Security Sales & Integration Magazine by Bobit Business Media

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HAS SWEET SPOT FOR SURVEILLANCE IP Video Is a Key Ingredient at New Facility «THE SALES & MA ARKETIING ISSUE « SELLING NEW SOLUTIONS

Managed Access Experts Reveal Steps

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SPECIAL VEHICLE MANAGEMENT SECTION 2012 Super Security Fleets Survey How ADT Keeps Its 7,000 Trucks Rolling

BRANDING MORE EFFECTIVELY Award-Winners Tell How to Get It Done

June 2012 Vol. 34, No. 6

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CONTENTS

June 2012 Vol. 34, No. 6 HOW LONG (IN MONTHS) DO YOU TYPICALLY KEEP SERVICE/INSTALLATION VEHICLES IN YOUR FLEET?

— SEE PAGE 42

THE SALES & MARKETING ISSUE 42 HOW YOUR FELLOW MARKETERS DO IT RIGHT

Winning sales & marketing best practices developed and deployed by installing security contractors across North America highlight the 17th Annual SAMMY Awards. Takeaway tips and advice abound. by RODNEY BOSCH and ASHLEY WILLIS

54 EXPERT PANEL EXPLAINS HOW TO MAKE

Average

Find out why these installing security contractors took home top honors at the 17th Annual SAMMY (Sales and Marketing) Awards. Tips to lift your company’s brand messaging within.

months

COLUMNS 8 BETWEEN US PROS WITH SCOTT GOLDFINE

Copper theft and an underserved market opportunity.

10 ADVISORY BOARD FORUM WITH JOE NUCCIO Reaching for the cloud to create new RMR.

22 CONVERGENCE CHANNEL WITH PAUL BOUCHERLE How a ‘converged’ sales process can set you apart from the field.

MANAGED ACCESS PAY OFF

Four leading providers of managed access control services detail the challenges, opportunities, types of services and growth potential of one of the industry’s most promising new recurring revenue offerings. by SCOTT GOLDFINE

26 TECH TALK WITH BOB DOLPH Dialing in to wireless video.

28 FIRE SIDE CHAT WITH SHANE CLARY

Stay abreast of the latest code updates for CO detection.

COVER STORY 60 ‘CAKE BOSS’ SERVED SWEET SECURITY SOLUTION TV’s “Cake Boss,” Buddy Valastro, mixed the perfect ingredients of integrator, supplier and products to cook up a delectable IP video and intrusion solution for his new 60,000-square-foot facility in New Jersey. by SCOTT GOLDFINE

SPECIAL VEHICLE MANAGEMENT SECTION 66 SECURITY FLEET MANAGERS KEEP ON TRUCKING

SSI’s second Super Security Fleets study taps into hundreds of firms nationwide to assess key factors vital to effective operations. by SCOTT GOLDFINE

72 ADT SECURES ITS FLEET FUTURE

32 MONITORING MATTERS WITH MARK MATLOCK

If upselling isn’t a part of your sales strategy, get onboard.

87 THE BIG IDEA WITH RON DAVIS

Look to RMR when defining your company’s worth.

88 LEGAL BRIEFING WITH KEN KIRSCHENBAUM

Are your contracts keeping pace with your service offerings?

DEPARTMENTS 4 13 78 80 82 84

SECURITY EXCHANGE INDUSTRY PULSE THE ESSENTIALS: ISC WEST ROUNDUP BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS AD INDEX MARKETPLACE

ESX NASHVILLE SHOW ISSUE

EXCLUSI

PULLOUT SECTION

A1 TROUBLESHOOTING HYBRID SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR D.U.M.I.E.S., PART RT 2 OF 4

Uncovering Power Problems by BOB WIMMER

ON THE COVER

Buddy Valastro, left, and Luis Fernandez Jr. Photography by CRAIG SCHNEIDER, POWER CREATIVE INC.

VE!

HAS SWEET SPOT FOR SURVEILLANCE IP Video Is a Key Ingredient at New Facility «THE SALES & MAR RKETIING ISSUE « SELLING NEW SOLUTIONS

Managed Access Experts Reveal Steps

securitysales.com

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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SPECIAL VEHICLE MANAGEMENT SECTION 2012 Super Security Fleets Survey How ADT Keeps Its 7,000 Trucks Rolling

BRANDING MORE EFFECTIVELY Award-Winners Tell How to Get It Done

June 2012 Vol. 34, No. 6

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Security Exchange Web Watch

Have You Checked Out … securitysales.com

BLOGS / securitysales.com/blog

Opinions, perspectives, tips, interviews, whimsy concerning security business, technology, news, trends, events and more are all fair game for SSI’s cast of industry insider bloggers. The lineup consists of Central Station

Publisher Peggy Onstad: (949) 305-5541

Corner with Peter Giacalone in which the “Monitoring Matters” columnist addresses management and revenue opportunities associated with security system monitoring; Enterprising Solutions with Bob Grossman offering insight and commentary on the issues integrators, consultants, manufacturers and end users face in the real enterprise security world; Value-Added Security with Paul Boucherle where the “Convergence Channel” columnist covers technologies and concepts used to merge

different systems together; Laying Down the Law with Ken Kirschenbaum in which the “Legal Briefing” columnist discuss various aspects related to alarm contracts, liability and recent court decisions; Tech Shack with Bob Dolph featuring the “Tech Talk” columnist exploring information and ideas on the industry’s many new and old technical challenges; and Under Surveillance with Scott Goldfine, Rodney Bosch and Ashley Willis where SSI’s editors address topics spanning the entire electronic security universe.

WEB-O-METER 5 most-viewed news stories during April Industry Vets Snyder, Seavers Spearheaded Deal for Red Hawk

2 3

Tri-Ed Northern Video Attracts Second Private Equity Buyer in as Many Years Pinnacle Security Settles With Missouri Attorney General for $76K

4 5

Alarm Industry Partners With Texas-Based PD on Video Response Program UTC Sells Fire & Security Branch to Private Equity Firm

Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine: (704) 663-7125 114 Chatworth Lane Mooresville, NC 28117 Fax: (704) 663-7145 Managing Editor Rodney Bosch: (310) 533-2426 Associate Editor Ashley Willis: (310) 533-2419 Contributing Writers Paul Boucherle, Shane Clary, Ron Davis, Bob Dolph, Peter Giacalone, Jay Hauhn, Ken Kirschenbaum, Bob Wimmer, Jeffrey Zwirn Art Director Ajay Peckham Sr. Production Manager Sarah Paredes: (310) 533-2497 Administrative Assistant Abril Calderon: (310) 533-2413 Audience Marketing Manager Katie Fillingame Staff E-mail addresses are firstname.lastname@ securitysales.com (e.g. scott.goldfine@securitysales.com) Contributors‘ E-mail addresses are secsales@bobit.com. HOW TO CONTACT ADVERTISING & MARKETING EAST WEST Dynise Plaisance Peggy Onstad 3520 Challenger St. 3520 Challenger St. Torrance, CA 90503 Torrance, CA 90503 (760) 519-5541 (949) 305-5541 Fax: (310) 533-2502 Fax: (949) 305-5549 ADVERTISING SALES TERRITORIES

SECURITY SCANNER® WEB POLL

42% If I am being completely honest, our company’s marketing ...

25% Is severely lacking

Is nonexistent

18%

11%

Could be better

Is actually pretty good

4% Is outstanding and effective

Perhaps due to budgets, other time/resource demands, aptitude or interest level, marketing is a challenge for the majority of installing security contractors. Two-thirds (67%) of respondents to April’s Security Scanner Web say their company’s marketing is either nonexistent or severely lacking, while only 15% rate their business’ efforts to be good to outstanding. To get some marketing insights and tips from some of the leading companies in the industry, check out this issue’s coverage of the 2012 SAMMY (Sales & Marketing) award winners beginning on page 42. Log onto securitysales.com to view SSI’s Security Scanner archives as well as cast your vote for the June poll: Which sources do your greatest business or work-related ideas come from? BLOGS www.securitysales.com/blog

Some of the things we’re talking about … Back to the Basics of Camera Placement Layering Security Services Helps Meet Customer Needs Tips for Designing Value-Based Solutions Why the Most Successful Managers Support Mentoring Addressing an Alarm Company’s Name Change in Contracts

FREE INFO www.securitysales.com/freeinfo Get free info about companies and products featured in this issue of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. eCONTROL PANEL For the latest news as it happens, sign up for SSI’s eControl Panel at www.securitysales.com

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

Printed in USA

Engage in the conversation!

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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The Nation’s Most Trusted Security Door Hardware Wholesaler Door-to-Door Tactics Are Often Deceitful

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

Responding to the news story, “Customer Complaints Force Pinnacle to Reform Business Practices,” securitysales.com/ pinnacle_3152012] I have been in the alarm industry for over 26 years now. I would never buy a system from a door-to-door salesman no matter what the name of their company is. There are far too many scams out there involving door-to-door sales. Many of these types of companies use high pressure tactics. Recently, my sister, who lives in another city, had a company come to her door to sell her a security system using high pressure and dishonest tactics. After she signed the contract, they had an installer around the corner who immediately installed the system without a three-day cool-off period. It took a lot of work and a lawyer to get it reversed. The system they installed was junk. Unfortunately, many homeowners would not know the difference. Kevin Oxner Online comment

New Profits Can Flow From Sprinklers 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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Very interesting [see “2012 Fire Market Report: Making Homes Safer Havens,” securitysales.com/2012firemarket]. Diversification may be the way to weather the changes in the economy for companies that traditionally have done only one service or another. Sprinkler talent can be rare and expensive. But getting in with a homebuilder or contractor who needs sprinkler work could put you closer to selling the items you have traditionally carried like home security or fire alarm install/service. Tom Roman Via LinkedIn

Police Should Share Responsibility [Responding to the feature article, “Monitoring Missteps Cost Provider $8.6M,” securitysales.com/monitoringmissteps:] Sure, it would have been nice if an operator was thinking by putting the facts together and assuming there was a burglary taking place. But this is something that I would expect from the police that are trained how to respond to a burglary. They were dispatched twice and they ignored all the signals. Have they called the central station to investigate the situation? Have they left a notice/report to the alarm owner about their action? They just failed. Christopher Wrobel Online post

Video Helps Industry Keep Eye on Ball Regarding April’s Hot Seat department featuring I-View Now’s Larry Folsom [“Validating the Prospects of Video Verification,” securitysales.com/hotseat], while many manufacturers are moving to sell “energy management” to increase their RMR, Larry describes the future of “security” and is doing something about it. Security is our core business — and better security means greater value. Law enforcement budgets are shrinking. Cities are installing thousands of cameras for greater protection/security. Video also delivers greater security at a commercial and residential level. I applaud Larry’s efforts and success. Keith Jentoft Videofied

www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/16249

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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A COOL IDEA TO HEAT UP YOUR SUMMER SALES Between Us Pros

by Scott Goldfine

Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine has spent more than 13 years with SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. He can be reached at (704) 663-7125 or scott.goldfine@securitysales.com.

scott.goldfine@securitysales.com

n these challenging times a new revenue-generating idea can be like a breath of fresh air. This became quite literal during an encounter I had with a Northern California-based integrator who is carving out a niche with a remedy to combat air conditioner theft. The AC units have become easy pickings and are typically stripped for their copper, which has become a hot commodity on the black market. While copper theft has received some attention, I believe protecting it remains an underserved yet viable opportunity. Several events conspired to make this a topic I could not ignore. I became acquainted with an ex-installer now marketing an AC antitheft device; I received copper crime-stopping success stories from the head of a video product manufacturer; and a representative of a well-known surveillance solutions provider sent me staggering statistics from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Those stats show 96% of 25,000+ metal thefts from 2009-11 were copper; Ohio and Texas are the states most heavily hit; the primary targets are infrastructure, farm equipment, vacant buildings and construction sites; and the top three stolen items are piping, air conditioners and wiring. Let’s circle back to my new NorCal friend. Scott Colvin, who founded Sacramento’s First Solutions in 1998, told me the pressing need to safeguard AC units became apparent when 20 rooftop models atop a customer’s office building were destroyed. Shortly after, another customer had $80,000 worth of damage to eight rooftop units. When the air conditioners were replaced, Colvin secured them with plunger switches installed on the tops and access panels of the appliances, programming each with its own zone to identify which unit is in alarm. “Within one week of the new units and security systems being installed, both buildings were hit again!” says Colvin. “However, due to the horn with strobe and plunger switches, the thieves ran off before any damage was done and have not returned. Light beams and horns with strobes are very successful in deterring potential thieves. A ‘hot spot’ for activity seems to be rooftops well hidden from the street view.” He charges $150 to $300 per unit, depending on the roof layout and how it impacts running wire and conduit. On top of that, the ongoing AC unit monitoring adds recurring monthly revenue. Dan Dunson had amassed extensive experience selling and installing electronic security systems, as well as managing rental properties, by the time he launched Starlite Security Devices out of Griffin, Ga., and introduced The Whip product last year. “We quickly became aware of the need for reliable and easy-toinstall HVAC theft detection product when our air conditioners began to disappear from our rental properties as well as those

The pressing need to safeguard AC units became apparent when 20 rooftop models atop a customer’s office building were destroyed. Shortly after, another customer had $80,000 worth of damage to eight rooftop units. of other landlords we knew,” he says. “The Whip monitors the pressure inside the copper tubing of air conditioners and heat pumps, even when power is out. It provides a simple contact closure security dealers are very accustomed to working with.” While Keith Jentoft is officially the president of Videofied, a brand of motion-activated video security products, he is perhaps even better known for his industry involvement. He is a vocal proponent of combining video surveillance with intrusion detection to increase apprehensions. “Our technology works outdoors and goes for years on a set of batteries. All that is needed is a cell signal. We are effective enough to secure the critical infrastructure of the nation and affordable enough for residential homeowners to install,” he says. “We have established dealers that are targeting copper theft applications that are doing very well; more than doubling their business.” Keith Harris, law enforcement technologist for Supercircuits, whose offerings include DIGIOP’s video and data management solutions (VDMS), also advocates surveillance to fight copper crime. “The No. 1 opportunity is leveraging VDMS software that includes notification capabilities, such as eventbased triggers,” he says. “I’ve heard of people alarming their AC unit housing to their alarm system. You could easily duplicate this alarm function in your camera recording system to capture the video evidence and notify via E-mail or text message.” Hopefully you find this compelling enough to jump on the opportunity. If not how about if for no other reason than to reduce your clients’ likelihood of having to suffer through the sweltering summer months with no AC?

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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RMR ROCKET READY FOR TECHNOLOGY TAKEOFF Advisory Board Forum

by Joe Nuccio

Joe Nuccio is President and CEO of Beltsville, Md.-based ASG Security. He was elected into SSI’s Industry Hall of Fame earlier this year.

jnuccio@asgsecurity.com

n today’s economy, the drive to secure new customers is becoming more competitive and cost sensitive. We are all experiencing it. Consumers demand premier service at a discount price. This is the environment we live in today — it’s survival of the fittest. Many companies are having difficulty getting large capital expenditures approved for security installations. However, monthly operating budgets are much more tolerant and are likely to get approved. So, as an industry, how do we fit in?

Back in the glory days, we’d sell leased systems whereby the RMR included maintenance, monitoring and rental of the system all bundled together in one monthly fee. It served as a tool to move the capital outlay off the customer and onto the dealer to create more accounts at a higher average RMR. This was true even for very large commercial systems. The driver back then was that systems were considerably more expensive to purchase and install than current electronic solutions.

It’s time for my fellow integrators, both small and large, to truly appreciate today’s opportunity to turn what was previously a capital investment into a subscriptionbased recurring revenue service.

Defraying the upfront investment to create the customer required more capital outlay on our part, but it provided a very sticky customer with a long shelf life in return. Today, we are pretty much back in the same place but for different reasons. The principle barrier to the customer creation trajectory that we know is out there is less about cost and more about the economy. The price of technology has definitely come down during the past decade, unlocking more potential buyers for the industry. Years ago, only a sophisticated commercial enterprise could afford to implement video surveillance and access control. The landscape has changed dramatically and, as a result, there are many more prospective customers to sell to and a whole lot more companies to sell to them. The opportunity for dealers to gain market share in this environment is all about leveraging technology to reduce the cost of entry and gain increased RMR in the process. It’s time for my fellow integrators, both small and large, to truly appreciate today’s opportunity to turn what was previously a capital investment into a subscription-based recurring revenue service. The convergence of cloud-based technology, along with a prolonged rocky economy, has actually unlocked a golden opportunity for our industry to grow the RMR pie across multiple service categories. Software as a service (SaaS), cloud services and enhanced services was unfamiliar jargon for the security industry just a few short years ago. Now, whether it is managed or hosted video or access control, there is a clear and present strategy to deal with the economic conundrum we are faced with and rapidly grow our businesses at the same time. The ability to design and deploy systems for our customers with less hardware expense while providing more intelligence, mobility and control is the game-changer that will allow us to take the security industry to the next level. The opportunity to leverage IP and cloud technology to create new RMR exists at every segment of the marketplace. This year, my company will sell as many video surveillance cameras in the residential sector as we did in the commercial category — and with no costly DVRs. Everything is in the cloud. Consumers love this new technology and are willing to sacrifice more of their disposable income toward it, finally reversing the trend of decreasing RMR associated with the commodity monitoring mentality of old. As an industry, we are finally in a position to trade the DVR for RMR. Yes, the time has come. Get on board, my friends, so you don’t get left behind.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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Industry Pulse

IN DEPTH

AT&T Will Use Licensed Contractors to Install Home Security Systems ATLANTA — AT&T is the latest telecommunications company to launch a portfolio of IP-based home security and automation services, further ratcheting up competition in what is projected to be a multibillion-dollar market within a few years. AT&T will begin trials for its “Digital Life” services in Atlanta and Dallas later this summer along with opening an alldigital monitoring center in each city. The offering features a suite of Z-Waveenabled devices that will be integrated through a software platform by Xanboo, which AT&T acquired in 2010. A highly fragmented marketplace and consumers’ increasing adoption of mobile devices helped convince the telecom giant the time was ripe to introduce its new services, Kevin Petersen, senior vice president, Digital Life, AT&T Mobility, tells SSI. “Given the many players that are largely utilizing old technology, we think there is a real opportunity for someone to come in with a full suite of value-oriented offerings that bring features, functionality and a level of interactivity that isn’t there today,” he says. The Digital Life “ecosystem” will include professionally installed and monitored window and door sensors, CCTV cameras, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide (CO) detectors, motion and glass-break sensors, thermostats, water shut-off valves, door locks, plus the ability to remotely turn off appliances. Digital Life will eventually be marketed nationally at AT&T’s 2,000+ retail stores where consumers will be able to test and experience the system’s user interface as well as the various service offerings. The services will also be available for purchase on the company’s Web site. Although Petersen would not provide specific details, he says AT&T has partnered with a number of contractors that are licensed to install security systems and automation devices. “We have a set of dedicated partners that will be nationwide and integrated into our dispatch and scheduling system.

AT&T’s Digital Life interface will allow homeowners to wirelessly and remotely control an array of security and automation devices.

It will allow us to handle everything in the background for the customer so all they need to know is it will be installed correctly, it will work and they will understand the system by the time we are finished,” he says. AT&T, along with other telecom providers such Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon, are entering the home security/automation market at a time when it is soon projected to explode, says Tom Kerber, director of research for Dallas-based Parks Associates. Currently, roughly 20% of U. S. homes are said to have security systems, while 1% use some form of automation. “This will be a multibillion-dollar space in five years’ time,” he says. “From a market-share perspective, I don’t know that [the telecoms] are in any better position than all the existing security firms that are already there. They just have potentially a larger customer base.” DEALERS CAN PROSPER While AT&T’s retail store footprint will provide the opportunity to have face time with a wide swath of consumers, installing security contractors remain well positioned to compete for early adopters, Kerber says. “To sit across the kitchen table from a consumer and explain all the values that are possible with the system will be an advantage for the security dealer channel until this gets to more broader-scale adoption.” Despite the expected fierce competition, national marketing campaigns by the telecoms are sure to benefit security dealers, says John Loud, president of Atlanta-based Loud Security, who also serves as president of the Georgia Electronic Life Safety & Systems Association (GELSSA). “At a recent GELSSA meeting, I challenged

other dealers. I said, ‘Guys, your phones are going to ring and you can thank [the telecoms]. But what are you doing to be prepared? Are you ready to offer these services?” To better position his own firm, Loud just launched a new mail marketing campaign to promote interactive services to all those who have been customers for three years or more. Plus, this year the company ran its first television commercial. Loud fully expects AT&T to be a viable player in the home security market, despite retreating from the space previously. “They have a very different formula and much better preparation this time. Don’t trick yourself to believe they are going to come out and fumble,” he says. “It’s not something that scares me, it just makes me be very aware.” Russ Ackerman, district sales director for Jacksonville, Fla.-based Certified Security, a Vector Security company, also believes the large-scale marketing efforts by the telecoms can do nothing but benefit security dealers. “The cable companies in several Florida markets have already driven consumer awareness. This is making it much easier for us to introduce lifestyle enhancement products such as remote services, video and Z-Wave technology,” he says. Ackerman explains security dealers need to contact their existing customers and get the word out that they too can provide interactive services at a competitive price. Customer care will also be key to holding onto early adopters. “We need to step back and look at things like, how do we answer the telephone and E-mails? How do we handle customer service issues? How friendly are our install and service technicians? All sales consultants must be well trained and better prepared than the utility company reps,” he says. JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM /

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Industry Pulse

NEWS

Stakeholders Form New Group to Advocate Priority Video Alarm Response

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Representatives from the electronic security industry, law enforcement and the insurance industry have aligned to form the Partnership for Priority Video Alarm Response (PPVAR), which aims to combat false dispatches, property crime and increase arrest rates using video alarms. PPVAR’s board of directors include: Steve Walker, vice president, customer service centers, Stanley CSS; Donald Young, CIO, Protection 1; Fred Lohmann, director of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB); Yost Zakhary, chief of police, Woodway, Texas; and Story County Iowa Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald. Keith Jentoft, president of RSI Video Technologies, will serve as coordinator of PPVAR. According to Walker, two forces are at work in bringing public and private sector stakeholders together to improve the effectiveness of electronic security. A new organization is First, the economic realities of budget and spending constraints are driving advocating priority response for video intrusion alarms public safety officials to seek out ways of reducing agency responses to false to combat false dispatches alarms. Second, the economic realities of rising insurance liabilities and rising and increase property crime consumer premiums are driving the private sector to find more effective ways apprehensions. to reduce crime-related losses. “The electronic security industry is in a strong position to partner with law enforcement, the customer, insurance industry, and other stakeholders to address these concerns through the use of verification technologies such as video and audio,” Walker says. “These technologies are helping law enforcement to prioritize their responses while increasing apprehensions — an outcome that is valued by the insurance industry, consumers and law enforcement alike.” PPVAR works to collect video alarm-related data and statistics from alarm companies, law enforcement, call centers and insurers. Joining with organizations such as the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), PPVAR aims to use the data to draft best practices and standards in how the technology should be used.

BRIVO DEALER PROGRAM EMPHASIZES WEB-BASED MARKETING

BETHESDA, Md. — Brivo Systems, a provider of software as a service (SaaS) security management systems, has launched a dealer program geared toward helping installing security contractors develop new streams of recurring revenue. Divided into three participation tiers, the program offers incentives for new and existing dealers that want to base their marketing approach around the company’s cloudbased access control solutions. The program includes specialized training, marketing materials, peer networking, product beta testing, A&E specification assistance and more. “We understand that we need to go out and help dealers as well as partner together and create market,” Brivo Director of Sales Lee Odess tells SSI. “It’s not just having our dealers take the product and sell it. It’s about educating them and positioning their companies properly on the Web.”

Sales Practices Lead Pinnacle to Pay $76K in Mo.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Pinnacle Security will pay $76,000 in a settlement with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office over unethical door-to-door sales practices. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed a lawsuit against the company last year, claiming that Pinnacle’s door-to-door sales team used scare tactics to sign up new clients. Among terms of the settlement, Pinnacle will pay $46,000 to customers who were deceived about the firm’s relationship with other security companies, the cost of its services or for its cancellation policy. Missouri Merchandising Practices Revolving Fund will receive $12,500, plus Pinnacle will pay $17,500 in civil penalties to the state. The company settled a similar claim with the Florida Attorney General’s Office in March after hundreds of senior citizens complained that the door-to-door sales company misled them.

STANLEY CSS APPOINTS NEW PRESIDENT

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Marty Schurr has been appointed president of Stanley CSS North America. Schurr, who previously served as president of Stanley Hydraulic Tools, replaces Tony Byerly. At press time, the company declined to provide details about Byerly’s departure. In a prepared statement, Brett Bontrager, senior vice president & group executive, Stanley Security Solutions, SCHURR referred to Byerly as “a consummate industry professional” who was “instrumental in building CSS into what it is today, a North American leader in commercial security systems integration and monitoring.” Byerly served as president of Stanley CSS since the company merged its U.S. and Canadian operations in 2009. Schurr has served at Stanley for more than 16 years, including as a business development and integration leader at Emhart, a provider of fastening technologies.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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Industry Pulse

HOT SEAT

KNOX, KNOX KNOCKIN’ ON ESA’S DOOR

John Knox President Life & Property Security Systems

Part of your responsibility as president of ESA will be to collaborate with other industry associations. Explain the work that needs to be accomplished in that area. We’re duplicating too many of our efforts. To me the important thing is to work together to focus on what we’re each good at. I have no problem saying that ESA is a leader in training on the installation side of the business. CSAA [Central Station Alarm Association] is a leader on the monitoring side, and SIA [Security Industry Association] is the leader in the manufacturing and the vendor part of the business. All these groups are going to overlap in some ways, and in a lot of ways we overlap too much. We have to look at the particular issues we deal with and let one of the associations take a lead in it, even though we stand arm-in-arm. We have to look at more of who is going to take a lead in what so we don’t have different people working on the same things at the same time. That wastes resources and time. There is way too much duplication in what the three organizations are doing, and we need to agree to focus more on what we’re about individually and use that to work together as a group.

John Knox, proprietor of Knoxville, Tenn.-based Life & Property Security Systems, will be installed as president of the Electronic Security Association (ESA) during the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) in Nashville this month. SSI caught up with Knox to discuss his goals for ESA and other industry topics.

What do you see as one of the industry’s most urgent challenges right now? Not a day goes by at our company, and I’m pretty sure it’s the same for everybody else, that we don’t get a call from a customer saying their system is not communicating. There are so many various reasons. They switch providers, switched technology, just got rid of the phone line all together, and they didn’t even think about it disabling their alarm. That to me is our most urgent customer issue — not only letting our customers know there are radios and other means of transmission, but educating them on making sure they let us know when they change or drop their phone line. They contact us and the first thing they say is, “I set my alarm off and you didn’t call us.” It’s usually the customer changing the technology they have so we have to stay on top of that. It’s not going to change. The 20-year [technology] cycle is gone. It’s not coming back. We should start thinking more about twoand three-year cycles. Where it could be devastating is if a technology comes out that makes us obsolete and all of a sudden the IT guys have an advantage over the electronic security guys or low-voltage guys. Where once we tried to drive people to technology, now it’s driving us. When you draft industry policies, can it be difficult to strike a balance between what’s good for the small alarm company versus what’s good for large regional

or even national players? Everybody knows I’m a small business owner and they think I’m either going to sell out to the nationwide companies or I’m going to unfairly represent the small guys and say heck with the big guys. My answer to that is, if we sat down and looked at what’s truly right for the end user, the customer, for the people we’re trying to protect, there’s no big or small to that. We’re all in this together and the consumer is the one that’s going to lose if we don’t do it right. If we get out of bed every morning and just focus on protecting the people and property, then we’re going to make the mark on bridging the association and bridging the gap between big and little because we’re all going after the same thing. But as president of ESA, you can very well expect to butt heads with stakeholders that will be willing to fight turf battles. Yes and that’s why I always point back to the consumer. We really should be advocates for them, and everything else will take care of itself. If I start looking at big versus little and one-man companies versus nationwide companies, I’m going to fall flat on my face and there won’t be any right answers. But if I totally focus on the consumer and how we can help them as an industry, then I have a lot better chance of being successful. FIND IT ON THE WEB For more from our conversation, visit securitysales.com/hotseat.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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Industry Pulse COMPANY NEWS

PEOPLE

SW24 Launches Enterprise Level Systems Division SecureWatch24 (SW24), based in New York City, has launched a new enterprise level systems division devoted to growing its regional and national footprints. The new division is headed by industry veteran Nino Zeccardo, who founded two integration firms and most recently was vice president of business development for MSE Corporate Security. “As we looked at our sales strategy over the next five years, it was clear that we needed to build a chain account, government sales entity that can concentrate on high-end integrated, LAN-based, enterprise level applications,” says Des Smyth, SW24 president and founder.

N.C. Integrator Earns Business Growth Award 2 Years Running Intelligent Access Systems (IAS) has received a second consecutive Steady Growth and Profitability Award from the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. Concentrating on three vertical markets in particular — critical infrastructure, health care and higher education — has helped the security integrator thrive in a turbulent economy, IAS President Ron Oetjen tells SSI. “Our sales and marketing team works hard to increase our brand awareness and sales activities in those sectors,” he says. “We’ve got a good story to tell in each of those spaces, and we’re really excited about our future prospects.”

ASG Gets Increased Loan Facility to Fuel Growth for ‘Several Years’ ASG Security has increased its revolving credit facility to $250 million after receiving a $20 million extension from its lender group, which is led by CapitalSource and includes Bank of America, Citizens Bank, Goldman Sachs, Madison Capital and The PrivateBank. ASG, which opened its 22nd branch office in December, completed 10 acquisitions in 2011, including Oklahoma City-based LV Systems and Texas-based Texana Security. “The $20 million increase provides us with the capital we need to continue building our business over the next several years,” ASG CFO Ralph Masino tells SSI.

Members of New Dealer Program Can Sell Accounts on Weekly Basis San Ramon, Calif .-based SAFE Security has launched a dealer program that will allow independent installing security contractors to sell accounts on a weekly basis, Jason Grelle, SAFE vice president of sales and marketing, tells SSI. Other offerings include co-branded contracts and marketing materials. “Our multiples are extremely competitive, paying in the mid-30s, while providing free credit scoring, contracts and yard signs,” he says. “We have given dealers different recurring monthly revenue [RMR] ranges that they can charge for various monitoring services.”

JCI Central Station Now Monitors IPBased Alarm Transmissions Johnson Controls (JCI) announces its Milwaukee-based alarm monitoring facility can now monitor fire and burglary panels through IP-based alarm transmissions. The digital signal over IP provides continuous monitoring and assures that transmission failures can be detected within seconds, says Paul Pisarski, manager, remote operations center, Building Efficiency, JCI. “When a security or fire incident occurs, every second matters. This new technology helps ensure that we are the fastest, most reliable and economic service available,” he says.

A technology upgrade at Johnson Control’s central station allows it to monitor fire and burglary panels through IP-based alarm transmissions.

Siemens appoints Matthias Rebellius to lead the company’s Building Technologies (BT) Division of the REBELLIUS Infrastructure & Cities Sector in the United States. Rebellius will be responsible for the financial, operational and competitive success of Siemens’ U.S.based building automation, fire safety, security and energy efficiency systems and solutions. Axis Communications appoints Vincent Ricco as North American business development manager for its Technology Partner RICCO Program. Ricco is a 23year network hardware and software industry veteran. He will work to bridge the gap between physical security, hardware and infrastructure providers to build partnerships and mutual interoperability testing procedures. Honeywell appoints Eric McWhorter to distribution sales manager for Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, McWHORTER Wyoming, Southern Nevada and New Mexico. He is the primary sales contact for Honeywell’s video and access control product lines available via distribution channels. McWhorter was previously the branch manager for ADI in Denver. He is based in Arvada, Colo. Graybar appoints Bob Siegel to vice president, investment and inventory management. Siegel has nearly 28 years of experience and previously SIEGEL held the position of vice president, product management. He replaces Tom Van Ash, who is retiring from the company after more than 30 years of service.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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Industry Pulse SHOW PREVIEW

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The exhibit floor at ESX will feature more than 200 participating manufacturers and service providers.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Electronic Security Association (ESA) and Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) will stage the 5th Annual Electronic Security Expo (ESX) June 25-29 at the Nashville Convention Center. Each year the conference features a comprehensive offering of training curriculum for dealers and integrators, plus networking opportunities, and an exhibit floor with more than 200 participating manufacturers and service providers. Visit SSI at booth No. 236. Among the roster of special events, the ESX Industry Icebreaker Luncheon on June 26 will comprise multiples parts. SSI, which sponsors the function, will announce this year’s Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) Award recipient, honoring an installing security contractor for outstanding efforts in reducing false alarm dispatches. New for this year, CSAA and SSI will present the inaugural Five Diamond Marketing Marvel Awards program, recognizing central stations that creatively use their Five Diamond status to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Also, the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) will bestow its William N. Moody Award. Away from the convention center, the ESX Crawl will give attendees the chance to visit several of Nashville’s local pubs and restaurants. More than an excuse to go honky tonkin’, the Crawl provides a necessary respite from the daily grind, says John Knox, who is the incoming president of ESA (see “Hot Seat” on page 16). “It sounds silly, but it’s so important to provide a way for people to connect on a personal level away from the booths and the product displays, away from the closed shirt collars and suit coats,” he says. For more event information or to register, visit esxweb.com or call (877) 628-9558.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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HOW TEAMWORK CAN PUSH YOUR SALES TO NEW HEIGHTS Convergence Channel

by Paul Boucherle

Paul Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is principal of Canfield, Ohio-based Matterhorn Consulting (matterhornconsulting.com). He has more than 30 years of diverse security and safety industry experience and can be contacted at paul@matterhornconsulting.com.

paul@matterhornconsulting.com

When most in the security industry talk about converged solutions, they are typically referring to physical and IT technologies merging together. But the concept also applies to the sales process where a converged, company-wide effort promotes higher likelihood of success.

When the entire team can wrap their heads and hearts around new technology or service offerings, you create excitement and a “force multiplier” effect for your sales teams. You fight harder when you know you have a platoon of Marines to back you up!

elling in a converged market for the past 13 years has taught me some valuable lessons about technology, business strategies, building communication bridges between disparate departments and learning how difficult change can be for everyone in the security gene pool. There is one lesson that stands out from all the rest. Delivering “converged” value is a differentiator and yields a company competitive advantage if everybody in your boat is willing to row in one direction at the same time. If everyone is not rowing in the same direction at the same time, your company will end up going in circles instead of moving toward increased market share. In other words, siloed departments are a detriment and teamwork throughout an organization is critical. I know, in the Obvious Olympics, pure gold medal. While easier said than done, there are some ways that work pretty well. SETTING CONVERGED GROUND RULES For starters, here are a few pointers that may help guidee your converged competitive advantage journey: • Network-centric solutions and products are not the sales force’s responsibility to sell by themselves. They can’t do this alone, trust me on that one! When a sales team is not confident, the technical team has got their back regarding networkk solutions that will stay in their comfort zone. This means you should rethink how your company “defines” selling, who that involves and how that willl build your brand, which is your largest business asset. et.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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• Selling more complex technology isn’t easy. It takes an informed leader who can collectively gain commitment from the installation, project management, operations, service and sales teams to follow their vision. • When the entire team can wrap their heads and hearts around new technology or business service offerings, you create excitement and a “force multiplier” effect for your sales teams. You fight a little harder when you know you have a platoon of Marines to back you up! • Only a very small percentage of salespeople have the heart, soul and guts to venture into the wilderness of new product technology and sell new solutions for the first time to customers. Don’t expect results because you asked them to sell it; it won’t happen most of the time. To make a sustainable sales strategy work, everybody needs to be onboard early in the process. Even more important is they want to ask questions, have time to mull it over and provide input to the strategy. Their input could be about training, responsibilities, why are we doing this and what respons happens if we don’t? Anticipate, listen carefully and be happen prepared to learn rather than command. WO WORKING MAGIC METHODICALLY The first challenge will be your technical and sservice teams, and for a darn good reason. They will have to make it work and keep it working, which is always a challenge with w They have to pass the “red face” newer technology. tec test in front of customers, and by the way not just customer. We are talking IT customers that can be any custome

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Convergence Channel

technically strong and perhaps a bit intimidating. Without thout realizing the human nature issues to deal with, you are re going nowhere in the HOV lane on the technology turnpike.. Take a methodical, phased approach of talking, educating, training and, most importantly, listening to your team. In my experience and probably yours ass well, technical teams hate surprises, especially if theyy are “sales” surprises. Given time to understand the what, when, where, why and who over six to eight weeks, you can build technical curiosity, commitment, enthusiasm and momentum for network solutions. I just did this with a systems integration client and here are the steps I used: 1. Security Business 101 — the very basics of running ing a security business 2. Security Business 102 — the reasons and costs of adding people to grow the business 3. Security Trends 101 — what is happening in the “big picture” security industry around us 4. Security Trends 102 — what is happening in our specific market with competitors and customers 5. IP Video 101 — the basics of this technology (1-16 cameras) vs. analog OK, you get the idea. Take this approach to deliver ideas in 20- to 30-minute bites. Invite sales and operations, but start early in the day and bring coffee and donuts because, hey, you have got to get those crews out there installing, selling, and servicing your customers. This is a different, more thoughtful and personal approach than having your manufacturer rep come in for a two-hour training session. The benefits you gain with this approach include the following: • You show respect for the intelligence and experience of the entire company to let them in on industry trends, educate them, share the nature of competition, and define what direction you need to consider moving for the entire company to remain healthy. • This works because in battle, contrary to popular belief, you fight for the people in your foxhole. Just as with the people in your company; it’s human nature. • You gain early insights into the challenges you will face as an owner or manager. Make the team part of the evaluation and decision process of the product solution sets you choose. • Give them time to “play” with IP-based technologies away from the pressures of making it work on a customer’s site for the first time. • Use your own offices as their new playground by refitting your building with a new LAN. It’s really not that expensive and a shrewd investment. Once the technical and sales teams get familiar, comfortable, intellectually engaged and excited with network-based solutions, clear the decks and batten down the hatches!

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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Give your technical team time to “play” with IP-based technologies away from the pressures of making it work on a customer’s site for the first time. Use your own offices as their new playground by refitting your building with a new LAN. It’s really not that expensive and a shrewd investment.

BENEFITS OF BEING THERE AND AWARE While it is obviously the primary responsibility of your sales team, your real competitive advantage will come from your field technicians. Say what? Heretic! Put down your torches and let me explain why. Woody Allen said it best, “80% of success is showing up.” Your field technician shows up a lot; in fact, every day at your customers’ businesses. If your technical team knows what to look for and wants to look for it, you can gain some serious competitive advantage in a hurry. Your technicians are undoubtedly known, liked and trusted, and will see things at a customer location like: • A change in your customer’s management • Upgrades to customer’s networks (IP phones being installed) • Building expansion planning or construction • Back-channel conversation about security or safety incidents The second sage quote I want to share is by Yogi Berra: “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Most technical teams are focused on “in ‘n’ out” efficiency and rightfully so. However, that may not deliver true competitive advantage. Being trained and motivated to observe, with a little coaching your technical teams can offer suggestions or new trends in technology, and open the door nice and wide for your sales team. There is nothing more powerful or true for a customer than words from a technician. Break down those barriers in communication and build a real converged competitive advantage. It won’t necessarily be easy, but it’s worth the effort and can be fun as well.

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BEING RECEPTIVE TO WIRELESS VIDEO TECH

TALK

by Bob Dolph

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 securitysales.com/blog.

bdolph.ssi@gmail.com

Wireless technology can be highly beneficial both in spanning hard-to-reach areas and realizing substantial cost savings as an alternative to trenching and long cable runs. Find out some of the basics you need to successfully deploy wireless video surveillance solutions.

ireless video presents many advantages compared to projects that call for trenching and cable runs to perimeter locations. This month, we are going to look at some of the latest wireless video technologies, plus review important terms and commentary from experts in the field. Applying wireless video systems can involve a significant educational curve. Given the demand on today’s radio spectrum we must have a better understanding of utilizing this critical medium. We’ll cover some key bases to help get you started or nudge you further along on your path to delivering and profiting from these technologies and associated services.

PICKING UP ON ANTENNA SELECTION Let’s get started with important info about wireless antenna properties (courtesy WLAN Antennas; wlanantennas.com): Front-to-back ratio (F/B) — This is the ratio (in dB) between the forward gain to the gain off the rear of the wireless antenna. The forward gain is the peak gain on the main lobe of the wireless antenna. Antenna polarization — Most point-to-multipoint (PtMP) WLAN systems use V-Pol (vertical polarization). This allows the use of inexpensive vertical, omnidirectional wireless antennas. Higher density areas are beginning to use more H-Pol (horizontal polarization) antennas for PtMP. Circular polarization — Normally, a wireless LAN or wireless ISP has a set of channels, or frequency sets, that are either vertically or horizontally polarized, or some of each. Since the circular polarized (CP) wireless antenna responds (theoretically) equally to either polarization at a

The MeshCam from Qorvus Systems is an example of factory preconfigured systems that help integrators more rapidly install high-performance wired, wireless mesh, 3G and portable solar-powered video surveillance solutions. Photo courtesy Qorvus

level of 3dB down from maximum signal, there is not much reason to add CP to a system that already has vertical, horizontal or both polarizations. Voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) — This is the ratio of the maximum/minimum values of a standing wave pattern along a transmission line to which a load is connected. VSWR values range from one (matched load) to infinity for a short or an open load. For most WLAN antennas the maximum acceptable VSWR value is 2.0, and a VSWR of 1.5 or less is excellent. Another important term used in antenna specifications is dB isotropic (dBi). This is the gain an antenna has over a theoretical isotropic (point source) antenna. Unfortunately, an isotropic antenna cannot be made in the real world, but it is useful for calculating theoretical fade and system operating margins. The gain of microwave antennas (above 1GHz) is

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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TECH TALK

Traditional video surveillance cameras have been limited in their range of installation by the infrastructure required to support operation. San Diego-based MicroPower Technologies’ patent‐ pending, energy-cycling design solves these problems and more. The Rugged-I wireless solar video surveillance cameras use 1/10 the power of standard IP video security cameras, which means power sources such as solar or miniature batteries become a viable and attractive possibility. They do some fancy optimization using both 900MHz and 2.8GHz. Check out some valuable wireless and solar power camera information via the company’s whitepapers (micropowerapp.com/ solutions/white-papers).

TOOL

TIP

generally given in dBi. A dipole antenna (rated as dBd) has 2.15dB gain over a 0dBi antenna. So if an antenna gain is given in dBd, not dBi, add 2.15 to it to get the dBi rating, For example, if an omni antenna has 5dBd gain, it would have 5 + 2.15 = 7.15dBi gain. If an antenna gain is only specified in dB from a manufacturer, ask if it is dBi or dBd. If they cannot tell you the difference consider another vendor! Tech Talk Tip: Every time you double (or halve) the distance from the transmitter to the receiver, the signal level is lowered (or increased) by 6dB. EXPERTS IMPART WIRELESS WISDOM Understanding that the nuances of wireless video can be challenging, I decided to query some experienced experts for their comments. I posed this question to them: To some integrators the transition to wireless video can have unforeseen pitfalls. From your experience what would you say are the three most common problem areas with reference to specifying or installing? Their responses follow: Todd Flowers, president, Surveillance Systems Integration (SSI): — First is using the right frequency. Choosing the right frequency for the environment is critical but can be hindered by limited channel availability and bandwidth. Finding a good balance requires knowing what other wireless frequencies are being used in the

area and which open channels can be used in a LOS [line-of-sight] or NLOS [non-line-of-sight] situation. A spectrum analysis is always highly recommended. Second is having the right amount of bandwidth for the application. Since gigabit wireless links are expensive, many wireless video networks have to settle for lower bandwidth solutions. A few megapixel cameras can easily choke a 200Mbps MIMO link if you aren’t careful with your system design. Be mindful of additional bandwidth utilization from replicated video streams and archiving services if the NVR and client workstations are also connecting to the network wirelessly. Mitigating bandwidth consumption is necessary to keep the system functional/usable and can include event/motion recording, reduced frame rates and decreased resolution. Third is having a predictable impact of the wireless network when connecting to a client network. Despite the fact that many wireless and mesh network manufacturers automate network management and keep it invisible from the camera network, an integrator should do their homework and verify that the wireless network they implement will not conflict with any other network equipment it may interface with. Bench testing prior to the installation can identify issues if the wireless routers have problems propagating protocols or passing certain types of traffic to and from the

The Rugged-i is a fully selfcontained, solar-powered wireless outdoor video camera that allows for placement practically anywhere because it is not constrained by wires or cables. Photo courtesy MicroPower Technologies

wired network. Tom Sharples, president, Qorvus Systems: — First would be system design and/or layout by unqualified personnel. You have to know what you are doing both with respect to wireless and IP camera technology and how that feeds into the choice of VMS and the customer requirements. My company, Qorvus, makes that much easier for newbie integrators by designing and preconfiguring the entire system up to and including VMS if needed, prior to shipment. It arrives as close to plugand-play as possible. Second is incorrect antenna selection and/or installation. This is caused by lack of understanding of antenna patterns and coverage optimization techniques. Lastly would be incorrect installation techniques. Poor or no waterproofing of antenna cable ends/NEMA box feedthroughs, missing lightning protection, no or poor grounding, improper Ethernet termination, inappropriate use of unshielded Ethernet cables outdoors, etc. Kevin Busto, consulting electronics engineer & sales agent, Vega Technology Group LLC, offers this advice: “Of the systems we have designed and built, the most reliable have been the 900MHz direct connection systems. Using dipole and yagi antennas, we have been able to transmit/receive video and sound at up to five miles line of sight on the ground, 10 miles over water, 15 miles in flight.”

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MORE OF WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CO Fire Side Chat

by Shane Clary

Shane Clary, Ph.D., has more than 37 years of security and fire alarm industry experience. He serves on a number of NFPA technical committees, and is Vice President of Codes and Standards Compliance for Pacheco, Calif.-headquartered Bay Alarm Co.

smclary@bayalarm.com

Take the Steps to Learn CO Codes

The heightened attention given to CO detection in recent years is reflected in updates to the International Residential Code and NFPA 720. Learn what these changes are, their importance, and when and where not to apply them.

IRC R315.1

or a number of years, carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and detectors have been required to be installed within various occupancy classifications by a number of state laws and local ordinances. It was not until publication of the 2009 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) by the International Code Council (ICC) that CO alarms were required to be installed within all singlefamily residential occupancies. This month, we pick up where we left off last time when we discussed the various methods that may be used for monitoring CO detectors (see “CO: Stopping a Silent Killer” in the May issue or at securitysales.com/fireside0512). We’ll look at the changes within the IRC and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 720 detector siting requirements, among other important CO considerations. MIND IRC AS WELL AS STATE/LOCAL CODES The following CO requirement was added to the IRC: R315.1 Carbon monoxide alarms — For new construction, an approved carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in dwelling units within which fuelfired appliances are installed and in dwelling units that have attached garages. The IRC also has a requirement for CO alarms to be installed if work is performed that has a value greater than COMMON SOURCES $1,000 and involves a OF CO DANGER permit being issued: R315.2 Where Stoves required in existing Water heaters dwellings —Where work Furnaces requiring a permit occurs Wall heaters in existing dwellings that Floor heaters have attached garages Motor vehicles or in existing dwellings Charcoal grills within which fuel-fired appliances exist, carbon

IRC R315.2

NFPA 720

5.8.5.3.1

5.8.5.3.5

5.8.5.3.6

9.4.1.1

monoxide alarms shall be provided in accordance with Section R315.1. While R315.2 is a retroactive requirement, there is a construction threshold before CO alarms are required to be installed. States such as California have, through legislative action, passed laws that add a retroactive component that mandates CO alarms be provided in all single-family occupancies within a stated timeframe, regardless if permitted work is being performed or not. The system installer should be familiar with their state and local requirements for CO alarms and detection systems. Not all states have adopted the 2009 edition of the IRC; however, a number of them still have laws in place that require CO alarms and detection systems. One valuable source for information on the requirements found within each state can be accessed on System Sensor’s Web site (systemsensor.com). Depending on the state and its requirements, there may be specified locations within an occupancy the CO alarm or detector is to be mounted. The installer should be familiar as to any codified locations for CO detection for the region in which the work is being performed. NFPA 720 SPELLS OUT HOW TO INSTALL The IRC and the various adopted state codes, however, are not an installation standard. The installation standard for CO alarms and detectors is NFPA 720, Standard for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detection and Warning

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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Our smoke detectors protect the employees.

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Fire or accidental sprinkler activation, the building needs to be protected. Fire sprinkler systems are designed to minimize fire damage and protect places and people where they live and work. But if they don’t operate as expected, the results can be costly and tragic. With System Sensor waterflow detectors, if a sprinkler head is activated and water begins to flow, a signal is sent to the fire alarm control panel or notification device. This enables personnel to respond quickly, minimizing damage from fire or the water used to put it out. For over 25 years, System Sensor has provided innovative products that save lives and protect property. To learn more about our waterflow detectors or our complete line of sprinkler monitoring products, visit systemsensor.com/wf. www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/16209

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Fire Side Chat

Equipment. NFPA 720 is comprised of nine chapters and three annexes (see sidebar); some of Chapter 7 was covered in May’s Fire Side Chat. Anyone who installs CO detection systems needs to be familiar with the provisions contained within NFPA 720. A number of the requirements mirror those found within NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code. One section that is different is in regard to the mounting requirements of CO detection devices. This information is found in Chapter 5 for systems other than single-family occupancies, with those being detailed in Chapter 9. As a number of states and local jurisdictions were calling for CO detection, the NFPA 720 Technical Committee was concerned there was no unified requirement for the mounting of devices. Previous editions of NFPA 720 referred to the manufacturers’ installation instructions for siting requirements. The Technical Committee wanted to avoid the various state and local requirements for CO also having unique mounting requirements. The committee was also concerned about the number of detection devices required. In 1996, the National Fire Protection Research Foundation funded a paper, National Carbon Monoxide Detection Research Project, Detector Location: Literature Review and Test Planning (www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/Research/CODetection. pdf), which listed a number of sources of CO as well as how it is dispersed through a space. In 2007, a second commissioned report, Development of a Technical Basis For Carbon Monoxide Detector Siting (nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/Research/Carbon_ MonoxideDetectorSpacing.pdf), identified two uses for CO detection: 1) detectors in rooms containing a combustion source; 2) detectors located in occupied areas to provide monitoring of the air. (See sidebar for other sources of potential CO generation.) The report concluded that CO detection devices installed in rooms that have a combustion source should have the detector sited proximate to the combustion device. The report further concluded that detectors placed near the floor could result in detection delays when prestratification effects of heat sources high in the space are considered. Detectors intended to provide monitoring of the air in occupied areas may be mounted throughout those sections of the building. These detectors should be installed in relatively open environments. PAPERS PROVIDE PLACEMENT PRACTICES As a result of these studies, the Technical Committee made the following amendments to the 2012 edition of NFPA 720: 5.8.5.3 Requirements for Carbon Monoxide Detectors 5.8.5.3.1 —Carbon monoxide detectors shall be installed as specified in the manufacturer’s published instructions in accordance with 5.8.5.3.1(1) and 5.8.5.3.1(2), or 5.8.5.3.1 (3): (1) On the ceiling in the same room as permanently installed fuel-burning appliances (2) Centrally located on every habitable level and in every HVAC zone of the building

(3) A performanceNFPA 720 CHAPTERS based design in AND ANNEXES accordance with Chapter 1, Administration 5.8.5.3.2. Chapter 2, Referenced Publications 5.8.5.3.5 —The Chapter 3, Definitions location of carbon Chapter 4, Fundamentals of Carbon monoxide detectors Monoxide Detection Systems shall be based on an Chapter 5, Protected Premises Carbon evaluation of potential Monoxide Detection Systems ambient sources Chapter 6, Notification Appliances for and flows of carbon Carbon Monoxide Detection Systems monoxide, moisture, Chapter 7, Off-Premises Signal temperature, dust, or Transmission fumes and of electrical Chapter 8, Inspection, Testing, and or mechanical Maintenance influences to minimize Chapter 9, Single- and Multiplenuisance alarms. Station Alarms and Household Carbon 5.8.5.3.6 — Monoxide Detection Systems The selection and Annex A, Explanatory Material placement of [carbon Annex B, Dangers of Carbon monoxide] detectors Monoxide shall take into account Annex C, Informational both the performance ReferencesTransmission characteristics of the detector and the areas into which the detectors are to be installed to prevent nuisance alarms or improper operation after installation. For residential occupancies, the Technical Committee added the following to the standard: 9.4.1.1 —Carbon monoxide alarms or detectors shall be installed as follows: (1) Outside of each separate dwelling unit sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms (2) On every occupiable level of a dwelling unit, including basements, excluding attics and crawl spaces (3) Other locations where required by applicable laws, codes, or standards 9.4.1.2 —Each alarm or detector shall be located on the wall, ceiling, or other location as specified in the manufacturer’s published instructions that accompany the unit. The committee also added an annex to 9.4.1.2 that explains effective performance is generally not dependent on mounting height. This is because the density of CO is similar to that of air at room temperature, and unlike smoke CO generally mixes readily with air. IN SUM: 3 STEPS TO PROPER CO DETECTION In conclusion, the installer should be familiar with NFPA 720 and the manufacturer’s instructions for the device being installed. The installer should also be familiar with the occupancy and the location of any fuel-burning appliances. Finally, the installer should be aware of the requirements for CO detection contained within the IRC as well as any state or local regulations.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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5/29/12 8:55 AM

THE NEW NORM IN TODAY’S MARKET: UPSELLING by Mark Matlock Monitoring Matters

Mark Matlock is Senior Vice President at United Central Control Inc. (UCC), a wholesale monitoring station based in San Antonio.

mmatlock@teamucc.com

n the realm of electronic security, upselling value-added services has become a critical component of success in today’s market. Interactive services and software as a service (SaaS) has created a new paradigm that allows installing security contractors, as well as telephone and cable companies, a veritable buffet of new offerings to their customers.

I recently heard a statistic that approximately 30% of all new security system sales include some sort of interactive component. This statistic will likely increase to at least 50% by this time next year. In 2008 and 2009, low customer demand due to a struggling economy changed the way the security industry viewed sales & marketing and revenue opportunities. Up to that point, revenue generation came primarily through new customer creation. Since that time the industry has started focusing more on increasing revenue through selling additional services, especially to existing customers. This is a logical step because so many new services have come to the market. Many alarm dealers are approaching the customer with an array of services designed to enhance their lifestyles and to save them money on energy expenses. EVER-EXPANDING PORTFOLIO Security and fire alarm systems have for years been viewed by consumers in the same vein as insurance: You know you need it, but you don’t really want it. Because of this attitude many alarm systems have been purchased with a sense of reluctance, rather than enthusiasm. But the notion of the grudge purchase is beginning to change. Increasingly, consumers view the security system as an important piece to an interactive services package that enhances their personal safety as well as their lifestyle. The high value targets these days are affordable interactive cameras and Web-based automation to control lighting, energy, appliances and thermostats. You can now include identify theft protection as a viable value-add service in our industry as well. SaaS is currently gaining traction in the security industry, especially in the access control and video markets. It is no

Every sales call, installation, service call and billing invoice provides an opportunity to upsell more services.

secret that software-based services are going to the cloud, which is simply a huge array of offsite servers that run Internetbased applications. With the cloud, consumers don’t need to own and maintain servers or expensive software. They can control certain software-based services from any Internet-enabled device, which is usually their smartphone or tablet. Hosted access control fits into this mold. It basically allows end users to control their access control systems with cloudbased applications that can also be operated on mobile devices. Because there is no need to have an expensive server installed at the customer’s premise, the cost of installation is reduced. The icing on the cake for alarm dealers and integrators is this service generates a recurring monthly fee. The same can be said of video. There are several new video services coming to market that employ IP cameras or a “gateway” onsite, rather than an expensive DVR. The IP cameras provide a conduit to stream the video to offsite servers that archive the video for prescribed increments of time. The initial start-up cost is less expensive and the customer pays a monthly hosting fee and any video alarm verification fee if it applies. I encourage all dealers and integrators to jump on the bandwagon and start reaping the benefits of upselling interactive and hosted services. Third-party central stations are quickly becoming the clearinghouses for these new offerings. Installing contractors that use a third-party central station should schedule time with their monitoring provider to review its entire portfolio of services. Every sales call, installation, service call and billing invoice provides an opportunity to upsell more services. The cold reality is for those security providers that don’t start offering these services to their customers, rest assured someone else will.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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DUMIES TROUBLESHOOTING HYBRID SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR

DEALERS / USERS / MANAGERS / INSTALLERS / ENGINEERS / SALESPEOPLE

Power, Termination & System Interfaces

Continuing Education Sponsored by PELCO Part 2 of 4 Brought to You by

Presented by

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TROUBLESHOOTING HYBRID SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR

DUMIES

Part 2 of 4

UNCOVERING POWER PROBLEMS Requirement variances aside, analog and IP-based surveillance systems alike are doomed to failure unless they are sufficiently powered. Understanding the way key factors like voltage, current, resistance, power over Ethernet, and other standards affect transmission and performance is vital for optimizing video solutions. by Bob Wimmer

elcome to Part II 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 explores 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 IP-based digital solutions. Part I laid the groundwork by detailing the proper methods, materials and procedures required to install a system. This chapter continues to dig into basic troubleshooting procedures

and methods of assessing power requirements, termination points and interference sources. CONNECTORS’ ROLE IN WIRING WOES Before moving forward, let’s tie up a loose end from our previous session. As mentioned in Part I, whether it is coaxial or networking cable, connectors play a very important role in the overall quality of system performance. Therefore, only high quality connectors

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should be used. Following is a closer look at what these qualities consist of … BNC Connectors for Coaxial Cable — BNC stands for inventors Bayonet Neill Concelman. However, other definitions of the acronym include: barrel nut connector, bayonet nipple connector, bayonet navy connector, baby N connector, British naval connector and British national connector. (See graphic for examples of different types.) The best overall BNC connector is the three-piece version, which, when installed correctly, is the most reliable. This connector had been recommended by all major equipment manufacturers. The reasoning was most pan/tilt/zoom (p/t/z) equipment used external cables that constantly moved. This movement would cause a solid center conductor to break over time, thus stranded center coax was instead installed with its required three-piece BNC. Most p/t/z units (apart from a few exceptions) installed nowadays have changed to using slip rings for connectivity, Approved BNC and with that the Connectors for change to a solid Video Surveillance copper center conductor coax cable. The solid center connector of choice for both ease and reliability in today’s surveillance community is the two-piece, moisture-proof BNC connector. The last type of BNC connector, and most potentially detrimental to the performance of any video

surveillance system, is the twist-on model. Although no major equipment manufacturers recommend this form of connector, they are nevertheless commonly installed. This is often due to the misperception that they are lower in cost. For the most part, twist-on connectors are actually more expensive and “iffy” at best in terms of performance. Studies have shown that the normal life of a twist-on is less than two years. Crimped Versus Compression Connectors — Although both crimped and compression connectors are very popular, with their pros and cons, the type of BNC connectors you choose come down to personal choice! Although crimp-style BNC connectors are less expensive and simple to install, they are not as effective as compression-style BNC connectors. A crimp-style BNC connector is terminated by crushing the metal of the connector around the cable to create a solid connection. A compressionstyle connector actually clamps to the cable via a 360° compression crimp. The compression-style BNC connectors are nicer looking, last longer, provide a stronger connection and offer the best protection against moisture, water, and dust elements that could damage the termination. The 360° compression crimp mechanism increases the pullout rating of the connector and ensures the BNC connector will last longer. RJ45: The Connector for Networks — T568A and T568B are the color code schemes used to correctly wire RJ45 eight-position modular plugs. These two codes are approved by the American National Standard Institute/ Telephone Industry Association/ Electronics Industry Association (ANSI/TIA/EIA) wiring standards. There is no difference whatsoever between the two wiring schemes in connectivity or performance when

connected from one device to another, so long as the devices are wired for the same scheme. The cables are generally made up of eight wires twisted together in four pairs. Each pair is easily identified by one of four primary colors and is intended to carry a signal and its return. The 568A wiring pattern is recognized as the preferred wiring scheme as a standard because it provides backward compatibility for both one pair and two pair Universal Service Ordering Codes (USOC), a classification system created by AT&T. U.S. government regulations require the use of the preferred 568A standard for wiring installed under federal contracts. RJ45 (registered jack), also known as an 8P8C (8 position, 8 contact), is the standard for most Ethernet connections. Security installers and technicians can chose either the standard RJ45 or the EZ RJ45 (see graphic). An advantage of the EZ connector is it allows verifying wires are in the correct pin location before crimping, and prevents any movement during crimping that could result in a lost connection (e.g. pins 1 and 8). This

EZ RJ45 Connectors

crimp tool features a built-in cutter and stripper that crimps and cuts wires in one operation. APPLYING POWER PRINCIPLES TO VIDEO Whether it is AC or DC, all equipment requires some form of power in order to operate. More than 27% of problems in surveillance systems are related to power and/or excessive heat generation. The first power source open for JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM /

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TROUBLESHOOTING HYBRID SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR

DUMIES

The two-tap system provides a true 24VAC to cameras that are close to the power supply, usually less than 500 feet while the second voltage (28VAC) allows for camera equipment located greater than 500 feet from a power source.

discussion is 24VAC. This voltage has been a standard for most analog composite video output cameras in the past as well as some network cameras. Many situations warrant the use of 24VAC for network cameras when they exceed normal 803.3af requirements. AC power supplies rated at 24V are known as step-down transformers. They reduce the AC input voltage from 120VAC or 220VAC (international) to 24VAC and should not be classified as a regulated power supply. In a normal application these step-down transformers usually provide an output voltage greater than 24VAC. The output voltage usually varies between 24V to 30V. The reason is to compensate for the voltage drop generated by the DCresistive loss of the connecting cable. The greater the distance between power source and the operating equipment the greater the voltage loss. In most cases the operating voltage tolerance of standard camera equipment is +/-10%. Failures

in this area are divided into to two groups. First, if the voltage is too low the camera equipment just stops operating. This can be due to excessive cable distance, improper gauge of wire, incorrect power supply parameters or connecting too many devices on a single power cable run. To correct for low AC input voltage, just increase the voltage to the equipment. Easier said than done! For most situations the answer is moving the power source closer to the equipment or changing out the power cable to one that has lower resistance — thus creating less voltage loss. Both methods are easily stated on paper, but in everyday situations will greatly increase an application’s time and money. The second failure situation is when the input voltage to the camera exceeds the requirements of the equipment, causing it to overheat and eventually be destroyed. There is a solution for this problem. Many manufacturers now offer multi-tap AC power sources (see photo). These units allow the installer to provide enough voltage to ensure the camera has sufficient voltage for proper operation. The two-tap system

ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS Pelco offers an expanded course that focuses on the design, application and installation of today’s advanced video systems, including IP and megapixel technology. The course also provides an understanding of digital compression technology used in DVR/NVRs and IP cameras. It is designed to enlighten and educate all security personnel on the proper installation procedures and design characteristics required to meet today’s ever-challenging security applications. The troubleshooting section of the course features technical information on camera systems, basic fiber optics, wireless technology, basic electronic theory and overall video security system troubleshooting. The curriculum includes technical lectures as well as hands-on experience. For more information on this BICSI-certified course, call (800) 289-9100, Ext. 5800.

Part 2 of 4

provides a true 24VAC to cameras close to the power supply (usually less than 500 feet), while the second voltage tap (28VAC) allows for camera equipment located beyond 500 feet. (Note: these distances are based on standard cameras without heater and blower assemblies and incorporating 16- to 18-gauge wiring.) VARIABLES OF AC VERSUS DC Use of either AC or DC does not affect video transmission, only the power. Many cameras can operate on 24VAC or 12VDC; the choice is yours. There are many reasons why ACpowered security cameras are popular. First, AC power is more abundant because it is the usual current found in the wall outlets of any facility. This makes it very easy to find a source of power for your security cameras. Traditionally, CCTV cameras were 24VAC, but about 15 years ago 12VDC cameras started to become prevalent due to their low cost. Presently, dualvoltage cameras have replaced 24VAConly cameras. Another factor that favored 24VAC cameras in the past was analog switching systems that required 24VAC with line lock to produce a rollfee transition when changing which cameras were viewed or recording. Due to digital technology this is no longer an issue today. DC-powered cameras require an actual power supply that rectifies a normal AC voltage rather than just a step-down transformer. With DC, you need to be careful when connecting a security camera to the power source as there are two poles, positive and negative. So it is very important to be mindful of the polarity. Another major concern when using 12VDC cameras is the length of operating distance between the power supply and the camera. Powering a camera with 12VDC over a long distance is not feasible as there will be too much total resistance in the cable

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run, adding up to a substantial voltage drop and causing camera failure. A camera’s current draw is referred to in milliamps (mA). A camera’s consumption is generally around 180-400mA. Things like auto-iris lenses, infrared LEDs, and internal heaters and blowers will considerably increase this value. A common problem regarding new installation troubleshooting is improperly calculating the current consumption of a camera assembly due to failing to account for all the camera variables such as those just mentioned. Case in point: the camera works fine, however, during times when options such as LEDs, heaters or blowers are activated the camera’s performance deteriorates or it stops working completely. Other symptoms can include hum bars, video distortion and other issues often mistakenly attributed to being a bad camera. The explanation is that as options are activated they draw more current from the power supply, thereby increasing voltage across the cable run that, in turn, decreases the available voltage at the camera site. A quick test to see if your problem is due to insufficient voltage drops is to use a volt/ohm meter to measure the input voltage at the camera (see diagram). This test must be taken under loaded

Basic AC Voltage Check The measured voltage must fall within the range specified by the manufacturer.

Network cameras can use a standard 24VAC input from an external power source; however, power over Ethernet (PoE) has become very popular. PoE is a means by which power is injected onto the cable with a voltage of 48VDC.

conditions, which means with the camera connected to a power source and operating. Remember to check the camera datasheet to verify that the measuring voltage is within the required operating voltages of the camera. The quick remedy is a 24VAC came r a a n d 2 8 VA C p o w e r s u p p l y, which minimizes the voltage drop problem by using higher AC voltage. DEFINING PoE AND HOW IT WORKS Network cameras, as mentioned before, can use a standard 24VAC input from an external power source; however, power over Ethernet (PoE) has become very popular. PoE is a means by which power is injected onto the cable with a voltage of 48VDC. This relatively high DC voltage allows efficient power transfer along the cable run, while still meeting Class 2 requirements. Because electrical current flows in a loop, two conductors are required to deliver power over a cable. PoE treats each pair as a single conductor, and can use either the two data pairs or the two spare pairs to carry electrical current. There are two locations that supply power to the powered device. These modules are listed as end-span or mid-span. End-span refers to an Ethernet switch with embedded PoE technology. These new switches deliver data and power over the same wiring pairs — transmission pairs 1/2 and 3/6.

A mid-span module is a device that can be integrated into an existing network to provide energy on the data lines. Each of the mid-span ports has an RJ45 data input and data/power RJ45 output connector. Mid-span devices tap the unused wire pairs 4/5 and 7/8 to carry power, while data runs on the other wire pairs. This enables easy upgrading of existing networks. The DC voltage supplied by either a mid-span or end-span can damage equipment that has not been designed to receive PoE. Therefore, before a PoE switch or mid-span injector (also known as a PSE or power sourcing equipment) can enable power to a connected IP camera (also known as a PD or powered device) it must perform a detection process. This process is called resistive power discovery. The detection circuitry simply uses a lower voltage to pick up a characteristic signature of IEEEcompatible powered devices, which is usually a 25k ohm resistance. Once a signature has been detected, the PSE knows that 48VDC voltage can be safely applied. Detection of the power class of the device follows the signature detection stage, and is an optional process. If a PD displays a classification signature, it lets the PSE know how much power JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM /

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TROUBLESHOOTING HYBRID SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS FOR

DUMIES

Part 2 of 4

IEEE 802.3af / at Classifications

Class

Usage

Power Level at Power Device

0 1 2 3 4

Default Optional Optional Optional 802.3at

0.44 — 12.95W 0.44 — 3.84W 3.84 — 6.49W 6.49 — 12.95W 25.5W

it requires to operate. If a PD does not device as some power is dissipated in display a signature, it will be classified the cable. However, the IEEE 802.3af as Class 0 and will be allocated the also offers additional classifications maximum 12.95 watts. of power in order to help power The final stage after detection and management of a system. IEEE 802.3afclassification of a newly connected 2003 describes five power classes to camera is to enable power. The 48VDC which a device may belong. supply voltage is then connected to the cable Ethernet Alternative A by the PSE so the PD can operate. Once enabled, the equipment continues to monitor how much current it is delivering to the device, and will remove the power to the device if too much, or not enough, power is drawn. This protects the PSE against overload, and ensures that PoE is disconnected if the PD is unplugged. (numbers refer to pins)

VALUE OF IEEE 802.3AF / AT STANDARDS The IEEE 802.3af standard was introduced to enable common transmission of data and energy over a network. It also specifies four classes for powered devices based on their power usage (see table). The original IEEE 802.3af-2003 PoE standard provides up to 15.4W of DC power (minimum 44VDC) and 350mA to each device. Only 12.95W is assured to be available at the powered

Ethernet Alternative B

(numbers refer to pins)

It is not mandatory a PSE vendor implement power classification; these classifications are optional. An important consideration when deploying a PSE is how power is managed. If a vendor chooses not to implement power classification, the default within IEEE 802.3af is 15.4W per power device (12.95W at the PD). Due to the current draw required by camera assemblies that also require LED illuminators, and heater and blower options, an updated standard called IEEE 802.3at-2009, also known as PoE+ or PoE plus, provides up to 30W (PSE) with available device power at 25.5W. Some vendors have announced products that claim to be compatible with the 802.3at standard and offer up to 51W of power over a single cable by using all four pairs. PROCESS OF POWER TRANSMISSION Power is carried over Category-5, -5e or -6 cabling using two methods: Alternative A and Alternative B. Alternative A incorporates a simple method for delivering power to the end device (see diagram). Power is carried on the same conductors as data. Cabling for standard 10BaseT and 100Base-TX Ethernet uses two data/signal pairs connected to pins 1 and 2, and pins 3 and 6 on a RJ45 connector. Power sourcing equipment superimposes power onto these pins via the center tap of internal signal coupling transformers. In the

FIND IT ON THE WEB Visit the Educational Tools section at securitysales.com/ dumies to access nine years’ of “D.U.M.I.E.S.” archives.

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powered device the power is derived from these lines using the reverse technique. Alternative B carries power over spare wire pairs in the cable (see diagram). The PSE applies positive voltage to pins 4 and 5. Negative voltage is applied to pins 7 and 8. Powered devices are designed to accept PoE in either format (Alternative A or B) so that they can receive power regardless of which method is implemented in the power sourcing equipment. When operating in Alternative A mode, PDs automatically adjust for polarity of the power supply voltage. This ensures that the device will operate even if a crossover cable is being used. KEEPING NETWORK ISSUES NOMINAL Most issues for networked cameras are related to insufficient power, power loss or a change to the network structure that supports the camera. Ask questions … Is there power? Is there sufficient voltage from the endspan to mid-span devices? Let’s look at how to go about testing the voltage at the camera sight when using PoE, as well as the current draw of the powered device. Obtaining this information

NEXT UP FOR ‘D.U.M.I.E.S.’: WIRELESS PROS & CONS Be sure to check out the August issue of SSI for Part III of 2012’s “Troubleshooting Hybrid Surveillance Systems for D.U.M.I.E.S.” series. The third installment will explore the latest developments in wireless communications and signal transmission, offering procedures and methods of assessing how they affect solutions bridging the worlds of legacy analog systems with that of newer IP video.

could be a little troublesome without any form of test equipment designed for network cameras. These testing procedures will require what is known as inline test equipment (see photo). This will allow the PoE voltage to be monitored at the PD without having to supply an external power source. This device offers a convenient way to measure the current draw of the PD as well as the DC voltage applied to the camera. It also lists whether the power is coming from a mid-span or end-span device. Here’s how to determine Network Test Layout if the PSE capacity has been exceeded: If an Ethernet cable connects devices to a PoE switch, confirm that the device being powered can accept and use power from that Ethernet cable for its operation. As a safety precaution, a PoE switch will perform a resistive power discovery test and will not supply power over an Ethernet cable if the test fails. Inline test equipment can measure the current draw of Next, check the wattage a powered device as well as the DC voltage applied to rating of the network switch the camera. It also lists if the power is coming from a and the power requirements mid-span or end-span device. of all the PoE devices being

powered by that switch. Attaching too many devices with large power requirements to a switch can exceed its capacity. To determine the classification of a particular powered device, check the manufacturer’s specification sheet. Many PoE switches in today’s market offer a limited amount of power and, in most cases, the number of allowable PoE devices powered by the switch are far less than the total number of ports on the switch. Before we wrap up this session, let’s examine one final area of troubleshooting: hybrid surveillance systems. In the past, a standard 24VAC camera incorporating coaxial cable had a 60% chance of creating what is known as a ground fault or ground loop. In any electrical system, a ground loop usually refers to a current in a conductor, in this case coax, connecting two points that are supposed to be at the same ground potential, but are actually at different. This caused two areas of distortion, or hum bars, to be present on the video monitor. Fortunately, incorporating networked cameras has eliminated this problem. Since networks use data packets there is no reference to ground and, therefore, no more ground loops. Hooray!

Robert (Bob) Wimmer is president of Video Security Consultants (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 (dumies.us.com), Wimmer was inducted into SSI’s Industry Hall of Fame in 2006.

JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM / 5/29/12 11:05 AM

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SALES AND MARKETING

HOW YOUR FELLOW MARKETERS

Jamie Haenggi Protection 1

Mark Ingram Visonic James Rothstein Tri-Ed/Northern Video

Mike Jobrey The Protection Bureau

Beth Tarnoff Stanley CSS

Bill Bozeman PSA Security Network

Program sponsors present SAMMY Awards to some of the industry’s top marketers.

t does not take a leap of faith to suggest that a great many businesses — large and small, and certainly not excluding installing security contractors — struggle to market their brands efficiently and effectively. Note, for example, the results on page four for SSI’s latest Web poll, which asked readers to justly rate their firm’s marketing competence. The marks were grimmer than you might otherwise have predicted. Only 15% of respondents rate their company’s marketing as good or outstanding, while 67% say it’s nonexistent to severely lacking.

Help is on the way in the form of SSI’s Sales & Marketing (SAMMY) Awards. More than an occasion to honor sales and marketing excellence, an underlying intent of the program is to spotlight best practices so that other firms may learn and benefit from successful techniques used by industry peers. Is your organization lacking promotional prowess and needing to improve its marketing collateral? Well, then read on! You could very well find helpful nuggets in the following mini profiles that highlight winners of the 10 marketing categories from this year’s 17th Annual SAMMY awards.

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Brad Duffy Per Mar Security

Tim Smith Per Mar Security

John Sullivan ADI

Winning sales & marketing best practices developed and deployed by installing security contractors across North America highlight the 17th Annual SAMMY Awards. Which companies took home the trophy hardware and what set them apart is detailed here. Takeaway tips and advice abound. by Rodney Bosch and Ashley Willis

Eric Zei Honeywell

John Cerasuolo ADS Security

Dom D’Ascoli ESA Bill Thompson Source Security Tom Szell ADS Security

What comprises a cost-effective integrated marketing campaign? How can you craft a newsletter your customers will actually look forward to reading? Which online features do your customers want to see and use on your Web site? These answers and many more insights follow. We hope you’ll be motivated to incorporate some of these ideas and concepts into your own branding efforts and enter the SAMMY program next year to prove your marketing mettle. SSI would like to thank program sponsors ADI, Fire-Lite, Honeywell, Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution, Visonic, ISC

John Maccone Fire-Lite

FIND IT ON THE WEB More photos from the 17th Annual SAMMY Awards, held March 27 on the eve of ISC West in Las Vegas, and the winners’ marketing collateral can be viewed with the online version of this story at securitysales. com/SAMMY2012. Also, don’t miss the July issue, which will feature comprehensive coverage of Installer of the Year winners Per Mar Security Services and Bates Security, and Integrated Installation of the Year winner Electronic Security and Communications Corp. (ESCC). The runnersup in these categories will also be featured.

Expo, Electronic Security Association (ESA) and PSA Security Network for helping make the 2012 SAMMYs program possible.

JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM /

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2012 SAMMY AWARD WINNERS

BEST OVERALL INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN

PROTECTION 1

Hitting All the Right Marks With ‘Multiple Vehicles’

Creating an integrated marketing campaign often entails leveraging numerous online and traditional media, resources, and customer touch points to accomplish specific marketing objectives. Be it lead generation, building brand awareness or customer upselling, the intent of an integrated campaign is to create a whole that’s greater and more effective than the sum of its parts. It is in this regard, despite stiff competition from competing entries, Protection 1 earned the nod from SAMMY judges in this category. Regardless of company size or budget, all security firms can create a successful integrated campaign to help achieve marketing objectives faster and more efficiently, says Jamie Haenggi, chief marketing & customer experience officer, for Romeoville, Ill.-based P1. “One of the things I look for when determining what will work is if it ‘has legs,’ meaning, can it be used in multiple vehicles, can it have multiple messages tied to an overarching theme?” she says. “Then, use that campaign throughout all of your marketing vehicles — your Web site, E-mails, advertising, collateral.” Haenggi explains a valuable tip she learned early on her career was that as a marketer you will get tired of your message long before your targeted prospects will. Hence, don’t be too quick to change it out if it’s working. “While you see your message day in and day out, your prospects have not. Marketing departments can often make this mistake of constantly changing their campaigns — which can be costly — before they have actually taken hold,” she says. SPONSORED BY

BEST SALES BROCHURE

STANLEY CSS

With numerous operations throughout North America, Stanley CSS relies on feedback from its branch offices to understand and meet the security needs of local customers. The company modifies marketing materials, such as sales brochures, based on the responses it receives.

SAMMY judges lauded Protection 1’s integrated marketing campaign entry for the use of a consistent brand image throughout its marketing collateral. The various materials, such as this sales brochure for the education market, incorporate customized messaging for the targeted audience.

Brochure Serves as Effective Tool for Sales Team

Featured on the cover of the Stanley Convergent Security Solutions (CSS) small business brochure, left, is a woman with a warm, friendly smile holding a sign that reads, “Open.” Directly below the image, is the tagline: “Security to help your small business GROW.” “We created the brochure to support our newly launched small business initiative,” Director of Marketing Beth Tarnoff says. “The visuals and verbiage communicates up front that Stanley understands the needs of a small business to the customer.” Each page of the tri-fold brochure features a topic that supports how Stanley services will help a small business grow. The page reading “Online eServices to help your business save TIME,” lists the company’s eServices offerings and briefs readers on online account management. Under the “Intrusion protection to keep your business SAFE” headline, Stanley encourages customers to contact a sales representative to learn more about intrusion packages. The last page states, “Video surveillance to keep your business in VIEW,” highlighting the camera system packages specifically designed for small businesses. The marketing tool also provides customers with detailed pricing packages along with visual graphics of each item. In the field, the brochure has proven beneficial for the Stanley sales team. “Our easy-to-follow format allow sales representatives to present information to small business customers and point out substantial benefits,” Tarnoff says. “It has been a key tool in helping us expand into the small business market and experience success in this initiative.”

SPONSORED BY

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 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.

Learn more at 2GSunset.com.

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2012 SAMMY AWARD WINNERS

BEST COMPANY LOGO

DEVCON SECURITY

Simple Design Evokes Product Offerings

When the marketing department of Irving, Texas-based Devcon Security began redesigning the company’s antiquated logo, it took on a huge undertaking. Because Devcon had originally started out in the construction business, the new logo needed to reflect the security industry. “We wanted our logo to exhibit the brand attributes that Devcon has in place,” says Devcon Vice President of Marketing Kristin Clark. An outside graphics design agency helped Devcon produce a logo that not only appealed to customers, but also impressed SAMMY judges for its effective simplicity. The logo, right, features the text “Devcon Security” in gray on the left side of the logo. The company chose to use gray instead of a classic black color to be more approachable to customers. On the right side of the design is a “D”-like image in blue to help distinguish the Devcon brand. “Customers can view the emblem in many different ways,” Clark explains. “You can see that it’s a ‘D’ in the blank space. But it can also be many of the products that we sell. It can emulate video, smoke detectors or even GSM.” Focused on direct response marketing, Devcon puts its logo on anything that has the potential of reaching the customers’ hands. An 800 number accompanies the logo to help the firm gauge which marketing initiatives are the most successful. “Doing that gives us the ability to do a lot of testing to see what works best,” Clark says. “It might be that we need to change out the color of a button from blue to red on a direct-mail piece.”

After revamping its logo, Devcon Security hopes to boost its social media presence. “It’s a great opportunity to tell a story, especially for a new company,” says Devcon Vice President of Marketing Kristin Clark.

SPONSORED BY

BEST PROMOTIONAL GIVEAWAY ITEM

PER MAR SECURITY SERVICES

When selecting giveaway items, Per Mar Security Director of Corporate Support Tim Smith says companies should think outside the box and only offer gifts that will be beneficial to customers.

SPONSORED BY

Promo Gift Jumpstarts Driver Safety Initiative

Being in the business of providing safety and security, Davenport, Iowa-based Per Mar Security Services wanted to provide customers with something useful for their everyday lives. “One thing I think a lot of people have forgotten about is cars,” Per Mar Security Director of Corporate Support Tim Smith says. “We don’t do car alarms, but we wanted to do something to give our customers a sense of security.” To that end the company came up with a safety pack that customers can keep in their vehicles. It includes jumper cables, gloves, lighting, a tire gauge, ponchos, a first aid kit, a call police flag, an accident guide and reflective road pyramids. SAMMY judges appreciated the kit’s handiness and practicality. Per Mar leveraged its membership as a Honeywell First Alert Professional dealer to provide the promotional gift. Each branded kit would have cost $21.95; however, by utilizing the First Alert Cooperative Advertising Program, the company was able to shave off 50% per unit. Per Mar provided participants of its customer survey with the safety pack as a thank you for completing the evaluation. Additionally, Per Mar installers, technicians and sales representatives will carry the kits to hand out to consumers on each job. In time, Per Mar will collect the top three stories where the kit assisted customers in an emergency and post them on the company’s Facebook page as a topic of discussion. The giveaway has garnered a wealth of excellent feedback, Smith says. “Customers are appreciative we’re giving them something practical.”

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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2012 SAMMY AWARD WINNERS

BEST VEHICLE GRAPHICS DESIGN

THE PROTECTION BUREAU

Consistency Is Key to Driving New Business

J. Matthew Ladd, president of Exton, Pa.-based The Protection Bureau, sums up his company’s general marketing philosophy in two words: brand recognition. It’s a strategy that works well for the privately held company, which earns $15.5 million annually. In fact, brand recognition won The Protection Bureau the SAMMY for Best Vehicle Graphics Design. The company recently added the Ford Transit Connect to its 67-vehicle fleet. To maintain the fleet’s uniformity, Ladd had the new vans painted with the same shade of blue as the other vehicles. Ladd designed the graphics himself and worked with a local vendor to create the vinyl wrapping for the Transit Connects. The shape of the vans allowed for The Protection Bureau’s logo, which also garnered a SAMMY in 2007, to be prominently featured on virtually every part of the vehicle. Because most potential clients contact the company via the Internet, The Protection Bureau’s Web site address is located on the rear window and just above the front window. To keep the design clean, the company opted not to cram all of its different services on the sides of the vehicles. Rather, a brief tagline reads, “Providing Security Solutions That Surpass All Others.” The Protection Bureau’s address and phone number are also listed on the vans. For other companies seeking to add more vehicles to their fleets, Ladd offers a few suggestions: “Make sure every vehicle looks as much the same as possible. Don’t change the design every time you get a new vehicle. If all the trucks are different, then they will be unrecognizable. Remember, your goal is for people to say, ‘I see your trucks everywhere.’”

BEST BROADCAST ADVERTISEMENT

ADS SECURITY

ADS Security rejected the use of scare tactics in its radio broadcast ad. “In this millennium, it’s all about helping the customer manage their daily lives better through security,” says Tom Szell, ADS senior vice president, sales & marketing, above.

When considering a vehicle graphics design, J. Matthew Ladd, president of Exton, Pa.-based The Protection Bureau, says, “The goal is consistency. When your vehicles look the same, it seems like you have a bigger presence.”

SPONSORED BY

Easing Customer Woes Through Broadcast Advertising

The ringing siren of a home intrusion alarm immediately alerts listeners of the SAMMY Award-winning radio ad from Nashville, Tenn.-based ADS Security. A warm, friendly voice follows and says, “Did you hear that? Chances are so did your neighbors. It’s the sound of a burglary or a home invasion being stopped in its tracks. It’s the sound of a home security system doing its job.” The one-minute spot also highlights the company’s Aniware remote security service, and concludes with ADS’ contact information. When developing the ad, the ADS marketing team decided to use sound effects, such as breaking glass and a barking dog, to dramatize the break-in at the beginning of the radio announcement. As the commercial moves along, the sounds effects are replaced with soothing music. “If you listen to the ad, there is really nothing unique about it except for two things — it’s calming and reassuring. We don’t feel that security should be fear-based,” says Tom Szell, ADS senior vice president, sales & marketing. ADS, which has 14 branch locations and more than 70,000 customers, created the ad to reach prospective clients in the Augusta, Ga., area. In an effort to stay within budget constraints, the marketing team needed to become more efficient in its marketing endeavors. So, it contemplated heavily on what type of radio station would help the company get more bang for its buck. “A lot of people use talk radio, but we chose to advertise on sports radio,” Szell says. “We feel that we get the best response on that.”

SPONSORED BY

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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2012 SAMMY AWARD WINNERS

BEST COMPANY NEWSLETTER

PROTECTION 1

Connecting Readers to the Company Brand and Family

An effective newsletter can produce many benefits, including building brand awareness, improving reputation and credibility, and keeping customers informed about your company. By and large, the newsletters that clientele remember most are the ones that provide them with useful advice. For instance, installing security contractors may want to include an ongoing series of quick tips that help readers out at home. Perhaps include a basic guide to home safety when on vacation or even appliance energy usage. This type of informative content doesn’t necessarily have to relate to your business or service offerings. It simply and efficiently serves to strengthen the company brand by garnering a loyal following of readers. Another useful tool to build relationships with readers is by highlighting lots of photos. If your company participated in a community fundraiser, then share it with your customers in a photo essay. Other beneficial features include an employee of the month program, and incorporating photos of your customers helps build loyalty too. This personalized touch is what helped sway SAMMY judges to elevate Protection 1’s internal company 1VOICE newsletter above other entries. Jamie Haenggi, chief marketing & customer experience officer, for Romeoville, Ill.-based P1, notes a key aspect to the success of a newsletter is to keep it focused on the target audience. For 1VOICE that would be individual P1 employees and teams. “Feedback has been that this helps keep people connected across the company and feeling like part of a team versus just their local office team,” she says. 1VOICE is produced twice monthly and distributed via E-mail, printed form and linked to from P1’s internal Web site. “Much of the content is employee generated as it comes from people excited to share what they are doing,” Haenggi says. SPONSORED BY

Photographs in company newsletters can be effective in creating a personal connection with readers to the firm and its brand. P1’s 1VOICE succeeds in this way by informing and uniting employees dispersed across the country.

www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/16175

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BEST COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM

ADS SECURITY

ADS Security employees are closely involved in which community outreach efforts the firm partners with each year, including the Wounded Warriors Project to benefit severely injured service members.

Spirit of Corporate Philanthropy Runs Deep at ADS

Given the consistently impressive entries for the category each year, one of the toughest aspects of being a SAMMY judge is crowning a single winner for Community Outreach. In this year’s program, ADS Security is a worthy standout. Engaging in charitable work throughout the year helps instill in the employees a sense of pride in the company, says Craig Leyers, an ADS regional vice president and general manager. “It brings a sense of realization that our company is part of the larger community,” he says. “Also, it is a great way for our team members to pull toward a common goal, which builds camaraderie and team spirit.” The high degree of community participation at ADS stems from the fact the firm typically has its associates closely involved in selecting which causes to partner with. “As an example, a couple of our associates, who happen to be veterans, were interested in our support of a [veterans initiatives] group called Operation Stand Down,” Leyers says. “As another example, each year our team pulls together to support a local Foster Care Association by hosting a holiday ‘Angel Tree.’” Although ADS does not track business referrals that may come from its interaction at charitable events, there are tangible benefits that prove deeply important to the company. “While it is difficult to gauge, my sense is that it positions the community at large to look at ADS Security in a more positive light, as a company that is truly involved in our community,” Leyers says. “At the very least, it can effectively differentiate us from a more transient sales organization that may be in our area on a seasonal basis.” SPONSORED BY

PowerG Technology for life

PowerMaster system delivers more range, more reliability and more RMR in commercial and residential installations.

www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/16216 JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM /

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EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE

EXPERT PANEL EXPLAINS

HOW TO MAKE MANAGED ACCESS

PAY OFF

SSI’s roundtable features four leading integrators who have deployed and found success delivering managed access control services. They detail the challenges, opportunities, types of services and growth potential of one of the industry’s most promising new recurring revenue offerings. by Scott Goldfine

(l-r) Doug Penson, Scott Goldfine, Steve Sharp, Randy Brown and Ken Robison are all smiles when it comes to the tremendous promise of managed access control.

ike the U.S. Calvary charging over the hill as a bugler belts out “Charge!” to rescue an imperiled wagon train, managed access control has arrived to save installing security contractors under attack by shrinking margins, fierce competition and a savage economy. But does this new service offering really have the mettle to fend off these threats? If so, what strategies do security company owners or managers need to know to win this business battle? To find out, SSI enlisted its own brigade of experts in the field for a

unique and special roundtable. The discussion, held during this year’s ISC West in Las Vegas in cooperation with Kantech (part of Tyco Security Products), involved a wide range of North American providers spanning from the West Coast to the Midwest, as well as Canada. The participants were Randy Brown, president, Fahrenheit 451, Calgary; Doug Penson, president, My Managed Security, Toronto; Ken Robison, co-owner and VP of operations, California Commercial Security, San Diego; and Steve Sharp, president,

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MANAGED ACCESS ROUNDTABLE

DigiCOM, Milford, Ohio. As they explain, although it was not without a fair share of trial and error, these four progressive executives have fully adapted to the bold new security frontier by adopting hosted and managed services using Kantech’s hattrix platform. Step inside the war room to find out how they did it, what you can expect in doing likewise, the recurring revenue opportunities, and why doing anything less could leave your business pushing up cactus on a desolate prairie.

Wh have been What the top chalth lenges for delivering managed access control servicees? In terms of the product soluth tions, manufacturtion support, staff and er supp training, sales and marketing, pricing, deployment, service, the whole gamut. Ken Robison: Marketing has been one of the largest challenges, mainly because of resources both on the financial side and time. I would say pricing has also been something we’ve struggled with, to try to find that sweet spot that would really prove to the customer what their ROI would be by going to that. That really took quite a bit of time. We’ve really got a high return on closing sales on the managed access side of things. We’re at about 70% versus 30% that want to keep that in-house. Other than that, it’s been training on the sales side. If there was stronger marketing it would help complement that as well. Doug Penson: The software as a service component is certainly new to my ears. Understanding and wrapping my head around the concept, and how it functions, and what it does, and the purposes it serves have probably been the biggest challenge. When you’re having these conversations with people — we were the first managed hattrix dealer in Toronto — and you’re leading that race and there’s no one else there, like a competitor to draw some

“Verticals we’ve seen positive movement include churches, daycare centers and businesses with multiple facilities. They’ve found it very attractive to login through one Web portal and easily manage cards and doors, unlock times, and run reports.” STEVE SHARP, President DigiCOM, Milford, Ohio

strategies and ideas from, that was a little challenging for me. What kept me on track was the fact that we’ve been dealing with Kantech since I was 18 years old when I founded the company. A company like Kantech isn’t going to spend millions of dollars with research, development, and implementing the product in the market if they haven’t crossed their t’s and dotted their i’s. I knew I had an opportunity at that stage of the game to be ahead of our competitors in the industry. Right now our biggest challenge is changing the mindset of the client to embrace this new path of how we do business. In our industry when selling access control traditionally, there’s a lot of infrastructure expense and time that’s never been really put on the table and exposed to the client. Now we’re pulling out and extracting those costs that were really unknown to the client, and giving that analysis and comparison to say this does have a great return on investment. It’s breaking down the nuts and bolts of it. Steve Sharp: When we got involved cloud-based computing was really a new term that was just starting to be thrown around. We found it difficult to figure out what the story was going to be and how to explain the value to the customer. As time went on we kind of figured that out, with the help of cloud computing; everyone is using it now. People are grasping the concept much easier. The other point was the price point. What do we sell it at? That was difficult as well, a lot of trial and error. We started taking it from the perspective that we’ve got to lower the upfront cost to make it more of a relationship with them. Then just believe if we do a great job they’re

going to keep the service, much like someone keeps cable TV or satellite at their house. Those providers can’t bring cable TV to your house for $100, they’re obviously banking that you’re going to keep that service for 10, 12, 15 years. That’s much the same approach we try to take; building the long-term customer. Randy Brown: The biggest challenge we had was me. We started doing this a long time ago because our clients were these condo buildings where they just stick a computer in the electrical room and they call us one day and say, “Our computer’s broken, can you fix it?” We started hooking up; we just put software in an office, connected to the sites by modem, and we pull the data every day. We had a backup. We knew what we were doing with the safety of the data but we never charged for that. We just did it because it was safer. We were making our money by adding the cards, key tags and all that with a big markup, but we never charged for it. When hattrix comes along and we changed all our software, now I have to justify in my own mind that this is actually value and I’ve got to bill for it. That was the biggest challenge, getting me to turn around. It was a good learning curve. You hear about managed access and the terms get thrown around pretty interchangeably. There’s “hosted,” “remote,” “cloud,” “managed.” etc. What are the differences and how do you make it clear to the end user? Robison: Managed access control is kind of a hybrid between hosting where the software resides on servers that are remote. You can hear all these terms interchangeably, where it’s remote from the customer’s location, but when they need

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changes made they’re requesting they be made by the managed service provider, us. Hosted, in my mind, means we simply have the software on our servers and our customer, the end user, has a Web interface to logon to our servers to manage their own system. Cloud simply means data is being held on remote servers, for whatever purpose it may be. It may be for backup, could be to easily access data remotely or it could be for data retrieval. What we’re calling hybrid simply means a crossover between a fully managed system and a hosted system to where there are certain services that we will do for them. In my mind, it’s more high level stuff. Some customers, I believe, should not be doing the heavy lifting in their system, meaning they shouldn’t be creating access levels and schedules and so forth. If you read your clients well you can tell that’s not the right thing for them. With a hybrid system they can just request the changes, and their day-to-day is adding and deleting cards, that sort of thing. Penson: There is a lot of confusion surrounding the terminology. A lot of people say they are providing cloudbased, access control management when they’re really faking it by having a computer onsite with some type of VPN or remote client connecting to it. The reality is that if that onsite PC goes down, they’re down. Our services are up, they’re remote, they’re outside that facility. With the outsourcing world we live in now — outsourcing HR, IT, payroll — outsourcing security is not a lot to ask when you’re protecting people and business.

“If you don’t get with this you’re going to be left in the dust. People are holding on. There is some hesitation because they haven’t been threatened enough yet. They will be. This is the future.” DOUG PENSON, President My Managed Security, Toronto

Let’s talk about growth. What level are you seeing? What is realistic? Brown: We’ve doubled in the past year the number of readers we have on the system. Projecting forward, I have a really tough time saying double in another year. But the growth is there; it’s probably going to be 50%. We’re at the point now where we need almost a full-time person just to administer our managed access clients. Sharp: We’ve probably seen about 2025% growth a year. I don’t think we’ve seen as much as we should have, and a lot of that’s been our own deficiencies as far as how we’re trying to market it. We’ve realized that and I think the future’s bright for the product. We’re focusing more and more of our efforts, as far as shifting our business in that direction. We’ve also used it as an opportunity to bundle services and maintenance and service contracts. We’ve been proactive. When a battery runs low on a panel, we’ll call the customer and say, “We’re going to have a tech stop by there and replace that battery. We’re going to replace it before it is a problem for you.” I think that’s part of adding value and trust. There’s a lot of positive energy and momentum

“Marketing has been one of the top challenges, mainly because of resources on the financial side and time. Pricing has also been something we’ve struggled with, to try to find that sweet spot to show the customer the ROI. That took quite a bit of time.” KEN ROBISON, Co-owner & VP of Operations, California Commercial Security, San Diego

that can be gained with the product. Penson: There’s growth and then there’s attrition. There’s continued growth, which is fantastic. On the attrition side, it’s zero. Those are amazing metrics. You look at the burg side of things, there are a lot of guys in our industry just sustaining business because there’s so much attrition in it. Those metrics to me are important because now you’re providing them with a tailored service they need. It’s providing a solution for them and there’s a relationship. There’s continuity and we’re there, we’re in touch with them. There’s going to be an abundance of growth. Robison: As far as growth, I can’t put a doubling or any type of phraseology to that. Because of the amount of time we’ve been doing this, which is since 2000, we’ve got approximately 138 commercial clients right now that we manage and/or host. I would say our growth over the past year has been about 20%. I can’t say there hasn’t been any attrition because companies sometimes go out of business. But the attrition rate is extremely low in this business, particularly if you offer good aftercare, ongoing support and excellent service. Let’s talk markets. What are some of the strongest verticals and prospects for managed services? Robison: We’re seeing a real good opportunity in multitenant commercial facilities, property management particularly. The biomed industry is big in San Diego. There is an organization we do about 10 accounts for that manages huge biomed facilities. I see more and more growth there, particularly because when you get into a building like that and you’re able to manage the perimeter of the building, these property management

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MANAGED ACCESS ROUNDTABLE

organizations can actually resell the card access to the tenants within the building. There is also a huge military presence here in San Diego and we have systems on several bases. The new level of encryption capabilities will allow us to better meet military specs, which should give us a better chance to win more jobs. Penson: We have multiple facilities of multidoors, but our main success has been that small to medium business with two or four exterior doors leading into the facility. That’s where we really tailored our clientele. Controlling a keyless environment and managing their staff, typically somewhere between 25-50 employees — it’s a great market for us. Additionally, one of our focus areas is going to be property management, anyone who wants to manage multiple facilities from one location. Your client can sit at home or at a restaurant with their family, have a call that a door needs to be locked or unlocked or get an E-mail that an employee just quit and needs to invalidate a card quickly, and then hop on the app on his iPhone, iPad or Android and simply login and do what needs to be done on the fly. Sharp: Verticals we’ve seen positive movement include churches, daycare centers and businesses with multiple facilities. They’ve found it very attractive as they can basically login through one Web portal and easily manage cards and doors, unlock times and run reports. An important thing is for the user interface to be really simple, so the training curve is 10-15 minutes. That’s really important because these people have other jobs to do and the last thing

“We’ve doubled in the past year the number of readers on the system. Projecting forward, the growth is probably going to be 50%. We’re at the point now where we almost need a full-time person to administer our managed access clients.” RANDY BROWN, President Fahrenheit 451, Calgary, Canada

they want to do is worry about mastering the access control software. Brown: Our market is condominiums, which are a lot of fun because there are so many parts of the building to secure. They have move-ins and move-outs every month. Somebody’s got to update that panel with the new phone numbers and directories. We can do that remotely. We’ve actually seen some of our largest sales in the lowest-quality built buildings in Calgary. They’re building what we call new slums. Half the people in there are destroying the place and the other half who care have to live in that stuff. We did a $160,000 installation in these two buildings with cameras and card access. Every door and every stairwell is locked, so if you hit a stairwell you have no choice; you have to go through the building. The parking garage is completely secure. You can’t get down there unless you belong there. If you do, there are cameras everywhere. The lower these places are built, the more investors are buying and renting to people who just destroy the buildings. It’s an awesome little market.

FIND IT ON THE WEB There’s a lot more conversation and photos from this roundtable online at securitysales.com/managedaccess_612.

What is the best way for an integrator to get started, to get their feet wet and get in the managed access control game? Robison: For an integrator to get started, there’s

infrastructure involved in terms of servers that are required, software, and then they would have to ramp up their marketing. Any dealers wanting to get into this had better get moving now. As mentioned, it’s taken a lot of trial and error to get where we’re at. Brown: For small dealers, I recommend taking some technical training, taking a course. Then buy a small system and jump into it. That’s the only way they’re ever going to learn how it all works. Plug it in and it will work. It’s not that difficult. Sharp: That’s if they build on their own managed access system. Most of us have brought on other dealers underneath us where we set up their own partition, they’re connected to our server and they sell to their own clients. We have no interaction whatsoever with it. They take the software interface, program the system and hang the panel on the wall. It’s very simple on their end, very low investment. And we can brand it to their company. Penson: You’re going to see change in this industry in that if you’re not onboard you’re suddenly going to be behind the eight ball. Clients are going to ask, “Do you sell cloud-based services?” “No, we still put PCs on site and offer software with updates, and we can charge for every visit to come out and maintain your system.” With others offering leading-edge technology and service, if you don’t get with this you’re going to be left in the dust. People are holding on. There is some hesitation because they haven’t been threatened enough yet. They will be. When you’re looking for a TV you don’t say, “Excuse me, do you sell one of those old box-style round things that weights like 150 pounds?” This is the future.

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Think he’s tough as a boss? You should see him as a client. To secure his new 60,000 sq. ft. bakery warehouse, Buddy Valastro went with the best IP video solution— TruVision™ from Interlogix. With a comprehensive network of cameras, recorders and IFS switches, he has ne a ne n xt xt-g -gen ener erat atio ion n sy syst stem em tha hatt me meet etss ap appl plic icat atio ions ns tha hat arre as dem are eman andi d ng as he is. Learn mo Le more re at in inte terl rlog ogix ix.c com om/b /bud uddy dy.

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INSTALLATION CASE STUDY

ET E W S D E V R SE N O I T U L O S Y SECURIT TV’s “Cake Boss,” Buddy Valastro, wasn’t about to settle for half-baked security when it came to safeguarding his new 60,000-square-foot, multipurpose warehouse in New Jersey. As is his way, the celebrity mixed the perfect ingredients of integrator, supplier and products to cook up a delectable IP video and intrusion solution. by Scott Goldfine

artolo “Buddy” Valastro expects nothing less than exceptional results when it comes to the spectacular cakes for which he and Carlo’s Bakery have become famous. And when it came time to outfit his new 60,000-square-foot, multipurpose facility in Jersey City, N.J., the star of TLC’s “Cake Boss” reality TV series was just as particular about video surveillance. “Before it was just the famiglia and me. Now, Carlo’s Bakery is expanding. Outside of the bakery, I’ve got a 50,000-square-foot location of offices, kitchens and classrooms. I can’t be everywhere at once, so I knew I had to bring in some help,” says Valastro. “With over 170 employees, I have to be the eye in the sky. I’m also on the go all the time and I needed a system that lets me stay

connected wherever I am.” Valastro enlisted a local integrator to deliver the level of service and attention to detail for which he has grown accustomed. Working closely with Valastro’s technology director, Leo Minervini, Security Cam Depot teamed up with Interlogix to meet both security and facility/employee management needs on a 100-camera, 15-DVR IP video solution. Intrusion detection and environmental controls were also installed in a unique project that presented cabling and lighting challenges. INTEGRATOR SUITS CLIENT’S TASTES Having learned about low-voltage electronics with the National Guard in the 1980s, Luis Fernandez Jr. founded Security Cam Depot in Neptune, N.J.,

in 2005 as an online retailer of security equipment. The business transitioned to becoming an installation and service provider, and today has more than 500 customers and 100+ accounts monitored by All-American Monitoring. Fernandez estimates his sales to be about 70% video surveillance, 20% intrusion and 10% access, with a 60%40% residential/commercial mix. “My company is small in size and at times I feel like the small fish in a big pond,” says Fernandez, who first began doing business with Carlo’s Bakery in early 2010. “But we have a great customer base and I am proud to say that at least 90% of our business comes from referrals from former clients.”

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Valastro, the only son and youngest child of Bartolo “Buddy” Sr. and Mary Valastro, began working in the family bakery when he was 17 years old. He first appeared on television screens when “Cake Boss,” which will surpass 100 episodes this year, debuted in 2009. The popularity of the show, which follows Valastro’s family, their shop and making unique cakes, has not only increased business for Carlo’s Bakery but also tourism to the Hoboken area. In 2010, the city renamed the corner of Washington and Newark streets “Carlo’s Bakery Way” to recognize the landmark’s centennial. Having decided to convert a warehouse into a state-of-the-art

complex that would include Valastro’s offices, consultation room, multiple baking rooms, decorating room, freezers, walk-ins, shipping/receiving, cooking classes, wood shop, gym, locker rooms, break rooms and TV production offices, stepping up security became a high priority. “You can’t manage every single employee at the same time in a location this large,” says Valastro. “Also, we’ve got any number of things happening in all of the rooms here; classes, decorating, meetings, baking, packing, etc. We’ve got people coming in and out of here all the time.” Fernandez, an Interlogix Security Pro Dealer, was contacted about

the project in March 2011. He went onsite the following month to begin running the mammoth cabling infrastructure before installing system components near the end of the year and completing the job in early 2012. Contracting with such a high profile personality was an exciting proposition for Fernandez, but one that he did not find intimidating. “My philosophy is to treat every client like a celebrity. I viewed this job as I do all my jobs and delivered what the customer expected,” says Fernandez. “Carlo’s Bakery had high expectations but not unreasonable. They wanted the best and expected nothing less. I believe we delivered.”

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‘CAKE BOSS’ SURVEILLANCE PROJECT

VIDEO RECIPE INCLUDES MEGAPIXEL As mentioned, the objective to achieve a high level of security while also enhancing the ability to manage the facility was tightly intertwined. Among many key capabilities was video being accessible remotely from PCs, laptops and mobile devices, as well as scalability so the solution could grow with Valastro’s burgeoning empire. This entailed a strong vision not only to be leading edge today but also allow an easy migration for further expansion and technological advancements. Thus, the design phase was critical, requiring an intensively collaborative effort among end user, integrator and manufacturer. “We found out very fast that technology drove Buddy, and we needed to find out what their expansion

More than 100 Interlogix TruVision 1.3-megapixel cameras, 15 TruVision DVR 60 hybrid recorders, several IFS 24-port PoE switches, three NX8 Series intrusion panels and a multitude of sensors were installed at the facility.

plans were because the technology had to withstand a significant amount of time. You don’t want to be obsolete in six months or a year; you want to grow because they will grow,” says Kostas Mellos, video sales leader for Interlogix, part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security. “So our approach was very consultative.” Determining the most effective security for the site proved a bit daunting from the standpoint of its size, along with the large volume of employees and visitors coming and going throughout the course of operations. “With the show and now our baking classes, we have people coming in here all the time,” says Valastro. “So we had to keep that in mind when choosing where to install the cameras.” Indeed, with so many openings to contend with, the constant activity and a great deal of supplies and stock going in and out on a routine basis, logistics and flexibility weighed heavily in developing the best solution. “The original idea was to install certain cameras in certain locations, then as you go through the process you realize that wasn’t necessarily the right spot for the camera; the wall just moved; the bakery just got bigger; now there’s a wall in front. We have a wall that’s made out of glass, so move the cameras.

Now they opened windows. Maybe we need to use different cameras, different technology,” says Mellos. Among the products selected for the warehouse were TruVision IP video, IFS transmission and NetworX intrusion detection. Over several phases of the project, more than 100 TruVision 1.3-megapixel cameras, 15 TruVision DVR 60 hybrid recorders, several IFS 24-port PoE switches, three NX8 Series intrusion panels and a multitude of sensors were installed at the facility. “We chose to go with the TruVision IP solution because we believe they were a great fit for this project in terms of clarity, cost, functionality and scalability. They had everything Buddy was looking for from the remote access to the scalability of the system,” says Fernandez. “The support across the board was tremendous. With the help of Leo Minervini guiding us, we stayed on track with Buddy’s vision. To have a company in your corner such as Interlogix on a project this big was exceptional.” Each DVR features 12TB of storage, and the entire surveillance system is centrally managed by TruVision Navigator video management software. Ultimately, the design of the surveillance system struck a balance between image definition and bandwidth. “You want to have significant Thanks to thorough planning, precision coordination and resolution on the cameras, meticulous execution, any problems encountered during the without going overboard,” project were minimal. Still, there were a couple of challenges says Mellos. “So we chose a in particular that stood out: cabling and lighting. The scale of the job called for in excess of five miles of Category-6e cable. megapixel technology that could be transmitted without bringing

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‘CAKE BOSS’ SURVEILLANCE PROJECT

the network down or affecting other things. We used the IFS switching gear and subnetted the systems across the environment to avoid a massive amount of data traveling back and forth. We tried to be smart about it.” One of the more unique functions of the surveillance system is using cameras in the refrigeration units where they house the cakes. Valastro and his associates can actually look in on these specialty cakes, some of which fetch thousands of dollars, to make sure no harm comes to them. PREPARATION PAYS OFF Thanks to all the thorough planning, precision coordination and meticulous execution, any problems encountered during the project were minimal. Still, there were a couple of challenges in particular that stood out: cabling and lighting. The scale of the job called for in excess of five miles of Category-6e cable. “We had to route over 80 runs for the cameras and future drops of Cat-6e from various locations throughout the facility, and then merge them together back to the head-end,” says Fernandez. “By the time we had everything back to the head-end, the diameter of all the cabling was slightly smaller than a soccer ball. It looked like a giant Anaconda, and boy was it heavy!” To help ease the pain, Fernandez and his team relegated much of the cable laying to the evening hours when there were few to no other people onsite and they could have run of the entire building to themselves. They also worked closely (l to r:) Jawaid Chotani, district manager, Interlogix; Buddy Valastro; Luis Fernandez, owner, Security Cam Depot; Kostas Mellos, video sales leader, Interlogix; Juan Cancel and Antonio Ortiz, both of Security Cam Depot.

“This is one of those projects that you become married to because of the fine-tuning after the fact along with regular service maintenance and expansions,” says Security Cam Depot‘s Luis Fernandez.

with 360 Media Innovations; the A/V contractor ran its own cabling to ensure the lines were not placed in proximity such that interference would later become an issue. “I must say it was a pivotal moment for us to have finally finished that phase and have the cable there ready to punch down on our patch panels, and then watch everything else fall into place,” says Fernandez. All told, Security Cam Depot would log more than 160 man-hours’ worth of labor. “This is one of those projects that you become married to because of the fine-tuning after the fact along with regular service maintenance and expansions.” The lighting issue surfaced in the rear of the warehouse where, instead of typical lights installed in drop ceilings, there were enormous industrial-style fixtures encased in clear dome housings. It was not immediately apparent that those lights were the source of a prism effect that resulted in pulsing on several of the cameras. “The biggest surprise was the way the IP cameras interacted with the bell lighting we had in the back of the factory,” says Valastro. “The images were picking up frequency interference. The image looked wavy, rippled by the light. We had to exchange all of those cameras for ones that would interpret the light frequency more appropriately.” Ironically, it became moot a few weeks later when it was decided to remove the light fixtures and put in a drop ceiling after all. One further surprise Valastro notes was discovering the pillars of the building were completely impenetrable. “There were a lot of bolts lost attempting to mount cameras to the pillars,” he says. COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEFS The capabilities the system provided to Valastro once it was up and running has enhanced and enriched his operations beyond his imagination. The demonstrative entertainer is quite enthusiastic about the power an IPbased platform brings. “We love that the application that controls the units is network-based so

we can have a user/client relationship created to control access for each user. And they can be grouped by department so we can determine the level of control needed by each group,” he says. “The mobile app was huge because our directors are constantly traveling and needed to monitor the feeds from where they were. The other big benefit is picture capture and video export. Being able to crop extended lengths of video and create a separate video file, compress it and send it out over E-mail has been extremely helpful.” Thankfully, as of this writing, there have been no major criminal or other dangerous or undesirable events at the warehouse. However, Fernandez recalls an incident that nevertheless demonstrates the solution’s value. “We were in Buddy’s office going over some details about the functionality of the system when he turned to Leo [Minervini] and said, ‘Who are those guys taking pictures of the cakes with their cell phones?’ It turned out to be only a couple of fans who just strolled through the back door and walked in like it was nothing. They quickly handled the situation and asked them to leave. The system had only been up a day or so.” Valastro is also keen on the system’s ease of use. Besides he himself being able to easily operate it, often watching camera views from his office, the team Valastro has monitoring the system was also able to hit the ground running. Valastro sums up his experience with this project thusly: “The great part was the personal factor involved. The integrator was here throughout the process. My top priorities are being met, so I’m happy. I feel my business is secure even when I’m not there. I think that’s attractive to any business owner. I’ve got everything I need. I’m the eye in the sky!” Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine has spent more than 13 years with SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. He can be reached at (704) 663-7125 or scott.goldfine@securitysales.com.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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his year’s soaring gas prices have induced many cases of indigestion for security vehicle fleet managers, but that’s not the only stressor causing them to chug as much Maalox as their service and installation trucks guzzle fuel. In addition to the ever-increasing pain at the pump, rises in liability insurance costs, greater investments in new vehicles and more stringent driver training practices are among the many pressing issues. These findings are among the mother lode of precious data provided by SSI’s 2012 Super Security Fleets study — the industry’s only comprehensive project of its kind. The research features the responses of more than 300 North American company fleet th managers and other supervisors or owners m iinvolved in making vehicle purchase decisions. The statistics encompass a profusion of cconsiderations and challenges, including fleet sizes, vehicle brands and types, fuel usage and alternatives, GPS and other technologies, insurance, leasing vs. purchasing, and more. Regarding alternative-fuel vehicles in particular, it is interesting to note that their percentage, within fleets that use them at all (9%), more than doubled from a year ago.

Fuel costs, insurance expenses, driver training and other challenges are keeping some installing security company owners and vehicle fleet managers awake at night. SSI’s second Super Security Fleets study taps into hundreds of firms nationwide to assess key factors vital to effective operations. by Scott Goldfine 66

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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2012 SUPER SECURITY FLEETS SURVEY

100

140

HOW LONG (IN MONTHS) DO YOU TYPICALLY KEEP SERVICE/INSTALLATION VEHICLES IN YOUR FLEET?

160

180 25,000

Average

10% 8% 6% 4% 2%

12-24 months

25-36 months

37-48 months

16%

49-60 months

26%

61-72 months

14%

More than 6 years

37%

,00

han es re t mil Mo 000 0 41, ,00 0

Less than 1 year

-41

001

39,

-39

001

37, ,00

-37

001

35,

,00

-35

001

33,

-33

0 ,00 0

-31

001

31,

FIND IT ON THE WEB See the industry’s vehicle fleets on display with exclusive photo galleries at securitysales.com/photogallery.

28% 28%

13%

Other

Nissan

12% 11%

117,000

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR VEHICLE FLEET IS MADE UP OF THE FOLLOWING MAKES?

Ford

Average

20,000 or fewer miles ................... 1% 20,001-55,000 ............................. 1% 55,001-60,000 ............................. 4% 60,001-75,000 ............................. 2% 75,001-80,000 ............................. 3% 80,001-85,000 ............................. 3% 85,001-90,000 ............................. 1% 90,001-95,000 ............................. 2% 95,001-100,000 ........................... 9% More than 100,000 miles ......74%

miles

months

% Respondents

Months in Service

Toyota

-29

,00

-27

001

29,

27,

001

25,

-25

001

23,

,00

-23

001

21,

-21

001

19,

,00

-17

-19

001

17,

% Respondents

iles

er m

,00

-15

001

15,

13,

or f

-13

001

10,

000

10,

Months in Service

Average

12%

Chrysler

HOW MANY MILES PER YEAR DO YOU PLACE ON YOUR FLEET VEHICLES?

HOW LONG (IN MILES) DO YOU TYPICALLY KEEP SERVICE/ INSTALLATION VEHICLES IN YOUR FLEET?

120

% Respondents

Service/ installation vehicles Company/ staff passenger cars

GENERAL SECURITY FLEET FACTS

Annual Miles

HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE IN YOUR FLEET?

Average #

Yet they still only comprise 5% of that 9% universe. However, nearly a third of all respondents said they plan to purchase alternative-fuel vehicles within the next three years. So security fleet managers may begin to experience some gas relief in the very near future. Proceed on to peruse all of this year’s facts and figures, as well as the ensuing feature on page 72 detailing how ADT Security Services manages the industry’s largest fleet.

Make

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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2012 SUPER SECURITY FLEETS TOP 10 See the list at securitysales.com/fleet2012.

RANK THE FOLLOWING IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE TO YOUR FLEET (with 1 being least important and 8 being most important)

QUICK TAKE SECURITY VEHICLE FLEET STATISTICS

6.1

Average total dollar value of rolling vehicle stock: $170,370 Average gallons of fuel (gasoline and diesel) purchased annually: 35,238 Percentage of service/ installation vehicles modified with hooks, racks, drawers, etc.: 89% Percentage of service/ installation vehicles adorned with company logo, graphics, contact info: 82% Percentage of fleets using alternative fuel vehicles: 9% Percentage of alternative fuel vehicles within fleets using such vehicles: 5% Percentage planning to purchase/lease alternativefuel vehicles within next three years: 27% Percentage of service/ installation techs field tools supplied by company: 78%

5.9

Ranking score

Average number of new vehicles put in service during 2011: 2.51

Feature Fueling cost (cost of fuel & fuel economy)

Longterm, lifetime durability

GPS SYSTEMS

5.8

Maintenance cost/ downtime/ reliability

5.1

Purchase/ lease cost of vehicle

3.6

3.4

Appearance/style

Range without refueling

Power/ torque/ payload

DO YOU USE YOUR GPS DATA TO VERIFY TECH TIME CARDS?

Yes 25% No 75%

No, our GPS system does not track speed

25%

Yes, we track speed and have a policy for response if a vehicle exceeds it

21%

Yes, we track speed and do not have a policy for response if a vehicle exceeds it

45%

DO YOU HAVE INTEGRATION BETWEEN YOUR GPS DATA AND SERVICE DISPATCH (e.g. GPS tied into Sedona management system)?

YES

92%

JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM /

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Exhaust emissions/ green image

DOES YOUR GPS SYSTEM TRACK SPEED AND DO YOU HAVE A POLICY FOR RESPONSE IF A VEHICLE EXCEEDS IT? We do not use a GPS system

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR INSTALLATION/ SERVICE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH GPS DEVICES?

2.3

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2012 SUPER SECURITY FLEETS SURVEY

PURCHASED/LEASED VEHICLES AND ALLOWANCES

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR COMPANY VEHICLES ARE PURCHASED VS. LEASED?

IF YOU LEASE SOME OR ALL OF YOUR COMPANY VEHICLES, WHAT ARE THE LEASE TERMS (in months)? Months

89%

VS. Purchased

11% Leased

DO YOU ALLOW VEHICLES TO BE DRIVEN TO AND KEPT AT EMPLOYEES’ HOMES? Yes 73%

No 27%

% Respondents

12 months or less

10%

12-24 months

25-36 months

26%

37-48 months

36%

49-60 months

24%

More than 61 months

ARE YOUR DRIVERS/ EMPLOYEES PROVIDED COMPANY GAS STATION CREDIT CARDS FOR FUELING UP VEHICLES?

Yes 80%

No 20%

IN ADDITION TO COMPANY OWNED/ LEASED VEHICLES, DO YOU HAVE ANY EMPLOYEES ON A CAR ALLOWANCE?

Yes 42% No 58% IS ANY SPECIFIC DRIVER TRAINING PROVIDED OR REQUIRED APART FROM A STANDARD DRIVER’S LICENSE?

Yes 28%

No 72%

19%

Yes

DO YOU PURCHASE EXTENDED SERVICE/ MAINTENANCE PLANS FOR YOUR FLEET VEHICLES?

WHAT IS YOUR ANNUAL INSURANCE COVERAGE COST PER VEHICLE? Insurance

Average

Liability

$896

Collision

$306

Comprehensive

$405

Property damage

$291

DO YOUR FLEET DRIVERS PAY A PORTION OF THEIR VEHICLE’S INSURANCE COST?

Yes, they pay NO

81%

YES

SERVICE / MAINTENANCE AND INSURANCE

95 %

No, the company pays all insurance costs

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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MANAGEMENT

David Wade is supply chain and fleet group director for ADT.

The industry’s largest installing security contractor is saving millions of dollars each year and has significantly reduced its environmental impact following a makeover of its vehicle fleet. Key to the newfound cost savings and greener operations is switching to a more efficient compact panel van. by Lauren b L Fletcher Fl t her As Tyco Int’l works to finalize a reorganization, concurrent plans are also being completed to consolidate its North Americanbased security installation fleet across all Tyco entities. Tyco’s breakup will create three independent companies, including ADT Residential and Tyco Fire & Security. Newly branded Tyco Integrated Security, formerly ADT’s North American commercial security business, will operate as a division of the Fire & Security operation. (In March, Tyco struck a multibillion deal to merge its flow control operations with those of Pentair Inc.) As security’s largest provider, each day ADT technicians respond to thousands of customer calls, utilizing an industryhigh fleet of roughly 7,000 service and installation vehicles

throughout the United States and Canada. In the past few years the company has worked to overhaul its vehicle mix from approximately 95% full-size vans to a combination of 85% lightduty trucks and 15% full-size vans. The decision to consolidate the North American fleet was made more than a year ago by the company’s top brass, including ADT’s business presidents and Tyco corporate leadership. “Fleet is the fourth-largest indirect spend category. Everyone is involved, including the president of our company, operations leadership, field operations, our operational excellence leaders, all the way down to the driver,” says Dave Wade, supply chain and fleet group director for ADT.

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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ADT OVERHAULS ITS FLEET

Even before the reorganization, volatile fuel prices and aging service vans precipitated the massive fleet overhaul. Tyco turned to GE Capital Fleet Services, its fleet management company (FMC) of more than 10 years, for guidance in determining ways to reduce fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Also paramount was identifying a vehicle type that would enable technicians to efficiently service the company’s 6.8 million subscribers. Learn about the intricate preparations ADT made in selecting a replacement vehicle, plus insights into how the firm manages its fleet to maximize efficencies and reduce environmental impact. CONNECTING WITH THE RIGHT VEHICLE In collaboration with GE Capital Fleet Services, ADT launched a multiyear plan in 2008 to change the composition of its overall fleet profile to include vehicle mix and size, carbon footprint impact, vehicle tracking and management, and an increased focus on driver safety. Wade set out to review the fleet’s current utilization, as well as the company’s fleet optimization strategy and whether or not it was reducing carbon emissions and fuel expense. “A lot of our fuel spend is largely determined by vehicle selection. We drive to customer locations, so the average miles driven weren’t likely going to change immediately. Impacting the fuel spend was really in the vehicle selection,” he says. ADT entered into discussions with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler to

Although it has greatly reduced its fleet of Ford Econoline vans, ADT is still utilizing some of its older commercial vehicles for technicians who require larger units.

determine what vehicles were currently available, or soon to hit the market, in order to identify a replacement for its full-sized Ford Econoline vans. The search resulted in ADT selecting the Ford Transit Connect, a compact panel van, and by 2009 the company began implementing its fleet makeover. In preparation for transitioning to the smaller vehicle, ADT assembled a project team that included external strategic partners who were charged with examining Ford’s organization, from product development to vehicle marketing. “We had a kickoff meeting in Detroit in mid-December of 2009. About 50 different people from five different organizations really started to talk about how we’d attack this transformation,” Wade says. Along with the challenge of contending with service techs who were initially reluctant to switch vehicles, there were numerous other hurdles to surmount as well. For instance, the Transit Connect is manufactured in Turkey, while Ford’s upfitter of choice is located in Baltimore. “Bringing the product in provided challenges, such as how do we place orders, ensuring we

ADT’s fleet drivers appreciate the Ford Transit Connect’s size and upfitted features, which allow technicians to easily access tools and grab ladders off the roof with ease.

have enough allocation, and organizing with multiple suppliers including our graphics company,” Wade says. All of the preparation and careful attention to detail has led to a successful transition to date. Since deploying the more fuel-efficient Transit Connect, ADT has realized annual savings of more than $6 million per year in operating costs. The company also expects to reduce its carbon emissions by 40% (or 20,000 metric tons), as well as achieve a 20% reduction in preventable accidents. “This has been one of the most rewarding projects. Not only do you save your own company money and help save the environment, but also help one of the American staple companies, such as Ford, produce a new vehicle that was largely used in European markets,” Wade says. TRACKING DRIVER DATA WITH TELEMATICS In addition to overhauling its fleet, ADT also implemented a telematics solution. This portion of the transformational plan has resulted in increased driver productivity and the ability to further limit afterhours or unauthorized vehicle use. Some of the challenges ADT faced instituting its telematics program were simply justifying the deployment of the new technology on a fleet of 7,000 vehicles, creating an overarching strategy around workforce assimilation and management, and controlling and managing the new information the technology makes available. To carry out the telematics program, key stakeholders in the company collaborated to conduct a series of planning meetings on how to best to adopt the technology, knowing there was a significant “change management

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DRIVERS SPEAK UP ABOUT FORD TRANSIT CONNECT challenge” in executing the deployment, Wade explains. “We had more than 50 leaders across HR, finance, operations, operational excellence, customer experience, fleet, and strategic consulting who were instrumental in laying out the roadmap for this technology.” Tyco’s Vince Valentin, vice president of service delivery, agrees that adding telematics was an integral piece to the overall fleet transformation. “Telematics not only provides dispatching optimization functionality, it also facilitates significant fuel usage reduction by identifying speeding incidents, aggressive driving, and idling,” he says. “The associated behavior modifications resulting from leveraging telematics will translate into our broader efforts to be greener companies and into improved driver safety, which, in turn, will result in fewer accidents.” According to Mark Smith, strategic consulting manager for GE Capital Fleet Services, a critical element to the success of this type of program is a strong working relationship among team members from the different organizations. “It can’t be the traditional supplier/vendor relationship, because these initiatives take a tremendous amount of involvement,” he says. STANDARDIZING FLEET OPERATIONS With its reorganization expected to be completed by the end of September, Tyco’s main focus will be to continue consolidating strategic opportunities in the security and fire/life-safety markets, says Ken Foster, director of Tyco’s North American fleet operations. A tightly managed fleet operation will be central to successfully servicing the company’s wide range of end-user customers. “We’re looking at leveraging our size with each [independent company], so as we move into the future, we’ve already consolidated our overall fleet with one [FMC],” he says. Foster doesn’t foresee the upcoming split as presenting any significant challenges largely because the residential and commercial businesses operate as one entity today, even though

When ADT committed to purchasing thousands of Ford Transit Connect vehicles to update its aging fleet, a pilot program was conducted in 2010 that allowed technicians to use the vehicles in the field. Although initially reluctant to ADT technicians (l to r) Daniel Garcia, Robert Robles, Davon Brazil and give up their larger Jeffery Mojica say the Ford Transit Connect has helped them do their Ford Econoline vans, jobs better by being easier to handle and providing better access to the 35 participants equipment and supplies. changed their perception dramatically by the time the pilot was completed, based on the vehicle’s functionality and convenience. With more than 3,000 Transit Connects in the field today, ADT technicians continue to speak positively about the compact panel van’s performance on the job. Fleet Financials Magazine, published by Bobit Business Media, recently spoke with a handful of ADT service technicians in the Southern California region to collect their opinions about the vehicle. Following are some of their comments: Daniel Garcia — “The Ford Transit Connect runs a lot smoother than our previous vehicles. We frequently drive in cities where we cannot park. We find a lot more parking availability because the [vans] are much smaller. The turning radius is also better than the bigger vans.” Robert Robles — “As far as the ladder racks, they are a lot more convenient for us than on the bigger, taller vans. [The Transit Connect is] a lot shorter. As far as tools and equipment, the cargo area is easier to store items because of the shelves and it’s just a lot more convenient for us all around.” Jeffery Mojica — “What I like most about the Ford Transit Connect is that it’s a van, but it doesn’t feel like a van when you are driving around. It feels more like a small car. It has a lot of cab space, and it makes it very easy to grab tools and equipment from the back. I’m very happy with it; I love driving this van.” Davon Brazil — “[It] is so much better use-wise. There are places to put your stuff instead of throwing it everywhere. There are pockets for everything. You don’t have to climb into the truck to grab something like before, scraping your knees on the floor. You just open a side door and grab what you need. The truck itself is so much better ergonomically.”

they are separate departments. As for the fleet operation, it will maintain the same type of consolidated structure moving forward. “We’ll have the same business model and really continue to leverage the strategic things we’ve already put in place, such as telematics and working with [GE Capital Fleet Services],” Foster says. “We’ve done a great job managing the fleets, so as we move forward and segment the fleets out, the challenge is more on paper than anything.”

No small notion, however, is the need to modify the company’s fleet vehicle branding. In this endeavor, Foster’s foremost goal has been to minimize disruption and downtime with field technicians. “We’re doing a mass reidentification of the vehicles on the weekends and at night, so that we aren’t interrupting our business flow,” he says.

Lauren Fletcher is a Managing Editor for Bobit Business Media’s Auto Group trade publications. She can be contacted at lauren.fletcher@bobit.com.

JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM /

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HE ESSENTIALS

SPECIAL ISC WEST 2012 ROUNDUP

FLIR A310PT Thermal Camera System

FLIR Systems of Portland, Ore., releases the A310PT thermal camera system that secures perimeters and measure temperatures for condition monitoring. Designed for outdoor use, the device is a pan/ tilt system with two environmental housings, one for the A310 thermal camera and another for a day/night 36x zoom color CCD camera. Additionally, the remote temperature measurement system can plug and play into existing CCTV networks and IPTV security networks. A precision pan/tilt mechanism gives operators accurate pointing control while providing fully programmable scan patterns, radar slew-to-cue and slew-to-alarm functionality. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16400

Moog Videolarm Fusion Camera Housing with Thermiq Technology

The Fusion Camera Housing with Thermiq Technology from Moog Videolarm of Decatur, Ga., is engineered to keep IP surveillance cameras closer to ambient temperature. The rugged environmental camera enclosure ensures fixed IP cameras thrive at peak performance over a longer life, according to the company. Thermiq technology diminishes heat by using heat diffusers and high-speed blowers, which replaces hot air with cool air in the enclosures. Heat generated by IP cameras and sun radiation is therefore evacuated from the housing. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16402

Adams Rite Steel Hawk 4300 Electrified Latch

Adams Rite of Pomona, Calif., an ASSA ABLOY company, releases the Steel Hawk 4300 deadlatch, featuring a patented two-way “winged” technology that allows it to adapt to any door swing out of the box, according to the company. The product combines mechanical locking hardware with electrified access control while working within standard aluminum entrance door preparations. It adapts to 12, 16 and 24VDC and exceeds ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 requirements, according to the company. Equipped with a quick connect plug-in type connector, the deadlatch offers a fail-security lock with optional form “C” latch status monitor. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16403

Onity Wireless Locking Solution

Onity of Atlanta, a UTC Climate Controls & Security company, releases the Onity wireless lock (OWL), which now integrates with IMRON access control software, using Onity’s open architecture interface. Available in wireless and offline versions, the product upgrades to various reader types — HID iClass, MIFARE classic, 125KHz prox and magstripe — and from offline to wireless with minimal modifications. Reader changes can be performed in less than five minutes, while wireless upgrades are as simple as removing the trim panel, mounting the wireless antenna, and pushing a button, according to the company. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16401

Next Level NLSS Gateway 2.3 Security Management Platform

Next Level Security Systems of Carlsbad, Calif., presents the NLSS Gateway unified security management platform version 2.3, which includes enhanced system health monitoring and secondgeneration face capture. Users can group devices, users, cardholders and other assets such as floor plans or building layouts for a customized management tool. The system also allows the allocation of customized roles and permissions for different users to control system access levels. The company’s remote management services (RMS), a hosted service, enables the management of multiple Gateways across sites. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16404

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

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/16204

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THE ESSENTIALS

SPECIAL ISC WEST 2012 ROUNDUP

Elk Products M1 Control 2-Way Wireless System

Elk Products of Hildebran, N.C., introduces a two-way wireless family of products for its M1 Cross Platform Control. The product line includes the M1XRFTW wireless transceiver, 6020 slim-line door/window sensor, the 6021 mini door/window sensor and the 6022 universal three-zone sensor. The 6022 can be used to communicate security as well as environmental triggers such as water leaks or critical temperatures. A fourbutton key fob provides a visual confirmation of arm status and alarm condition. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16405

HID Global pivCLASS Government Solutions Portfolio

HID Global, of Irvine, Calif., releases the pivCLASS government solutions portfolio, an integrated product suite that enables facilities to comply with federal identity mandates without having to replace their existing physical access control system (PACS). Components include pivCLASS readers, authentication modules and validation server. The solutions work together with existing PACS to deliver functionality specified by FIPS 201. Supporting PKI-at-the-door mandates and PIV-I and CIV requirements for cards issued by non-federal entities, pivCLASS also supports the TWIC reader specification. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16407

P l DX4700HD/DX480 Pelco DX4700HD/DX4800HD Series Hybrid Video Recorders

Pelco by Schneider Electric of Clovis, Calif., releases the DX4700HD and DX4800HD Series hybrid video recorders (HVR). The recorders support up to eight IP megapixel cameras on each HVR, in addition to eight or 16 analog cameras, for a total of 16 or 24 cameras. The products offer up to 12Mbps of bandwidth and a graphics processor that supports the display of 1,080p high-definition video. Both models record up to 30 images per second (ips) on all channels and provide up to 8TB and H.264 main profile video compression. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16406

AVUE AV830SD Vandal Proof Dome Camera

The AV830SD camera system by AVUE Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., combines a camera and lens package into a small, versatile enclosure that can be surface mounted. Featuring a â&#x2026;&#x201C;-inch Sony Ex-View HAD II CCD image sensor and digital signal processor, the vandalproof camera adopts an advanced digital image processing technology with resolution up to 700 TVL. It also features a three-axis positioning system that is capable of a wide variety of pan and tilt angles. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16408

AMAG Technology Symmetry Visualizer Encoders

AMAG Technology of Torrance, Calif., introduces the Symmetry visualizer encoder family. The Visualizer Encoder utilizes H.264 compression to provide file reduction of up to 80% for maximum video storage, according to the company. In addition to motion detection functionality, the product also provides video content analysis. One encoder blade monitors up to four cameras, and encoder racks are available in 1U and 4U sizes with up to 40 channels per rack. The encoders require Symmetry security management software v6.2 SP4 with the Symmetry visualizer plug-in to operate. securitysales.com/FREEInfo/16409

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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HOW GOING PAPERLESS CAN ENHANCE CUSTOMER CARE Building Your Business

by Mike Jagger

Mike Jagger is President of Vancouver, British Columbia-based Provident Security and a member of SSI’s editorial advisory board.

mike@providentsecurity.ca

Provident Security’s president explains why having a paperless operation allows his company to better achieve its lofty customer service goals.

e are in the speed business. At Provident Security we guarantee when a client’s alarm trips, we will be at their door within five minutes, 24 hours a day. That’s a huge promise that requires a lot of resources, planning and management. We’re really proud of it. It’s our core promise and our most important differentiator. For now. Our ability to make good on that promise is as much about what we do as it is about what we’ve stopped doing. The most important thing that we’ve stopped doing is using paper. We came to realize that paper-based systems and processes were a major drain on our resources and took away from our ability to focus on our core promise. Handling paper, in all of its forms, steals time that could, and should, be spent serving clients. In an effort to regain those resources and lost time, we embarked on a mission to work through every aspect of our business to identify and eliminate our use of paper. A similar analysis of your company’s internal processes could result in achieving newfound efficiencies while spurring you on to even greater innovation. INNOVATION AS A CONTINUAL GOAL Our journey started in May 2005 when I was in Boston, along with other entrepreneurs from around the world, attending a program led by business guru Verne Harnish. Harnish spoke about what makes a company great. It is not the ability to innovate, but the ability to keep innovating. What is remarkable today quickly becomes tomorrow’s table stakes. Anything you do that qualifies as “groundbreaking” or “unique” will be copied. It’s a guarantee. If what you have come up with is truly remarkable, it won’t be long before that “innovation” becomes the minimum standard that clients expect. For example, FedEx was the first to introduce overnight shipping in 1973. If you needed something delivered by noon the next day, they were the only show in town. It was a remarkable feat in the 1970s. By the 1990s, table stakes. FedEx

would later make another revolutionary leap when it launched the first Web site to offer real-time package status tracking. Unless you’re innovating, you’re falling behind. Harnish’s message resonated. I immediately viewed our business in a different light and set out to do everything I could to put us in a position to focus our energy on providing a remarkable experience for our clients. We needed to ensure that innovation at Provident was a continuous process, not just a one-time event. In order to do that we needed to focus as much of our finite resources on the truly important parts of our business, and as little as possible on the back-end administrative tasks that are critical but do not provide a unique or competitive advantage. I spent my flight home to Vancouver working on a list that had two columns. The left column listed the things I believed our clients valued and would happily pay for. The right column listed everything we were spending time, money and effort on but did not have a direct impact on our clients’ experience. We may have been a small company at the time, but nevertheless the right-hand column was very long. BUILDING CLIENT TRUST Our clients care about seeing our bright yellow vehicles on the road. They appreciate the peace of mind they get when interacting with a response team member on their doorstep within five minutes of tripping their alarm in error. Clients don’t care about what specific technology we are

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(Immediate left) Provident Security underwent an extensive internal review with the aim to eliminate the use of all paper. (Far left) To achieve its customer service goals — including arriving at a client location within five minutes of an alarm event — Provident Security stopped using paper-based processes to maximize operational efficiency.

using. In most cases, they don’t even care what technology we are selling. It’s the service that will accompany the technology that makes the difference for them. Don’t get me wrong, we take our commitment to staying ahead of the technology curve very seriously. If we didn’t, we’d soon be out of business. Top-of-theline equipment and software are absolute minimums. Yet they do nothing to differentiate us among any of our competitors — at least not in the eyes of our clients. When a client phones us, they appreciate that we answer their call quickly and we’re not in a rush to hang up. Most of all, our clients care about being able to trust us. Every interaction we have with a client is an opportunity to build their trust and confidence. In 2005 we were spending far too much time on operational tasks that did not involve any client interaction. Wholesale change was necessary. PAPER BECOMES POINTLESS We started to scrutinize every single aspect of our business — every process, every procedure — and making decisions based on how each particular task benefited our clients. Stuffing envelopes does not add strategic value. Keeping paper files up to date, and in the right place, is a completely avoidable opportunity cost. Getting paper contracts signed and initialed properly, especially by multiple signors, is a frustrating, time-consuming and often messy process. Manually creating invoices is just wasteful. While we had been utilizing digital reporting systems since 1998 for our alarm response service (starting with the original Palm Pilot), the administrative side of our company had not kept pace. Far too much Fred Flintstone, not nearly enough George Jetson. Our administrative costs were growing as fast as our company (if not faster). It was costing us far too much to grow. The majority of items on our list of frustrations and wasteful activities were paper-based … paper forms that we used inter-

nally, paper contracts for clients, paper proposals and, worst of all, a paper filing system. The biggest frustration in our office was how often our team members would have to chase down a file folder that was not where it was supposed to be. Physically moving a file folder from desk to desk, from in-box to out-box and back to the filing cabinet invariably resulted in more than a few “black holes” along the way. Files would be all but lost until someone went on an expedition to find them. So, we started by getting rid of our filing cabinets. All of them. We invested in desktop scanners to stop the flow of paper at the earliest opportunity. Secure Shred-It boxes ensured that every piece of paper that made it into our office, once scanned, found its way out. Personally, I refused to accept anything on paper unless it was absolutely impossible to be scanned and/or E-mailed to me. Paper client files were replaced with digital folders, which didn’t move and were available to everyone who needed access and to no one who did not. Taking the first step toward a truly paperless office got everyone at Provident to see how powerful the transition was going to be as we eliminated more and more paper processes. The less time we wasted pushing paper, the more time we had to be in front of clients. Each quarter we tackled a new project. After our filing system was digitized, the next project was to get rid of the outdated policy and procedure manuals, employee handbooks and other internal documentation. Instead, we built a series of wikis (or Web pages), which allow our team members to add, delete or revise documentation content by using a Web browser. Our path to paperless has not been without bumps. Moving to wikis, and especially allowing all team members to edit them, caused some disagreement. We parted ways with a member of our senior management team during the transition. In 2009 we signed our last paper monitoring contract; 100% of our client contracts are now signed using electronic signatures. Going paperless has been much more than a project, it has caused a profound change in our company culture. And all innovation requires change. Mike Jagger will present a seminar titled “The Path to Paperless” at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) in Nashville, Tenn.; June 28, 5-6 p.m. For more information, call (877) 628-9558.

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AAXEON TECHNOLOGIES........................................................... 50

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AES Corporation............................................................................. 49

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Nissan Commercial Vehicles......................................................... 11

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Affiliated Central, Inc. ...................................................................C2

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All American Monitoring ............................................................... 77

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Panasonic System Solutions Company ........................................ 25

ASIS International .......................................................................... 79

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Pelco by Schneider Electric ....................................................A8(40)

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Axis Communications ................................................................... 12

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ScanSource, Inc. ............................................................................. 73

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Bolide Technology Group ................................................................ 7

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Speco Technologies........................................................ CoverSnipe

Channel Vision Technology .......................................................... 51

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Speco Technologies.......................................................................... 1

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DSX Access Systems, Inc.................................................................. 9

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SSI .................................................................................................... 20

EasyLobby, Inc. .............................................................................. 19

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EMERgency24.................................................................................C3

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Fire-Lite Alarm ............................................................................... 71

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System Sensor................................................................................. 29

16209

HID Global ........................................................................................ 5

16234

System Sensor................................................................................. 82

16334

HIKVISION ..................................................................................... 15

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Telular Corporation........................................................................ 45

Honeywell Security ........................................................................C4

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Telular Corporation........................................................................ 47

16172

JLM Wholesale, Inc. ......................................................................... 6

16249

The Quick Response Monitoring Alarm Center........................... 52

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Kirshenbaum & Kirshenbaum, PC ............................................... 82

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Tri-Ed/Northern Video Distribution ............................................ 65

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KOWA Optimed, Inc. ...................................................................... 55

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Tyco Security Products (Kantech) ................................................ 17

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Linear Corp. .................................................................................... 67

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Tyco Security Products (DSC) ....................................................... 23

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Micropower Technologies ............................................................. 20

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UTC Interlogix ................................................................................ 59

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Minuteman Power Technologies .................................................. 31

16278

Visonic, Inc. .................................................................................... 53

16216

National Monitoring Center (NMC) ............................................. 21

16314

PAGE

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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,, moni m onitor toring ing.............................. ............................ ....$2 $200. 0 00 Residential Lease Installation, service, monitoring.................................................$200.00 ntractor or Agr Agreem eement For su subb or or ggene n ral contr t act actor or..................... r ........................$20 $2 0.00 Sub-Contractor Agreement general contractor.......................................$200.00 letio tionn Cert C ertifi ificat cate e........................... ...................... . ................. .......................................$ ..$40.00 Completion Certifi cate...............................................................................................$40.00 mmer mercia ciall & Re Resident tial ial-- use use aft after e instal talla tal lation & eve lat ev ry se servic ce call Commercial Residentialinstallation every service 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 S tatemennt .............................................................................. .............................................................................. ........ $50.00 $50.0 $50.0 0 0 UCC-1 Statement ntra ral Sta ation ion Contr Co raccts ........................................................................................ ..................................................................................... .. ...... ...... .. . $375.00 $3375. 5.00 00 Central Station Contracts wayy con ntra ract be bet weenn c/o wee /o ins stalleer & sub bscribber, sseparate eparaate for form m wher w heere 3-way contract between installer subscriber, where /o is ssue UL ce ert rtificcate forr inst tallerr c/o issue certificate installer nstal ta lerr C Co ntrrac act............... ...... .................................... . .......... .. .............................................$$375 375.00 00 Installer Contract.....................................................................................................$375.00 Sta atio t nar aryy Guar ua d ““Rent-A-Cop”..............................................................................$375.00 Reent-A -A-Co -Cop”......................... .............................. . ...................... ...... .. ... ...... .......$37 375.0 00 Stationary Guard Tel eleph ephone on Sa Sale les.…..................Comm mmeerciaal or Residential R sideential Re 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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How Panduit Did It The goal of integration is for the whole to exceed the sum of the parts or systems. Increasingly, that equation is extending far beyond the interactivity of security systems to incorporate what had been disparate systems within buildings into cohesive enterprise-wide solutions. Panduit’s new world headquarters offers one of the most convincing examples of this vision made real. By Scott Goldfine

nleashing the full power and capabilities of today’s advanced security technology is a thrill requiring the reconciliation of several variables. These include an opportune application, a client where money is virtually no object, highly skilled security professionals and a well-coordinated effort among everyone involved with

Panduit combined security and network operations into a Unified Operations Center. This eliminated redundant servers and networking systems to facilitate the teams collaborating to meet operational efficiency needs.

the project. All of these stars aligned for a comprehensive solution recently deployed at building infrastructure provider Panduit’s new global headquarters in Tinley Park, Ill. The system’s design and installation demonstrates the might of integrated, IP-based physical security solutions to accelerate event detection and response, enable collaboration between a private company and public safety agencies, and increase operational efficiency. The solution combines networked video surveillance and access control, and sets a foundation to centralize security operations for Panduit’s 120 offices worldwide. “Panduit’s new world headquarters brings to life our vision for creating environmentally sustainable and healthy places to work,” says CEO John Caveney. “We set out with a mission to create the ‘building of the future,’ and we feel we’ve set a new precedent by combining state-of-the-art visibility and control for all critical building systems, sustainable energy, operational cost savings and intelligent design features — all aligned under a single unified infrastructure.” This ambitious project serves as a showcase for what are becoming the seemingly endless possibilities of integrated systems. As such, it has profound implications for what lies ahead for this industry.

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THE BIG IDEA 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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Why RMR Is King in the Alarm Industry

IDEA

OF THE MONTH If you had just one really great idea you could share with the alarm industry, what would it be? This month’s great idea comes from John Raiger, who is proprietor of New Lenox, Ill.-based Electronic Systems of Illinois Inc.

ohn Raiger, owner of New Lenox, Ill.-based Electronic Systems of Illinois Inc., is easy to like. With his ponytail, soft demeanor and easygoing attitude, he would be perfectly cast in an updated version of “Middle Age Crazy,” a wonderful movie from 1980 that so perfectly captures the essence of that period in one’s life. However, looks can be deceiving. Behind Raiger’s relaxed manner is a knowledgeable, successful alarm dealer who has been around this industry since before the time that movie was made. He’s seen it all. Back when he started he became a disciple of the concept of being in “the recurring monthly revenue” business. As many of you know, my day job is as a business broker, helping alarm dealers to exit the business in the most profitable way possible. And that usually means helping those potential sellers to define as much RMR as their business is capable of. That means not just monitoring, but also service contracts, long-range radio, video monitoring, medical alert and, frankly, anything that has ongoing and steady monthly cash flow. Unlike many other businesses and industries, the alarm industry estimates the value of its companies based on a multiple of RMR. And that means to you, dear reader, that every dollar you add to your recurring revenue is multiplied by the multiple you will receive when you sell the business. So when Raiger talks about his idea of being in the RMR business, he means it literally. HARD LESSON TO LEARN It breaks my heart when a dealer who works primarily on the integration side of the business — including home entertainment and other spinoff installation services — calls to request an evaluation of their company, only to learn that its worth is considerably less than what they expected. I recall a client of ours who regularly billed upward of $10

Raiger’s great idea: Be sure to develop your recurring monthly revenue, and don’t get distracted by projects that don’t have a RMR component. million on big installation projects. He was of the mind that his company “must be worth lots of money,” but actually quite the opposite was true. In short, he wasn’t selling service contracts or any other type of RMR services. By the time he finally put together the financials, he discovered a cold reality: Without a RMR component to his business, he had nothing to fall back on. We finally helped him sell his company, but at a considerably lower number than he ever expected. All of the little or no money down sales programs out there are really nothing more than an attempt to build up RMR at a cost that is lower than the multiple that the account might be sold for. For example, let’s assume an account was paying $25 a month and had a three-year contract. If you multiply $25 times 36 months, you come up with a gross value of $900. Depending upon the valuation of other accounts in the portfolio, you can see how it might pay to spend $200 to $500 in creation costs to get an account that might be worth $900. When looking at the valuation of alarm companies, gross sales are not nearly as important as RMR. It can be all too easy to sidestep your primary mission — creating RMR! — and instead start monitoring other products and services that might generate revenue but really do not have any application for the future. Raiger’s concept of not getting distracted by non-RMR-related projects is a good one. For those of us nearing the age of retirement, and thinking about our exit strategy, it is mandatory!

JUNE 2012 / SECURITYSALES.COM /

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||| LEGAL BRIEFING |||

DIVERSE OFFERINGS DEMAND DIVERSE CONTRACTS

by Ken Kirschenbaum

Ken Kirschenbaum has been a recognized counsel to the alarm industry for 35 years and is principal of Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum, P.C. (kirschenbaumesq.com). His team of attorneys, which includes daughter Jennifer, specialize in transactional, defense litigation, regulatory compliance and collection matters. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of SSI, and not intended as legal advice.

he growth of your company is most likely an idea that rarely leaves your thought process. Planning your strategy for growth, whether you rely on intuition or professional consultants, has to start somewhere, and I think it starts with your product. What you have to sell and market. The alarm industry is changing at a pace that rivals any other industry, which is no surprise because the industry is electronic rooted. New products are coming out and your existing customer base is a great place to start promoting these new products and services. When alarm technicians became systems integrators the available product line increased dramatically. The routine intrusion system can now be supplemented with not only fire detection devices, but cameras for both alarm verification and video surveillance, audio, lighting, electric appliance controls, all remotely accessed by the subscriber. It should not come as any surprise that the goal of your marketing and sales program is to increase your recurring revenue. RMR is what builds your company; its operational expenses and its equity. With all of the products and services you can and should be offering your subscribers, your opportunity to increase RMR has never been better. Sure economics are tough right now, but crime and fire and other conditions that you sell systems to detect are ever present. Whether you’re selling a luxury or necessity depends on your salesmanship. You’ve got to not only understand your products and services; you need to believe in them. Better protection usually equates with more equipment and services. Subscribers are more sophisticated today than ever, and they usually want all the bells and whistles you can provide. It’s not enough that they have intrusion protection. They need fire as well, they want to remotely arm and disarm the alarm, they want to be able to view cameras disbursed around their home or business — perhaps listen in — and be able to open the garage door, turn on or off the lights, and maybe start the oven while on their way home. Diverse systems and services, of course, require contracts that address these services. All too often alarm companies give little thought to their contracts, considering them a necessary expense or something their insurance carrier requires. Most alarm dealers understand the contracts provide protection from claims by subscribers who suffer losses, and also understand the contracts provide for RMR that is part of the formula for valuing alarm companies. But the contracts also define the equipment that is to be installed, the services that are to be provided and obligations of the parties to the contract. Establishing the alarm company’s duty owed to the subscriber is an essential purpose of the contract. You should be careful to match your contract terms with the systems and services. Although this is often done in the specification terms sheet, the correct contracts need to be used. For example, when installing a commercial fire alarm system you want to be using the proper contract for that system and service.

Diverse systems and services require contracts that address these services. All too often alarm companies give little thought to their contracts, considering them a necessary expense or something their insurance carrier requires. With changing times and technology you now have the opportunity to offer systems and services that not long ago were unavailable. Video is probably the hottest product at the moment. Suggesting to subscribers with intrusion systems that they need video verification systems, or self-monitored video, is a way to increase protection and your RMR. Upgrading smoke and CO detectors is another RMR growth potential. Your focus should be on RMR growth, which not coincidently will also provide subscribers with greater protection and services. You need to believe in your services and you need to understand your contracts, and believe in both. It’s your job to sell the services and the contracts to your subscribers.

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.

ken@kirschenbaumesq.com

/ SECURITYSALES.COM / JUNE 2012

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untouchable

LYNX Touch—now with first-ever 4G and Wi-Fi alarm communications, compatible Android™ tablet and Z-Wave® automation! Make more money with Honeywell’s innovative new LYNX Touch 5100—the newest version of the industry’s most popular self-contained wireless control. Z-Wave® connectivity lets you integrate security and cameras with lighting, thermostats, locks and more—all MID-7H Android™ Tablet with built-in L5100 Connect

controlled locally from a brilliant, high-resolution graphic touchscreen. Add Total Connect™ and your customers can perform these functions remotely—giving them extra convenience while you earn extra RMR. Our groundbreaking Wi-Fi solution lets you enjoy the lowest cost alarm communications with remote services—all without having to run a CAT5 wire. The first-ever 4G communicator helps give your installations longevity, and it’s advanced technology finds the best signal in the area to make installations a snap and save you time and labor. No other system can touch it!

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www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/16103

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5/29/12 9:39 AM