Eaton - Experts & Thought Leaders

Skills for Security has continued its collaboration with WorldSkills UK for the 2025 season, announcing the Electronic Security and Fire competitions will be merged into a single category. This strategic move aims to enhance the competition’s impact, broadening the scope for participants to demonstrate expertise in both electronic security and fire safety systems. By integrating these two crucial areas, the competition better mirrors the evolving demands, ensuring future professionals are equipped with comprehensive skills to meet industry needs. Integrated fire safety and security  Says Darrell Gilmour, Director of Technical Training at Skills for Security: “By combining the Electronic Security and Fire competitions, we are ensuring that competitors develop a well-rounded skill set that reflects today’s integrated fire safety and security industry. We believe this evolution will benefit both competitors and the sector as a whole.” Applications for the competition will open at 9:00 AM on 3rd March 2025 and close on 17th March 2025. The National Qualifiers will be held at The Security Event (TSE) on the Skills for Security stand (5/D130) across three dates, bringing together 36 of the most talented competitors from across the UK. Range of training opportunities Skills for Security will also be actively engaging with attendees at the key industry event Skills for Security will also be actively engaging with attendees at the key industry event, highlighting the wide range of training opportunities and initiatives available to support talent development within the fire safety and security sector. David Scott, Managing Director of Skills for Security, added: “It is always a pleasure to host the competition qualifiers at The Security Event, where we can demonstrate the incredible skills and talent emerging." Next generation of security professionals Scott added: "Skills for Security remains committed to nurturing the next generation of security professionals, and this competition is a real opportunity to highlight the importance of continuous training and development in our sector.” The competition is sponsored by the CSL Group, The Security Event and Texecom. With additional support from Eaton, Yuasa Battery, NSI, SSAIB, Fenix Monitoring, Honeywell and Dahua, all of whom are dedicated to supporting excellence and innovation within the fire safety and security sector. The Security Event is taking place 8 – 10 April at NEC Birmingham.

Skills for Security is proud to announce a new partnership with Eaton, a global pioneer in power management solutions. Eaton has joined Skills for Security as a Platinum Sponsor, marking a significant collaboration aimed at enhancing the fire and security sector through education, innovation, and sustainable practices. Eaton, renowned for its expertise in fire and security systems alongside a whole host of other solutions, will work closely with Skills for Security to support the development and delivery of high-quality apprenticeship training and to aid in the mission of closing the sector skills gap. Eaton's sponsorship Eaton's sponsorship will enable Skills for Security to expand its capacity to train more apprentices "We are thrilled to welcome Eaton as a Platinum Sponsor," said David Scott, Managing Director of Skills for Security, adding "Their extensive experience and dedication to innovation align perfectly with our mission to provide top-tier training and development opportunities. Together, we aim to elevate industry standards and prepare the workforce for future challenges." Eaton's sponsorship will enable Skills for Security to expand its capacity to train more apprentices, enhance its educational resources, and provide greater access to industry-renowned products and expertise. Advancing industry standards "We are excited to partner with Skills for Security and contribute to the growth and development of the sector," said Peter Regan, Product Line Manager of Eaton Intrusion. He adds, "As a Platinum Sponsor, we look forward to sharing our knowledge and resources to help build a more skilled and prepared workforce. This partnership is a testament to our commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in all aspects of our work." The partnership between Eaton and Skills for Security represents a shared vision of advancing industry standards and promoting a culture of continuous learning. By joining forces, both organisations are poised to make a significant impact on the future of the fire and security sector.

Intelligent power management company Eaton participated in The White House Office of the National Cyber Director’s Convening on Cyber Workforce event on April 29 to underscore its commitment to cybersecurity training across industries. The company’s vice president of engineering and technology, Luiz Fernando Huet de Bacellar participated in the roundtable discussion with U.S. business, government and community pioneers. Eaton’s multipronged efforts The need for cybersecurity professionals is projected to grow by 32% by 2032 and Eaton’s multipronged efforts are strengthening the talent pipeline for the cybersecurity workforce. With more than 27,000 employees in the U.S., Eaton provides in-depth cybersecurity education for its workforce across all levels of its business to help customers build safer, more cybersecure electrical networks. Eaton is expanding its U.S. manufacturing and providing cybersecurity training for new employees Further, Eaton is expanding its U.S. manufacturing and providing cybersecurity training for new employees; the company announced more than $200 million in manufacturing investments and the addition of over 800 jobs in Texas and Wisconsin in 2023. Long-running Eaton collaborations with pioneering universities and industry organisations are attracting and preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity education  “As digital threats continue to evolve and proliferate, and critical systems become more connected and digitalised, more skilled cybersecurity professionals are needed across every industry and sector,” said Luiz Fernando Huet de Bacellar, PhD, Eaton’s vice president, engineering and technology. “At Eaton, we believe developing cybersecurity professionals is essential to ensure a safe and secure future. We’re taking steps within and outside of our organisation to instil cybersecurity education at every level to create trusted environments." Cybersecurity education and research Eaton has contributed over $460,000 to support collaborative cybersecurity research and education The company contributed over $1 million to provide real-world cybersecurity experience for students at the Eaton Cybersecurity SAFE (Security Assessment and Forensic Examination) Lab at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and will invest more than $500,000 over the next three years to facilitate ongoing education and training at RIT’s ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute. Eaton also collaborates with Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to advance cybersecurity education and research. As a Partner Member of CMU's CyLab Security and Privacy Institute, Eaton has contributed over $460,000 to support collaborative cybersecurity research and education. Adoption of global cybersecurity Eaton's Product Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence and secure-by-design philosophy ensure that its products meet rigorous cybersecurity and safety design standards. Over 95% of its product development teams have participated in cybersecurity training. The company's cybersecurity experts integrate cybersecurity processes and a secure development lifecycle into every stage of product development. Further, Eaton works closely with industry organisations such as the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Microsoft, TechAccord, UL, the International Society of Automation (ISA) Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA) and others to drive the development and adoption of global cybersecurity standards and technology breakthroughs. Perspectives virtual learning forum Cybersecurity Perspectives virtual learning panel has brought jointly more than 5,000 noted attendees The company’s Cybersecurity Perspectives virtual learning forum has brought together more than 5,000 registered attendees with experts from around the world for nearly five years to advance a more cybersecure future.  Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. They make products for the data centre, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. They are guided by the commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help the customers manage power ─ and well into the future. Trends of electrification and digitalisation By capitalising on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalisation, they’re accelerating the planet’s transition to renewable energy sources, helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges, and building a more sustainable society for people and generations to come.  Eaton was founded in 1911 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange for more than a century. They reported revenues of $23.2 billion in 2023 and serve customers in more than 160 countries.

It seems that only a few days pass between cyber security stories of concern to the public such as personal data leaks and DIY home camera hacks. With this in mind and the need for increased connectivity, the industry is in need for guidance in cyber security. 2020 is set to be a year of change for the physical security industry. Here are the top four predictions to stay head of market trends in the year ahead. 1. There will be more clarity for installers about industry-standard for cyber security The professional security industry will next year see the launch of a new set of cybersecurity guidelines Through the work being conducted by the BSIA Cyber Security Product Assurance Group (CySPAG), the professional security industry will next year see the launch of a new set of cybersecurity guidelines. This will provide the industry with the guidance and clarity that is currently missing. A key area of clarification is the chain of responsibility. It is not just the responsibility of the manufacturer to keep everything secure from a cyber-perspective. The whole supply chain is responsible - once a product leaves the lab where they’re manufactured, conditions change. Those who maintain, install and operate the product have a shared responsibility to ensure that a product or system remains cyber secure. As the sector develops and more cyber-enabled products become available to the market, this cyber security approach will become more important, and a key differentiator to the DIY market, which can only be a good thing. 2. Cloud and 4G connectivity are giving end-customers better physical security The percentage of panels connected to cloud services is now increasing every year Manufactures have been producing cloud-ready products for several years. Initially, not all installers had been taking advantage of benefits of cloud-connected panels, however the percentage of panels connected to cloud services is now increasing every year. Trust and education have improved, meaning that installers and end-users have realised that connectivity is positive, enabling consumers to check on their properties remotely and allow installer to remotely support their customers. However, one area of constraint has been the dependency on customers networks which may, or may not, offer the level of performance that a robust and resilient security system demands. With the introduction of mobile data connectivity to connected products over the past few years, and as connectivity becomes more widespread across physical security products there will also be a greater shift toward mobile technologies such as 4G, either as a back up to a router connection or for complete network independence. 3. Connectivity is changing the way installers work Installers are a vital part of the chain of when a new alarm system is fitted into a property Installers are a vital part of the chain of when a new alarm system is fitted into a property, providing both installation and maintenance services. Traditionally maintenance activities have always been delivered on-site. With the increased ease of connectivity for security systems and the advancements in how these systems are used, installers are provided further opportunity to enhance customer service around the delivery of maintenance. It is no longer a requirement to have a customer wait until an engineer can attend a property to remedy a fault, as many can now be addressed within minutes from any location in the world. This ability allows installation businesses to focus their engineers on more critical tasks while delivering an overall higher level of customer service. Indeed, some installation businesses are moving to a model of having dedicated remote support engineers in addition to the road-based team. 4. Manufacturers are ready for IP-only alarms, ahead of the 2025 analogue switch off The PSTN switch off being conducted by BT and other service providers is due to be completed in 2025 The PSTN switch off being conducted by BT and other service providers is due to be completed in 2025 as part of the move to Next Generation Networks, ending the use of analogue phone lines and moves communications technology into an all IP-only space. Although some service providers have indicated that there may be some type of initial PSTN simulation, those providers that are doing this are also making it clear that this is only a temporary solution. The switch off will be a huge change for the security industry. Where heritage, analogue alarm systems are in use, installers will need to plan to reconfigure existing systems to use the temporary PSTN simulation functions (where available) or upgrade systems to an all IP solution. Although 2025 feels a long way off, installers and end-users need to start planning now and taking the necessary action. In our sector, manufacturers are ready for IP-only alarms through the provision of cloud-based solutions and the use of techniques such as SIA IP for ARC monitoring.