Archive: January 2010
Let's hear it for PERS and quick dispatcher action!
January 29, 2010Daniel Gelinas
You know, there's a lot of news out there about false alarms and problems with the life safety industry. Lord knows (and you, for that matter, if you read my blog) I've written about problems caused by false alarms, and what some in the industry do to help combat the problem. I've also written about problems caused when PERS monitoring hasn't gone right. However, most times dispatchers for PERS and security systems do their jobs right, and the results are gratifying, with lives saved and property...
Intel making a security play?
January 29, 2010Martha Entwistle
I haven't really seen much activity from Intel in physical security, other than a team-up with GE to get into medical monitoring and the fact that their chips are inevitably in servers used to store video footage, etc. They're not close to as active as, say TI, Stretch, or any number of other chip manufacturers, however.
I mean, they've never sent me a press release.
However, if this video is any indication, they've got a security and surveillance division primed and ready to go. I'm not sure if...
Sensormatic Hawaii is now Pacific Security Integrations
January 29, 2010SSN Staff
AIEA, Hawaii—After nearly 20 years in the security business, first with Alert Alarm and then with Simplex Grinnell, Richard Osborne has now purchased his own business, acquiring Sensormatic Hawaii from Greg Murphy. The asset purchase came with offices here. Osborne has retained seven staff members, and added COO Greg Au.
Osborne said the deal closed not more than three weeks after Murphy contacted him with the opportunity: “When two people are motivated, things move quickly,” he...
Who's going to buy Protection One?
January 28, 2010Martha Entwistle
YARMOUTH, Maine—The speculation began as soon as Protection One announced Jan. 20 that it was putting itself up for sale: Who's going to buy?
Will it be one of the big private equity firms who've recently invested in the security industry? Or will it be a strategic buyer like ADT or Stanley that takes the plunge, again?
“I wouldn't rule them out,” said John Mack, though he noted ADT and Stanley are likely preoccupied with Broadview and Black & Decker, respectively. The buyer,...
IEE brings new sensing product to the States
January 28, 2010SSN Staff
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.—Luxembourg manufacturer IEE Sensing has U.S. headquarters here for a reason: For 20 years, the company has been manufacturing sensors that detect when you're sitting in your car's set, to trigger things like those annoying seat-belt beepers and to turn on passenger side airbags. However, the in-seat sensors were less than perfect, so they created a head sensor—basically a camera designed to tell whether there was a person in the seat or not by detecting whether there...
Preparing the way for IP
January 28, 2010SSN Staff
LOS ANGELES—IP Alarms founder Steve Nutt has a warning for dealers and centrals during this time of change from analog to IP: “Losing dealers and centrals remain stuck in their analog world.” To help with the transition, Nutt is launching this this month the Virtual Monitoring Dealer Program. The program is the fruition of months of helping end users and dealers find affordable and simple solutions to the VoIP/security conundrum in which a switch to high tech VoIP service oftentimes...
Select's central PA push
January 28, 2010Martha Entwistle
LANCASTER—Select Security, which announced six acquisitions in December, began 2010 with two more acquisitions in central Pennsylvania.
Select CEO Patrick Egan announced Jan. 27 the acquisition of Koontz Alarm Service of Bedford, Pa., and Audamax Electronics of Tyrone, Pa. The acquisitions add 1,000 new subscribers to Select's rolls, bringing the total to about 8,000.
The acquisitions build density for Select Security in central Pennsylvania, a region it moved into in 2004 with the acquisition...
10 ways I think Twitter can be worth your time
January 28, 2010Martha Entwistle
So, in answer to Steve Nutt's question yesterday in the comments of my "kick you in the shins" rant (see below), and because I'm feeling mildly guilty about being so negative all the time (not really, but I think I'm supposed to say things like that to make me slightly more endearing), and I'm high on the page views caused by making a list of 10 things yesterday, here is a list of 10 ways I think you can use Twitter to make your life slightly better.
Remember that I'm an editor, and would be lying...
Sensormatic franchise changes hands in HI
January 28, 2010Martha Entwistle
I found this on the Internets, but it's a password protected site, so no sense linking:
"The owners of local security installation and service company Sensormatic Hawaii, Inc. have sold the business to another local owner.
The Halawa-based company’s new name is Pacific Security Integrations, Inc., and will be managed by the new owner, Richard Osborne Jr., who is also president and CEO.
All of Sensormatic’s employees are being retained by the new company.
While Sensormatic Hawaii’s business...
Honeywell launches another response for dealers looking to escape POTS ties
January 28, 2010SSN Staff
MELVILLE, N.Y.—Continuing on a trend made more urgent with recent reports that AT&T and others are looking to discontinue POTS service in the next three or four years, Honeywell on Jan. 21 announced its newest product line, the LYNX Plus, a self-contained, wireless, residential system that supports two-way voice capabilities over GSM with SMS network backup, allowing it to cut out disappearing POTS lines and often patchy VoIP service. Despite its GSM capabilities, however, LYNX Plus can also...