LG Poised for Strong Market Entrance Through Partnership with GVI Security

After terminating an 11-year relationship with Samsung at the beginning of this year, GVI Security Solutions, Carrollton, Texas, a developer and producer of video surveillance solutions for the mass mid-market, announced  it embarked on a similarly structured strategic partnership with LG Electronics, Seoul, Korea. GVI serves as LG’s master distributor and represents LG’s line of advanced video surveillance solutions in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

LG is perhaps best known for extensive offerings in consumer electronics and appliances. In fact, the company has an established presence in the security market under its own brand globally, with the exception of North America. One of the primary drivers of this new relationship with GVI is LG’s deep interest in North American expansion. “LG’s senior management has made it a corporate wide objective to become a big player in the global security market which must include North America to be successful,” said Steven Walin, chief executive officer at GVI.

“The concept [of this kind of partnership] is that some companies that want to operate in the United States and the Americas realize they will be most effective if they utilize the resources of local companies that understand local markets, have relationships and industry contacts in local markets and understand the culture in selling and supporting products in their territory,” Walin explained. “Our role is to tell LG what the market needs in North America in terms of security solutions for video. They will then develop and manufacture the products, which GVI will sell and support in the marketplace.”

Silas Choi, group leader of the Security Overseas Marketing Group, LG Electronics, added, “GVI has a verified channel management capability in the security business, local technical support and service, which LG Electronics doesn’t have at the moment. In addition, GVI has a long-term relationship with a Korean company so that GVI may understand the Korean style of business, working and culture.”

Choi described LG’s strategy to break into the North American market as the result of careful consideration of Make-Buy-Partner options.  He said, “LG Electronics selected the ‘partner’ option so that the company could take a relatively low level of risk in terms of money and time.”

Sandra Jones, principal consultant of Sandra Jones and Company, reflected on the announcement of this partnership with self-admitted excitement. “Steve Walin and his group at GenNx360 [GVI’s parent company] come from the market and what they’re good at is working with the channel. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out with Samsung. But at the end of the day, if the technology is good and the service is good, everyone wins. And good customer service is how you differentiate in this marketplace.

Jones also provides some insight on supplementing good technology with a good understanding of the marketplace. She said, “Great technology companies don’t always succeed. I think LG has made a good decision by partnering with somebody who knows the industry. There are a lot of people in the industry that come from IT but don’t understand the expectations of the marketplace. On their own they would do terribly.” 

She added, “It’s not just about great technology. Some of these companies miss the mark because they don’t understand end user or channel expectations.” 

Choi noted a successful partnership requires roles that are defined, yet allow both parties to work closely together, for which LG and GVI are well-positioned. “LG Electronics takes charge of the product side, and GVI takes charge of the market side, including local marketing, channel strategy and local support for customers. The linkage between product and market will be a crucial factor for the partnership. In other words, both parties help and collaborate with each other both in product and market area; in the mean time both parties should respect the other party’s area with a certain level of confidence.”

He went on to add that the partnership is heavily based on IP business, and the growth of that business will have a direct impact on the success of this new venture. “IP leads surveillance market growth recently. It will be a great chance for the partnership [to take off]. Both companies have invested a lot in it. Whether IP business will succeed or not is a critical factor for the partnership.”

Jones said that the industry’s expectations for the growth of IP coupled with growing trends in brand recognition among consumers will work in favor of the LG/GVI duo.

According to Choi, the short term goal of this partnership is to create a strong market presence and establish a meaningful market share for the LG brand in the security industry. Its long term goal is for the partnership to expand its business into business-to-business areas that both companies can cover.

GVI launched a new website at www.lgcctv.com that outlines the full set of products being offered. The product is now in stock and deliveries begin immediately. Walin described, “We’re launching a complete line of products from LG. Over time, it will evolve into a broader and deeper offering. As the weeks, months and years unfold, there will be more products added to the line.”

Walin related, “During the last couple of months after we stopped our relationship with Samsung on Jan. 1 until this announcement, people questioned, ‘What’s GVI doing? What’s going to replace Samsung?’” His answer, just over 60 days later, is that there is now a company “just as viable, if not more, replacing Samsung for GVI, called LG.” — By Sabrina Gasulla, Associate Editor


Ron Davis to Keynote PBFAA Conference    

Ron Davis, president of Davis Mergers & Acquisitions Group, Long Grove, Ill., will be the featured speaker at the Pennsylvania Burglar & Fire Association’s Annual Expo to be held on May 18-19, 2011. During the two-day event Davis will host the annual Membership Awards banquet and conduct a half-day seminar titled “Megatrends 11,” which focuses on the constantly evolving marketplace faced by everyone in the alarm industry.


False Alarm Reduction: It Takes a Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Forget the adversarial roles. Glen Mowrey and Dean Belisle are bridging the gap when it comes to cities, states, mayors, law enforcement and the security industry as they come together to tackle problems related to false alarms.

“It’s relationship and trust,” said Mowrey, with nearly four decades in law enforcement and now with the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC), Frisco, Texas. And it took those skills to help make Detroit believe in the value of enhanced call verification (ECV) as it successfully reduced false alarms, according to Dean Belisle, long-time president of the Burglar and Fire Alarm Association of Michigan (BFAAM), and vice president of family-owned Act Now Alarm, Clinton Twp, Mich.

Working in 14 states, including deep relationships in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, Mowrey is opening doors and closing down false alarm problems by identifying with the police chief while making the case for ECV and other security industry-centric solutions. He walked into a meeting in Detroit arranged by Belisle back in October and, in a couple of months, the city boasts a significant reduction in false alarm calls.

The success of such partnerships, including recent advances there and in Eau Claire, Wis., is no easy accomplishment.

In Detroit, it was a matter of personalities and immediate focus, said Belisle. “A new mayor and a new chief of police. New faces. It is a testament to them. They wanted results,” he said. It also was a matter of trust. At a meeting, SIAC’s Mowrey was asked hard questions he explained and answered. “We treated the city like a client,” commented Belisle. ECV is not the end. The city, with the help of local security businesses, is helping educate so-called false alarm “abusers” and there is an anticipated enhanced false alarm ordinance in the future.

Detroit Police Department Commander Todd Bettison, who sought a “hard and fast” solution, is pleased with the outcome of implementing ECV. “It’s a best practice,” and the city is handling 1,400 fewer calls than it would normally handle, after the procedural change in December.

In Eau Claire, Wisc., the police department reports a similar decrease in calls for service thanks to a program developed with the Wisconsin Electronic Security Association (WIESA). Between 2005 and 2011, alarm dispatches dropped by 50 percent thanks to the implementation of proven strategies developed by SIAC.

“ECV is one of the most effective programs for identifying a system that has been accidentally activated,” observed WIESA member Dave Koenig. “It is a best practice that has shown dramatic results throughout the United States as alarm associations and police work together.”

SIAC Executive Director Stan Martin also emphasized the improvements in the control panel, as highlighted by the ANSI SIA CP-01 2010 standard, which deals with exiting, arming, entering and disarming, among other homeowner features. — By Bill Zalud, Contributing Writer

Western Digital to Acquire Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Western Digital (WD), Irvine, Calif.,  and Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, announced that they entered into a definitive agreement whereby WD will acquire Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $4.3 billion. The proposed combination will result in a customer-focused storage company, with significant operating scale, strong global talent and the industry’s broadest product lineup backed by a rich technology portfolio, Western Digital commented.

“The acquisition of Hitachi GST is a unique opportunity for WD to create further value for our customers, stockholders, employees, suppliers and the communities in which we operate,” said John Coyne, who will remain chief executive officer (CEO) of WD. “We believe this step will result in several key benefits — enhanced R&D capabilities, innovation and expansion of a rich product portfolio, comprehensive market coverage and scale that will enhance our cost structure and ability to compete in a dynamic marketplace. The skills and contributions of both workforces were key considerations in assessing this compelling opportunity. We will be relying on the proven integration capabilities of both companies to assure the ongoing satisfaction of our customers and to bring this combination to successful fruition.”

Under the terms of the agreement, WD will acquire Hitachi GST for $3.5 billion in cash and 25 million WD common shares valued at $750 million, based on a WD closing stock price of $30.01 as of March 4, 2011. Hitachi, Ltd. will own approximately 10 percent of Western Digital shares outstanding after issuance of the shares and two representatives of Hitachi will be added to the WD board of directors at closing. The transaction has been approved by the board of directors of each company and is expected to close during the third calendar quarter of 2011, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. WD plans to fund the transaction with a combination of existing cash and total debt of approximately $2.5 billion.

The resulting company retains the Western Digital name and remains headquartered in Irvine, Calif. In addition to Coyne, Tim Leyden will remain chief operating officer and Wolfgang Nickl chief financial officer. Steve Milligan, president and chief executive officer of Hitachi GST, joins WD at closing as president, reporting to John Coyne.

“This brings together two industry leaders with consistent track records of strong execution and industry outperformance,” said Steve Milligan, president and chief executive officer, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. “Together we can provide customers worldwide with the industry’s most compelling and diverse set of products and services, from innovative personal storage to solid-state drives for the enterprise.”

Hiroaki Nakanishi, president, Hitachi Ltd. said, “As the former CEO of Hitachi GST, I always believed in the potential of Hitachi GST to become a larger and more agile company. This is a strategic combination of two industry leaders, both growing and profitable. It provides an opportunity for the new company to increase customer and shareholder value and expand into new markets. Additionally, it is important to us that WD shares common values with Hitachi GST to create a more global company that is well-positioned to define a broader role in the evolving storage industry.”

WD’s exclusive financial adviser on the transaction is Bank of America Merrill Lynch; its lead legal adviser is O’Melveny & Myers LLP. <p>
WD hosted an investment community conference call to discuss the announcement live over the Internet on March 7, 2011. The call archive will be available at 888-568-0891.

Protection 1 Purchases 2,100 Accounts

Protection 1, Romeoville, Ill., assumed security monitoring and management control of 2,100 Sting Alarm accounts including food distributors, quick serve restaurant chains, automotive suppliers, high-end retail stores and logistics and self-storage companies.

“Protection 1’s integrated national account environment has positioned us to serve these customers well beyond their expectations,” said Protection 1 president and chief executive officer, Timothy J. Whall. “The goal is simple — we want to offer the best customer experience — period. National account customers have specific needs. Protection 1 offers same day service, no auto attendants in our call centers and a facility in Irving, Texas, that houses the entire account management team for national account clients. We have a solid platform and unique structure to serve the needs of these multi-location customers.”

The new accounts represent some of the largest franchises in the nation, Protection 1 said, and will allow the company to further develop its brand as a leading security and monitoring provider of national accounts.
 

NFPA 72 Code Committee Appoints Wayne Alarm Executive 

James Keighley, technical operations manager for Wayne Alarm Systems, Lynn, Mass., has been appointed to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) Code Committee NFPA 72.

NFPA 72 covers the application, installation, location, performance, inspection, testing and maintenance of fire alarm systems, supervising station alarm systems, public emergency alarm reporting systems, fire warning equipment and emergency communications systems (ECS). The NFPA-72 Code Committee formulates the necessary codes used to formulate regulations and laws by states and countries worldwide to minimize the possibility and hazards of fire and other risks.

Keighley, a recognized expert in the fire alarm field, has been with Wayne Alarm Systems for more than 18 years where he is responsible for the 21st century design of security and life safety systems and their implementation. Keighley holds a master electrician license in several states; Nicet II and Boston F1 master box certification. He also serves on the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute (LVTI), Electrical Advisory Board, the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) Standards Committee and the Electronic Security Association (ESA) Fire Life Safety Committee.

The committee explained, “We’re working constantly to improve these systems in a practical purpose to bring people peace of mind, safety and security. Fire and security systems are essential for the safety of everyone in residences, hospitals, factories and commercial buildings.”

Wayne Alarm Systems of Lynn, Mass. is recognized locally, nationally and internationally, offering complete security, communications, fire, long-range radio, access control and CCTV systems for commercial, industrial, municipal and residential applications. 

“We feel that it is important to give back to the industry and the communities we serve, explained Sevinor, founder of Wayne Alarm. “That’s why all team members at Wayne Alarm are encouraged to participate and donate their time to these important causes. We are all very proud of James and his dedication to our company and the industry.”

PSA Continues Development of Video Resources with PSA TV

PSA Security Network®, Westminster, Colo., announced the launch of PSA TV, a project that aims to further expand the use of video to educate, inform and entertain the physical security industry. All recorded Webinars hosted by PSA Education will now be available through PSA TV. PSA TV can be accessed by visiting buyPSA.com and clicking on the PSA TV logo.

“The importance of video is growing,” said Bill Bozeman, president and chief executive officer of PSA Security Network.  ”I’m very proud how PSA TV provides a single source for physical security professionals to obtain industry information and further the discussion about physical security.”

The move to a single, privately-hosted video platform was important for PSA because many companies restrict access to YouTube in their offices. 

The PSA Security Network YouTube channel will not disappear, however, PSA TV will be the platform used in promoting and hosting all future videos.

NTC Provides ‘Invaluable’ Training at Annual Conference

The National Training Center (NTC) 2011 annual conference was held Feb. 7 and 8 at the Aliante Casino + Hotel in Las Vegas. Attendees from all across the United States attended NTC’s annual conference to further their education in NICET Fire Alarm and Fire Alarm Systems Design.

Dan Driscoll, senior systems engineer for Draganchuk Alarm Systems Inc. shared his experience, “I have over 25 years of experience with fire life safety system and design. The NICET Fire Alarm course at the National Training Conference was invaluable. The complete two day course not only gave me a greater insight for the tools needed to pass the NICET testing when I take it for level 1 and 2, but it also helped me identify the areas to reference in the code books for future designs and applications. The reference books that are supplied by NTC are very well put together. The additional books they offer are the best in the industry. I have attended many training classes throughout the industry and I have to say there is not one that compares to the quality and quantity that is put on by NTC. I would highly recommend all of the classes offered by NTC to anyone involved in the fire, security, access, CCTV and audio fields. All the team members at NTC were fantastic. I look forward to the next conference.”

The 2011 National Training Conference was the first conference where NTC opened it up to sponsorship. SDM, Building Reports, SDi, SpaceAge, UTCFire, FireWorX, AlarmaX, Gentex, and Coleman Cable sponsored the NTC 2011 conference. “Their support of industry education was evident in their interaction with attendees throughout the two days. We are truly pleased that all that attended the conference walked away with a good NTC experience. That’s what NTC is all about — providing the very best in training and the very best experience — the NTC experience,” said Charles Aulner, chief executive officer of NTC.

To attend the National Training Conference in 2012, visit www.NationalTrainingCenter.net or call 702-648-8899.


New Association Established in Utah

Pinnacle Security, Orem, Utah, announced it will help establish a new industry association in participation with several Utah-based alarm companies called the Alarm Management Association of Utah. 

Utah’s residential security companies are responsible for a significant percentage of the Utah economy. With several major companies beginning and growing in Utah, Pinnacle felt it was important to establish standards and practices that enhance the positive contributions made by these companies and increase education and awareness of the residential security industry as well as eliminate industry challenges. 

The group will be a collaborative resource for its members, sharing best practices and providing direction and guidance in the residential security market. 

“The residential security industry represents hundreds of millions of dollars to Utah’s economy, provides thousands of Utah jobs and helps families across the country protect their homes, businesses and families,” said Kelly Walker, chief executive officer, Pinnacle Security. “We are proud of our industry and are creating this association to establish standards and practices that will further build consumer confidence, protect the industry and enable its growth.”

Meetings will be held every other month on topics including licensing, installation, tax compliance, technology, customer service, legal issues and attrition.

“Utah is home to many of the top residential security companies in the country,” said Jason Knapp, president, Alarm Management Association of Utah. “These companies are the result of Utah ingenuity, entrepreneurism and incredible resourcefulness. More importantly, companies are attracting the attention of major private equity partners across the country, reviewing potential acquisitions and building bridges to converging technology markets that will continue to bring revenue and business opportunities to the Utah landscape. They are a significant asset to economic development in Utah.”

The association’s core values include: establishing best practices, sharing ideas in a collaborative environment, operating ethically and improving the reputation of the industry.

User Interaction & Input Help Micro Key ‘Build on the Best’

Close to 100 attendees came together at the 18th annual Micro Key Solutions Users Conference, held at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Feb. 15-18, 2011. The conference was themed, “Building on the Best.” There certainly was a positive buzz throughout, as users of the company’s Millennium Series™ software learned all about new developments and ways the company is building on its offerings in anticipation of version 32 of Millennium. The conference centered on the 90 new features and 125 enhancements the company developed in the last year, including 90 percent of all enhancements voted on by members at the 2010 conference. The conference offered two educational tracks, one for central station software users and another for accounting users, as well as an open training lab.<p>
The halls of the Rosen hummed in between sessions and after hours as attendees discussed their experiences and appliances of the software at their own companies, offered best practices or simply took the time to catch up with old friends.

Dean Belisle, president of Act Now Alarm, was present at the very first conference in 1994 and has regularly attended nearly every conference since. He, like all attendees SDM spoke with, was impressed with the number of enhancements announced, but especially with how closely the company adhered to suggestions and discussions from the previous year’s conference. This sentiment was shared by many and seemed to further encourage productive discussion during the conference sessions to guide the next set of enhancements.

Wayne Torrens, president and chief executive officer of Micro Key Solutions, observed that customers who attend the conference for the first time will remark on all that they’ve been missing and decide to come back. This year, attendees came from all over the United States and Canada and even a new face from Ireland, Garrett Wall, general manager at Smart Monitoring Limited, who commented he would be back.

“What was really impressive for me,” said Duane Ising, Security Alarm Corporation, “was the fact that the MKS staff members weren’t just standing in the front of the room lecturing us. They were up there with pen and paper listening to and writing down our suggestions as they walked through all the new enhancements. It’s not often that you get to influence how a software company modifies its products. I was truly impressed with their willingness to listen.”

Of all the new features, one stood out as discussions carried over from the sessions: Action Plans, a reimagining of guided response for operators, which has even the Micro Key folks amazed at its power. “It’s better than anyone could have ever imagined. It can be all things for all people, but you need to know how to do it,” Torrens said. “You’re basically writing your own program, develop your own scripting of how you want this done.” The Action Plans feature was developed as it became clear that the handling of alarms continues growing in complexity with elements such as video, audio and call verification, PERS systems, etc. 

“The time I was able to spend with customers—and customers with the Micro Key team—is always invaluable, every year. It cements the relationships between our people and their people. When you do business over the phone, it’s just a voice. But when you spend a couple of days with people and get to know them and their business, we have a better opportunity to understand their business and how to ease their pains,” Torrens said. — By Sabrina Gasulla, Associate Editor


Tyco Int’l to Buy Signature Security

Tyco International Ltd., a Bermuda-based diversified company that provides security products and services, announced that it has reached an agreement with Oceania Capital Partners Limited of Sydney, Australia to acquire OCP’s Signature Security Group for AUD $171 million. Tyco intends to combine Signature Security’s Australian and New Zealand operations with its ADT Security business under the ADT name.

Signature Security is a provider of electronic security services in Australia and New Zealand, providing security installation and monitoring services to more than 90,000 premises with annualized revenue of approximately AUD $80 million. ADT, part of Tyco’s security solutions business has approximately nine million customers around the world and 2010 revenue of $7.7 billion.

Security Central for Further Growth

Security Central, Statesville, N.C., a family-owned UL and FM approved central station, recently completed a significant expansion and renovation of its central station.

By adding on to its facility and reconfiguring existing space, Security Central increased seating capacity for its operators by 60 percent, according to Ellen Brown Meihaus, co-owner of Security Central.

As part of the project, the company also installed a new electrical infrastructure, including APC enterprise UPS systems and 180 kW Kohler diesel generators, to ensure its power delivery meets the critical needs of its dealers.

“We are here to stay and grow, which is why we make continuous investments in first-class facilities, the latest technologies and the best employees,” Meihaus said. “These improvements to our network and power systems provide dealers with best-in-class monitoring.”

Meihaus said that before expanding its facility, Security Central had been near capacity in its central station. 

The new facility increases Security Central’s capacity to monitor more accounts and provides a more comfortable work area for employees, Meihaus said. She said that the company plans to expand its workforce as it adds accounts.

It declined to disclose the total cost of the expansion and renovation project, which took eight months to complete.

Dealer Conference Focuses on Economic Climate and Networking

RS2 Technologies LLC, Munster, Ind., a provider of access control systems, announced that its third Annual Dealer Conference (held February 22-25 in Phoenix) received rave reviews from participating dealers, sponsors, presenters and suppliers. The four-day event, whose theme was “Riding the New Economic Wave,” featured new product and marketing presentations from some of RS2’s strategic marketing partners, technical presentations from experts in smart card and other technologies, and RS2 presentations on its own new products, such as Access It!® Lite.NET and First Step Plus.

The conference, held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, also featured industry experts and speakers, such as luncheon keynote speaker Lou Trammel, director of the Arizona Department of Emergency Management. Trammel, the 2007 “Arizona Emergency Manager of the Year,” spoke on the unique security challenges facing a state that has an international border and six ports of entry. Steve Rogers, a recognized expert on FICAM and HSPD-12, spoke on the impact of the recent White House OMB memorandum on implementation of HSPD-12 and PIV credentials. Joseph Clouatre, an industry marketing veteran, spoke on the need for what he calls “extreme customer service.”

Participating suppliers included many “veterans” such as Schlage, ASSA ABLOY, Mercury Security, Farpointe Data, March Networks, AWID, HID Global, and Bruder Mfg., and “newcomers” such as EasyLobby. Suppliers were universally enthusiastic in their praise of the event. Steve Shepard, North American sales manager at Farpointe Data, said, “The RS2 Dealer Conference was — in a word — awesome. It has become one of the best industry networking opportunities of the year. I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference.” Julie Davenport-Beach, regional manager,  OEM and strategic integration at Ingersoll Rand, commented that the RS2 conference “is always very valuable to us. It’s a terrific opportunity to interact with RS2’s great dealers all at one time. We’ll definitely be back next year.”

RS2 dealers from near and far were equally enthusiastic in their praise. 

In summarizing the 2011 Dealer Conference, RS2 director of dealer development Dave Barnard commented, “Each year, we try to raise the level of the conference, in terms of content, venue, and level of dealer and supplier participation. Our objective is to give our dealers something that makes them more competitive in the marketplace and increases their revenue. It’s as simple as that.”

ESA Members to Meet With Congressional Reps. at Capitol Hill

ESA will hold its annual Day on Capitol Hill May 3-4, 2011 in Washington, D.C. The association invites colleagues to join them as they meet with congressional representatives and their staffs to discuss issues that are critical to the security industry and public safety.

Invited guest speakers include Congressman Sam Graves of Missouri’s 6th Congressional District and U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of the 9th Congressional District of Missouri. 

ESA’s director of government relations, John Chwat and his staff at Chwat & Co., will make all congressional appointments for attendees in advance and will obtain security clearances for all attendees. Information packets will be distributed to all attendees with pertinent industry issues, including talking points to use while visiting your representatives.

ESA has also organized networking and social events at this two-day gathering of ESA members from across the country.

Legislative issues to be discussed include:

Since 1968, Custom Alarm/Custom Communications Inc. has provided sales, installation, service and monitoring of security and sound systems. This family-owned and operated business operates a UL-listed central monitoring station. Custom Alarm ranks as No. 95 on the 2010 SDM 100 Report. Visit Custom Alarm at www.custom-alarm.com.


Perimeter Security Solution Manufacturer Expands to Meet Market Demand

FutureSentry, Miami, a developer of an automated detection solution designed to enhance perimeter security, opened a new manufacturing facility in Elkton, Va., that will manufacture and assemble the company’s flagship solution, the FutureSentry FirstResponder.  

The new building enables FutureSentry to enhance production of the FutureSentry FirstResponder. By leveraging advanced algorithms, the FutureSentry FirstResponder automatically identifies potentially dangerous targets within 700 feet, and tracks objects to deter criminal behavior. Once it detects motion in a user-defined area, the system illuminates activity with a high-intensity LED light. The system mimics the actions of a security guard to deter criminal behavior before loss or damage occurs. When integrated with IP or analog surveillance cameras, the solution captures valuable video evidence for forensic analysis.  

“Our new manufacturing facility allows us to embrace advanced equipment and manufacturing processes to enhance the FutureSentry perimeter detection solution,” said Jaak Rannik, chief executive officer, FutureSentry. “Furthermore, the new location enables us to streamline research and development, and provide world-class support to our growing network of security integration partners.”

Over the past year, FutureSentry has experienced significant support from the security industry, the company said. In response it named Rolland Trayte to the new role of senior advisor. In this role, Trayte serves as the chief advisor directly focused on building the FutureSentry reseller network. 

“FutureSentry is a world-class security solution that enables security teams to be more proactive and shorten response times before loss occurs,” Trayte said. “I am thrilled to be working alongside the talented team as we look to build the company’s relationships with the integration community.”

Adesta Finalizes Integration into G4S; Changes Name 

Adesta, Omaha, Nebraska, a systems integrator and project management company for communication networks and electronic security systems, announced that its company name changed to G4S Technology, effective March 1, 2011. G4S Technology is part of G4S, an international security solutions group which specializes in outsourced business processes and facilities in sectors where security and safety risks are considered a strategic threat. Adesta was acquired by G4S at the close of 2009, enabling the company to expand its global presence and offer communications and security integration solutions on a world-wide basis. 

Adesta brings more than 20 years of experience in the protection of critical national infrastructure and deployment of fiber optic and wireless technologies for public safety communications, ITS applications, physical security and video surveillance, healthcare, education/distance learning and broadband communications networks.

“We are pleased to be part of the G4S family and share their same values and commitment to quality customer service and performance,” said Bob Sommerfeld, president of G4S Technology. “We welcome the opportunity to expand our global footprint and to offer our customers a full suite of services, including world-wide design, installations and long-term maintenance.” 

For information, visit www.g4stechnology.com.


Regional Company Expands in Florida 

REDWIRE LLC, Tallahassee, Fla., a regional provider of electronic security, announced the acquisition of Spectrum Fire & Security based in Longwood, Fla.

Spectrum boasts recognition for its high-quality commercial fire and security solutions. The company’s experience in fire systems services combined with REDWIRE’s success with security, access control, video surveillance and fire systems will give clients a full range of cutting edge products and a high level of customer service, the company stated.

The integration of the companies is underway. Rob Sickler, president, and the Spectrum team remain in place. REDWIRE ensured that a smooth and seamless transition for customers is a priority.


Infinova Introduces Certified Integrator Program

Infinova, Monmouth Junction, N.J. announced that surveillance security integrators that become members of Infinova’s new Certified Integrator Program will receive differentiated pricing, warranties, products and services. The new program, which launched at ISC West in Las Vegas, offers integrators features that will put them at a more competitive level. The program provides a higher level of service for their customers and helps to further educate their staff, the company said.

“The main focus of the Infinova Certified Integrator Program is to help Infinova integrators say ‘yes’ to a wider variety of projects,” affirmed Nathan Needel, Infinova vice president of sales, North America. 

According to Needel, one of the highlights of the new Certified Integrator Program is that Infinova will provide certified integrators with hands-on, in-field engineering and phone support during pre-sales, design and negotiation, and post-sales stages of the project. They will also get an enhanced warranty, an additional year on top of Infinova’s standard warranties as well as co-op marketing support. Integrators joining the program are required to complete Infinova’s Technical Product Certification. Continuing solution and product training is provided through conferences, newsletters, regional meetings and Webinars that will help certified integrators better educate their own staff.  They will also have opportunities to meet and exchange ideas, experiences and solutions with their peers.

Infinova recently announced that it has gone public, raising $300 million, which it will use to grow both organically and through acquisitions.

For information, visit www.infinova.com.