Archive: June 2013
Honeywell welcomes leading New Mexico security dealer to First Alert Professional program
June 28, 2013SSN Staff
MELVILLE, N.Y.—Honeywell today welcomed Armed Response Team (ART), an Albuquerque, N.M.-based security provider originally founded by a group of police officers, to its First Alert Professional (FAP) Dealer Program. The FAP program is the country's largest independent security dealer network, with more than 500 participating security contractors, Honeywell said in a news release.For nearly a decade, ART has specialized in residential and commercial burglar, perimeter and fire alarms, access...
Vivint to open new sales center in Washington state
June 26, 2013Tess Nacelewicz
PROVO, Utah—Home automation/home security giant Vivint is opening a new 400-employee sales center in Washington state, part of a move by the door-knocking company to diversify itself by increasing inside sales.“The bigger vision over time is that we still have this strong summer-program model but we have a more diversified channel, meaning we're not just a door-to-door company doing direct-to-home sales but we also have a very strong inside sales program that provides balance,”...
TycoIS sues ISC; N.J. integrator files counterclaim
June 26, 2013Martha Entwistle
TOMS RIVER, N.J.—Claims of trade secrets stolen, employees poached and counterclaims that Tyco is trying to run a much smaller competitor out of business fill two lawsuits—one filed by Tyco Integrated Security at the end of May and a counterclaim filed by Integrated Security & Communications on June 24.
At the center of the lawsuit are three former employees of SST: Thomas Catagnus, John Pichola and Joel Richman. SST was the platform for ADT (now Tyco Integrated Security) to launch...
More mobility for UCC with new central station automation
June 26, 2013Rich Miller
SAN ANTONIO—United Central Control is switching to SGS' Stages for its central station automation, giving UCC dealers expanded access to mobile applications and improving efficiencies to reduce alarm-processing errors, company officials told Security Systems News.
UCC President Teresa Gonzalez said the wholesale monitoring provider, based here, took two years to determine which automation software would be best for its 500 dealers.
“We needed to look at where we are headed with...
Alarm Capital Alliance enters affluent new market
June 26, 2013Tess Nacelewicz
MEDIA, Pa.—Alarm Capital Alliance has expanded into an affluent new market—The Hamptons—with the purchase of a 32-year-old security company based in Southhampton, N.Y.Security Communications Audio Network Corp. (SCAN) has $170,000 in RMR and 5,000 mostly residential customers, Anastasia Bottos, ACA's chief business development officer and executive VP of acquisitions, told Security Systems News.She said SCAN has “a pretty substantial footprint in The Hamptons.” That...
GuardMe Security moves into North Carolina
June 26, 2013Tess Nacelewicz
OLD BRIDGE, N.J.—After recent expansions into the Midwest and Maine, GuardMe Security, based here, in June added North Carolina to the growing list of states where it is offering home security/home automation.“The housing market in North Carolina is starting to improve … and it's an excellent market in general for security,” GuardMe President Craig Metzger told Security Systems News. “It's densely populated and has a fair amount of crime.”GuardMe, an 80-employee company...
AT&T earns CSAA Five Diamond certification
June 26, 2013Leif Kothe
DALLAS—AT&T, which launched its Digital Life home security/home automation platform in April, has received Five Diamond certification from the Central Station Alarm Association, the company announced this week.
“We are pleased to have received the CSAA Five Diamond certification as only fewer than 150 of approximately 2,700 central stations across the U.S. achieve this status,” an AT&T representative told Security Systems News. “And we are even more pleased to have done...
ESX draws a crowd in Nashville
June 26, 2013Martha Entwistle
The ESX show, now in its sixth year, returned to Nashville this year for the third time but this year, it was in a new, very nice venue, the Music City Center.
The center's musical instrument-inspired design is really beautiful. And the trade show floor and classrooms were easy to find.
The center had literally been open for only two weeks before ESX, so we'll give facility managers a little time to fix two things: the building needs more consistent wifi throughout� (maybe a vendor...
Remote doormen: No jacket required for RMR, but mind your data
June 26, 2013Rich Miller
Does anyone remember Carlton, the heard-but-never-seen doorman from the forgettable '70s sitcom “Rhoda”? Little did anyone realize it, but the character was destined to become a model for RMR more than 30 years later: a remote gatekeeper providing access without the need for actual flesh and blood at the doorway.
Carlton and his real-life colleagues have increasingly given way to remote doorman service, with access granted after audio and video review by a central station operator. Depending...
This Blog's on Fire (And Other Stuff)
Homicide, home security and pro football
June 26, 2013Tess Nacelewicz
It's not often that a news story involves a homicide, a home security system and a professional football player, but such has been the case over the past week regarding New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.
Actually, I should say former tight end, because the Patriots released him today after he was arrested and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player, according to a report from The New York Times. Police took Hernandez from his North Attleborough, Mass. home this...