Archive: September 2012
Avigilon's newest VMS can 'listen and see'
September 28, 2012Martha Entwistle
PHILADELPHIA—Megapixel video provider Avigilon at the ASIS show announced the details of the newest version of its VMS, the ACC 5.0, and demonstrated its ability to respond to voice commands and body movements.Saying that ACC 5.0 “unites the best from the IT, Web design and video game industries so security professionals can easily and intuitively manage video footage from unlimited analog and megapixel cameras,” Keith Marett, VP of marketing and communications for Avigilon, summarized...
Linear launches SEO fundamentals course
September 27, 2012SSN Staff
CARLSBAD, Calif.—Linear LLC will host a webinar, titled SEO Fundamentals, on October 3, 2012 at 1 p.m. ET.
The webinar, designed for existing and future Linear dealers, will cover effective SEO practices and can assist in driving qualified traffic to dealer sites, according to a company statement.
The session will run approximately 45 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes open for questions and commentary. Topics to be covered include: what you need to know before embarking on an SEO campaign,...
G4S Technology awarded contract
September 27, 2012SSN Staff
OMAHA, Neb.— G4S Technology LLC, a systems integrator and project management company, has been awarded a $3.8 million contract from the Washington state Department of Transportation Ferries Division to provide security system upgrades, according to a company statement.
G4S plans to install video management software as part of the upgrades, and will use IPSecurity Center as the PSIM to integrate the security components into one interoperable command system. Updates also include an AMAG Symmetry...
Remote monitoring market exceeds $29 billion in 2011
September 26, 2012Rich Miller
The world market for remote monitoring services was worth more than $29 billion in 2011, with the North American market accounting for about 45 percent of revenues, according to a new report from IMS Research.The global total was equivalent to $2.4 billion in recurring monthly revenue and involved 54 million accounts, IMS reported. Remote services included alarm monitoring, video monitoring, physical access control, fire detection monitoring and Personal Emergency Response Services.Niall Jenkins,...
Alarm.com: 'Reduce Your Use' will help increase RMR
September 26, 2012Tess Nacelewicz
VIENNA, Va.—Alarm.com has found a new way to tap into consumers' growing interest in saving energy: It is partnering with a California utility in a program that gives Alarm.com customers extra savings on their utility bills if they cut energy usage during peak demand times.Alarm.com has partnered with San Diego Gas & Electric, a move it says will help dealers sell more “smart” thermostats and security systems, according to the interactive security services provider, based here.SDG&E,...
Telguard kit upgrades 2G communicators facing 'sunset'
September 26, 2012Rich Miller
ATLANTA, Ga.—Telguard, a provider of wireless alarm monitoring solutions, has rolled out a conversion kit that allows dealers to upgrade their commercial 2G cellular communicators to 3G/4G without voiding UL certifications at the installation site.The TG-KIT is designed for all six 2G communicators (GSM and GPRS) in the TG-7 series from Telguard, a division of Telular Corp. The upgrade involves replacing the circuit board in a unit without having to remove its enclosure, antenna or power supply.Shawn...
Storage capacity: Just can't get enough sometimes
September 26, 2012Martha Entwistle
In certain industries such as gaming there are very specific, mandated rules about the length of time that video needs to be retained. That should make calculating storage needs easy, at least for that vertical market, right?Not necessarily.Bill Hansen, video surveillance product manager at storage provider Iomega, said that recommended or mandated retention times “are often not accurate estimates of true storage requirements because an end user's liability is often longer than the mandated...
Help the CSAA track trends in monitoring
September 26, 2012Rich Miller
What are central stations doing to keep up with times—and the competition—when it comes to technology, reducing false alarms and other issues of importance to the industry?
The Central Station Alarm Association would like to know.
The CSAA is looking for help in tracking technology trends and investments in personnel at monitoring centers across the country. The goal is to establish a databank “that will be useful in benchmarking performance” in the industry, according...
Designing security
September 26, 2012Martha Entwistle
Every month I call Ray Coulombe at SecuritySpecifiers.com to get the name of a specifier/consultant for “Specifically Speaking,” a Q&A column we run in our monthly printed publication.
These conversations give me a chance to talk to security experts who have a much different perspective from the integrators, dealers and manufacturers that I spend the rest of the month talking to.
This morning I spoke to Jim Elder, owner of Secured Design. We started talking about something I wrote about...
Axis takes aim at small-business applications at ASIS
September 26, 2012Martha Entwistle
PHILADELPHIA—Among a slew of new offerings that network video provider Axis Communications was showing at the September ASIS show were a new 60 frames-per-second encoder and an updated version of its free software client Axis Camera Companion.Axis General Manager Fredrik Nilsson said the Axis Camera Companion—introduced in March and upgraded with several new features for the ASIS show—is ideal for applications with 16 cameras or less, such as a retail store or other small business....