With their Convergence Center of Excellence (CCE) already operating in full swing, located in Noblesville, Ind., Stanley Convergent Security Solutions (CSS), a company part of the Stanley Works that designs, installs, monitors and services security systems for industrial, government, commercial, residential and national account customers, is already seeing positive feedback from its customers.
“The CCE is able to address not just that advantage nearing systems integration approach but it’s also able to bring a very much needed consistency where we’ve had a lot of strong leadership in the past, anything from how our CAD drawings look consistently across the nation to training and beyond,” explained Lance Holloway, director of Technology Strategy, Stanley CSS.
Stanley established the CCE as a centralized organization, fully dedicated to world-class, enterprise-level integration solutions, design, delivery and support to customers across North America.
“How it works is we’ve automated our sales tool with a CRM so when a job goes into the sales automation our applications engineers in Indianapolis are able to see it,” explained Damon Kanzler, vice president, National Account Operations, Stanley CSS. “There are different thresholds set where they work on the projects. And they will work on it, supporting the local team, which will than deliver it. If they need support in delivering some projects, we than have the means and the resources from the CCE to send out an engineer to one of our branches to help support and deliver it.”
The Stanley CCE team is comprised of highly-trained, degreed manufacturer certified technology professionals and engineers, certified .NET software developers and Microsoft certified enterprise-level professionals. This high-level team consists of Stanley CSS’ best-of-the-best Application Engineers, System Engineers, Computer Aided Design Engineers, Project Coordinators, Project Managers, Program Managers, Commissioning Engineers, Certified Software Specialists, Senior Systems Analysts and Team Managers/Leaders.
“The customer will always deal with the sales professional first,” explained Jim Kopplin, vice president of field operations, North America, Stanley CSS. “They typically won’t deal with the CCE directly unless that sales professional of that branch office decides to bring somebody from the CCE to work with a customer. So as a customer comes in and request a project, they’ll deal with our sales professional to get the process started. When they come back and go to the local branch and are looking for the support to help deliver the project, to help design it, all the different aspects that go into putting that project together, than that branch will work with the CCE.”
The CCE is designed to handle such system integration projects as enterprise wide global program management, deployment and support of diverse technology systems; PLC hardware, database and SDK/API level software and system integration with network and other open architecture certified software and more.
Vitek Roadshow Blows Into the Windy City
The snow and cold weather didn’t stop the bravest from attending the VITEK Industrial Video Products Road Show, held early December in Deerfield, Ill. Demoing a number of their DVRs and cameras onsite were Anthony Hong, research and development manager and Frank Abrams, vice president of sales and operations for Vitek.
“We try to provide a complete one stop shop solution for our customers,” explained Hong. “What we do well other than some of the other manufacturers is we are able to modify and deliver products faster than anybody else. We do our own in-house research and product development.”
Among the things on the roadmap for Vitek in 2010 include their HD DVR system, which will be delivered over coax and available at 720 progressive lines of resolution, scheduled to launch in March 2010. Vitek also discussed offering software solutions as well as their 2nd generation IR bullet cameras.
Case Continues to Develop Between Sonitrol and Stanley
Ongoing litigation between The Sonitrol National Dealers Association (SNDA) and Stanley Works continues. In the lawsuit brought on by the SNDA, they are requesting Stanley Works, which acquired Sonitrol, a provider of high-end security systems that use audio listening devices as the primary means of intrusion detection, in mid-2008, to live up to certain longstanding agreements between the Sonitrol Corporation and its network of franchisees.
“Stanley owns the [Sonitrol] trademark,” explained Paul Nickel, member of the SNDA. “But they are forbidden from using Sonitrol products and services in markets where independent franchises have been in business for decades. We look to the courts to decide on each party’s rights and obligations under the multitude of franchise agreements, in other words, what obligations did they inherit as the new Sonitrol franchisor. There is potential for a fair amount of overlap, brand confusion, and competition. They’re in an unenviable position of being our franchisor and also a competitor with non-Sonitrol products. So that’s what this is all about—to have the courts decide how to execute those rights and obligations.”
Nickel continued in pointing out the strain that the ongoing litigations between the SNDA and Stanley Works are having on the mutual relationship. “There are a number of issues that affect the independent network that need clarification,” Nickel continued. “It’s been frustrating for both sides. To date, we’ve been unable to resolve these issues by negotiating a new and equitable franchise agreement. The preferable position is to leverage our mutual strengths locally and internationally.”
The Stanley Works has declined comment on the case, saying it does not comment on ongoing litigation.
NICE Buy: Evolution of a Total Solution
The $22 million purchase of physical security information management (PSIM) company Orsus by NICE Systems in late November was a natural evolution for NICE, which has been moving in the direction of total integrated surveillance solutions for some time.
“We believe in the vision that Orsus has -- to bring together for the systems integrator a security platform that links disparate systems together for their customers,” said Chris Wooten, president, Security Division Americas, NICE. Customers continue to evolve their security environment from different siloed applications and they need a single ‘point of truth’, a common platform, he said. “We plan to maintain the flagship Orsus Situator product and really believe in the value the people and the R&D leadership at Orsus. We will focus our initiatives around the systems integrators and their needs,” Wooten said.
NICE systems, an Israel-based company, knows there’s lots of legacy equipment in the field and wants to help installers integrate existing systems while avoiding a forklift upgrade, something the end user wants to avoid in these unsure economic times, Wooten said. “The end user wants to know they can keep their existing equipment, with the ultimate goal of automating the work flow so the end user can respond faster. “
The purchase takes NICE from analytics and video into a future of situation management, continued Wooten. Orsus’ Situator provides a framework for fusing data silos from disparate security and safety systems as well as multiple command and control centers, into a single, holistic operational view and automating security procedures. The integration of Orsus’ solution with NICE’s security offering, including video, and vertical domain expertise, will enable NICE to provide a comprehensive pre-integrated portfolio of security management solutions tailored to protect city centers, transportation systems, critical infrastructure, and enterprise campuses.
For more details on the acquisition and insights into the future positioning of the company check out this link: www.security-infowatch.com/root+level/what-orsus-acquisition-means-nice.
Migrate to IP at Your Own Pace
Infinova’s Mark Wilson, who is vice president of Marketing for the Monmouth Junction, N.J., based company, visited SD&I’s HQ in Arlington Heights, Ill., as part of a media tour, making several announcements during the visit. He related plans to start a new advertising campaign under the catch phrase “Should Your Customers Make the Jump to IP?” as well as strategies to launch a new line of megapixel cameras at ISC West in March in Las Vegas.
The company continues to stress a cost-managed approach to the move to IP, and the desire to extend the life of existing equipment.
“Infinova is providing integrators the tools they need to help their customers migrate to IP at their own pace in a hybrid solution or completely to IP when ready,” Wilson said. “We can customize products for the systems integrator to provide the level of integration they need,” he said. He also revealed the company’s goal to launch a new line of megapixel IP cameras, a second-generation PTZ line. “Most PTZ cameras are standard definition or analog but this will be a high-resolution IP line,” he said.
Virtual NVR Generates Industry Buzz
IPVision Software’s Virtual Video Recorder™ (VVR™) is a concept that’s the future of the industry and it’s here now. The software is designed to virtualize the video recorder/server, according to Mark Kolar, executive vice president, Strategic Alliances & Corporate Strategy for IPVision Software, headquartered in Tampa, Fla.
The VVR introduction marks a significant milestone in the IP video surveillance industry by eliminating the need for costly, computer-intensive servers used as video recorders, he said.
“Unlike all Network Video Recorder (NVR)/Digital Video Recorder (DVR) products which are rooted on 50-year-old CCTV recording architecture that creates a server-intensive bottleneck, IPVision Software employs an open, but inherently different architecture. As a result, IPVision Software’s VVR™ video management solution virtualizes the video recording function reducing the need for servers used as DVRs and NVRs without compromising video or security operations at the protected premises and its customers.
Currently the company is focused on commercial and enterprise size organizations with distributed site challenges. “This type of solution can offer the building owner a total, complete security solution,” Kolar said. “For commercial and enterprise customers, the software can help end-users achieve operational savings of 25 to 66 percent,” he said.
The system virtualizes video over the IP network and the video surveillance software platform is suitable for hybrid or analog cameras. It provides distributed and hosted surveillance, without servers or video recorders by the end-user.
Eyes Turn to Legislature for Virginia Tax
The Virginia Electronic Security Association (VESA) is keeping a close eye on the state legislature, where it expects a tax on monitoring services to resurface again this year.
“It will be introduced again this year,” said Wayne Boggs, president of Richmond Alarm and secretary of VESA. “We have had an inquiry from the State Department of Taxation regarding the number of monitored systems in the state. We have hired the leading lobbying firm in Virginia to represent us, and have organized a grass roots effort among our members and others in the industry,” he said.
In 2009, two bills designed to turn monitored security and fire systems into a service to be taxed per account, per month, surfaced in the legislature Senate Bill 1006 created s a monitoring tax of $1.50 per month, per account, paid by the alarm dealer, whether you collect it or not from the end user. House Bill 1997 created a monitoring tax of $1.00 per month, per account, paid by the alarm dealer, whether you collect it or not from the end user.
The legislation brought before the Virginia General Assembly that would have placed a monthly tax on monitored security and fire alarm systems was defeated in March 2009 when it died in House subcommittee after passing in the Senate.
