We have a new look! This is the first issue introducing the redesign of both SDM and our twice-annual supplement, Monitoring Today.

Qognify, an advisor and technology solution provider for physical security and enterprise incident management, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire On-Net Surveillance Systems Inc. (OnSSI) and the OnSSI company, SeeTec GmbH.

Per Mar Security Services has acquired Barone and Polk Burnett Security Systems (PBSS) from Iverify, expanding its presence in Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Legrand, North and Central America (LNCA), announced that it has acquired Kenall, a manufacturer of innovative, energy efficient and sustainable specification grade lighting and control solutions for commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. 

A Capital One survey conducted at Honeywell Connect 2018 found that one third of security professionals believe that keeping up with the pace of technology presents the biggest business challenge in 2019. 

Registration is now open for ISC West, April 9-12, 2019, in Las Vegas. As the largest converged security event in the Americas, ISC West gives you the chance to network with over 30,000 physical, IT and public safety security professionals through forward thinking conference sessions and countless networking events. Plus, you have the opportunity to meet over 1,000 exhibitors and brands featuring the newest products revolutionizing the security industry.

Video management software (VMS) is evolving from a pure security solution into a tool that also provides insight on operations and more. This means more automation is coming into play, and the increased adoption of analytics has created a democratization within the marketplace.

Yesterday ACRE announced that it would be acquiring the Texas-based Open Options, a 20-year-old access control company that has been a Mercury Security partner since 1997. Its first acquisition since 2016, this move strengthens ACRE’s access control business and expands its product portfolio that already includes brands such as ComNet and ATC. 

Tech startup TrackTik Software Inc., developer of a security workforce management solution for the security guard space, has been awarded a 2018 SaaS Award by San Diego-based APPEALIE.

SplashData’s eighth annual list of Worst Passwords of the Year is here, and after evaluating more than 5 million passwords leaked on the Internet, the company found that computer users continue using the same predictable, easily guessable passwords.