Archive: April 2018

LAKE FOREST, Calif.—National Monitoring Center, a third party monitoring company with monitoring centers based here and in Irving, Texas, announced this week the launch of a new global monitoring company, Netwatch Group, following the merger of four monitoring companies with the backing of global private equity firm The Riverside Company.The Netwatch Group, which includes monitoring companies NMC, Netwatch (Ireland), CalAtlantic (United States) and Onwatch Multifire (United Kingdom), will focus...

AUSTIN, Texas—Silicon Labs announced this week the completed acquisition of Sigma Designs' Z-Wave business for $240 million in an all-cash transaction.“With Z-Wave now being a part of Silicon Labs we have really created an IoT powerhouse,” Raoul Wijgergangs, VP/GM of the Z-Wave Business in Silicon Labs, told Security Systems News. “Every short-range IoT technology is now combined into one company, so I believe that any company that is looking to do something with low-power...

LOS ANGELES—Hikvision USA Inc., announced that its director of cybersecurity, Chuck Davis, has been appointed to the Security Industry Association's (SIA) Cybersecurity Advisory Board.The board is designed to guide SIA members in addressing potential cybersecurity threats, develop prescriptive guidance, and advocate for cybersecurity strategies and solutions for issues impacting the physical security industry. The board's leadership enables SIA to prepare its members for challenges related...

Jared Roberts was hired by Gallaher as its Alcoa sales manager in November 2017. He is now responsible for helping to focus and train the sales team at the company's Alcoa, Tenn., headquarters. Security Systems News caught up with Roberts in early April to ask him five questions.Are you married, do you have kids?I am married. I'm married to my wife Jessica—about five and a half years now—and we have a little one, Emma Claire. She is 17 months old.Do you have any pets?I do. We have two...

The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), an organization dedicated to defining and raising awareness of best practices to help ensure a secure cloud-computing environment, recently released its State of Cloud Security 2018. The report, authored by the CSA Global Enterprise Advisory Board, examines such areas as the adoption of cloud and related technologies, what both enterprise and cloud providers are doing to ensure security requirements are met, how to best work with regulators, the evolving threat...

PITTSBURGH—Vector Security Networks, a single source provider of managed network services and physical security solutions to multi-site businesses across North America, announced this week it is offering VeloCloud SD-WAN to its customers. Vector Security Networks is a division of Vector Security Inc., an integrator of physical security solutions and managed services for North American retailers and multi-site businesses.“Customers deploying SD-WAN have gained greater control with centralized...

PALO ALTO, Calif.—Nice S.p.A., a global home and building automation company, on April 13 acquired 75 percent of abode systems, a provider of DIY security and home automation systems based here, for $18.75 million. The remaining stock is held by abode's founders. “We actually had a lot of interest from several larger [companies based] outside the U.S. … but we felt like Nice was the best fit for us. We really liked their team and their focus on design and user experience was one of...

YARMOUTH, Maine—Security Systems News recently asked its readers about emergency management solutions and which systems or measures would most help to keep a school or business safe. Readers say the industry can be more involved and provide stronger doors.Sixty-two percent of respondents indicated that their company does not offer emergency management solutions. Twelve percent said they have a range of solutions for emergencies, and 25 percent offers some related systems, but not many.When...

We here at Security Systems News are excited to announce the dates and location for Cloud+ 2018, which will be held in beautiful Delray Beach, Fla., on September 5-6. The conference will take place at the Delray Beach Marriott—an intimate, Mediterranean-style hotel located on the Gold Coast at the corner of A1A - Ocean Boulevard and famed Atlantic Avenue, located directly across the street from the beach. This is also the same location where we host our TechSec Solutions conference each year. Last...

One of the largest gaps I see in sales managers' performance is their lack of coaching. I don't mean formal sales training, but coaching done by one's boss—the roll-up-the-sleeves and show-you-how-to-do-it type of coaching. I'm referring to the field rides with 45-minute debriefs at Starbucks, working on a solution in a closed conference room together, and running through role-playing scenarios in the car, just before heading in for the presentation. That's coaching.I've observed that sales...