At the end of every year, I look over the list of celebrities who passed away the preceding 12 months. Even though I knew about most of them as they occurred, it never fails to amaze me there were so many of them. I tend to forget because life continues and you press onward.

In reviewing the electronic security industry’s most significant stories of 2002, I was similarly struck by the magnitude of the year when taken as a whole. Although the overriding story – besides the soft economy – was that it was a period of adjusting to a scary world of terrorism vulnerability and transitioning into a new era of security, there were dozens of other important developments as well.

Acquisitive global conglomerates, corporate scandals, cutbacks on and problems with dealer programs, the escalating false alarm controversy, and new legislation were some of the other prevalent themes of 2002. In addition, as Security Sales & Integration begins celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2003, the year leading up to it – in which Security Sales was redesigned and relaunched with a new name – was the busiest in the magazine’s history.

Take a moment to look through the following selected recap of 2002’s hottest headlines pulled from the pages of SSI. I am sure you will agree it was a memorable year indeed.
JANUARY – GE to Buy Interlogix in $777 Million Deal … SAI to Consolidate Operations
FEBRUARY – Tyco Talks! … Winter Olympics Get Gold Medal Protection … Verified Response Issue Takes the Heat in Seattle … NFPA Committee OKs Development of Premises Security Standard
MARCH – Russound Acquires IntelliNet Controls … Pro One Sets Priorities, Executes Plan … Police Warn Industry: Dealers Must Address False Alarms!
APRIL – Identix, Visionics to Merge in $600M Deal … GE Completes Interlogix Purchase, Merges Company Names … Industry Responds to Las Vegas’ Fire Alarm Policy
MAY – Shipp Sets Sail as NBFAA Executive Director; Guilbeau Succeeds as Interim … NBFAA: State Associations in Dire Need to Combat Verified Response … SIA’s New Council Recommends Standardizing ID Systems … King-Monital-IDC Is Now Officially Criticom Int’l … Michel Leaves the Security of Brink’s
JUNE – Tyco Reverses Split; Fire & Security Division Stands Pat … Colombo Joins SSI With ‘Fire Side Chat’ Column … California Apprentice Legislation Passes Senate … LAPD Moves Closer to Verified Response … SSI Installation of the Year Winners Revealed!
JULY – Tyco CEO Kozlowski Resigns … Certified Fire Alarm Systems Proposal Defeated by 1 Vote at NFPA Show … ASSA ABLOY Group Forms New Company for Contactless Technology … Ultrak Restructures Company, Closes Ohio Facility
AUGUST – Honeywell to Pay $415 Million for Invensys’ Sensors Unit … Washington State Associations Merge, Create Unified Presence … SAMMYs Deadline Extended; Awards Event Shifts to ISC Las Vegas … System Deficiency Costs Dealer $27M
SEPTEMBER – Detection Systems, Radionics to Merge Under Bosch Security Systems Name … Philips to Sell Its CSI Unit to Bosch … Honeywell to Buy Ultrak’s CCTV Unit for $36M … Kilsen Buyout by GE Industrial Systems Is Complete
OCTOBER – Joe Freeman Joins SSI, Takes Over ‘By the Numbers’ Section … NBFAA Proposes CARE Alliance; Symposium Hits Critical Issues … DVR Dilemma Exposed; Call for Evidence Retrieval Standards
NOVEMBER – ADT Cleans Up Its Authorized Dealer Program, Cuts 200 Dealers Loose … GE Interlogix Adds Trace Substance Detection to Its Security Mix … GPS Market Remains Earthbound
DECEMBER – House Passes Homeland Security Bill … GE Acquires Access Control Provider Infographic Systems … Tyco Allegedly Pushed ADT Security Systems in Poor Areas; May Have Recognized Canceled Accounts … GLASAA: Nonresponse in L.A. Placed on Back Burner

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