Bill Hobbs

When technology performs a required task effectively, there is little reason to upgrade to the ‘next big thing’. In this regard, the physical security market is notoriously slow to change. Much of yesterday’s most robust and dependable equipment is still in place at thousands of customer sites, still performing as well as the day it was installed. However, there comes a point when any technology becomes outdated. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Which security technologies are becoming outdated or obsolete?

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) make huge contributions to the economy overall. Considered individually, they may not be as large as companies in the enterprise market, but they have big requirements when it comes to security. SMBs also present unique challenges to security manufacturers and integrators seeking to serve their needs. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security challenges of protecting small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)?

One impact of Chinese companies entering the physical security market has been an erosion in product pricing, creating what has been called the "race to the bottom." However, political forces and cybersecurity concerns have presented new challenges for Chinese companies. Adding cybersecurity increases costs, and the addition of more functionality to edge devices is another trend that has impacted product pricing. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: Has price erosion ended (or slowed down) in the security market? 

The manufacturers behind today’s security technologies are a varied bunch. There are large manufacturers with deep pockets and plenty of resources. And there are smaller manufacturers who are nimble, can react faster to changing market conditions and to whom each customer represents a hard-fought win. There are also plenty of manufacturers in the middle ground. But what impact does the size of a company have on the quality of its products? We took the question to this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Is there a correlation between the size of a manufacturer and the quality of its products – for better or worse?

How much does a security system cost? We all know that total costs associated with systems are substantially higher than the “price tag.” There are many elements, tangible and intangible, that contribute to the costs of owning and operating a system. Taking a broad view and finding ways to measure these additional costs enables integrators and users to get the most value from a system at the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO). However, measuring TCO can be easier said than done. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable to share the benefit of their collective expertise on the subject. Specifically, we asked: How should integrators and/or end users measure total cost of ownership (TCO) when quantifying the value of security systems?

In tidying up after a year of Expert Panel Roundtable questions and answers, we came across some previously unpublished responses from our panel. These interesting responses address some of the hottest topics in the industry, from robots and deep learning to the “race to the bottom.” Taken together, the varied comments offer their own range of insights into the evolving physical security market. This week, we highlight some of these assorted Expert Panellist comments submitted over the last several months.

Remarkable changes are happening in the video camera market for surveillance applications, including the emergence of lower-priced products that offer features that previously were only available at a much higher price point. Deflating prices of cameras are sometimes referred to as a “race to the bottom” – foreshadowing a market of low-cost cameras that all provide similar features. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable to comment on camera pricing trends and how customers can continue to find real value in the changing environment. Specifically, we posited: Lower-cost cameras have more features than ever. Why should a customer continue to buy “premium” cameras?

As the new school term begins, awareness of security at all levels of educational institutions is higher than ever. Technology plays an important role in protecting educational facilities and their students, faculty, staff and visitors. Specific security challenges drive which technologies and other measures are used, and those challenges are evolving, along with the dynamic institutions security is tasked with protecting. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security challenges for schools and colleges?

We in the physical security market tend to watch closely how the buying decision is made. If anything, the buying process has become more complex in recent years. We have seen the impact of security systems extending beyond the core security department, and with greater impact come more stakeholders. “Buying by committee” is more the rule than the exception, and the committee is getting rather large in some situations. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Who should be “in the room” when decisions are being made about physical security systems?

More cameras today are providing more video than ever, but how much of the video is available when and how it is needed? The question often comes up when law enforcement entities are seeking to access video from private systems to help solve a crime. There are many more private video systems than public systems, but is the video available when needed? And what about privacy: In what situations is it acceptable to share private video for the public good? We took these questions to this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable. Specifically, we asked: When does it make sense to share video from private video surveillance systems with citywide systems? What are the technical and/or privacy hurdles to sharing video more widely?

When technology performs a required task effectively, there is little reason to upgrade to the ‘next big thing’. In this regard, the physical security market is notoriously slow to change. Much of yesterday’s most robust and dependable equipment is still in place at thousands of customer sites, still performing as well as the day it was installed. However, there comes a point when any technology becomes outdated. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Which security technologies are becoming outdated or obsolete?

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) make huge contributions to the economy overall. Considered individually, they may not be as large as companies in the enterprise market, but they have big requirements when it comes to security. SMBs also present unique challenges to security manufacturers and integrators seeking to serve their needs. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security challenges of protecting small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)?

3xLOGIC, Inc., a renowned provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, announced new staff appointments as the company continues to expand despite a year filled with many challenges. These staff appointments are in North America, but growth continues apace in all markets with the company recently announcing the launch of the VIGIL video line of solutions throughout EMEA. David Galante is the new Senior Director of Global Product Management, he and his team manage the product roadmap for Sonitrol, PAC & GDX, and 3xLOGIC. These organizations deliver intrusion detection solutions for customers around the globe, and his team is responding to the growing customer demand for cloud-based solutions and compelling cellphone experiences. Software development experience David has 18 years of product management and software development experience from past roles at Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent, ExactTarget, Salesforce and Oracle. Chinnette Cannida joins the team as the Senior Product Marketing Manager for North America. Chinnette will drive the go-to-market strategy and experience for the company’s evolving security solutions Chinnette is a skilled marketing communications professional with 18 years of experience successfully planning and executing results-yielding campaigns focused on driving revenue, increasing awareness, building relationships and greater customer engagement and satisfaction. In her new role, Chinnette will be responsible for driving the go-to-market strategy and experience for the company’s rapidly evolving security solutions and products. Marketing communications campaigns Prior to joining the company, Chinnette enjoyed a career of driving marketing communications campaigns for a diverse mix of companies including NCR, American Cancer Society and Ketchum Public Relations. Brian Rumohr is the new Regional Sales Manager for 3xLOGIC in Western Canada. Brian has been in the security industry for 35 years, starting off as a bench technician before moving into a sales role. With experience in distribution, in the field as an integrator, and as a Manufacturer’s Representative, he has watched the industry grow from many angles. Emerging IoT/Cloud platforms Prior to joining 3xLOGIC, Brian spent time “behind the curtain” with a National Alarm Monitoring center, looking after dealer development and support giving him invaluable insight into the importance of service delivery and recurring revenue growth opportunities to dealers. Brian is based in the Vancouver, British Columbia area. Bill Davis is the 3xLOGIC Regional Sales Manager for the Mid-Atlantic region. Bill is an industry veteran with 20 years Security Industry and IT selling experience working with the system integrator and the end user. As a long-time technology enthusiast and early adopter, he’s skilled at bridging the gap between traditional client/server-focused organizations and the emerging IoT/Cloud platforms that are seeing rapid adoption today. Perspective on physical security Even in the midst of a global pandemic the future has never been brighter for this business" “Even in the midst of a global pandemic the future has never been brighter for this business,” commented Bill Hobbs, Global VP of Sales. “Our Engineering team has stepped outside the boundaries of what has always been, and they’ve innovated new and exciting solutions that we’ll be offering our markets starting in early 2021." "With these innovations and the agility of our Product, Sales, and Marketing teams, 3xLOGIC is positioned in exactly the right place at the right time with exactly the right products to bring a new perspective on physical security and Business Intelligence to our customers. These additions to our team reflect our confidence in the future and our commitment to constantly innovate and expand.” Testing square footage The addition of these four new staff members caps what has been an unprecedented but quite successful year for the team. Earlier in the year, the company announced its move to a new, larger office space and an increase in manufacturing and testing square footage. The new offices include expanded training capacity and a Solutions Center for both end users and integrator partners, among other improvements.

PAC & GDX has announced the appointment of Bill Hobbs as the global head of its sales organization. As Global Vice President of Sales for 3xLOGIC and PACOM, Bill adds PAC & GDX to his portfolio and will now consolidate sales leadership for these brands across all countries.  Bill’s career spans more than 35 years in the Systems Integration and Physical Security industries. Initially a software developer and systems engineer, Bill has built multiple systems integration businesses over his career and, for the past 20 years, he has led technical sales teams across a variety of industry organizations. PAC And GDX sales  “As we continue to evolve our businesses, the number one goal remains to provide the best solutions and customer experience across all our brands. I am very pleased to be able to add the strength of the PAC & GDX sales teams to my global sales organization. This consolidation will expand our capability to provide a fully layered approach to securing our customers’ estates and optimizing their businesses”, said Bill.  Jason Sullivan has been appointed to the position as National Sales Manager for PAC & GDX for the UK and Ireland and will report directly to Bill.  Jason said: “Over the next few months we will continue to introduce the 3xLOGIC product line into the UKI and EMEA regions and the addition of the PAC & GDX sales team under Bill’s organization will further our efforts to accelerate this product introduction”.

3xLOGIC, Inc., global provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, and a three-time Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, announced that the company has added to its growing North American sales network, along with other personnel moves at its umbrella company, Stanley Products and Solutions (SPS). The company added two new RSMs to further penetrate key markets in the Pacific NW as well as the Mid-Atlantic regions and appointed a new Marketing Manager for the PACOM brand of products. 3xLOGIC Adds Security Expert 3xLOGIC welcomes Joel Dombovy as a Regional Sales Manager (RSM) in the Northwest 3xLOGIC welcomes Joel Dombovy as a Regional Sales Manager (RSM) in the Northwest. Joel comes to the company with 14 years of security industry experience, working with companies such as Interlogix, GE Security, and Honeywell. John Saxen will support Joel as the Inside Sales Account Manager for the region. Jake Franklin takes over as RSM for the Mid-Atlantic. He joins the company from RF Technologies, a safety solutions company in healthcare where he was RSM for the Northeast. Prior to that, he worked as Critical Infrastructure Account Manager & Sales Representative at a security integration company. Jake’s passion for technology and previous security experience make him an excellent addition to 3xLOGIC’s powerful sales team. Bill Hobbs, Global VP of Sales for SPS, announced that both Joel and Jake will report to Jason Bryan, Director of Sales. PACOM Expands Marketing Team Jennifer Joyce is the new Marketing Manager for PACOM, sister company of 3xLOGIC, as the company continues to expand efforts in the North American to market the wide range of PACOM solutions that have found success all over the world. She brings more than 25 years of marketing and design experience to the team. Her global marketing experience began with Firestone Industrial Products and Jennifer most recently spent her time in digital marketing as Marketing Director for Orbis Education. She will report to Suzi Abell, Senior Director of Global Marketing, SPS. Gavin O’Keeffe has been promoted to Director of Product Management Elsewhere in the larger SPS organization Charlie Erickson has a new title reflecting his growing responsibilities—Chief Technology Officer. He continues to oversee Product Management as his team continues to expand. Reporting directly to Charlie, Michael Poe has been promoted to Director of Product Management. He will be leading the Video, Blue, DIY, and TRENDS products lines. Rick Walker will be aligned under Poe’s leadership.  New PAC, PACOM, infinias Head Also reporting to Charlie, Gavin O’Keeffe has been promoted to Director of Product Management, and he will be leading the PAC, PACOM, infinias, and Sonitrol product teams. We also welcome Darren Monroe, Product Manager for infinias to Gavin’s team. Darren will work in the 3xLOGIC office in Indianapolis and Gavin works out of the PACOM Australia office. Drew Alexander continues as Sr. Director of Program Management, and he will continue to add Program Managers to his team to facilitate a growing list of product launches and business initiatives.

3xLOGIC, Inc., a provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, and a three-time Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, announced continued expansion of the company’s staff to align with its new global growth strategy. As previously announced, 3xLOGIC, PACOM, and PAC/GDX have joined forces to build the strongest and most innovative security manufacturer in the industry. The businesses will continue to operate under their own branding as usual and will report to a global management team, as Stanley Products and Solutions (SPS), under the leadership of CEO Matthew Kushner. Jason Bryan has joined the company as the Director of Sales, North America. Jason will assume responsibility for field sales of 3xLOGIC and PACOM products in the US and 3xLOGIC’s expanded regional sales team will report to him. Jason has worked for parent company Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) almost since graduation from Purdue University and most recently has been managing a large part of the Sonitrol business in Indianapolis. Jason brings a wealth of knowledge to the team about the Security industry in general. In-depth product knowledge Andrew is working with his base of Sales Engineers to enhance the SE organization and its ability to support the sales teamAndrew Griffith has joined 3xLOGIC as the Global Director of Sales Engineering. Andrew worked for sister company, PACOM, for 16 years. He brings an in-depth knowledge of the PACOM product and has a long history of managing a global technical team. Andrew is working with his base of Sales Engineers to enhance the SE organization and its ability to support the sales team. Andrew is also recruiting personnel to expand the SE organization globally. 3xLOGIC is quickly moving to a global organizational structure and that expansion requires building out the company’s leadership team in various regions to properly support the sales and support functions. To that end, 3xLOGIC has introduced the role of Country Manager in each region where the company is now operating. Currently, Erik Boudier (France and MEA) and Neil Goward (UK and Baltics) will also report to Andrew Griffith as Country Managers in their respective regions. In the near future, additional leaders will be announced in other key regions. Country Managers are responsible for the smooth operation of the business in that region, as well as providing the top-tier product and customer support our partners and end users have come to expect. Managing electronic security business in LATAM Cesar will remain active in his 3xLOGIC Key Account position, supporting the Stanley Global electronic security business Cesar Gonzalez will assume management of the LATAM region for both PACOM and 3xLOGIC. Cesar will remain active in his 3xLOGIC Key Account position, supporting the Stanley Global electronic security business and the company will provide additional support to him in his expanded role. The existing LATAM team in Mexico and Colombia will report directly to Cesar. Additional Regional Sales Managers and other staff to expand the global sales team will be announced over the coming weeks.  “These are exciting times in the SPS business and new opportunities will continue to multiply. We are perfectly positioned to continue our explosive growth in 2019, and I am proud to be a part of this team,” said Bill Hobbs, VP of Sales. Expanding to best serve partners and customers Hobbs further stated “As we continue to integrate the 3xLOGIC, PACOM, and PAC businesses under the SPS umbrella, the entire sales team will be well positioned to represent our expanded global product line and presence. We will maintain our product Subject Matter Experts in the support roles in the business and continue to look for ways to expand to best serve our partners and their customers. “Our number one goal is to provide customers and partners with the best solutions and support for the security issues we face today—today’s announcement and coming personnel additions will enable us to meet and exceed that goal.”

3xLOGIC, Inc., a provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, and a three-time Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, announces immediate availability for the company’s new VIGIL Client Lite software for Mac users. 3xLOGIC’s newest software offering fulfills customer requests to produce a lite version of VIGIL Client for Mac users that provides the basic functionality of the PC version of VIGIL Client. “This application opens up a yet untapped segment of our customer base who use Apple products, particularly in the education vertical,” said Michael Poe, 3xLOGIC Product Manager. 3xLOGIC PC-Based VIGIL Client Features VIGIL Central Management (VCM) Support – VCM users can easily populate and load managed VIGIL Servers VIGIL Client Lite for Mac supports many of the features of the 3xLOGIC PC-based VIGIL Client, including: View live streams for up to 36 cameras across multiple VIGIL servers Use VIGIL Connect or Direct IP to connect to multiple VIGIL servers or standalone cameras Digital Pan, Tilt, and Zoom support through the Live View window Instant playback to quickly view the last 5 minutes of video Search playback based on date and time Export Jpeg snapshots or MP4 videos Smart Search support VIGIL Central Management (VCM) Support – VCM users can easily populate and load managed VIGIL Servers Significant Performance Boost Running VIGIL Client Lite natively on the Mac OS should be a significant performance boost while maintaining the look and feel “This is an important addition to our software library,” commented Bills Hobbs, National Director of Sales for 3xLOGIC. “The education vertical market is large and growing, we’ve had good success with education customers, and now we’re set to gain even more education market share by supporting popular Apple technology.” Running VIGIL Client Lite natively on the Mac OS should be a significant performance boost while maintaining the look and feel Apple users have always enjoyed, thus bringing the power and flexibility Windows users have had to the Mac user as well. Version 1.0 of the Mac Client provides the building blocks of future versions that will offer additional functionality as the software evolves.

3xLOGIC, a provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, announced a newly-expanded Certified Partner Program for new dealers all the way up to existing National Account partners. The program will be offered to current and potential partners via their 3xLOGIC Regional Sales Manager, and it will continue to evolve with new benefits added over time. Five Tiers Of New Program The new Certified Partner Program (CPP) is comprised of five tiers: Tier 1-Authorized 3xLOGIC product re-sellers; Tier 2-Silver Partners; Tier 3-Gold Partners; Tier 4-Distributors; and Tier 5-National Accounts. There are different levels of features and benefits for each tier in categories including product discount levels, lead sharing, exposure on the 3xLOGIC website, training, support, discounts on demo kits, discounts on hosted infinias accounts, and marketing co-op funds. All existing 3xLOGIC dealers will be reviewed and those who meet the CPP criteria will be invited to participate in the program. Any new dealer who meets the criteria and has been vetted by 3xLOGIC management will be considered for inclusion in the program. All partners can move up or down a level depending on their purchase history and the level of certified training their organization attains. New Model For Success “Our newly-revamped program offers many unique features to enhance our partner’s business success. In addition to offering the best security solutions on the market, our partners will reap benefits such as additional product discounts, lead sharing, and cooperative marketing efforts,” said Matt Kushner, 3xLOGIC CEO. "This updated partner program reflects 3xLOGIC’s commitment to close partnerships with our company’s channel,” commented Bill Hobbs, 3xLOGIC Senior Director of Sales. “Partnerships require mutual investment by both parties and this expanded program rewards our channel partners for their investment in 3xLOGIC. Unlike other partner programs in the industry, our CPP takes a more holistic view of the manufacturer-dealer relationship and 3xLOGIC’s partners will definitely be able to improve and grow their businesses with the incentives and rewards from this program.” The new 3xLOGIC Certified Partner Program was launched on 15 December 2017.

3xLOGIC, Inc., a provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, has announced that the infinias Google and Microsoft Outlook Calendar integration everyone knows and loves is now available in infinias CLOUD. Users can create exception schedules for their doors simply by booking a calendar invitation in Google or Outlook calendar. Calendar Integration requires no user training, so approved staff can easily modify open and close door schedules to accommodate evolving needs and last-minute changes. Schedule modifications can also be managed directly from their mobile device. infinias Access Control infinias access control solutions by 3xLOGIC have been market tested and trusted for years. Whether leveraging cloud or server-based options, 3xLOGIC’s infinias access control offers cost-effective security solutions that are easy to manage, simple to install, and that scale with the user’s changing needs. Creating and managing schedules, and all the exceptions for those schedules, are notoriously one of the most complex tasks within access control applications, particularly for schools and churches. For example, schools often need to create exception schedules or schedule overrides for PTO meetings, sports events, or extra-curricular events. Churches or other groups that rent out their buildings must accommodate last minute additions and changes to their meeting schedules. Business owners and building managers need to modify door schedules to accommodate meeting room use, access to public spaces, and other unforeseen schedule changes. Automated Scheduling Capability Creating and managing schedules is notoriouslyone of the most complex tasks within access control applications “This automated scheduling capability is critical for the access control market,” said Bill Hobbs, 3xLOGIC Senior Director of Sales. “Access Control users often have schedule interruptions, changes, and one-time events. If the access control system is to be used properly, someone has to program all these exceptions, and with standard access control systems, this has to be done via the software GUI which requires training in the use of the access control software, thus introducing the chance for costly, even dangerous errors. 3xLOGIC’s Calendar Integration feature has eliminated the need for additional training and put this ad-hoc scheduling capability into tools that our customers are comfortable with and using every day.” With infinias Calendar Integration, there is no need to access the infinias software. Authorized users simply create an event in their Outlook or Google calendar with a beginning and ending date/time, invite the door or zone as a resource, and infinias takes care of all the scheduling work in the background. There’s no room for error, no reason to learn new software, and no specialized training or staff required. Mobile Access Infinias users can also use this feature to initiate actions such as sending a text or eMail meeting reminder to those who need to be at the location, unlock the associated doors, and turn on the lights, all from a single calendar event. Everyone knows how to use their calendar and these exceptions can be programmed right from a mobile device as well. Mobile access means that when that one-time event needs to be scheduled after hours, an authorized user can do it right from the comfort of their home. Infinias CLOUD offers advantages for the end user, but the integrator benefits too—the system is easy to install and with little or no training needed, the integrator’s satisfied customer is up and running and effectively using the calendar integration in no time. This software solution is available now via infinias CLOUD.