Archive: 2002
Security firm a 'no call' offender
December 1, 2002Andrea Gura
CHESHIRE, Conn. - A two-location home security firm based here paid the state $25,000 to settle charges that the security firm violated Connecticut's new No Call list.
Home & Life Security was cited by state officials for making unsolicited calls to Connecticut residents whose names appeared on the list. The company was also charged with making repeated calls to consumers who had directed the company not to call them again and for not clearly identifying itself to the consumer. The calls were made...
Elan expands into U.K. market
December 1, 2002SSN Staff
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Poised to capture a market in which custom audio-visual and automation systems for the home have only recently become popular, Elan Home Systems has introduced its full line to the United Kingdom.
Expansion to the U.K. comes as Elan has realized a 500 percent growth over four years. The Lexington, Ky.-based company has released more than 250 products in the past six years.
Jonathan Smith, director of distribution for Elan Systems (U.K.), said the success of Elan in the U.S. is...
Home integrator to market retail, installation concept
December 1, 2002Andrea Gura
HOUSTON - A holding company here with a structured cabling division has launched a home security monitoring service and is looking at bundling its home installation and other residential product manufacturing divisions into a national retail and installation model over the next five years.
SpectraSource Inc., through its Connect Source Communications division, is now offering a branded residential monitoring service called Watchdog Surveillance by partnering with local and regional builders in Texas....
Diversified adds Lifrieri to board
December 1, 2002Mike Higgins
SADDLE BROOK, N.J. - Diversified Security Solutions Inc., a systems integrator based here, has a new face on the company's board of directors.
On Oct. 28, Executive Vice President Sal Lifrieri, who joined the company in August, was elected to the board during the annual shareholders meeting.
"Sal's management skills and knowledge of the security systems business will be a valuable asset to our board of directors," said James Henry, Diversified Security Solutions chairman and chief executive...
FEMA, NFPA strike equipment interoperability discussion
December 1, 2002Andrea Gura
WASHINGTON - A group of federal officials, security and fire trade associations and other organizations with interests in the fire equipment realm will meet sometime this month to continue an industry dialogue on how different types of fire equipment work together in emergency situations.
The meeting, which will be hosted by the National Fire Protection Association, is a follow-up to a meeting held in early October, said Julie Reynolds, an NFPA spokesperson.
Officials from the Federal Emergency...
Fargo sales hit $17.8 million;
December 1, 2002SSN Staff
debt paid down
MINNEAPOLIS - Fargo Electronics in October reported net sales for the third quarter ending Sept. 30, of $17.8 million compared with sales of $15.4 million in the third quarter of 2001, an increase of 15 percent.
Net income for the third quarter was $2.4 million or 19 cents per share (diluted), compared to $1.4 million or 12 cents per share (diluted) in the same period last year.
"We are pleased with Fargo's third quarter performance, which set a new quarterly revenue and earnings...
Axcess furloughs employees, seeks funds
December 1, 2002Chelsie Woods
CARROLLTON, Texas - A month after putting employees on furlough, asset tracking and digital video product manufacturer Axcess Inc. in early November was still searching for an investor to keep the company afloat.
"We have not closed on the funding yet," said Allan Griebenow, president and chief executive officer of Axcess, in early November, shortly before press time. "But we remain optimistic."
Griebenow said the company was pursuing several options to provide the company with financing, including...
Texas fabricator expands with second site
December 1, 2002Andrea Gura
WHITESBORO, Texas - A family-run sprinkler fabricator here has bought the equipment assets of another Texas company and is using that location to broaden its geographic reach and physical space.
Texas Manufacturing Co., which has been fabricating sprinkler pipe for local sprinkler contractors since 1985, bought the equipment of Hitech Fabrication in Houston. Now, Hitech's approximately 18 employees work in the same fabrication shop under the Texas Manufacturing name. The company also manufactures...
Video transmission moves to next level
December 1, 2002Joanne Friedrick
As network and digital camera use grows, so grows the need for transmitting these cameras' images in the fastest, clearest formats possible.
"What has always been an issue," explained Ben Donahue, director of product development for Axcess Inc., "is whether the bandwidth is large enough to allow most compression schemes to transmit reasonable frame rates at a reasonable resolution."
With image quality a key in security-related situations, slow-moving, blurry images aren't a viable option, industry...
Wireless touted as next wave
December 1, 2002Joanne Friedrick
Despite the fairly rapid changes taking place in the video transmission market, spurred by the acceptance of digital technology and improved bandwidth and compression scenarios, industry players are already looking ahead to the next wave of technology.
Craig Scott, director of marketing and product management for Silent Witness, said "the next move is to wireless. We see a whole pile of technology coming out in the next 18 months."
Despite what he called "the old school in security that says there's...