Blog - Under Surveillance

The August issue of SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION features an exclusive integrator roundtable in which four of the industry's sharpest CEOs discuss a variety of important operational and industry topics. I was fortunate enough to have some additional time with two participants, Safeguard Security President Mike Bradley and Contava President Curtis Nikel. Following is what transpired when we talked about the state of physical-logical security convergence.

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.

SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine talks with Stanley CSS Director of Marketing Beth Tarnoff about strategies and best practices that propelled her company to victory in the Best Overall Integrated Marketing Campaign and Promotional Giveaway SAMMY Awards categories.

Prior to Vector Security launching its redesigned, SAMMY Award-winning Web site last summer, internal deliberations were held to nail down new content offerings and expanded functionality, among other enhancements.

The June issue of SSI features Provo, Utah-based Vivint (formerly APX Alarm) profiled for winning this year’s SAMMY (Sales & Marketing) Award for Best Community Outreach Program. As part of the process, I spoke at length with Kristi Knight, Vivint vice president of corporate communications, not only about the rapidly rising company’s marketing but also about its success, recent name change and controversial tactics.

A new report filed by CNN indicates the nation's pharmacies are subject of widespread rising thefts and robberies. This story got me fired up thinking about the solutions the security industry could offer these businesses and the associated opportunities for installing contractors and monitoring providers.

Research firm Parks Associates released a new report that details the exploding market for smartphones, adding credence to the belief that installing security contractors will need to add mobile applications to their portfolios or eventually risk losing significant market share to competitors that do ...

Having blogged on the repeal of the IRS 1099 reporting mandate, among other health-care reform reporting, I've become especially aware of the burden that health-care costs place on business owners of all sizes.

Hear that? It was the collective PHEW! of small business owners from across the nation who have been sweating a tax-compliance mandate in last year's health-care law. Well, sweat no more.

Advanced Technology Video (ATV) arrived at ISC West last week geared up to garner attention for its new Value-Line Series of DVRs and other CCTV offerings. While a busy show floor provided just that opportunity, the company’s promotional iPad giveaway also attracted the attention of a particular attendee with dubious intentions ...