Honeywell announced a new training and certification program to help integrators become proficient with the company’s Pro-Watch® Integration Kit, a software development kit designed to create smarter buildings that fold security into building management functions.

Monte Guerrette estimates that his firm will face at least a 10 percent increase in its gas at the pump costs this year as compared to 2011. And that is a conservative guess when it comes to volatile gas prices, which go down and up, but mostly up, depending on geography, season, refinery problems, oil supply, world politics and speculators.

Ironically, “in this tight business economy, we have to more often drive longer distances to get business and service accounts,” points out Guerrette, senior project manager with Mid State Electric of Ocala, Fla.

So what’s an integrator to do these days to better manage his or her fleet fuel expenses? Here are seven ways numerous firms use and that can apply to fleets from a handful of vehicles to thousands.

The Z-Wave Alliance, Milpitas, Calif., an open consortium of leading global companies dedicated to promoting Z-Wave as the standard in wireless home control, with close to 600 interoperable products world-wide, announced the addition of Verizon as its newest Alliance member.

With new technologies making security cameras more affordable and flexible, home surveillance systems are changing. Installations and placement don’t look the same as they did years ago, though some of the dealer concerns such as privacy, wiring and lighting optimization remain. Security dealers talked to SDM eNews about how an evolving technology landscape is changing the way cameras are installed in a home and opening up new markets.

It’s a $38 billion a year business. It’s a residential community of 2.3 million men, women and children, with a population gain of more than 500 percent over the past thirty years. There are bedrooms, dayrooms, exercise rooms, hospital facilities and even gardens.

The Forest Heights Police Department, located in Prince George’s County, Maryland, is installing IQinVision HD megapixel cameras in key locations throughout the city. SeeView Security, Fairfax Virginia, is the integrator for this on-going project.

Leveraging its design, installation and monitoring capabilities, Diebold Incorporated, North Canton, Ohio, modernized fire and security systems in a 116-year-old historic building serving as the main branch of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County, Pa. Diebold installed the integrated fire and security systems at the Waynesburg, Pa., branch through its Fire Detection Solutions and Services offering and is providing comprehensive monitoring services under a single contract.

At BCD Video, Northbrook, Ill., Jeff Burgess, president, and Tom Larson, director of global accounts, represent the business model that makes this company unique: the successful blend of IP and IT. A core competency in both of these areas allows the company to work with systems integrators in building storage solutions for their projects.

A Best of Innovations award winner for its approach to in-home Web connectivity and networking, WiPNET at its simplest is Ethernet over coax, according to Adam Lenio of Wi3, Victor, N.Y. This means high speed Internet access to every location in a home with little more than the replacement of existing coax cable wall plates with WiPNET ports.

Keith Harrison uses MoCA to speed deployment and improve the profitability of his retrofit projects. Frank Montensinos and Rich Green both see value in MoCA for their residential businesses.