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Š 2011 Ingersoll Rand
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RESIDENTIAL RAMPS UP Connected Services Mean More RMR IP VIDEO IN FULL BLOOM 160-Acre Greenhouse Boosts Efficiency
SELLING VISITOR MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS An Easy Way to Raise Access Revenues
PLUS: Remote Video Monitoring Q&A Wireless Opportunities Houses of Worship Case Study Thermal Imaging for ‘D.U.M.I.E.S.’
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November 2011 Vol. 33, No. 11
CONTENTS Enterprise Security Systems (ESS) renovates an unwieldy CCTV solution at America’s largest heated single-site greenhouse with a hybrid DVR, plus added IP cameras, megapixel cameras and wireless connectivity. — See page 48
Ready to Rally Around New Services 42 Residential IP-based services and mobile apps that allow consumers to control
and stay connected to their homes are expected to anchor a key market adrift in economic uncertainty. SSI’s 2011 Residential Market Report provides research from Parks Associates to help security contractors take hold of these opportunities. By Tricia Parks
Helps Greenhouse Flourish 48 Video Integrator ESS upgrades Metrolina Greenhouses’ confounding vid-
eo surveillance system, enabling the business to be become both safer and more efficient throughout its 160-acre campus. The unique venue and unconventional application make for an intriguing project. By Scott Goldfine
Out Your Line With Visitor Management 54 Round Security contractors install access control systems sometimes on
a daily basis, and yet less than a third venture into ID cards and badging. Find out how offering your clients visitor management solutions not only makes sense but can also add easy profits to your bottom line. By John V. Murzycki
There Be Security 60 Let Victory World Church near Atlanta receives a scalable security solution that allows the megachurch to upgrade its legacy system over time while providing remotely managed, IP-based CCTV and access control for its satellite facility. The project highlights the specialized needs and opportunities in the houses of worship vertical. By Rodney Bosch
Thermal Camera Technology By Bob Wimmer
2
8 Between Us Pros With Scott Goldfine Eight tips to attain SAMMY Award glory.
12 Advisory Board Forum Bill Bozeman Think industry change doesn’t affect you? Think again.
22 Convergence Channel With Paul Boucherle
The four phases of value creation.
24 Tech Talk With Bob Dolph
Defending your installations from electrostatic discharge.
36 Fire Side Chat With Shane Clary
How integrated testing mitigates loss of property and life.
40 Monitoring Matters With Kevin Lehan What fire and police chiefs need to learn from you.
72 The Big Idea With Ron Davis
Celebrating the deeds of industry pioneers.
76 Legal Briefing With Ken Kirschenbaum Recourse when an AHJ targets your customer.
◗ DEPARTMENTS
❮❮ Special Pullout Section
Imaging for D.U.M.I.E.S., A1 Thermal Part 2 of 4
◗ COLUMNS
Cover photo ©istockphoto.com/Jim Kruger: house/Skip O’Donnell: phone
4 15 64 66 70 74
Security Exchange Industry Pulse The Essentials Ad Index Building Your Business MarketPlace
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Security Exchange Web Watch securitysales.com
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NOW ON
securitysales.com INTRUSION CHANNEL
www.securitysales.com/intrusion One of seven targeted channels, transmission, wireless technology, this section is dedicated to everyfalse alarm issues, RMR tips and thing related to intrusion detection. opportunities, sales and marketing The channel includes industry and ideas, integration with home and business news, trends and technol- building controls, fire/life safety, ogy features, installation case stud- access control and video, dealer ies, application articles, product programs, standards, legislation, notices, expert columns, blogs and recruiting and training, technical much more. Whether it’s control troubleshooting, etc. — you’ll have panels, sensors, motion detectors, all the info you need at the click keypads, alarm monitoring, signal of a mouse. Join others who are
Peggy Onstad Publisher, ext. 477 Rodney Bosch Managing Editor, ext. 426 Shane Clary, Ron Davis, Bob Dolph, Peter Giacalone, Bob Grossman, Ken Kirschenbaum and Bob Wimmer. Contributing Writers
Scott Goldfine Editor-in-Chief 114 Chatworth Lane Mooresville, NC 28117 (704) 663-7125 Fax: (704) 663-7145 Ashley Willis Associate Editor, ext. 419
Sr. Production Manager Sarah Paredes, ext. 497 Art Director Margery Young Audience Marketing Manager Katie Fillingame
equally serious about this established yet still growing market by making the Intrusion Channel one of your primary online destinations.
Staff E-mail addresses are firstname.lastname@security sales.com (e.g. scott.goldfine@securitysales.com) Contributors‘ E-mail addresses are secsales@bobit.com. HOW TO CONTACT ADVERTISING & MARKETING
■ West
Dynise Plaisance-Hiebert 3520 Challenger St. Torrance, CA 90503 (760) 519-5541 Fax: (310) 533-2502
WEB-O-METER
5 most-viewed news stories during September
■ East Peggy Onstad 3520 Challenger St. Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 533-2477 Fax: (310) 533-2502
ADVERTISING SALES TERRITORIES
GVI Security Shuts Down Operations
Tyco Splits ADT, Commercial Fire & Security From Flow Control Unit
Siemens Merges Fire, Security Operations to Create New Business Unit
It’s Official: Stanley Purchases 95% of Niscayah
Schneider Electric Trims 50 Pelco Jobs, Cites Weak Economy
SECURITY SCANNER®
Security Scanner® Web Poll Question:
What is the best way to handle changing technology, such as control panel communications, that requires a customer upgrade? CHARGE AND PROFIT FROM UPGRADE
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64% 14% 13% 5% 2% 2% The vast majority of installing security contractors believe upgrading customers in concert with technology advances should also advance their profits. More than six in 10 respondents to this month’s Web poll expressed that sentiment, while almost eight in 10 (78 percent) say technology upgrades, which are becoming a routine occurrence, should not result in any out-of-pocket costs to the dealer. Log onto securitysales.com to view SSI’s Security Scanner archives as well as cast your vote for the November question: How do feel about the 2012 presidential race at this point? BLOGS
www.securitysales.com/blog
Some of the things we’re talking about …
4
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
For the latest news as it happens, sign up for SSI’s eControl Panel at www.securitysales.com
• ASIS 2011 as Seen Through This Eager Editor’s Eyes • How Many Trade Shows Is Enough? • PSIA Panel Promotes Urgency of Open Industry Standards • Court to Determine if Alarm Company Was Willfully and Wantonly Negligent • What Are the Legal Concerns When Implementing ECV? Engage in the conversation!
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securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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Security Exchange Sounding Off
Leading
Right Mindset Required for Mining RMR Model EDITOR’S NOTE: The following two comments are in response to SSI’s September issue Building Your Business installment, “10 Pieces to Solve the Service Sales Puzzle” (also at securitysales.com/business0911).
the way in
Megapixel
A large part of having a valid RMR [recurring monthly revenue] program is offering the customer continual value. Oftentimes, people fail to make the mental shift from a one-time sale to a RMR model. For example, just charging your customers monthly for a maintenance contract they could do without is going to get you nowhere. Offering off-site storage options, onsite quarterly system inspections, or other ongoing value-adds are more likely to create RMR. Another key RMR option is providing the entire system for a monthly fee. In such a scenario the customer is able to spread out the cost of the system over several months/years and apply it as an expense. It is important to realize that switching from one-time sales to RMR is more than just changing the customer monthly.
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TYLER TATUM, CEO Brainlike Surveillance Inc. Atlanta
You’ve used them for fun, now let’s get down to business. Network with colleagues. Get news as it happens. Find new talent. Reach new buyers.
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The RMR model has long been a key to success for security companies. For a program to work, it has to provide a perceived benefit for both sides. For the subscriber it is most likely the ability to get more protection at a lower initial cost, and having a predictable cost for security system service. For the installing company the advantages include a long-term contract that adds value to the company, a steady revenue stream and an easier sales process. The downside for the installing company is that on a sale there is usually a much lower initial profit and very often an initial loss, which is made up with interest during the course of the contract. Subscribers renewing contracts can maintain the revenue stream from an account for decades with minimal reinvestment by the company. MARK FISCHER, CTO Systems Support Specialists New York
securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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Between Us Pros
Uncle SAMMY Wants You!
I
t’s been said that recognition is the most powerful of motivators. I believe this to be true. People crave praise and the feeling of being appreciated. Studies have stunned business owners and managers by showing that workers value positive feedback above and beyond anything else, including money.
For that reason and many others, back in 1994, SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION launched the Sales & Marketing (SAMMY) Awards. The program — which recognizes and honors North American electronic security dealers/ integrators who demonstrate exceptional expertise in their sales & marketing materials, business practices, and installations — has gained momentum each and every year. The tradition continues March 27 when the 17th incarnation of the SAMMY Awards gala once again unfolds in Las Vegas as a prelude to ISC West. Also featuring the official SSI Industry Hall of Fame inductions, the early evening affair has become a focal point for leading security professionals to gather to honor and network with their colleagues. It’s an important event, productive, a load of fun … and, oh did I mention free to attend with all comers welcome? But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; you’ve got plenty of time to make Vegas arrangements. Right now, the top priority is getting together the appropriate materials and submitting SAMMY entry forms. It’s FREE to participate, but the Dec. 31 deadline will be here before you know it. Everything you need can be found at thesammyawards.com. This year’s “Best” categories are: • Installer of the Year, Large Company (150+ employees) • Installer of the Year, Small to Midsize Company (150 or fewer employees) • Integrated Installation of the Year • Overall Integrated Marketing Campaign • Community Outreach Program • Sales Brochure • Company Newsletter • Display Advertisement • Broadcast Advertisement • Promotional Giveaway Item • Company Logo • Vehicle Graphics Design • Web Site Design
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By Scott Goldfine scott.goldfine@ securitysales.com
Winning a SAMMY is not only outstanding for company morale, it is also a fantastic sales and marketing tool in its own right. Of course, just being named as a finalist is nearly as sweet. A majestic SAMMY trophy prominently exhibited in an office serves as a powerful testimonial to potential customers of that company’s commitment to quality. And the exposure in SSI can be shown to prospects. Here are eight quick tips for SAMMYs success: 1. Are you qualified? — The SAMMYs are open to North American installing security companies, not manufacturers, distributors, etc. (but these firms can be sponsors) 2. Don’t let deadline kill your chances — Procrastination is the enemy, get started on your entries today 3. Canvas all the categories — There’s a lot to pick from; you can enter all, but only one entry per category 4. Appeal to the judges — Review the applicable criteria as you put together your entry to ensure it addresses those factors 5. Mind the rules — Check the fine print to ensure you send in what the category calls for 6. Be user-friendly — Make sure it is easy for judges to access and evaluate your submission; and each entry requires its own packaging 7. Go for ‘The Big One’ — If submitting more than a couple of categories, why not also enter Overall Integrated Marketing Program? 8. Good form — Fill out entry forms completely, pay special attention to the reasons your entry should win that particular award; neatness counts, so seriously consider typing your entry; securely attach separate entry forms for each category Good luck!
■
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 • NOVEMBER 2011
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Advisory Board Forum
You Need Change to Make a Dollar By Bill Bozeman, CPP bill@psasecurity.com
Past achievements may be pleasant memories and past failures may cause heartburn, but they are the past. Your job is not to celebrate or curse the past; it’s about succeeding in the future. Bill Bozeman, CPP, is President and CEO of Westminster, Colo.-based PSA Security Network.
T
here is no doubt it is politically correct and generally accepted as intelligent to claim you are comfortable with change. If you really want to be perceived as being progressive, you can boast you embrace and even love change, but the simple fact is the vast majority of humans do not like change one bit. Humans prefer to stay in their comfort zone, processing the same data in the same or similar fashion, producing the same or similar results. How many times have we all heard, “Do not fix what is not broken”? The problem with staying in your comfort zone and failing to fix what is perceived as unbroken does not take into consideration the fact everything around you is changing rapidly. Be honest with yourself, are you of the mindset that it’s just easier to keep doing the same things in the same way just like you always have? Many companies have similar “do not fix what is not broken” mentalities and the results are often ugly. What happened to Sears? How about Kmart? I guess management figured Amazon.com and Wal-Mart would not impact them enough to motivate the required change in their organizations. Everything was going great, so why tinker with what works? Closer to home, have you evaluated the rapidfire change in the physical security space? Our industry is experiencing nonstop acquisitions, senior level management shake-ups and general restructuring among most of the major players. It would be beyond naïve for you to think these changes made by our industry’s most influential providers of products and services will not impact you, your existing relationships with your customers, and your bottom line. Tyco, UTC, Schneider Electric, Securitas, Niscayah, Stanley, Siemens and others all understand that change is painful, yet they are all implementing the changes they feel are necessary to thrive going forward. These large
companies employ professional strategists and analysts who understand they must push the envelope, question their current strategy, plan for tomorrow, and not dwell on how great or awful they were last year. Past achievements may be pleasant memories and past failures may cause heartburn, but remember they are the past. Your job is not to celebrate or curse the past; your job is all about succeeding in the future. So what can you do to make sure you and your company do not fall into the “I am too comfortable to change” category? 1. Commit to a review of your personal day to day activity. Are you on autopilot? Can a restructuring of how you approach your responsibilities make you more productive? 2. If you are in a position of authority at your company, I suggest you run the same autopilot question for each of your departments. 3. Study your change options. Change for the sake of change makes no sense. Make sure your change plan is logical, well thought out, and that you have adequate input from your peers, subordinates and senior management team. 4. Do something! If you are conservative by nature you can stick one toe in at a time, but by all means do something, make something positive happen! 5. Lead by example. Do not ask anyone to do what you will not do or have not already done on a comparative basis. Staying in your comfort zone is not an option unless you are very close to retirement; in which case you may possibly survive without accepting HD surveillance, IP everything, hosted video, managed access and your younger employees’ tattoos and nose rings. If you are not ready for retirement you had better get your arms around fixing what you may perceive not to be broken. ■
12 securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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Industry Pulse In Depth
Thai Floods Increase Hard Drive Prices, Impact Supply Chain drives as it could. “We have done everything we can to prepare for this shortage. We even drove all over the city and bought every hard drive on the shelf that people would sell to us,” says Optiview President Dave Page. “We paid double
©iStockphoto.com/Valentin Casarsa
LOS ANGELES — Monsoon floodwaters that have devastated parts of Thailand will cause a nearly 28-percent drop in hard disk drive (HDD) production in the fourth quarter, threatening to disrupt computer manufacturers before the end of the year,
Devastating floods in Thailand are expected to cause extended supply chain shortages and price increases for hard drives used in CCTV storage solutions and other electronics.
according to a report by research firm IHS iSuppli. Providers of electronic security products, including DVRs, servers and other storage solutions, will also be affected, sources say. Thailand is the world’s No. 2 maker of HDDs after China and is a major supplier of hard drive parts. Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, Hitachi GST and Samsung each have disrupted HDD factories in Thailand, where flooding has killed several hundred people since July. Some security product vendors have already taken action to mitigate supply shortages and rising prices as existing HDD inventories are quickly being gobbled up. Optiview, a nationwide CCTV equipment distributor and manufacturer based in Jacksonville, Fla., said it scrambled in late October to purchase and stock as many hard
for these drives, but we’ve got to have them available for our customers.” Tom Grossholz, a manager with Southeastern Leasing & Equipment Corp., says his company has less than a two-month supply of HDDs, which it puts into standalone DVRs. The firm installs CCTV equipment it leases to small businesses in eastern and Midwestern states. Procuring future supplies remains uncertain, Grossholz says. “Prices have doubled, if you can even get them. Some parts distributors will limit you to only one or two. I tried to order 100 hard drives [in late October] from a supplier and they canceled that order and told me, ‘I can only give you 50.’ They don’t want to sell any of them to resellers,” he says. HDD shipments in the fourth quarter will decline to 125 million units,
down 27.7 percent from 173 million in the third quarter, resulting in a significant shortage of HDDs, and an increase in price of about 10 percent compared to third quarter prices, iSuppli said. In October, Toshiba and Western Digital announced the temporary shutdown of their factories in the country, while Seagate said the supply of components to its factories in Thailand was interrupted. Because of the extensive impact on its operations, Western Digital is likely to lose its status as the world’s largest shipper of HDDs, with its rank expected to fall to third in the fourth quarter, iSuppli said. Western Digital provides hard drives for security vendors such as Exacq Technologies, an Indianapolis-based provider of video management system (VMS) and storage solutions. While it continues to closely monitor the impact to the global HDD supply chain, Exacq Marketing Communications Manager Roger Shuman says the disruption would not affect its business. “We don’t see any reason why we won’t be able to meet our customer demand with regard to hard drives. We are prepared,” he says To prepare for a potential extended supply chain shortage and price increase, Page is advising installing security contractors to formulate contingency plans to protect their bottom lines. “We are recommending to our customers that they purchase the least amount of hard drives per DVR that they can get the job done with. In a few months the prices should come down again. Then they Industry Pulse can install more AT A GLANCE hard drives in the DVR when it’s more Industry News .........15, 16 The Hot Seat ................ 18 economical to do Company News ............. 20 so,” he says. securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011 15
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Industry Pulse Industry News
United Technologies Corp. Restructures Businesses HARTFORD, Conn. — United Technologies Corp. (UTC) has combined the Carrier heating and cooling unit and its Fire & Safety business into one division called UTC Climate, Controls and Security Systems. Former Carrier President Geraud Darnis will serve as president and CEO of the new division. The company’s Pratt & Whitney jet engine manufacturing business and the Hamilton Sundstrand aerospace and industrial products supply business will also be combined into one unit, named UTC Propulsion and Aerospace Systems. UTC said the new structure will allow it to serve its customers better and improve its sales growth. To learn more about UTC’s long-range plans in the security space, check out SSI’s in-depth interview with Global Security Products President Kelly Romano at securitysales.com/romano or see the September issue. SSI Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine also discussed UTC with industry analysts in a recent blog post, which you can read at securitysales.com/utc-blog. UTC joins the ranks of two other companies that recently announced their restructurings. Tyco Int’l said that it
Global Retail Theft Rises 6.6% During Study Period PHILADELPHIA — Shoplifting, employee theft and organized crime cost the global retail industry $119 billion in the 12 months ended in June, up 6.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the 2011 Global Retail Theft Barometer report. A sluggish global economy and high unemployment likely contributed to the increase, according to Joshua Bamfield, director of the Center for Retail Research and author of the study. “Retail crime on average cost families in the 43 countries surveyed an extra $200 on their shopping bill. That’s up from $186 last year,” Bamfield says. “In the U.S., that figure was $435.” Global retailers spent $28.3 billion on loss prevention and security, an increase of 5.6 percent compared to 2010. The amount lost to theft accounts for about 1.45 percent of total sales.
The study is underwritten by an independent grant from Checkpoint Systems, which offers labeling and other technologies to help retailers prevent theft, referred to as “shrink” in the retail industry. The increase pushed theft to its highest level since 2007, when the annual study was first conducted on a global basis. In the United States, the rate of theft is higher than it is in other countries, about 1.59 percent of total sales versus about 1.45 percent of total sales globally. Employee theft and fraud accounted for 35 percent of the loss. Customer theft, including shoplifting and organized retail crime by gangs of criminals, accounted for 43.2 percent of the loss. The survey showed that clothing and accessories experienced the most theft, at 1.87 percent of sales, with health and beauty products close behind at 1.79 percent.
will split into three separate publicly traded businesses, dividing its ADT North America residential security business, commercial fire and security division, and flow control unit. Siemens also revealed that it had merged its fire and security business units.
Vivint to Enter Solar Market
PROVO, Utah — Vivint, formerly APX Alarm, has received $75 million from U.S. Bancorp to launch a solar business. With the funding the company created Vivint Solar, which will offer financing and installation services to the residential market. Vivint Solar customers receive free installation, monitoring and maintenance of solar panels, and the ability to purchase the power generated by the panels for a lower rate than they typically pay their utility. You can learn more about the new Vivint business in an upcoming issue of SSI, which will include an article that details how security integrators are expanding into solar solutions to service their customers.
SentryNet to Relocate to Memphis GREENVILLE, Miss. — SentryNet announced it would close its wholesale monitoring services operations here and move to a more centrally located facility in Memphis, Tenn. The Greenville, Miss., facility will close by April 1, 2012. Michael Joseph, vice president of operations, says the company decided it would have a better opportunity to find the best people and infrastructure support in a larger city such as Memphis. “We did not make this decision on a whim, but after much analysis, planning and debate we felt that this was a necessity if we are going to continue to thrive and grow within our in- Above, SentryNet’s 7,500-square-foot dustry,” he says. facility in Greenville, Miss. The company will soon relocate to a new 38,000-square-foot SentryNet has building in Memphis, Tenn. been headquartered in Greenville for 25 years. The move to Memphis will provide the company’s nationwide customers a more centralized location with easy access by air flight or car, according to the company. SentryNet, which responds to more than 90,000 customers for more than 500 dealers, staffs 65 employees in its Greenville operations. The company says it plans to hire 115 employees in the Memphis office by December 2012.
16 securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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Industry Pulse
HOT SEAT: Selling Remote Video Monitoring are finding it especially difficult to get them to move away from that, particularly if they have made a significant investment in their own security command center. So in a mall or a hospital maybe they have an individual or two who are sitting in this room looking at a wall of monitors and they think that is a good thing. Our strategy is to help educate these users to understand that it is not always an effective way to provide security, both from a cost standpoint and from a pure security standpoint. It’s about changing that mindset of ‘we’ll just do it on our own.
Remote video services, such as remote video monitoring and remote guarding, are providing newfound recurring revenue streams for independent installing security contractors. Although the marketplace continues to develop, providing these advanced video services is not without challenges, says Jerry Cordasco, vice president of operations for the G4S Technology security monitoring center in Burlington, Mass. Cordasco joins the conversation to further explain. Which market verticals are ripest for remote video services? Where we are having success is predominantly for outdoor applications and in areas where we are protecting the storage of valuable assets. The setting is typically a fenced perimeter, so for example, building materials, boats, cars, RVs, solar cells, power sub-stations, etc. The typical electronic solutions, such as fence sensors or outdoor motion detectors, are expensive and prone to false alarm. The alternative is to put one or more human security officers in there after hours and perhaps even 24/7, but that cost can be prohibitive. Much of the value of remote guarding can be found by combining the deployment of security officers with advances in technology to better support the officers and improve the response time to a threat. Where we see successes and where we are trying to focus on are to some degree different. There are certain markets that are almost no-brainers. If you focus only on those then that is quite a limited segment of the marketplace. We are focusing on how the benefits of remote guarding can add value to other markets through im-
Jerry Cordasco Vice President of Operations G4S Technology
proved security and cost reduction, something on every end user’s mind these days. Which targeted markets are proving difficult? We have a defined set of target markets that we are currently focusing on for new business. In some vertical markets, the [end users] are so entrenched in the concept of only using guards that they are not comfortable thinking a bit out of the box and moving away from that. The challenge is to get their mindset away from thinking only about security officers and more so about the benefits that can result from a combination of security officers and technology. In other cases, the end user has a risk but doesn’t realize the risk or doesn’t understand the value of the service relative to what they perceive as the risk. When a customer has the idea they want to do their own monitoring, we
So educating the end user falls to the integrator? When you look at the market at large, most of the time the onus is on the integrator-dealer to explain what the service is and what the value is above and beyond using security officers. Someone has to sell this service and implement it. Right now this is the biggest bottleneck when it comes to accepting remote monitoring. In many circumstances, the integrators themselves don’t fully understand the service or how to apply it and therefore it becomes difficult to convince an end user to consider this option. Integrators are comfortable with traditional security solutions such as intrusion detection, electronic access control and recorded video. Remote guarding is a managed service that leverages those other technologies and it is taking some time for them to get their arms around that concept. FIND IT ON THE WEB F For much more from our conversation, visit F the Hot Seat at securitysales.com/hotseat. th
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Industry Pulse Company News ◗PEOPLE SDA Security, based in San Diego, appoints Megan O’Neal as marketing communications coordinator, reporting to CEO Shandon Harbour. O’Neal will O’Neal spearhead a new developing component of SDA Security, brand marketing. Vector Security appoints Teresa Godwin as national account manager to help expand the company’s National Accounts Division sales force. Godwin, a 19-year industry Godwin veteran, held previous positions at Sensormatic, ADT and Universal Surveillance Systems. Amanda Baumgartner will serve a two-year term on the IQ Certification Board of Directors, replacing Jacqueline Keast. Baumgartner was recently promoted to Baumgartner licensing manager for Rapid Response Monitoring, taking over the position Keast held at the company. Baumgartner previously served as assistant to the president. Micro Key Solutions promotes Victoria Ferro to president. Wayne Torrens, past president, will assume the role of CEO. Prior to her promotion, Ferro Ferro served as a business development manager since 2008. She also previously served at the company as a business development representative.
SECURITY PEOPLE NEWS
For updates on new hires, promotions and more, sign up for SSI’s Security People News enewsletter at securitysales.com
Vector Moves National Service Center to Focus on Loss Prevention Vector Security relocated its National Accounts Division into an expanded facility in Gainesville, Va., as it prepares to meet increasing demand for loss prevention services, including IP video, electronic article surveillance (EAS) and managed network services. Formerly based in Manassas, Va., the facility assists national account customers at 44,000 locations throughout North America. The newly constructed, 27,000-square-foot facility allows the company to create “a virtual loss prevention services laboratory” while helping reduce the costs of servicing its customers’ security systems, Vector Security Executive Vice President Michael Grady tells SSI. “It performs all customer service, which includes sales, installation, service, engineering and accounting.”
ADS Security Adds Identity Theft Protection to Services Portfolio ADS Security has teamed up with IdentaSafe to provide identity theft protection to its customers. Each month, customers will receive an identity report and an identity risk score, which informs them of threat potential. If a customer becomes a victim of identity theft, IdentaSafe works with them to fix their identity to a pre-theft status. Clients will also have a $25,000 insurance policy to cover lost wages and out-of-pocket costs that result from identity theft. “ADS recognizes the growing threat of identity theft, so we wanted to offer this product as a complement to our existing security services,” says Tom Szell, vice president of ADS Security. “We selected IdentaSafe because they have developed a unique 360-degree approach to identity theft protection that provides customers with protection, detection and correction.”
Mobotix Unveils New Partner Program During Conference Megapixel camera provider Mobotix introduced a Global Network Partner Program at its recent West Coast National Partner Conference in Seattle, saying it will protect integrators from losing their projects to other businesses. The program will feature two tiers: Tier 1 is for Authorized Mobotix Dealers (AMD); Tier 2 is for resellers and systems integrators. To avoid taking clients away from its integrator partners, Mobotix will only sell its products through its AMDs and not directly to the end user, Mobotix Chief Sales Officer Dr. Magnus Ekerot Mobotix Chief Sales Officer Dr. Magnus emphasized during the conference, which SSI atEkerot details the company’s Global Network Partner Program with more tended. The company also stressed it would not acthan 230 integrators, distributors and end users at Mobotix’s 2011 West Coast cept a partner that predominantly sells products National Partner Conference in Seattle. on the Web, which caused integrators to applaud.
Tri-Ed / Northern Video Distribution Acquires CCTV Distributor Tri-Ed / Northern Video has acquired Video Security Specialists (VSS), a West Coast-based video surveillance distributor. The company, which operates 46 locations across the United States and Canada, will maintain VSS’ offices in Burbank, Calif., and Corona, Calif., as well as integrate a Las Vegas office and sales team into the Tri-Ed / Northern Video branch there. “We are very excited to increase our North American footprint and continue to exceed the expectations of security professionals in these markets,” says TriEd / Northern Video President and COO Pat Comunale. “We welcome the VSS sales staff to the Tri-Ed / Northern Video team.”
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Convergence Channel
Creating Value for Your IT Customers You can increase the demand for network-centric solutions by recognizing the four phases of value creation. Key is determining what value means for each customer.
C
reating value for IT departments is based on both technology application deployment, and creating measurable business value. As a growth-orientated systems integrator, you must be able to do both. I will address creating business value in this article and the technology/application piece next month. In my experience, and maybe yours as well, there are four phases to being able to develop value for and with IT departments. Hopefully these insights will shorten the time from Phase 1 to Phase 4. Now, there are infinite variations of how you create value for your customers, from your perspective. However, the one thing I have learned about value is that it can only be defined by one entity, your customer. IT customers have their own definition of value. We will attempt together during the next month to discover how that might be defined. So let’s explore the four phases and where you may need to move forward in developing a new relationship with your customer’s IT departments.
Phase 1: Fear of the Unknown
©iStockphoto.com/garywg
This phase occurs in both directions of the relationship. A systems
By Paul Boucherle paul@matterhornconsulting.com
integrator may be outside of their comfort zone approaching and conversing with IT departments, especially if they have been a traditional integrator, installing discreet infrastructure. Those IT people talk funny. They make me feel foolish. They can really be intimidating. So let’s start with a tale from the trenches. I can understand how you feel. I have been there. The year was 1999. I was meeting with a new prospect who was interested in our new IP video system. The prospect was an IT manager at a major university in Ohio. So what was the problem they wanted to solve? Different departments needed to use a common auditorium. They would have to send a staffer to check if the previous scheduled program was finished so they could use the facility. This happened every day. Conventional CCTV was financially or technically impractical. An IP-addressable camera solution might do the trick. Even being a recovering technology applications engineer, I was a little nervous as it was a big opportunity with a sophisticated IT department. I walked into the meeting with the IT director where five other IT people were waiting for us. I was certain they would
have lots of questions, and that they would be skeptical. It’s etched deeply in my psyche. That type of predicament kind of makes you feel all alone. Actually you shouldn’t feel that way because the IT people may be thinking those exact same thoughts when they first encounter these wild and crazy security systems integrators. They can be a bit strange. They talk funny. They want to invade my network space! So how did I handle this scary situation? I did my homework about my audience, the IT department. I figured if we were going to attack this new market opportunity I better know what we were getting into and who we would be selling to. I discovered that just like most businesses, different levels of IT management had different points of view, departmental concerns and self-interests. At the network “edge,” the IT administrators were very interested in network appliances (hardware), especially bits and bytes; speeds and feeds. Their IT bosses were interested in a bigger picture, like how an application solves problems, fits in the expansion of the network and positively impacts their sphere of influence. So, you may ask, how does this knowledge translate into a sales call strategy? Similar to the moon, there are four phases to being able to develop value for and with IT departments. They are: fear of the unknown; territorial encroachment; catious curiosity; and value verification.
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Phase 2: Territorial Encroachment The phrase, “Get off my land,” suits this phase. Also, “Just stick to your knitting and everything will be just fine.” Or, “We never needed this in the past, so why start now?” Those statements can be equally attributed to an IT department, security department or a security systems integrator. I’ve heard them from all sources, dozens of times. Change is really difficult for just about everybody. But it runs deeper than mere feelings; it can be grounded in departmental budgets. Breaking through this phase is all about asking yourself three questions: 1. If I stay status quo, will something change outside my control that could negatively impact my career/ department/business growth? 2. Does the competitive nature of business change the expectations of the people I work for or serve? 3. Am I unintentionally calling on the wrong level of management? If even one of these answers is yes, it’s time to consider moving on to Phase 3 because Phase 2 is built upon a premise that nothing will or needs to
©iStockphoto.com/ryasick
I walked into that meeting with a briefcase and an IP camera in a box. I was introduced to the group. I opened the box to reveal the camera and made a simple statement: “The record is four minutes and 18 seconds to get a picture across the network.” The technicians were immediately intrigued, engaged and took on the challenge with great energy. I then started the clock, turned to the IT director and said, “You can allow as many department chairs to view the availability of the auditorium as you authorize on the network.” The IT director is now empowered with business influence, serves his stakeholders and shows the value of a robust network. Phase 1 is both real and imagined, and value creation is negligible.
While IT management must deliver technology solutions consistently well, they must also manage their department for business results. This means creating business value for their customers, just like your business.
change. You can sell products here but not much real value.
Phase 3: Cautious Curiosity This phase can also be called Curious George gets an iPhone phase. It is where people recognize that change is inevitable, and must actively learn about partnering in areas they lack expertise. This is when you need to actively seek new information, listen to seasoned advice, learn from others, identify the core strengths you bring to a partnership and read everything you can get your mitts on. Specifically, identify some credible thought leaders who have practiced what they are preaching. Phase 3 is a growth and awareness phase when you begin to realize what value is really all about. You have turned the corner and are ready for a change in strategy.
Phase 4: Value Verification This is the “How does everyone win?” phase. It’s obviously the fun phase where you get to apply existing and expanding core competencies in new ways, as well as new applications. Rubber on the road … traction ... forward progress. I suggest you collaborate on building some baseline metrics for success with your new friend in IT. Always start
with thoughtful questions, not product answers. The performance metrics should be measurable, practical and have reasonable timelines. This is the foundation for return on security investment (ROSI) case studies. So your homework for next month is figuring out a good baseline metric for the university example I shared earlier. While IT management must deliver technology solutions consistently well, they must also manage their department for business results. This means creating business value for their customers, just like your business. Need a good question to get the ball rolling with senior IT management? Try, “Would your CEO describe the IT department as a tactical but necessary expense, or as a strategic investment that will help the company grow?” This is a good qualifying question to understand who you are working with and what potential opportunities exist for creating value. Their answer will help guide your business value creation strategy. Always remember that IT must go through the same four phases you do to find the “enlightenment” of convergence. ■ Paul Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is principal of Canfield, Ohio-based Matterhorn Consulting (www. matterhornconsulting.com). He has more than 30 years of diverse security and safety industry experience and can be contacted at paul@matterhornconsulting.com.
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Tech Talk
Cutting Through the Static There are many definitions of static, none of them desirable in the context of installation and service activities — especially pertaining to electricity. Learn techniques to minimize potential damage and even danger from this source.
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tar Wars” made “The Force” something you always wanted with you. However, there is another type of force that technicians ought never to covet. It’s a force that has been around since the beginning of time and can wreak havoc with many of today’s low power electronic components, circuits and devices. Electrostatic charges create dangerous force fields that can result in what is known as an electrostatic discharge or ESD. With the winter months approaching, the incidence of equipment damage from ESD will substantially in-
crease due to reduced humidity in the air. We all become familiar with ESD as children after walking across a rug and touching things like a metal stud on a fireplace or a lamp frame and then got zapped by a blast of miniature lighting. While entertaining, this same type of ESD can result in damage to electronics or millions of dollars in property, and even death if careful attention is not paid. Thus, this month we will look at how security dealers can save equipment, property and lives, and even make some extra revenue, from managing the effects of ESD.
By Bob Dolph bdolph.ssi@gmail.com
Common Causes of ESD One of the causes of ESD is static electricity. It is the act of tribocharging; the separation of electrical charges when material is brought together and then separated. A work-related example of this would be the pulling of tape from itself on a spool or walking across a rug or vinyl floor. Another cause of ESD damage is through electrostatic induction. This happens when electrically charged items are placed near a conductive object that is isolated from ground. An example of this would come from items such as Styrofoam cups or plastic bags. While the most popular form of ESD is the proverbial spark, many ESD-sensitive electronic components can be critically or fatally damaged with an electrical discharge of as little as 10V potential. This invisible event would not be felt or heard by a human.
Steps to Reduce Servicing Risks
Proper use of an anti-static wrist strap can help reduce ESD damage to sensitive electronic systems. Notice the alligator clip adapter for convenient clipping to a good metal earth ground.
Today’s alarm tech has many new technology tasks, including servicing a variety of computer equipment. Preventing ESD when servicing electronic equipment can be applied at several levels. It all depends on how thorough the technician wants to be in minimizing the risk of ESD damage. Remember that the goal when handling and servicing electronic components is not to introduce a voltage potential, either from your body or
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Tech Talk
and inductive items like normal plastic bags and Styrofoam cups.
TECH TALK Tool Tip In keeping with this month’s ESD theme I wanted to feature the AC outlet analyzer and wrist strap tester Model 98130 from Desco (desco.com). This little module does a nice job of providing a complete AC ground outlet interface with visual indicators and good wrist strap continuity. Both are needed for proper ESD prevention. Price-competitive packages include the wrist strap unit. When the device is plugged into an AC outlet, the green LED lights if the outlet’s wiring is correct and the path to earth ground via the equipment grounding conductor (the green wire) is intact. The red LED lights if either condition is not met. neighboring insulative objects, to sensitive electronics and systems. One simple technique to prevent ESD that most of us may have used through the years is making sure you touch the metal PC chassis before touching any sensitive areas, such as handling plugin PC circuit boards. Is this correct? If your answer is yes, you are not completely right; there is more to this process that we often realize. It is normal practice when changing out PC boards to remove the AC power by pulling the power cord. This helps avoid any accidental incidents with live power. However, by doing this you have also removed the electrical earth ground and the PC chassis is now floating; not a good source for discharging the electrostatic buildup in your body. It’s very important to find a good earth ground to touch before handling sensitive equipment. A possible discharge source could be touching the AC outlet cover plate screw (assuming the earth ground is good on the AC outlet). You must also remember to discharge again any time you move, handle plastics or get up to walk around. One very important ESD prevention tool in every experienced PC serviceman’s bag is an ESD wrist strap used for safely grounding yourself (see photo). Just remember that you must
This plug-in tester is designed to confirm the integrity of the resistance path from field service personnel to ground. This is possible through wrist strap grounding systems and the equipment grounding conductor. Courtesy Desco
have a good earth ground to properly discharge before handling sensitive electronics. One handy little inexpensive device for this is the Qube ESD ground adapter plug from Prostat Corp. (prostatcorp.com). It allows you to easily plug your ESD wrist strap into the ground pin of an AC outlet. Do you know if the AC outlet ground is good? How? Did you test it with your AC outlet tester? Don’t have one? Shame on you, you should have one for testing all your AC connections. A good source for a tester is Ideal’s E-Z outlet checker (idealindustries.com). If you do a lot of field service assembly work on ESD-sensitive components, you may also want to look at an ESD pad that will allow you to create an ESD-safe work area. The pad plugs into the same neutrally charged bonded circuit. You may also want to consider a more professional configuration such as the Desco AC analyzer and wrist strap tester combo unit. It is competitively priced (see Tool Tip). You can further minimize ESD risk by practicing some additional service tips. Make sure to keep circuit boards in closed ESD-protective bags until you are discharged and ready to insert or replace. Handle boards by the edge. Be careful with static-producing actions like removing tape from a spool,
Realizing RMR Sales Opportunities Businesses such as mill working shops, granaries and those with explosive chemicals have the potential for ESD ignited explosions. The alarm dealer can help these businesses by providing monitoring equipment for relative humidity levels. Typically, relative humidity below 60 percent can open the way for ESD damage and spark ignition. Products such as Winland’s EnviroAlert systems (winland.com) are wireless and capable of monitoring and logging relative humidity data. It’s a good sales and recurring monthly revenue (RMR) opportunity. Be more aware of ESD issues in the dry winter months. Remember that electronic equipment damaged by ESD may be critical but not fatal, and the equipment will work with a reduced service life due to the partial ESD damage. I have seen PC keyboards and sealed reed-type alarm door contacts damaged from ESD. In my case, future keyboard ESD issues were prevented by using a special anti-static spray to reduce static build-up in alarm operator area rugs. Before concluding this month’s topic, a few more words of wisdom are in order. Make sure to ground yourself before opening up the gas cap when refueling your service vehicle. Do not go back in to your vehicle while refueling, as moving on the seats can build up a new static charge that can discharge a spark at the gas fuel opening. The explosion can be deadly. When servicing equipment, do not try to make your owned grounding straps from bare wire. Professional straps have megohm resistors inline for electrical shock protection. That’s a wrap! ■ Bob Dolph has served in various technical management and advisory positions in the security industry for 30+ years. To share tips and installation questions, E-mail Bob at bdolph.ssi@gmail.com. Check out his Tech Shack blog at www.securitysales.com/blog.
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DUMIES THERMAL IMAGING FOR
DEALERS / USERS / MANAGERS / INSTALLERS / ENGINEERS / SALESPEOPLE
Thermal Camera Technology
© 2011 Video Security Consultants
Continuing Education Sponsored by FLIR Part 2 of 4 Brought to You by
Presented by
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THERMAL IMAGING FOR
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Part 2 of 4
The Technology Behind
Thermal Cameras
Illustration by Jerry King
Technological advances along with declining prices are opening up myriad security applications for thermal imaging. Understanding how thermal cameras are affected by variables such as detector type, lens, f/number, resolution, pixel pitch and image processing is essential to ensure results mesh with expectations.
W
BY BOB WIMMER
elcome to Part II of the latest in SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION’s acclaimed “D.U.M.I.E.S.” series: “Thermal Imaging for D.U.M.I.E.S.” Brought to you by FLIR, this fourpart 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. This particular series delves into thermal imaging as it pertains to cap-
turing video surveillance regardless of lighting conditions. While the first installment established a working foundation by explaining what thermal imaging is in basic terms and revealing its history, this session will address more specifics about the technology and how it applies to camera performance. Parts III and IV will discuss incorporating thermal into system design, and application examples and solutions. Even those considered experts in conventional video surveillance hardware and software platforms are typically not well versed in thermal imaging technology. Therefore, security professionals must educate themselves on the
technological differentiators — and the terminology used to describe that technology — to determine which camera, or set of cameras, will meet the requirements for a particular installation.
Key Background Info and Terms As a refresher for those of you who caught the first part of this series, or as an introduction to thermal imaging for those of you who missed it, let’s review some of the background information and terminology used when discussing this technology. Thermal cameras make images from infrared (IR) energy. IR energy is part of the electromagnetic spectrum just
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like visible light (the light we see with our eyes, and that used by standard video cameras). The main difference between visible light and IR energy is its wavelength. Visible light wavelengths are 0.4-0.75 microns (short for micrometer, or one-millionth of a meter; abbreviated as μm), while IR energy consists of much longer wavelengths.
ly. Note that the cameras you’re most likely to encounter use one waveband or the other, not both. There are a few salient points you should keep in mind about thermal cameras and thermal imaging that are true regardless of whether you’re imaging in the MWIR or LWIR waveband. First, thermal imaging is not in-
Electromagnetic Spectrum Chart
Infrared energy has longer wavelengths than visible light. Its imaging bands are divided into shortwave IR (SWIR), midwave IR (MWIR) and longwave IR (LWIR) wavebands.
fluenced in any way by the amount of visible light available because thermal cameras are sensitive to distinctly different wavelengths of energy. Next, although there are some technical exceptions, the visible light you
• Darkness — thermal cameras see heat, not light, so it doesn’t matter how many (or how few) lights a fa-
Image courtesy FLIR Systems Inc.
The term “infrared energy” itself can be a bit confusing because it encompasses a wide range of wavelength groupings called “wavebands,” not all of which are used in the security market. Related terms you may encounter are near infrared (NIR), shortwave infrared (SWIR), midwave infrared (MWIR) and longwave infrared (LWIR). NIR energy is just beyond the range of light visible to the naked eye, typically in the 0.74-0.9μm range, and is the energy typically used for the type of covert lighting called “infrared illumination.” While this waveband can technically be considered part of the overall energy called infrared, IR illumination is NOT the same as thermal imaging. SWIR energy is used for imaging applications, but affordable solutions for the security market are thought to be a year or two away. This leaves the two wavebands most commonly encountered in the security world: MWIR and LWIR. Cameras that use MWIR or LWIR energy make images from infrared energy in the 3-5μm and 8-14μm wavebands, respective-
see is generally reflected off a surface, while IR energy is largely emitted (given off) by an object, though it can also be reflected and transmitted. Finally, IR energy acts differently than visible light in many common circumstances. For instance, it travels through atmospheric haze better than visible light energy, but it doesn’t pass through glass very well. For an end user, this means under many conditions a thermal camera will be able to detect an object on a hazy day from a greater distance than a visible light camera, but a thermal camera won’t be able to see through glass as well as a visible light camera can. From the point of view of a security dealer or integrator who is trying to develop solutions for their end-user customer, thermal cameras can solve most — if not all — of the imaging challenges encountered by standard cameras that make images from visible light. Consider the following conditions:
Thermal energy and visible light can act differently. For instance, thermal cameras can’t see through glass (top), but they can help you see better through fog (bottom). securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011 A3
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DUMIES
Image courtesy FLIR Systems Inc.
THERMAL IMAGING FOR
Thermal cameras see heat, not light, so it doesn’t matter how many (or how few) lights a facility has in order for the thermal camera to see clearly.
• A lens (or set of lenses) made out of special material that focuses thermal energy onto a detector • A detector that is sensitive to IR energy • Electronics and signal processing elements that translate the energy gathered by the detector and convert it into a video signal that can be displayed on a monitor We know from our recap of the first issue that thermal cameras are sensitive to energy in the MWIR waveband (3-5μm), or the LWIR waveband
Image courtesy FLIR Systems Inc.
cility has in order for the thermal camera to see clearly. • Glare and shadows — similarly, thermal cameras can detect objects in deep shadows and even when looking into the rising or setting sun. • Low visual contrast — because an object’s own heat signature can generate improved image contrast depending on the conditions, thermal cameras are not affected by camouflage or low-contrast clothing like imaging technologies that use visible light, and can even work better with analytics packages.
Because an object’s own heat signature can generate improved image contrast depending on the conditions, thermal cameras are not affected by camouflage or low-contrast clothing like imaging technologies that use visible light, and can even work better with analytics.
With those factors in mind, let’s take a closer look at how thermal cameras work, and what information you need to consider when trying to determine the best solution for a given installation.
Running Down Camera Basics All thermal cameras consist of the same basic elements:
(8-14μm) within the electromagnetic spectrum. A thermal camera uses a special detector sensitive to this energy, which is the first step in turning invisible IR energy into an image that we can see and use. The thermal cameras you’ll typically encounter in the security and surveillance field will either be cooled or uncooled, referring to whether the IR
Part 2 of 4
detector needs to be cooled to cryogenic temperatures in order to create a usable image. Which type of imager is better depends largely on the needs of the specific application, as each has strengths and weaknesses. Cooled cameras are more sensitive to small differences in scene temperature than uncooled cameras, meaning they can typically see smaller objects from farther away. Thus, cooled cameras are more suitable for long-range imaging in environments that may not have much of a temperature difference among objects in the scene. Because of their increased sensitivity, cooled cameras are best suited for applications like border security in which the detection of human targets beyond two miles is critical. However, the cryocoolers used in these cameras have moving parts made to exacting mechanical tolerances that can wear out over time, requiring periodic maintenance as they get older. Often, a cooled imager’s lifelimiting part will be the cooler itself, or some component within it. Uncooled thermal cameras — as the name implies — do not use cryogenic cooling. They are typically sensitive to LWIR energy, manufactured in fewer steps than those used in cooled sensors, use less expensive vacuum packaging, and — most significantly — don’t require costly cryocoolers. All of this contributes to uncooled cameras being less expensive than their cooled counterparts. Note that, while we speak of a single “detector,” each detector is actually a mosaic of thousands of individual detector elements arranged on a square or rectangular chip roughly an inch across. The number of detector elements on the chip and the size of those elements both have a direct correlation to the camera’s performance (more on that later). Most uncooled thermal security cameras use detectors called mi-
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Image courtesy FLIR Systems Inc.
Thermal Camera Lens Factors
Cooled thermal cameras provide excellent long-range performance, detecting vehicles from more than 10 miles away.
crobolometers. These detectors use materials that change their electrical resistance substantially when their temperature changes even a little bit. When LWIR energy hits the individual detector elements, it is absorbed causing the element’s temperature to change and, in turn, altering its electrical resistance. This change in resistance is measured, digitized and processed into a normal video signal. Almost all commercial security applications opt for uncooled thermal cameras as they cost less and perform similarly to their cooled counterparts over operating ranges up to a mile or so. Uncooled cameras also have fewer moving parts. So they tend to have much longer service lives than cooled cameras under similar operating conditions, making them well-suited to security applications that often require continuous camera operations. A cooled camera would require service after one to two years of such operation. An uncooled camera could run uninterrupted for much longer. The most common microbolometer detector material used in the secu-
rity market is called vanadium oxide (VOx), but another detector material called amorphous silicon (α-Si) is also being used. Microbolometers using VOx and α-Si operate on similar principles, but cameras with VOx detectors can be more sensitive than their α-Si counterparts. The cooled IR detectors usually found in security applications operate on a different principle than uncooled detectors. Typically sensitive to MWIR energy, most cooled sensors are either made of materials called indium antimonide (InSb), or mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe). Regardless of which detector material is used, cooled detectors use an array of photodiodes that convert MWIR photons into an electrical current, which is then translated into a video signal. With all of the advantages of uncooled cameras, it begs the question: why use cooled cameras at all? The answer is as detection range requirements increase past a few miles, cooled thermal security cameras become more cost-effective because of the lens designs involved.
IR energy barely passes through conventional lens glass, so thermal cameras have to use lenses made out of different materials that are expensive and exotic compared to standard glass. Two of the most commonly used lens materials are germanium and zinc selenide. Both these materials are highly transmissive of IR radiation, meaning that thermal energy passes through them with great efficiency. You may well say, “Why should I care what the lenses are made of?” You’d be right, to a point. Just bear in mind this will often be a determining factor that leads you to select an uncooled camera over a cooled camera, or vice versa, as one of the biggest cost drivers of a longrange uncooled camera system is the lens. As effective range requirements increase, the lenses for uncooled camera systems become costly enough that it can often be cheaper to use a cooled thermal security camera with an equivalent focal length lens. This all comes down to a crucial lens parameter: the f/number. This determines its light-gathering power and, therefore, affects the overall sensitivity of the camera system. The f/number of an optical system is the ratio of the focal length of the lens to the diameter of the front lens element. An f/2 lens with a 500mm focal length must therefore have a 250mm diameter front lens element. As the focal length of a lens increases, the diameter of the front lens element must be increased to keep the system f/number constant. An uncooled camera typically requires a low f/number lens (typically 1.4-2) to have sensitivity comparable to a cooled camera. Higher f/numbers reduce uncooled camera sensitivity. The large lenses required by long focal lengths for uncooled cameras get expensive in a hurry. Therefore, short- to extreme medium-range imaging can usually be done more cost effectively with uncooled thersecuritysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011 A5
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THERMAL IMAGING FOR
mal security cameras, while their cooled counterparts are often the best solutions for long-range imaging performance.
Resolution Facts You Must Know The detector is the heart of any thermal security camera. It’s the part that gathers IR energy and converts it to an electrical signal that is turned into an electronic image. A thermal camera’s detector plays the same role as the CCD detector chip in a standard video camera — whether it’s on a pole outside a nuclear facility or in your handi-cam at home. The detector’s resolution refers to the number of individual detector elements found on that chip, usually measured in the horizontal and vertical dimensions. The low-end options for thermal resolution typically offered are the 160 X 120 or 320 X 240 detector formats, but the standard is quickly becoming 640 X 480. There’s good reason for this. A detector’s resolution is the first vital element in determining a camera’s ability to generate a high-quality image (more on image quality to come). The more detector elements a detector has, the higher its resolution, and the more detail you’ll be able to see in the image.
DUMIES away. In the real world, this means you’ll be able to cover the same amount of area with fewer cameras using 640 resolution, and still be able to detect intruders from farther away. To illustrate this point, let’s consider two notional thermal cameras that use the same uncooled VOx detectors and 35mm lenses. The 320 camera will have a 13° X 10° field of view (FOV), while the 640 camera will have an 18° X 14° FOV. This will give you a nearly 40-percent increase in the horizontal FOV, while still being able to detect a person from nearly 50-percent farther away. The tactical and economic benefits of increased resolution are measurable and undeniable. We’re so used to hearing about 5-, 10and 12-megapixel resolution in standard digital cameras that a 640 X 480 detector sounds kind of puny. But it’s important to keep in mind that a 640 detector is the largest that is economically viable for commercial thermal security cameras. High definition megapixel thermal cameras are available but typically used for very long-range military systems or scientific research, and they’re typically quite expensive. But resolution is only the first step to creating a good image with lots of de-
Part 2 of 4
able from the manufacturer, as it is an important piece to the puzzle in predicting image quality and range performance. Also measured in microns, when you’re looking at a camera’s pixel pitch keep in mind that smaller numbers are better. The smaller the pixel pitch the more image detail you’ll get in a smaller package, assuming the camera uses a fast enough lens. This time, let’s compare uncooled VOx cameras with 100mm f/1.6 lenses; one camera has 25μm pixels, the other 17μm. All other things being equal, the 17μm camera will detect a person from nearly 20-percent farther away than the camera with 25μm pixels. (Note that lots of variables come into play when predicting range performance and these numbers are only intended to illustrate the relationship between pixel pitch and detection range.) These technical factors aren’t enough to maximize a thermal camera’s performance. Aspects like detector type, lens design, detector resolution and pixel pitch will make sure you get as much thermal energy into the system’s electronics as possible, but what the camera does with that information is vitally important as well. That’s where image processing comes in. A thermal camera’s internal image processing software can help bring out object edges and enhanced details that can make the difference in final image quality.
Image courtesy FLIR Systems Inc.
More Than Just Pretty Pictures
The 640 X 480 resolution image (left) shows more detail than the 320 X 240 image (right).
Also, if you were to compare a camera with 640 X 480 resolution and one with 320 X 240 using the same size lens, you’d find the 640’s angular field of view would actually be wider, yet would also detect threats from farther
tail and solid contrast that will get the most out of a video analytics package. Another important factor is what’s often called “pixel size” or “pixel pitch.” The detector’s pixel pitch is a specification that should be readily avail-
As with the technical attributes mentioned earlier (detector type, f/number, resolution, pixel pitch, image processing), the benefits of what may be superficially regarded as a subjectively better image have objective and measurable benefits.
FIND IT ON THE WEB F Visit the Special Reports section at www. V securitysales.com/dumies to access eight se years’ of “D.U.M.I.E.S.” archives.
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Image courtesy FLIR Systems Inc.
The camera used to take the image on the right loses imaging performance during times of thermal crossover.
side of the two compared below on this page has lost noticeable areas of contrast and detail, which could lead to faulty alarms and missed threats, while the image at left has not. The other side of the coin is more dramatic (see images above). These images were taken at midnight, when things have become more uniformly cool. Again, the image on the left main-
Image courtesy FLIR Systems Inc.
First, let’s look at a couple of examples of “better” image quality. The image pair below was taken with two leading thermal security cameras at 6 p.m. Both have 320 resolution, they use similar lenses (a slight difference in the angular FOV can be noticed), and both are using their “out of the box” image settings. No optimization was done to either camera, and neither of the images have been manipulated in any way other than to resize them for publication. The image on the left has greater contrast, shows more small details and is in focus throughout the entire depth of the image. These points are notable because this is one of the times of day that can be most challenging for thermal imagers. Remember that thermal cameras don’t just make pictures from heat; they make pictures from tiny differences in heat.
By optimizing image quality, the camera used to take the picture on the left provides better contrast, detail, and focus throughout the image.
There are two times of the day in which items within an image are most likely to have the smallest differences in temperature: just before the sun goes down, when things have been soaking up the sun’s rays all day and have reached a critical point of solar loading, and in the middle of the night, when everything has radiated off its stored energy and cooled to a similar degree. Both conditions are called points of “thermal crossover.” The camera that can render imaging well during periods of thermal crossover will give you solid performance in the most challenging environmental conditions. The image on the right
tains its image contrast and detail, while the image on the right has suffered noticeably on both counts. The camera that produced the lefthand images in both example pairs will outperform the other camera consistently in the following important areas: • Threat detection: Detection by any means — direct human observation or alarms through VMD — will be dramatically improved with the better image quality shown by the images on the left of each pair. • Analytics performance: Better contrast and scene detail gives you bet-
ter edge differentiation and better classification, all of which help analytics perform better. • Range performance: When viewed with the camera on the left, small objects and small scene features have higher contrast and sharper edges, making them more readily recognizable across all distances from the camera. Range performance is a critical element of any intrusion detection or surveillance system, and better image quality provides a substantial advantage. With thermal imaging becoming less expensive and now an integral part of IP surveillance systems, anyone considering thermal cameras should review the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods used to produce these images. ■ Robert (Bob) Wimmer is president of Video Security Consultants (www.cctvbob.com) and has more than 38 years of experience in CCTV. His consulting firm provides technical training, system design, technical support and system troubleshooting. Originator of the D.U.M.I.E.S. series (www.dumies.us.com), Wimmer was inducted into SSI’s Industry Hall of Fame in 2006.
NEXT UP FOR ‘D.U.M.I.E.S.’: THERMAL SYSTEMS DESIGN Be sure to check out the January issue of SSI for Part III of the “Thermal Imaging for D.U.M.I.E.S.” series. The third installment will explore incorporating thermal imaging technology into the overall system design scheme of a comprehensive video surveillance solution. securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011 A7
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Fire Side Chat
Ins and Outs of Integrated Testing While codes go into great detail about how to ensure fire and life-safety systems perform as intended, making sure the systems operate in concert with each other remains a work in progress. Integrated testing is a means to bridge existing gaps and maximize systems’ ability to mitigate loss of property and life.
L
ast month, I discussed NFPA 3, Recommended Practice on Commissioning and Integrated Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems. Continuing with NFPA 3, we turn to a second component: integrated testing. During the development of NFPA 3, many technical committee members felt an area of weakness with a fire protection system is the verification that all the parts work together as a whole, and will function as per the design requirements. Thus, integrated testing may be seen as an end-to-end test of all components making up the system.
NFPA System Testing Documents There are a number of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) docu-
ments that discuss and require testing of various parts of a fire protection system. The two principle documents are: • NFPA 25 — Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems • NFPA 72 — The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code In addition, the following documents contain requirements for the initial acceptance test when a system under a particular standard is installed: • NFPA 14: Standpipe and Hose Systems • NPFA 15: Water Spray Fixed Systems • NFPA 16: Foam Systems • NFPA 17: Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishing Systems • NFPA 17A: Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishing Systems • NFPA 20: Fire Pumps
By Shane Clary smclary@bayalarm.com
• NFPA 22: Water Tanks • NFPA 750: Water Mist Systems • NFPA 2001: Clean Agent Systems None of these documents address all of the systems being tested at the same time. NFPA 25 covers water-based fire suppression systems; NFPA 72, automatic fire alarm systems and emergency communication systems. While a majority of automatic fire alarm systems are connected through either a vane flow switch or pressure switch to detect the flow of water, the person or persons who perform this test can be left to regulatory mandates. In several states, a contractor who is licensed to install the automatic fire alarm system is not allowed to open the inspector’s test valve, unless he/she is a sprinkler contractor as well. The same is true for the testing of the various systems that are listed in this article’s sidebar. The framers of NFPA 3 were concerned that while each part of a system was tested to one side or the other of a control module or relay, there was no through testing. Such testing would provide, as an example, that if the smoke detector in the front lobby was activated, the elevator would recall to an alternate floor, the fire/smoke damper in the space would actuate and the magnetic door hold open devices would de-energize to allow the fire doors to the lobby to close.
End-to-End Verification NFPA 25 is a document used primarily by the automatic fire sprinkler industry. As a systems integrator, you should, however, be familiar with its content and use. This document is in a way the sprinkler industry’s NFPA 72, Chapter 14.
The language within the 2010 edition of NFPA 72 is specific in regard to the testing of systems. Within Chapter 14, “Inspection, Testing, and
36 securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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Fire Side Chat
ever, be familiar with its content and use. This document is in a way the sprinkler industry’s NFPA 72, Chapter 14. However, it does not cover the acceptance tests that are required for these systems. The only references within NFPA 25 to fire alarm systems cover the notification of all parties before testing is conducted, to avoid unwanted alarms. With the exception of verNFPA 72 Emergency Control Functions ification that a signal from • Elevator recall for firefighters’ service a water-flow is received at • Elevator shutdown the fire alarm control unit • First responders use elevators within 90 seconds and the • Elevators for occupant-controlled evacuation receipt of a signal from a • Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems control valve supervisory • Door release service switch, there are no other • Electrically locked doors requirements that the con• Exit marking audible notification systems nections between a water-based suppression system and the supposed to occur actually occurs. building’s fire alarm system are checked. In Chapter 21, “Emergency Control There are many parts of a sprinkler sysFunctions and Interfaces,” NFPA 72 tem that may be left unchecked: provides further clarification: 21.2.12 • Water tank level The operation of all fire safety emergen• Water tank temperature cy control functions shall be verified • Fire pump operation by an operational test at the time of the system acceptance. • Dry pipe high-low pressure It could be concluded this parasupervision graph does require an end-to-end test • Pre-action system solenoid actuation of the fire alarm system with all fire • Aqueous foam forming film (AFFF) safety functions. But who is responSolenoid actuation sible for this test? NFPA documents The installation standard for autoclearly place responsibility on the matic fire sprinkler system, NFPA 13 owner. I have been at final acceptance Standard for the Installation of Sprintests where other contractors (HVAC, kler Systems, centers on the hydrostatelevator and general electrical) are not ic testing of the system for acceptance. present. Thus the test is to the relay, The alarm test is limited to that of the with testing of that connected to the external audible bell. There are no reother side done at a later date. quirements for testing between the This paragraph also only applies sprinkler system and the fire alarm. to the system at the time of initial acceptance or when a change has been Why Integrated Is Important made. One of the concerns proffered Turning to NFPA 3, integrated testing during the development of NFPA 3 of fire protection system is covered in was on a system three, five, 10 years Chapter 7, “Integrated System Testing.” after the installation. Will it still work Being a recommended practice, the lanas designed and installed? guage written within NFPA 3 is nonmandatory. A building owner may still mandate that the provisions within the Sprinkling Codes document are used for their building. NFPA 25 is a document used primarily The following provisions are found by the automatic fire sprinkler industry. within the chapter: As a systems integrator, you should, howMaintenance,” the following provision is found: 14.2.1.2.2 Inspection, testing, and maintenance programs shall verify correct operation of the system. Verification can be done by making sure the relay that is supposed to actuate when a particular set of detectors activate does so. Verification does not require that the actual event that is
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• 7.3.2 Integrated testing of fire protection and life safety systems should verify the interconnections functions properly. • 7.3.3 During integrated testing, equipment should be tested in accordance with the applicable installation standard to verify systems perform according to their design function. • 7.3.4 Written documentation of the testing and inspection should be provided. Testing of systems throughout a building’s life is a big concern for the technical committee. To address this they added: 7.2.2 Existing fire protection and life safety systems should have periodic integrated systems. Integrated fire protection system testing may involve several contractors onsite, as an integrator may not be familiar with all the various parts that make up to total fire protection package. The integrator would know that when detector X is activated, relay Y is to close, but the equipment on the other side of the relay could be foreign. Team work is essential.
Adopting Recommended Practices The NFPA Standards Council approved a new document be developed within the NPFA process. NFPA 4 Standard for Integrated Testing of Fire Protection Systems is to be promulgated during the next several years. As a proposed standard, the language will be mandatory and could be adopted by an authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). Systems integrators need to be aware of the various documents that NPFA publishes related to fire protection systems. Knowledge of NPFA 3 is also important. While only a recommended practice, it may be mandated in future project specifications if the building owner wishes compliance. Missing this in a bid may have consequences. ■ 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.
38 securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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Monitoring Matters
Municipal Monitoring and Your Decisive Role
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It’s your job as an alarm installer to understand how that technology can be used to satisfy the chiefs in your market. All of the fire chiefs I have recently spoken with want access to comprehensive alarm system data. Some want notification about alarm events immediately so they can begin the emergency response process right away. The predominant reason is to meet the response time goals of the accreditation model they are following. Other chiefs are happy with the current dispatch process but want to know when a system has been taken offline. For them, auto-generated reports can be sent at specific intervals in the medium of choice, i.e., E-mail, text message, fax, etc. Additionally, every chief would Alarm installers and the central have online access to station community need to be the history reports more proactive in educating for all systems in chiefs about the ever-advancing their jurisdiction. capabilities of the private industry. Fortunately, the technology exists — and is being used in the field now — to not effectively communicate that to satisfy all of their wishes. the chiefs. Another factor in play was Technology being used today allows that the model followed by the private chiefs to predetermine what informaalarm industry did not put governtion they want from a central station, ment entities at the receiving end of when they want it, who should get it the revenue stream. and even the medium in which they As a result, some communities borreceive it. rowed money to purchase alarm-reFor example, if the chief wants imceiving equipment and wrote ordinancmediate notification of a fire at certain es that made them the sole provider (or all) properties, the chief and others of commercial fire alarm monitoring. can be informed as soon as the central Those communities’ leaders then said station receives the signals. Concurthey had to displace the private sector rently, human monitors begin the verfor “public safety reasons.” bal dispatch process and start making Whether that was true then is decall list notifications. batable; however, based on the techThe chief and whoever else he designology that is now readily available, nates will receive the complete alarm the public-safety argument does not signal with point-address data and will hold water. The private alarm industry continue to receive real-time updates offers superior technology. ike many disagreements, the rift between the alarm industry and Illinois municipalities that entered into the alarm-monitoring business was a result of a lack of communication. Using broad strokes, this is what happened in northern Illinois: About a decade ago, an aggressive salesman began promoting wireless mesh radio networks to local fire chiefs who were fed up with antiquated direct-connect copper lines. Back then, that technology provided a solution to the chiefs’ problems. Granted, the private alarm industry offered the same exact technology — at a lower price — but alarm dealers and the central station community did
By Kevin Lehan k.lehan@emergency24.com
about the alarm event, such as adjacent zones going into alarm. The obvious benefit is that firefighters are armed with the most complete set of facts available when they arrive at the scene. The precious minutes lost by examining the fire panel can now be spent addressing a known situation. Plus, as more live signals come in, firefighters can react accordingly. Using the same technology, in the future, chiefs will even have access to live video from the impacted zones, as well as other information like blueprints or space-usage advisories. The point is alarm installers and the central station community need to be more proactive in educating fire and police chiefs about the ever-advancing capabilities of the private industry.
Sell Technology Benefits to Chiefs “Chief, I’m an alarm installer in your community. I’d like to speak with you about the latest advancements in technology that greatly increase life safety and won’t cost taxpayers a dime.” Those words should immediately grab the chief’s attention. But even if you have to call a few times to arrange that meeting, you must do so because it’s your responsibility to educate local police and fire chiefs, as well as inspectors, about the capabilities of the private alarm industry so that the situation in Illinois does not germinate in your market. Find out exactly what the local chiefs want and share that with your central station. It’s likely they already have a solution to the problem. ■ Kevin Lehan is Manager of Public Relations for Des Plaines, Ill.-based Emergency24 Inc. He also serves as executive director of the Illinois Electronic Security Association (IESA).
40 securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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RESIDENTIAL MARKET REPORT
Residential Ready to
New Services IP-based services and mobile apps that allow consumers to control and stay connected to their homes are expected to anchor a key market adrift in economic uncertainty. SSI’s 2011 Residential Market Report provides research from Parks Associates to help security contractors take hold of these opportunities.
T
By Tricia Parks
he latest housing numbers available at press time can be accurately depicted as a rollercoaster ride for anyone who plies a trade in the residential marketplace. In a positive sign for housing, residential construction jumped 15 percent in September, well above the 3.3-percent increase economists had predicted, according to the Department of Commerce. Yet the increase in September’s housing starts was largely due to starts for new apartment buildings, which trend higher when consumers have less money to purchase single-family homes. These “multifamily” unit starts rose 53 percent from August to September, while single-family starts ticked upward only 1.7 percent. From September 2010 to September 2011, single-family construction starts in fact decreased 4.9 percent, to 425,000. While the adoption rate for a security system remains about 40 percent in new single-family starts — the highest rate of adoption for any housing segment — the unit volume is paltry compared to previous years. In 2005, just prior to the housing bubble collapse, housing starts topped out at 2.1 million, with 1.7 million of them being single-unit homes. Unfortunately, there are few economists or indicators pointing to any quick turnaround; it may well be late 2013 before a noticeable pickup occurs. Simply, the demand for new single-
family homes remains low given the surplus of existing distressed homes that offer competitive prices, economists say. The National Association of Realtors announced last month that existing-home sales, including single-family, townhomes, condos and co-ops, declined 3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.91 million in September from an upwardly revised 5.06 million in August. On a more positive note, existing-home sales are 11.3-percent above the 4.41 million unit pace in September 2010. While home prices continued to trend downward on average by a few percent, this news bodes well for independent installing security contractors: The second highest rate of monitored security adoption, 22 percent, is among consumers moving into newly purchased existing homes. Sometimes these householders are the first to adopt a monitored security system. For other householders whose newly acquired home has an existing security system, the move-in is a logical time to upgrade or replace an aging system. It is too early to know whether or not the monitored security adoption rate of 22 percent for existing homes sold in 2011 will hold steady. But Dallas-based research firm Parks Associates anticipates that even if the adoption rate sheds a few points, it will still represent a solid set of opportunities for security contractors. Even better are the historical-
42 securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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ly low mortgage rates, leading to high volumes of refinancing by owners with solid credit, and potentially even more buying of existing homes by those families still on the prowl for a well-priced home at an affordable rate. Noteworthy are the latest results from SSI’s annual Installation Business Report (IBR), which will be published in the 2012 Gold Book, an industry resource guide distributed with the December issue. For the second consecutive year the residential market posted increases in the average number of security contractors’ monthly installations. The residential sector (35 percent) has picked up 2 percentage points each of the past two years from the overall security business pie that also includes the commercial (44 percent) and industrial (21 percent) markets. Despite the uncertain outlook in housing sales, Parks Associates estimates between 10 to 20 percent of in-
stalling security contractors are wisely expanding their portfolios beyond traditional security. Different dealers are choosing different options but key areas include entertainment installation, remote video monitoring and automation offerings. Forming the basis of SSI’s 2011 Residential Market Report are the latest findings of two surveys conducted by Parks Associates. In March/April the firm surveyed 10,000 broadband households, and in June/July 2,500 broadband households. The findings presented here follow surveys completed at least once per year between 2003 and 2011. Respondents were queried about the presence of security at home, providers used, satisfaction, among other information.
Selling IP-Based Home Services Increasing consumer awareness for and desire to remain “connected” to their homes is proliferating across expected and unexpected applications. Powered by smartphone apps and other Web-enabled mobile devices, consumers are embracing and now demanding “anywhere, anytime” capabilities. For premise security, IP-enabled features finally offer the opportunity to provide benefits well beyond intrusion and fire alerts at prices affordable to middle-income earners and above.
Percentage of U.S. Households With Monitored Security (2003 - 2012)
17.9% 18.6% 19.1% 19.1% 18.5% 18.8% 19% 16.1% 17.2%
15%
2003
>
2004
>
2005
>
2006
>
2007
>
2008
>
2009
>
2010
>
2011
>
2012
Parks Associates
©iStockphtot.com/Iudovic Vangrootenbruel
Rally Around
These services allow consumers the ability to lock doors remotely, view video feeds from networked cameras, as well as set, adjust and control lights, smart thermostats and appliances. Households that already have monitored security systems can be considered low-hanging fruit. The chart titled “Percentage of U.S. Households With Monitored Security” below provides a historical comparison and forecast for monitored security from 2003 through 2012. While the housing market drops of 2008 and 2009 are stabilizing, everything points to a slow recovery; strategies to thrive in that environment are essential. As the economy recovers, smart strategies may allow a surge of growth. Certainly ADT and other large security providers such as Vivint (formerly APX Alarm) have aggressively targeted remote security and home automation services. They aim to meet those latent or known desires for their current and future customers with the addition of IP services. Telecoms and cable companies such as Verizon and Comcast are entering the marketplace as well to offer similar services. These are not idle additions to their portfolios. They are occurring after extensive study that classifies the attitudes and desire for new services among current and would-be monitored security households, as well as among general broadband households. These providers understand that current monitored security households are much higher users of technology products than average households. ➞
The yearly percentages above provide a historical comparison and forecast for monitored security from 2003 through 2012. Market penetration rose consistently before topping out at 19.1 percent in 2008 and 2009. Recovery from an incremental dip in 2010 is expected to continue through this year and 2012. securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011 43
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REVENUES AND THE CONNECTED HOME
Benefits of Professional Monitoring Security Features Among those having specified monitoring security features Among monitored security service users
72%
71%
68%
27%
24%
Parks Associates
12% Notification of alert by voice/text message to home phone/mobile
Notification of alert by E-mail/PC to phone
Ability to view a camera that is at home from a PC or smartphone
82%
20% Ability to check on home’s status via PC or smartphone
The graph above illustrates the value placed on basic IP service features by those householders with monitored security but without the IP-based feature, and compares those values with monitored security households that have the IP-based feature. Of particular note is the high value reported by householders with IP features: Nearly three out of four users (72 percent) with monitored security value the ability to view a CCTV camera from a PC or smartphone; more than 80 percent of users value the ability to check on their home’s status via a PC or smartphone.
Householders with security systems are more likely to own smartphones, more likely to be frequent users of computers, likely to be interested in tablets, and in addition heavy users of home services in general. Moreover, a much higher percent (at least 2x) of heads of households who purchase monitored security report a willingness to pay for IP services, compared to average broadband households. These tech-savvy householders also show concern that they are to some degree losing their ability to manage the daily happenings in their busy lives. Make no mistake; they want that sense of control back. The “Benefits of Professional Monitoring Security Features” chart above illustrates the value placed on basic IP service features by those householders with monitored security but without the IPbased feature, and compares those values with monitored security households that have the IP-based feature. The value placed on these features is nearly as high as the value placed on that most important monitored security feature, the notification of first responders in case of intrusion or fire (for those with fire alert services). Of particular note is the high value reported by householders with IP features: Nearly three out of four users (72 percent) with monitored security value the ability to view a CCTV camera from a PC or
smartphone; more than 80 percent of users value the ability to check on their home’s status via a PC or smartphone. Although householders with monitored security are high-rate owners of multiple PCs, smartphones and other tech products, that doesn’t mean they want to set up their IP features themselves. Indeed, most don’t want to complete that task on a do-it-yourself basis, even if they are perfectly capable of handling the task themselves. Here lies one opportunity to earn extra installation dollars and perhaps increase either the customer’s monitoring fee or set another fee for the customer’s personal Web site. Security contractors will need to proactively educate customers on these new service possibilities or risk another competitor filling the void. Actively contacting customers will become even more important and potentially fruitful now since the aforement ioned national providers continue to roll out IP-based security and home control services. The marketing clout of these providers along with copious media coverage will help educate the security consumer, a benefit even independent dealers can exploit. Consider: A whopping 82 percent of monitored security households find status checks via a connected device or computer highly valuable. That simple ability turns the security system into a daily anxiety reliever.
Consumer Value-Add Power Play In the second quarter of this year, Parks Associates tested multiple valued-added IP service concepts among U.S. broadband households. Three of the concepts relate to security and three to energy. No single concept mirrors any exact company’s current service; instead, they are realistic composites developed from studying multiple service options. The “Appeal of Home Security and Energy Services” chart on page 36 provides the high-appeal ratings accorded to each service. Note that two security concepts garner the most high-appeal ratings, “Home security and monitoring service” and “Remote access control service.” Most interesting are the high ratings for what are, in reality, new and not well understood services, such as the “Video home monitoring service” category (32 percent). This indicates high latent demand of a level not typical for new services. Qualified security contractors can either seize this market opening or haplessly witness dealers from other industries win the opportunity instead. Channels as diverse as HVAC contractors, consumer electronics retailers and even mass merchants are exploring or acting on the opportunity to provide these services. The market for premise security is facing a challenge unrelated to the sputtering economic environment. This is a mature market niche in need of revitalization; IP services may be the optimal solution to affect that renewal. Not only do IP-based services add daily benefits for traditional security, they are enabled on a platform expandable to energy and automation services. This potential combination of services excites all types and sizes of service providers. Not only will layering services increase potential monthly revenue, they expand the universe of interested householders immediately by about 10 percent. The early and obvious features are just a start; more For a sampling of some of the latest and greatest residential products, see the special section on page 64.
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REVENUES AND THE CONNECTED HOME
services will emerge, ranging from diagnostics for major appliances and systems to more discrete energy control and reaction options. Among all broadband households, comprising nearly 70 percent of U.S. households, 29 percent are interested
in traditional security with IP-based features and 16 percent are enthusiasts with a high willingness to pay. Nearly half of these householders do not currently have traditional monitoring and report low intentions to adopt traditional monitored security.
Parks Associates
Appeal of Home Security and Energy Services Home security and monitoring service
35%
Remote access control service
35%
Energy management, control and convenience service
34%
Managing energy to utility rates
34%
Video home monitoring service Energy monitoring service
32% 31%
Above, high-appeal ratings for security features based on having Internet access are ranked according to service type. Note the high ratings for what are, in reality, new and not well understood services, such as the video home monitoring service category (32 percent). This indicates high latent demand of a level not typical for new services. Qualified security contractors can either seize this market opening or witness dealers from other industries win the opportunity instead.
A Bundle of Opportunity Busy consumers want simplicity wherever it can occur. Because high concept rankers are also consumers who report concern about the ability to control the many moving parts of their lives, bundled services have high appeal. When respondents were asked about the appeal of having two or three of their top-ranked services in a bundle, appeal ratings jump a solid 7 percent to 10 percent above even the high rates offered for a particular service. In addition to increasing appeal scores on average, bundling brings households reporting only middle appeal ratings into the high appeal set. The channel winners of this round of innovation will offer bundles with installation as an option or as a part of standard offerings. Security contractors have multiple possible roles in this embryonic marketplace that include the following:
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• Partnering with heretofore nonsecurity channel companies in need of trained installation and sales assistance. Possibilities here include HVAC dealers, electricity providers and even broadband service providers • Working with IP service developers to adopt an IP platform with multiple services for current or new customers
F FIND IT ON THE WEB To T o learn more about opportunities in the residential market, check out “5 Keys to a re Successful Interactive Services Offering� in the October issue or visit securitysales. com/business1011.
20%
Traditional
IP
15%
10%
Parks Associates
Still skeptical of the growth potential in this market? The chart “Households With Professionally Monitored Security: Traditional vs. IP-based� (right) provides Parks Associates’ forecast for the growth of IP-based monitoring services for home security. The research illustrates a strong upward trend. Current-
Households With Professionally Monitored Security: Traditional Vs. IP-Based
5%
0%
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Parks Associates forecasts the growth of IP-based monitoring services for home security to continue a strong upward trend. Currently, less than 2 percent of households with monitored security utilize IP connectivity. The Dallas-based research firm expects IP-based monitoring to eclipse traditional methodology by 2019.
ly, less than 2 percent of households with monitored security utilize IP connectivity. Parks Associates expects IPbased monitoring to eclipse traditional methodology by 2019. With the national providers gearing up for prolonged advertising campaigns, the present offers per-
haps the best opportunity for independent security contractors to enter the game, ride the coattails of some power marketing and grow with the IP services market. â– Tricia Parks is CEO and founder of Dallas-based research firm Parks Associates. She can be contacted at tricia@parksassociates.com.
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UNIQUE APPLICATIONS
Video Helps Gree n Integrator ESS upgrades Metrolina Greenhouses’ confounding video surveillance system, enabling the business to become both safer and more efficient throughout its 160-acre campus. The unique venue and unconventional application make for an intriguing project. ESS President Kurt Kottkamp (left) and Metrolina Greenhouses Network Administrator Adam Freeman collaborated to bring the facility’s new IP video surveillance system to fruition.
W
By Scott Goldfine
hile “going green” is all the rage, one security systems integrator has taken it quite literally. Enterprise Security Systems (ESS) provided a video surveillance solution that is not only helping safeguard Metrolina Greenhouses — America’s largest heated single-site facility of its kind — but also improving the giant complex’s operational efficiencies. “Security surveillance is very important to have in a facility this large,” says Adam Freeman, the client’s network administrator. “With over 160 acres of greenhouses, having a DVR security platform gives us eyes in many places 24/7. Monitoring areas such as chemical storage and water pumping is very important.” Located just north of Charlotte, N.C., the busy wholesale plant and services company employs 725 people and ships more than 100 trailer loads of product
daily during peak season. The greenhouse’s intense pace necessitated swift action when it became disenchanted with the existing surveillance system and security contractor. That’s when the business turned to ESS. “They contacted us by referral from one of our existing customers,” says ESS President Kurt Kottkamp. “They had a legacy video system and recognized it could be a resource for them, but it wasn’t being used to its full capa-
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e nhouse Flourish bility and was an older system that had technical limitations.” After stepping in to service and maintain the existing system, in short order the integrator cultivated a solid relationship and bond of trust that would pave the way for a long-term partnership with Metrolina. “We initially started ESS out with smaller projects such as camera additions, replacing existing cameras and camera maintenance,” says Freeman. “I was quite happy with their performance so we continued with them.” ESS subsequently upgraded the client’s analog CCTV system to a hybrid DVR, and added IP cameras, megapixel cameras and wireless connectivity. In addition to its anti-theft and crime deterrence purposes, the solution allows the greenhouse to keep an eye on its people and assure smooth operations throughout the sprawling, highly automated plant.
Leaf: ©iStockphoto.com/bowndogstudios
Opportunity Sprouts Up
The heart of the greenhouse solution is a 32-channel ExacqVision Pro hybrid DVR with 6TB of storage. Compared to the pre-existing DVR, its efficient video compression greatly extended recording time, storage, resolution and images per second.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2011, ESS is a comprehensive systems integrator supplying card access, CCTV, ID badging, emergency communication, intrusion and fire systems to commercial, industrial and institutional clients. A member of PSA Security Network, ESS has more than 1,000 installed accounts. Its primary vertical markets are
property management, manufacturing/ industrial, financial, health care, education and government. Despite that variety, the Metrolina project took ESS outside its typical breadth. “It’s a totally unique installation as greenhouses are certainly not a vertical market we have targeted,” says Kottkamp. “However, because of their size, automation and the types of problems they are trying to prevent or mitigate, there are a number of similarities to our core business and customers.” Launched in 1972, family-owned Metrolina Greenhouses is one of the most automated greenhouses in the United States with several internally designed machines such as automatic plant transplanters and mechanical shipping belts. Its 160 acres of greenhouses is augmented by 30 acres of outdoor growing space. Happening upon the operation after rounding a bend on Huntersville Concord Road feels like an encounter with something otherworldly. And indeed the mammoth glass-encased development — which continues to be expanded — is said to be visible from space. Metrolina ships goods to big-box retailers, mass merchandisers, home improvement chains, grocery chains, and other greenhouses within a 400-mile radius. The facility uses up to 700,000 gallons of water each day, recycled by
Metrolina Greenhouses uses the video system for a variety of reasons, including monitoring of theft, vandalism and production control and monitoring. securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011 49
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GREENHOUSES CASE STUDY
collecting 3 million gallons for every inch of rain that falls on its glass rooftops. Such attention to operational efficiencies positioned greenhouse management as a prime candidate to fully embrace the many benefits networked video surveillance can bring.
Old System Weeded Out Although the existing 20-camera CCTV system was fairly new when Freeman joined Metrolina in 2006, it was riddled with problems. “I found it to be very difficult to maintain and the previous contractor became hard to deal with,” he says. “The old platform lacked reliability. It had to be sent back to the factory multiple times for different issues, which would leave us without coverage for days at a time.” Adding to Freeman’s quandary was inheriting a makeshift server room that at times had him running several fans to keep processors cool during heat waves and bailing water after downpours. These were desperate attempts to maintain automation functionality amid horrendous circumstances. “The server room was a nightmare to anyone who has spent time in the IT industry,” he says. “The conditions were dusty, humid, and unsecure for the amount of hardware and infrastructure we had in that room. It also had inadequate cooling systems and a lack of redundancy built into those systems.” Much to Freeman’s relief, not only was he able to overhaul his employer’s surveillance system but he also received the go-ahead to commission a new, state-of-the-art network server room.
“The new server room was built as a data center should be,” he says. “It has raised floors, water-detection systems, data center-grade cooling with dehumidifiers, UPS-controlled power, fireretardant construction with fire suppression systems, and secure access.” After learning more about their business, operations, budget and future needs, ESS recommended upgrading to a hybrid surveillance platform. This would allow retaining analog cameras mixed with new IP cameras, and leverage the newly fortified network.
Hybrid Allows Growth For the heart of the system, ESS installed a 32-channel ExacqVision Pro
• • • • • • • •
Fast Facts
Has 5.8 million square feet (138 acres) of heated greenhouses Has 111 acres tempered glass greenhouses, 30 acres outdoor growing space, 17 acres double poly plastic greenhouses, 10 acres of Cravo retractable roof greenhouses Employs 625 people year-round and 200 additional in the spring and fall peaks Uses up to 700,000 gallons of water every day, all from onsite sources that is recaptured Ships 125 trailer loads of products daily during peak season (March-June) Use 7 tractor trailer loads of peat moss every week throughout the year Cultivates 90 million seedlings and cutting plugs annually Four main product lines are spring bedding plants, summer annuals, fall mums/ pansies and poinsettias
The video system allows greenhouse managers to keep tabs on workers for their safety, and also allow them to go back and review an event or identify a misplaced piece of equipment.
hybrid DVR with 6TB of storage. A combination of 32 Pelco analog cameras, 10 Panasonic IP cameras, 6-megapixel cameras and three pan/tilt/zoom (p/t/z) cameras are used to capture the surveillance images. The system also includes Altronix centralized camera power supplies. Camera coverage includes employee and visitor parking lots, chemical storage structure, water-pumping facility, maintenance garage, offices, driveways, boiler control rooms, and employee break areas. “Mostly, the greenhouse and production areas are under one roof, but it is a massive site and the system is used throughout and within over a dozen buildings,” says Kottkamp. “Video cameras are strategically placed at critical production, storage and operational areas, and also traffic and parking lots.” Due to the size of the campus, distances between cameras can exceed 1,000 feet. In some cases, fiber has been run to
Metrolina’s 160 acres of greenhouses is augmented by 30 acres of outdoor growing space. The giant glass-encased development is said to be visible from space.
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GREENHOUSES CASE STUDY
A Firetide wireless mesh link (left) was deployed to facilitate video transmission among some remote buildings (right). Due to the size of the campus, distances to cameras sometimes exceeded 1,000 feet.
those locations and connected to American Fibertek transmitters. In other situations, IP networks handle the task. In addition, a Firetide wireless mesh link was installed to facilitate transmission among remotely located buildings. “The physical size of the site has always been a challenge in deploying cameras due to the added cost of long cable runs or using fiber optics and transceivers,” Kottkamp says. “The hybrid DVR allowed us to leverage the existing Ethernet backbone and add cameras in previously difficult-to-reach areas along with megapixel cameras to capture greater resolution and detail.” In addition to the requirement of negotiating large expanses, there was one other notable stumbling block. “Installation was actually very simple since the majority of the infrastructure was already in place,” says Freeman. “The only real challenge was the original Exacq server would not power on after ESS had hooked it up in the rack. Apparently it was just dead on arrival. However, ESS took care of it without question and a new Exacq server was racked and running later that same day.” Despite that hitch, both integrator and end user have been extremely FIND IT ON THE WEB F To T o see many more photos and an equipment list, check this story out online at m securitysales.com/greenhouse.
Cameras strategically placed in areas like the boiler control room allow greenhouse personnel to keep close watch and ensure highly automated operations run smoothly.
pleased with the solution. Freeman is particularly impressed with its ease of use — making user training a breeze — and H.264 compression efficiency as compared to the pre-existing DVR. “The Exacq platform has a very userfriendly interface with the familiar feel of Windows-type applications,” he says. “I was also very impressed with the storage capabilities. More modern compression standards allow it to store nearly twice as much video in half the space. The Exacq platform also handles video processing better and recalls video much faster than the older unit. And setting up and configuring cameras is very straightforward.”
Seeds Planted for Future By systems integrator standards the Metrolina Greenhouses installation itself was not terribly complex. In fact, the manner in which the solution meets the end user’s needs demonstrates beautiful simplicity. What makes the project truly noteworthy are the unique nature of the client’s business and how the system offers not only better security but especially more efficient operations. Metrolina’s large grounds means there are relatively few workers present at a given spot during the course of a day. That often leaves no witnesses if something comes up missing or damaged. This is where cameras in strategic control, production and traffic locations are so essential to document events.
“The system benefits Metrolina because it puts eyes in places people cannot always be,” says Freeman. “The presence of cameras has helped deter crimes in our parking lots. A camera in our chemical storage facility allows us to track chemicals or if someone accesses the area without proper authorization. Managers also use cameras to ensure employees don’t take excessive breaks.” Other ways the system has proved valuable include keeping watch on suspicious vehicles lingering around, making sure truck drivers follow proper procedures when loading up, and tracking down equipment that has been moved. In one specific incident, video was used forensically to solve a mystery. “They had a particular type of plant that was dying and they suspected someone was dumping a poison into the tanks,” says Kottkamp. However, after reviewing and monitoring the video, Metrolina determined that tampering was not involved. With foul play ruled out, the firm was then able to focus their efforts in other areas to pinpoint the cause. Metrolina will undoubtedly continue to discover new ways to take advantage of the capabilities inherent in its new networked surveillance system. And ESS will be right there to help its client realize those safety and productivity enhancements. “I expect to continue to use ESS for future work and I would recommend them to my colleagues,” says Freeman. ■
52 securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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ACCESS CONTROL SALES
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Management Security contractors install access control systems sometimes on a daily basis, and yet less than a third venture into ID cards and badging. Find out how offering your clients visitor management solutions not only makes sense but can also add easy profits to your bottom line.
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By John V. Murzycki
hile many resellers, integrators and consultants focus on a variety of security management solutions, visitor management is often overlooked. The fact is providing visitor management systems in your product line can add a great deal of value and complement existing security products. Organizations of all kinds can benefit substantially by upgrading and modernizing their visitor ID badging techniques. In many facilities today, visitors entering a secure building, facility or campus are able to gain access by simply scribbling their name in a visitor logbook. A visitor management system improves lobby security and protects the confidentiality of recent visitors, unlike a paper log that results in names being out in the open for anyone to see. Although many view a paper method of visitor sign-in to be quick and easy, it is fraught with a number of security problems and diminishes the professionalism of an organization. Issues abound such as:
• More often than not the visitor signin names are either illegible or false • In an emergency such as a fire, it would be impossible to quickly determine who’s still in the building because it is difficult to read the names and check out times are not always required or enforced • Information on who has visited the organization is readily available for everyone to see, but this information should be confidential • The paper log presents a poor image to visitors and lax security To address these issues, security dealers and integrators are able to fill a need by recommending, and in some cases administrating, secure visitor management for their clients. Visitor software typically resides on a PC at the reception desk or other points of entry, and automates the entire process from registering a visitor
54 securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011
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to using badge maker software to create and print visitor ID badges.
Visitor Management Components Let’s look at the major components of a secure visitor management solution: Scan the visitor ID: This involves the use of a scanner, either an optical character recognition (OCR) scanner or one that can read the magnetic stripe or 2-D barcode on the back of a driver’s license. A visitor’s ID can consist of a driver’s license, business card, passport, government or military ID, and the user should have the capability of scanning multiple types of credentials. The benefit of an optical scan of a driver’s license is that, in addition to capturing the information on the license such as the name, a user can also capture the photo of the visitor and include it on a visitor ID badge. Capture other information as needed: Not all information can be gleaned from
a scan of a visitor’s ID. Users may need to capture a signature with a signature capture pad, take a photo with a Web cam, or enter any other information such as the person being visited, the reason for their visit and the category of visitor (contractor, versus day visitor, etc.). Much of this additional information can be entered with drop-down menus or check boxes in the visitor software. Print a customized visitor badge: Visitor IDs can consist of a variety of different sizes and types, and can include adhesive, clip-on, self-laminating, expiring, and badges inserted in a plastic sleeve. Unlike an employee badge that is usually a hard plastic, visitor badges tend to be more temporary and made out of paper or card stock. They can also be produced with a black-and-white or color printer. An inexpensive option for black-andwhite badges is to use a thermal printer that does not contain ink cartridges. A visitor badge can contain basically any information that was scanned or captured dur-
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A visitor management system improves lobby security and protects the confidentiality of recent visitors, unlike a paper log that results in names being out in the open for anyone to see.
ing visitor check-in. The visitor software will allow the user to customize the visitor badge to contain the information that they decide is most important to them. Analyze visitor data: By using a report wizard in the visitor system, users can generate customized reports in seconds, and store and disseminate report data instantly. Visitor software should not be complicated to use or take a long time to check in a visitor. A lobby attendant
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should be able to quickly identify the fields that are necessary to complete visitor registration, scan an ID and print a visitor badge in about 20 seconds per visitor. However, a good visitor system should have a great deal of flexibility so an administrator can tailor the visitor data capture for their specific needs. Because each organization is unique with its own set of requirements on managing visitors, it’s important to use a system that can be adapted to address user concerns. Any number of visitor badging systems can be stationed in different locations in an enterprise, even at remote field offices, and they can all share a central database over the network for monitoring and reporting.
software passes the expiration date and time to the access system. The access card will no longer be valid after the date and time. If the card was stolen, it would not be able to open anything. Integrating visitor management with access control eliminates the problems associated with having a stack of live cards left at a reception desk to hand to
those visitors, contractors or employees who have forgotten their employee badge. The visitor system also has a record of all visitors who were provided an access card, so there is a complete audit trail. Administrators can review the records of exactly who was provided with a card and what dates and times the card was active.
Yes, It’s all that & A BAG OF CHIPS
Integration With Access Control Dealers and integrators must also consider the integration of any security system with other systems and how they operate in concert. That’s where a professional visitor management system comes into play. The integration of visitor management with electronic access control allows a lobby attendant to easily and safely provide temporary proximity credentials to visitors rather than doing so through the access control system. This simplifies the process and allows someone unfamiliar with the access system to provide temporary card privileges to visitors. Access control and visitor management integration allows appropriate visitors to move freely through facilities without the need of an employee escort. For example, it might be necessary to provide contractors doing work on the facility with a proximity card. Visitors who do not need to be escorted may also be given free access. The information entered into the visitor management system during visitor check-in is seamlessly passed to the access control system. A proximity card for the visitor is activated in the access system using the information entered into the visitor software. When a visitor with an access card leaves a facility, they will be checked out by the visitor lobby system and that card automatically deactivated. The facility is secure even if the visitor mistakenly takes the card with them because the visitor
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VISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Screening unwanted visitors from a facility is also one of the functions of a visitor management system. By creating watch lists in the visitor software, a lobby attendant or security officer will be alerted within seconds when someone on the list tries to enter the facility at a visitor check-in station. This feature can be used to screen against known malicious individuals, disgruntled ex-employees, dubious contractors, or any other people who are not wanted in the building. External databases can also be used in conjunction with internal watch lists to guard against individuals on each state’s sex offender database or the government denied parties database. A variety of alerts can be used to allow an organization to manage visitors more precisely. For example, say the organization wants all contractors to take a safety test after their second visit to a facility. The visitor software will alert the lobby attendant when a contractor arrives for their second visit, allowing the lobby attendant to inform the contractor of the requirement and direct them to the proper person. A number of other visitor system alerts that organizations might find helpful when managing visitors can include: Visitor check-in alert — Notifies the employee that someone is in the lobby waiting for them. Maximum visitor alert — Informs the lobby attendant that the maximum number of visitors to a particular location or person has been reached. This is particularly helpful in hospital visitor management to limit the number of visitors to a particular patient. Frequent visitor alert — Flags selected individuals who return a certain number of times or within a specified time. New visitor alert — Highlights when someone is checking in for the first time. New package alert —– Notifies a tenant or employee that a package has arrived. Expired badge alert — Alerts the security staff that a visitor badge has expired but that visitor has not yet checked out.
Prereg, Barcodes, Self-Registration Allowing employees of an organization to preregister guests is another
©iStockphoto.com/Forrester Shankie/Oxford
Watch Lists and Alerts
Visitor management can enable organizations to comply with regulatory requirements to monitor and control access to a facility. In any case it strengthens security and improves that organization’s image.
angreat feature to use with a visitor management system. This saves time during visitor check-in by allowing the employee to pre-populate a number of fields for expected guests. This Web-based tool permits all employees or selected employees to fill out a simple form. That information is then automatically sent to the visitor station in the lobby. When that guest arrives all the information about them is already in the system. Another great option to speed the checkout of guests is to include the use of barcodes on the visitor ID badge. This allows the lobby attendant to simply scan the visitor badge when the guest is leaving to automatically check them out. Barcodes on visitor badges can also be used for returning visitors who are supplied a more permanent badge. A barcode can be included on these badges so when the guest returns, the lobby attendant only needs to scan the badge and that guest is checked in, along with all the visitor information from the first check-in. Although lobby attendants are often used to check in visitors with a visitor management system, visitor self-registration is also an option. Either a freestanding kiosk or the use of an iPad or tablet computer can be used to allow guests to register themselves by completing required fields, much like the selfcheck-in employed at most airlines today. Self-registration can be used in unattended lobbies or in lobbies with a lot of traffic, permitting guests to choose
between checking in with a lobby attendant or doing so themselves at a kiosk. A kiosk can even include a driver’s license scanner and a printer so that the guest can complete the entire check-in process themselves. The good thing about visitor management is that it is appropriate for just about every environment, from small to large. It improves the security of facilities and enhances the professionalism of the organization. Primary vertical markets for visitor management software include K-12 schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, electric, gas and water utilities, corporate and nonprofit facilities of all kinds, federal, state and local buildings, military installations, and multitenant facilities. By including visitor management in a portfolio of security product and service offerings, security dealers and integrators can leverage the integration with access control to provide an integrated security solution for employees, intruders, unwanted guests, and temporary visitors. In some cases, visitor management enables organizations to comply with regulatory requirements to monitor and control access to a facility. In any situation it strengthens overall security and improves the image of the organization. ■ John Murzycki is Director of Marketing for EasyLobby Inc., a provider of visitor management solutions. Contact him at (781) 455-8558 or jmurzycki@easylobby.com.
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VERTICAL MARKETS
Let There Be
Each weekend more than 8,000 parishioners attend services at Victory World Church where personnel in an onsite security command center monitor life-safety systems.
SECURITY
Victory World Church near Atlanta receives a scalable security solution that allows the megachurch to upgrade its legacy system over time while providing remotely managed, IP-based CCTV and access control for its satellite facility. The project highlights the specialized needs and opportunities in the houses of worship vertical.
W
By Rodney Bosch
here once houses of worship may have been targeted by petty thieves looking to pilfer cash donations, these open and trusting spaces are increasingly being vandalized for much larger bounty. Many churches, for example, have grown considerably larger in recent decades and now commonly outfit their facilities with sophisticated A/V equipment and other expensive electronics. Protecting these organizations, which oftentimes have multiple buildings or even campuses, can be more like securing a commercial enterprise. One such example is Victory World Church in Norcross, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, which recently sought ways to protect and accommodate its more than 8,500 members, 850 volunteers and staff across two campuses. For a unique perspective into serving the houses of worship market niche, let’s take a look at the cost-effective, scalable security solution a local systems integrator provided to Victory to meet its life-safety needs. The remotely managed solution includes audible alarms, key swipe cards for sensitive areas, remote video
guarding capabilities and greatly simplified access control management.
Unique Needs of a Megachurch Husband and wife pastoral team Dennis and Colleen Rouse began their ministry in the 1990s preaching to six people in a small apartment, all the while with a vision to vastly grow the flock. And grow it did. Today the main campus of their Victory World Church comprises four buildings, including an elaborate sanctuary, administrative offices, a school, an auditorium, plus other classrooms and facility offices. Throughout the nondenominational church’s rapid growth, electronic security has been increasingly deployed, including video surveillance and access control, to safeguard the property and its legions of worshipers. Only recently, however, has the church deployed new technologies that allow for IP-based, integrated life-safety systems. Helping the church modernize its security solutions is Remote Protection Systems, a
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HOUSES OF WORSHIP
“They want people to be able to come in and out of certain areas freely, but then there are areas like the finance department where they keep cash collections,” Hightower says. “They want to take extra care to protect it.”
Robust Video, Security Capabilities
The primary data closet at Victory World Church’s new satellite facility is anchored by a Vista128FBP combination fire and burglary control panel (third from the right), which also integrates the facility’s CCTV and access control systems. On the right, a HRSD Series 16-channel DVR and a monitor are housed in a wall-mounted rack.
full-service commercial systems integrator based in Atlanta. Working across a range of commercial market verticals, Remote Protection Systems has methodically developed the houses of worship niche during the past several years to include about 25 large clients (see sidebar below). The firm was first contracted by Victory World Church about four years ago. Like other houses of worship, Victory World Church’s security needs are unique in that some parts of the facilities necessarily need to evoke an open and welcoming aesthetic, while other areas require tightly controlled access. Deciding on the right mix of overt and
subtly-deployed protection requires a deeply consultative approach with the client, says Remote Protection Systems President Scott Hightower. “We spend a lot of time with them talking about how people flow through their facilities. Then based on everything that we have learned we make our recommendations for controlling which doors and putting cameras in the appropriate locations. There is a lot more of that kind of consultation with houses of worship than at a typical commercial business,” he says. Providing flexibility into the design of security applications for a campus-wide house of worship is central.
In April, Remote Protection Systems began installing security systems at a newly renovated satellite campus for Victory World Church in Buford, Ga., which will serve an additional 1,500 parishioners. Located about 25 miles from the main campus, Hightower’s assignment was to design a solution that would integrate the latest technology at the new site with legacy systems at the church’s main campus. “In a church environment, which is a nonprofit organization, we have to be really careful on how we spend money,” says Dennis James, who has served as the church’s security director for 12 years. “We have the new system at the new building and my goal is to eventually get that system at the main campus as well. But it’s a process of getting there.” To meet his client’s desire for a costeffective, scalable solution, Hightower chose a platform by Honeywell that would leverage the manufacturer’s security, video surveillance and access control products and software packages.
◗ Succeeding in the Houses of Worship Market Remote Protection Systems, a commercial systems integrator serving the metro Atlanta area, has carved out a successful niche in the houses of worship market. Starting out about five years ago helping a small church with a simple DVR installation, Remote has since grown its client list to about 25 large churches with congregations ranging from 2,000 to 15,000 members. “We have found there are quite a few houses of worship that don’t have any security today and they are often the victims of crime. They need help,” says Remote Protection Systems President Scott Hightower. “Typically they all need security systems; most of them want some sort of video surveillance and a majority of them want some type of access control to secure certain areas of the church. Most, if not all, require fire alarm systems.” Eschewing hard sales tactics, Hightower instead pursues a consultative approach and customer service excellence that has resulted in netting several projects through direct referrals. The emphasis is on building a trusted, long-term customer relationship. “We spend a lot of time trying to educate and assist. We make ourselves available to answer a lot of questions and guide them along,” Hightower says. About two years ago, Remote partnered with Honeywell to host a free seminar with about 50 attendees from houses of worship in the area. Presentations were given to discuss various security systems and
services tailored for the market. The event proved fruitful, helping the firm sign up several new customers. Remote continues to host occasional sessions as a result to market its services. It has also built up a sizeable mailing list, which it uses for sending educational newsletters and E-mail blasts on such topics as how to combat copper theft. Installing security contractors considering the market niche will need to be prepared to deal with some of the hurdles common to the client type. For instance, some cash-strapped houses of worship may only seek the lowest bid. Others are oftentimes run by committees and there is no clear decision-maker to deal with directly. “We’ve had projects where we’ve had to go in the evenings and present to a committee of 25 people. They deliberate over two or three weeks and finally come back with a decision. It’s not like your typical sale,” Hightower says. Still, the market is ripe for projects that offer one-time installation revenue, as well as recurring revenues for monitoring and other services. “We find the houses of worship really like to have service agreements. It makes it easy for them. They can budget the amount every month,” Hightower says. “A lot of businesses are Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, but churches are there Saturdays and Sundays too. You have to be ready to provide that support. We can build a service agreement with them and say we’ll be available by phone or send a technician on a weekend.”
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“On the main campus, we had installed a number of Honeywell products over the years, including 88 surveillance cameras and those are all connected to six Honeywell DVRs,” Hightower says. “They have remote access software loaded on multiple PCs [at the main campus]. So now, by adding the Honeywell DVR at this new building, they can use the exact same software and integrate the ability to view that video remotely without having to make any major changes to what’s already installed.” The video platform at the new site is based on the HRSD Series DVR, which receives feeds from 16 indoor/outdoor high-resolution infrared dome cameras. The analog solution, using coaxial cable, was chosen in large part to also maintain system familiarity for the end user. James oversees a small security staff that operates out of a security command center 24/7 on the main campus where video feeds and other life-safety systems are monitored. “Essentially what we did is put the same platform at the new satellite location so that all they have to do is add that DVR to the existing software and they can now look at the cameras at that particular location,” Hightower says. “This is basically like adding a node onto their existing security network.” Referred to as Victory @ Hamilton Mill, the Buford facility has been outfitted with a pair of centralized data closets. One of the closets serves as the primary source for the Internet connectivity necessary to remotely manage and view the cameras, as well as manage the access control system. The second closet serves as a kind of head-end where the DVR and a Vista-128FBP combination fire and burglary control panel reside. While the fire alarm was installed by an electrical contractor, technicians from Remote Protection Systems connected it to the panel so that the panel serves as the communicator for the fire alarm system. A security feature Hightower touted to church administrators about the new solution was the capability to conduct real-time, video monitoring similar to remote guarding tours. For example, if an individual needs to enter a building afterhours, they can simply call the
Similar to all houses of worship, Victory World Church’s security needs are unique in that some parts of the facilities need to evoke an open and welcoming aesthetic, while other areas require tightly controlled access. Determining the right mix of overt and subtly-deployed protection requires a consultative approach with the client.
security command center at the main campus to be granted access. Using the remotely managed system, security personnel can then call up a camera view at the door and confirm identity, then proceed to log into the access control system and grant right of entry. “They can follow the person through on the camera to make sure that person gets what they need and exit the church. They can then relock the door and rearm the security system,” Hightower says.
Remote Access Control Made Easy Powered by Win-Pak management software, the card access control for the new facility resides on servers at the main campus. Again, Internet connectivity between the existing IT infrastructure and the Buford site is used to communicate with and manage the onsite NetAXS four-door access control panel. Additional installation features included outfitting doors and other entrances with OmniProx card swipe readers, a 125kHz HID compatible proximity reader, and request-to-exit (RTE) sensors. The intuitive Web interface with the NetAXS controller allows security personnel to remotely manage access for staff and volunteers. As a result, migrating to the new system has provided a momentous upgrade: Although Victory’s legacy system allows for card access on individual doors, it does not have much flexibility for putting schedules on doors or giving people different access at different times.
“With the Web interface I can remotely go into the system and set levels. It allows me to have a lot more control,” James says. “We have different ministries that meet on different days and times. So, for example, our ministry for teenagers only needs access on Wednesdays from noon to 10 p.m. After that, the building goes on automatic lockdown. If they need to extend the time, then someone needs to get in touch with me so I can remotely handle that.” Remote Protection Systems’ technicians trained James and his staff to facilitate their own access control card administration. The integrator does, however, maintain a service agreement with the client. “We are always providing expertise and support. We have tools to log into their computers remotely and see what they are seeing or be able to take control of their computer, and be able to show them how to do certain things,” Hightower says. Remote Protection Systems committed about 200 man-hours to complete the latest project at the new site. It is the firm’s intimate knowledge of the marketplace and a committed personalized touch that has won over Victory World Church administrators. “They helped me to cut my teeth, if you will, on a lot of issues and a lot of things I didn’t know about security systems,” James says. “The support has been tremendous. I can’t say enough about that.” ■ securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011 63
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The Essentials SPECIAL SHOWCASE: Home Automation/Security Products Honeywell 6820 Touchscreen Keypad
The 6820 graphic touchscreen keypad by Honeywell of Melville, N.Y., serves as a security system keypad, high-resolution digital photo display and video viewer. The product features a 7-inch high-resolution screen that supports more than 16 million colors. It works with the company’s VISTA-15P control panel models. In the event of an emergency, voice annunciation announces the type and location of an alarm. Offering the same design language as Honeywell’s Total Connect Remote Services, the keypad utilizes distinctive graphic icons and menu-driven prompts that reduce training time and simplify use, according to the company. www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21400
HAI Snap-Link Li k M Mobile bi for iPhone
Home Automation Inc. (HAI) of New Orleans releases Snap-Link Mobile, a home configuration controller for the iPhone. Using the company’s PC Access software, dealers can provide custom room text like “Living Room,” “Master Bedroom,” and “Patio,” and classify which automated devices belong in every room, according to the company. The information will then be distributed to and accessible from every enhanced interface in the home. Additionally, the product will now store settings for the configuration of IP devices such as HAI Dock, HAI Music Gateway, and IP surveillance cameras.
Channel Vision Telephone Entry Door Intercom The telephone entry door intercom with keypad station (DS3-0232P) by Channel Vision Technology of Costa Mesa, Calif., is compatible with Panasonic’s phone systems to provide communication with the front door. The door station also features an integrated access control keypad, which can be used to open an entrance gate or electric door lock. The door entry station installs into a standard 3-gang junction box. The product also offers a hidden camera option. www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21402
www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21401
iON Security Products Wireless Door Plunger
iON Security Products of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, introduces the wireless door plunger for concealed door security. Hidden completely from view, the product is designed for easy one-step installation on the hinge side of a doorframe. The company maintains that there is no modifying to the door, or altering the aesthetics of the room. The wireless door plunger also works will all current DSC, GE, 2GIG and HAI wireless receivers. www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21403
Visonic RealAlarm Home Security System
The RealAlarm home security solution by Visonic of Bloomfield, Conn., uses PowerG RF technology. The system provides visual alarm verification and enables central stations to immediately establish whether an event is a real emergency or a false alarm, according to the company. The product utilizes Visonic’s NEXT CAM device, a passive infrared (PIR) motion detector coupled with a camera in a single housing. When detection occurs, the camera is triggered automatically and captures clear images, day or night and images are immediately sent to the central station. www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21404
DMP Virtual Keypad App
Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) of Springfield, Mo., releases the Virtual Keypad App, an application for the iPhone and iPad, allowing users to access a number of security system keypad functions remotely. With the app, homeowners can check the system status and arm the system wherever they are located. It also allows users to choose from the Home/Sleep/Away arming options. www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21405
For the latest products, sign up for SSI’s Security Equipment E-lert at securitysales.com.
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DSC Wireless Alarm System
Elk M1 Control 2-Way Wireless System
Elk Products of Hildebran, N.C., releases the M1 control featuring two-way wireless technology and Navigator touchscreen. The company’s two-way wireless technology has benefits that increase the overall reliability of this wireless system, such as acknowledgement between devices to confirm that signals get through and logic to repeat a missed transmission. Random frequency hopping ensures signal diversity and provides anti-jamming capability. RF power level is constantly monitored and adjusted to deliver a clear signal while maximizing battery life. To simplify installation, wireless devices contain LEDs that indicate battery status and signal quality. www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21406
The IMPASSA, a full-featured wireless alarm system released by Concord, Ontario, Canada-based DSC, part of Tyco Security Products, delivers two-way audio alarm communication between the central monitoring station and homeowner during alarm events. The product’s integrated communicator offers highspeed communications in a range of configurations such as 3G cellular network, IP network, dual-path using both IP and 3G, or POTS network, the company says. With the system’s distributed wireless approach, IMPASSA enables the control panel and wireless components to be installed easily, according to the company. www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21407
Winland Electronics EnviroAlert EA800-ip Critical Monitoring System The EnviroAlert EA800-ip by Winland Electronics Inc. of Mankato, Minn., provides two-way access to remotely monitor and collect data on up to eight sensors for changes in temperature, humidity, water, gases, pressure and dry contacts, and more. Sensor settings may also be modified via a network connection eliminating a need for onsite adjustments or a service call, according to the company. The product also offers Ethernet connectivity and monitoring from multiple sites. Users will have remote access to programming and viewing real-time data. www.securitysales.com/FREEInfo/21408
www.securitysales.com/freeinfo/21191
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Building Your Business
Why Adding Wireless to Your Portfolio Makes Sense
S
©iStockphoto.com/salanyali
Applying wireless technology is a mostly painless process even for the most traditional-minded installing security contractor. Learn about basic system advantages, organizational cost savings and customer benefits. By Mark Ingram
ome installing security contractors embrace change while others resist it. Case in point: wireless technology. Like it or not we are migrating to a wireless world and savvy security professionals with an eye to the future are preparing to live and prosper in it. Increasingly installing dealers and integrators are opting for wireless technologies in more and more security applications. The use of wireless in security systems and networks is being catalyzed by multiple factors. For one, the use of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) in alarm monitoring is inevitably going to crash and burn in due course, sending traditional copper phone lines to the history museum. Another important driver is the onslaught of new technologies emerging that can significantly increase network bandwidth. Transmitting video over wireless for surveillance applications is one area of opportunity, for example, that promises significant growth in the coming years. Consider the latest results from SSI’s annual Installation Business Report (IBR), which will be published in the 2012 Gold Book, an industry resource guide distributed with the December issue. A survey of SSI readers shows that while coaxial cable continues to dominate, it has
lost 17 percentage points since 2007 (2 in 2011). Wireless transmission methodology gained 2 points, which works out to a 40-percent rise. (Ethernet/IP network cabling exhibited the strongest growth, with a 5-point ascent. UTP declined the most with a deficit of 4 points. Fiber fell 1 point.) Going wireless can represent substantial savings of time and money for installing contractors and end users alike. Wireless controls and devices are seeing excellent price reductions each year. Cost of manufacturing, raw materials and the demand of these products supports the manufacturers in reducing overhead and therefore the price to the installing security contractor. These cost reductions, speed of installation, reduced human resources and increased central station accounts all lead to increased profit. Building recurring monthly revenue (RMR) with technology is what every company should be looking to achieve. Let’s take a closer look why implementing wireless technology into your portfolio of services makes good business sense and how this can be achieved with minimal organizational disruption.
Ease of Installation Traditionally, deploying video surveillance systems can be expensive
and time consuming given the difficulty of installing the wired infrastructure necessary to bring video feeds back to the recording location. If cameras need to be located in out-of-the-way or hard-to-reach areas, direct cabling poses an obvious predicament, as digging, trenching and running expensive fiber-optic cabling is required. Also consider that customer workplace and family schedules are oftentimes demanding and therefore time is of the essence. A wireless solution can significantly reduce the amount of time technicians are on the premises and thusly lessen the interruption to a business or household. There are plenty of WiFi enhancement products to make even the most difficult installation much easier. We do need to keep in mind, however, that WiFi is a shorter range technology. Copper and other conduits of data are expensive and require a human interface to install. Since employee costs continue to rise, and finding qualified IT personnel can be very expensive, solutions that cut costs inevitably increase profit. As long as robustness is assured, wireless technology requires less skill and considerably less time to implement and allows for protection in locations previously difficult or even impossible to hard wire.
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Since wireless products are now as secure as a wire and have greater battery life than ever before, there is no reason an installer should feel hesitant to offer wireless solutions.
I like to think of wireless as a means to an end. Using wireless to accomplish five installs per day as opposed to five installs a week means more accounts on line. One solution recently brought to market, RealAlarm based on Visonic’s PowerG RF (radio frequency) technology and new PowerMaster alarm system, demonstrates the benefits of wireless in both residential and commercial applications. Installing contractors need to provide their customers with a security solution that provides effective visual alarm verification and enables central stations to accurately assess the situation inside the premises in the event of an alarm. RealAlarm is an example of a wireless solution that delivers a much longer battery life, greater transmission range and safeguards from signal interferences. Two-way wireless Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum technology also provides robustness and reliability closer than ever to wired systems. A greatly extended transmission range (measured unobstructed line-ofsite transmission range: 2,000m/6,500 feet @ 8m/24 feet, 750m/2,500 feet @ 2m/6.5feet) now makes it possible to cover significantly larger premises than traditional wired systems, without repeaters. Importantly, highly secured AES-128 encrypted wireless communication surpasses the most demanding industry standards. Wireless residential alarm systems can now provide customer assurances such as enabling all smoke detectors to sound an alarm when any smoke detector is triggered. Installers can feel secure in the knowledge a homeowner’s family will awaken if a fire occurs (provided the detectors are located within proximity of the sleeping areas).
©iStockphoto.com/slobo
Increased Transmission Range
Wireless residential alarm systems can now provide customer assurances such as enabling all smoke detectors to sound an alarm when any smoke detector is triggered.
In commercial applications, the increased range of wireless and the robustness of the technology allow installers to circumvent 40-foot ceilings, block walls, multitenant installs, etc. More devices can be installed far more efficiently and easier in less time. And since the technology is the same for residential and commercial, technicians can cross job installs and become much more versed in both venues.
Initial Organizational Groundwork Adding wireless components and systems to a portfolio of services is not a difficult proposition for an installing security contractor. For the traditional-minded installer, these safe and supervised solutions will work in even the most difficult scenarios. Becoming a company ready and able to utilize wireless components requires an investment as does any new product. However, understanding RF does not entail the need to hire RF engineers; simply, installers who recognize metal and concrete as possible RF obstructions bring this to more of a common sense approach.
To be sure, there is a need to install test systems in areas where one sees the potential for signal transmission issues. Since RF may be new to the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), an installer will want to first confirm acceptance prior to installation to gauge the AHJ’s awareness of wireless technology. Having a tool box full of RF studies and equipment listings supplied by the manufacturer may be all that is needed to gain approval to proceed with the installation. This is especially important when installing residential or small commercial wireless fire systems. Training installers and salespeople is a requisite as well. We all know that competitors will make claims about their own wired product and how they believe a wireless product is not stable or reliable. How the salespeople counter these objections is as important as knowing how to install a system. Also important is to be certain your company contract is up-to-date for the use of wireless systems. Why use a contract that contains language about hardwiring when there is none? Keep in mind you are protecting life and property, so you must also protect yourself and your business. Many of us in the industry subscribe to the Email forum produced by industry attorney and SSI “Legal Briefing” columnist Ken Kirschenbaum; this can be an excellent source of information to learn about contractual issues other dealers are experiencing, including wireless issues. Ultimately, as the generational shift occurs in the industry (i.e. second and third generations assuming control of the business) and larger corporations look to cut human resource costs, we will continue to see a much greater acceptance of wireless technology. Even “old” guys like me with 38+ years of security industry experience clearly see the value proposition! ■
Mark Ingram is President of Visonic Ltd., a provider a wireless security systems. He can be contacted at mingram@visonic.com.
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The Big Idea
Lauding Alarm Industry Pioneers 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 Alan Glasser, executive director of the Metropolitan Burglar & Fire Alarm Association of New York (MBFAA).
Glasser’s great idea: Let us all stand on the shoulders of the pioneers in this industry who came before us. Let’s honor those who are still with us by recognizing their accomplishments and encapsulate the knowledge they will leave behind.
A
lan Glasser, executive director of the Metropolitan Burglar and Fire Alarm Association of New York (MBFAA), called me several weeks ago to ask if I’d be willing to emcee the association’s “Pioneers of the New York Alarm Industry” event. I eagerly accepted the offer; so many of my friends are in the New York area. This column is a fitting opportunity to explore Glasser’s great idea, as well as provide a review of the function. To put it simply, the evening proved to be a milestone event in the industry. In excess of 150 people gathered at the Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows Park to honor more than 50 industry professionals with at least 35 years of experience in the alarm industry. The list included some of the bestknown names in the New York alarm industry and beyond. To name but only a few: Ray Adams, who began his career in 1953 as the first salesman of ultrasonic alarms for Altertronics; Harvey Cohen, who has been in the
industry for more than 40 years and at the helm of Affiliated Central since 1990; Stan Oppenheim, founder and president of DGA Security; and Dick Soloway, chairman and CEO of NAPCO Security Technologies, who developed one of the industry’s first electronic sirens and outdoor siren boxes.
Wisdom, for Posterity’s Sake Getting all these stalwarts into the spectacular venue was frosting on the cake. As I stood there introducing the honorees, I was struck by the enormous amount of wisdom, experience, learning and ideas that were possessed by these honorees. I was also somewhat saddened by the fact that when these people pass on, most of what they know and have learned will go with them. FIND IT ON THE WEB F To T o view a photo gallery featuring some of the honored guests at the MBFAA affair, th visit securitysales.com/bigidea1111.
By Ron Davis rdavis@graybeardsrus.com
Echoing his own great idea, Glasser is making sure that future issues of the MBFAA newsletter will highlight articles about the honorees/recipients of awards at the “Pioneers” affair. You too can play part in preserving the wisdom, knowledge and life experiences that our industry pioneers can only know. Whether a local, regional or national association, within every faction there are perhaps dozens of people, maybe more, who have been in the industry for a significant amount of time. Maybe it’s time to recognize them, honor them and begin to pass on some of the great ideas that they had in building the industry up to where it is today. What Glasser did in New York can be replicated in every city in the country where there is an alarm association. It can be a great fundraiser event as well; each attendee to the MBFAA affair paid $150, which included a great dinner, open bar and hors d’oeuvres. This concept is a way to bring in people who may have been out of the industry for years, even decades. Isn’t it time these people were recognized and welcomed back, even if just for an evening to honor their accomplishments? Feel free to contact me or Glasser [(718) 894-6712] if you’d like more information on how an event like this can be facilitated. ■ 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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securitysales.com • NOVEMBER 2011 75
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What to Do When an AHJ Targets Your Customer
S
There may be issues raised by the ometimes a security comBy Ken Kirschenbaum AHJ that should involve the alarm pany gets caught in the ken@kirschenbaumesq.com company, though in most of these sitmiddle when there is a disuations the AHJ should know who the pute between a client and alarm company is and notice should the local AHJ (authority having jurisbetter customer relations and busibe provided to the alarm company. A diction). In one such incident, the AHJ ness opportunity the alarm company good example would be a commercial sent a letter to a customer stating that would normally notify the customer fire installation. The alarm company unless action was taken responder that additional services are now refiled plans and obtained a permit; it’s services would cease. This raised key quired, and the alarm company is willon record with the AHJ and there is no questions. Should the alarm company ing to provide those services. reason that any issue involving the instay out of it and let the customer and It’s hard to believe a municipal fire AHJ deal with it? Should the department or EMT would company notify the customer ignore a call. In any event, If the alarm company has a standard form contracts clearin any way that dispatching continuing relationship with the ly address this issue and prowill not occur in the event of subscriber after the installation, vide that the alarm company a suspension? then the subscriber should notify is not responsible for municiAccording to this scenario, the alarm company of an AHJ pal response or suspension of only the subscriber received a notice threatening suspension notice. The contractual relationship response, and the subscriber will then dictate what responsibility is still responsible to pay for of municipal response serthe alarm company has and any ongoing monitoring charges vices unless some corrective action that should be taken. or lease payments. action is taken. That action could involve an electronic Despite the contract provistallation should not be directed or at alarm system or something else, like sion, however, if the suspension of muleast copied to the alarm company. failure to pay a fee and obtain a pernicipal services is directly related to Where an alarm system is installed mit. Perhaps the alarm company did something the alarm company was unand later after inspection the AHJ denot get any notice of the impending der contract or law to provide or percides the system needs to comply with suspension because the AHJ didn’t form, the “come hell or high water” paya new law that mandates smoke or know about the company or what its ment provision will not hold up. The carbon monoxide (CO) devices, then responsibility was for an alarm system subscriber will be able to terminate payit’s not the alarm company’s responsionce installed. And the problem may ment and perhaps the contract if the bility. That equipment was not includnot relate to the installation. alarm company has failed to perform If the alarm company has a continu- ed in the initial installation. a contractual or legal duty. An example Same with a new law that requires ing relationship with the subscriber would be failure to obtain a permit (the annual inspections. If the subscribafter the installation (which it should contract should provide that the alarm er has not contracted for that service to maximize the value of that account, company will procure any required perthen the alarm company has no resuch as equipment leasing, service mit, at the subscriber’s expense). ■ sponsibility to provide the inspection and monitoring), then the subscribKen Kirschenbaum has been a recognized counsel service. If the inspection requirement er should notify the alarm company of to the alarm industry for 35 years and is principal of Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum, P.C. (www.kirschencomes about after the installation, the AHJ notice. The contractual relabaumesq.com). His team of attorneys, which includes daughter Jennifer, specialize in transactional, defense then the alarm company would not tionship will then dictate what responlitigation, regulatory compliance and collection matters. have any obligation at all, even if it is sibility the alarm company has and The opinions expressed in this column are not necesmonitoring the system. Of course, for any action that should be taken. sarily those of SSI, and not intended as legal advice.
SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION (ISSN 1539-0071) (USPS 511-590) (CDN IPM# 40013413) is published monthly with an additional issue in December, by Bobit Business Media, 3520 Challenger Street, Torrance, California 90503-1640. Periodicals postage paid at Torrance, California 90503-9998 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Security Sales, P.O. Box 1068 Skokie, IL 60076-8068. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for address changes to take effect. Subscription Prices - United States $96 per year; Canada $96 per year; Foreign $140 per year. Single copy price - $8; Fact Book - $35. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks to receive your first issue. Please address Editorial and Advertising correspondence to the Executive Offices at 3520 Challenger Street, Torrance, California 90503-1640. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without consent of Bobit Business Media. All statements made, although based on information believed to be reliable and accurate, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission.
Legal Briefing
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