Micro Key Solutions, Kissimmee, Fla., a provider of software solutions for the security alarm industry, in cooperation with the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), a trade association that represents companies offering security (alarm) monitoring systems through a central station, is offering to pay the first year’s CSAA membership dues for any CSAA-approved, nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL) central station using Micro Key Solutions’ Millennium Series™ monitoring software.
When Tom Sansone Sr. founded Clifton, N.J.-based T&R Alarm Systems Inc. in 1971 along with his friend Ray (the name T&R comes from “Tom and Ray,” though Sansone is now the sole owner and president of the company), he was looking to “make a few extra dollars installing burglar alarms on the side” of his job as a “telephone man.” In the years since — the company turns 40 in 2011 — T&R has expanded in size from the two-man team to employ 35 full-time employees working across New York and New Jersey.
Recently, SDM Magazine had the chance to speak with Keith Jentoft, president of Videofied, White Bear Lake, Minn., regarding the burglar alarm market for the SDM February cover story: “State of the Market: Alarm Systems.” Jentoft touched on many aspects of the alarm market, including what he describes as its “crown jewel” — alarm response. Here’s what he had to say:
ADT, Boca Raton, Fla., announced the expansion of its food defense strategy to help manufacturers protect food supplies as a response to new legislation that will require these manufacturers to develop or strengthen security and safety procedures.
iSecurity, a free online trade show and conference organized by SDM and Security magazines returns for a second year on March 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Attendees will have the chance to attend webinars, visit vendor booths, network and take part in Q&A sessions with presenters live from their computer screen, wherever they may be.
“Retailers were making use of a range of new policies, most introduced over the past two years and there are plans to develop most of these programs further in the next two years.” From the 2010 edition of the “Global Retail Theft Barometer.”
The industry finds itself at a tipping point in 2011, with major shifts in technology, end-user demands, competition, and maybe, just maybe, its long-standing 20 percent penetration rate.
As you are reading this article, odds are you have a mobile phone within reach. You might even be reading this article on a mobile device via SDM’s digital edition. Even if one is not in reach, you probably still have a mobile phone, making you one of five billion global mobile connections globally, according to the latest report by Wireless Intelligence.
Touchscreens and keypads give alarm systems their pizzazz! New advances include graphical interfaces, new ways to communicate and simplified installation.
Keypads and touchscreens can make or break an alarm system sale, and technology advances in this area are raising the bar, supporting a range of new capabilities — from more intuitive user interfaces to RFID communications.
Going it alone in business can be tough. Fortunately, security dealers have a wide range of programs available to them that can help support their business operations. One option is formal dealer programs, typically operated by companies that will purchase dealer accounts in exchange for getting all or part of the recurring monthly revenue from those accounts.
Davenport, Iowa-based security dealer, Per Mar Security, attributes much of its 57-year success to its employees. “Our mission is to be guardians of people, property and profits for life,” comments