43 minute read
Member News
MEMBER NEWS >> MEMBERS MAKING NEWS ADI GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION WINS MISSION 500 AWARD
Mission 500, a charitable non-profit organization engaging security professionals to assist families in crisis across the USA, announced ADI Global Distribution as the winner of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award for its support of a wide range of social causes aimed at assisting families and children across North America. ADI’s CSR activities include company-wide and localized grassroots efforts at its branch locations across North America to support their local communities. ADI incorporates philanthropic components to large company events, like its annual Sales Kickoff, and includes its team members, customers and suppliers in its social outreach.
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More than doubling its contributions to Mission 500 in 2020, ADI raised over $93,200 through its 2021 virtual fundraising event to help assist children and families in need.
National Monitoring Center is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the company’s founding. In those years, NMC has evolved from a single 10,000 square foot facility to two fullyredundant, leading-edge monitoring centers located in California and Texas.
SECURITAS ELECTRONIC SECURITY LAUNCHES DEDICATED RETAIL DIVISION
The expanded specialization in the retail market will include launching new electronic article surveillance (EAS) solutions and services.
MICRO KEY SOLUTIONS PARTNERS WITH THE NEW DICE
Micro Key Solutions and The New DICE have partnered together to provide central stations who are using Millennium Monitoring automation software the ability to add interactive and advanced video services with AI analytics. While both companies currently offer monitoring and video solutions, the partnership allows central stations powered by Millennium Monitoring to take advantage of interactive video services offered by Matrix Interactive.
COPS ACQUIRES WHOLESALE MONITORING BUSINESS FROM SECURITY PARTNERS
COPS Monitoring announced that it purchased the wholesale monitoring assets of Security Partners LLC at auction on May 27, 2021. Upon completion of the acquisition and subsequent preparations, the alarm companies and their 100,000+ subscriber accounts will be migrated to COPS and monitored by its network of six UL listed and TMA Five Diamond certified monitoring stations located throughout North America. The migration of the Security Partners dealer accounts is scheduled to be completed by early fall and will bring COPS’ total monitored account base to more than 3.5 million.
CALIPSA’S VIDEO FALSE ALARM REDUCTION PLATFORM SELECTED BY SIRIX
Calipsa announced that Sirix, a leading Canadian remote monitoring station operator, is using its False Alarm Filtering platform. Calipsa’s artificial intelligence-based analytics reduce false alarms by more than 90%.
Quebec-based Sirix offers public and private organizations solutions for remote video monitoring, cloudhosted access control, remote intercom response, alarm video verification and infrastructure uptime monitoring. Calipsa’s video analytics software is deployed in the Sirix operations center, providing an added layer of intelligence to protect its customer’s sites.
TMA Executive Director Message, continued from page 5
Companies that once relied on faceto-face connections with customers developed new ways to remain connected; these have allowed them to deliver enhanced customer experiences in new ways. Even TMA saw blessings from the COVID disruption—by converting our meetings to virtual meetings, we were able to serve members who previously had been unable to attend our meetings.
The disruption also forced companies to focus on their strengths, become leaner, and experience continuous innovation as they had to adjust to many changes along the way. The whole “work-from-home” movement is an example of companies reinventing how they work.
I have heard of companies that were able to expand their number of operators when alarm traffic increased outside the norm by tapping into its work-from-home operators; this would have been harder and taken longer to do when everyone worked from the monitoring center.
Change is hard, and many people are inherently averse to change. For the past 16 months, we had no choice but to adapt, become more comfortable with uncertainty, and change. This experience can be the beginning of moving us from great to beyond great!
Celia T. Besore, CAE Executive Director, TMA
Three powerful and disruptive forces have altered the path to success: social tension, economic nationalism, and technological revolution.
“Great is no longer good enough.”
ALARM SYSTEMS AND SECURITY RESPONSE CENTER PARTNER
This mutually beneficial alliance is the result of the recognition of shared growth objectives and opportunity. The partnership allows Security Response Center to continue expansion while Alarm Systems (Belleville, ON) enables geographic development as a result of its strategic location. Alarm Systems has now partnered with their ideal consociate for monitoring, thus fulfilling the mandated ULC redundant site requirement. The partnership was effective June 1, 2021.
WAYNE ALARM ACQUIRES NORTH SHORE PROTECTION
Wayne Alarm Systems Inc. acquired North Shore Protection Inc. The purchase further increases Wayne Alarm’s share in the greater Boston area as the company continues to grow and expand.
NAPCO INTRODUCES NEW BRANDING
The Continental Access Division of NAPCO Security Technologies is pleased to introduce its new logo, branding and dealer program. The new, modern look encapsulates the wide variety of solutions that Continental Access offers, including enterprise, mobile, cellular, cloud, wireless locks and embedded solutions, plus the debut of an all-new program for dealers/integrators.
NAPCO LAUNCHES NEW MARKETING TOOLS FOR DEALERS
NAPCO Security Technologies, Inc. is pleased to introduce a New Marketing Tools Portal for Dealers/ Integrators, enabling them to market security services, upgrades and new systems more easily. The Portal offers free customizable mailers/statement stuffers security pros can download and printout or request free physical copies; customizable ready-made HTML emails and a library of high-res or web-ready downloadable photos (by division and product brand).
BRIVO NAMED WINNER OF 2021 BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE GROUP INNOVATION AWARDS
Brivo was named one of the winners of the 2021 BIG Innovation Awards. This annual business awards program recognizes organizations, products, and people that are bringing new ideas to life in innovative ways. Brivo won in the Technology category.
PRODUCTS MAKING NEWS OPEN EYE INTRODUCES 4K CAMERAS
The OE-C2012B8 (bullet) and the OEC3012T8 (turret) are outdoor cameras with excellent low-light performance and adaptive IR to provide high-definition images, both day and night. Housed in a rugged IP67 and IK10-rated housing, both cameras are well suited for installation in high-traffic locations.
Both cameras are ONVIF™ and NDAA compliant, and fully compatible with the OpenEye Web Services platform, allowing multiple users to view highquality images concurrently, and set up cameras and recorders remotely using a web browser.
BOSCH CAMERAS SUPPORT OPEN CAMERA PLATFORM
The new MIC inteox cameras share the same distinctive characteristics as the rest of the MIC camera family, such as robust housing and highquality imaging, and support predictive solutions with machine learning, neural network-based video analytics and third-party software apps for customized applications. JOHNSON CONTROLS ADDS 8 NEW NDAA-COMPLIANT CAMERAS TO TYCO ILLUSTRA FLEX SERIES
The low-light, cybersecurity-hardened Illustra Flex Gen3 cameras are capable of connecting to the Johnson Controls OpenBlue platform.
ALTRONIX UNVEILS NEW EFLOW DUAL VOLTAGE ACCESS CONTROL KITS
Altronix announces the launch of an enhanced line of eFlow power supply/ charger kits that provide 12 and 24VDC simultaneously for locking devices and peripherals.
These new solutions are equipped with fused or PTC protected outputs that are individually selectable to provide necessary power for a wide range of access control panels, door locks, ancillary devices and more, according to the company.
Models also feature bi-color LEDs for instant visual voltage verification and embedded LINQ network power management technology, allowing users to control, monitor and report power over individual outputs.
DMP APPOINTS REGIONAL TRAINING MANAGER FOR THE MIDSOUTH/SOUTHEAST REGION
Authorized dealers across the MidSouth/ Southeast region have a new regional training manager. Matthew McDonald will now provide technical training and support throughout that region. Most recently, McDonald was the major accounts liaison for STS Group, an authorized DMP dealer based out of Madison, Ala. As a new regional training manager for DMP, McDonald will support DMP dealers throughout his territory, which includes Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Northwest Florida.
VECTOR SECURITY PRESIDENT & CEO APPOINTED TO PHILADELPHIA CONTRIBUTIONSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Vector Security, an intelligent mobile security and automation solutions provider to homes and businesses, announced that its president and CEO, Pamela J. Petrow, has been appointed to the board of directors of The Philadelphia Contributionship.
CHRIS NEWHOOK APPOINTED DIRECTOR
American Alarm and Communications has appointed Chris Newhook to the position of Director of Monitoring Operations. VIVINT SMART HOME ANNOUNCES DAVID BYWATER AS CEO
Vivint Smart Home, Inc. announced that David Bywater has been appointed chief executive officer. This follows Todd Pedersen stepping down as CEO of Vivint Smart Home, although he will remain a member of the board of directors. Bywater will also be joining the company’s board of directors.
ALARM DETECTION SYSTEMS APPOINTS AMY BECKER AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Amy Becker as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective immediately. As COO, Becker will oversee the company’s day-to-day operations, which includes responsibility for all of the functions at the Illinois and Colorado locations.
J. ROBERT “ROB” BROWN APPOINTED AS CEO/ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS
Acting President & Chairman of the Board Ken Stuebing and the Board of Directors of the International Association of Fire Chiefs are pleased to announce the appointment of Fire Chief (Ret.) J. Robert Brown, Jr., as IAFC Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.
As CEO/Executive Director, Mr. Brown will be responsible to assure that the IAFC builds upon our near 150-years of success at the forefront of the fire, rescue and emergency services profession and that the IAFC’s advocacy, leadership, education and service initiatives are laser-focused on the success and support of our IAFC members worldwide. Additionally, Mr. Brown is responsible for the overall leadership, management and continuity of IAFC corporate operations, and serves as President and CEO of the IAFC’s subsidiary company, Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI), working with ESCI Chair, Chief Chris Christopoulos. LONG-TIME TMA MEMBER CELEBRATES 90 YEARS YOUNG
Mac Hammond, a long-time TMA member and, together with his wife Bonnie, a long time association supporter, celebrated his 90th birthday in early May of this year. Both Mac and Bonnie, and indeed the larger family, are familiar faces to TMA members who saw the family across the years at our association functions. The company was acquired approximately 10 years ago. TMA’s management, staff and members all send their best wishes to Mac and his family on the occasion of his 90th!
CONGRATULATIONS TO TMA MEMBERS NAMED TO SSN’S 40 UNDER 40
The following TMA members were named on Security System News’ Annual 40 Under 40 list: n Lief Boren, Senior Manager of
Dealer Services, AvantGuard n Jack Doyle, President, Doyle
Integrated Systems and Support
Services, Doyle Security Systems n Jennifer Hall, Director of Service
Dispatch for Securitas Electronic
Security (SES), North America n Jessica Lambert, Director of
Monitoring Services, General
Monitoring Services
Alarm.com
SUCCESS STORIES
SS&Si Dealer Network is more than just a distributor of home security products and technology. On top of shipping to over 600 dealers nationwide, they also provide marketing resources, private label panels, vendor programs and years of security expertise and knowhow to their clients. Jake Voll, president of SS&Si, says that helping his dealers market and sell their products is essential to the success of his company. “I think that’s what separates us as a distributor. We support our dealers throughout their customer lifecycles,” says Voll. “I like to refer to us as a ‘distributor plus.’”
JAKE VOLL PRESIDENT, SS&SI
PROBLEM
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of Voll’s long time dealers approached him for advice on a complicated project involving a hospital. At this point, hospitals were trying to find creative ways to deal with shortages of personal protective gear, or PPE. The dealer needed to provide 40 video cameras with two-way voice communication for 40 hospital rooms so nurses and doctors could communicate with patients without exposing themselves to the virus or wasting precious PPE.
There were several considerations when choosing the right camera for the job. Not only did they need to provide high-quality video and two-way audio, they needed to meet the stringent security needs of the healthcare environment.
More than just wanting to sell hardware, Voll wanted to help ensure that frontline healthcare workers had the tools they needed to stay safe. This was a problem that Voll understood all too well; his wife is a pediatric nurse practitioner. At the onset of the pandemic, his wife’s office was short on masks like many other healthcare professionals. “I ended up posting a request for PPE to Facebook and LinkedIn, and we got masks from customers, vendors and even competitors from all over the country,” says Voll. One of the biggest challenges in setting up the cameras was getting the hospital’s IT department to integrate them into their secure network. They were initially reluctant, but ultimately it was Alarm.com’s secure platform that convinced them to set up a separate Wi-Fi network to provide coverage for all 40 cameras.
RESULTS
SS&Si Dealer Network was able to leverage its expertise to help one of their security dealers provide the right solution in a time of need. Voll says that the quality and breadth of Alarm. com’s platform is what sets it apart from competitors and makes it the obvious choice for many applications, especially commercial applications like a large hospital. “We don’t see anything that compares apples to apples with Alarm. com,” says Voll. “They combine a smart home and smart building platform with security, video, access control and now even health and wellness to offer a robust ecosystem and platform for our dealers.” “We don’t see anything that compares apples to apples with Alarm.com.”
JAKE VOLL PRESIDENT SS&SI
SOLUTION
Providing expertise is SS&Si’s biggest value-add, and in this instance Voll says he knew exactly which product would fit the bill. “I suggested the Alarm.com Wellcam™,” explained Voll, “and it met all their needs.” Wellcam sports crisp 1080p video with a wide field of view, and clear two-way audio that’s integrated into the camera so there’s no need for additional equipment. But what really made Wellcam the standout choice was Alarm.com’s HIPAA-compliant, security-forward platform. “There were other hardware options,” says Voll, “but Alarm.com’s platform sealed the deal.” “There were other hardware options, but Alarm.com’s platform sealed the deal.”
JAKE VOLL PRESIDENT SS&SI
Cloud-based Monitoring
Is making the change the right direction for your business?
By Contributed by the BOLD Group
The cloud has had a huge impact on how many organizations do business, however, many security and alarm monitoring companies have been slow to adopt it. This may be because many do not fully understand the potential of the cloud. Plus, with the inherent security concerns that come with any operational change, industry leaders have been unmotivated to make the switch.
There is a lot of potential value to be gained by using cloud-based alarm monitoring, and understanding the benefits will help you decide if making such a change is right for your alarm monitoring business.
The Cloud in the Alarm and Security Field
Chances are that you have heard about the cloud hundreds of times. Unfortunately, it is often thrown around as a buzzword without any clear [12] definition of what it is or how it applies to specific industries.
In short, cloud computing is the delivery of data, applications, processing, and other computing services over the internet and on-demand. One of the most common uses of the cloud is to store and manage data. However, it can be used for much more in the security industry.
By delivering cloud-based alarm monitoring solutions, service providers can help businesses to run more efficiently and effectively. In this arrangement, the alarm monitoring infrastructure and software is hosted and managed by the service provider. The business only needs to have workstations from which to connect and from there, alarm monitoring service providers can perform all necessary monitoring functions with better support.
Advantages of Using the Cloud at Your Business
Cloud computing has a lot to offer the alarm monitoring and security industry. Your business can use the cloud for a lot more than just document storage.
The following are some of the most significant benefits of using a cloudbased platform for alarm monitoring: • Eliminate the Need for On-Premises Hardware: Using cloud-based alarm monitoring, there is a significantly reduced need for on-premises hardware. You can move your infrastructure in part or in entirety to a secure, protected location.
Going forward, you only need phones and workstations on- premises. No servers, receivers, or alarm software implementations are needed. • Improve Security and Reliability:
Cloud services are usually hosted in data centers. These typically offer more security and reliability than is possible with on-premises hardware.
In other words, your customers don’t have to worry as much about cyber threats or outages. • Reduce Customer Frustrations: The consistency of cloud alarm monitoring means that your customers won’t be frustrated by outages. Increased customer satisfaction can lead to improved revenue. • Cut Monitoring Costs: In many cases, your security business can access best-in-class technology that would otherwise be significantly more expensive. This means that you can reduce costs and offer more features to your customers.
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Ho’olu komo la kaua*
*Please Join Us!
Perhaps you’ve imagined a time and a place where you’ll connect with colleagues, old and new, and gain valuable insights into new strategies and technologies to strengthen and grow your portfolio of services. The time is now and the place is TMA’s 2021 Annual Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua located on the scenic island of Maui, Hawaii.
The Venue Set on 54 lush acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the five-star rated Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua offers modern amenities and contemporary guest rooms and suites. Your stay will be entranced by sophisticated dining, championship golf courses, and spa treatments steeped in Hawaiian culture.
The Program Our Annual Meeting education sessions are designed to keep you informed and provide you with strategies to assure your company’s future success. Highlights of this year’s agenda include:
n Industry trends n The M&A Market n The Marketing Power of Life-saving Stories n Impact of Scoring Intrusion Alarms n Work from Home Impact on Company Culture n Future Risks and Opportunities
Visit https://tma.us/events/tma-2021-annual-meeting/ for the latest meeting program, news, and event information.
The Monitoring Association 2021 Annual Meeting
SPECIAL REPORT VIDEO
SPECIAL VIDEO FEATURES: l The New Reality for Monitoring
| Avi Lupo, DICE Corporation
l How to Chose a Video Analytics
Solution
| Ben Ziomek, Actuate
l No Longer on Mute, Monitoring
Standard Addresses Audio
Verification
| James Marcella, Axis Communications
The New Reality for Monitoring
By Avi Lupo, DICE Corporation
We are at the point where there is an overabundance of cameras and recorded video. This overload of video information is basically useless and is what I call “video garbage.”
The solution is an opportunity to add value for your customers by providing services that include video monitoring. Plus, it is an excellent new RMR generator with minimal costs for your central station. Like intrusion monitoring, visual monitoring can range from simplistic solutions to comprehensive video monitoring that includes artificial intelligence with audible and visual deterrents.
Visual Monitoring and Interactive Video Monitoring
Most central stations see visual monitoring as basic video verification. But video verification has become so much more than when I helped introduce the service with OzVision to the industry about 20 years ago. Plus, with analytics and artificial intelligence, central stations can now offer enhanced video monitoring including advanced video verification and interactive video services. Think of it as the difference between reactive monitoring versus monitoring that is proactive, preventative, and interactive.
Simply put, video verification and other interactive video services are bringing additional, valuable information into the central station. This allows your company to provide a level of service that meets and even exceeds customers’ expectations.
Artificial Intelligence
True artificial Intelligence (AI) is enabling video surveillance systems to ‘learn’ what a potential threat may look like. AI will understand what a typical activity in a scene looks like and then detect and flag unusual events; this adds a new level of automation to monitoring and surveillance.
It is incredible how far we have come. Cameras can now pick out a person or a certain vehicle, a person holding a gun, specific clothing, human behavior and much more. Plus, it can do so during set times. With machine learning, the system is “rapidly getting better” even beyond the capabilities of a human operator. That opens up a variety of automated services that were not possible just a few years ago.
Systems are now smart enough to analyze, understand, and prioritize the video, along with the level of priority. That level will determine if the video alarm goes to an end user, a central station operator and/or is recorded. A person holding a gun will be high priority, while a person holding a cell phone is low priority.
Operators are also able to interact by remotely controlling sirens and strobes, doing a voice down, opening and closing gates and doors, as well as turning on and off lights. This is a new generation of thinking and there are opportunities using the central station’s infrastructure with its core business model.
End Users and Video Monitoring Services
Millions of consumers have access to video through their cell phones. This leads them to believe that security companies should have the most upto-date technology to easily provide similar services. Currently, there is a big gap in what a customer expects, and the services a company provides. With interactive video services now possible, we can close the gap.
How to Chose a Video Analytics Solution
Is making the change the right direction for your business?
By Ben Ziomek, Actuate
AI-powered video analytics are one of the hottest areas in Monitoring today. It feels like every week a vendor has a new, exciting offering.
At the same time, many Monitoring Centers have had poor experiences with earlier video analytics providers who promised the moon and could not deliver. In this environment, it can be overwhelming to try and understand which new offerings can truly provide value to your organization, and which are either over-promising or irrelevant to your security goals.
Luckily, focusing on those goals is the solution to determining if any of the new artificial intelligence (AI) vendors are right for your organizations, and to running a strong AI purchasing process once you to decide to adopt new technology. Starting from your goals as an organization, one should then focus on what I call the Four P’s of successful AI purchasing: Problem, Process, Procurement, and Production.
1. Problem: The first step to exploring
AI video analytics is to throw out the glossy brochures from vendors, and to instead ask yourself and your team what are the key problems that your organization is trying to solve.
It doesn’t matter if a vendor has a great facial recognition solution when false positives around intruder detection are costing your company money. Before you start to speak with any vendors, determine exactly what the security problem you want to solve is. 2. Process: Second, you need to dive into why the current problem exists. How are you trying to solve this problem now? Specifically, what processes are you currently running to manage these issues, and what specific aspect of those processes are costing your company money? These are the key processes that you want to automate.
Critically, you may discover that AI isn’t the solution here: many Central
Stations struggle with camera outages, and in those situations using a networking monitoring software may be a better solution than any
AI system. 3. Procurement: Once you know the exact process you want to automate, go out and find vendors that specifically focus on eliminating the costly, manual parts of your existing business processes. 4. Production: AI can only really be evaluated based on how effective it is at solving your business problems.
As such, try to get AI into production
ASAP. A small upfront contract with a vendor to test on 10 cameras will give you much, much better data than months of lab tests, which often do not resemble the real world.
Sometimes the problem you want to solve is driving more revenue, in which case onboarding AI vendors due to their appeal to your customers makes sense. But particularly for your firm’s first forays into AI purchasing, you should focus on following the four P’s and identifying business problems that you want to solve. You’ll likely be surprised at how effectively AI can eliminate cost centers that your firm has struggled with for years if you specifically focus on purchasing AI products that can address them.
No Longer Mute
Monitoring standard addresses audio verification
By James Marcella, Axis Communications
“You’re on mute” is perhaps the most overused, but required verification method of 2020 conversations. In most cases, it is a user error, but occasionally we learned that our computer audio had stopped working, or worse, our internet connection went down. With the release of TMA CS-V-01-2020, we can relate this everyday business conversation to the monitoring industry. This standard aims to decrease false alarm dispatches with multi-attempt confirmation and to improve verification options through advances in biometrics, video surveillance, and audio technology. This article will address those aspects of the standard relating to audio verification methods, providing examples of how existing solutions improve outcomes.
The audio industry is undergoing market disruption as traditional analog systems suppliers struggle with the market demands for network-based solutions. Think of how the market slowly embraced the transition to IP video, but realize that the change for audio is likely to be faster. Our ecosystem is quickly realizing that audio solutions are an integral part of the physical security process, providing both the opportunity for detection but, more importantly, the capability to respond to and prevent events. They also realize that the skill set developed to deploy IP video crosses over to audio. As a result, security practitioners embrace a trend called “Audio for Security” and expect their providers to be proficient in this new paradigm. It is not often that standards keep up with technology, but in this case, The Monitoring Association should be applauded for recognizing the trend early and acting on it quickly. The standard identifies four use cases for
audio verification:
• Listen-In - providing the supervising station a live audio feed upon a triggered event initiated at the customer’s location, • One-Way Audio - similar to the previous example, this verification method is remotely initiated by the supervising station, • Two-Way Audio - enables the supervising station to communicate with authorized or unauthorized people at the monitored location.
This dialog can be used as a method to confirm an alarm or provide
“live deterrence” in the case of unauthorized access. • Impact Activated Audio - leverages audio devices that act as sensors that detect an event, notifies the supervising station, and provides onpremise audio notifications such as a pre-recorded message or siren.
Today, some of the most common use cases leverage the Impact-Activated process. A typical example is when a person approaches a building after hours, triggering video motion detection on a camera monitoring the area. Upon detection, a pre-recorded message alerts the person that they are being monitored. The supervising station can then determine if the response resulted in a positive outcome or if they need to initiate a Two-Way Audio process
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Enhancing Competitiveness Through Adaptability
COVID-19 response; key lessons learned
By Damon Demyda, Wegmans
“Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win” (McKeown, n.d.). This quote brings to light a key aspect regarding adaptability; it can be done to survive, or it can be done to thrive.
During the COVID-19 pandemic many organizations were able to adapt, however, not as many were able to thrive. The need for organizational change, while at times brought on by adverse events, can present businesses with a silver lining. It can present an opportunity for organizations to advance, discovering new technologies, systems, and methods. These innovations oftentimes result in increased efficiencies, resiliency, and overall competitiveness.
The need for monitoring centers o adapt to working in the era of COVID-19, while challenging at times, will ultimately serve as the catalyst for numerous organizational strengthening changes. [18]
Understanding the Necessity for Significant Organizational Changes
Many leaders understand that at some point large-scale organizational changes will be necessary, as well as the fact that change may be necessitated due to adverse events. The question becomes will they be able to read the proverbial tea leaves and understand when exactly change is required to not only mitigate the detrimental effects of a crisis, but take advantage of a dynamic situation.
The first step in doing so requires leaders to understand the exact moment change must occur. James Prewitt and Richard Veil of St. Leo University reduce organizational crises into three distinct zones: comfort; learning; and danger in their article, “Organizational
Opportunities Endemic in Crisis Leadership.” At their most basic, the comfort zone for an organization is the status quo, a state of equilibrium. Next comes the learning zone, where a minimal amount of stress to an organization is occurring.
The learning zone is then followed by the danger zone where an organization is under such a degree of stress it implodes and disintegrates (2014). Many leaders will strive to maintain equilibrium at all costs; however, that can be the fastest route to the danger zone. Prewitt and Veil go on to discuss how necessary organizational change occurs when the appropriate level of stress is reached, requiring adaptable solutions to be employed over the much more common technical versions. Technical solutions, while useful in many situations, are geared towards quickly utilizing a set of well-defined processes which by default can only mitigate a well-understood problem (2014).
Using technical solutions to mitigate novel situations will most likely result in organizational stress continuing to mount until either the crisis resolves itself or the danger zone is reached, a risky gamble. Adaptive solutions on the other hand work towards solving fundamental issues, resulting in longterm organizational growth through innovative and adaptable approaches (Prewitt & Veil, 2014).
For a crisis such as COVID-19, it has become abundantly clear that technical solutions are not the answer with many organizations needing to employ adaptive solutions. Most any organization attempting to maintain the status quo, with quick fixes, found itself operating one significant outbreak away from the danger zone.
Through the implementation of adaptive solutions. these businesses will instead emerge stronger with an enhanced competitive advantage.
While not all of these changes will last forever, they have undoubtedly bolstered resiliency, fostered creative out-of-the-box thinking, uncovered new and possibly more efficient ways of conducting business, and should not be disregarded in the future as “remember when,” but kept as innovative strategies. These adaptive changes should be well documented and understood so that in the future they become technical solutions to a now well understood problem. Those who understand this have adapted to win, while those who do not have simply adapted to cope.
Industry Response & Subsequent Learnings
Upon becoming apparent that organizations would need to pivot in fundamental ways, many positive changes were implemented. The impacts of these changes have served as a silver lining throughout this pandemic. Monitoring centers accustomed to having employees work in close quarters, often times with shared workstations, began implementing strictly regimented cleaning routines keeping their workforce healthier and safer. Some made the switch to a work from home or a hybrid model, while others divided employees into different satellite locations to reduce the impacts of an outbreak. These types of changes often required the integration of new technologies such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, creating in a sense a digital monitoring center. Organizations implemented soft phones, numerous web cameras, remote meetings, wellness checks, and employee incentive programs among many other actions to fundamentally change how business was conducted. Alarm monitoring centers, both for-hire and proprietary, became nimbler and more resilient, drastically increasing their disaster preparedness for a multitude of potential events. If the leadership of monitoring centers had attempted to hold teams together, utilizing basic technical solutions, a minimal number of ill employees could have brought down an entire operation.
References
McKeown, M. (n.d.). Max McKeown quotes. Good Reads. https://www.goodreads.com/author/ quotes/951759.Max_McKeown
Prewitt, J., Weil, J. (2014). Organizational Opportunities Endemic in Crisis Leadership. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 15(2), 72-87. https://search-proquest-com. ezproxy2.apus.edu/cview/1535939944?accountid=8289
• Familiar User Experience: If you switch from an on-premises monitoring solution to a cloud version of the same software, your operators likely won’t know the difference.
The user experience can be almost identical, meaning there are no retraining costs for switching. • Simplified Maintenance: Switching to cloud-based alarm monitoring also means that you are outsourcing the hardware and software maintenance to the service provider.
Furthermore, in many cases, you can get expert help with the implementation and configuration of software for your team. In other words, maintenance is simpler and faster. • Flexible and Scalable Growth:
Typically, cloud services can be scaled significantly with minimal cost. You don’t need to invest in new infrastructure or other resources.
Simply increase the scope of your license and keep growing your business.
Examples of Cloud Alarm Monitoring in Action
Implementing an effective cloud-based alarm monitoring solution can deliver impressive results for your business. At one monitoring center we have worked with, implementing cloud-based alarm monitoring at their start-up helped them to expand their services while keeping hardware and IT costs down.
On-site hardware needs to be configured and maintained by the security center. By offloading the management of core infrastructure to a cloud service provider, the monitoring center was able to substantially reduce its downtime. The improvement was so significant that one executive remarked that the only time a system went offline, it was immediately replaced by a redundant backup, thereby making the downtime effectively zero. Another central monitoring station had similar results when working with cloud-based monitoring. Furthermore, the company had unique transition [20] requirements with a phased process being identified as optimal. Thanks to the flexibility of cloud-based infrastructure, the core data could be switched over while continuing to use other legacy components. This simplified the transition and ensured that the change was completely seamless while bringing the core elements online with an expedited timeline.
Is it Time to Move to the Cloud?
Moving to the cloud can bring significant benefits and efficiencies to alarm monitoring organizations, and the time to do so is now. Take some time to consider the implications and possible efficiencies it can bring your business, and find a trusted cloud services provider to make the transition as smooth as possible. to further engage with the individual. A dispatch depends on the actions of the unauthorized individual and your procedures, but confirmation, in this case, meets the standard’s requirements.
Each verification method identified above is feasible with existing offthe-shelf products and solutions from various manufacturers. It’s time for system integrators and dealers to embrace audio so that monitoring companies can leverage the verification options it offers.
Customer Expectations are Driving Change in Security
Security companies need to raise their game to compete
By Frank Pietrobono, RSPNDR
It goes without saying that the last year has been incredibly challenging for TMA members.
You have needed to adapt to work from home/stay at home and the everchanging COVID rules and regulations that vary across states and often changed week by week.
It has been a tough landscape to navigate. As the economy opens up, it’s unclear which changes will stick, which changes will snap back to pre-COVID, and the changes that will find a new normal somewhere between the old way and the new.
One change that appears to be permanent is the growing comfort of end-customers with e-commerce. Smart dealers have moved their sales, installation, and support processes online. They are allowing customers to shop where, when, and how they find it convenient.
The industry leaders have enabled and empowered customers to schedule installations, training, and upgrades online. Companies like Uber, Grubhub, and Amazon have established expectations around delivery time and ease of use. Smart dealers and monitoring stations will have to raise their games quickly.
Another significant change is working from home (WFH). How this will eventually shake out is still unclear and poses human resources challenges around who will WFH and who will work in the office. Some companies will return to five days a week in the office, while some will stay 100% remote. Many will settle in the middle. It will impact the deployment and use of home and business alarm systems. It will change when alarms are armed, how and when they send alarm signals, and when and where those signals are real or false. Monitoring stations will need to adapt their action plans to handle these changes.
A third change is the changing work location landscape.
End customers working from home will continue to make investments and continue to add smart home features. Companies that want their employees “back in the building” will invest in smart building features. A dramatic increase in systems and sensors will compel monitoring stations to adapt quickly.
End customers’ expectations of mobile apps have also accelerated. These apps make it easy for consumers to track in real-time a pizza delivery from dough to the front door and their package delivery, from Hong Kong to Hoboken. Customers now expect to interact with and “see” their security systems and their monitoring stations in the same way. They are disappointed and frustrated when they can’t.
Customers also expect mobile apps to deliver “superpowers.” They can use their phones to have someone wait in line for concert tickets, rake their leaves, and teach their children to swim in their own pool.
LAW >> Virginia Second State to Enact Comprehensive Privacy Law
By Kelly DeMarchis Bastide, Venable, LLP
In March 2021, Virginia became the second state after California to enact a comprehensive privacy law, known as the Consumer Data Protection Act (“CDPA”). The CDPA, which will become operative on January 1, 2023, will apply to companies that either conduct business in the Commonwealth or produce products or services targeted to residents of Virginia and satisfy certain thresholds related to the control or processing of personal data. However, the CDPA differs from its California counterparts, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), in that Virginia does not set a pure gross revenue threshold – $25 million in California – that brings a business within the law’s scope.
The CDPA will provide Virginia residents with a host of new rights. A number of these largely mirror rights provided under California’s laws, including the rights to access, delete, and correct personal data, as well as to opt out of personal data sales. The CDPA provides additional rights to opt out of the processing of personal data for targeted advertising purposes and for “profiling,” which means any form of automated processing performed on personal data to evaluate, analyze, or predict certain personal aspects. Notably, though, Virginia acknowledges a category of data called pseudonymous data, which is exempt from the scope of consumer rights such as access, correction, and deletion rights.
In addition to creating rights for consumers, the CDPA imposes a variety of obligations on businesses. Such obligations include responding to consumer requests within 45 days, establishing a process to appeal a controller’s decision with respect to a rights request, refraining from discriminating against consumers for exercising their rights, and obtaining permission from consumers before collecting sensitive data. While the CDPA is primarily an opt-out regime, meaning that consumers must opt out of the processing of personal data, the law requires controllers to obtain opt in consent from consumers before processing sensitive data. The CDPA also requires controllers to conduct data protection assessments (“DPAs”) for certain processing activities, such as processing involving targeted advertising, sales of personal data, profiling that could lead to a risk of harm to the consumer, and processing sensitive data.
One notable element present in California’s CPRA but not in the CDPA is a private right of action. This means that individuals are limited in their ability to sue under Virginia law, and enforcement of the CDPA will primarily be left up to the state attorney general. Before enforcement begins, however, the Chairman of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science (“JCOTS”) must create a working group, which will review provisions of the CDPA and submit its findings, best practices, and recommendations regarding implementation of the act by November 1, 2021.
Cultivated over 120 years, Venable’s capabilities span virtually every industry and all areas of regulatory and government affairs, corporate and business law, intellectual property, and complex litigation. Learn more about the practice at www.venable.com.
Summer 2021 | TMA Dispatch
BUSINESS >> Monitoring Center Marketing
Pivoting your business for maximum success in 2021
By David Morgan, President and Co-Founder, Dealer Marketing Services
2020 was a year of unprecedented change and challenge as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc worldwide. Its transformative implications for the security industry, and the alarm monitoring industry specifically, have been profound and will reverberate for years to come.
An extended time of social distancing has closed many channels the security industry uses to network and build customer relationships, such as trade shows and exhibitions. It has also changed consumer habits and mindsets in ways not likely to change even when social distancing restrictions are fully lifted.
However, that does not mean opportunity has in any way diminished. It means we must pivot and develop a new marketing strategy to capture the new and huge opportunities that exist by pivoting to digital marketing strategies. Of necessity, B2B customers have moved most of the research, decision-making, and buying process online. In fact, by the time a salesperson becomes involved, up to 90% of the selling process is already over! (Forrester). This makes digital marketing the most powerful and effective tool available to you today.
What is Digital Marketing?
Simply put, digital marketing is the promotion of your brand and service using electronic devices or the internet. This includes social media, digital ads, email marketing, video, and more. Digital marketing utilizes multiple channels and technologies that allow an organization to analyze campaigns, content, and strategy to understand what’s working and what isn’t – typically in real-time.
International Data Corporation
Why Does Digital Marketing Offer a Huge Advantage?
Digital marketing offers some incredible opportunities for monitoring organizations. First, your prospects are already there and are open to being pitched. According to International Data Corporation, 75% of B2B buyers and 84% of C-level executives use social media to make purchasing decisions. (Compare this to 90% of C-level executives that ignore cold calls.)
Another advantage is that it provides a wealth of analytics that help you know and understand your prospects so well that you can fine tune your message. The use of analytics also supports account-based marketing, or the use of a portion of your marketing budget to connect with decision-makers specifically and personally, much like you would at a trade show, but without the time limitations or distractions.
While we may be entering a new year filled with many uncertainties, 2021 can prove to be your most decisive and transforming year to date. Connecting digitally with the entire industry is the best way to build trust and confidence in your brand while offering connection and a semblance of normalcy in this changing climate. By reinventing your approach, you place yourself at the head of the pack!
David Morgan has dedicated his life to marketing and has managed marketing for some of the nation’s largest brands. For almost a decade, he has focused solely in the security industry, co-founding SD Marketing, an agency dedicated to implementing targeted and proven marketing strategies within the security industry worldwide.
Leading Industry Players Unify
Protocol for smart products and services under development
By Amanda Kung, Research Analyst, Parks Associates
The Zigbee Alliance recently announced an organizational rebrand to the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) and also stated that Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP) will rebrand to Matter. The rebranding of these well-known organizations represents a growing shift as the Alliance expands its focus to include other initiatives, such as Matter, that aim to build a unified connectivity protocol.
The IoT is comprised of several different standards, including Zigbee, each competing for dominance, but decades have gone by without any one protocol achieving supremacy in the space. Instead, the competition among protocols inhibits industry progress in the goal for mass-market distribution, through poor user experiences and consumer hesitance to buy products, due to fear of interoperability issues. The transition to a more expansive name aligns with the IoT industry’s recognition of the need for collaboration where standards are concerned.
The moniker Connectivity Standards Alliances focuses on the foundation of success for the smart home— connectivity—which can drive growth and interest in membership. Looking to the future, there will likely be changes to the Zigbee protocol that will be geared towards making it more open and capable of communicating with other standards. According to internationally recognized research firm Parks Associates, 50% of smart home device owners have an application that controls multiple smart home products. This can be through a security system app or another unifying app that controls multiple devices from a single control interface. Additionally, the other 50% of smart home device owners use different apps or are unsure what they have.
The growth in consumers with a unified app can be attributed to the rise in interactive security services, smart speaker ownership, and home control systems outside of security. Further, the research firm reveals smart home device owners are most likely to use smart speakers with voice assistants to control devices in their home; in the past few years, smart speakers have emerged as a default point of interaction with the smart home.
The launch of Project CHIP, now rebranded as Matter at the end of 2019, indicated the industry’s perception that there is more to be gained from working together on standards than competing. Matter aims to make smart home products easier to produce for
manufacturers and developers. The quest for interoperability in home automation is a long one, predating the current generation of smart home devices that emerged 8-10 years ago. However, the participation of nearly all major smart home players, like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Samsung, make this effort one to watch.
Should the effort be successful in truly removing the work of interoperability from the consumer’s plate, the vision of the smart home will have taken a meaningful step forward. Parks Associates research shows that US broadband households have an average of 13 connected devices in their home, highlighting the importance of smart home platforms that provide interoperability with a variety of products in one place.
The Alliance’s rebranding to a name that is more inclusive signals that its overall approach to connectivity in the IoT space may be more all-encompassing for a better user experience and Matter’s new branding is designed to help make it easier for consumers to identify which devices work with Matter’s unified system, addressing the consumer pain point around interoperability. As the smart home industry looks to extend beyond early adopters and general tech enthusiasts, interoperability will be critical for the smart home to cross into mass-market adoption.
Brought to you by TMA’s NextGen, we are pleased to introduce an exciting virtual meeting series - Meet Your Mentor. Each broadcast will welcome a respected TMA leader in an informal, interview-style format that invites attendees to ask questions and share comments.
With this series The Monitoring Association has created a platform for some of its most influential and successful members to share their personal journeys. In doing so we hope to guide and shape the next generation of leaders and through their invaluable insight.
On May 4, 2021, TMA NextGen Co-Chairs Ryan Brady, TRG Associates and Jessica Lambert, General Monitoring Services, hoisted a conversation with Pam Petrow, president, Vector Security and former TMA President. Below is a summary of their conversation.
Go Beyond You
“I was always given every opportunity to succeed…and to fail,” remarked Pam Petrow, president, Vector Security and former TMA President. For Petrow, who began working for Vector Security 39 years ago right out of college, the value of mentorship is not lost. “Many individuals have contributed to my career in various ways,” Petrow openly shares. She was told very early in her career by then-Vector President John Murphy, “We have great plans for you!”
With great passion, energy, and intent, Petrow propelled herself through nearly every department within the organization—learning and growing in every step of her journey. She began in sales, tried her hand at collections and marketing, and was also in charge of Vector’s monitoring center. “TMA members who were giants in the industry always afforded me their time,” said Petrow who firmly believes in the “collective mindset.” Constant mentoring from colleagues made all of the difference for Petrow who selfadmittedly loves what she does and the company for which she works.
“Hire people and let them do their jobs,” warns Petrow. “You have to know how to talk to people. Leaders of tomorrow will need to communicate effectively,” From her perspective, security industry professionals have to be more forward-thinking, and that starts from who is hired and or promoted to be a security industry professional in the first place. Petrow encourages professionals to have “an attitude that failure isn’t final.” She, herself, remarks that it isn’t in her “genetic” make-up to be defeated by failure. “There’s always another opportunity,” she believes, “Figure out what went wrong and fix it.” A good leader, according to Petrow, nurtures and strengthens his/her team. “It’s a balance between stretching and being there,” she offers.
Lately, Petrow has observed a decline in the labor pool. She encourages leaders to look for talent in new and different places. She also stresses the value and critical nature of diversity to business success. She strongly encourages hiring managers to be thoughtful and to have a diversity plan.
When asked what legacy she’d like to leave behind, Petrow was quick to brush off the obvious, superficial monikers and roles that many first come to mind. She doesn’t see those as “legacy-worthy.” The much-revered industry leader sees her legacy in those that she’s hired who now fill managerial roles themselves. “I see them developing new people,” she says, adding, “Go beyond you. What did you do to help people behind you sustain the business?”
To view recordings, learn more about this group, or join TMA NextGen, visit us online or email membership@tma.us.
TMA members register online for the next episode of Meet Your Mentor on September 21, 2021 with Teresa Gonzalez, President, United Central Control.
