Stone Security Services - Experts & Thought Leaders

‘Any fool can know. The point is to understand.’ - Albert Einstein. People have access to more information that any previous generation but turning this into actionable and valuable understanding is a challenge. Education and skills are powerful tools for any organisation - including those in the surveillance industry - ensuring that employees are equipped with the knowledge they need to effectively complete tasks and add value to customer interactions. The Axis Communications Academy has acted as an industry resource since its inception in 2005, and in this article Axis Communications will look into the philosophy and benefits of the partner training offered by Axis. The surveillance industry is constantly changing, as new use cases and technologies arise. Remaining at the forefront of these developments can be challenging. Continuous investment and a commitment Customers expect every company representative to possess deep and thorough knowledge Customers expect every company representative to possess deep and thorough knowledge - not only of the product, but of industry-wide and sector-specific challenges. Creating a team of experts requires continuous investment and a commitment to training. The right programme will improve the business in a number of areas, including: Enhanced customer relationships: Equipping staff with the most relevant and actionable knowledge will help to forge deeper relationships with customers and improve trust. Partners need this expertise to fortify their conversations with customers, helping them to speak intelligently about the best solutions to solve customer issues and needs. They can also educate their customers on how to get the best out of their solutions. Ultimately, a knowledgeable team will have a positive impact on customer retention, growth and advocacy. Incorporating renowned training A more compelling proposition: A more knowledgeable and skilled workforce will not only improve relationships with existing customers, it will enable a more compelling proposition with prospects. Employees understanding broader security sector issues and able to advise on the most relevant solutions for specific needs, will result in higher levels of sales conversion. Strengthened employer branding: In addition to improving partner’s relationships with customers, having a robust training programme improves the business’ reputation in the industry. Prioritising workforce training reflects a company’s dedication to investment in staff, which has the benefit of improving employee morale. Externally, a good training programme is one of the factors that recruitment candidates will evaluate prospective employers on. Therefore, incorporating industry renowned training and focusing on upskilling workers will have a positive impact on attracting talent. Video surveillance industry Deeper knowledge and skills: Although partners will already have a team of qualified personnel, training will help to strengthen their practical skills and technical knowledge. This allows the business to improve its competitive edge and maximise opportunities in the market. Considering the importance of good training to business success, Axis Communications formed the Academy as a way to educate partners not only on the Axis solutions and the technology behind them, but on the challenges within the video surveillance industry in general. This ensures that the content is not solely vendor-specific and fits the wider context of current trends in the market. Provide intelligent solutions Bringing in-depth knowledge to a customer interaction helps bring the conversation to another level" In addition, partner employees can become certified following training, adding a professional, industry recognised qualification to their roster. Also founded in 2005, Axis Communications partner, Stone Security has used the Academy extensively and its co-founder and CTO Aaron Heiner Simpson, highlights its value: “Bringing in-depth knowledge to a customer interaction helps bring the conversation to another level." "Our customers expect us to act as advisors and having the ability to provide intelligent solutions to their challenges is vital to our role. We can only do this if we have the right skills and expertise. The training available through the Axis Communications Academy allows us to help our customer base, maximise the value that these solutions deliver to their business beyond the basic functionality, and ultimately improving ROI." Value for businesses increases "If organisations buy video surveillance solutions and simply rely on the default settings, as many do, they’ll gain a limited number of the potential benefits - it’s a little like buying a sports car but driving it like a hatchback. Though there is a wealth of training available beyond that specifically related to certification, we do now require every new tech in our organisation to become certified through the Academy." "Having this tool in our arsenal has acted as a key differentiator for us in the market, both with prospective customers and job candidates.” Withstand market disruptions The video surveillance landscape is only becoming more crowded and competitive. Businesses must leverage every asset they have to attract the right talent and grow their customer base. Workforce training will continue to be a key contributing factor for the success of businesses. It’s critical to invest time and resources in the right type of training, to equip staff with the skills and knowledge they need to perform in their role and add value to their interactions. In this way, businesses will ensure they are in the best position to withstand market disruptions, deepen customer relationships and ultimately achieve their goals. As Stone Security’s Heiner Simpson concludes: “The Axis Communications Academy is exactly what we’d expect from a high-quality vendor. It demonstrates the maturity of Axis, and reflects the standards seen throughout the company’s products and solutions.”

MIPS 2017’s theme ‘Together We Make the World See the Future’ reflected a newly clarified company purpose Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software (VMS), held its 12th Milestone Integration Platform Symposium (MIPS) this month in San Antonio, Texas, with over 500 attendees. It is an open platform community event engaging hundreds of channel and alliance partners, customers, media people, Milestone experts and management. Milestone business activities and product innovations were shared, and 60 solution partners showcased their integrated offerings and services. Community focus on combined solution power This year’s event theme ‘Together We Make the World See the Future’ reflected a newly clarified company purpose. The emphasis is on community focus for the combined solution power of the Milestone open platform and its partners. CEO & President Lars Thinggaard appeared virtually as the audience put on VR headsets to visit beautiful landmarks of Denmark as inspiration to ‘see the future’. “We can only do this together,” said Kenneth Hune Petersen, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Milestone, from the stage. “We believe that the co-creation of value is unique to our open platform community.” Milestone community initiatives Petersen presented the three pillars of the new Milestone community initiatives begun last year, and more are planned in future. The Milestone Marketplace will start with new developments for the Milestone Store, the Solution Finder is evolving into the Solution Portal, and the Developers Forum is expanding. The afternoon was devoted to touring the Community Innovation Lab where Milestone Solution and Technology Partners demonstrated the latest innovations in the industry. After more VR fun watching introductions for the exhibit sections, each group was led by Milestone managers, and feedback walls in each category throughout the hall journey invited brainstorming. Milestone’s open platform community offers a framework to succeed – together – leveraging each other’s innovations Key note speeches On day two, Milestone VP Americas Tim Palmquist gave his keynote speech, further developing his topic from last year’s MIPS event: End to End is a Dead End; The Road to the Future is Open. He questioned whether the glory days are over for the surveillance market and recommended a more realistic look at today’s maturing IP market which is experiencing a natural consolidation, product price wars and other competitive factors. “It’s no longer fast growth and ‘easy money’ like the early phases in a technology lifecycle, so new business models must be developed to encompass the next market disruptions that will come. Milestone’s open platform community offers a framework to succeed – together – leveraging each other’s innovations,” said Palmquist. Digitisation of security systems Mike Sherwood, Milestone Director of Technical Operations, Americas, spoke on ‘The Engine of Innovation’: “We are driven to see one another succeed: we cannot develop in a vacuum. The best companies understand that it takes more than just one company alone to really succeed. I would reword Neil Armstrong’s famous moon landing remark, that we believe in many small steps to make a big leap!” DELL VP Ron Pugh took the stage to talk about the digitisation of everything in our lives and how the Internet of Things (IoT) can unlock the potential of the unconnected by bridging IT and Operational Technology (OT). Milestone Partner NMS presented the breakthrough SpotterRF compact radar surveillance integration with XProtect VMS that gives aerial and ground views for perimeter protection. Milestone open platform solutions Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport shared knowledge gained from growing their systems on the Milestone open platform, including RFIDreaders to manage taxi traffic, and a Unified Command Vehicle with six cameras as well as a Mobile Camera Trailer with solar power. Jamie Ritchie said: “We are building for capacity with a focus on multi-purpose solutions. In our work, we always run into the unknown: the future is just the next exit away – and with the open platform, we are excited about it!” Breakout sessions in the afternoon had parallel Technology and Business Tracks covering such topics as ‘New Cool stuff in the XProtect platform’, ‘Advances in Technology Evolving the Business Model’, Video Enabling IoT with Metadata’, ‘Public Safety & Transportation Interoperability’, ‘Video-Verified Access Control’ and ‘Cloud Solutions that Work with Today’s Technology’. "The feedback we are getting from our community is a key element for setting the direction in our product development" Global Advisory Board In early 2016 Milestone created a new global Advisory Board with the first of several groups focused on the Advanced products. Others are being formed to focus on the Business Ready portfolio, overall Business Strategy and the Developers Forum. Each has members that represent the spectrum of stakeholder roles: end users, partners and Milestone staff. Monthly questionnaires have been sent (in addition to the annual global partner survey), and quarterly meetings held. “The feedback we are getting from our community is a key element for setting the direction in our product development. We see a big opportunity for high-performing, platform-centric products with strong connectivity. This shift from product to platform thinking applies to both our software and hardware offerings, and is initially addressed in the XProtect 2017 R1 release,” said Milestone CTO Bjorn Eilertsen. Awards and recognitions The final night of MIPS announced the following awards: Anixter: Distribution Partner of the Year (Americas) Wesco: Distribution Partner of the Year (USA) Southwest Microwave: Solution Partner of the Year Quantum Corporation: Technology Partner of the Year Differential Networks/ Spotter RF/ NMS: MIP Integration of the Year Convergint Technologies (Seattle, WA): Installation of the Year Brady Integrated Security: Education Partner of the Year Convergint Technologies (Houston, TX): Retail Partner of the Year Tactical Micro/Benchmark Electronics: Transportation Partner of the Year Tech Systems: Healthcare Partner of the Year Stone Security: City Surveillance Partner of the Year App-Techs Corporation: Regional Partner of the Year AND Government Partner of the Year Prosegur Technologia (Argentina): Regional Partner of the Year Presidio: National Partner of the Year Bosch: Camera Partner of the Year, Americas Axis Communications: Supported Camera #6,000 in Milestone Device Pack release 9.0 The first-ever Milestone Community Kickstarter Contest Winner of awards valued at $50,000 was Parking Spotter. Milestone Systems will be hosting MIPS Community events in Macao end of February and in Dubai early May, as well as other Milestone events in many regions throughout the year.

Milestone VMS and 40 Axis network cameras allows parents to observe students without interfering in classroom activities Dancing Moose Montessori School in Salt Lake City, Utah, has developed a unique way to increase parents’ participation in their children’s schooling, improve teacher evaluations without disturbing class, and expand overall school security. Milestone XProtect® Express video management software (VMS) and network cameras from Axis Communications help oversee daily operations at the school’s locations to deliver a high degree of security and provide parents with a window into their children’s learning. “The Axis-Milestone solution has become a huge selling point for our school. Parents love the ability to drop off their children, who may be crying and suffering from separation anxiety, and check in after five minutes to see that their child is happy and engaged in the classroom. It’s really powerful,” says Jennifer Duffield, Executive Director, Dancing Moose Montessori School. Dancing Moose Montessori School offers parents and students an unmatched learning experience with programs that have unique environments, are professional and safe, with processes that are transparent. Safety was naturally a key consideration, but the school wanted an effective security system that also allows parents to remotely monitor their children without interrupting class. Milestone XProtect® Express IP video management software (VMS), 40 Axis network cameras and a pair of 42-inch monitors comprise the monitoring system that allows parents and school administrators to observe students and teachers without interfering in classroom activities. Monitors are in the lobby with cameras set up throughout the school, and the system is custom-integrated with S2 Extreme access control - thanks to the Milestone open platform architecture. Parents have live access to their child’s classrooms without the distraction that their presence in the room would create. They can quickly and easily observe how their child learns and interacts with classmates and teachers. For administrators, the ability to monitor classrooms remotely means that teacher evaluations are no longer a distraction to students or the teacher. The integration of the video system with access control provides efficient management of safety matters in the school. A total learning experience in a safe environment Dancing Moose Montessori School of West Valley City, Utah, focuses on the total learning experience, providing engaging activities and specialised programs tailored to each class. The learning environment has bright, airy designs in multiple zones, open spaces full of greenery, a large gym and a specialised outdoor program. The schools are newly built, around 20,000 square feet, hosting 200 students in 12 classrooms with two teachers assigned to each room. "The IP-based Milestone system paired with Axis network cameras is easy to use and provides clear, high-resolution images" Peace of mind for parents, students, teachers and staff is a priority, and the state-of-the-art, integrated monitoring and security system goes a long way toward providing just that. The system, installed by Stone Security of Salt Lake City, is networked through Milestone XProtect Express VMS, Axis network cameras and an S2 Extreme audio/visual access control system. A 4U BCD Video tower server is powered by HP with Netgear 24-port POE switches and a DMP intrusion system. Visitors, parents, staff, and teachers use unique access codes to enter the system, but only after verbal and visual confirmation. Once inside the facility, parents have permissions-based virtual access to the preschool, with views of authorised classrooms and outdoor areas. The Milestone XProtect® Smart Client interface displays different images on the monitors simultaneously being configured for as many as six camera feeds to be displayed on each screen. “Parents can walk up to our monitoring stations with no experience in professional video systems and the intuitive Milestone software provides easy and secure access to live video — including control over camera angles. They flock to the monitors to observe their children learning, playing, eating, and interacting with teachers and fellow students,” says Duffield. “The IP-based Milestone system paired with Axis network cameras is easy to use and provides clear, high-resolution images to both managers and parents at Dancing Moose Montessori School,” says Andy Schreyer, Stone Security. “Since Milestone and Axis operate as open platform technology, we can provide the flexibility to grow the system to future schools and add new integrations over time, creating equity in the system – in this case, access control. Milestone updates features and supports new Axis camera releases, eliminating the need for system replacement - it never becomes obsolete.” Effective learning through observation Monitors in the lobby of the School let parents see their child at any point during the day without being a distraction in the classroom, which could cause their child to act differently. Parents and school administrators are equally interested in educators’ teaching methods, if the pupils are actively participating in the activities and verifying that students are playing safely and eating well. “Parents can be interested in seeing what the teacher is teaching, if their child is engaged in the lesson, or how well the student is eating at lunchtime. This gives reassurance and a sense of security,” says Duffield. “Classroom images on the screen help us track the teachers’ lessons or see if students are behaving well. What’s great is that the technology allows us to observe without disturbing the lesson flow, to see behaviour during normal interactions.” The video solution has surpassed Duffield’s expectations: “We are proud to offer this to the families of our pupils and are thrilled with its positive effect on our program.”