HSM aims high with new initiative

LISLE, Ill.--HSM Electronic Protection Services announced in August the expansion of its high security initiative for private and public commercial companies, defense contractors and government agencies. While HSM's pursuit of high-security accounts is not a new trend for HSM or its parent company, Stanley Works, which acquired HSM in December of 2006, this announcement represents a concerted effort to attack the market in the way HSM has approached the multi-location retail vertical, for example. "Both HSM and Stanley have been involved in high-security and government sales for years," said Kevin Brooks, vice president of government sales. "Since we've become integrated into one, it has made us much more capable. We've always been in the market, but now we're more focused in this specific vertical and having a dedicated team." HSM has trained 50 sales specialists and 50 operations technical specialists for its high-security division, according to Brooks. HSM, which maintains a 60/40 mix of installed commercial to residential accounts, is "focusing more on government/high security types of accounts," in addition to its rapidly expanding commercial base according to Brooks. "The objective is to go out and develop relationships with these organizations in that channel and leverage what we've done, both Stanley and HSM, over the years with our service portfolio, and bring these opportunities in," he said. HSMs initiative to monitor high security accounts involves undergoing rigorous security certification procedures for both its staff and facilities, according to Steve Walker, director of HSM's new central station, ProtectionNet Customer Service Center (PNC). "High security accounts require that we have certified personnel in the central station to handle those accounts," Walker said. "Personnel are required to go through special training and they have to demonstrate their proficiency in understanding the requirements of these accounts as well as very rigorous background checks at the state level and the Department of Defense level as well." Not only must operators, known at HSM as monitoring specialists, obtain security certification, but the facility itself must also meet certain security requirements. "Security listing entails both physical security for the center as well as security of the data that we use to actually monitor the accounts," said Walker. HSM's PNC, which opened in Minneapolis in December of 2006, performs all of the company's high security monitoring, according to Walker. Those high security accounts also require specialized monitoring services. "For high security accounts we use line security, which means that we are monitoring and in constant communication with the panel. We will be able to detect any loss of communication and notify the customer immediately," said Walker. For security reasons, Walker was unable to disclose the names of organizations within its high security portfolio or even reveal how many accounts it monitors within this specialized department.