Archive: February 2006
GVI Security hires new CEO Walin away from GE
February 23, 2006SSN Staff
CARROLLTON, Texas--Product manufacturer GVI Security Solutions announced Steven E. Walin will take over as chief executive officer, effective March 6. He comes from GE Security Enterprise Solutions, where he served as president since April 2003.
GVI chairman Howard Safir, who recently sold his own SafirRosetti to GlobalOptions Group, said in a press release that Walin's "experience at General Electric will serve him well at GVI."
Before joining GE Security, Walin was senior vice president with the...
Safeguard Security acquires Citadel Security
February 23, 2006L. Samuel Pfeifle
HOUSTON, Texas--In a move motivated by relationships, geographical proximity and margins, Safeguard Security Holdings acquired Citadel Security, the company announced Feb. 21. Safeguard, a provider of corporate and industrial security systems and personnel, bought the guarding firm with $1.7 million in annual revenues for an undisclosed amount. The purchase comes just eight months after Safeguard's acquisition of integrator and guard firm Systemsgroup in July of 2005. That move brought with it $7...
Master Halco jumps the fence with consolidation
February 23, 2006SSN Staff
ORANGE, Calif.--Master Halco, a distributor and manufacturer of perimeter security and fencing, will consolidate and relocate the company's Baltimore and Scranton, Pa., manufacturing plants to one location in the manufacturing district of Scranton and build a regional distribution center for the East Coast.
The move was announced during a press conference with Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell last week. The company was offered a $1.2 million assistance package through the state's Governor's Action Team and the...
A.P.I. Monitoring expands to follow dealers
February 23, 2006SSN Staff
CALGARY, Alberta--A.P.I. Monitoring moves where its dealers are. The monitoring company has central stations dotted throughout North America and continues expansion efforts by building and acquiring centrals in locations where dealers pop up.
Take for example its most recent project, its Calgary, Alberta central, which is being built from the ground up and will be completed for an early May opening. Their 20 dealers scattered throughout the province asked A.P.I for a local station.
"We have a strong...
Guardian gets new way to guard
February 23, 2006L. Samuel Pfeifle
PITTSBURGH--Customers of Guardian Protection Services can now rely on their alarm and monitoring company for more than physical security. Guardian has teamed with TrustELI to offer their Eli service, an "all-in-one broadband security appliance for home and small business."
"A big part of our business is in new construction," said Guardian senior vice president of sales and marketing William Graham. "We're already running the infrastructure for the home, so we thought this was a natural service to...
GE Security teams with Verified ID for frequent flyers
February 23, 2006SSN Staff
BRADENTON, Fla.--GE Invision, a division of GE Security's Homeland Protection business, announced this week an investment of $16 million in Verified Identity Pass, whose Clear service is the only functioning program expediting security clearance for frequent flyers. It currently operates at the Orlando International Airport and has more than 15,000 members.
Verified expects to take advantage of GE's research and development arm, especially in regard to luggage and passenger screening, explosives...
Barnes bullish on alarm industry
February 16, 2006L. Samuel Pfeifle
PALM BEACH, Fla.--Leading off day two of the 11th Annual Barnes, Buchanan & Mallon Conference, industry analyst Michael Barnes painted a rosy picture of the 2005 alarm industry, and predicted a "frothy market" for 2006, but did note some troubling indicators and injurious trends to watch.
In terms of sales, Barnes said residential market revenue is growing consistently at eight percent, a trend that began in 1997. Commercially, revenues may be up as much at 13 percent, though Barnes said he'd "take...
OzVision names industry leader as a technical advisor
February 16, 2006SSN Staff
WOBURN, Mass.--Lou Fiore is a "thought leader" in the industry said Ed Mallen, chief executive officer of OzVision, which was just one reason the remote video compression technology manufacturer named Fiore as a technical advisor in February.
The other reasons stem from Fiore's accomplished history in the industry, including leadership roles at the Central Station Alarm Association, the Alarm Industry Communications Committee and the Security Industry Association's Security Industry Standards Council....
IP-ready education offerings on East and West coasts
February 16, 2006SSN Staff
LAS VEGAS--ISC West attendees can delve into the skill sets necessary to design and understand IP-based security systems at a new full-day program called IP Institute on April 4.
Attendees will learn about advanced integration and IP convergence solutions, basic design requirement, analysis and execution of the systems, developing security solutions in an IP- or integrated-system environment, as well as how to analyze the effectiveness of such solutions.
Participants will take home reference materials,...
Security company gets under skin with embedded access chips
February 16, 2006SSN Staff
CINCINNATI-- Two employees from CityWatcher.com, a security firm that provides cameras and Internet monitoring, have had silicon chips from VeriChip embedded into their arms for access to vaults where data and images are kept for clients. According to reports, this surveillance company is the first in the United States to use the technology in living humans.
"What we see here in Cincinnati is becoming an option that security-minded customers and business can look for," said John Procter, spokesperson...