Archive: November 2016
Women in Security: iluminar's Eddie Reynolds
November 29, 2016Paul Ragusa
IRVINE, Calif.—Edwina “Eddie” Reynolds is president, CEO and co-founder of iluminar, a manufacturer and global supplier of infrared and white light illuminators, as well as license plate recognition products. Reynolds, who has been in the security industry for more than 20 years, hasn't looked back since starting the company in 2009.“Owning my own business was something that I always wanted to do, especially with my extensive security and lighting background,” she told...
Women in Security: Washington Alarm looks to grow
November 29, 2016Spencer Ives
SEATTLE—Shannon Woodman has been working with family-owned Washington Alarm full-time since 2000. Now in the role of COO, she said the company is focused on growth.“Our biggest thing is growing—so, both growing organically and through acquisitions,” Woodman said. The company completed a small acquisition of about 100 accounts earlier this year and expects to close another by the end of the year, she said.“In 2017 we're going to target more acquisitions by marketing to...
Women in Security: Custom Alarm looks at connected home tech
November 29, 2016Spencer Ives
ROCHESTER, Minn.—Custom Alarm's CEO Melissa Brinkman talked with Security Systems News about the company's increased approach to smart home technologies.“We're just really trying to have our team embrace it ... in particular, the locks, the lighting, the thermostats—in addition to being able to control your system remotely,” she said. Brinkman highlighted several specific technologies in the connected home space, including the Sky Bell doorbell, Honeywell's Lyric system. “We're...
SSN celebrates women in security
November 29, 2016Paul Ragusa
YARMOUTH, Maine—For the eighth consecutive year, Security Systems News is highlighting women who are making their mark in the traditionally male-dominated world of security. In each section of the publication—Commercial & Systems Integrators; Monitoring; Residential; and Suppliers—we feature one woman who is making a difference in security today, including The Protection Bureau's SVP Karen Baker, Custom Alarm's CEO Melissa Brinkman, Washington Alarm's COO Shannon Woodman, and iluminar's...
Women in Security: The Protection Bureau, 40 years and going strong
November 29, 2016Paul Ragusa
EXTON, Pa.—The Protection Bureau, a national security integration company based here, is a family-run business with more than 40 years of success serving both the residential and commercial security markets.Founded in 1975 by Keith Ladd, who passed away in 2009 at age 74, the company is now led by his son J. Matthew Ladd, president and CEO, and daughter, Karen Baker, SVP, who together continue to take the company to new heights.The Protection Bureau, which has approximately 95 employees and...
Hikvision CEO provides a 'view from the top'
November 23, 2016Paul Ragusa
HANGZHOU, China—Hikvision's recent media tour, which included visits to its headquarters based here, as well as cultural stops in Shanghai and Beijing, provided a unique glimpse into both a country rich in tradition and history, and a company striving to stay at the forefront in security technology.As Hikvision CEO Yangzhong Hu (pictured on left) pointed out during a press conference at the Security China 2016 trade show at the China International Exhibition Center, the company was first started...
New tech in residential security: Drones?
November 16, 2016Spencer Ives
PALO ALTO, Calif.—Sunflower Labs is working on smart lights that have sensors built-in to talk with an autonomous drone that will then fly to take a video of any suspicious activity.Alex Pachikov, Sunflower Labs' founder and CEO, told Security Systems News that he believes most home security systems focus solely on intrusion detection and the interior of the home. “We want to build a system that is primarily concerned with outdoors, and the surroundings of your property,” Pachikov...
Poll: Readers favor focusing on a couple of markets at a time
November 16, 2016Spencer Ives
YARMOUTH, Maine—More than half of respondents to Security Systems News' latest poll on emerging vertical markets said that it's good to focus on a couple areas at a time.“In the first few years of building a company we do not believe it makes sense to focus on a single vertical,” Eric Grist, principal of Grist Security Consulting, said in the poll. “In addition to the perspective of increasing our number of opportunities, we feel that we stay 'fresh' and more up to date, both...
Young professionals
November 16, 2016Paul Ragusa
The one common lament I hear from those in the security industry today—from dealers to integrators to end users to manufacturers—is how difficult it is to find good young professionals.
Many of our Class of 2016 “20 under 40” winners, both in the integrator and end user categories, are great examples of what this next wave of young security professionals are capable of, and many are involved in their local chapters of organizations such as ASIS International, SIA and ESA,...
Monitoring: The argument for wholesale
November 16, 2016Spencer Ives
YARMOUTH, Maine—Throughout the year one topic has been cropping up: the benefits of switching to a wholesale central station.
Several companies this year have opted to pick a third party monitoring center over continuing to operate their own central; RFI Communications switched to Rapid Response in March, Red Hawk Fire & Security partnered with Affiliated in October and recently, Comtronics switched its monitored accounts to NMC.
Some of these companies said that the move allowed them...