A newly formed subcommittee of the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC) is already hard at work to develop a nationally recognized monitoring license.
Pinnacle Security, Orem, Utah, announced the completion of a project in partnership with Habitat for Humanity in Pinnacle’s home-base city of Orem Utah.
The broadcaster of 30 Rock and Days of Our Lives is now offering home security. Just since last October, Xfinity from Comcast, which also owns NBC Universal, rolled out home security and monitoring; ADT, the world’s biggest home security firm, introduced a multi-level lifestyle monitoring and control service; Verizon, one of the largest U.S. communications companies, with a recent iPhone deal and a cloud computing acquisition in hand, has its own home monitoring experiment in motion; APX Alarm Security Solutions Inc., Provo, Utah, the fifth-largest alarm monitoring company on the SDM 100, rebranded as Vivint™ and launched new products turning its focus from alarm monitoring to a focus on whole home automation and monitoring (see page 149 for more on APX’s rebrand as Vivint™). And that’s not an all-inclusive list.
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. This offer, which began Jan. 1, 2011, is open to non-CSAA members, and will be in effect for proprietary and commercial central stations throughout the United States and Canada throughout the rest of 2011.
A drafted bill in the state of New York has garnered much attention and zealous opinions from the alarm industry in the past few months. Article 6-E was developed by a committee of volunteers from the New York Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NYBFAA) and would require all central stations to become licensed in the state in order to provide monitoring services. The licensing application would require fingerprinting of all operators and central station staff, a provision for potential State-required competency examinations and continued training among others.
The Boston Police Department has adopted a new policy in its public safety answering point (PSAP) that gives dispatch priority to video intrusion alarms. A security industry group including representatives from Stanley CSS, ASG Security, American Alarm, Wayne Alarm Systems and Videofied has been campaigning for PSAPs to implement formal procedures to deal with alarm events where video that confirms a probable crime in progress is present. Boston is the first large city to formally implement such a policy.
A new bill concerning fire alarm installation, monitoring and maintenance was proposed by the House of Representatives during the Illinois 97th General Assembly on Feb. 9, 2011. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Donald L. Moffitt, was moved from the Rules Committee to the Executive Committee on Feb. 15, bringing it one step closer to becoming law.
Some security dealers and platform providers are reluctant to share details about pricing and margins, but most of those interviewed for this article were willing to discuss the subject in broad terms.
Advances in surveillance video equipment and widespread availability of broadband connectivity such as DSL and cable modems have made possible a range of video monitoring options. How do these options impact a dealer’s operations? What is required to support them? How should they be priced? And how profitable are they?
MIC Cameras from Bosch Security Systems Inc., Fairport, N.Y., were selected to feed a Coastal Remote Monitoring Program for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division. Chosen for the cameras’ ability to withstand wet conditions, high temperatures and corrosive salt water, the MIC 400 and MIC 412 Thermal Series capture high-quality images in extremely tough environments along Alabama’s 200 miles of coastline.
Once again in 2011, the security industry will come together at ISC West in Las Vegas to learn about must-see developments and acquire tools to better their businesses. ISC will offer educational sessions April 5, 6 and 7 presenting technology panels, executive forums, PSA-led education and several education tracks including end-user – physical security, central station, access control and hosted security.