Archive: June 2016
VIZpin to develop 'almost DIY' offering
June 29, 2016Martha Entwistle
LANCASTER, Pa.—VIZpin, formerly ECKey, is planning to develop an “almost DIY” option for its access control product, which turns your phone into your key.
Paul Bodell, VIZpin president and founder, told Security Systems News that VIZpin is totally committed to the channel, but at the same time “everything is going DIY.”
VIZpin plans to make the device so easy to install that “locksmiths and maintenance people will be able to install the devices in addition...
Bill Wood named president of SALTO Systems North America
June 29, 2016Martha Entwistle
NORCROSS, Ga.—Electronic lock provider SALTO Systems on June 28 named Bill Wood to the new role of president of SALTO Systems North America.Wood will assume the new position on Aug. 1 and report to Marc Handels, SALTO's chief sales and marketing officer.Wood will oversee the commercial and hospitality business lines in the U.S. and Canada.According to his LinkedIn profile, Wood is currently technical sales director for Floyd Total Security, a security installer based in Minnesota. He has worked...
SAFE Security promotes Gary Franklyn to SVP, dealer sales
June 29, 2016Paul Ragusa
SAN RAMON, Calif.—SAFE Security, a national security company based here, recently promoted Gary Franklyn to the newly created position of senior vice president of dealer sales, where he will be responsible for all facets of dealer management including dealer sales and marketing and dealer recruitment and retention. Franklyn will be based out of Safeguard Security, SAFE's branch office in Scottsdale, Ariz.Prior to working for SAFE, Franklyn spent eight years at Security Networks in West Palm...
Seacoast Security acquires in Maine
June 29, 2016Spencer Ives
WEST ROCKPORT, Maine—Seacoast Security, a full-service company based here, acquired about 3,000 accounts, $80,000 in RMR, from Main Security Surveillance—sister company to Unlimited Technology.“We are in acquisition mode right now,” Scott Haynes, Seacoast president, told Security Systems News. He said this was a great deal for the company, bringing Seacoast's account total to about 15,000. Terms of the deal were not released.Acquisitions are standard procedure for Seacoast;...
New research: MSOs turn to security for better equipment
June 29, 2016Paul Ragusa
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—New findings by market research firm IHS reveal that MSOs are falling short of their goals for penetration within the residential security industry, partly because of their reliance on inferior security products. This is good news for domestic security manufacturers because MSOs are now starting to turn to them for equipment, according to IHS. Research also forecasts a 5 percent CAGR for the security industry over the next few years.“One thing that we found in our research...
Dynamark moves HQ
June 29, 2016Spencer Ives
HAGERSTOWN, Md.—Dynamark moved its headquarters into the same building as its monitoring center—a 28,000 square-foot space.
“We needed more space, both now and to have room to grow in the future, and we wanted to set the office up and consolidate them,” Trey Alter, Dynamark's president and CEO, told Security Systems News. “We purchased the building in 2008, when we constructed the central station.”
Specifically, Dynamark will use the new, larger space...
Is the smart home window of opportunity closing for dealers?
June 29, 2016Paul Ragusa
With more and more consumers adopting smart home technology, and more and more players moving into the smart home space, this is a pivotal time for security dealers, as the window of opportunity to reconnect with customers—and let them know about all of the interactive services they can now provide as part of the overall security package—will only stay open for so long.
In terms of smart home adoption, almost every day a new study comes out showing that Americans are embracing smart home...
Industry reacts to Apple, other possible PERS threats
June 29, 2016Spencer Ives
In last week's Monitoring Matters blog, I discussed the Apple Watch's new SOS feature, and its similarities and differences between PERS functions. A few security professionals took me up on the opportunity to respond.
Daniel Oppenheim, VP of Affiliated Monitoring, said that the heightened consumer awareness of personal emergency features could grow the market, instead of cannibalize it, and that the demographics are different. “I think the Apple Watch, specifically, is for a more mobile, more...
NAV has new home in Vegas
June 29, 2016Martha Entwistle
LAS VEGAS—North American Video, a systems integrator that specializes in the casino vertical, has opened a new Western Regional Headquarters in Las Vegas. The new office has what NAV calls a "Security & Surveillance Center of Excellence," a camera lab where NAV customers can test camera performance. The facility includes a temperature-controlled server lab with software and hardware from major VMS manufacturers. Both the camera lab and the server lab are integrated into training room, which...
Security Partners helps dealers with funding
June 27, 2016Spencer Ives
LANCASTER, Pa.—Security Partners, a wholesale central station based here, announced a new funding program for its dealers.Mike Bodnar, president of Security Partners, told Security Systems News that the new program is a “vehicle that will allow our dealers to grow their RMR, build their business, and … maintain ownership of their accounts for the long term.”“We are able to fund 60-month subscriber agreements. There is an ability for continued funding on the account with...