Blog - Under Surveillance

They say power corrupts but for security systems it's a lack of power that corrupts. All the latest and greatest products, systems and technology is fantastic, but it ain't worth a plug nickel without the electrical energy required to maintain operational integrity. Power loss is an omnipresent threat for any electronic device but one that is too often misunderstood or disregarded.

A home sales report released today by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) suggests the residential market continues to suffer the ill effects of consumer gloom and economic uncertainty.

A day after Wayne Alarm Systems installed a 14-camera system in a Massachusetts home, a woman views to intruders breaking into her home after assessing footage of camera views. The woman's four-month-old baby and nanny were present during the break-in.

Anyone who has been in the industry any length of time knows the top two trade shows of the year are ISC West in Las Vegas in the spring and ASIS, which shifts locations each year, in the fall. They both typically draw about 20,000 security industry professionals. ISC has traditionally been a dealer-focused event while ASIS has been more about corporate, institutional and government end users, but these lines have blurred in recent years with large factions of both groups attending.

As physical security becomes more emeshed in the logical world on networks it becomes ever more imperative for the establishment of device, system and installation standards. This is an area that has been sorely lacking in the electronic security realm, and so it has justifiably been receiving more attention. Still, there remains much work to be done.

The September issue of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION features my in-depth interview with United Technologies Corp. (UTC) Global Security Products President Kelly Romano. To add some balance to that piece with an objective, I spoke to three of the industry’s top analysts, including Sandy Jones, principal of Sandra Jones & Co., Bill Bozeman, president/CEO of PSA Security Network, and Walter Bailey, CEO and senior managing director of Focus Consulting Partners LLC.

In the 2011 Law Enforcement Security Industry Study, police and sheriffs provided tips on how alarm companies can strengthen their relationships with law enforcement. In this latest blog, read their responses on how to improve intrusion detection.

Burglar and Fire Alarm Association of Michigan (BFAAM) President Dean Belisle explains how the Detroit Police Department's recent alarm verification policy caught the alarm industry off guard. The policy gives companies and customers a week to meet its verification requirements.

In the 2011 Law Enforcement Security Industry Study, police and sheriffs provided tips on how alarm companies can strengthen their relationships with law enforcement. Read on to see the responses.

In this blog exclusive, Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine speaks with Customer Alarm COO Melissa Brinkman and Director of Marketing and Vice President Nikki Johnson on best practice tips on reducing false alarms. The techniques helped the company earn the 2011 Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) award.