May News

Oct. 27, 2008

Fargo Electronics, Inc. is voicing its support of the new common identification standard for federal employees and contractors. The announcement came in response to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201.

“Our company has always been extremely proud of the value our secure ID card issuance systems have provided for key government customers like the Department of Defense and other government agencies,” says Gary Holland, Fargo President and CEO. “With Fargo manufacturing operations in the USA, we can quickly and efficiently respond to the changing federal government market.”

Fargo offers a full array of secure card issuance solutions, including its patented High Definition Printing (HDP) technology.

Camera Sweeps Competition
The LTC 0495 DinionXF Day/Night Camera from Bosch Security Systems took the NSCA’s 2005 Innovations in Technology award in the Security/Fire/Life Safety category. Over 100 companies entered products for consideration in this year’s program, held at the Systems Integration Expo recently in Orlando, FL. Finalists were selected by a panel of judges, and then voted on by Expo attendees to determine the winner of each category.

Bosch’s high-performance, smart surveillance LTC 0495 DinionXF Day/Night Camera guarantees around-the clock surveillance and features a mechanically switching IR filter to ensure the high image quality, even under poor lighting conditions.

Monitronics International has achieved CSAA’s prestigious “Five Diamond Certification,” testament to the fact that 100 percent of Monitronics’ central station operators have achieved proficiency and certification by passing either the Central Station Operator Training Course Level or the equivalent SIA/APCO course. These courses cover all phases of central station communications with customers, law enforcement, fire and emergency services communication centers. This critical area of communications is the life-saving link between the residential and business properties and the law enforcement, fire, and emergency services in local areas.

“Monitronics is proud to have received this industry-honored achievement,” comments Jim Hull, president and CEO. “This certification signifies our commitment to being a top-level central station.” Fewer than two percent of all the central stations in the United States have achieved the “Five Diamond Certified” status, according to Monitronics.

SIA New Product Showcase Award Winners at ISC
The SIA (Security Industry Association) announced, at ISC West in Las Vegas, the winners of its New Product Showcase (NPS) Awards. Some 83 new products/services were entered into the NPS program, which was established over a decade ago to showcase cutting-edge technology in the security industry. A4 Vision took top honors with a “best of show” designation for its facial biometric enrollment system. Judging was done during ISC by 16 judges from different parts of the industry during presentations of the submitted products.

    And the winners are . . .
  • Achievement Award for Honorable Mention: Pacom Systems for its RTUSignal.
  • Product Achievement Award for Access Control: Software House for its Software House Multi-Technology Reader.
  • Product Achievement Award for Asset Tracking: Servision for its IVG-400.
  • Product Achievement Award for Biometrics: A4 Vision for its A4 Vision 3D Facial Enrollment Camera.
  • Product Achievement Award for Business Services: SDC for its Access System Design & Project Management Website.
  • Product Achievement Award for CCTV: ELMO USA for its PTC400C.
  • Product Achievement Award for Digital Video: 3VR Security for its 800i.
  • Product Achievement Award for Fire Detection/Prevention: UltraGuard for its UltraGuard COSYS1212-4.
  • Product Achievement Award for False Alarm Reduction: Security Labs for its Security Labs VIR-100.
  • Product Achievement Award for Home Automation: M&S Systems for its DMC3-4.
  • Product Achievement Award for Integrated Systems: Hirsch Electronics for its Velocity Interop.
  • Product Achievement Award for Intrusion Detection/Prevention: Honeywell for its LXL-1000.
  • Product Achievement Award for Monitoring: Digital Security Controls for its Tl-250.
  • Product Achievement Award for Software: Honeywell for its LobbyWorks.
  • Product Achievement Award for Wireless: Cypress Computer Systems for its WiFi Duprex/DPX-7212.
  • Judges Choice Award for Commercial Products: i3DVR International for its i3- SRX48032 ARM.
  • Judges Choice Award for Residential Products: UltraGuard for its UltraGuard COSYS1212-4.
  • Best-of-Show Award, titled the Innovation Award: A4 Vision for its A4 Vision 3D Facial Enrollment Camera.

2005 Five-Star Dealers
HAI announces the winners of its 2005 Five-Star Dealer program at its annual Dealer Appreciation Party held in Orlando, FL. The program recognizes and rewards HAI’s outstanding dealers.

“It’s especially meaningful to acknowledge our dealers as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary,” explains HAI President, Jay McLellan. “They’re the key to our success and growth the past 20 years and we want to publicly thank them for their support.” Dealers from 228 companies were welcomed in as winners, based on various criteria, including the number of years the dealer has been installing HAI products, number of systems installed in the previous year, and unique marketing or programming solutions that involved an HAI product.

Pictured from left to right are: HAI President, Jay McLellan, HAI Five Star Dealer Michael Tangora of Tangora Technologies, HAI Director of Marketing Allison Read, HAI Five Star dealers Nick Tamburri and Michael Sgrosso, both of Aggressive Automation, and HAI Training and Trade Show Coordinator Bridgette Burch.

The NBFAA (National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association) presented its highest awards, the Morris F. Weinstock award and the Sara E. Jackson award, on April 5th in Las Vegas NV. (The Weinstock award honors the co-founder and former president of the NBFAA, and has awarded to industry leaders since 1970. The Sara E. Jackson award is named after the 1950-51 NBFAA president, and the award goes annually to an NBFAA committee chair.)

The Weinstock Person of the Year Award went to NBFAA’s immediate past president, Cecil Hogan, citing his “lifetime of service” to the industry. Hogan was an early member of the Tennessee Burglar and Fire Alarm Association when that organization was founded in 1980. He operates his own security business, Security Consultants Inc., which is located in Memphis, TN.

The Sara E. Jackson award was presented to Mike Miller, who has been part of the electronic security industry for more than three decades. Besides serving as NBFAA treasurer, Miller is currently the chairman of the NBFAA budget committee and co-chair of the investment committee. He also co-owns and serves as vice president of Moon Security Services in Pasco, WA.

“It is an honor and a great pleasure for us to recognize both of these gentlemen for the work they have performed not only on behalf of NBFAA and our members, but for the industry as a whole” said NBFAA executive director, Merlin Guilbeau. “It takes passion to remain so dedicated to something - and their extraordinary level of dedication is evident in their volunteerism with NBFAA on behalf of their industry.”

Security Dealer also recognized the two gentlemen by presenting them with a commemorative magazine cover.

Powell Power
This year’s ASIS show will welcome former U.S. Secretary of State General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) as its Keynote speaker. No stranger to the global and national security challenges of our times, Powell and his speech will be the highlight of the ASIS program. More than 19,000 people are expected, with more than half reporting that the ASIS Seminar will be the only national or international security-related trade show they attend this year.

ASIS International 51st Annual Seminar and Exhibits is being held September 12-15, 2005 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. For more information, go to www.asisonline.org or call Member Services at 703-519-6200.

Acquisition Eminent
In a recently released press statement, United Technologies Corp. (UTC) CT-based provider of high technology products and services to the aerospace and commercial building industries worldwide, announced plans to acquire Lenel Systems International Inc., a Rochester, NY-based security systems and software developer. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory clearance, is expected to close in the second quarter, and will not have a significant impact on UTC’s 2005 revenues or earnings. The purchase price is put at approximately $400 million, according to the release.

Lenel is a privately held company and employs approximately 150 people. It will report as an independent entity to Olivier Robert, president of UTC’s fire and security business, Chubb. The Lenel acquisition, Robert contends, will provide access to innovative technology and market development capability in high-end integrated segments.

Inovonics Wireless Corporation has been acquired by Roper Industries, Inc. of Duluth, GA. Inovonics, a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of wireless products for monitoring and control in security, sub-metering, temperature and other applications, sought the transaction to gain scale and accelerate growth with new opportunities for Inovonics Wireless, including the ability to expand its product line offerings and reach new customers.

Andy Drenick, President of Inovonics Wireless Corporation, comments, “Being part of Roper allows us greater access to global markets, creates opportunities for synergies with existing Roper businesses, and provides us the management tools and resources of a NYSE-traded company with a total capitalization of $3.5 billion.” Inovonics Wireless employs approximately 200 people and will continue operations from its current headquarters in Louisville, CO.

Time and Attendance Convergence
Kaba Benzing America, a leader in enterprise workforce management systems, is aligning with Synergistics, Inc., a pioneer in scalable web-based access control systems. Kaba Benzing provides application solutions for time and attendance, labor distribution, and material movement tracking for exempt and non-exempt personnel. Through this alliance, customers will be able to integrate these applications with Synergistics’ access control, ID badging and asset tracking solutions.

“Leading companies have a growing awareness of the need for the convergence of physical security with information technology, and that holds true in particular for time and attendance and access control applications,” states John Edwards, President and General Manager of Kaba Benzing. “Via our partnership with Synergistics, we expect to fulfill the escalating customer need for increased integration and communication between critical enterprise applications.” Pooling Their Resources

The Detectives: Private Investigators has teamed up with Unlimited Technology Group Companies of Chester Springs, PA. This union allows the companies to offer a more comprehensive range of security services and solutions which now include Vulnerability Assessments, Design/Building Security Integration Services, Complete Locksmith Services, Access Control product offerings and a wide range of Investigation Services.

Anthony L. Maniscola remains the president of The Detectives. A retired Special Agent of the Pennsylvania Environmental Crimes Section for the Office of the Attorney General, Maniscola has been appointed as the Chief Investigator to the PA House of Representatives.

Coming Together
Vicon Industries Inc. kicked off an integration program at ISC West between Vicon’s digital and IP video management platform, ViconNet, and the Velocity Access Security System by Hirsch Electronics.

In addition to the integration development, Vicon and Hirsch have signed an NDA and agreed to a strategic partnership that will support co-marketing and selling efforts of both systems. This partnership will help improve customer expectations between the different systems and help position Vicon and Hirsch as leaders in integrated systems.

Time for Expansion
Mid-America Security Systems, a full service installation and monitoring company headquartered in Clarksville, IN, has opened a new office in Louisville, KT. Mid-America Security Systems President Eddie Pile states, “Due to the growth of the company, it was time for us to expand our sales and installation offices.”

The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), during ISC West, honored Ron Haner of The Alarm Center of Olympia, WA with the William N. Moody SIAC Excellence Award. Haner was selected in recognition of decades of service to the industry to maximize the benefit that alarm systems provide to communities.

“Ron Haner has worked tirelessly in the Pacific Northwest and nationally to promote mutually beneficial alarm response policies among law enforcement agencies,” comments SIAC Executive Director Stan Martin. “Ron has been at the forefront of the industry’s efforts to promote effective use of alarm systems and developing strong public/private partnerships with law enforcement.” Haner directs dealer and government programs at The Alarm Center Inc., which monitors over 35,000 alarm system in northwestern U.S. states. He has more than 30 years experience in the security alarm industry, is past president of the Washington Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, and serves on the SIAC Alarm Management Response committee. He was instrumental in the development of the industry’s Model Cities and Model States alarm response programs.

SIAC also recently presented the Excellence in Alarm Dispatch Management Award to the Lee County, Florida Sheriffs Office. In 2002, Lee County announced that it was going to adopt a non response policy to burglar alarm calls. The Sheriff at the time, Randy Shoap, agreed to meet with members of the alarm industry and, after discussing all of the factors, agreed to allow the industry to demonstrate what they were capable of delivering in reductions. After two years of enforcement, the ordinance has delivered a very impressive 40% reduction in alarm calls each month.

The Open Security Exchange (OSE), a cross-industry association dedicated to addressing interoperability between disparate systems and recommending best practices for the convergence of physical and IT security, is currently working on three initiatives. The first states that the OSE should become a “knowledge broker” in the area of IT and physical security convergence. They’ll form a work group to review available documents from many cross-industry sources, and pull them together to assist end users in quickly researching topics of interest and identifying resources that can assist in problem solving.

The second addresses the need to simplify the credentialing and de-provisioning of a combined physical and IT credential. A new work group will explore this topic by combining the real-world experience of the Convergence Council members with available technologies and best practices offered by industry.

The third work initiative speaks to the need to synchronize the multiple “people systems” (i.e., individual databases used for human resources, physical security, IT, etc.) used in enterprise and government today. A work group will evaluate how this synchronization is being done today and how it can be improved.

The OSE process allows for open discussion between both industry and government partners in order to enable new, efficient processes based on the convergence of identity and access control. The OSE Convergence Council is comprised of security professionals including: Michael Butler of the Defense Manpower Data Center, Adam Stanislaus of First Data Corporation, James Connor (formerly) of PeopleSoft, and Jon Hodgdon of Procter & Gamble. Advisory Members include Sandy Jones of Sandra Jones & Company and Steve Hunt, security industry analyst with 4A International. For more information about the Convergence Council or to apply to join, corporate security professionals are invited to send inquiries to [email protected].

World Headquarters Opens
ASSA ABLOY, a Swedish-based security and locking company, has opened its Global Technologies Division headquarters in the College Hill section of Providence, RI. This Division, dedicated to high-tech products and services, accounts for 17% of ASSA ABLOY’s sales, employs almost 3,000 people, and is comprised of ten production units and 41 sales companies across about 40 countries.

In other news, ASSA ABLOY Group companies ESSEX Industries and YSG Door Security Consultants have merged to form a single, powerful solutions-oriented group--ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions. It will provide sales and marketing support for 12 industry-leading brands of doors and architectural hardware.

Joining Forces
Identsystems Ltd. (LEGIC), developer and supplier of contactless smart card technology for personal identification applications, has signed a license agreement with San Jose, CA-based Indala Corporation. Indala is known worldwide for delivering highly secure, customized card access solutions. The company is licensing LEGIC’s 13.56MHz contactless smart card platform to provide users full access to the highly secure, single identification, credential authorization management system.

LEGIC incorporates the 13.56 MHz frequency, contactless and secure RFID technology platform for access control and other identification applications. Its contactless smart card technology continues to grow market share with newly opened North American business offices in the U.S.

A Five Time Winner
For an unprecedented fifth (5th) consecutive year, Integrated Security Systems (ISS) earned GE-Security IDenticard Systems’ “Partner in Excellence Award” for 2005. The qualifications for the award are based upon the dealer’s technical expertise, customer service response time, sales growth year over year, and feedback from end-users as reported to the IDenticard System office. “Very few of IDenticard System Dealers receive this annual award, and even fewer win it back to back, especially for five consecutive years. It’s a true testament to their commitment for quality work, high level of technical expertise, and their 24/7 service program,” states Bob O’Shell, IDenticard’s Southern regional manger.

Also, mark your calendar to attend the 2005 GE Security Conference & Workshop, June 13-17, 2005, at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, FL. Check out http://www.geindustrial.com/ge-interlogix/Conf05_Front_End_Pgs/index.html.

NEWSMAKERS
ADS Security, a Nashville-based electronic security firm, names F. Steven Kappel Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer...Liberty Wire & Cable appoints Andy Bergdoll to the post of President and Chief Executive Officer...Dedicated Micros Inc. hires Pat Bannon as the Manager, Government Sales...Deep Development Corporation (DDC) appoints Tim MacFarlane to Managing Director...FOR-A Corporation of America names industry veteran Chuck Bocan Western Regional Sales Manage …GE’s Security business announces that Jim Clark, formerly Vice President of Global Marketing, has accepted the role of Vice President of Global Sales...Infinova hires Brian Giampaoli as Sales Manager for the Southeast region...Integral Technologies appoints Jack E. Lyons to Vice President & Chief Financial Officer...Kim Rahfaldt joins Group 4 Technology as Public Relations Manager...John Ventrella, President of SDI, is elected to serve a two year term on the Automatic Fire Alarm Association, Board of Directors...Monitronics International, Inc. hires Gordon Johnson as Regional Director of Sales - Western Region, and Jeff Nason as Regional Director of Sales - Eastern Region...Rosslare Security Products appoints Dennis Raefield, CPP as Division President and Ron Siess as Vice President of Sales for North America...Jerry Cordasco, Vice President and General Manager of Compass Technologies, Exton, PA is appointed Vice Chairman of the Security Industry Association’s (SIA) access control industry group...System Sensor names David George Leader of Corporate Communications...Vector Security promotes Joe English to Vice President of Vector’s National Accounts Division...Kastle Systems appoints corporate sales and marketing veteran Maureen Beirne as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the New York region...Rick Eisen is named Eastern Regional Sales Manager for Kaba Access Control products...DVTel Inc. adds four new staff in the U.S.: J. Steven Rice - Director Strategic Channel Development; Brian Friedman - Southern California Sales Manager; Kirk Hansen - Northwest Region Sales Manager; and, Chris Helin - Central Region Sales Manager.

Tamron USA, Inc. sadly announces the passing of Bob DeMoss, Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Industrial Optics Division, on March 22, 2005 of heart failure in Delaware. He was 56 years old. Before joining Tamron as South Eastern Regional Sales Manager of Tamron’s Industrial Optics Division in 2003, DeMoss was the Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales Manager for Recognition Source, LLC. In 2004, DeMoss was promoted to Eastern Regional Sales Manager.

A Partnership for Success
The theme of Micro Key Software’s 12th annual Users Conference, held recently in Lake Buena Vista, FL, was A Partnership for Success. Modular sessions spanned System Administration, Video Verification, AR Manager Training, Central Station Manager Training, Technical Support, Service Tracking, UL - Setting the Standard, and vendor presentations by Bosch and DSC/Sur Gard. The three day meeting encompassed education, entertainment and an interactive exchange of information.