Archive: October 2008
Video surveillance: Totally a Halloween vandalism deterrent (or not)
October 31, 2008Martha Entwistle
It's halloween. If your office is anything like my office, there is a great deal of time-squandering going on with costume discussion and silliness, so you're not looking for anything particularly substantive, I'm sure.
So, here, are some fun Halloween stories.
First up, a solid police blotter from Minny-St. Paul:
OCT. 3
Theft. Halloween decorations were stolen from a deck of a home on the 1200 block of Trailwood N. The homeowner said she heard kids on her deck at approximately 10:30 p.m. She...
Diebold's doing just fine, thank you
October 31, 2008Martha Entwistle
Since Diebold's finances have drawn a lot of attention over the past year, what with the UTC bid, etc., I thought I'd post a link to their earnings report. Things look pretty good:
Diebold, Incorporated today reported 2008 third quarter revenue of $890.3 million, an increase of 20.2 percent from the third quarter of 2007. The company also reported net income of $46.5 million during the third quarter of 2008, compared to net income of $28.1 million in the comparable period in 2007, an increase of...
Snow can’t put the chill on a hot first day at ISC East
October 30, 2008Martha Entwistle
NEW YORKâ€â€It was brief, but it was definitely a snow shower that greeted those walking to the Javits Center on the morning of Oct. 29, the first day of the 42nd annual ISC East. That didn’t chill former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, however, as he addressed several hundred attendees with his morning keynote address, which centered on the theme of leadership. Giuliani talked about the value of “relentless preparation,†something he learned...
Apple App Store stocks up on security downloads
October 30, 2008L. Samuel Pfeifle
CUPERTINO, Calif.â€â€The iTunes App Store, run by Apple, which is based here, now has a number of downloadable applications for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch that can be used to control video surveillance systems. They range in price from completely free to $899.99 (the single most expensive item on the App Store) and offer varying degrees of functionality and control.
That $899.99 application is made by Lextech Labs, a company that has been working behind the scenes in the security...
Conn. cops adopt new false alarm ordinance model
October 30, 2008Daniel Gelinas
WEST HARTFORD, Conn.â€â€The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association on Oct. 27 announced here the adoption of a model false alarm ordinance that provides for alarm reduction initiatives, encourages multiple call verification and encourages installation of alarm control panels that meet or exceed ANSI SIA-CP-01 standards for all new installations and panel replacements. The Security Industry Alarm Coalition, a group with members from the NBFAA, CSAA, CANASA, and SIA, was instrumental in...
Siemens and Send Word Now announce exclusive partnership
October 30, 2008L. Samuel Pfeifle
NEW YORK and FLORHAM PARK, N.J.â€â€Mass notification vendor Send Word Now has signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Siemens Building Technologies to integrate its messaging software with Siemens’ premise-based fire-safety mass notification product, Sygnal.
The deal comes following a period of due diligence by Siemens, said Peter Tately, Siemens sales development manager for mass notification, where Send Word Now “very quickly evidence to us that...
How do you measure up? Study says attrition is on the decline
October 30, 2008Daniel Gelinas
OLD SAYBROOK, Conn.â€â€A recently released study from TRG Associates and the Central Station Alarm Association, shows that, for the third year in a row, gross attrition figures are declining. The 2007 study, the seventh annual attrition report compiled by TRG, surveyed more than 100 companies, representing more than $80 million in RMR, across the United States, Canada and Europe, according to John Brady, president of TRG.
The number of participating companies is up more than 33 percent.
The...
Storage maker Intransa lands $15m in funding
October 30, 2008SSN Staff
SAN JOSE, Calif.â€â€IP storage maker Intransa, based here, announced this week $15 million in new funding. This most recent round was led by Rho ventures, who placed partner Paul Bartlett on the Intransa board of directors.
Rho joins other Intransa investors Entrepia Ventures, Guggenheim Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures and US Venture Partners. The new funding is intended to accelerate sales, marketing and research and development efforts, according to a press release.
“I...
Security embraces the YouTube generation
October 29, 2008Martha Entwistle
I've often embedded videos here relating to security, whether it be a copper theft illustration, or silly surveillance captures, or product pitches. Generally, those videos have been posted to YouTube, which then provides an "embed" code, which I slap into the blog and, voila, you get to watch the video without actually having to leave my page.
Of course, YouTube is only the best known of on the online video sites. You can post video just about anywhere now, and you can find videos all over the...
Two new IP video "books," two ways of doing things
October 28, 2008Martha Entwistle
Two new "books" about IP-based video surveillance have been recently published, and they offer an interesting insight into the future of communication and information sharing.
On the one hand, you have Intelligent Network Video: Understanding Modern Video Surveillance Systems, written by Axis Americas GM Fredrik Nilsson and published by CRC Press. It's got a hard cover, is nearly 400 pages, has a thorough index and comes with a CD that's both Mac- and PC-compatible and offers network video design...