Archive: April 2014
ADT to acquire Protectron for $500 million
April 30, 2014Leif Kothe
BOCA RATON, Fla.—In what will be its largest acquisition as an independent company, ADT has agreed to acquire Canada-based monitoring giant Protectron in a $500 million deal, giving the company another 400,000 customers north of the border. It adds 31,000 accounts, worth approximately $11 million in RMR.The deal is subject to government and regulatory approvals and is expected to close this summer.Protectron's customers are 75 percent residential. The company has four central stations and 900...
Centralarm opens new West Coast facility
April 30, 2014Leif Kothe
MANCHESTER, N.H.—Centralarm Monitoring, based here, has added a third facility in Monterey, Calif., a move that reflects a concerted effort by the company to continue expanding its national footprint.Eleven years ago, when the company began to transition from what was predominantly a New England-based central station to more of a national one, it initially did so without the aid of a major advertising effort, Kevin Helmig, president of Centralarm, told Security Systems News.With the addition...
Judge stays ADT's second lawsuit against Vision Security
April 30, 2014Tess Nacelewicz
OREM, Utah and BOCA RATON, Fla.—A federal judge has put a 45-day hold on a second lawsuit that ADT had brought against Utah-based Vision Security over alleged deceptive sales practices. During that time, the two companies must follow a recent settlement agreement ADT worked out with Vision after ADT previously sued that door-knocking company on very similar charges.Florida-based ADT declined to comment to Security Systems News, saying, “it would be inappropriate for us to comment on a...
ESA takes to the Hill
April 30, 2014Leif Kothe
ESA just wrapped up its annual Day on Capitol Hill, bringing to the attention of lawmakers several topics of consequence for the security industry, including school security.
The ESA has positioned itself as a partner with Security Industry Association in developing a comprehensive guide to help end users and legislators better understand what electronic security technologies they have at their disposal to bolster school security.
“Most school districts don't know what type of security to install,...
ADI expands with smaller concept branches
April 30, 2014Martha Entwistle
National distribution company ADI's newest branch office in Omaha, Nebraska features a much smaller layout and a new concept.� Assuming the “ADI Express” concept works well in Omaha, ADI will be opening up a lot of new branches in secondary markets, Michael Flink, ADI president told me.
The Omaha branch is ADI's 100th branch. “ADI has 99 regular-size branches in 65 major markets,” Flink said. Typically, ADI branches are about 8,500 square feet and have six or...
Sweet 16 riot leads to more interest in new security system at University of Kentucky
April 30, 2014Martha Entwistle
LEXINGTON, Ky.—A security system installed by Dallmann Systems led to the arrest of three students who set fire to a car during a riot that ensued after the University of Kentucky beat Louisville in the April 1 NCAA Sweet 16 game. Publicity from the incident has also generated interest in expanding the security system, said Dallmann Systems CEO Tom Dallmann.“We had the satisfaction of seeing our installation at work,” Dallmann said.Local media reported extensively on how the security...
Low frequency fire appliances more audible, meet new code
April 29, 2014Tess Nacelewicz
LAS VEGAS—When a fire alarm activates during a fire, the high-frequency sound it emits can be insufficient to alert some hearing impaired individuals or even just sound sleepers. But System Sensor has some new low frequency notification appliances that address that problem because they're easier for such people to hear, according to David George, the company's director of marketing communications.
The low frequency sounders and sounder strobes, which were among products the St. Charles,...
SW24 earns UL listing
April 29, 2014SSN Staff
NEW YORK—SW24 Security has received Underwriters Laboratories certification for meeting all requirements under the UL standard for central station alarm service, according to a news release. The certification was given to the company's SW24 Fusion Centre, its 25,000 square-foot monitoring facility, which offers enterprise-level and residential services, including hosted video, access control, virtual security tours and PERS services, among other offerings.
The company said the UL listing was...
Guardian brings in former central station leader at AT&T
April 28, 2014Leif Kothe
WARRENDALE, Pa.—Jason Bradley, the newly hired director of central station operations at Guardian Protection Services, was drawn to the company in part because of the management team's vision of the central station as a centerpiece of its message to customers and dealers.“What really impressed me when I met with senior leadership here is their core belief that central station operations are at the forefront of the tactical approach to the customer experience,” he said, adding that...
AT&T Digital Life expands to 75 markets in its first year
April 24, 2014Tess Nacelewicz
DALLAS—After launching one year ago, in April 2013, AT&T's new home security/home automation service, Digital Life, has expanded across the nation to a total of 75 markets, the company recently announced.“We're very pleased with the first year in terms of establishing a nationwide footprint, the operation, the sales and the customer experiences,” AT&T Digital Life President Kevin Petersen told Security Systems News.He also said the company plans to keep on growing Digital Life....