Heather Klotz-Young

There's a Spider on Your Right Arm

November 17, 2011

I was watching this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd96Jc1UWjA, on a "big box store,"a.k.a. Best Buy's Geek Squad, approach to home automation. It brought a few wiry smiles to my face.

The Looming Effect of Thailand's Flooding on YOU

Heather Klotz-Young

November 14, 2011

How many people are up to date on the intense flooding in Thailand? If you aren't, you probably soon willbe, especially if you have any connection to products requiring a hard drive.

‘Check’-ing in on Notifications

Putting alarm and non-alarm notifications in the hands of end users — anytime, anywhere — adds value and raises questions.

Heather Klotz-Young

November 1, 2011

Click, click, click. Today’s new alarm systems let customers in both residential and commercial settings use a simple click of a mouse to select notifications to be sent to them via texts, emails or phone calls. In addition to receiving alarm event notifications, they also can choose from an ever-growing list of non-alarm notifications.

Think Pink

Heather Klotz-Young

October 24, 2011

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), and pink is popping up everywhere: on my TV screen, being worn by rough and tough NFL players; at the airport with wildly decorated gates draped in pink (at leastthe American Airlines gates at LAX); and even at industry trade shows thanks to security industry companies like Datacard Group, Minnetonka, Minn., a provider of secure ID and card personalization solutions.

The Business Intelligence Value-Add

There is a never-ending stream of data being collected by security systems across the world. Extracting business intelligence from that data is showing growing potential — adding value to security systems.

Heather Klotz-Young

October 12, 2011

Think of the countless access control systems around the globe recording every entry and exit; the innumerable cameras silently collecting video; the point of sale systems recording billions of transactions. There is a flow of raw data constantly streaming from them all. That non-stop data collected from security systems can be converted into information, including business intelligence.

Profound Impact

Heather Klotz-Young

September 15, 2011

I just completed the October cover story for SDM Magazine on “Security’s Business Intelligence Advantage.” While interviewing both suppliers and integrators, one common theme was the undeniable technology push prompted by 9/11. One technology, video analytics, saw heavy development after 9/11, with the promise of delivering such services such as terrorist facial recognition, abnormal behavior, and bomb detection.

Elevating RMR’s Potential

Even in a tight economy, RMR opportunities continue to grow. Some may surprise you, while others are new twists on existing opportunities. The overall consensus? RMR opportunities can be found everywhere.

Heather Klotz-Young

September 14, 2011

It is time to abbreviate the abbreviation. For decades, the security industry has strongly associated recurring monthly revenue (RMR) with monitoring, namely alarm monitoring. The connection is so strong to alarm monitoring that some define RMR as recurring monitoring revenue. Whether the “M” stands for monthly or monitoring one could almost argue for removing the long-standing connotation by taking the letter out — shortening RMR to recurring revenue (RR). Indeed, a broader application of RMR opportunities in both the residential and commercial sectors, combined with increasing technological capabilities and admirable industry creativity is enabling dealers and integrators to gain RMR via multiple forms that stretch far beyond monitoring and alarms.

(Way) Beyond the Burglar Alarm

For nearly 10 years, AiN Group — Managing Partner of GE Home Technologies — has gone way beyond the burglar alarm and focused to provide complete electronic low-voltage solutions for developers, home builders and consumers throughout the United States.

Heather Klotz-Young

September 14, 2011

Last year at CEDIA, less than 24 hours after having landed in Atlanta to attend AiN Group’s annual Live and Learn Convention for the first time, I was posing in front of an Orange County Chopper motorcycle and listening to AiN Group’s own house band, Cat 5 and the Integrators absolutely rock out the Hard Rock Café Atlanta on a Thursday night.

Relationship-Focused SecurityXchange Reaches 10th Anniversary, Adds End Users to Event

Heather Klotz-Young

August 25, 2011

SecurityXchange has come a long way since it was founded shortly after 9/11. Every year the event gathers together integrators and manufacturers for targeted meetings focused on relationships, both establishing new ones and fortifying existing relationships, as well as finding new technology solutions. This year, more than 325 scheduled meetings occurred during the event — in addition to the impromptu meetings over lunch, dinner and drinks.

Ambitious Goals = Satisfaction

Heather Klotz-Young

August 24, 2011

An interesting poll result crossed my desk today, and I thought I'd share. We've all heard the quotation that says: "Aim for the moon, because even if you miss you'll be among the stars."