Archive: March 2011

ATLANTA—If there was one key theme at the Mobotix partner conference, which took place here March 27-29, it was that Mobotix is not just a camera company. “We need to improve our messaging as a total solution provider. [Even our camera product] is not only a camera, it's a solution,” Magnus Ekerot, Mobotix CSO, told the 150 or so integrators and distributors who traveled here for the conference. During a series of presentations, Ekerot and other executives emphasized the benefits...

NEW ORLEANS, La.—Crescent Guardian Inc, a full service security integration firm incorporating technology with physical security, in March announced it had hired Ray Cavanagh as VP of Sales for the company. He plans to multiply revenues and expand nationally with the announcement of CGI Security Fusion. Cavanagh has a long history in security technology sales with companies such as OpenService Inc and AXCESS International. He has extensive experience in vertical markets such as federal, energy,...

PROVO, Utah—Vivint announced on March 17 that it was in the process of transferring all of its more than 500,000 monitored accounts to Secure Global Solutions' stages central station automation platform. Vivint expects to have the transfer completed by the end of April, with both of Vivint's monitoring centers going through the switch over. What prompted the move? “Stages simplifies the job of our dispatchers, allowing them to focus on providing the exceptional service we require,”...

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.—Yoav Stern told Security Systems News that he expects his experience in “global growth management, M&A, homeland security, and managing in many different cultural environments,” will help him in his new role as CEO and president of DVTel. DVTel, a privately held maker of security management software, known for its iSoc product line, announced March 22 that Stern is its new president and CEO, and will also be a director on DVTel's board. Stern takes over for...

There's been a lot of online chatter out there about the false alarm ordinance in Avondale, Ariz. I wrote last summer about some ordinance wackiness in neighboring Goodyear. I spoke with Arizona Alarm Association president Maria Malice. She and SIAC worked pretty hard with the folks in Goodyear to make sure the municipality understood the possible problems with going to verified response. At the time, I was told there were a whole bunch of municipalities in the metro Phoenix area that were thinking...

FREEPORT, N.Y.—Major gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson has terminated its licensing agreement with NationWide Digital Monitoring Co. effective today, March 31. NationWide, based here, told Security Systems News that it instead plans to create a new name and identity for its Smith & Wesson Security Services dealer program. Howard Avin, VP of sales and marketing for Nationwide, said the new program would be called Security Doctors and won't involve partnering with another vendor like Smith & Wesson,...

CLIFTON, N.J.—The members of Security-Net, a group of 18 independent integrators, believe they've got the best formula to take on national account jobs. And, they've been hard at work over the last year to ensure that member companies are coordinated from a sales, technical and fulfillment perspective. Group members will be meeting at ISC West next week. “We can give the attention to detail that a small regional integrator has to do to survive along with the prominence of being able to...

NORTHFORD, Conn.—Fire-Lite by Honeywell has achieved International Building Code seismic certification for its most popular addressable and conventional fire alarm systems, the company, based here, announced this month. Fire-Lite said it has created a seismic kit that can easily be installed inside its control panels to meet IBC seismic requirements and help make sure a fire alarm system remains operational in an earthquake. Gene Pecora, Fire-Lite marketing director, noted that fires are a...

MELVILLE, N.Y.—Walter Oakden has been appointed as systems sales manager for the Honeywell Integrated Security (HIS) channel. In this role, Oakden will focus on growing sales of Honeywell's integrated security solutions through the HIS integrator channel for the Southeastern region of the United States. Walter has more than 20 years of strategic business development experience and a successful track record in securing large scale, integrated security for enterprise systems, intelligent transportation...

MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J.—Camera manufacturer Infinova, which completed a $300m. IPO in December,  and recently announced that it was looking for acquisitions, will launch its channel partner program, called the Infinova Certified Integrator Program, at ISC West next week. Integrators who join the program will receive differentiated pricing, warranties, products and services, Mark Wilson, VP marketing for Infinova said. They will be required to complete Infinova's Technical Product Certification...