ADT Media Summit

ADT Shares Its Initiatives in Business, Gov’t Markets

To many people, the name ADT is synonymous with residential security. The company, however, has a $2 billion a year commercial security unit, which is proactively building cutting-edge solutions for business and government customers. At the ADT Media Summit, held May 9-10 in Chicago, ADT presented some of the initiatives it has taken in the commercial space, including its new Integrated Solutions Center, a closer-than-ever partnership with Cisco, implementation of a municipal wireless network in a Texas port city, among others.

On the first day, ADT offered a tour via TelePresence of its new Integrated Solutions Center in Aurora, Colo. The $1.5 million center is designed as a space where commercial customers can see networked solutions in action and discuss them with subject-matter experts. Since opening, the ISC has hosted 15 highly-tailored briefings. For more on ADT’s ISC, read the full news announcement on pg. 35 of SDM’s May issue.

The virtual conferencing continued as Bill Stuntz, vice president of Cisco’s Physical Security Business Unit and Jim Lantrip, director of integration strategy at ADT Security Services, offered a presentation on how the two companies have strengthened their partnership in the past nine months as a result of tendencies in physical security that are bringing it ever-closer to the IT world. New services and opportunities are enabled by the network and taking full advantage of those opportunities will require a deeper focus on industry standards that drive interoperability of IP-enabled devices across all segments of the industry. Fully developed standards would enable increased feature sets, would reduce time to market and future-proof investments.

Stuntz stressed that innovation requires one to look to growing markets, instead of only focusing on what the market wants today. According to Stuntz, economic power is shifting to developing nations and that is where this partnership will take ADT and Cisco. As cities compete to attract business by improving living environments to attract workforce and build their economies, they will look to spend in creating smart and connected communities that will generate opportunity for providers of networked solutions.

ADT also had as guests city officials from Freeport, Texas — a port city which plans to implement a citywide wireless video surveillance system. Jeff Pynes, city manager, and Tyrone Morrow, police chief, discussed the planning process for a security plan which will be, “the first time a port city engages business enterprises to share information and collaborate on a common security plan,” Morrow said. Freeport received a $6.2 million federal grant to complete the project, but maintenance and recurring costs will have to be covered by stakeholders, which include 29 petrochemical companies. A key issue in securing a port city, aside from funding, was multi-jurisdictional coordination, which required a collaborative effort from city officials and security providers ADT and Motorola.

One market that ADT is paying particular attention to is food protection. Don Hsieh, director of commercial and industrial marketing at ADT, described three trends driving demand for food protection systems: 1) regulatory oversight — in particular the Food Safety Modernization Act passed earlier this year — which he noted is a response to 2) increasing reports of contamination threats from internal and external sources, and 3) the expansion of the food supply chain to include providers globally. Food recalls and contamination lawsuits are not only expensive, but can be irreparably damaging to a brand. The combination is destructive enough to cause entire businesses to go bankrupt, Hsieh explained. As a result, ADT sees real opportunity for food protection plans that are proactive and focus on “four As of actionable intelligence”: asses, access, alert and audit. According to Hsieh, ADT aims to provide precise risk assessment to find vulnerabilities and address them. The access portion addresses the high incidence of internal contamination by restricting access to critical areas. Continuous monitoring of those critical points gives the opportunity to catch problems before they reach consumers. And auditing provides documentation to ensure compliance with federal regulations.

ADT gave Media Summit attendees a peek into the company’s crystal ball through the eyes of Tony Mucci, ADT’s director of Process/Policy Engineering. In true engineering manner, Mucci laid out a foundational explanation of the purpose of technology and the effect that innovation has on its usage. “Technologies are the tools we use to get a job done. Innovation is the action of creating a new method or process that replaces the current way of doing things. Putting these two things together make the magic,” Mucci described. In the security industry the sweet spot is software, Mucci said. It’s the key to innovation. Another big trend is building an ROI with security, positioning it as a business intelligence tool through data capture, transport, storage and usage. When it comes to hardware, Mucci outlined several emerging technologies to watch as having a potentially great impact on the security industry in the future, including cellular/wireless 4G; Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6); high-resolution video (megapixel); high-definition video (HDTV) which is being driven by consumer demand; video analytics, which Mucci thinks soon will impact all product categories; near field communications; solid-state drives; and power harvesting. Power harvesting could be applied to power wireless sensors; for example, the energy of a door opening and closing could be used to power the door security sensor itself. “What if we could capture energy — like solar, inductive, piezo and RF — to power security devices,” Mucci asked.

In March, ADT Security Services and Brivo Systems made an announcement about the implementation of a Web-based access control solution for five federal facilities managed by the General Services Administration (GSA) in Detroit and the Chicago area. John Gaydos, vice president, ADT Government, expanded on that project and Steve Van Till, president and chief executive officer, Brivo Systems, spoke about the federal government’s mandate to satisfy HSPD 12 requirements by Oct. 1, 2011, and how cloud computing plays a role. “We’re up to seven federal buildings,” Gaydos described of the project, which uses Brivo’s ACS OnSite Aparato, a GSA FIPS 201-approved solution. The solution is structured so that it can be readily upgraded to a full Software as a Service (SaaS) configuration when required. “GSA just announced a $2.5 billion cloud computing RFP,” Van Till said. “Most is not related to our realm of security, but the size of the RFP is stunning. It’s a momentous day to be talking about this,” he said, adding that as far as the federal government is concerned, “It’s the golden age of cloud computing.” Brivo and ADT have been working together since 2003, “so ADT got cloud computing before the bandwagon even left the station,” Van Till said. He cited some specific RFPs among various GSA regions and agencies, which are calling for SaaS-based physical access control systems — with even more projects in the pipelines.

1099 Tax Reporting Requirement Repealed

In mid-April, the Senate voted to repeal the 1099 tax reporting requirements in the health care bill passed last year by an 87-12 vote, and President Barack Obama then signed the repeal into law. ”Small businesses remain the most important economic engine driving America’s expanded recovery,” said Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) president and chief executive officer Chris Kersting in a news release. “Eliminating the 1099 reporting burden will allow our companies to focus on producing tangible goods and services rather than wasteful paperwork.”

UTC Fire & Security: One Year After Acquiring GE

UTC Fire & Security marked the first anniversary of its $1.8 billion acquisition of GE Security with a strong presence at the ISC West exhibition, highlighting its commitment to innovation and expanded portfolio of fire and security solutions for customers. UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp.

“UTC is deeply committed to the fire and security industry as a core commercial business. Since 2003 and with the addition of GE Security, UTC has invested nearly $9 billion in building a strong position in the fire and security industry — a global industry with attractive fundamentals and significant long-term growth prospects,” said Kelly Romano, recently named president of Global Security Products. “With a mix of well-known brands, including Edwards and Interlogix bringing with them best-in-class products, the GE Security acquisition enabled UTC Fire & Security to offer customers a superior value proposition.”

UTC Fire & Security expanded its engineering and product development activities, further establishing the company as an industry leader with strong brands, products and operations across the globe, the company said.

In 2010 UTC Fire & Security invested more than $150 million in RD&E and brought 50 new products to market, including: Edwards Vigilant fire detection panels and the EST3-60 mass notification system that provides a panoramic view of threat detection and crisis management; Lenel ILS, the industry’s first electromechanical lock, according to the company, built specifically for integration with the OnGuard access control system; and the interactive services home security and lifestyle management solution that allows remote monitoring of a home’s security system, lighting, heating, air conditioning and more.

UTC Fire & Security also recently broke ground on a new U.S. Fire Innovation and Test Center that will integrate testing, engineering and customer demonstration capabilities into one state-of-the-art facility.

“In the past year alone, we’ve seen a step change in our product velocity, and this will continue through 2011, where we expect to grow our RD&E spend by 15 percent. We continue to focus on innovation and technology, and are very optimistic about the future,” Romano said.

Hikvision Hosts ONVIF Development Meeting

Hikvision Digital Technology, a supplier of digital video surveillance products, hosted ONVIF technical committee and technical services committee meetings from March 15 to 18 in Hangzhou, China, the headquarters of Hikvision. ONVIF working groups advanced their efforts in developing specification of the global standard for interoperability of IP-based physical security products.

“We believe that standardization is the future, especially in the IP surveillance world. As the video surveillance market embraces IP, more and more companies are ensuring that their products conform to ONVIF,” said Tony Yang, international marketing director of Hikvision.

“As a full member of ONVIF, Hikvision has been actively involved in developing and manufacturing integrated products conformant to ONVIF. Customers who choose to use Hikvision’s products will benefit from the increased flexibility and greater freedom of choice of interoperable products that comply with the ONVIF standard,” Yang said.

FARA Honors Monitronics, Vector & Homesafe Security for False Alarm Reduction Efforts

The False Alarm Reduction Association (FARA) announced during its annual symposium held in San Antonio, April 4-7, 2011, the recipient of the 2011 FARA Industry False Alarm Reduction Achievement Award as well as two winners for its 2011 W. Rex Bell Associate Member of the Year award.

Home security alarm provider Monitronics, Dallas, was awarded the FARA Industry False Alarm Reduction Achievement Award. Monitronics was recognized this year as a result of significantly reducing false alarms from 0.67 percent to 0.5 percent through several major programs beginning in August 2010. The company was chosen by a group f of public safety officials, peers in the industry, and alarm association representatives.

“One of our industry’s basic challenges is false alarms; our ultimate goal is to positively impact how quickly emergency responders can reach victims during actual emergencies,” said Mary Jensby, Monitronics central station director. “Our programs only work if every single member of our team is on board, that’s why this award represents our entire company and not just one person.”

The W. Rex Bell Associate Member award is given to deserving individuals who demonstrate a significant commitment and contribute the most to their department or company, the community at large and FARA, the association said.

Recognized for her outstanding contributions in the effort to reduce false alarms, Vector Security’s False Alarm Reduction — permit compliance coordinator, Kristina Walker, added “2011 FARA Associate of the Year” to her growing portfolio of achievements.

Walker manages Vector’s false alarm reduction and permit compliance program for its national accounts division. According to FARA, she helped to reduce false alarms by 52 percent at Vector’s national accounts division. She works to ensure that Vector’s national retail customers maintain the lowest possible false alarm rates, while remaining compliant with the ever-growing list of alarm management regulations currently on the books in a high number of cities, towns and boroughs across America.

Stuart Forchheimer, president of Homesafe Security Systems, a division of the HS Technology Group, was also honored for his exceptional contributions to FARA, his company and the community he serves. Brad Ship, executive director for FARA provided the following context regarding the decision to award Forchheimer with the award.

“Stu owns a local alarm company and never draws attention to himself but is always there for FARA, his customers and his employees,” Ship said. “One of the nominations the FARA Awards Committee received stated, ‘If all alarm companies were as dedicated, ethical and professional as Stuart’s, we would all be looking for another line of work.’ His company has consistently low false dispatch rates in the Washington-Metropolitan region.

On the decision to award two associate members of the year, Ship commented that there has been only one other time in the award’s history when two people received it in the same year. “We felt they both deserved it equally and we also had a number of other nominees who deserved it and will likely receive it in coming years. In light of that, we thought it was appropriate to award both of them.”

AMAG Technology Hosts 10th Annual Security Engineering Symposium

AMAG Technology, Torrance, Calif., an access control, IP video and intrusion management security solution provider, hosted its 10th annual Security Engineering Symposium in Dana Point, Calif., at the St. Regis Resort in February. Nearly 70 engineers throughout the United States attended the event.

Highlights included educational presentations from eight sponsors: DAP/Hawkeye, HID, Ingersoll Rand, Intransa, NEC, SALTO, Stentofon and Winsted. In addition to speaking to the whole audience, each sponsor conducted a break-out session which featured a more in-depth and hands-on look at their product line.

Roger Roehr, an HSPD-12 Physical Security Engineer from Roehr Consulting presented, “HSPD-12, SP 800-116 & FICAM” as the keynote speech. Roehr’s core competencies are in the design, installation, and maintenance of electronic physical security, security video and access control systems.

The attending consultants and engineers were provided the opportunity to operate AMAG’s Symmetry Security Management System V7 with intrusion management and see how it integrates with each of the eight partners who participated in the SES. They also learned about AMAG’s product roadmap and international presence.

FE Moran Acquires Accounts from Synergy Systems

Synergy Systems Inc. of Monroe, Conn., concluded the sale of its national account base to FE Moran Alarm of Champaign, Ill. Brett Bean, president of FE Moran Alarm stated that “the Synergy purchase is a perfect fit for our growing national account footprint. The two principals, Mike Madden and Matt Ernest, are the primary reasons for concluding this transaction. Their expertise will help build our national accounts division.”

Mike Madden stated, “This is a perfect fit for Synergy as FE Moran Alarm will provide the financial fuel to accelerate our growth process.”

Steve Rubin and Katie Bally of Davis Mergers and Acquisitions Group represented Synergy in the sale to FE Moran Alarm.

DHS Issues First SAFETY Act Designation in Tri-State Area

Mulligan Security, New York City-based provider of security services in the New York metropolitan area and New Jersey, announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated its security services as a “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology” under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (the “SAFETY Act“). This technology includes physical security services that deter, prevent, detect, alert and respond to a variety of security threats and the processes used to recruit, hire, train and manage the qualified personnel who perform the services.

“We are honored to receive SAFETY Act designation for our security services,” said Kevin Mulligan, executive vice president. “The Department of Homeland Security recognized that our security program is effective in combating the threat of terrorism. The coverage provided by this program will allow us to continue innovating and expanding our anti-terrorism security services to better protect clients who know all too well that the threat of terrorism is real.”

The SAFETY Act was written to ensure that the threat of litigation and liability does not deter producers of anti-terrorism products and/or services from developing and commercializing technologies that could save lives. The Act creates certain liability limitations for producers of QATTs and their customers for claims arising from acts of terrorism where the designated technologies have been deployed.

SAFETY Act designation requires an extensive application and evaluation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mulligan is the first regional security company in the New York area to receive this prestigious qualification.

Founded almost two decades ago, Mulligan provides its security services to prime high-rise commercial buildings, major corporate facilities, and adjacent critical infrastructure in New York City and surrounding areas. These services include the provision of unarmed security officers who are also specially trained as fire guards, fire safety directors and/or managers and emergency action plan directors.

New SIA Standards Committee Chair Sets Harmony-Focused Goals

Steve Van Till, president and CEO of Bethesda, Md.-based Brivo systems LLC, was appointed to the position of chair of the Security Industry Association’s (SIA) Standards Committee. Van Till is also serving his second term as a member of the SIA’s board of directors.

The Standards Committee was originally formed in 2003 to promote technical standards within the security industry, and subsequently chartered the Open, System Integration, and Performance Standards (OSIPS) project. Since the launch of OSIPS, the committee has become an ANSI accredited Standards Development Organization (SDO).

In Van Till’s discussions to be considered for the chair position, he noted that “OSIPS was originally created in an era when there were no other standards activities going on in our industry. Since then, we’ve seen a welcome endorsement of standards in the formation of several other organizations, including both ONVIF and PSIA.” Embracing the current reality, Van Till believes that “by making several fundamental changes to the way that we pursue the standards process, OSIPS can become more relevant to the needs of the industry and our members, advancing SIA’s leadership role in shaping technical standards.”

As he assumes leadership of the committee, Van Till outlined three proposals for the committee to consider as they embark on their work:

1. Prioritize standards activities by business need.

2. Harmonize SIA standards with other organizations.

3. Demonstrate interoperable systems within the first year.

Van Till summarized his approach by saying, “I think the committee would serve members best by capitalizing on the successes of the past while evolving along with the changing IT environment in which physical security is now being practiced. For example, the OSIPS standards have already become normative for the federal government’s FICAM initiative, which is a huge accomplishment, and one that’s a big boost for industry standards overall. That said, OSIPS does not cover every possible area of standardization, and the last thing we want to do is fragment the emerging standards market and force manufacturers and buyers into a false dichotomy. That’s why harmonizing is so important.”

IQ Certification Program Announces 2011 Board of Directors, Elected Officers

After a tie-breaking runoff election, the Installation Quality (IQ) Certification Program met in February to announce the election of its 2011 Board of Directors and the elect officers.

Dave Currie, president of Security Response Center, Gail Schreiner, vice president of operations for AlarmWatch and Laurie Mitchell, director of national operations central monitoring services for Siemens Industry Inc., had all received the same number of votes in December and were tied for the two board positions.

The 2011 IQ Certification Program board of directors with their terms in parentheses are as follows. Each elected IQ Board member will serve a two-year term.

• Timothy Creenan, (2011-12) Amherst Alarm

• Jacqueline Currier, (2011-12) Rapid Response Monitoring

• Dave Currie, (2011-12) Security Response Center

• Laurie Mitchell, (2011-12) Siemens Industry, Inc.

• Deborah Sokol, (2010-2011) Monitor Controls

• Michael Allen, (2010-2011) Southern Utah Alarm

Laurie Mitchell, the newest board member, is responsible for the integration of the field installations into the operations of the central monitoring stations (CMS) and customer support center (CSC). An industry veteran, Mitchell has more than 25 years of alarm monitoring experience.

During the February meeting, the board also elected officers from the board roster. Tim Creenan will again serve as chairman, Dave Currie will serve as vice chairman, Jackie Currier will continue as secretary and Deborah Sokol will again serve as treasurer.

The IQ Certification Board administers the IQ Certification Program and reviews each application for company certification and approves or denies certification based solely on the IQ Certification Guidelines. Board members prioritize initiatives for the year and determine the projects, activities and events to be undertaken.

ASIS Int’l Begins Standards Development for Private Security Service Providers

ASIS International conducted the first Technical Committee meeting for the development of an American National Standard to support the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC). The ASIS.PSC.1: Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations – Requirements with Guidance standard will provide a mechanism for private security companies (PSCs), and their clients, to provide demonstrable commitment, conformance and accountability to the principles outlined in the ICoC.

Comprised of more than 200 members from 24 countries, the technical committee includes a balance of clients, service providers, non-governmental, and rights groups from the public and private sector.

The ASIS PSC.01 Standard will provide the principles and requirements for a quality assurance management system for private sector security organizations to abide by and demonstrate accountability to internationally recognized norms. By following the proven ISO model for management system standards, PSCs can integrate this standard with their current management system approaches and focus efforts to better manage their risk and prevent the occurrence of undesirable events, ASIS said.

Shane Clary Honored by CAA With Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Shane M. Clary of Bay Alarm Company was recognized with the California Alarm Association (CAA) George A. Weinstock Award for Lifetime Achievement and Service to the Industry at the CAA Industry Leadership Breakfast during ISC West. Clary will be presented with the award at the 2011 CAA Winter Convention & Tribute Dinner in San Francisco on Dec. 9, 2011. Clary entered the industry as a dispatcher in 1974 and currently is Vice President of Codes and Standards Compliance for Bay Alarm Company in Pacheco, Calif.

“Shane is a great example of the quality of the volunteers who have contributed to the growth of our industry,” CAA president John Hopper said. “For more than 30 years he has been a leader in the development of standards and codes that promote public safety and contribute to the overall well being of our communities.” The CAA Tribute Dinner serves as the annual fundraiser to support educational, training, public outreach and industry advocacy programs for the electronic security industry in California.

“I am honored to be selected to receive this award and appreciate the significance based on a review of the past recipients,” said Clary. “George Weinstock set a standard of excellence and I am humbled to be considered in that company.” Clary received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UCLA and Certification in Fire Protection from UC Davis.

A founding vice president of the WBFAA UATC apprentice training program, Clary is currently chair of the organization which operates the largest fire/life safety training program in the United States. He developed the six semesters of online apprentice training, the first in the nation, and oversees the expansion of the online continuing education component of the program. Clary is vice chair of the Electronic Security Association (ESA) Fire Committee and a member and past chair of the Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA) and he served as President of the California Automatic Fire Alarm Association (CAFAA).

Clary is active with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and currently is chair of the NFPA 72 Technical Committee – Fundamentals. He is also a member of the NFPA Standards Council, where he serves as chair of the Policy and Procedures Task Group. He is also a member of a number of Technical Committees.

Priority One Security Receives $10 Million for Acquisitions and More

CapitalSource recently closed a $10 million, three-year revolving loan to Priority One Security, a traditional full-service alarm monitoring business headquartered in Greensville, S.C. The company will use the non-amortizing loan to fund the acquisition of customer accounts from Orangeburg Security Systems, refinance existing debt and fund future growth.

Priority One Security sells, installs, services and monitors commercial and residential burglar and fire alarm systems, CCTV and access control systems. The company monitors more than 12,000 sites, primarily in South and North Carolina. “The CapitalSource financing is one of the keys to our growth strategy,” said William Francis, the founder and president of Priority One Security. “I was very impressed with the professionalism and expertise exhibited by the CapitalSource team throughout the process and look forward to further strengthening our relationship as we continue to grow through acquisitions.”

John Robuck, CapitalSource’s director of security finance, added, “Under the expert leadership of Bill and his experienced management team, Priority One Security has become a solid, highly profitable business. With its stable and diversified account base and low customer attrition, the company is well-positioned for success in this recession-resistant industry.”

CapitalSource’s Security Finance Group works with middle-market companies and provides a broad range of products to address the complex challenges of the security industry.

10 Years & Growing

Alarm Capital Alliance (ACA), Media, Pa., closed a decade in the account acquisition business with “one of its most successful years yet,” the company announced.

In May, 2010, ACA was ranked No. 19 on the 2010 SDM 100 report. That same month, the company closed on a $100 million credit facility, earmarked for new acquisitions. ACA’s account purchasing philosophy is centered on allowing companies to market their own brand and maintain a long-term relationship with its customers after the sale. This mission has carried the company through the past ten years and is reflected in the company’s decision to introduce a new independent dealer program to complement its bulk acquisition business and strengthen relationships with its alarm dealers.

“Through our full or partial acquisitions in 2010, we purchased $735,969 of RMR (25,829 accounts), putting our customer count at 101,000. To date we have worked with close to 200 alarm dealers, many of which are still providing service on the accounts they’ve sold us. We are continually reminded by our long relationships with these business owners, of how important our model is for companies that want to build brand awareness in their markets,” stated Amy Kothari, ACA’s president and chief executive officer.

ACA also celebrated its ten-year milestone by launching a new company logo and customer friendly image. “The purpose of the rebranding was to create uniformity amongst all of our customers,” Kothari said. “ACA bills in the dealer’s name in most cases, but the customer deals directly with ACA on billing, customer care, and service. It was important to create a business to consumer brand that appears on our invoice and on all business to consumer correspondence. Our interactive website, www.myalarmcenter.com has been around for years.” The rebranding is aimed at creating brand awareness and encouraging more customers to go to the website to make a payment, make a change to their account or request information.

Power Home Technologies Joins Monitronics Dealer Program

Power Home Technologies, Raleigh, N.C., announced that the company is looking forward to pursuing its own identity with a move to Monitronics International’s dealer program. The company was previously a Vector dealer and will officially end that relationship in June 2011.

Since 2004, Power Home Technologies installed more than 30,000 security systems under another program’s name and logo. Ben Brookhart, Power Home Technologies chief executive officer, told SDM that the move to Monitronics will give the company a chance to market its own brand as well as flexibility to expand nationwide. The company projects that the enhanced branding will create new sales and recruiting opportunities, allowing it to double its historical sales volumes. In addition, Power Home Technologies plans to develop its primarily east coast-based business across the United States, with new locations opening up in Colorado and California in the near future.

As part of the transition to Monitronics, Power Home Technologies contracted with Interlogix, Tri-Ed, and Alarm.com. With the combination that these contracts offer, Power Home Technologies can offer a new and larger variety of products and services to its customers, the company said. Brookhart noted that going forward, the company will take an approach that is more focused on technology, supported by Monitronics. He commented he is most looking forward to being able to offer Z-wave technology through Alarm.com that will enable Power Home customers to have a deeper daily interaction with their security systems.

To kick-off the partnership, Power Home Technologies’ 32-member leadership team arrived at Monitronics’ headquarters on March 21 to attend the official two-day, high-energy training program: Moni X.

“Joining Monitronics’ dealer program allows us to provide our customers with the best monitoring so we can focus on our customers locally,” said Brookhart. “We look forward to future growth that this partnership will bring to both our companies.”

ASG Security Acquires Electronic Installations

ASG Security of Beltsville, Md., acquired Electronic Installations (EI) of Wilmington, N.C. The transaction was hailed as ideal for ASG due to the company’s existing office in Wilmington. EI owners, Becky and Jimmie O’Daniell commented, “This is a perfect fit for us as well. Most of the employees at EI will be remaining and working for ASG’s Wilmington office.” Co-owner, Jimmie O’Daniell will also be staying with the company.

Ralph Masino, chief financial officer of ASG stated, “The purchase of EI’s strong customer base strengthens our market position in the area. We are extremely pleased to add EI’s employees and know that ASG will be a great fit for them.”

Steve Rubin and Katie Bally of Davis Mergers and Acquisitions Group represented Electronic Installations in this transaction.

Chace Resigns; SIA Looks For New CEO

Longtime Security Industry Association (SIA) CEO Richard Chace announced his resignation, effective April 21, 2011.

“The SIA Executive Committee and Mr. Chace mutually agreed that his decision to resign at this time was in the best interests of all parties,” said Gordon Hope, chairman of the SIA board of directors executive committee. “We thank Mr. Chace for his service and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

“A search for an executive director will be undertaken in the near future. During this interim period, day-to-day operations will be managed by Rand Price at SIA under the auspices of the executive committee,” Hope said.

Linear Celebrates 50 Years

Linear LLC, Carlsbad, Calif., is celebrating 50 years in business in 2011. The company has been an innovator in the entry, access control, security, and perimeter protection industries for decades, introducing reliable and easy-to-use products.

The company, a pioneer in the development of radio frequency (RF) products, was co-founded by two engineers in 1961. Vice chairman and former Linear president Dan Stottlemyre said the company has stayed true to its roots in bringing high-technology, innovative products to market, and providing the best customer service in the business.

According to Michael O’Neal, Linear’s new president, the company’s approach to the next 50 years will be guided by many of the same principles — quality, reliability and innovation — it has had in place since 1961. “Our customer expectations have never been higher, and we are committed to meeting and exceeding them,” he said. “In these next 50 years, I look forward to expanding our presence in the global marketplace.”

Among its notable technical achievements, Linear cited the first RF link (plus first in digital and supervised RF links) for use in the security industry; energy-efficient, DC-powered garage door opener with intelligent, self-learning, self-adjusting settings; groundbreaking, one-box APeX™ controller operates dual-gate systems; and the first wireless, multi-million code transmission format.

Stottlemyre, who has been with Linear for nearly half of its existence, said that much of the company’s success is directly attributable to the loyalty of its customers and employees. “We make a conscious effort to dedicate ourselves to the needs of our dealers and distributors, and customers recognize the value we bring to the marketplace,” he noted.