Security Integrators

Arcules, innovators in integrated video and access control cloud services, announces the appointment of Bruce Nisbet as Senior Director of Sales. In this role, Nisbet will help guide the regional sales teams and develop strategic initiatives for expanding the reach of the company’s cloud-based services in key markets. With more than 30 years of security, video surveillance, sales and management experience, Nisbet has executed successful sales strategies and business development initiatives for solutions and services across the IP video surveillance, Internet of Things (IoT) and video management markets. Security and business optimization Bruce brings significant experience that will help expand the company’s channel program" Nisbet joins Arcules from Hanwha Techwin America, where he was instrumental in driving sales planning and management. His proven ability to manage diverse sales teams at 3VR, Schneider Electric and Pelco will be a valuable asset as Arcules expands the reach of cloud-based services across the industry. “Bruce brings significant experience that will help expand the company’s channel program and go-to-market strategy while leading our sales teams to create new opportunities for revenue,” said Nigel Waterton, Chief Revenue Officer, Arcules. “Arcules continues to focus efforts on the next phase of the company’s growth, and identifying the talent and vision needed for this endeavor is crucial to that goal. We look forward to the impact Bruce will have on Arcules’ ability to address evolving customer needs for security and business optimization.” Growing list of customers With significant growth in customer deployments around the world, such as the recent announcement of its work with WeWork, Arcules has also made several additions to its regional sales and product management teams, designed to expand engineering, sales and service capabilities to its growing list of customers and integrator partners. Before joining Arcules, Prakash held the roles of Vice President of Product and Director Morgan Prakash has been named Director of Product Management and is responsible for overseeing the company’s product development and coordinating the activities of the marketing, sales and customer support teams for product launches and updates. Before joining Arcules, Prakash held the roles of Vice President of Product and Director of Product Strategy for Raintree Systems and was Senior Product Manager for Kareo. Addition of strategic product management Arcules also boosted its sales team with the addition of four regional sales managers who have extensive experience in security and IT markets: Julie McGregor, Northwest; Tom Buettgen, Midwest; Emmett Rooney, Southeast; Breanne Menees, Southwest; and Nick Gega, New York City/Northeast. Additionally, Aaron Newman was promoted from sales engineer to regional sales manager, East. “As Arcules works to educate the market on the benefits that the cloud provides to enterprises and provide an alternative to costly on-premise-only solutions, the addition of strategic product management and sales team members helps us to achieve this goal,” said Andreas Pettersson, CEO, Arcules. “We are eager to have the opportunity to leverage the years of experience that our sales team brings to the organization as we look toward providing our cloud services to more global companies. Building a smarter, more secure world through the delivery of cloud services is our primary goal.”

With decades of combined security industry leadership and experience, new Sage Integration brings a client-centric approach to protecting the people, facilities and reputation of enterprise customers nationwide. Sage combines the proven capabilities of AYSCO Security Consultants and DTS Security, two regional security powerhouses, with the resources and commitment of Talisman Capital, one of the country’s most recognized equity partners. “Our leadership team and strong financial backing will enable us to create a truly national footprint through both organic growth and acquisitions of other leading regional security integrators,” said Eric Frasier, Chief Executive Officer, Sage Integration. “As we grow Sage, we are only looking for the right partners. There must be a cultural fit which means leadership needs to be as passionate about exceeding customer expectations and empowering employees as we are.” Transform customer experience Joining Sage as its Chief Operating Officer is 30-year security veteran John Nemerofsky. He said Sage has the right blend of leadership and the new ideas to make long-needed changes to the way the security integrators conduct business. And by being onsite, Sage employees are ready to solve potential problems – often before they occur “I made a strategic decision to join SAGE because the vision was clear to me; transform the customer experience by empowering employees like never before,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of changes in this industry, but nothing compares to the transformation that we need today. We are building SAGE to lead that transformation.” Automatic bomb detection One change already begun by Sage’s founding companies includes embedding up to 40% of its employees within the organizations of premier clients. Nemerofsky said that helps employees equally share a client’s commitment to risk management. And by being onsite, Sage employees are ready to solve potential problems – often before they occur. He said Sage’s financial strength will enable it to attract and keep experienced employees, maintain top-tier relationships with suppliers and invest in enterprise-grade technology to track projects, measure effectiveness, respond to emergencies and improve efficiency. New technologies such as drones, automatic bomb detection and facial recognition used to identify “not just the bad guys, but also visiting VIPs.” Nemerofsky said. Highly risk-exposed facilities Kent, Ohio-based Aysco Technology Integration was founded in 1988 by Rod Bragg, now Director of Operations for Sage. The integrator’s a decades-long specialization in the utility industry immediately establishes Sage as a leader in the protection of complex, highly risk-exposed facilities. Aysco acquired Atlanta-based DTS Security in 2019 Bragg said prior to being acquired by Sage he knew his customers required a forward-thinking approach to security, but he needed more support to grow and provide those innovative and upgraded services. “I wanted a second act I could be proud of,” he said. “Selling to Sage allowed me to continue my leadership in this industry and partner with the kind of resources that would make all the difference,” he said. Entry management solutions Aysco acquired Atlanta-based DTS Security in 2019. Former DTS president Rick Leighton, now Sage’s Director of Sales, built a track record for providing entry management solutions for Fortune 100 headquarters. Matt Bennet, Managing Partner, Talisman Capital and a Sage board member, said his group looks at an organization’s leadership before forming long-term partnerships. “When the opportunity arose to partner with the entrepreneurial minds behind Sage, our choice was an easy one,” he said. “You want to join a ship that intends to be a leader – a group that’s going to set the trends for the next 10 to 15 years. I firmly believe Sage is that team.”

Pedestal PRO, the manufacturer for access control pedestals, in cooperation with Aiphone, the international manufacturer of intercom and security communication products, has introduced a freestanding entry station tower for use with Aiphone’s multi-tenant GT Series.   Pedestal PRO’s 64TOW-AIP-001-304 is a beautiful, low-profile, brushed stainless steel tower designed to accommodate the Aiphone GT-DMBN-SSP Video Entry Station component.   Its modern shape, featuring a tapered top and mirror-finished corners, complements the public face of premium real estate while providing a turn-key mounting option for use in decorative entryways, glass lobbies or anywhere that wall mounting is not desirable or possible.   Stainless steel construction  Security integrators will appreciate the tower’s hassle-free installation It is also suitable for outdoor use; its #304 stainless steel construction is rust-resistant, and can withstand Category 5 hurricane force winds. The tower’s one-piece design and ¼ inch thick base plate holds steady regardless of use and abuse. Custom powder-coating, as well as custom tower heights, are available upon request.  The mounting flexibility, durability and attractive appearance of the 64TOW-AIP-001-304 offers property management firms with an easy and affordable way to standardize installation of Aiphone GT Entry Stations across their entire property.   Security integrators will appreciate the tower’s hassle-free installation. Dimensions and mounting holes align perfectly with Aiphone’s GT-DMBN-SSP. An optional bolt kit is also available from Pedestal PRO.  GT-Series Video Guard Stations  For other Aiphone devices, including GT-Series Video Guard Stations and Tenant Stations, as well as Entry Stations that require creative mounting options, the Pedestal PRO custom design team will create project-specific drawings and configure pedestal solutions at no extra charge.   The Pedestal PRO custom design team will create project-specific drawing Standard models can ship as quickly as 24 hours; custom orders require just 12-15 business days. A direct link to order the Pedestal PRO Model #64TOW-AIP-001-304 towers is provided on Pedestal PRO’s website.  Tower mounting option  “We are thrilled to partner with Aiphone in offering a sleek and modern tower mounting option for its GT-Series video intercom. Security is a prime concern for multi-tenant property managers and their tenants, but it need not come at the expense of aesthetics.”  “As tenants and their guests pass through their property’s entry stations every day, our custom pedestals preserve the beauty and ambiance they so value,” said Pike Goss, CEO of Pedestal PRO.  “The Aiphone name is synonymous with quality; our products are known throughout the industry for their reliability and longevity,” said Brad Kamcheff, Marketing Manager of Aiphone. “We selected Pedestal Pro as our partner because their products match that quality. We are excited to see where this partnership leads.” 

Genetec Inc., a renowned technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions announced the immediate availability of its next-generation mobile license plate recognition system. The new AutoVu SharpZ3 goes beyond traditional license plate identification and brings new levels of insight in vehicle analytics, situational awareness, and accuracy. Mobile ANPR Ideally suited to meet the needs of parking managers who use mobile ANPR as part of their enforcement activities, the new SharpZ3 can help them track the types of vehicle (car, van, truck, bus, motorcycle) in parking lots or around the city, and analyze the evolution of the mix of vehicle types over time. SharpZ3 allows patrols to flag vehicles based on vehicle type and color For law enforcement officers who use mobile ANPR to aid investigations, the SharpZ3 allows patrols to flag vehicles based on vehicle type and color where no license plate was identified by a witness. Computer vision technology “Traditional ANPR systems solve traditional parking and law enforcement challenges, like finding vehicles of interest and parking violators,” said Stephan Kaiser, AutoVu General Manager at Genetec. “The SharpZ3 tackles emerging problems that are not served by current technology, helping customers gain new insights into the types of vehicles in their city and how their streets and curbs are used.” The AutoVu™ SharpZ3 is among the first specialized in-vehicle ANPR systems in the world to use Intel’s latest machine learning and computer vision technology to unlock new insights through innovative analytics. The AutoVu SharpZ3 system will not only be able to improve the accuracy of license plate reads in difficult environments (such as bad weather, heavy traffic, and fast speeds), but will also be able to record additional vehicle characteristics such as, vehicle type, color, and more, in real-time, and without requiring large amounts of bandwidth. ANPR-equipped vehicles With its modular design, SharpZ3 gives users the flexibility to add new functionalities over time Designed with a third optical sensor, the AutoVu SharpZ3 can accurately capture multiple plate designs in complex urban environments. These include flat, embossed, reflective and non-reflective license plates. The extra sensor will also allow more precise positioning of vehicle data on maps to provide more precise occupancy data than before. With its modular design, the SharpZ3 gives users the flexibility to add new functionalities over time. This reduces the complication and cost of hardware replacement. With future releases, the machine learning capabilities in the AutoVu SharpZ3 will enable a number of new potential applications such as enabling cities to use their ANPR-equipped vehicles to address other operational issues including detecting unpermitted road construction, discovering abandoned e-scooters or bikes in unauthorized zones, and more. Operations and intelligence solutions The AutoVu SharpZ3, and the complete portfolio of Genetec security, operations and intelligence solutions will be on display April 20-22, 2020 at Genetec Connect’DX (#GenetecConnectDX), the company’s three-day, live, virtual tradeshow.

Videonetics, an international provider of AI & DL powered Unified Video Computing Platform development company, has announced a distribution partnership with Spectra Innovations Pte Ltd, Singapore, to offer their complete array of products and solutions across the South East Asia and ASEAN region. Headquartered in Singapore, Spectra Innovations Pte Ltd has an established network of certified channel partners, system integrators, training and support specialists in South East Asia and ASEAN countries. Through this partnership, Spectra is all set to offer Videonetics AI & DL powered Unified Video Computing Platform encompasses Intelligent VMS, Artificial Intelligence & Deep Learning Video Analytics, Intelligent Traffic Management System and Facial Recognition Software. Video Analytics solutions We are pleased to enter into this value-added distribution relationship with Spectra" On the appointment, Avinash Trivedi, VP – Business Development, Videonetics expressed, “We are pleased to enter into this value-added distribution relationship with Spectra and introduce our indigenous offerings in the ever-growing markets of SEA and ASEAN region. As ranked amongst the top 5 VMS providers in Asia, Videonetics continues to increase focus and investment globally." "I am assured that Spectra’s remarkable management capabilities and extensive partner network, combined with Videonetics’s state-of-the-art solutions will cater to growing demand for truly unified solutions in different verticals such as safe & smart city, aviation, transportation, critical infrastructures, heavy engineering, healthcare, education and retail to name a few.” Affordable and deployable “Spectra is pleased to be appointed as a Regional Distributor of Videonetics. With the adoption of CCTV gaining acceptance beyond just surveillance into sectors such as garbage management under Smart City initiative, loss prevention applications in retail, logistics and warehouses, productivity improvements in factories to name a few, the need for VMS and Video Analytics solutions are becoming affordable and deployable in mass scale today” said Kanwal Sahney, Managing Director, Spectra Innovations Pte Ltd.

Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS), the global video wall and visual display providers, has expanded into a new HQ and demo facility in response to customer demand. The facility, close to the M65 near Burnley and in walking distance of the rail network, provides a larger, upgraded showcase for UVS and its technology partners’ integrated solutions. Security system integrators Since opening the new location last month, UVS has already had a record number of visitors, including police forces, security system integrators and video management solution manufacturers. UVS Managing Director Steve Murphy said: “People have been very keen to discuss integration to UVS video wall solutions and various end users have been looking to understand how video wall technology, or an upgrade to their existing systems, can assist them in their operations.” “The facility is available to all our manufacturing partners and system integration partners, and to their end clients, to enable us to provide independent, expert advice in a stress free, neutral and objective environment.” Integrated video management systems Technology which visitors can see in operation includes video wall solutions, displays, video wall controllers, control software, integrated VMS (video management systems for security applications) AV over IP and KVM remote access options. Professional Audio Visual and Digital Signage options are also on show for evaluation at the new facility, which is at the Business First Burnley Business Centre. UVS provides video wall displays and audio visual solutions to a range of clients across the UK and the rest of the world. It is led by four senior colleagues who, between them, have more than 70 years’ combined Audio Visual, Control Room and Visual Solutions experience. It has also opened a new London demonstration venue at Woburn Place, a short walk from Euston Station, to cope with increased demand for its technology.

How can security system integrators not just survive but thrive in today’s IT-led market? The key seems to be in training. As increasingly more clients look to integrate access control with IT environments, they want integrators with the specialist skills to achieve this. For integrators that don’t invest in training, the risk is being left behind. Because many security system integrators aren’t providing specialist IT support, manufacturers are now offering services to make implementations and integrations easier. This isn’t a scalable or desirable option for many manufacturers though, they don’t want to become integrators. The result? Manufacturers will be pushed into developing products that can be integrated with IT networks off the shelf. And this isn’t necessarily the best option for end user, manufacturer or integrator. With a growing number of cloud-based security solutions, integrators also face the threat of clients opting for installation-only services. How security system integrators can survive and thrive today It’s not all doom and gloom for security system integrators though. To avoid becoming redundant, or being downgraded to simple access control installers, there’s lots you can do to strengthen your position. Listen carefully Many integrators are reluctant to do this, but it’s a great way to demonstrate the depth of your experience One of the first ways you can distinguish yourself from your competitors is by really listening to what your clients want and need. You can then translate this into a security or access control application tailored carefully to them. Many integrators are reluctant to do this, but it’s a great way to demonstrate the depth of your experience and product knowledge. It’s far superior to carrying out a standard implementation, which can leave clients feeling they’ve not been listened to or given good value. Up your IT knowledge TCP/IP has become the standard for communication between devices and central server applications in access control and security in general. So every technician now needs to know how to connect IP devices to networks and configure them in the central application. This is only the tip of the iceberg though, there’s so much more that integrators now need to be proficient in when it comes to IT. From understanding a client’s WAN, LAN and VPN networks to back-up systems, encryption technologies, key management and transparent communication. It’s also important to know how to integrate applications at server level, whether you’re integrating two or more security systems or a HR database. Most integrators have begun to invest in one or two IT experts, but this usually isn’t enough to meet clients’ needs. To really stay ahead, it’s crucial to invest more heavily in IT training and expertise. Choose your portfolio carefully When considering your portfolio, ensure you check the background of each product’s manufacturer Ideally, your portfolio should be small but rich, which is more difficult than it sounds. Choosing products that will scale easily is complex, and you need to consider the potential for increased functionality or connectivity as well as scalability. When considering your portfolio, make sure you check the background and outlook of each product’s manufacturer. You don’t want to select items that are likely to be discontinued in the near future, which can often happen after a manufacturer is acquired, for example. Get in the cloud In the security market, the mid and low segments are already shifting to cloud-based solutions that need neither integration nor IT skills. This leaves you with opportunities for just installation and maintenance services, where profit opportunities are reduced. An alternative is to begin selling cloud-based security services yourself to help you attract and retain clients for the long-term. Give clients added commercial value As competition increases and budgets shrink, offering added value, to new and existing clients, is a vital way to differentiate your business. This will help you to not just defend against competitors but to grow your business and increase your profitability. Configuring access control reports for clients is just one example. It’s relatively straightforward to do but provides really valuable insight into visitor flow. This can then enable them to, for example, staff reception adequately and provide sufficient catering, which all improves the experience for visitors and employees. Providing this kind of consultative service, instantly pushes you up the value chain. Stay agile and well informed To survive and grow as a security system integrator today, the upshot is that it’s crucial to keep pace with the market’s ever-changing trends, technology and client needs. And, to make sure you’re ready to adapt and give clients the services they want, it’s vital to give your people the in-depth training they need.

Insider threat programs started with counter-espionage cases in the government. Today, insider threat programs have become a more common practice in all industries, as companies understand the risks associated with not having one. To build a program, you must first understand what an insider threat is. An insider threat is an employee, contractor, visitor or other insider who have been granted physical or logical access to a company that can cause extensive damage. Damage ranges from emotional or physical injury, to personnel, financial and reputational loss to data loss/manipulation or destruction of assets. Financial and confidential information While malicious insiders only make up 22% of the threats, they have the most impact on an organization Most threats are derived from the accidental insider. For example, it’s the person who is working on a competitive sales pitch on an airplane and is plugging in financial and confidential information. They are working hard, yet their company’s information is exposed to everyone around them. Another type of insider, the compromised insider, is the person who accidentally downloaded malware when clicking on a fake, urgent email, exposing their information. Malicious insiders cause the greatest concerns. These are the rogue employees who may feel threatened. They may turn violent or take action to damage the company. Or you have the criminal actor employees who are truly malicious and have been hired or bribed by another company to gather intel. Their goal is to gather data and assets to cause damage for a specific purpose. While malicious insiders only make up 22% of the threats, they have the most impact on an organization. They can cause brand and financial damage, along with physical and mental damage. Insider threat program Once you determine you need an insider threat program, you need to build a business case and support it with requirements. Depending on your industry, you can start with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, NERC CIP, PCI, etc. Talk to your regulator and get their input. Everyone needs to be onboard, understand the intricacies of enacting a program Next, get a top to bottom risk assessment to learn your organization’s risks. A risk assessment will help you prioritize your risks and provide recommendations about what you need to include in your program. Begin by meeting with senior leadership, including your CEO to discuss expectations. Creating an insider threat program will change the company culture, and the CEO must understand the gravity of his/her decision before moving forward. Everyone needs to be onboard, understand the intricacies of enacting a program and support it before its implemented. Determining the level of monitoring The size and complexity of your company will determine the type of program needed. One size does not fit all. It will determine what technologies are required and how much personnel is needed to execute the program. The company must determine what level of monitoring is needed to meet their goals. After the leadership team decides, form a steering committee that includes someone from legal, HR and IT. Other departments can join as necessary. This team sets up the structure, lays out the plan, determines the budget and what type of technologies are needed. For small companies, the best value is education. Educate your employees about the program, build the culture and promote awareness. Teach employees about the behaviors you are looking for and how to report them. Behavioral analysis software Every company is different and you need to determine what will gain employee support The steering committee will need to decide what is out of scope. Every company is different and you need to determine what will gain employee support. The tools put in place cannot monitor employee productivity (web surfing). That is out of scope and will disrupt the company culture. What technology does your organization need to detect insider threats? Organizations need software solutions that monitor, aggregate and analyze data to identify potential threats. Behavioral analysis software looks at patterns of behavior and identifies anomalies. Use business intelligence/data analytics solutions to solve this challenge. This solution learns the normal behavior of people and notifies security staff when behavior changes. This is done by setting a set risk score. Once the score crosses a determined threshold, an alert is triggered. Case and incident management tools Predictive analytics technology reviews behaviors and identifies sensitive areas of companies (pharmacies, server rooms) or files (HR, finance, development). If it sees anomalous behavior, it can predict behaviours. It can determine if someone is going to take data. It helps companies take steps to get ahead of bad behavior. If an employee sends hostile emails, they are picked up and an alert is triggered User sentiment detection software can work in real time. If an employee sends hostile emails, they are picked up and an alert is triggered. The SOC and HR are notified and security dispatched. Depending on how a company has this process set-up, it could potentially save lives. Now that your organization has all this data, how do you pull it together? Case and incident management tools can pool data points and create threat dashboards. Cyber detection system with access control An integrated security system is recommended to be successful. It will eliminate bubbles and share data to see real-time patterns. If HR, security and compliance departments are doing investigations, they can consolidate systems into the same tool to have better data aggregation. Companies can link their IT/cyber detection system with access control. Deploying a true, integrated, open system provides a better insider threat program. Big companies should invest in trained counterintelligence investigators to operate the program. They can help identify the sensitive areas, identify who the people are that have the most access to them, or are in a position to do the greatest amount of harm to the company and who to put mitigation plans around to protect them. They also run the investigations. Potential risky behavior Using the right technology along with thorough processes will result in a successful program You need to detect which individuals are interacting with information systems that pose the greatest potential risk. You need to rapidly and thoroughly understand the user’s potential risky behavior and the context around it. Context is important. You need to decide what to investigate and make it clear to employees. Otherwise you will create a negative culture at your company. Develop a security-aware culture. Involve the crowd. Get an app so if someone sees something they can say something. IT should not run the insider threat program. IT is the most privileged department in an organization. If something goes wrong with an IT person, they have the most ability to do harm and cover their tracks. They need to be an important partner, but don’t let them have ownership and don’t let their administrators have access. Educating your employees and creating a positive culture around an insider threat program takes time and patience. Using the right technology along with thorough processes will result in a successful program. It’s okay to start small and build.

The jury is in: traditional security is out — and it’s being replaced with service-based solutions. The bottom line is: if you’re not embracing it, you’ll soon be left behind. XaaS — the collective term referring to the delivery of anything as a service — includes all services made possible through the use of the cloud. Security-as-a-Service (SaaS), which encompasses any type of system from access control to video surveillance, has paved the way for users to gain significant functionality and scalability not previously experienced with more traditional methods. Complicated IT functions SaaS allows manufacturers to provide numerous benefits to their customers As such, there is a marked transition for manufacturers from simply designing and building products to providing a service rooted in a partner- and customer-centric focus. This change hasn’t come easily. Some are still holding out and waiting for the “fad” to pass. However, the potential advantages for all parties involved far outweigh the perceived negative points. First and foremost, SaaS allows manufacturers to provide numerous benefits to their customers. An “as-a-service” model shifts the burden of data maintenance and infrastructure spending to an integrator/dealer partner or service provider. This relieves the end user of the expertise necessary to implement complicated IT functions to keep networked and on-premise solutions up-to-date. Traditional security systems Additionally, end users demand solid customer service. For some end users, traditional security systems are so similar in features and functionality that the key differentiator is the ability of the integrator or manufacturer to provide exceptional customer service and training. This is made possible through the service-based model, where customers appreciate a strong relationship with their integrator or manufacturer that provides them with additional knowledge and assistance when necessary. The cloud has proven to be  highly functional, flexible, and convenient for organizations Everyone also wants convenience. In the consumer market, we invest in things like meals that are pre-measured, prepped, and ready to be cooked, or companies that auto-ship dog food to our door each month. This ease-of-use translates over to the B2B market, where time is money and systems that save valuable resources are highly regarded. The Role of the Cloud The cloud has proven to be a highly functional, flexible, and convenient method for organizations to leverage as part of their strategies to protect and modernize their facilities. And the service-based nature lends itself well; forward-thinking integrators and dealers can diversify their product arsenal while still capitalizing on a recurring monthly revenue model (RMR). But then why has there been so much resistance to this change? Over the last 10 to 15 years, the cloud has gotten a bad rap for a myriad of reasons, including usability, management, and unreliability. However, that view of the cloud is changing for the positive as the technology becomes more advanced and innovators learn more about what it means to design a product or service with security at its core. "As-a-service” platform For example, one of the biggest misconceptions that plagues the cloud is the idea that it is not secure. However, the security of public cloud service providers is integral to their success because their business depends on it. Developing an ongoing and trustworthy relationship with customers can only be made possible through the assurance that their services are safe and the customer’s data is protected. As such, they’ve embraced the service-based model that is, at its core, the future of the business world as we know it. There isn’t a person, manufacturer, or integrator partner out there today who isn’t somehow touched or influenced by an “as-a-service” platform. And it’s about time the service-based model that leverages the public cloud reaches the masses.

Kurt Takahashi, the new CEO of Pelco, says he will provide collaborative leadership to help build the Pelco team, work together hand-in-hand with team members, remove barriers and lead the company forward. He brings industry experience and relationships to the new post that will translate into new opportunities. Takahashi joins Pelco from AMAG Technology, where he served as President for the last couple of years. Earlier, he had stints at ADT, Tyco and Quantum Secure, where he was Global Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This was an opportunity to join a brand that has deep, rich and far-reaching history,” says Takahashi. “I couldn’t resist the opportunity to come into a company such as Pelco and be able to make a difference.” Improving the fundamentals Takahashi acknowledges that Pelco has slipped in the last 10 years from its position as a market-leading brand. To address the situation going forward, the company must “improve fundamental things,” he says. Those fundamentals include keeping the customer first, putting the right people in the right roles, and executing technical support well. Keeping the customer first, putting the right people in the right roles, and executing technical support well  “We have to provide customer service from when we receive an order, to acknowledging it, to processing it and shipping the order,” says Takahashi. “Another piece is to deliver revisions to a product in a faster time period and introduce new products to the market in a timely way. In terms of market presence, we learn that people haven’t really heard from Pelco in a while. We have to get in front of integrators and consultants more aggressively than we have in the past.”   “It’s up to us to prove that we belong and can sustain and support customers moving forward,” he adds. “We will get new opportunities, but we will need to execute them. If we do that, we will grow.” Brand optimism Takahashi sees more reasons for optimism. “In spite of the problems, we are a big company with thousands of customers, a massive footprint, 10 offices around the world and people in over 40 countries. We are a strong, known brand around the world. These are a great foundation to grow from; we just have to execute better.” These are a great foundation to grow from; we just have to execute better Pelco’s new parent company, Transcom Capital Group, was another reason Takahashi was attracted to the position. He says Transom is led by “amazing professionals” that specialize in “transformational culture and how to diffuse best practices in an organization.” At Pelco, Transom has already led surveys, workshops and focus groups throughout the organization to create a vision, mission and values covering how the company wants to present itself in the market. From those values will emanate new process and policy improvements to move the company in the right direction. New visions and missions The company’s new, collectively developed vision is “to make the world safer.” The mission is “to deliver distinctive video solutions and world-class customer experiences.” The company’s new, collectively developed vision is “to make the world safer.” The company’s culture is built on six values: innovation and excellence, customer focus, integrity, respect and recognition, collaboration, and ownership. “We believe this is what will help drive our culture moving forward, and it’s the mindset of all of us as one team with one goal that will give us something to be proud of,” says Takahashi. “As we move into the new era of Pelco, you will see excitement internally and externally,” he adds “Everybody’s really eager to see Pelco come back and be a significant player.” Three horizons to success The idea is to look inward and improve on the current, successful product lines Takahashi sees three horizons that summarize the company’s path to future success. The first horizon is to focus on the fundamentals of what the company does today. The idea is to look inward and improve on the current, successful product lines, such as the VideoXpert video system and on-board video analytics. The second horizon will be to look at ways to advance the current feature set, whether “to build, partner or buy.” Building partnerships will be part of that success, such as the partnerships they are already building with Briefcam and Anyvision. The third horizon will be to expand their innovation, based on feedback from end users, dealers and consultants. “I want to get very deeply connected with our customer base,” says Takahashi. “Are we on the right path? Should we explore other partner relationships? We need to bring those minds together to expand our vision.” The focus should be on solving three business problems – mitigating risk, ensuring compliance and saving money. Looking ahead to ISC West in the spring, Takahashi expects Pelco to emerge as a more proactive company that is eager to engage. “We have a lot of stories to communicate, and we have not been as active as we should,” he says.

Nigel Waterton recently joined cloud video company Arcules to lead the sales and marketing efforts as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). He brings to the task the benefit of 22 years of experience building and managing large, high-growth technology organizations. Waterton joins Arcules from Aronson Security Group, an ADT Commercial Company, where he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development. We caught up with the new CRO to discuss his position and to reflect on how industry changes are impacting integrators and manufacturers. Q: What fresh insights do you bring to Arcules from your previous positions? Waterton: Generally, most manufacturers don’t understand the business model of the integrator. And if they do, their programs don’t necessarily help achieve their goals. Since most manufacturers use integrators to get to the end user, they are often disconnected from truly understanding the customer, their organization’s business and its impact on the value of the security program. In my previous role, I spent most of my time bridging the gap between these two worlds. It gives me a great platform for understanding how to achieve that with Arcules. Q: How is ‘Chief Revenue Officer’ different from your previous jobs? I have the responsibility of driving innovation for the companyWaterton: While the title is different, the ultimate role I’m in isn’t too different from previous roles that I’ve held in my career. I have the responsibility of driving innovation and strategy for the company, as well as serving as a leader for the sales and marketing team and developing a sales and marketing strategy for the company. This position allows me to build on what I’ve learned throughout my career from an end-user and integrator partner perspective and brings that expertise into the fold of this young, fresh, innovative company that’s paving the way for cloud-based innovation in the marketplace. Q: Is there an industry-wide ‘culture clash’ between the IT-centric nature of cloud systems and the physical security market? How can it be managed? Waterton: Adopters from the IT and physical security worlds are a little at odds over the software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings as a result of a disconnect with how the cloud is defined in both spaces. A lot of people and companies are creating their own notion of what cloud and SaaS mean. And without a common nomenclature in place, there is a lot of confusion among all users. Similarly, there is a clash among integrators around how to monetize the SaaS offering. This gap can be closed through increased awareness, education and the reiteration of how ubiquitous the cloud already is in our everyday lives. Q: From the integrator perspective, what is the impact of a transition to a cloud/SaaS model on how revenue is managed in the increasingly service-oriented security market? Waterton: Transitioning to a cloud/SaaS model shifts the mindset of the integrator significantly, as the focus changes from project-centric to more customer service-based impact. Becoming more service-minded creates a greater awareness of what the client’s needs are on a day-to-day basis and how that can be improved over time. When operating with a per-project focus, it can be difficult to create a more long-term impact on an organization. With a cloud-based, service-oriented model, integrators now have the ability to manage client expectations in real-time, which greatly increases their value proposition. Q: What about from the end user perspective? Waterton: There are so many benefits from the end user perspective, including the ability to remove the process of a large investment in capital expenditures (CapEx) and shift to a more manageable, predictable operational expenditure (OpEx). Not only does this allow organizations to adjust as needs change; it also prevents being locked into a long-term solution that might not be able to move with the speed of the company as it scales. That being said, the main benefit is the ability of SaaS/Cloud services to drive innovation and introduce new features as they’re introduced without additional investment from the end user. Q: What impact does the recurring monthly revenue (RMR) model have on the operations/management/cashflow of a supplier/manufacturer company? Waterton: Traditional manufacturers struggle with the introduction of a SaaS modelTraditional manufacturers struggle with the introduction of a SaaS model for many of the same reasons integrators struggle. They must sell the board and possibly their investors on a new valuation model as well as revenue recognition model. That is constraining their innovation in the market. Oddly enough RMR from a manufacturer’s perspective is very similar to the integrator model in that cash flow is more predictable in nature. An RMR model allows a company to grow strategically and innovate constantly, expanding and adjusting to cater to client needs on a daily basis while also providing the ability to look ahead and ensure we’re meeting the needs communicated to us in the market now and into the future. Q: What will be the biggest challenge of your new position at Arcules (and how will you meet the challenge)? Waterton: One of the biggest challenges we’re seeing — and one that will have a significant impact on my role — is the challenge of market adoption of SaaS/cloud services, as well as the awareness about why cloud is a significant part of the future of the industry. There’s also an opportunity to shift the conversation within Arcules from tech-focused outcomes to becoming practitioners of risk-based outcomes. We have to focus on the risk model for organizations, not technology. If we truly understand the risks to the organization, the tool will become apparent. Answering the questions: Why does a retailer lose product? Why does a facility experience vandalism? We have to understand the sociology of it because that’s how we can address what the service does in the marketplace. Q: Taking the various elements into consideration, what will the ‘physical security industry’ look like five years from now? Waterton: In sum, wildly different. It’s much different than what it was five or even 10 years ago, and with each leap, the industry has moved forward. Products are maturing, bandwidth is improving and the knowledge that we have is exponentially more advanced. There is increasing use of outside perspectives aimed at shaking up the ‘this is how it has always been done’ mentality that many organizations have suffered from. It’s going to look very different five years from now, and cloud-based initiatives will be the key to the success of many organizations.

In addition to providing the Northeast’s largest security trade show, ISC East will include free conference sessions and keynote speeches right on the show floor and several paid workshops. The Nov. 20-21 event at New York’s Javits Center will also include vendor solution sessions from Axis Communications, Hikvision and NAPCO. Wide variety of paid workshops An advantage of the International Security Conference & Exposition in New York is that much of the programming is complimentary to registered attendees, and location of the sessions on the show floor means attendees don’t have to leave the exhibition to take in a session. The paid workshops include technology sessions about cyber terminology for physical security integratorsThe paid workshops include an Active Shooter Workshop and technology sessions about cyber terminology for physical security integrators; and basic installation and configuration of video surveillance solutions. An OSDP (Open Supervised Device Protocol) Boot Camp Short Course will also be offered. As a smaller show, the topics of ISC East conference sessions are broader and of more general interest, rather than organized into focused “tracks” as at ISC West. Attendance at sessions can provide continuing education (CE) credits with organizations that partner with ISC East – one credit for each hour-long session. Attendees can use their Certificate of Attendance from any session to self-report their education hours to relevant industry bodies: ALOA (AEU education credits), ASIS (CPE continuing professional education credits) and NICET (CPD Continuing Professional Development points). An advantage of the International Security Conference & Exposition in New York is that much of the programming is complimentary to registered attendees Keynote sessions at the Main Stage The Main Stage will be the venue for keynote sessions delivered by Deanne Criswell, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management (on Day 1 – Nov. 20); and Angela Stubblefield, Chief of Staff at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (on Day 2 – Nov. 21). The two SIA Education@ISC East educational theaters on the show floor will be booked up both days with a variety of interesting topics. A new session covers penetration testing for physical security, presented by Michael Glasser of Glasser Security Group. A session on LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors will be presented by Frank Bertini, UAV and Robotics Business Manager, Velodyne LiDAR. Another popular topic is Safe Cities, and FLIR will present a session on moving from secured to smart cities with intelligent, connected systems. New addition is Active Shooter Workshop  The Active Shooter Workshop is a new addition to the ISC East program. It has been a popular session at ISC West for three years now. At ISC East, presenters of the workshop will be David LaRose, System Director Public Health, Lee Health; and Ben Scaglione, Director of Healthcare and Security Programming, Lowers and Associates. At the end of the workshop, an additional hour of programming will be the “Stop the Bleed/Save a Life” session presented by Jerry Wilkins, Co-Owner of Active Risk Survival. The Main Stage will be the venue for keynote sessions delivered by Deanne Criswell, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management, and Angela Stubblefield, Chief of Staff at the Federal Aviation Administration Woman in Security event A Women in Security Forum breakfast event will be held on Nov. 21 (Thursday). It’s the second annual event and this year will focus on diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace of the future. Valerie Anderson, President of Boon Edam, will lead a discussion on “Diversity 2.0: Next Steps for Creating an Empowered Workforce”Moderator Valerie Anderson, President of Boon Edam, will lead a discussion on “Diversity 2.0: Next Steps for Creating an Empowered Workforce.” Panelists are Lisa Terry of Allied Universal, Andrew Lanning of Integrated Security Technologies, Elaine Palome of Axis Communications and Dawne Hanks of Milestone. The Women in Security event is likely to attract up to 100 attendees. SIA’s Women in Security is an active organization, with monthly meetings and a newsletter that recognizes prominent women in the security industry. “It’s really a group for both men and women,” says Mary Beth Shaughnessy, Event Director, ISC Events at Reed Exhibitions. “There are many programmes, recruiting efforts, and professional and networking opportunities. They are a robust group of people who are active in making a difference. It’s important to support women in the security industry, which is 95% male, and to develop a new generation of women to be a part of the industry’s future.” The keynote addresses at ISC East will also highlight two high-profile women.

The State of Illinois has enacted a ‘stay at home’ order effective as of Saturday, March 21, at 5pm to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. This means all residents are mandated to ‘remain at home’ and only essential businesses may remain open to provide critical services. Everybody fully supports this measure as it will hopefully slow the spread of the virus. Securing critical infrastructure Under the order, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has mandated that all Illinoisans stay in their homes except as needed to maintain continuity of business critical operations. This coincides with Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21): Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience that advances a national policy to strengthen and maintain secure, functioning, and resilient critical infrastructure. BCD plays an important role in the information technology sector. The sector's complex and dynamic environment makes identifying threats and assessing security vulnerabilities difficult and requires that these tasks be addressed in a collaborative and creative fashion, especially as it directly affects both the public and security infrastructure.BCD plays an important role in the information technology sector Working with security integrators and OEMS In addition, it is imperative to maintain the supply chain in this unprecedented time of need. They work hand-in-hand with a number of security integrators and OEMs that work directly with the Federal Government. Most importantly, they supply life safety equipment that is used by first responders to help and keep them safe. Therefore, BCD Illinois build centers will remain open and operational, as the support technicians and engineers will remain available to continue to support all customers to fulfill the critical technology needs of the nation’s federal, state and local governments, healthcare facilities, and education, industrial and financial services sectors. It has also been notified that all shipments to US States currently in "stay at home" status may be delayed by the freight carriers; this includes the State of Illinois. BCD build centers Jeff Burgess, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at BCD said, “We continue to implement strict precautionary measures in all our logistics and integration centers, in accordance with government and public health requirements, to reduce risk for colleagues who are performing their duties. Our Illinois-based technical operations will continue as long as we can confidently protect the health and well-being of these dedicated two dozen team members. All other BCD staff will continue working from home until further notice.”

Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT) is a registered charity delivering premier leisure provision venues across Doncaster. DCLT offers a diverse range of health, fitness, leisure, and entertainment activities to customers to help to achieve a healthier community across Doncaster. DCLT’s premier venue, The Dome, required a new solution that would protect several areas, including one of the largest gym’s in Doncaster, The Fitness Village. DCLT had a specific brief for this project that specified enhancing the staff and customer experience, while simultaneously providing access control solutions to restricted areas from the general public, members, and staff alike. Alongside interfacing the onsite gym membership system to enable a single source of data to populate the access control and automate the process, the Trust was also in a transition period of moving members from barcode to RFID badges. Advanced fast-acting swing speed gates Moreover, the entrance to The Fitness Village gym was also under renovation. The access control system would also need to feature advanced fast-acting swing speed gates and slim lanes. Advanced user obstacle protection also had to be kept in consideration to keep members safe during peak times when there would be a high level of footfall from visitors. Solutions Provided: Oliver Law Security (OLS) did not hesitate to recommend the Vanderbilt ACT365 system. ACT365 is not only a fully cloud-based product; it offers a flexible solution for installation and management that OLS identified as a key ingredient to meet DCLT’s project brief. In addition to DCLT’s security requirement, OLS also realized ACT365 as an ideal solution for this task, given the product’s very focused API integration. Thanks to the ACT365 interface, OLS was able to integrate DCLT’s gym management system to enable single-source data to be used to populate the access control system, keep records up-to-date, and enhance customer experience. For instance, previously, the older system had taken up to 3-5 seconds to validate members and open the entry turnstiles. Once the API interface had been achieved, this validation is now done instantly through ACT365 and allows members with active memberships through the entry points without any minimal delay. The scope of this project, although not significant in the number of doors, was a very technical project with integration into SQL server and a third-party membership system with the potential for thousands of would-be users. Key Highlights: According to OLS, using ACT365 and its API interface is a game-changer for this type of project. With multiple updates per day, the access control system is always fully populated with the correct, validated members ensuring DCLT’s premier venue, The Dome, is protected against memberships that have lapsed. The system is very user-friendly and can grow with DCLT’s plan for the future, and adding further developed integration for other areas within the near future. The system is entirely cloud-based offers an off-premise solution with no additional new servers required or PC’s running software. Through the ACT365 app, DCLT’s site administrators can manage the system for staff. The solution that OLS has implemented has removed the need for old, antiquated technologies and moved DCLT’s security system forward to the cloud and future-proof solutions. The beauty of the interface is once the schedule runs, all information is autonomously sent to the ACT365 database, meaning adding new memberships, updating memberships, or revoking access is seamless, not tying up staff verifying and administering the membership/access control systems respectively.

National Bank of Umm Al Qaiwain (the Bank) is a Public Shareholding Company incorporated in Umm Al Qaiwain by Amiri Decree Number (1) on January 5, 1982, issued by His Highness, the Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain and commenced its operations with effect from August 1, 1982. The Local government of Umm Al Qaiwain is the largest shareholder and promoter of the bank. The bank is engaged in providing retail and corporate banking services through a network of 14 branches in U.A.E. The Bank carries out Islamic banking operations through Islamic Banking window established in 2005 across its branch network. They were searching for a fool-proof solution that would help them in managing the Time-Attendance and overtime calculation. With offices spread over 14 locations in UAE, management of attendance data was a daunting task. centralized attendance data management All manual work for report generation was eliminated outrightly, simplifying the salary procedure Thus, centralized attendance data management and maintaining a complete record of their employees were a part of their key requirements. Moreover, their payroll processing deployed a software - RAMCO, wherein the attendance data was manually entered. After a comprehensive discussion with the customer, Matrix offered a centralized platform - COSEC CENTRA, to manage all the data centrally. Door controllers - COSEC VEGA FAX installed in all the office entrances. These door controllers are integrated with the central platform that pushes the event data to the server. Furthermore, the Matrix platform is integrated with the payroll system - RAMCO. All manual work for report generation was eliminated outrightly, simplifying the salary procedure. After implementing Matrix solutions, NBQ witnessed drastic changes while following their processes. Customized attendance policy formation Effortless attendance management of multiple locations from the Head Office was prominently one of them. The shift allocation and shift correction processes were streamlined. Their solution included some advanced features like customized attendance policy formation and real item alert on attendance related event & auto-scheduled reporting. This, in turn, ensured efficient employee database management improving productivity. Products and solutions offered: COSEC VEGA FAX A complete Time-Attendance and Access Control solution with a blend of aesthetics, size, connectivity, reliability and ease-of-use. Designed for large enterprises with multi-location organizations. COSEC CENTRA PLT A web-enabled application server that controls the entire system from anywhere in the world. It is the heart of the entire solution and acts as a bridge between applications and the devices. COSEC CENTRA TAM An enterprise-grade solution, designed for organizations the Time-Attendance and Leave Management processes like recording entries and exits, salary processing, etc.

A security system upgrade at one of Australia’s most prestigious universities has seen Gallagher’s solutions installed at campuses across Melbourne. According to the University of Melbourne, Gallagher was selected for the upgrade due to their strong integration capability, commitment to supporting the university’s long-term site plan, and investment in development. Gallagher worked in partnership with the university and Gallagher Channel Partner MGA Electronic Security to roll out the upgrade in over 150 buildings across seven campuses. The partnerships were integral to the success of the rollout, ensuring the system was configured to best meet the university’s needs. System flexibility “We’re impressed with not only the flexibility of the system, but the support from Gallagher,” says Adam Leach, Security Systems Coordinator at the University of Melbourne. Project Leads from the university visited Gallagher’s head office in Hamilton, New Zealand, prior to the project beginning. The upgrade included access control for over 3,000 doors, over 177,000 cardholders, and thousands of inputs “The opportunity to visit Gallagher and see their investment in R&D showed us that they are committed to growth and future developments. We were looking for a long-term business relationship, and we are definitely confident we have chosen the right solution.” Complete site control The upgrade included access control for over 3,000 doors, over 177,000 cardholders, and thousands of inputs. Gallagher Command Center software, a powerful solution offering complete site control from one central platform, runs at the heart of the university’s security system. “The integration capabilities of Gallagher’s Command Center are second to none,” says Leach. The university has integrations with Active Directory, Unicard, Syllabus Plus, IndigoVision and Schindler. People safety One of the key decisions in choosing the Gallagher system for their upgrade was its flexibility to grow with the university. “Our security solutions are designed to protect sites now and into the future,” says Scott Johnstone, Gallagher’s National Sales Manager, Australia and Papua New Guinea. “We’re pleased to be able to support the University of Melbourne with their long-term plans, all while ensuring the safety of their people, assets and information.” MGA Electronic Security completed the upgrade project quicker than expected and on budget, undertaking the entire system changeover in under 18 months.

Air Partner plc, the global aviation services group, worked alongside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to deliver a unique, fully-integrated and holistic solution for the evacuation and repatriation of UK and Irish nationals onboard the cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Yokohama in Japan. The project was complex, challenging and time sensitive, made more demanding by the requirement for the FCO to carry out the security screening of all passengers and their baggage in Tokyo before they could board the flight back to the UK. Throughout the planning phase and operational delivery, employees from across the Air Partner Group worked closely with the FCO, the operating airline, the Department for Transport (DFT) and the Spanish Civil Aviation Authority to obtain the numerous authorisations and approvals needed to complete the project on time. Optimally configured airline Air Partner’s Group Charter team chartered a Boeing 747-400 to carry out the flight from Tokyo Haneda to Boscombe Down in the UK, ensuring that the aircraft was optimally configured. The upper deck was designated for crew rest only to clearly segregate the evacuees and the flight crew, and there was also a separate section in the nose of the aircraft that could be used as an isolation zone for passengers. Redline mobilised its security experts from its rapid deployment team (RDT) within two hours of the project Redline Assured Security (“Redline”), Air Partner’s recently acquired Safety & Security division, endorsed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and the UK Department for Transport (DFT), worked hand in hand with the FCO on all matters pertaining to security clearances and the security screening of passengers and their baggage in Tokyo. Rapid deployment team Redline mobilized its security experts from its rapid deployment team (RDT) within two hours of the project being given the go-ahead and arranged for them to be deployed to Tokyo on the positioning flight from Madrid on 20 February, along with the necessary scanning equipment. The Group’s Freight team worked alongside Redline to charter a Metroliner freighter to transport the equipment directly from Redline’s National Security Training Center at Doncaster Sheffield Airport to Madrid ahead of this. The operatives were appropriately attired in protective clothing at all times. The evacuation flight departed Tokyo Haneda at 07:57 on Friday 21 February (local time) and arrived into Boscombe Down in Wiltshire at 11:41 on Saturday 22 February (local time), carrying 32 passengers safely home. Fully-integrated solution  This was a multifaceted and time sensitive project and I am immensely proud of the work our colleagues undertook" Mark Briffa, CEO at Air Partner, commented, “Unfortunately, the spread of Coronavirus has continued at pace and our thoughts remain with everyone affected. We were pleased that we could play a role in the FCO’s mission to swiftly and safely repatriate British and Irish nationals quarantined on the cruise ship in Japan. Our Group Charter and Safety & Security divisions were in a unique position to deliver a fully-integrated solution to make this happen.” “This was a multifaceted and time sensitive project and I am immensely proud of the work our colleagues undertook to ensure 32 UK and Irish nationals onboard the ship could return to the UK. By offering this holistic solution, which combines Charter and Safety & Security, with appropriate international accreditations and approvals in place, we are ideally placed to meet our customers’ diverse aviation requirements in fast-moving crisis situations.” Yokohama cruise ship evacuation “We continue to work with customers to provide our range of aviation services in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and remain on standby to assist in any way we can.” The Yokohama cruise ship evacuation follows a project earlier in which Air Partner flew medical supplies to Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, and evacuated over 300 British and EU nationals from the city.

Around 7,000 people pass through the Luminy faculty’s suburban campus every day. As part of a major project to modernize two buildings, university managers sought a retrofit-ready access control solution to upgrade security. University administrators selected Aperio locks to secure doors in the new buildings. With Aperio, facilities staff deal with lost keys more efficiently. The laborious process of changing locks and reissuing keys, part of the daily workload with mechanical locking, vanishes. The Luminy campus is now equipped with 372 Aperio Electronic Cylinders and 42 Aperio Electronic Handles with built-in RFID readers. Locks are integrated seamlessly, wirelessly and online with Luminy’s ARD access control system. One key goal was to deter theft, which was becoming a problem in teaching areas, especially those with computers. “Since we installed Aperio, we have not had a break-in,” says Cedric Lopez, Maintenance Manager at Luminy. Access smart-cards In addition to theft deterrence, Aperio met broad, stringent criteria for the security upgrade. Staff and students carry individual access smart-cards. Doors and credentials are easily programmed and reprogrammed to accommodate everyone’s changing access needs. Luminy’s security team has complete control over access permissions and campus traffic, in real time. Because their new Aperio devices are integrated online, staff see a “live” overview of the campus and respond proactively to incidents. Aperio is trusted to protect the most sensitive areas of the campus. “We have critical premises, including for the storage of chemicals, some with radioactive properties,” adds Lopez. The benefits of Aperio extend beyond just enhanced campus safety and student security Real-time access control upgrades Aperio locks are built on an open platform, so they are flexible enough to integrate with the university’s room scheduling system. “Teachers are able to reserve their rooms. Students no longer have to wait for the teacher’s arrival, because they have access to the right rooms in defined time slots,” says Cedric Lopez. The credential students already carry automatically opens classroom doors, if they have pre-authorized access rights. For the facilities team, the ARD interface displays scheduling for all relevant rooms in real time. Luminy site managers have already scheduled further real-time access control upgrades built around award-winning Aperio wireless technology. As Luminy staff discovered, the benefits of Aperio extend beyond just enhanced campus safety and student security. The Aperio for Universities Solution Guide explains how you can upgrade and streamline security at your campus.

The new year is several weeks old, so it is safe to say that many of our New Year resolutions have fallen by the wayside. Despite the limited success of our personal resolutions, the new year is a great time to take stock, look ahead, and plan to make 2020 the best year yet. Thinking about our industry as a whole, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What should be the security industry’s “New Year’s resolution?” 

2019 was a big year for the Expert Panel Roundtable. The range of topics expanded, and we had more participation from more contributors than ever before. In closing out the year of contemplative discussions, we came across some final observations to share. They can serve both as a postscript for 2019 and a teaser for a whole new year of industry conversations in our Expert Panel Roundtable in 2020.  

Video storage is an important – and expensive – aspect of almost any surveillance system. Higher camera counts equate to a need for more storage. New analytics systems make it easier for operators to manage video, but that video must be dependably stored and easy to access if and when it is needed. To keep up to date on the latest developments, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What’s new in video storage solutions?