateful Return Home During the trial it was disclosed the intruder had been drinking heavily while he waited for his victim’s arrival, which came at about 7:30 p.m. The woman entered her home, as she always had done before, through the garage door. Her normal routine would be to then disarm her alarm system within 30 seconds. Only this time the actual alarm signaled as she went to put her key into the door lock. The phone rang. An EDO was on the line to verify the alarm signal and to ask if everything was OK. The woman said she was fine, but was curious why the alarm had triggered without giving her the allotted time to disarm it. The EDO asked if the woman entered through the garage door and she answered affirmatively. According to court transcripts of the actual phone call, the EDO replied: “That’s probably the reason why it went

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off. You only have a delay time on the front door.” The investigation would establish that the information the EDO provided regarding the garage door being an instant zone, and not on delay time, was pure guesswork. The EDO had no way of knowing those types of details about the security system. The phone call with the EDO lasted for only 35 seconds. At no time during the call was the woman made aware of the day’s alarm activity, the police dispatch, nor that her sister had been contacted. Soon after the phone call with the

• The firm acted recklessly by concealing material facts from the plaintiff as to its policy of not disclosing that it is acceptable for its monitoring operators not to leave a message as to alarm signals being received. • The duration and frequency of alarm activity received by the firm was both scientifically and technically consistent with an actual criminal event occurring within the subject premises, and most importantly that the perpetrator did not leave the victim’s home.

iStockphoto.com/James Tutor

• The firm’s EDOs recklessly disregarded safety rules, which was in gross deviation to nationally recognized industry standards and practices and was not at all appropriate.

During an investigation it was discovered monitoring operators made repeated procedural mistakes based on industry standards. Among them, a singular alarm signal, or in this case multiple alarms triggered from different zones of the residential alarm system, should never be “full cleared” if the subscriber is not appropriately warned and notified.

EDO concluded, the woman testified she entered the bathroom to wash her face. As she reached for a towel to dry herself, the intruder grabbed her arm and began his extensive assault.

Litany of Ominous Conclusions Following is a partial list of conclusions Zwirn made during his investigation of the monitoring firm’s operating procedures and actions by its EDOs: • The firm acted recklessly by concealing material facts from the plaintiff as to its procedures to not notify subscribers after receiving multiple alarm signals from the premise. • The firm acted recklessly by concealing its procedures to put an account on test after receiving multiple alarm signals from a protected premise.

• A singular alarm signal, or in this case multiple alarms triggered from different zones of the residential alarm system, should never be “full cleared” if the subscriber is not appropriately warned and notified.

Lessons for the Entire Industry What drove the firm’s EDOs to ultimately commit the egregious mistakes and procedural failures outlined above? Zwirn says, and ultimately the jury in the case concluded, the deep-seated problems spawned from a corporate culture that was bent on profitability. For example, Zwirn says the monitoring company placed an immense amount of pressure on its EDOs to meet quotas in order to maximize the number of alarms signals handled each hour. “To the extent the operator’s quota is not met, the operator is subject to reprimand and/or being terminated,” he says. Hanging up immediately and not staying on the line long enough to reach a live person when an EDO receives an auto attendant was a widespread practice at the monitoring company. The potential dangers and reckless disregard for hanging up on auto attendants was epitomized in the 64-year-old woman’s case. “[Quotas were] accepted as a rule of law in regard to their own operation. They forced that procedure because

they recognized a profit increase since their operators could spend less time per call,” Zwirn says. “I don’t have a problem with the quota system per se; my problem is when you are rushing and not paying attention to what your core duties are for each customer.” The investigation into the EDOs’ actions also exposed a dearth of operator training. Zwirn quantifies that contention based on studying the EDOs’ conduct while handling the multitude of alarm signals emanating from the victim’s premise, and by looking at the training provided by the firm. Essentially, the operators were not schooled to understand what the signature algorithm was of for a burglary in progress. Instead, they considered each alarm signal as just another alarm. Due to this lack of training, the EDOs had no awareness that the various types of alarms at the woman’s premise were consistent with an actual burglary. “What I saw was a corporate culture that was only interested in numbers and didn’t really understand the criticality or the underpinnings of what the monitoring component of a security system is supposed to do,” he says. “There was no personal attention or any level of detail or sophistication regarding what the system was telling them to do.” All central stations should take to heart the degree to which training, or a lack thereof, affected the monitoring firm’s EDOs in this case. The training has to be more than a paperwork assignment, Zwirn cautions. Monitoring companies have to put the operators into foreseeable scenarios where customers are at risk. They need to be given case studies in order to learn from others’ mistakes. “The standard of care has to be at the highest level because every second counts, whether it’s a fire alarm or burglar alarm,” he says. “How can we as an industry step outside the central station and look inward and say, ‘What are we doing right? But more importantly what if anything are we doing wrong?’” ■ Rodney Bosch is Managing Editor of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. He can be contacted at (310) 533-2426 or rodneybosch@securitysales.com.

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VERTICAL MARKETS: EDUCATION

School District

UNIFIES Security ITS

(l-r) SDA Security’s Brian Hunt, Next Level Security Systems’ A Southern California school district Marco Sanchez and SDA’s Kevin Domene collaborated on a seeks to overcome a DVR-based analog school district’s integrated IP video-access control solution. surveillance system and its poor video streaming and playback, and contend with unwanted guests gaining access to its campuses. Find out how Culver City students are becoming safer thanks to a new and integrated IP video and access control solution.

By Ashley Willis

nce considered a safe haven for students, in recent years school campuses have become targets for acts of violence, terrorist threats, abductions, drug abuse, thefts, vandalism and more. Realizing this, officials at Los Angeles County’s Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) are taking steps to make sure all staff and students are well protected. Posted on the district’s Web site are core beliefs, the first of which states: “Each person has the right to be safe.” So, when Ted Yant became security supervisor for CCUSD and its nine locations — five elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, a continuation school and an adult school that contains 7,500 students — he was willing to meet that challenge head-on. However, with an outdated, 10-year-old analog surveillance system, it was difficult for Yant and his nine-member security team to keep tabs on what was happening at each campus. For example, the CCUSD security team uncovered a drug culture within the middle school and high school, which are attached to each other. In one incident, the system captured a student selling illegal substances on campus. But when it was time to prosecute the students, the district was in for a rude awakening. “We were able to see the actual drug product being transferred from one person to the other,” Yant says. “But when we played back the recorded video for evidentiary purposes, the frames containing the sale were not present. The system was deemed inefficient because the video quality and playback left too many gaps in the recorded events.” Additionally, two of the district’s elementary schools were targets of back-toback burglaries, which resulted in the loss of $15,000 in iMac computers. The inci-

dents prompted the CCUSD to upgrade its surveillance system and integrate an access control solution that would help the security team effectively monitor its campuses.

Access Control Beats Out IP Video Yant is no stranger to the public safety and security field, as he has 22 years of combined military, security and law enforcement experience. He has also served seven years with the Culver City Police Department (CCPD), where he currently operates as a reserve police officer. His background provided Yant an idea of what type of system the district needed to successfully protect all campuses. Unfortunately, there was a hiccup in the plan. In addition to seeking a better video surveillance solution, the district discovered another problem that needed addressing in an expeditious fashion. ➞

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SCHOOL DISTRICT UPGRADES TO INTEGRATED SYSTEM

The Next Level Security Solutions NLSS Gateway platform allows the Culver City Unified School District to create floor plans for each of its nine schools that show where each camera is located.

The CCUSD often leases out Culver City High School’s gymnasiums and the Robert Frost Auditorium, a community landmark, to private groups and organizations. Some people were accessing the facilities without the proper permit, so the district decided to install an access control solution to monitor who comes in and out. However, district officials informed Yant there was not enough money in the budget for a complete security upgrade that included both video surveillance and access control. As a result, Yant opted to install the access control solution over a surveillance system. Enter Steve Bowcut, an integrated solutions specialist (ISS) for ASSA ABLOY, who helped Yant choose the Sargent Profile Series v.S1 power over Ethernet (PoE) cylindrical locks and exit devices for the school’s gyms. The devices connect to the high school’s Ethernet network and offer real-time door status monitoring and lockdown capabilities. Additionally, Yant picked HID Global’s Edge IP access control solution to keep unwanted vehicles from driving onto the high school campus. It also uses a PoE connection allowing a single Category-5 cable to power and operate a proximity card reader and lockset. “We have a gate that leads to the blacktop by the basketball courts and athletic facilities, and we were having a lot of issues with cars coming on there

Since installing the Arecont Vision SurroundVideo panoramic cameras in hallways, the district was able to identify two students accused of committing an act of violence on another student.

during school hours,” he says. “The system we formerly had in place consisted of a key. Anyone could access our gate and come onto the property.”

Selecting a System ‘Backbone’ During his meetings with Bowcut, Yant learned that the district would need an infrastructure backbone to control the locks. With Yant on a tight budget, Bowcut set up demonstration meetings with three security management systems companies that handle access control solutions. In the end, Yant selected Carlsbad, Calif.-based Next Level Security Systems, a developer of unified, networked security solutions, because its product allowed the district to integrate

access control and video surveillance. Available in three versions (500, 3000 and 5000), the NLSS Gateway integrates video management, access control, video analytics and intrusion detection into a single networked platform that users can access at any time through a standard Web browser. “Everything is on the network, and they are being powered by a PoE adapter,” Next Level Western Regional Sales Manager Marco Sanchez says. “Users can plug the NLSS Gateway on the same adapter on the network, and the Gateway will auto discover all the cameras and access control locks. Because it’s browser-based, additional software is not required.” However, the technology wasn’t the only reason why CCUSD chose to deploy the NLSS Gateway. The other two companies that Yant met with wanted to charge expensive licensing fees and Next Level did not. “Traditionally, licensing fees is recurring revenue for the manufacturers and the integrators,” Sanchez says. “We see it like this: that part of the industry is going to die out in the future. We want to make an affordable solution where users don’t have to pay the licensing fees. We do have an add-on service to our system, but it’s completely optional.” To install the access control solution, Bowcut suggested CCUSD hire San Diego-headquartered integrator SDA Security, a Next Level authorized dealer. Started in 1930, SDA Security provides access control, fire alarms, intrusion detection, video surveillance and monitoring to more than 7,000 clients. With a second office in Riverside, Calif., SDA Security, which serves an 80% commercial client base, operates its own ULListed central station. The company’s president, Shandon Harbour, is also a member on SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION’s Editorial Advisory Board. The district began the access control installation at the high school in June 2011, shortly after installing the NLSS Gateway. SDA hired a subcontractor, in addition to its two-man technician crew, to install the access solution in the two gyms at the high school. Because SDA’s integrators typically don’t carry

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a large amount of parts on their trucks, the company asked a local locksmith it often subcontracts with to learn the ins and outs of installing the v.S1 locks. “The lockset that we were dealing with is fairly specialized, and it’s not readily available sitting on a shelf,” says Kevin Domene, branch manager for SDA’s Riverside office. “Knowing that we’ll use our locksmith for service and repair, we wanted them to have an understanding of the product.” It took some time for the subcontractor to get a handle on the installation, but once they did, the installation was seamless, Domene says. Up next, CCUSD will install the electronic locks at the middle school gyms, Frost Auditorium and the district office. When funds allow, Yant hopes to deploy access control locks at all computer labs in the district.

Upgrading Video Surveillance Following the installation of the electronic locks, Yant decided to install new megapixel cameras himself at all district locations in July 2011, while students were out on summer break. “I have a background in computers and networking, so doing Cat-5 cabling and connecting to network switches isn’t too complicated for me,” he says. Working with a CCUSD electrician, Yant installed Sony SNC-DH160 network high definition (HD) infrared (IR) mini dome cameras on the outside perimeters of each campus. Additionally, he added Sony SNC-DH110 HD mini dome cameras and Arecont Vision SurroundVideo panoramic cameras in hallways, classrooms, gymnasiums and computer labs. For the most part, the job was easy except for running the cabling, Yant says. “We ran into old facilities, and it’s hard to run cabling and not have it exposed. There was no crawl space in some of the ceilings to run the wires. The easiest route would have been to run the wires across the rooftops, but we didn’t want FIND IT ON THE WEB F The online version of this story includes T an exclusive sidebar on properly installing intrusion alarms. Visit securitysales.com/ unifiedschool.

as a police officer responding to schools in the case of an active shooter or some other critical incident,” Yant says. “From a tactical perspective as a responding police officer, it narrows my area of focus down to one section instead of me having to go through the entire campus.” If the Gateway should malfunction, Next Level will replace the unit within 48 hours, Sanchez says.

Catching Criminals in the Act

San Diego-based SDA Security installed ASSA ABLOY’s Sargent v.S1 power over Ethernet (PoE) cylindrical locks and exit devices at Culver City High School gymnasiums to keep out unwanted visitors.

to have it exposed to the elements.” To overcome this challenge, Yant secured wires across ceilings using tiewraps, as well as hiding cables inside classrooms by drilling them through multiple walls. There are now more than 100 megapixel and analog cameras — tied together by Axis Communications video servers — throughout the district. Yant also replaced eight CRT monitors at the district’s video control room with six LCD monitors and trained security personnel on how to actively monitor the cameras. “One of the cool features about the NLSS product is that it allows us to zoom in on live and recorded video, which we couldn’t do before,” Yant says. The NLSS Gateway allowed Yant to create floor plans for each school that shows where every camera is located. Using the NLSS Remote Management Services (RMS) for remote accessibility and system management, CCUSD also provides remote access to CCPD to allow police to view the school’s system from their station, vehicles and mobile command posts. By utilizing the floor plans, CCPD can also view live video feeds of a specific school building to prepare a response to a critical incident. “I wasn’t just thinking as a security director when I installed the system, but

To help pay for the more than $60,000 system, CCUSD received a grant from its insurance company. So far, the district has seen a decent return of investment (ROI), according to Yant. “It cost us less to install cameras and Gateways at the sites than we lost in computers,” he says. Additionally, the new system has

The browser-based NLSS Gateway integrates video management, access control, video analytics and intrusion detection into a single networked platform that users can access at any time.

helped CCUSD security personnel solve a few crimes. “Since the system’s been involved, we were able to capture a serial bicycle thief who was coming to the middle school to steal bicycles,” Yant explains. “We were also able to positively identify two students who were accused of raping another student.” Impressed with CCUSD’s proactive approach to security, Domene, thinks all schools should follow Yant’s example when upgrading a security system. “It’s nice to deal with someone who understands what we’re talking about and has realistic expectations,” Domene says. “I look at CCUSD as being very proactive to provide top-notch security for their students.” ■ Ashley Willis is Associate Editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. She can be reached at (310) 5332419 or ashley.willis@securitysales.com.

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SALES STRATEGIES

Steps to Sell the Value of

Open Platform

IP Video

Learn the skills and methods to sell prospects and existing customers on the benefits of IP video management systems. A VMS provider reviews course material it offers dealers/ integrators to educate clients about open platform advantages.

By Eric Fullerton

n today’s complex security marketplace, if you want to compete on something other than price, you must focus not on what you sell but on how your selling adds value for those buying from you. Customer value does not solely reside in the product or service, but rather in the manner in which they are sold and acquired and utilized over time. Adapting to these new business conditions requires that sellers move away from simply communicating information about their offerings and instead provide insights that customers cannot get everywhere else. The goal is to help the customer plan for the future, not just solve today’s problems. To develop this visionary approach in its global network of authorized partners, Milestone Systems has been working with Connex Int’l Inc., a provider of training and certification services for IP video surveillance, to develop a comprehensive course on value selling. The course is geared to the advantages of open platform IP video technology, and includes seven themes that make up the “backbone” of knowledge that is imparted when educating Milestone deal-

ers and systems integrators: 1. Defining the open platform 2. Communicating product value 3. Educating with solutions to problems 4. Leveraging the open platform ecosystem 5. Servicing demanded value 6. Shaping requirements 7. Closing on value

Within each topic, numerous illustrative factors are covered to ensure that prospective customers are completely educated on the important benefits to be gained through the open platform approach to IP video surveillance systems. Attendees learn how to apply value selling practices by going through real-world sales situations so they can learn how to create consistency in the sales process, develop a sales coaching culture and model sales skill successes. Featured in this article are summaries of each part of the Value Selling Framework. Read on to learn about the valuable strategies and directives.

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SELLING IP VIDEO

1. Selling the Open Platform

scale up or down as needs change bilities with many other systems such over time. as access control, analytics, point-ofInforming prospective customers sale (POS) and building automation. how an open platform provides value over time is illustrated by the return on Communicating Product Value investment (ROI) that is realized conHere is where a salesperson must Explaining Product Value tinuously throughout a long system cover four main approaches: 1) ProdSalespeople can educate prospeclifecycle, thereby increasing its worth. uct, the features and comparisons to tive customers and demonstrate they More choices become available competition; 2) Functionality, relating are the subject matter experts with the when a company is not put in “propri- to the buyers and users of the system; answers that can be trusted. In other etary jail” — the term to dewords, you are fit to solve inscribe choosing a limited soludustry “super problems,” estion with the constraints of a pecially those that currently single hardware-oriented proexist in the transition from anvider. An open platform video alog to IP technology. management software (VMS) Dealers and systems intechoice, on the other hand, grators should aim to define provides freedom through the challenges that commonly ocability to continue to expand cur and affect real-world inthe system limitlessly, incorstallations. This can include porating new innovations as core infrastructure input and they become available. This output, pre/during/post-ineliminates the need to “forkstall support issues, user inlift,” the term to describe terface friendliness and trainchanging a video surveillance ing requirements, security system from the ground up. and other systems interoperConsider: You can only go Educating prospective customers how an open platform provides ability, potential scalability where your path leads. The value over time is illustrated by the return on investment (ROI) that and flexibility scenarios, etc. set of choices available at any is realized continuously throughout a long system lifecycle, thus You should learn how to “do given time is limited by de- increasing its worth. the math” and illustrate examcisions made in the past, so ples of how such problems are choose wisely with a truly open plat- 3) Future, talking about product main- met and solved by the open platform form to ensure the greatest number of tenance and new capabilities; 4) Price, approach. It is helpful to identify unexoptions for the future. The concepts to pected design issues and build consenhow the costs are segmented, supportfocus on: sus among the decision makers. ed and serviced. Credibility comes from being respectThe open platform advantage is deBest-in-class solutions — How to fined as a bottom-up approach to build- ed, likable and competent. Client focus match the most effective technology is essential; you have to genuinely care ing a lasting foundation for the future. with the most important operations for Long-term TCO is protected through about the customer’s comprehension the customer. the ability to add new features with soft- and collaboration. Articulation plays a strong role. It is not just what you are ware upgrades and standards-based Extensibility — Good architecture pro- solutions. Hardware from the widest saying but how you say it that is equalvides a road map for the portion of the choice of camera manufacturers must ly important. Leadership qualities influroad yet to be built. be available along with ongoing sup- ence a sales situation as well. The only way to command attention is to have a port for new models and brands. Open Lower total cost of ownership (TCO) platform IP video is scalable and future- presence and be confident in knowing the subject and addressing it with the — Single manufacturer offerings result proof as buyers’ needs expand. customer’s perspectives in mind. in overall higher prices, so teach the Another critical sales point is the Knowledge is power, and educating customers about TCO in the long run. graphical user interface (GUI). This should have the ability to provide docu- customers will enlighten them about the Interoperability — A true open plat- mented ease of use in multiple languag- solutions made possible by open platforms. Informed customers make better form VMS is the core of device and es, customizable operator skill levels system interoperability that engenders and other best-in-class technological ad- buying decisions, which results in more successful implementations and greater maximum end-user choice. vances including support for high definiloyalty. Thus, word of mouth goes a long tion (HD) and megapixel cameras. way toward building the customer dataScalability — One size does not fit It is a big advantage to present docbase, and attracting new prospects. all, so the customer must be able to umented third-party integration capa-

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Another value-selling parameter includes presenting a global ecosystem of hardware and integration partners that encompass a full circle of multiple choices in value-adding video surveillance solutions. These range from access control, building automation and sensor systems to all kinds of analytics, retail transactions, enterprise resource planning (ERP), radio frequency identification (RFID), physical security information management (PSIM) and geographic information systems (GIS), among many others. Today, open platform solutions are infinitely flexible, allowing interoperability with the installed systems, as well as those that will come in the future and are yet unknown. As an example, Milestone has more than 150 documented integrated solution partners, and new ones signing up all the time. Here is where the firm’s value-selling course teaches customers how to leave their options open for new technologies and innovations coming later down the road. Following are key factors affecting the surveillance technology ecosystem today: • The microprocessor is the main agent of change in the market • Operating systems are very important • Commercially off-the-shelf hardware equipment is becoming more widely utilized and cost effective • Network camera devices comprise the fastest growing segment of the industry • VMS has become the key middleware of solutions • Solution partners represent significant growth opportunities through interoperability

5. Servicing Demanded Value

Knowing and understanding a customer’s needs thoroughly is one of the most important aspects when selling value. What are the specifications, management issues and realistic project timelines? It is important to agree with the prospects on clearly defined expectations, especially since industry hype cultivates unrealistic custom-

er expectations. Salespeople must manage this by educating the customer on system capabilities. Ongoing maintenance, regular support for the latest cameras in the market, flexible licensing expansions and upgrades are big advantages to present in a sales situation. As technology grows and changes, so do customer demands and expectations, so the future-proof framework is a core concept to explain. It points out the value of a true open platform VMS as the center of a future-ready solution.

4. Utilizing the Whole Ecosystem

A key value-selling parameter includes presenting a global ecosystem of hardware and integration partners that encompass a full circle of multiple choices in valueadding video surveillance solutions. These range from access control, building automation, sensor systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and much more.

6. Shaping Client Requirements

This topic in value selling covers objection prevention versus objection handling. Ensuring that customers’ perceived challenges are completely understood is necessary in order to offer their ideal solution. This is what shapes the final steps in selling open platform IP video. Salespeople must analyze the audience, where there can be different people influencing the sale throughout the sales process. Determine their interests and goals, positioning specific features based on what they need. Knowing the buyers is all-important to closing a sale: A security operator wants optimized live video for fast response; security directors want remote access; a company director watches the bottom line and wants to realize ROI. There may also be a risk prevention executive who is looking to cut shrinkage or improve employee safety, and an IT professional maintaining the network who is concerned about bandwidth or controlling user access with the ease of active directory. Stakeholders have their own area of responsibility and focus; if these are not addressed to the appropriate person, the entire deal may be lost. Uncover the customer’s pain through interactive listening and empathy. Importantly, salespeople have to help the customer understand their problems and opportunities in a new or different way. They need to see a better solution

than they could discover themselves, so it pays to act as their advocate to uncover the answer to their particular needs. Understanding their business is more important as a selling skill than persuasion. Today’s complex sales require providing insights rather than just presenting information.

7. How to Close on Value

Showing the absolute value in the open platform, and literally doing the math for a prospective customer, makes a huge difference. At its simplest, it can be defined by the equation: Value = Benefits - Costs. The objective is to shape the situations, problems and implications with the payoff of the solution to the customer’s functional requirements. Examples of the true value of open platform technology include storage savings, open architecture advantages for value-adding system integrations, efficient automated system maintenance, distributed centralized management or local, remote and mobile access. All of these help to ensure the deal is signed. Each buying phase must move the sale forward from passive to active to decision, negotiation, purchase and installation. Then the value of a true open platform proves itself. ■ Eric Fullerton is Chief Sales & Marketing Officer for Milestone Systems. To learn more about the value-selling program, contact Thomas Larsen at tl@milestone. us or (503) 350-1100, Ext 1135.

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TECHNOLOGY

MOBILIZING Mobile Video YOUR

Business

End users are increasingly expecting instantaneous communications anywhere, anytime, including IPbased video surveillance. Accordingly, solutions are being introduced that accommodate this growing market segment, and also simplify system installation and servicing for integrators.

By Brian Galante

he unfortunate passing of Steve Jobs last fall had many reflecting on how thoroughly the mobile device has permeated modern society. While just 10 years ago a basic cell phone was considered somewhat of a luxury item, today it’s difficult to imagine life without a device that essentially touches every aspect of our lives. Mobile technology is making a visible mark in the security space today as well in the form of remote monitoring and surveillance. Business managers and homeowners alike are interested in what the application brings to personal safety and professional protection. “Mobile surveillance is becoming far more prevalent in our business,” says William Burnett, vice president of MB Technology, a Pittsburgh-based IT consulting firm. “We’ve installed remote monitoring systems for customers in the past, mainly for jobsite security that allowed access to one or two p/t/z cameras with a satellite-based connection. These days, we’re hearing from a lot

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MOBILE VIDEO APPLICATIONS

of business owners who want the ability to look in on their buildings and see that everything is going as expected while on the move.” The main challenges of selling a mobile surveillance system usually tie to explaining how everything comes together — and actually making it happen during the integration phase. This includes testing compatibility of equipment (NVRs, DVRs, IP cameras) with mobile viewing devices, ensuring the DVR/NVR public IP address can be viewed remotely on computers or mobile devices, and evaluating network capacity and stability to ensure support of IP video traffic. Let’s look at how mobile video is not only meeting end-user needs but also helping simplify the installation process for integrators.

A Home Run in Residential Market

something that is easy to set up, offers low maintenance and is compatible with their mobile devices, cameras and recorders,” says Sri Palasamudram, CEO of mobiDEOS. “Installers are looking at this from a different viewpoint. The mobile client is simple to install, but installers still need to make sure the cameras are functioning correctly and covering the correct range of vi-

“It’s far easier to use a test monitor that allows you make the adjustments your-self, especially atop a ladder on the roof of a house,” he says. “It’s a far better option than having someone yelling at you from the ground to zoom in, zoom out, and twist the focus knob.” Total Home TX tends to favor Speco Technologies VMS-2 four-inch test moni-tors. After the cameras have been mount-ed, the RG59 Siamese cables stripped and the BNC crimp connectors fitted, Flores or one of his engineers connect wires to both the camera and the test monitor to do the setup. Each camera requires unique settings, with adjustments based on field of vision, light reflections, tree shadows and proximity of other objects. Flores powers up the cameras using power sup-plies from Altronix. “The Altronix system has the ability to power all cameras from a single unit, similar to a breaker panel, eliminating the need for separate ‘wall warts,’” says Flores. “Once the cameras are powered and the test monitor is plugged in, we can easily manipulate zoom, focus and everything else required.” Flores adds that he is also beginning to look at mobile test monitor applications that avoid having to lug a box up the ladder.

Shane Flores, owner of Total Home TX, a Houston-area installation company, has watched mobile surveillance grow rapidly in the residential market. “Mobile surveillance started with the ability to see the front door from your bedroom, and evolved to watching your house while at work from a desktop,” he says. “Then it grew to the point where people wanted to A mobile test monitor can help integrators confirm focus and see their homes from anywhere. range of view without having to lug bulky equipment, climb Mobile Apps Ease Field up and down poles to change configurations, and constantly Devices like the iPhone and An- connect and disconnect wires. A top benefit for users is Tech Lives droid have made it possible to go wirelessly testing and verifying that cameras are functioning Burnett is in the process of from watching people ring the properly, both locally and remotely. crossing over to using mobile doorbell to watching from any handheld devices in the field to sion. Having that assurance before leavlocation. It’s become a huge market.” test video surveillance installations. He Video surveillance and remote mon- ing the jobsite will minimize callbacks.” and his installers now use mobiDEOS’ Flores is moving away from the olditoring applications like MobileCamTestMonitor application to wirelessly school method of using two-man teams Viewer from mobiDEOS of Milpitas, test cameras at the jobsite — and he exto work through camera adjustments. pects to use it to remotely check cameras Calif., for example, have been picking He occasionally has a man on the ground up customers on both the commerlong after the installations are complete. cial and residential side. They cater to if the customer has a DVR tied into the “We’re really excited about TestMonsystem, looking at the cameras on a trasmartphone (Android, iPhone, Blackitor. The testing process has always ditional TV set and calling out the neces- been very cumbersome, especially Berry, etc.) and tablet users (iPad). “End users simply want a mobile sary adjustments — but prefers connect- when dealing with a mix of analog and surveillance application that works — ing a test monitor directly to the camera. IP cameras,” he says. “We have used 110 securitysales.com • MARCH 2012

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MOBILE VIDEO APPLICATIONS

everything from portable DVD players to an IP test system that was supposed to help with camera focus; instead we paid $300 for junk.” Burnett notes it becomes especially difficult when he is dealing with dome cameras. It’s challenging enough to run a cable from the hard-mounted dome to a test device, but the process is made that much harder while balancing a portable player, LCD monitor or laptop. The company first used TestMonitor for a job on a business campus, with multiple cameras across two buildings that connect to a centralized, networked IP video system. The team mounted the cameras in advance, and an installer then used the application on an iPad to focus each camera from a bucket truck. “It was a major timesaver, as opposed to using a radio system to communicate with an installer at the server location 2,000 feet away to confirm settings,” says Burnett. “We also eliminated the time spent connecting and disconnecting wires at each camera. Perhaps most importantly, I could pull up the cameras with this application after we left the site — meaning callbacks can be handled from the field instead of always requiring a return visit. It becomes like any other managed service.” Burnett notes that MB Technology is collaborating with another company to develop an iPad case tailor-made for systems integrators. The case features a hand strap that is adaptable as a forearm strap, allowing the installer to work with both hands, view the mobile test application and wirelessly test cameras without dropping the iPad.

Scalability, Usability & Bandwidth Flores expects continued growth for mobile surveillance in the residential

Installers can check an entire network of cameras from a single location and with a single log-in, so they do not have to manually connect to each individual camera.

space. “All of our clients have smartphones nowadays, and we’re finding that compatibility issues from smartphone to camera and recorder are increasing,” he says. “Software solutions like MobileCamViewer that can work across various manufacturers of smartphones, cameras and DVRs are going to become increasingly important.” He adds that his biggest challenge in terms of compatibility has been with connecting DVRs to Mac-based Apple operating systems. He cites Dedicated Micros as currently offering a solid solution in this space, along with Speco. Exacq Technologies is yet one more of the growing options. Once his customers find the right mobile surveillance package, Flores works with the customer to ensure as much scalability as possible. “Cameras are easy to add, so it’s important to install a DVR that can accommodate more cameras in the future,” he says. “It makes more sense to install an eight-camera DVR with four cameras, so the customer can add two cameras without having to trash the four-channel system or network two four-channel DVRs together.” For his part, although Burnett vouches for Samsung hardware products he is pointing more of his cus-

◗ 5 Tips for Remote IP Video Success

1. Confirm DVR/NVR public IP address can be viewed remotely on computers or mobile devices 2. Ensure network has capacity to support traffic for IP cameras 3. Eliminate network bottlenecks by replacing hubs with new Layer III switches 4. Confirm cameras cover proper range of vision before leaving jobsite 5. Use mobile test monitor devices to check cameras, both at point of install and from remote locations

tomers toward software-based systems such as Milestone and OnSSI. He notes that Milestone’s software is intuitive, works well with applications like MobileCamViewer, and behaves similar to hardware-based DVRs and NVRs to help with the customer learning curve. “We are really trying to lean toward software-based solutions, mainly for the fact that most NVRs at this point are rather expensive for limited horsepower,” he says. “It’s worth putting a little more money into a server-based solution, and having the storage and expandability along with much more horsepower.” Burnett adds that advancements in mobile surveillance have made it possible to rewind, record and otherwise manipulate video — rather than just stoically watch cameras. That ease of use translates well to the surveillance operations his customers usually seek. “We found that in most cases the end user wants to be able to review video and record it without having to pay for an outside service,” he says. “We have found very few systems that actually make surveillance a painless process for the end user. Companies like Milestone and mobiDEOS have made this a lot easier.” Burnett contributes a final word of advice to about optimize network video system performance. He stresses the importance of appropriately verifying adequate bandwidth all along the line, from camera to switch, switch to server and so on. Eliminating network bottlenecks to ensure smooth transmission of video information can require replacing hubs with new switches. “IP systems can be fairly demanding on a network, and you need to make sure that cameras aren’t isolated from the LAN,” says Burnett. “Fighting for space on the network can be a major problem in mobile surveillance, especially if you have HD cameras. Everything should run point-to-point, even if it means added Layer III switches to segment network traffic onto its own VLAN.” ■ Brian Galante is President of Dimension PR. He can be reached at (570) 425-2315 or brian@dimensionpronline.com.

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The Essentials SPECIAL SHOWCASE: Intrusion Detection Products Visonic PowerMaster-30 Wireless Alarm System

Bosch GV4ontrol Panel

The GV4 control panel by Bosch Security Systems of Fairport, N.Y., incorporates a microprocessor that operates at 96MHz to deliver fast keypad responses when operating the panel and integrating to other systems. Multiple communicators, such as the company’s Connetix B420 Ethernet module, allow for dual, simultaneous, wired IP and cellular communications to help integrators meet a variety of customer requirements. With the support of domain name servers (DNS) for remote programming and central station communication, GV4 simplifies IP alarm communication and helps automate disaster recovery, according to the company.

Visonic Ltd. of Bloomfield, Conn., releases the PowerMaster-30, a wireless alarm system for large residential homes and midsize businesses. Integrating the company’s PowerG wireless network, the product uses two-way, low-power, hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) technology. It employs advanced radio and diversity antenna technologies that, when combined with FHSS and synchronized TDMA communication, result in an extremely large transmission range of up to 6,000 feet, according to the company. It also supports up to 127 devices/peripherals with 64 zones and 48 users. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13402

DSC PowerSeries Touchscreen Keypads

The PowerSeries touchscreen keypads by Concord, Ontario, Canada-based DSC, a Tyco Security Products company, is a 7-inch, full-color keypad for the PowerSeries control panels. The product offers an intuitive user menu programming, allowing users to easily navigate through the various options, according to the company. Installers can also complete all system programming right from the keypad and have the ability to customize the home page with user-defined settings and preferences. The keypad also features an SD slot to upload pictures. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13403

securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13401

Honeywell Tuxedo Touch Controller

Honeywell of Melville, N.Y., releases the Tuxedo Touch, a touchscreen controller that combines security and lifestyle technology by allowing home and business owners to centrally control both security and automation functions such as temperature, lighting and more. Featuring a full-color, 7-inch display, the product is compatible with the company’s Total Connect remote interactive services and uses a built-in controller that communicates with devices such as thermostats, lighting controls, shades and locks via the Z-Wave communications protocol. Additionally, a built-in Web server gives users the ability to control the system using WiFi-enabled devices. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13404

STI 4-Channel Voice Receiver

The 4-Channel Voice Receiver (STI-V34104) by Waterford, Mich.-based Safety Technology Int’l (STI) monitors up to four different STI devices at a single location. When the receiver detects a tripped site, it sounds programmable voice messages to alert which transmitter has been activated. The product offers 10 tones and 52 selectable words, which can be programmed simultaneously in sets of up to four to create a custom message, such as “emergency exit side door.” It has a 1,000-foot line-of-sight range and features four LED zone indicators each tied to the selection of latching or momentary. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13405

Winland Electronics EnviroAlert EA800-ip Critical Monitoring System

The EnviroAlert EA800ip by Winland Electronics ronics Inc. of Mankato, Minn., provides two-way remote access to view real-time sensor data, modify settings and download data logs via secure Ethernet connection with ith no additional software required, according to the company. The device allows users to remotely monitor and collect data on up to eight sensors for changes in temperature, humidity, water, gases, pressure and dry contacts, and more. Installers can connect dedicated sensor output relays to any alarm panel for a central station as well as E-mail or text message notification, according to the company. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13406

For the latest products, sign up for SSI’s Security Equipment E-lert at securitysales.com.

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The Essentials SPECIAL SHOWCASE: Intrusion Detection Products Optex Project Layout iPad App

Chino, Calif.-based Optex Inc.’s MyOptex project layout iPad application allows users to take their services outside of the office and onto the jobsite. With a simple interactive menu that includes all of Optex’s outdoor photobeams and passive infrared detectors, users can drag and drop to-scale detection patterns onto a satellite image of the jobsite. A dealer can help an end user visualize what the Optex sensors will protect. Dealers can E-mail and print the layout along with a product list and quote based on what sensors were used. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13407 y

Risco Group WatchOUT eXtreme

The WatchOUT eXtreme outdoor intrusion detection device by Risco Group of Melville, N.Y., features active infrared (IR) anti-mask and proximity alerts to provide 24-hour protection against vandalism. The detector offers two microwave detection channels and two passive infrared (PIR) channels. The product offers the company’s outdoor detection technologies — sway recognition and digital correlation. Integrators can install the product on the Risco Bus, which provides remote control of detection parameters and remote diagnostics from the system keypad or PC software. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13408

Interlogix Simon XTi Wireless Security System Interlogix of Bradenton, Fla., releases the Simon XTi wireless security system, which offers 40 zones of burglary and fire protection. A built-in color LCD touchscreen display provides status notifications. When used with the Interlogix image sensor, powered by Alarm.com, users can view pictures on the device. With a ZWave based modem, the Simon XTi can also control lighting, thermostats and door locks. Optional GSM reporting and Alarm.com features support off-premises smartphone or online control of the system allowing system arming, disarming and system status checks. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13409

The Essentials GENERAL NEW PRODUCTS ATV C600TDNW Box Style Camera

Advanced Technology Video (ATV) of Coppell, Texas, releases the C600TDNW box style camera. Equipped with true day/night for low light applications and digital wide dynamic range (D-WDR) capabilities for high contrast lighting conditions, the camera offers 600 TVL resolution. Additionally, the product features digital pan/tilt/ zoom (p/t/z) and full remote capability via a RS-485 interface. Other features include 3D digital noise reduction (DNR), privacy masking, programmable digital image stabilization (DIS), back-light compensation and a tool-less back focus ring for easy adjustment, according to the company. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13410

Toshiba IK-WB16A-W 2MP IP Camera

Equipped with 802.11n wireless connectivity, the IK-WB16AW 2-megapixel IP camera by Toshiba Surveillance & IP Video of Irvine, Calif., supports simultaneous quad streaming of MPEG-4 and MJPEG video. A maximum of 10 clients can simultaneously access live video and record it directly onto a PC hard drive or NVR, according to the company. The camera offers 1,600 X 1,200 resolution and features a micro SD card slot for local storage in the event of connection failure or tampering. The product also utilizes 4x digital zoom, motion detection and alarm recording, and two-way audio.

T3 Innovation New Coax Clarifier

T3 Innovation of Camarillo, Calif., releases the Coax Clarifier layout/fault finder, which helps field technicians locate dark, unpowered coax systems. The product’s large, backlit LCD screen shows loss levels on each coax cable run and displays a bar graph indicating quality of signal for each one. The faultfinder also detects and tests splitters for quality, shorts/opens, according to the company. Wiremap remotes allow technicians to map an entire system. Additionally, the product measures cable length up to 1,500 feet. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13412

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Challenging lighting scene with standard camera

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Sarix: a new era of image quality Introducing SureVision real-time imaging technology Video security cameras can overcome some lighting challenges, but when a single scene contains bright areas, shaded areas, and intense shining lights, image quality falls flat. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Pelcoâ&#x201E;˘ by Schneider Electricâ&#x201E;˘ engineers created the ultimate solution, Sarixâ&#x201E;˘ cameras with SureVisionâ&#x201E;˘ technology. SureVision is a new, state-of-the-art imaging science that combines wide dynamic range, low-light, and anti-bloom capabilities into one highly intelligent technology. The result is a camera that handles light nearly as well as the human eye â&#x20AC;&#x201D; automatically adjusting to deliver exceptional detail and the best possible image in even the most challenging lighting conditions. Available in Sarix IX Series IP cameras and Sarix IM Series mini domes, SureVision sets a new standard for image quality. See the difference at www.pelco.com.

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The Essentials Lumidigm ievo Micro Fingerprint Sensor

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The ievo Micro fingerprint sensor by Albuquerque, N.M.-based Lumidigm is an indoorsonly reader and features the company’s Mercury multispectral imaging sensor and an 8,000 unique fingerprint capacity. The product retains functionality with creams and powders on the skin as well as with the user wearing some types of latex gloves. Installers deploy the reader on mullion or surface. Contractors can also integrate the reader into existing card, fob and proximity systems with minimal disruption during the installation process, according to the company.

DoorKing 1812 Series Wireless Adapter

DoorKing of Inglewood, Calif., releases the 1812 Series wireless adapter for telephone intercom systems. Designed as a plug-and-play device, the product connects to any DoorKing 1812 Series telephone intercom system, and the user’s router and two-line telephone. The second telephone line provides full-duplex voice communication wirelessly from the home to the access point. By usingg an IP addressable camera, video can also be transmitted from the access point to the home. The wireless adapter, which has a range of up to 1,000 feet, eliminates the need to trench for wire runs, according to the company. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13414

Minuteman MMS130RC Surge Suppressor

Para Systems/Minuteman Power Technologies of Carrollton, Texas, releases the MMS130RC wall tap, which features side-facing outlets and rotating ports. Designed to help hide cables, the unit is suited for placement behind wall-mounted HDTVs, and offers a 90° rotating power outlet and coax connection to aid in routing wires out of sight, according to the company. securitysales.com/ FREEInfo/13415

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C-MOR IP Video Surveillance System

Aiphone AN-800 AN-8000 Series IP Network Intercom System

Aiphone Corp. of Bellevue, Wash., offers the AN-8000 IP network intercom system, which links up to 80 IP intercom exchanges, multi-interface units and IP stations to a local or wide area network (LAN or WAN), according to the company. The AN-8000 has a system capacity of up to 1,280 stations, allowing customers to have many advanced functions for security options. The system also functions with external PA equipment and door stations to provide further specialized safety features. External PA equipment can be integrated to allow for AN-8000 Series stations to perform paging to any predetermined locations. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13416

Sperry West Spyder Wireless Pinhole Surveillance Kit

Sperry West of San Diego releases the Spyder wireless pinhole surveillance kit (SW2370KITC), which contains a pinhole camera and a motion sensing, network-enabled DVR in a protective carrying case. Installers can place the pinhole camera on top of a ceiling tile. The camera captures images through a small hole and wirelessly transmits the images to a receiver and DVR, according to the company. The system records inside the closed case, which can be padlocked. A 7-inch LCD monitor is part of the four-channel DVR to use for setup and viewing.

C-MOR Inc. of Lake Forest, Calif., releases its IP video surveillance system. Built on a Linux server platform, the system allows users to remotely record and view live video and recordings via Web-enabled devices. It also offers high-definition (HD) IP video recording streams, with the option to replay footage in various resolutions. The system is able to support up to 90 IP cameras and can be accessed from any of the popular Internet browsers running on common operating systems. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13419

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SDC 350 Narrow Line EmLock

Security Door Controls (SDC) of Camarillo, Calif., releases the 350 Narrow Line EmLock, an electromagnetic lock with 1,200-pound holding force for reliable failsafe access control of perimeter and interior doors, according to the company. Specifically designed for high profile openings that require less obtrusive surface mount lock, the product features a magnetic bond sensor, door status sensor and LED status indicator. Other offerings include an internal wire chamber and integrated PC board with wiring terminal block and auto-sensing 12/24VDC input.

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Ad Index

Go to www.securitysales.com/freeinfo to request FREE product info.

PAGE FREEInfo#

AAXEON TECHNOLOGIES .................120 Advanced Technology Video..................127 AES Corporation ......................................53 Affiliated Central, Inc. ............................. C2 Aiphone Corporation ...............................57 All American Monitoring .......................109 Altronix ...................................................118 Arecont Vision ..........................................45 Arlington Industries, Inc. ........................29 Axis Communications..............................14 Bolide Technology Group ..........................9 Chamberlain Group, Inc..........................43 CNB Technology, Inc .............................111 ComNet.....................................................58 DETEX .....................................................97 DSX Access Systems, Inc.........................11 EasyLobby, Inc. ........................................93 EMERgency24 ........................................ C3 Fike Alarm Systems .................................81 GAI-Tronics ..............................................59 HID Global .................................................7 HIKVISION ..............................................17 Honeywell Security ................................. C4

13285 13263 13199 13272 13169 13204 13245 13276 13104 13308 13193 13194 13321 13303 13205 13231 13185 13136 13268 13114 13234 13233 13103

PAGE FREEInfo#

Iluminar, Inc.............................................90 INTRANSA .............................................119 IQ InVision ...............................................87 ISC Solutions .........................................131 JLM Wholesale, Inc. ................................88 Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum, PC .........90 KOWA Optimed, Inc. ...............................83 Middle Atlantic Products .........................85 Minuteman Power Technologies.............77 MISSION 500 .........................................125 Moxa Americas, Inc. ..............................105 National Monitoring Center (NMC) .......23 Next Level Security Systems .................101 NVT .............................................................3 Optex America, Inc. .................................63 OT Systems...............................................55 Panasonic System Solutions Company ....5 Pelco by Schneider Electric...................117 Pelco by Schneider Electric..............A8(72) PSA Security Network ...........................118 PSA Security Network ...........................133 Samsung ...................................................35 Schlage ........................................Bellyband

13236 13318 13338 13163 13249 13253 13206 13319 3278 — 13247 13314 13265 13184 13219 13322 — 13292 13167 13261 13324 13304 13153

PAGE FREEInfo#

SECO-LARM ..........................................129 Security Central .....................................113 Security Door Controls ..............................8 Speco Technologies.......................C1A-C1B Speco Technologies...................CoverSnipe Speco Technologies....................................1 SSI - Hall of Fame ....................................73 SSI - PDQ................................................135 System Sensor ..........................................47 Tamron USA, Inc......................................51 Telular Corporation .................................31 Telular Corporation .................................33 Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution .......49 Tyco Security Products (DSC) .................21 Tyco Security Products (Kantech) ..........39 UL - Underwriters Laboratories..............19 UTC Fire & Security ................................13 Verint ........................................................89 Visonic, Inc. ..............................................91 Vitek Industrial Video Products, Inc. ......27 Winsted ...................................................115

13282 13171 13198 13115 — 13142 — — 13209 13176 — 13172 13107 13120 3180 13183 13146 13195 13216 13281 13135

Company listings are provided as a courtesy — publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.

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The Essentials Yale 7180(F)TD Multipoint Exit Device Latching System

Yale Locks and Hardware of Lenoir, Tenn., an ASSA ABLOY company, releases the 7180(F)TD (tornado device) multipoint exit device latching system, a three-point auto deadlocking system engineered to secure shelters. The UL Listed and certified device is in accordance with FEMA 361 and International Code Council (ICC) 500. It features extra-heavy duty steel components to secure the door to the frame — at the top, bottom and center latch points — reinforcing the openings to withstand extreme wind speeds and flying debris, according to the company. All three latching points are activated automatically when the door is closed. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13421

IQinVision IQeye 7 Series Indoor HD Camera

IQinVision of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., releases the IQeye 7 Series indoor camera, which features H.264 Main Profile compression. Designed with the installer in mind, the ONVIF- and PSIAcompliant cameras supports up to 5-megapixel resolution and features analog video out along with remote back focus. Featuring the company’s One-Touch-Focus technology, which allows focus adjustment from a remote computer, the product also supports power over Ethernet (PoE). The camera also offers a moveable infrared (IR) filter for day/night functionality, twoway audio and an external SDHC memory expansion port for on-camera storage. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13422

MicroPower Technologies MPT2500 Rugged-i Wireless Camera

The MPT2500 Rugged-i wireless surveillance camera by La Jolla, Calif.-based MicroPower Technologies is a standalone system featuring a solar-powered housing. p It includes removable antennas that do not require alignment and allow for substitution of higher gain antennas for longer range operation. Powered by an integrated solar cell, advanced features of the camera include a high-resolution image sensor, a large field of view and selectable video frame rates. Additionally, the camera does not require direct sunlight. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13425

Kantech EntraPass v5.01 Security Software

Kantech of Boca Raton, Fla., a Tyco Security Products company, releases the of EntraPass v5.01. The product’s features include multiswipe functionality when using Kantech’s KT-400 four-reader controller. Authorized cardholders can perform multiple functions through either a double or triple swipe of their card without having to access the EntraPass security software. The functions include activating relays, locking/unlocking doors, arming/disarming the alarm panel and more. Additionally, the software integrates with American Dynamics’ VideoEdge NVR and allows users to view, manage and control video being recorded on the NVR through EntraPass software. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13420

Nitek ER16500C Network Extender

The ER16500C IP video over coax multiport network extender with integrated gigabit power over Ethernet (PoE) switch by Nitek of Rolling Meadows, Ill., is a receiver unit that operates with the company’s ET1500C transmitter. When operating over RG59U coaxial cable, the product can operate for distances up W 1,640 feet. The system is transparent to the network and has no IP or MAC addressing, to 1, according to the company. acco LED indicators show the status of network communication and PoE power, while the LE product’s internal power supply provides PoE plus (25.5W) per port. prod securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13423 se

DMP Wireless CO Detector

Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) of Springfield, Mo., releases the 1184 Series wireless carbon monoxide (CO) detector. The product, which is compatible with all DMP panels, relies on electrochemical sensing coupled to the DMP 1100 Series wireless transmitter. The sensor provides an early alert of potentially harmful levels of CO in residential or commercial installations, according to the company. In addition, it also transmits trouble, tamper and low-battery messages to the panel. The detector is listed for ANSI/UL 2034 single and multiple station CO detectors and ANSI/UL 2075 gas and vapor detectors and sensors. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13424

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The Essentials Pivot3 vSTAC Watch Stackable Surveillance Appliance

Dallmeier Panomera Multifocal Sensor System

Pivot3 of Austin, Texas, releases the vSTAC Watch, an open system appliance that runs third-party video management software (VMS) and provides storage for video capture and playback. Users can stack the devices to create, protect and load-balance storage across vSTACs as a highly reliable IP SAN, according to the company. The product’s solid-state storage introduces a 10x performance boost for the most intensive streaming environments. It also supports the latest 64-bit operating systems and adds two new failover options. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13426

Dallmeier of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., releases the Panomera, a multifocal sensor system with a special lens and sensor concept. The product offers up to 51 megapixels and provides image material in real-time and at high frame rates of up to 30 frames per second (fps). With one Panomera system, a huge area can be surveyed from a single location in extraordinary detail, according to the company. Movements of objects, such as people or vehicles, can be reconstructed over long distances without any gaps in the recording or camera switching. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13427

Schlage aptiQ Multitechnology Readers Carmel, Ind.-based Schlage, an Ingersoll Rand (IR) Security Technologies brand, offers the aptiQ readers, delivering a simple migration path to increased credential security levels, including various forms of proximity, MIFARE Classic and MIFARE DESFire EV1. The readers free users from proprietary solutions and are NFCcompliant for future mobile credentials. The wall-hugging design suits a larger variety of architectures and the four new color choices compliment any building’s décor, according to the company. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13428

NextLevel Gateway Security Management Platforms NextLevel Security Systems (NLSS) of Carlsbad, Calif., releases the NLSS Gateways 4000 and 5000. The unified security management platforms combine multiple subsystems including video management, access control, video analytics and more into a single, easy-to-use networked platform. Offering deployment tools such as auto-discovery, the product’s features are accessible and controllable from anywhere through a Web browser. A sophisticated event management system allows for streamlined reporting to enable an enterprise view of the entire security infrastructure. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13429

Inovonics Radius Situational Awareness Solution

Inovonics of Louisville, Colo., releases Radius, a mobile duress and situational awareness solution that utilizes the company’s wireless positioning technology. The solution combines advanced location technology with the latest broadcast notification capabilities to pinpoint and communicate the location of mobile duress alarm devices. It communicates information from in-building systems and routes them to alert devices, such as pagers and mobile phones using text messaging, E-mail or voice mail. The product also integrates with fire/life-safety and security systems.

Verint Nextiva EdgeVR NVR

The Nextiva EdgeVR version 2.5 by Verint Systems of Melville, N.Y., combines the company’s video analytics, remote monitoring and management software and offers bandwidth optimization. The latest enhancements include expanded integrations with various access control systems, iSCSI storage, Nextiva IP cameras and other thirdparty devices. Specifically designed for retail and financial organizations, the product also offers automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) and face recognition algorithms for efficient fraud detection and security investigations. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/13431

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Building Your Business

How to Protect Your Firm From Payment Fraud Like any merchant that utilizes an electronic billing system, installing security firms need to safeguard their clients’ private data. Learn necessary procedures to defend against credit card scams and other payment cons.

here is considerable evidence that Automated Clearing House (ACH) and credit card payments offer many advantages for installing security contractors over “snail mail” billing systems. At a minimum, electronic billing has proven to be more cost-effective and greener than paper-based invoicing systems. Companies whose customers are billed via ACH and credit cards also experience lower attrition rates and more timely cash collections. Importantly, there is yet another, lesser known advantage of ACH and credit card billing over paper invoicing for security companies — fraud risk reduction. A survey conducted by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) in 2010 indicated that check fraud remains the primary source of payment scams. Some 73% of organizations surveyed experienced attempted or actual fraud in 2009, and within that group nine out of 10 were victims of check fraud. The leading type of check fraud reported by respondents involved counterfeiting the firms’ magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line data (72% of respondents), followed by altered payee names (58%) and altered dollar amounts (35%). When check fraud resulted in losses to an organization, 37% said it involved a check being cashed by a check-cashing service.

By Bill Polk

With an aim toward defending your company against fraudulent payment attacks, let’s explore some best practices to implement as well as consider some additional statistical data in this area.

A Data Security Standard Is Born Many of the AFP survey respondents that shifted from paper to electronic payments indicated they had done so with fraud prevention in mind, a strategy that AFP applauds. “Organizations large and small should be pushing hard and working with their banks, vendors and other suppliers to eliminate [check fraud] vulnerability by moving transactions to ACH and card payments,” the AFP report advises. Nonetheless, it is important to note that electronic billing systems are not immune from being the targets of fraud. AFP survey respondents reported that consumer and corporate/commercial cards were the second-most targeted (37%), followed by ACH debits (25%), ACH credits (7%), and wire transfers (3%). The impact of credit card fraud is immense. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Justice, more than

11 million Americans, or approximately 5% of those age 16 or older, have been the victims of identity theft during a recent two-year period, and more than half of those identity theft victims (53%) experienced the unauthorized use of an existing credit card. Furthermore, a Gallup survey conducted two years ago cited identity theft as Americans’ leading crime concern. Security companies that accept credit or debit cards must comply with standards established by the major card associations to safeguard buyers’ card data. Failure to meet these standards can result in costly fixes, hefty fines, and potentially crippling damage to a firm’s reputation. Technology that enabled merchants to accept card transactions via the Internet — not to mention the subsequent card data breaches that followed — led the card associations to collaborate on the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The standard attempts to prevent unauthorized access to cardholder data, such as a skilled hacker remotely accessing a computer system containing cardholder records. The PCI DSS includes requirements for securi-

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Building Your Business

Expensive remediation — If the card associations notify a bank’s merchant services department that its security company client is the source of a carddata breach, that company will be required to shut off its Internet connection and submit to a costly forensics investigation to determine the reason for the breach. Appropriate action will then be required to resolve the problem. A Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) typically charges $10,000 to $20,000 per business location to conduct such an investigation. Potentially large fines — When the investigation is complete, the QSA firm will send a report on its findings to the card associations. Based on that report, including how egregious the QSA determines the security lapses were and how many cards were compromised, the card associations will levy a fine that can range from $5,000 to $200,000. Damage to your business’ reputation — A compromised card merchant, particularly a security company whose principal service is protecting people, property and information, faces the threat of negative publicity and FIND IT ON THE WEB F The online version of this article includes a T list of tips on how to prevent billing system lis breaches from phishing, spyware and malware attacks. Visit securitysales.com/ business0312.

resulting damage to the reputation it has worked so hard to build. In recent time there have been many instances of businesses that suffered card-data security breaches ended up on the evening news and in the newspapers.

ty management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design, and other measures intended to protect customer card data. The card associations — MasterCard Worldwide, Visa Inc. Int’l, Discover Financial Services, American Express and JCB Int’l — are responsible for enforcing compliance with the PCI DSS standard. They in turn rely on credit card issuers, such as commercial banks, to ensure their clients comply. Potential consequences if a merchant doesn’t adhere to PCI DSS, and has its system hacked into and customer card data stolen, include:

Merchant services departments in the banking industry often require clients that process card transactions via an Internet connection to participate in a PCI DSS compliance validation program. Typically, merchants conduct a selfassessment questionnaire which reviews the policies and procedures they employ to store, process and transmit credit card data, and train their staffs. To remain compliant with PCI security standards, merchants are required to complete and pass the questionnaire each year, as well as pass a network scan of their system each quarter.

A survey conducted by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) in 2010 indicated that check fraud remains the primary source of payment scams. More than 70% of organizations surveyed experienced attempted or actual fraud in 2009, and within that group nine out of 10 were victims of check fraud.

Steps to Protect Billing Systems

• Set up alerts to notify manager of payments initiated above a threshold amount that warrant management’s attention.

There are a variety of data security-related rules or control measures that a security company can implement to safeguard its data and protect against costly card billing system security breaches. To protect online payments and account data, consider the following: • Evaluate the firm’s internal controls for online banking and conduct an annual risk assessment. Identify gaps and continuous improvement opportunities to ensure the safety of your financial data and resources. • Dedicate and restrict one computer to online banking transactions; allow no Internet browsing or E-mail exchange and ensure this computer is equipped with latest versions and patches of both anti-virus and antispyware software. • Segregate responsibilities among different employees by maintenance, entry and approval. • Delete online user IDs as part of the exit procedure when employees leave your company.

• Assign dual system administrators for online cash management services. • Periodically evaluate employee job functions and remove online services. • Establish transaction limits for employees who initiate and approve online payments.

• Require multiple users to release an online payment since it is less likely a fraudster would control the workstation of both initiating employees. • Reconcile by carefully monitoring account activity and reviewing all transactions initiated by your company on a daily basis. • Use separate accounts for electronic and paper transactions to simplify monitoring and tracking any discrepancies. Finally, there is no substitute for the advice of experts with intimate knowledge of your operations. An investment in data security and anti-fraud advice from such experts is money well spent. ■ SSI Hall of Fame inductee Bill Polk is Managing Director of Security, Defense and Technology in Capital One Bank’s Commercial and Specialty Finance Group. Contact him at bill.polk@capitalone.com or (314) 452-1856.

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As I See It

Guest Commentary by Keith Jentoft

Why the Industry Should Embrace Insurers’ Value Proposition

n January, a local newspaper in Las Cruces, N.M., reported on the mayor’s efforts there to update the city’s alarm ordinance and improve the effectiveness of police response. Among the facts provided in the story:

• There were 12,970 burglary alarm calls in 2011 • Only 50 of the alarm calls were actual crimes (99.6% were unnecessary dispatches) • The alarm calls resulted in five arrests, two of which were for burglary The article also described a contentious relationship between the local alarm industry and the city, which has a population of more than 97,000 residents. A typical City Council debate finds the security industry fighting with law enforcement officials: The city threatens to stop responding to traditional alarms and alarm companies counter fervently to protect their installed base of traditional alarms from becoming devalued because of nonresponse. In what should be viewed as a positive development, Mayor Ken Miyagishima proposed a novel solution to resolve the predicament. Simply, he wants to amend a city ordinance to require verified response for any new burglar alarm system installed in new residential or commercial construction. The proposal protects the investment that alarm companies and citizens have made in existing traditional alarm systems. In this case, the mayor bent over backwards to address the installed base requiring video verification only on new alarm systems. The mayor gave alarm companies the opportunity to upsell all new customers with innovative technology that delivers more arrests and reduces false alarms. However, the alarm industry opposed this plan and fought against new technology, instead asking the city to share the revenue through new false alarm fines and permit fees imposed upon Las Cruces citizens. I believe that we have missed the point.

Consider the Role of the Insurer It is time the electronic security industry reconsider its value proposition and the stakeholders that we serve. The alarm industry’s opposition to innovation for new systems ignores the major player in the value chain — the insurer.

Keith Jentoft is President of RSI Video Technologies, based in St. Paul, Minn. He can be contacted at kjentoft@ videofied.com.

Property/casualty insurers pay for 87 cents of every dollar lost to burglary, according to the Insurance Loss Control Association. In a very dramatic sense, the insurance companies are the real customer of the alarm industry, and they are demanding value. After decades where investment income filled their coffers, the insurers are again focused on “loss control” to achieve profitability. The stock market is down and reducing claims is the only way insurers can make money. Insurers are not embroiled in the false alarm battle. They want arrests. For insurers, arrests mean lower claims; a single arrest can prevent up to 50 burglaries and associated claims. Intrusion alarms that don’t deliver arrests have little value for them. We are at an inflection point. For years the alarm industry has used insurance discounts to help sell monitored alarm systems, but now insurers have begun to eliminate these discounts. In recent years, State Farm, All State and many other major insurers have dropped these discounts in Florida and the trend to kill alarm discounts is accelerating. The reason is simple: For insurers the discount is a marketing device that hasn’t delivered real value or loss control — i.e., no arrests. Shrinking police budgets made property crime less important. The typical officer’s attitude is now, “Nobody was injured and it was insured anyway.” Insurers are responding to this trend by encouraging their policyholders to install video verified alarm systems because they deliver better response and more arrests. All this brings us back to the Las Cruces debate. The alarm industry cannot afford to oppose innovation for new alarm systems. If our industry goes on record opposing innovation and technology that delivers arrests and real loss control, the insurers will rightly consider us irrelevant and form new partnerships to deliver the loss control that they need. Insurers’ new focus on loss control and property crime is an opportunity to build our business and our margins. Instead of fighting it, we should embrace it and grow. ■

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Custom Alarm accepts the 2011 PDQ award. Past winners include: Alarm Detection Systems, Altronic Alarms, Brink’s Home Security, Broadview Security, and Vector Security.

Call for Entries “Promoting Partnerships in Public Safety”

ecurity companies and law enforcement agencies work together as partners, sharing information and communicating frequently to protect public safety and serve their communities. The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA), and SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION created the POLICE DISPATCH QUALITY (PDQ) program to promote cooperative best practices, reduce unnecessary dispatches and give officers the most complete information when responding to alarms. We are looking for companies that exemplify an all-out effort to reduce false alarms from implementing ECV (Enhanced Call Verification, a.k.a. two-call verification) to utilizing ANSI CP01-compliant control panels, training customers and working closely with law enforcement. The best overall collaboration will be honored with the 7th Annual North American PDQ Award, which is also endorsed by the Installation Quality (IQ) Certification Program.

• The winning security company will receive $1,000

for hotel and airfare to attend June’s Electronic Security Expo (ESX) in Nashville,Tenn., and will participate in the award ceremony. • Installing and /or monitoring alarm dealers in the U.S. and Canada must mail an application to SIAC postmarked by March 30, 2012.

• Outstanding program ideas will be featured in SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION magazine, in security association publications and their Web sites, and at ESX 2012.

• Security companies and local police officials should meet now to form partnerships in public safety.

WORKING TOGETHER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

The SECURITY INDUSTRY ALARM COALITION and the FALSE ALARM REDUCTION ASSOCIATION Co-Sponsored by: SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION Magazine, IQ Certification Program and Honeywell Security

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siacinc.org • faraonline.org iqcertification.org • securitysales.com

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The Big Idea

Let Your Actions Do the Talking IDEA of the Month If you had just one really great idea you could share with the alarm industry, what would it be?

By Ron Davis rdavis@graybeardsrus.com

This month’s great idea comes from Gregory Torre, president of Electronic Security Corp. of America in Woodlyn, Pa.

Torre’s great idea: Do what you say you’re going to do, then do it!

regory Torre, president of Woodlyn, Pa.-based Electronic Security Corp. of America, and I go back a long way. I recall him sitting in on some of the conferences I conducted back in the late 1970s and early ’80s. He was a tremendous student then, and looking back I guess I always knew he was destined to accomplish big things. I crossed paths with Torre toward the end of January at the SedonaOffice Users Conference in Marco Island, Fla. We sat down together for lunch, which provided me the opportunity to solicit his great idea. I’ve had a few other people come up with a similar version of Torre’s contribution, but I’m not sure that anyone has ever combined that exact notion with the great success story equal to his. He operates a magnificent installing firm, as well as a wholesale monitoring company, and at an age when many people are considering retiring, Torre is still going the way he always has … all out! That is really the

message his idea represents. By letting people know what you’re going to do, then doing it, you’ve established your credentials as a leader and someone who needs to be taken seriously. You are also establishing goals that your employees can see, understand and participate in. I believe it was Earl Nightingale who once said, “The common denominator of success is doing the things that failures don’t like to do.” It may sound harsh, but it is essentially what Torre is referring to in his great idea. Failures don’t like to set goals. Failures don’t like to be held accountable. Failures don’t lead very well. Failures rarely have a business as successful as the one Torre has built. And it’s all wrapped around the idea of establishing a goal, telling others around you about that goal, and then working to achieve.

Leading by Example Even though I’ve taken liberty to redefine Torre’s great idea, I believe

when he reads this column he’ll be sitting with his head nodding in agreement that there is a deeper meaning to his initial recommendation. The master of doing that exact same thing was Jim Covert, founder and CEO of several of the industry’s biggest success stories. Today, Tim Whall, CEO of Protection 1 and onetime protégé of Covert, has picked up the mantle and is doing the same thing for his company. In fact, you can see Torre’s principle in action at the top companies throughout the industry. The leaders of these companies didn’t simply happen to be in the right place at the right time; they set a goal, worked toward it and certainly weren’t surprised when they accomplished what they set out to do. Mr. Torre, I don’t know if you realize the extent to how great your idea truly is. I venture to say that all of the great success stories in this industry, as well is in our society, apply the same rules to their lives. Hopefully, there are readers of this column who will take that message, apply it to their everyday lives, and join the ranks of truly successful individuals in this industry. ■ Ron Davis is a SSI Hall of Fame inductee and President of Davis Mergers and Acquisitions Group Inc. Also known as The Graybeards, the company is active in acquisitions and mergers exclusively in the alarm business.

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Taking a Stand Against Stolen Accounts

lose the account you really have no certain damages. An enforceable contract still within its term, where you have an expectation of continued performance by your subscriber, is generally required. Next, you will usually be required to show you derive some benefit from your subscriber; that you make a profit on the relationship or the relationship is valuable for other reasons. Maybe it gives you access to a market or territory or is a Tortious interference is by prestigious account you addefinition wrong, in a civil vertise to attract business. sense, and is actionable. It falls To recover monetary damagwithin the tort, as opposed to es you’ll likely have to show contract law, category, which what you lost or will lose. If is why even though you do you seek equitable damages, not have a contract with to enjoin the other party (a this person who stole your tortfeasor) from continuing accounts you may potentially to tortiously interfere with proceed against them. subscribers, monetary damages may not be required. Tortious inference does require Tortious interference is by definisome level of wrongful conduct. Even tion wrong, in a civil sense, and is acif you have a profitable contract with a tionable. It falls within the tort, as subscriber, the fact that a competitor opposed to contract law, category, takes that account and ends up with a which is why even though you do not contract for the same service does not have a contract with this person who make it tortious interference. You will stole your accounts you may potenhave to prove that the competitor knew tially proceed against them. The benyou had a contract with the subscriber efits of a lawsuit alleging tortious inand did something wrong to entice the terference may include monetary and subscriber to breach your contract. injunctive or other equitable relief. Examples of wrongful conduct: Such a suit must usually commence in a court of general jurisdiction ver• A former employee takes your subsus small claims or other lower court. scriber information, including To allege tortious interference, the name, address, contract terms, type first criterion is having a contract with of system, codes and pricing. The the subscriber being interfered with. employee, not under any contractuOtherwise the relationship is “at will” al restrictive covenant, solicits your and susceptible to termination at any subscribers offering to provide the time without penalty. Thus, when you f you lose a subscriber account to someone (e.g. a current or former employee) who may not be under any contract with you that restricts his/her activity with your subscribers, you may have a legal remedy under the cause of action of tortious interference. This person who ends up with your subscriber (I won’t say steals just yet) may have tortiously interfered with your contractual relationship.

By Ken Kirschenbaum ken@kirschenbaumesq.com

same service for half the price. • Same scenario, but instead the exemployee knocks on the subscriber’s door to let them know you are no longer in business, or did something so terrible that you shouldn’t be in business, and they are there to service and take over the system. What does not constitute wrongful conduct? Here are two examples where there was clearly no “interference”: • A former employee not under any restriction who gets a call from a subscriber to take over a system. • A competitor who gains access to a subscriber through advertising or canvassing, and offers to provide the services without making comparison to you or the existing service. Often there is no bright-line test to indicate whether a tortious interference cause of action will be successful. Each case needs to be evaluated independently to determine if the conduct is wrongful, constitutes a tort, is actionable and worth pursuing. Bottom line, if you’re seeing a loss of accounts and you identify a culprit acting with impropriety, you may have a legal remedy worth pursuing. ■ Ken Kirschenbaum has been a recognized counsel to the alarm industry for 35 years and is principal of Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum, P.C. (www.kirschenbaumesq.com). His team of attorneys, which includes daughter Jennifer, specialize in transactional, defense litigation, regulatory compliance and collection matters.

SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION (ISSN 1539-0071) (USPS 511-590) is published monthly by Bobit Business Media, 3520 Challenger Street, Torrance, California 90503-1640. Periodicals postage paid at Torrance, California 90503-9998 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Security Sales, P.O. Box 1068 Skokie, IL 60076-8068. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for address changes to take effect. Subscription Prices - United States $96 per year; Canada $96 per year; Foreign $140 per year. Single copy price - $8; Fact Book - $35. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks to receive your first issue. Please address Editorial and Advertising correspondence to the Executive Offices at 3520 Challenger Street, Torrance, California 90503-1640. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without consent of Bobit Business Media. All statements made, although based on information believed to be reliable and accurate, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission.

Legal Briefing

The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of SSI, and not intended as legal advice.

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Advantech chooses open technology to increase security and productivity for its end users. As a leading security integrator, Advantech, Inc. understands that the key to cultivating long-term relationships with its end users means first understanding their needs and

goals. So when Delaware’s Smyrna School District approached Advantech to tie together building automation and security into a single user platform, they chose Honeywell. Using the Pro-Watch® Integration Kit, Advantech created a state-of-the-art touch screen interface that allows Smyrna’s staff to easily control building automation and security. Now the school district can secure their students, faculty and visitors more proactively— and efficiently. “In today’s day and age, it’s important to work with a manufacturer who can supply all the products and support necessary for a truly integrated security system.” Advantech chooses open—won’t you?

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