SSN's top 10 stories of 2010

YARMOUTH, Maine—As 2010 draws to a close the editors at Security Systems News take a look back and see what the most read stories of the year were. What was making the news? What were you most interested in knowing?

Below is a non-sequential, categorized rundown of the top 10 most read stories on our site from Jan. 1 to Dec. 11, followed by a linked top 10 list.

The top category for 2010 was “For sale/SOLD!” Acquisition stories had a large showing in 2010 with a full half of the top ten being “so-and-so is for sale” or “so-and-so bought so-and-so” stories. Next, as popular as ever, was “All things ADT.” When ADT makes a big buy, like its purchase of Broadview, you wanted to read all about it—its potential affect on the industry, and details of the acquisition.

The third top category was the impending sunset of the security industry's legacy communication pathway, POTS. Two of the most read stories at our site for the year dealt with the FCC redirecting its resources away from POTS and to new communications pathways through the development of a National Broadband Plan. And finally, one of the top 10 most read stories of 2010 didn't fit into any particular category.� “Sex, fraud, and alarm accounts,” was an ongoing story, first reported in April of this year, about two security alarm industry investors who had their business and personal assets seized while the SEC charged the pair with running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of at least $80 million.

Here are the top ten most read stories of 2010:

1. ADT splits in two

2. GTCR to buy Pro One: Covert & Whall back in business

3. POTS sunset on horizon

4. Tyco acquires Broadview/Brinks for $2 billion

5. Questions and answers on UTC's GE Security buy

6. How does ADT/Broadview deal affect market as a whole?

7. Equity firm buys Tri-Ed/Northern Video

8. For sale: Protection One

9. Sex, fraud, and alarm accounts

10. FCC's National Broadband Plan: POTS 'not sustainable'

There will be no SSNewswire next week. The newswire will return on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011. The editors of Security Systems News wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.