Articles by Deborah O'Mara

7K cameras are best suited for large openspaces such as stadiums and city centres,capturing the finest details in their footage With several manufacturers now offering 4K CCTV cameras, Avigilon, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, raised the bar in April 2015 with the launch of their 7K HD Pro surveillance solution. The 30-megapixel camera is the latest addition to the company’s Professional Series, an innovative model Avigilon believes will drive competition in the se...

As technology advances and more surveillance features become available, it can be difficult for security integrators to know which system will fit their customer’s needs It’s no secret that Internet Protocol (IP) cameras are on a steady march to replace analogue video. Network-centric surveillance cameras bring a host of value to the protected premises, above and beyond traditional physical security. Now, cameras are increasingly used for safety, such as in liabili...

The potential costs and consequences of hackers getting through firewalls and onto the user’s computer networks can be devastating Theft of NATO data. Leakage of emails. Hackers setting up a live streaming website for over 100 New York City private webcams and even hacking the infrastructure servers of the U.S. government. As news of malicious takeover of private and corporate networks as well as incidents of malicious software programs, referred to as malware, conti...

Aventura continues to expands expand its feature set of products beyond PSIM As the 61st annual ASIS 2015 kicked off in Anaheim, Calif., it became increasingly clear that physical security continues to move from the realm of traditional intrusion detection, video surveillance and alarms into value-added applications that extend into new markets, uses and purposes – many of them centred on business and operational processes. While video surveillance, intrusion detection,...

Have interactive services lost their edge? Are users discouraged and disenthralled? That’s a myth that needs busting, because security companies continue to have success offering these solutions to customers. Alarm companies who began their business with traditional intrusion detection continue to deliver interactive services as part of a total, connected home solution. Companies like Complete Security Systems, Marlboro, N.J.; Marshall Alarm Systems, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; and The Securi...

ASIS is a great opportunity to not only learn about new technologies first hand, but also to benchmark offerings against competitors  Now in its 61st year, the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS) Seminar & Exhibits is more than an end-user show. Many systems integrators also attend, walk the show and even exhibit to meet with potential customers and perhaps see technology they may need to apply to their clients’ security challenges and issues. This ye...

System integration is about adding value, and value-engineering is the solution to address the challenges facing the customer and their facility Leading systems integrators continue to embrace new technology and add a range of services focusing on IT, connectivity and integration. The trend will continue for forward-thinking companies seeking to differentiate themselves from the competition and gain a loyal following of end-user customers.  Pref-Tech - History and backg...

RFI Enterprises has a Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) Five-Diamond Monitoring Center RFI Enterprises started in a small town and has over the years grown to a large regional business. The company has developed innovative security solutions to fulfil customer’s requirements for a secure environment. It has managed to stay ahead of growing competition within the systems integrator sector and design solutions for customers ranging from aerospace, banking and health...

The Protection Bureau is one of the top-10 security integrators in the US You really can’t talk about The Protection Bureau without discussing its founder, the late Keith Ladd. If you’ve been in the industry any length of time, you probably had a chance to meet him. I certainly did. In fact, when I was a cub reporter with one of the first security publications I ever worked for, my inaugural visit to a customer and central station was to The Protection Bureau. That...

Manufacturers need to come to integrators with a multi-faceted approach on how a wholesale change could be made Dakota Security Systems Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D., a security systems integration company is nearly 40 years old and started as a lock shop. Eric Yunag, president and chief executive officer, has been at the helm of the award-winning company for nearly 10 years. In an exclusive Q&A, SourceSecurity.com asked Yunag what he looks for from his manufacturer-partners. S...

According to Chris Mosley, President of Complete Security Systems self-monitoring with video security is a moving trend Complete Security Systems Inc., Marlboro, New Jersey, is a UL-listed central station and security installation company serving New Jersey and other East Coast areas. According to Chris Mosley, President of Complete Security Systems, attracting young people to the security industry is a challenge. Chris highlights Complete Security Systems' new products, servi...

Widespread use of smartphones and the loT have fuelled explosive demand for connectivity, convenience and control The growing Internet of Things (loT) or intelligent, inter-connected devices are causing a paradigm shift in nearly every technology sector, including the security installing industry. The global IoT market, according to research firm IDC, Framingham, Mass., is predicted to increase from 10.3 million “endpoints” in 2014 to more than 29.5 million in 2020...

Honeywell, Twitter integration brings security communication to its life safety products Honeywell, Northford, Conn., is leveraging the Twitter social media platform to bring higher levels of situational awareness and emergency communications to its life safety products. This move focuses to improve emergency response by monitoring various security, safety or building systems and providing information to identify potential threats. Gamewell-FCI’s Focal4 Now, Gamewe...

David Bleisch, ADT general counsel, addresses the media at a conference Door-to-door selling can be an effective tool to garner new security subscribers, and it’s been practiced for decades, according to Jay Hauhn, executive director of the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), Alexandria, Va. But it has to be done right, he says. A recent conference by ADT Security Services focused on deceptive alarm sales practices and the need to report such practices. In her late...

EMERgency 24 developed the Incident Command and Control platform to deliver faster and more succinct data to first responders and others At ISC West 2015 in Las Vegas, EMERgency24 introduced a groundbreaking web-based software platform called Incident Command and Control Service, which allows system owners to generate alerts for situations such as lockdown, severe weather or HAZMAT (hazardous materials) situations and enables instant communication to pre-defined contact groups...

Affiliated Monitoring’s UL-Listed monitoring centre with a second floor dedicated to areas for security company meetings Central monitoring stations have innovative approaches to assist security installing companies in growing their account base, adding value and boosting recurring monthly revenue (RMR). These companies do much more than simply monitor accounts – today they provide a host of services to give security installing companies the added edge in an extrem...

Security-Net has grown significantly in stature as a global national accounts organisation Back in the day, security companies kept their business close to the vest, didn’t collaborate and worked locally, without expanding beyond limited geographic boundaries. Security-Net™, Exton, Pa., came about in an effort to find a better way. So some 22 years ago, in 1993, the organisation began a journey – one that would eventually establish it as a highly respected n...

New notification appliances from Silent Knight provide code-required low-frequency output Just before the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) World Safety Conference and Expo, June 22-25 in Chicago, Honeywell unveiled new solutions and features designed to boost life safety and provide more intuitive installations. S3 series control/communicator A “virtual press conference” unveiling the announcements was kicked off by Beth Welch, manager of publi...

When video analytics first emerged in the security industry about a decade ago, there were high hopes it would instantly transform the landscape of video surveillance. Problem was, the technology was not mature and, in essence, was oversold as far as its capabilities. Analytics such as heat mapping, directional and license plate recognition technology have improved, lending themselves to applications beyond security and into the realm of actionable business intelligence Integra...

Wi-Fi, real-time location tracking and security sensors are important elements of IoT solutions The tracking of people, processes and things continues to grow, and that’s good news for systems integrators, who can add these services to their arsenal of offerings and boost their levels of recurring monthly revenue (RMR). Real-time location tracking Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) are great ways to not only add security, but ope...

ESA opens the 2015 exhibit show floor with a ribbon cutting ceremony The Electronic Security Association (ESA) wrapped up ESX 2015, June 24 to 26 in Baltimore, Md., drawing integrators, manufacturers and association members from across the country to attend the annual educational, exhibits and networking event. Security integration companies Celebrating its eighth year, the show is jointly owned and sponsored by ESA and the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA). ESX inclu...

Managed and hosted services allow users access from a variety of connected devices It’s not about hardware anymore, although quality components are a must. Now, it’s about how technology performs. For the systems integrator, there’s also an opportunity to provide essential services to keep customers connected. As with many other businesses, the security industry is being “disrupted” and influenced by the cloud. Delivering outsourced security and...

According IHS Technology, more than 11 million consumer and DIY network cameras will be shipped worldwide this year Perhaps we should start looking at do-it-yourself (DIY) systems such Google’s Nest and other devices as an opportunity for existing security contractors – those that are open-minded anyway – to bring in additional customers and new streams of recurring monthly revenue (RMR). DIY systems continue to proliferate in the marketplace and are availab...

Petrow began her career at Vector Security in  1982, and was appointed senior vice president  of the Central Stations and Information Services Group in 1997 Pamela J. Petrow, chief executive officer (CEO) of Vector Security Inc., Warrendale, Pa., has been appointed President of CSAA International, the industry’s leading, 65-year-old central station monitoring organisation. Petrow is the first woman in the organisation’s history to hold this top leadership...

ESX is designed to provide information and knowledge alarm companies can’t get at any other event For those of you who have been honky-tonking the last several years during the ESX Show, there’s a new game in town – as the annual educational, exhibits and networking event moves to Baltimore, Md., June 24 to 26, and the excitement of the Inner Harbor. Focused and futuristic Celebrating its eighth year, ESX focuses on peer-to-peer education and strategies &n...

Easy does it is the watchword of the day, as industry suppliers make their products more intuitive A common theme emerging from physical security manufacturers is a focus on making installation, setup and integration as easy as possible for the installer. With technology moving at break-neck speeds and the Internet of Things promising seamless device connectivity, manufacturing are doing their best to help systems integrators succeed. Of course, the manufacturer benefits...

Wong was the first Asian woman to obtain the Alarm Contractor License Mun C. Wong, PSP and president of VinTech Systems Inc. in Chicago, is a successful entrepreneur who has brought new technologies and a knack for superior service to her integration business.  In fact, at the age of 29, she was the first Asian woman to obtain the Alarm Contractor License from the State of Illinois and its Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. But she doesn't focus on gend...

SWIFT is a wireless fire detector line offered by Honeywell Fire Systems Honeywell Fire Systems, Northford, Conn., continues to enhance its line of wireless fire detectors, announcing new updates to its Fire-Lite® Alarms Smart Wireless Integrated Fire Technology (SWIFT™) at ISC West 2015 in Las Vegas. The SWIFT line of wireless fire alarm detectors and modules – which includes smoke, heat and pull stations – integrate with new and existing Fire-Lite...

It’s that time of year: show season! And for systems integrators and security installers, PSA-TEC is one of the quintessential annual conferences, offering hundreds of hours of education and training during the May 4-8 show (exhibits are May 6). Hotel registration at the Westin in Westminster, Colo., is due on or before April 16. PSA Security Network was established in 1974 as the Professional Security Alliance, Inc. dba PSA Security Network and is now the world’s largest electronic...

ASSA ABLOY discussed the importance of securing the critical infrastructure, the building and beyond, at a media press conference April 15 on the opening day of ISC West 2015 in Las Vegas. Martin Huddart, president of ASSA ABLOY’s Access and Egress Hardware Group, based in New Haven, Conn., outlined some of the current and future objectives of the company, which continues to fine-tune its global leadership in door opening solutions while playing a significant role in the future of access...