Archive: February 2007
ScadaCam comes home to Pivotal Vision
February 22, 2007L. Samuel Pfeifle
MINNEAPOLIS--An investor group has purchased the ScadaCam product line from the publicly held Norwegian support systems firm Powel ASA. Terms of the deal were not released. The new company is now Pivotal Vision, a software manufacturer that will partner with camera maker Cohu and computer maker Microsel to provide remote surveillance solutions for the utility industry, integrating with the SCADA system used to operate most major utilities.
It is a homecoming of sorts for ScadaCam, which was founded...
Fire bill's lower score may increase chance of passage
February 22, 2007Martha Entwistle
WASHINGTON--The Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by a new lead sponsor, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), but the most exciting news, say supporters, is the reduction in the estimated cost of the bill.
The bill (S-582) was introduced Feb. 14. It would give tax breaks to those who retrofit homes or businesses with sprinklers. The estimated cost of the bill, called the "score," was reduced from $2.2 billion over 10 years to $884 million over 10 years. "We always reached...
TechSec kicks off with Tyson keynote
February 22, 2007L. Samuel Pfeifle
DALLAS--Here at the Fairmont Hotel, the third annual TechSec Solutions's educational program kicked off Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. with a presentation by Dave Tyson, chief security officer for the city of Vancouver. In an hour-long talk, Tyson emphasized real-world and sometimes simple solutions for converging physical and logical security systems.
For instance, he has physical security guards walking around making sure laptops are secured and carrying wi-fi detectors to make sure there aren't any rogue access...
The Security Center fattens up security at Mardi Gras
February 22, 2007SSN Staff
NEW ORLEANS--As an estimated 800,000 people crowded the streets of New Orleans this week for the Mardi Gras celebration, The Security Center's brand-new portable monitored surveillance security systems scanned the crowd for trouble.
Jeffrey Doussan, director of The Security Center, said, "We've been using them throughout Mardi Gras; we've had them on with different members of the sheriff's office" who ordered them from The Security Center. Before the units were deployed prior to the Fat Tuesday parade,...
Adesta is Cisco PhySec authorized technology provider
February 22, 2007L. Samuel Pfeifle
DALLAS--Rob Hile, vice president of business development for Adesta, a national systems integrator based in Omaha, Neb., used his speaking opportunity here at TechSec Solutions, Feb. 28, to announce Adesta's selection by Cisco as a Physical Security Authorized Technology Provider. This ATP designation allows Adesta to provide video surveillance solutions using a diverse set of Cisco solutions, including routers, switches and a range of Cisco Video Surveillance Internet Protocol Gateways, Service...
SIA hosts meet and greet with GSA senior staff
February 22, 2007Martha Entwistle
WASHINGTON--Security industry manufacturers and integrators will have an opportunity to hear directly from General Services Administration administrator Lurita Doan's senior staff about the GSA's recent extension of its purchasing agreement to state and local governments (see "GSA purchasing extended," in the March issue of Security Systems News) and other issues during a Feb. 27 webinar hosted by the Security Industry Association.
GSA announced Feb. 1 that state and local governments may use the...
Wireless firm buys security integrator ATC International
February 15, 2007L. Samuel Pfeifle
EXTON, Pa., and MIAMI--WPCS, a NASDAQ-traded specialty communications and wireless technology design-build engineering firm, announced this week a letter of intent to purchase ATC International, a security systems integrator based in Miami with offices in Central America. WPCS will pay $2.45 million in cash at closing, with an additional earn out to be paid upon the achievement of certain earnings targets over a period of 24 months. The deal is expected to close within 60 days.
This represents an...
Security Central opens educational facility
February 15, 2007SSN Staff
STATESVILLE, N.C.--Security Central, a third-party monitoring station, has opened a new facility to better serve the needs of its dealers, as well as to add space for its accounting department and executive offices. Courtney Brown, co-owner of the company with his sister Ellen Meihaus, said the creation of the facility represents an investment close to $1 million. The company moved its accounting, dealer services, sales and training departments into a 7,600-square-foot building on the Security Central...
MAMA tries to raise medical monitoring's profile
February 15, 2007SSN Staff
BROOMALL, Pa.--The Medical Alert Monitoring Association, or "MAMA," will officially hold its first meeting on March 28, at this year's ISC West convention in Las Vegas. Ken Gross, of Connect America Medical Alarm Company, and president of the newly created MAMA, said the impetus for starting the association was "to share ideas ... none of us [original members] were in competition with each other."
The founding members of the board are Gross; Christopher Baskin of American Two-Way in North Hollywood,...
BACnet releases access control standards
February 15, 2007SSN Staff
DALLAS--The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers this week released for publication for public review a set of proposals that add physical access control to the existing standards for building automation and control. Upon approval, the new access control standards will be integrated into BACnet (also known as ANSI/ASHRAE 135-2004), a data communication protocol for building automation and control networks. According to ASHRAE, it is an American national standard,...