News

The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionised many industries, including physical security. By connecting physical devices to the internet, IoT technology offers significant enhancements to security systems. Benefits include real-time monitoring, remote access, and the utility of new devices such as temperature and humidity sensors. At the same time, IoT devices come with challenges, including greater cybersecurity vulnerability. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: How is the Interne...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, is showcasing its industry-pioneering products, digitally-enabled solutions, and service offerings at Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2024 in Orlando, Florida, from Sept. 23-35. At booth 1275, the company will discuss how its proven solutions address every stage of a building’s lifecycle, and proactively mitigate everyday security challenges and emerging threats, while promoting smarter, safer, and more sus...

At GSX 2024, the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA) will show an expanded roster of devices supporting its Public Key Open Credential (PKOC) specification. PSIA will be showcasing the latest information and demonstrations for PKOC at the JCI Security Products demo room S230 A&B.  They will be able to see interoperability following open specifications between mobile and physical credentials from multiple manufacturers with multiple manufacturer readers leveraging Bl...

There is no shortage of threats facing security professionals, including some that are new and emerging. Understanding various new threats allows individuals and organisations to take proactive steps to protect themselves, but the first step is to identify what those threats are. Early detection of threats can minimise the impact of a successful attack, whatever the vulnerability at issue. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What new and emerging threats will physical security pr...

The Orange County Emergency Services, Public Safety Communications Division became the 146th Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in the United States and the 14th ECC in the State of North Carolina to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Implementation of ASAP "The ASAP program provides our ECC with most accurate and timely alarm notifications possible while reducing the workload of our Public Safety Telecommunicators. The implementation of ASAP provides significant benefits...

The Buncombe County Public Safety Communications Centre (BCPSC) became the 145th Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) in the United States and the 13th ECC in the state of North Carolina to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).  Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm monitoring centres to Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs).   Agre...

During the 2024 General Assembly of Euralarm in Prague, the members chose Peter Mita as the new President of Euralarm. He succeeds Jon Könz who was President for the past three years. Peter Mita is the Southern Europe Commercial leader of Honeywell Fire.  ​2024 General Assembly The 2024 General Assembly was held in Prague where the outgoing President praised among others the work that was done in information sharing, supporting members with regulatory expertise, and guiding stan...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, launches the Facility Explorer FX90 Supervisory Controller, packed with unique, advanced features to make building automation easier, smarter and more cost-efficient.  The FX90 represents the next generation of Facility Explorer supervisory controllers designed to streamline and automate workflows to increase building automation performance with minimal maintenance. Responsive user interface “Every a...

The PSA Network (PSA), the world’s largest consortium of professional systems integrators, announced the 12 recipients of the Technology Partner Achievement Awards at PSA TEC 2024 (TEC) in Dallas, Texas. PSA awarded Johnson Controls Security Products with the Nova Award for achieving the highest partner sales and Hanwha Vision with the Superstar Technology Partner of the Year Achievement Award for their exceptional partnership. Remarkable achievements  “Our success is deeply...

The PSA Network, the world’s largest consortium of professional systems integrators announced the lineup of sponsors for PSA TEC 2024 (TEC) in Dallas, Texas, May 13-17.  PSA TEC 2024 "PSA TEC 2024 will again be the most powerful event for security integrators, and we have an incredible group of technology partner sponsors that enable PSA to exceed expectations in delivering high-quality educational offerings, networking, and exclusive engagement with prominent industry pioneers...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, demonstrated complete building security solutions at ISC West 2024 in Las Vegas. The company showcased its comprehensive product innovation, system integration and service expertise, ultimately enabling customers to protect their people, facilities and assets. “Johnson Controls is pioneering new innovations that are transforming traditionally reactive physical security processes into connected data-driven s...

For K12 education pioneers, embarking on a journey to upgrade security controls can present a myriad of questions about finding the best-fit solutions and overcoming funding hurdles. A majority of public-school districts today are faced with outdated infrastructure and security controls, requiring necessary upgrades. By addressing these concerns head on, schools will ensure a safer environment for both students and staff, mitigating risks posed by unforeseen physical and digital threats. Common...

The PSA Network, the world’s largest consortium of professional systems integrators, announced the addition of Kantech from Johnson Controls to its technology partner roster. Kantech offers a full suite of reliable, easy-to-install, scalable access control products. "Kantech provides the elite network of security integrators with expanded options for access control technology,” said Matt Barnette, president and CEO of the PSA Network. “Kantech’s innovative solutions...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings released its 2024 Sustainability Report, marking significant progress and unwavering focus on decarbonising the built environment. Scope 3 emission reduced Notably, the company reduced absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 43.8% since 2017, putting it ahead of schedule in achieving its 2030 science-based target of a 55% reduction. The company also reported a 27.1% reduction in Scope 3 emissions derived from its p...

ISC West 2024 mirrored a vibrant industry on the precipice of accelerated change. Factors such as the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, and biometrics are shaping the future of the security marketplace, and they were front-and-centre at the industry’s biggest U.S. show in Las Vegas.  Foot traffic was steady and impressive, including more than 29,000 security industry professionals viewing 750 exhibitors. A torrent of eager attendees crowded the lobby on the first d...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, has announced the renewal of its reseller partnership with Everbridge. The collaboration aims to assist security pioneers with a centralised view of physical assets and external risk factors—such as geopolitical threats or natural disasters—that could impact organisational safety and resiliency. Partnership with Everbridge “Not only do today’s security pioneers face the challenge of stay...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, designed Security Lifecycle Management with OpenBlue Services to help customers enhance building safety, manage risk, and maximise the value of investments made in security technology. The offering combines Johnson Controls OpenBlue suite of connected solutions, and the ability to monitor and manage security devices across vendors, with remote support services and meaningful insights from skilled engineers, as we...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, is pleased to announce the commercial availability of its Security Operations Centres (SOC) service offering in the North American market. Building on 50 years of central monitoring and response services internationally, the SOC offering is available to North American customers seeking to improve business continuity and help reduce risk at a predictable as-a-service fee.   State-of-the-art monitoring centre...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, is showcasing its portfolio of in-house developed and cyber-hardened access control and video surveillance solutions for enterprise applications during ISC West. At booth 18033, Johnson Controls experts are on hand to discuss the latest solutions enhancing physical and cyber security, while adapting to compliance regulations.  Security and compliance “The enterprise security landscape is undergoing...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, is showcasing the latest security innovations for small to mid-sized commercial facilities during ISC West. The expo is happening April 10-12 at the Venetian in Las Vegas. At booth 18033, Johnson Controls is displaying the latest solutions for scalable, user-friendly access control and video surveillance for small to mid-size commercial facilities like schools, churches, and retail stores. Hassle-free software...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, was named the overall pioneer for its smart building management platform in the Smart Building Management Platforms competitive assessment, conducted by ABI Research, a global technology intelligence firm. Researchers assessed the Johnson Controls OpenBlue ecosystem of connected technologies and services, scoring it highest in implementation among nine other platform providers. The findings were reconfirmed...

The PSA Network, the world’s largest consortium of professional systems integrators, announced the PSA Partner Program (P3) members for 2024.  The P3 program is a performance-based initiative designed for technology partners. It assesses and categorises partners according to a set of criteria that mirror their achievements and impact within the network. 2024 strategic P3 partnerships Partners meeting the minimum annual sales threshold undergo evaluation on a weighted scale. The cum...

Alcatraz AI, a global pioneer in frictionless access control solutions, is proud to announce the debut of the revolutionary exterior Rock X during ISC West 2024 in Las Vegas, showcased in Booth #31075. Rock X sets a new standard in outdoor access control, featuring frictionless and secure facial authentication technology for a wide range of applications. Rock X introduces a new era of security for exterior locations using the power of AI and technical innovation to address the unique challenges...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, has promoted Sarah Dixon to General Manager of Fire & Security, effective immediately. Dixon brings a wealth of leadership knowledge and expertise in pioneering the commercial success of the business. Sarah Dixon In 2020, Dixon joined Johnson Controls as General Manager, Fire Suppression, and after a two-year tenure was promoted to Enterprise Sales Director UK&I. In her new role, Dixon will take the F...

The Glenview IL Public Safety Dispatch Centre and the City of Allen, TX Police and Fire Communications became the 140th and 141st Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in the United States to implement The Monitoring Association’s (TMA) Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP). Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm monitoring centres to Emergency Communic...

Johnson Controls’ release of the Metasys 13 system creates scalable upgrade paths for customers with legacy system components. The world-class Metasys interface, uniquely designed to maximise building operator efficiency by displaying the most relevant information to quickly and concisely troubleshoot a system, is now available on the Metasys SNx series network engines and is accessible through any client device type (phone, tablet, PC). Key features Additional key features of this relea...

The Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA) released a PKOC explainer video to its site. This video is less than a minute long and demonstrates how the PSIA’s PKOC specification works and will disrupt the access control market. PKOC specification David Bunzel, PSIA Executive Director, shared, “We are seeing significant uptake in the market with a growing number of vendors adding PKOC to access readers. We recognised the need to provide some tools so that c...

ELATEC, INID, Kastle Systems, JCI, Last Lock, rf IDEAS, SAFR Scan (RealNetworks), and Sentry Enterprises were each part of an exciting demonstration at the JCI Innovation Room at GSX 2023.  A large number of consultants, integrators, and end users were awed by the simplicity, yet effective access security that PKOC was able to demonstrate. In addition to hardware and cards, there were multiple apps capable of accessing the various devices. Author's quote David Bunzel, PSIA Executive Dire...

GSX 2023 has its share of new product announcements, although many of the new products are enhancements to technologies shown at last spring’s ISC West show in Las Vegas. Booth traffic on the first day seemed busy at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, although one exhibitor complained that it takes some time for the traffic to make its way to the farthest areas of the show floor. Apparent throughout the GSX show is an expanding idea of what constitutes security. Incre...

On Wednesday, August 16, 2023, the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA) hosted a special interoperability event with seven companies involved in the access control market, demonstrating the emerging Public Key Open Credential (PKOC) specification. The Interoperability Validation Testing was hosted at Convergint’s facility in Centennial, Colorado and featured products from ELATEC, Kastle Systems, JCI, Last Lock, rf IDEAS, SAFR Scan (RealNetworks), and Sentry Enterprises. PKO...