It’s been bandied about for 30 years — just about as long as I’ve been in this industry — but it’s still a hot topic and I have yet to see a solid solution. Interoperability is a key issue that keeps coming up.

Last month I shared with you a story about an experience I had visiting a hotel and the impact it left on me. The experience provided me with an important perspective about what the “ultimate client experience” is and how companies who live it, can achieve it.

If we got a quarter for every time someone looked at us funny when we told them that Facebook was a perfect channel to use for generating B2B sales — we’d be at least thousandaires.

With every set of opportunities comes an often equally matched set of challenges. This is especially true for security integrators today, as both an active economy and a never-ending list of security concerns continue to stimulate sales — all bolstered by end users’ desire to apply security technology across multiple business functions.

Working closely with the security industry to serve the needs of children and communities in crisis, Mission 500 is pleased to announce the date for its third Service Trip to Ponce, Puerto Rico. The devastation from Hurricane Maria has left thousands of residents without electricity and basic supply of clean water and food. This year’s trip is scheduled for October 31 through November 4, 2018, where volunteers will work with local partners to help families in need.

The security industry looks to the SDM 100 — a group of the 100 largest security companies ranked by their recurring monthly revenue (RMR) — as a wellspring of industry trends and operational best practices. So, which manufacturers and distributors are behind the SDM 100, supporting them with the products, solutions and services that help make them successful?

An awards program from the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, sponsored by SDM, recognizes excellence in system integration at sporting venues. These are the 2018 finalists.

The Senate passed a defense spending bill June 18 that does not include a ban on certain Chinese camera manufacturers, including Hikvision and Dahua, as the House version did; however, a final bill will have to be passed by both chambers reconciling the two bills and then signed by President Trump. Whether this final bill includes the Chinese camera ban remains to be seen.  

NSCA, a not-for-profit association representing the commercial low-voltage electronic systems industry, released updated Labor Installation Standard guidelines for 2018, providing information that systems integrators can use to accurately estimate labor units — the biggest factor impacting project profitability.

August Home Inc,  a provider of smart and secure front door solutions, announced a partnership with Alarm.com to strengthen the security of the front door. By integrating the August Smart Lock Pro into the Alarm.com platform, homeowners with smart home security systems powered by Alarm.com will be able to remotely control access to the front door, manage their security system and connect to multiple devices around the home with a single tap on the Alarm.com app.