Archive: February 2017
Mobile apps benefit consumers, dealers and installers
February 23, 2017Spencer Ives
YARMOUTH, Maine—People value convenience, and in many cases in the security space that means connectivity to mobile devices. Executives from�Bosch Security Systems�and Honeywell Security and Fire talked with�Security Systems News�about the ways mobile apps are evolving in the security space, from replacing existing technologies to further benefiting dealers and installers.
“It's about convenience for the end user,” Ilan Dee, director of product marketing, cloud services,...
Hikvision to open R&D center in Montreal, research institute in Silicon Valley
February 22, 2017Paul Ragusa
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.—Hikvision USA Inc., based here, and Hikvision Canada Inc. announced last week that Hikvision plans to establish in 2017 an R&D center in Montreal and a Research Institute in California's Silicon Valley, underscoring the company's commitment to North American integrator partners, and supporting its presence in the enterprise market.“This will allow us to be even more in tune with the needs of the North American security market and to engage with the tremendous...
East Coast Integrated Systems: new name, new focus
February 22, 2017Paul Ragusa
SALEM, N.H.—East Coast Integrated Systems, formerly known as East Coast Fire and Security, is in the midst of a rebranding as the company renews its focus on commercial and enterprise customers.“The former company, East Coast Fire and Security out of Salem, N.H., had been around since 1990, and then in September of last year the company was purchased by SPS - New England,” East Coast Integrated Systems' CEO Justin Davis told Security Systems News. “The team (outside of the...
Johnson Controls publishes cybersecurity 'call to action'
February 22, 2017Paul Ragusa
CORK, Ireland—Johnson Controls released a “call to action” whitepaper on cybersecurity this week in an effort to help the industry to better protect all of the data that is being produced throughout smart buildings today.
“As data becomes more and more prevalent throughout the buildings where we live and work, so does the need to protect that data; it is no longer enough for a building to be smart—it must now be cybersmart,” according to the new whitepaper, “Cybersmart...
Alertus partners with AccuWeather
February 22, 2017Spencer Ives
Mass notification system provider Alertus Technologies recently entered a partnership with AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions, bringing its customers more capabilities when it comes to weather alerts and emergencies.
Alertus, founded in 2002, has included weather alerts in its system and has been developing and automating these alerts. “We wanted to partner with AccuWeather since they really are the leader in that space, and have a lot of additional services that they bring to the table,”...
Five Questions: Jay Stuck
February 21, 2017Spencer Ives
Jay Stuck recently became the business development manager for Kastle Systems, a full service security company based in Falls Church, Va., with a presence around the country, including the New York City area. Security Systems News asked Stuck five questions in December.Are you married? Do you have kids?I have been married for 25 years. I have three daughters of my own, and a stepdaughter and a stepson. With five kids, the holidays are always a busy time for us. It's great to be an empty nester, but...
Guest Commentary: Three Resolutions for a Changing Security Industry
February 17, 2017Aaron Upham
Over the past years, the security industry has changed and with it emerged new challenges and opportunities. Today, cybersecurity, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are key trends that any large organization must address. In the security industry, it is important for organizations to realize these developments and formulate a strategy to meet client and stakeholder needs. Just as people use the new year to set major goals, so too can security leaders use the beginning of 2017 to make a plan...
Dynetics releases new 360-degree radar
February 16, 2017Spencer Ives
HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—Dynetics, which designs, builds and installs radar units, announced the latest offering in its GroundAware line: GA1360, a 360-degree radar system with a range of one kilometer.“The utility industry specifically wanted to be able to cover smaller sites for which a multiple-kilometer radar is just overkill. But also, some of our larger footprint customers are using it as gap fillers … they can put this system in to augment our other long-range systems and to create a...
The challenge of hiring
February 16, 2017Spencer Ives
YARMOUTH, Maine—Many companies, of all sizes in the industry, face the difficulty of finding the most qualified and best fitting candidates to join their team. Security Systems News talked with a few of these companies to hear what the applicant pool looks like, what they look for in new hires and how they bring in the best talent.“[Hiring] is a huge challenge—a completely different challenge than it was even five years ago,” Mary Bauer, VP of human resources at Doyle Security...
MONI introduces 'Customer Bill of Rights'
February 15, 2017Spencer Ives
DALLAS—Last September, when Monitronics changed its name to MONI Smart Security, it also said it would be pushing its brand toward consumers more. In line with that, MONI started a new initiative: its Customer Bill of Rights.
“Products and price are relatively similar across companies within the industry. The true differentiator, in this industry, can be customer experience,” Jay Autrey, recently promoted chief customer officer at MONI, told Security Systems News. “We want...