Universal Protection Security Systems leads with IP

SANTA ANA, Calif.— Universal Protection Security Systems, the integration arm of guarding giant Universal Protection, leads with IP video surveillance solutions “90 percent of the time,” according to UPSS's Bob Hinton.

Hinton, who is director of corporate accounts for the Southeast region of UPSS, said IP cameras are spec'd most of the time and even if they're not, the price of IP cameras has come down so much “it's really not worth looking at analog anymore.”

UPSS was recently recognized by network camera provider Axis Communications as Gold Partnerof the year for North America. Asked if UPSS had any special initiatives to increase sales of IP cameras, Hinton mentioned the cross-selling UPSS does with its parent company, guard provider, Universal Protection Service.

“We are working better together with the guard team than ever before. We share leads, share customers, go to customers together to resolve problems with a combination of guard services and technology,” he said.

The company did have some very large jobs that included many IP cameras, but Hinton said the increase in IP sales is mainly “just the marketplace accepting the fact that any new systems will be IP, and [UPSS] is so comfortable installing IP, we don't even think about analog anymore for new systems.”

UPSS grew substantially when it acquired SFI in 2011.� Today, the company does more than $30 million in revenue annually and has 139 employees. It has offices on the East Coast in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. It has four offices on the West Coast. In addition to its headquarters here, it also has California offices in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.