Securtity Products and Technology News April 2014

Security Products and Technology News

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Celebrating a quartercentury of PPM

2014-02-19

Co-CEOs at the Edmontonbased company trace its roots and outline next steps p. 6

Ready for work

What are schools and technical colleges doing to prepare the next generation? p. 26

Q&A with NICE Systems’ PSIM guru Dr. Bob Banerjee on new functionality and new user demands p. 34

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Farley Schapira, president, Security Technology Services; Antony Strube, director of security systems, Paladin Security; and Danny Zavaglia, security and fire business manager, Johnson Controls Canada

Understanding the IT way

SUBSCRIBER ACTION REQUIRED PG. 24

Integrators share their thoughts and ideas on how the industry is changing, for better or worse, and what they’re doing about it

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sponsored by Pelco by Schneider Electric or many, the security industry has and moderated by SP&T News editor Neil become a networking industry.

Sutton. Represented were Farley Schapira, Some might argue that the funpresident of Markham, Ont.-based Security damentals of security remain the same, but Technology Services; Antony Strube, direcfew would dispute that IT systems have tor of security systems at Paladin Security, irreversibly become an integral part of the based in Burnaby, B.C.; and Danny Zavaglia, technology. SP&T News recently assembled security and fire business manager at Johnson a panel of three security integrators, repControls Canada, also in Markham. resenting all levels of the business, from The conversation ranged from dealing regional to national to international, to get with end users to adapting to new technology their perspective on what is happening in to finding qualified technicians. The growing their industry. role of IT was always in the mix.

The group assembled in February 2014 to participate in an industry roundtable Continued on p.18 L_6100CNA_D_key to success_SPT_BannerFIN_Canada 1/8/14 3:33 PM Page 1

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Contents APRIL 2014

www.sptnews.ca Departments

Cover Story

4 Editor’s Letter 6 Line Card 34 Q&A

18 Embracing change

In a roundtable sponsored

by Pelco by Schneider Electric, integrators discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with more IT systems in security

Dr. Bob Banerjee, senior director, training and development, NICE Systems

Columns 14 CANASA Update One to watch

By JF Champagne

14 Dispatch Digest Understanding ECV

By Ron Walters

17 Lessons Learned

Features

Verified growth market

By Victor Harding

26 Ready for work Colleges and technical schools are trying to instill the security skills necessary for graduates to get a job from Day 1

17 Brand Building

Effective engagement

By David J. Atkins

By Linda Johnson

28 Touchscreen interface Leviton’s OmniTouch 7 Touchscreen features a seven-inch, high resolution screen for controlling security, energy and entertainment settings in a residential setting.

visit us online

31 Fault tolerant servers

The S-Series Enterprise line of networked video storage servers allows users to add storage to any exacqVision server running the Professional or Enterprise VMS software.

www.sptnews.ca

Integrator Roundtable: Engaging end users Roundtable participants discuss their relationship with end users, their knowledge level and false expectations they may have about security technology

Looking for the latest IP camera?

What about a new managed access control system?

Find these products and more at our online buyer’s guide www.securitypages.ca

http://www.sptnews.ca/Videos

Follow us on

@ www.twitter.com/SecurityEd

The latest in security products Presented by SP&T News and Tri-Ed Distribution, new product announcements from Minuteman, Rutherford Controls, Factor Electronics and Bosch

http://www.sptnews.ca/Videos @SecurityEd • April

2014 3

EDITOR’S LETTER

By Neil Sutton

Face time

Your Partner in Securing Canada

Integrators share their thoughts on blending new and old skillsets

I

often wish I had more time to rub shoulders with the industry — to get out there and meet with people who are actually practicing security.

There are plenty of opportunities, of course. As I write this, I’m preparing to attend ISC West, which is always a whirlwind of meetings, handshakes and hastily eaten meals.

But sometimes the best way to meet people in the security business is to arrange your own event. That’s what SP&T News did recently when we hosted our second annual Integrator Roundtable, sponsored by Pelco by Schneider Electric.

This year, we had representation from three different companies: a major international player with broad interests (Johnson Controls); a regional firm that started out West but has since spread its influence across the country (Paladin Security); and a small Toronto-area company with an impressive and growing roster of clients (Security Technology Services).

We discussed the challenges, opportunities and trends affecting the security business today. (You can read the highlights of this discussion on p.18.) For me, the most interesting aspect of the roundtable was discovering the commonalities.

Whether you’re shop of less than 10 or a multinational employing thousands, many of the issues remain the same. In the broadest sense possible, an install is an install. The brands may change from job to job, as well as the number of cameras or encoders, but the fundamentals are always there. Sort of.

Based on our conversation, it seems like we’re in the midst of a hand-off from the old to the new. I don’t think it’s a ques-

tion of IP technology taking over from analogue, since that is rapidly becoming a moot point.

It’s more about the people entering the market and what kinds of new skills they are bringing with them. The issue becomes one of harnessing those talents while successfully combined them with “old school” skills, for want of a better term.

As all three panelists successfully articulated, it’s one thing to possess of advanced networking knowledge, but it’s entirely another to understand the nuances of camera selection and placement. Maybe the latter is best understood through actual field experience.

I think education has consistently been one of the most important issues for the industry to wrap its head around.

That’s why we focus so heavily on it in SP&T. Whether its promoting educational opportunities in our calendar, featuring “how-to” articles from industry vendors, or checking in with the colleges and learning institutions that offer security training (see p.26 for a story on the subject), it’s a constant presence in the magazine. Perhaps it’s more important now that ever before.

As new skills and technology come to the forefront, it behooves the industry to match these successfully with what has gone before and come up with a hybrid approach that satisfies the end user. Ultimately, those meetings are the ones that matter the most.

“Education is one of the most important issues for the industry to wrap its head around.”

@SecurityEd

ARE YOU RECEIVING

Security Products & Technology News is published 8 times in 2014 by Annex Business Media. Its primary purpose is to serve as an information resource to installers, resellers and integrators working within the security and/or related industries. Editorial information is reported in a concise, accurate and unbiased manner on security products, systems and services, as well as on product areas related to the security industry. Feature articles and all other types of newsworthy submissions should be forwarded to the Editor for consideration via mail, e-mail or fax (all listed below). These should be written to reflect the interests of professionals serving the Canadian protection industry.

Group Publisher, Paul Grossinger pgrossinger@annexweb.com Publisher, Peter Young pyoung@annexweb.com Editor, Neil Sutton nsutton@annexweb.com Online Editor, Rob Colman rcolman@annexweb.com Art Director, Graham Jeffrey gjeffrey@annexweb.com Account Coordinator,Trish Ramsay tramsay@annexweb.com President, Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Carlo Di Leo, Double Vision Group Colin Doe, Veridin Systems Canada Anna Duplicki, Lanvac Travis Firth, Tyco Security Products Mike Jagger, Provident Security Carl Jorgensen, Titan Products Group Bob Moore, Axis Communications Tom Richards, Lionsafe Security Paul Swan, Tri-Ed Distribution Josh Weidman, Allegion Head Office: 222 Edward Street Aurora, Ont. L4G 1W6 Canada T: 905-727-0077 F: 905-727-0017 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT. P.O. Box 530, Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5 e-mail – lthomson@annexweb.com Printed in Canada ISSN 1482-3217 CIRCULATION e-mail: lthomson@annexweb.com Tel: 866-790-6070 ext. 201 • Fax: 877-624-1940 Mail: P.O. Box 530, Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $40 + hst/yr, USA: $60/yr and International: $75.00/yr Published 8 times a year

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LINE CARD

Security Stats.....................................................10 Market Watch....................................................10 Applications ......................................................12 Calendar ............................................................12 Appointments ...................................................12

PPM at 25 and counting Incident management software company traces its heritage from “guard shack” apps to Cloud-based security

By Neil Sutton

E

dmonton-based PPM was developing incident reporting tools before the idea that software could have a place in security became a realistic option for most end users.

Founded in 1988 by ex-police officer Denis O’Sullivan, PPM is now in the midst of its 25th anniversary year.

O’Sullivan had moved to Edmonton from his native Ireland initially for police work. He worked for a time in the City of Edmonton’s corporate security department before founding PPM. When he started the company, he had an idea that “there has to be a better way to do incident reports than paper and pen,” says PPM’s current co-CEO Brian McIlravey, who, like O’Sullivan, has served as a police officer. “He started a software application for tracking incidents.”

In the 1980s, software was still very much a new-fangled concept to most people, says Denis’s daughter and PPM’s other co-CEO, Elaine O’Sullivan. “Denis was developing software for security departments that weren’t necessarily ready for it,” she says. “We had to educate the market.”

Elaine has been a part of the company since its inception. When she first started, she was still a high school student. “My involvement then was things like stuffing envelopes. We did a lot of direct mail in those days.

I would help out and earn a little money.”

Elaine worked part time for the company while she attended university for business and marketing. She attended her first ASIS International conference at age 21, helping to organize PPM’s exhibit space. A full career at PPM seemed unlikely to her at the time, “but I became more ingrained in what PPM did and became more involved with the people and customers.” She started working full time for PPM when she graduated, and has attended almost every ASIS show since then.

McIlravey came to PPM in a roundabout way about 12 years ago.

After serving on the Waterloo, Ont.,

6

SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

PPM took paper and pen to a whole new level in the 1980s when it released an incident reporting software package. In the last 25 years, the game has changed significantly, with the PC revolution, the Internet, and now mobile and Cloud-based apps.

Police Force for a decade, he went to work for risk management and investigations firm, King-Reed (now CKR Global), which was also a PPM user.

Because PPM lacked its own educational resources, McIlravey helped start a PPM training group and was ultimately recruited by the company.

He then moved into consulting and services within PPM and was involved in the launch of its Perspective product in 2005. He was promoted to vice-president and was named co-CEO with Elaine O’Sullivan when Denis retired three years ago.

Last year, PPM shortened its name from PPM 2000 and unveiled a new logo. It was time to acknowledge that “2000” has long since past, says McIlravey. “Back in 1988, the word ‘2000’ sounded like a new an innovative company,” he jokes.

“A lot has changed with the technology and how we deliver the software and the power of the software and how the software works in security,” he says. “You can imagine in 1988 it was very ‘guard shack’ with a system that sat in the corner by itself. Now it’s a highly integrated system that’s part of command centres.”

The two CEOs split company duties: Elaine is “very operational” and manages day-to-day activities while McIlravey is the “visionary” and

the public face of PPM. Elaine says PPM has grown more in its last five years than the last 20.

Initially just Elaine, her father and a handful of programmers, PPM now

employs about 65 people and recently moved into a larger office space in Edmonton.

Some of the company’s recent success can be attributed to simply keeping pace with customers’ demands, says McIlravey. Software may have been a tough sell initially, but end users have come a long way in a quarter-century. “PPM has traditionally been, sell it to a company, they buy the licence, they install it on their servers, they take it and go,” he says. But hosted models have changed everyone’s perspective on that.

“It was kind of forced on us by a couple of clients who said, ‘This is the way we’re going. We have to have this in a hosted Cloud model.’

“We said, we can do that. It was a big learning curve, but it’s actually changed our entire business model in the last three years. We are now a fully SaaS-based Cloud computing product. It’s changed a lot of what we do,” he says.

WavestoreUSA signs up Canadian distributor

W

avestoreUSA has signed Edmonton, Alta.-based BTI as an authorized distributor and reseller for Canada.

According to the companies, BTI will supply technical, training and consultation support to serve the needs of WavestoreUSA integrators, dealers and end users throughout the country.

As a WavestoreUSA partner, BTI will receive training on the latest technical developments as well as support in marketing, planning and sales. WavestoreUSA will also provide marketing materials and support related to its video management software and video recording platforms.

“We are very pleased to serve

as an authorized distributor for the WavestoreUSA product line in Canada,” says Neil Smith, BTI, in a statement. “We are committed to offering innovative and unique products along with unparalleled service and support. The addition of WavestoreUSA’s products further extends our ability to fulfill this mission while supporting our overall growth strategy.”

“The Canadian market demands cutting-edge solutions designed, manufactured and supported by industry leaders. By partnering with BTI, we are able to enhance the overall experience of today’s surveillance user while optimizing their return on investment,” adds Jennifer Martin, director of sales, WavestoreUSA.

The Next Generation in Security Systems

Technologies come together in the most spectacular way.

Flexible by virtue of the modular, hardwired system, coupled with the simplicity of wireless devices and peripherals, PowerSeries Neo is ideal for scalable commercial security installations. PowerG – the industry’s leading-edge wireless intrusion technology, infuses the system with powerful tools such as visual verification to offer superb system reliability. With optimized partitioning, integration potential and compatibility with leading-edge interactive solutions supported by DSC, infinite opportunities make PowerSeries Neo an undisputed first-class investment for the long term.

PowerSeries Neo by DSC is Security Redefined. www.dsc.com © 2014 Tyco Security Products

From Tyco Security Products

LINE CARD Avigilon reports earnings increase for 2013

V

“The fourth quarter a n c o u v e r- b a s e d was our highest revenue Avigilon reported quarter to date and con$178.3 million in tributed to exceptional revrevenue for 2013, an increase enue and earnings growth of 78 per cent over the prefor 2013,” says Alexander vious year.

Fernandes, founder, presThe company also says ident, CEO and chairman it earned $21.6 million in of the board of Avigilon, net income in 2013, up from in a company statement. $7.2 million in 2012. In the Alexander Fernandes “These results reflect fourth quarter of 2013 alone, the impact of the growth revenue was $55.9 million investments we made in prior periods and net income was $6.7 million.

to expand our operations, particularly within sales, marketing and product development. The year was also highlighted by two strategic technology acquisitions, which add complementary products and technology to our industry leading, end-to-end HD surveillance solution and allow us to expand our business into other segments of the global security market.”

In 2013, Avigilon acquired VideoIQ for US$32 million and RedCloud Security for $17 million.

Digital Watchdog buys ISD

T

ampa, Fla.-based Digital Watchdog has acquired Innovative Security

Designs.

Irvine, Calif.-based ISD was founded in 2012 by a former IQinVision employee, Ian Johnston.

“Digital Watchdog is the perfect complement for ISD,” says Johnston, the company’s president and CEO, in a statement. “We are thrilled to

join their exceptional team to pursue our common vision of next generation solutions.”

ISD’s Lynx, an edge surveillance camera that runs on Microsoft Windows, won two awards at last year’s Security Industry Association New Product Showcase at ISC West in Las Vegas, Nev. “ISD’s ability to captivate the attention of the industry with unique

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and differentiated solutions has been remarkable.” says HK Lee, CEO of Digital Watchdog, in a statement.

Lee adds that ISD will “remain an independent company” to Digital Watchdog to “preserve what makes ISD special” and will continue to pursue partnerships with OEM customers. “Our combined strengths make this a very powerful relationship,” Lee says.

AlarmForce boosts Q1 profits

H

ome and commercial property security company AlarmForce Industries is reporting a big increase in first-quarter profits as revenue improved nine per cent.

The Toronto-based concern said net income totalled $2.4 million or 20 cents per diluted share in the three months ended Jan. 31, up 75 per cent from $1.38 million or 11 cents in the same fiscal 2013 period. Revenue totalled just under $13 million, up from $11.9 million as its total number of subscribers increased to 142,400 from 135,600.

AlarmForce provides security alarm monitoring, personal emergency response monitoring, video surveillance and related services to residential and commercial subscribers in Canada and the United States.

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Allegion reveals Canadian team

F

ollowing completion of the spin-off from its former parent Ingersoll Rand last year, Allegion has identified the team of Canadians who will lead the company here.

The spin-off of Ingersoll Rand’s security business was first announced in Dec. 2012 and completed in Dec. 2013. Tim Eckersley, president of the Americas region for Allegion, told SP&T News at the time that “we are now a focused security company.”

In a statement issued by the company, Allegion says it is “able to unlock our company’s true potential. As part of our efforts, we’ve developed a Canada-wide team focused to the electronic security industry.”

The Canadian team that will lead the new company include: • • • • • •

Josh Weidman, director of sales and marketing – electronic security James Rivett, security sales consultant – Central Canada Claude Simard, security sales consultant – Eastern Canada Susan Kedzo, security sales consultant – Western Canada Sandro Vano, solutions designer / technical consultant Alpar Donath, marketing coordinator – electronic security

S Josh Weidman

James Rivett

Claude Simard

Susan Kedzo

Sandro Vano

Alpar Donath

SECURITY STATS 60% of Canadian IT professionals were pressured in 2013 to rollout IT projects despite security issues.

The identity and access management market for public cloud service providers is

billion in revenue by 2019.

Source: ABI Research

What impact will the Google purchase of thermostat and smoke detector maker Nest have on the home security market?

Signals a shift towards technology/online service companies taking a larger piece of the market

Still far too early to tell

4.2%

12.5%

Will benefit everyone by bolstering public interest in home automation

Traditional security companies will need to innovate faster to keep up

62.5%

20.8%

Source: Poll conducted on www.sptnews.ca in Feb./March 2014

10 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

outhwest Microwave has appointed Anacon Solutions as its manufacturer’s representative agency for the company’s integrated perimeter intrusion detection solutions in Ontario (excluding the Ottawa region).

“It’s a very unique line,” says Anacon’s principal, Frank Filice. “There’s a lot of potential for perimeter protection.” Vertical markets interested in that type of product include oil and gas, correctional institutions, Frank Filice, Anacon Solutions and hydro plants, who use it to discourage copper theft.

Filice adds that Southwest Microwave products integrate well with other lines he carries, including video surveillance solutions. Team members working with Filice include Tamara Wonta and Steve Filice.

The group is currently scheduling appointments with customers. Anacon Solutions also recently opened a new office location, complete with demo room and meeting space, in Vaughan, Ont., and will be hosting open house dates in the near future for customers, dealers and distributors.

market watch Company (ticker) Price (Mar. 12) 52-week low 52-week high

Source: Trustwave

expected to reach more than US$2

Southwest Microwave appoints Ontario rep agency

ADT (ADT) $28.75 AlarmForce Ind. (AF.TO) $10.75 Allegion (ALLE) $54.28 Avante Logixx (XX) $0.38 Avigilon Corp. (AVO.TO) $31.03 Checkpoint Systems (CKP) $13.19 Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $21.82 Diebold (DBD) $38.63 Flir (FLIR) $34.87 Gentex (GNTX) $31.53 Honeywell (HON) $93.85 Johnson Controls (JCI) $46.88 Mace Security (MACE) $0.34 Napco (NSSC) $7.33 Richardson Elec. (RELL) $11.27 ScanSource Inc. (SCSC) $38.94 Stanley (SWK) $80.56 Tyco Int. (TYC) $42.94 United Technologies Corp. (UTX) $115.81 Verint Systems Inc. (VRNT) $45.82 Vicon Industries (VII) $3.23 Viscount Systems (VSYS) $0.12

$28.65 $8.66 $40.24 $0.05 $11.01 $10.50 $19.98 $27.89 $23.00 $19.01 $70.92 $31.94 $0.25 $3.51 $10.67 $25.83 $73.77 $30.62 $90.30 $32.25 $2.43 $0.04

$50.37 $12.34 $55.78 $0.45 $34.50 $18.25 $26.49 $38.69 $35.44 $34.41 $95.90 $52.50 $0.59 $7.70 $12.30 $43.65 $92.76 $44.10 $118.42 $48.99 $4.35 $0.15

20 1 4

Come out and see how Anixter and our network of industry-leading manufacturer partners can help you meet the needs of your most challenging infrastructure projects. The Anixter Showcase will also provide you with the opportunity to network with these manufacturers to discuss the latest in technology and solutions.

MONTREAL – May 29

Who Should Attend:

Mississauga Convention Center anixter.ca/events/torontoshowcase

• CSOs • CFOs • CIOs • Engineering managers • Electrical contractors and engineers • EPCs • Industrial automation managers • IT managers • Systems integrators • Engineers

• Networking managers • Contractors • Data communications managers • Purchasers • Project managers • CLECs • Telecom managers • Security integrators • OEM specialists • Facility managers

Montreal Airport Marriott Hotel anixter.ca/events/montrealshowcase

TORONTO – September 18

CALGARY – October 7 BMO Centre, Stampede Grounds anixter.ca/events/calgaryshowcase

Attendees of this year’s Canada Showcase will be entered into a draw to win a 32GB iPad® Air.*

* Terms and Conditions Due to local law and Anixter’s policy, government personnel are not eligible to participate in the raffle. If government personnel do register to participate in a prize draw and any of their names is randomly selected, that draw will be disregarded and another name will be drawn.

Although food and beverages will be offered at the training, due to local law and Anixter’s internal policies, we are unable to provide a meal to government personnel who will be in attendance. Please plan accordingly.

1.877.ANIXTER | anixter.ca

Legal Statement: anixter.com/legalstatement | 13E2802X00 © 2014 Anixter Inc. • 02/14

Products. Technology. Services. Delivered Globally.

LINE CARD Calendar

Applications Rail surveillance in Chicago The Chicago Transit Authority, which operates the U.S.’s second largest public transportation system, implemented a pilot program to retrofit its existing rail car fleet with an on-board video surveillance system. As the cameras would be exposed to harsh environmental conditions, as well as unregulated electrical power sourced from the 600VDC third rail, the pilot program focused on the effects on the video technology.

During the multi-year pilot, a Sentry360 solution using two 360° fisheye Ultra-HD cameras per rail car, was evaluated. After a successful evaluation, the solution was deployed to the remainder of the CTA fleet. The final project included 3,600 Sentry360 cameras on nearly 900 rail cars.

HD cameras guard stars for LAPD

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) selected a mix of PTZ Axis Communications network cameras to provide security and live situational awareness along the red carpet at the Academy Awards, held March 2.

Axis’ PTZ cameras were strategically placed in the block surrounding the Dolby Theatre. A wireless mesh network connected the cameras to the command centre at police headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.

The cameras were managed remotely through AXIS Camera Companion software. “High quality resolution, video storage that is searchable and retrievable helps us best leverage our resources,” says Deputy Chief Michael Downing, Commanding Officer for Counter Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau, LAPD.

Seattle airport keeps tabs on keys

May 6, 2014 Southwest Microwave: Perimeter Defense Toronto, Ont. www.southwestmicrowave.com/ssd May 8, 2014 Security Canada Alberta Calgary, Alta. www.securitycanadaexpo.com

Seattle’s historic Paine Field airport, home to the Boeing manufacturing plant for 747, 767, 777 and 787 aircraft, is using a key management solution from Morse Watchmans to ensure that master keys are securely stored and accounted for.

“Tracking of keys, whether masters or regular, is very important to us and the KeyWatcher system allows us to have accountability for all of our keys,” says Erick Vestey, maintenance technologist at Paine Field. “We can see at any given time where a key is and if someone has not turned in a key, we can go back to that individual to retrieve it.”

Keys are stored in the tamper-proof cabinet when not in use and can only be accessed by individuals who are authorized in the system.

Appointments

May 29, 2014 Anixter Showcase Montreal, Que. www.anixter.ca May 29, 2014 ADI Expo Ottawa, Ont. www.adiglobal.ca June 4, 2014 Security Canada Ottawa Ottawa, Ont. www.securitycanadaexpo.com June 19, 2014 Canadian Security’s Focus On Series: Retail Security Richmond Hill, Ont. www.focusonseries.ca June 23-26, 2014 Electronic Security Expo Nashville, Tenn. www.esxweb.com June 24, 2014 ADI Expo Winnipeg, Man. www.adiglobal.ca June 25, 2014 Security Canada West Richmond, B.C. www.securitycanadaexpo.com Sept. 16, 2014 Canadian Security’s Focus On Series: Commercial/Property Management Richmond Hill, Ont. www.focusonseries.ca Sept. 18, 2014 Security Canada Atlantic Moncton, N.B. www.securitycanadaexpo.com

Bryan Schmode

•

•

•

Blake Tally

Bryan Schmode has been promoted to chief operating officer (COO) at Avigilon.

Responsibility for all of Avigilon’s global operations, including human resources, facilities, IT, engineering and customer support, has been transitioned to Schmode.

Blake Tally has joined Platinum Tools as regional sales manager to support its portfolio of regional and national accounts.

Camden Door Controls has appointed John Clement as its new western regional sales manager for the United States and Canada. Clement joined Camden in December 1999 as

12 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

John Clement

•

•

Bob Brilon

a sales representative in British Columbia & Alberta. In 2011, his territory was expanded to include the Pacific Northwest U.S. Bob Brilon has been appointed president of Iveda by its board of directors. Brilon will report to chairman and CEO David Ly and will continue to serve as the company’s treasurer and chief financial officer. Brilon rejoined the Iveda executive team in Dec. 2013, after serving as part-time CFO from Dec. 2008 until Aug. 2010.

Joining FST21 as sales support manager is Nir Rikovitch, who will be responsible for leading and managing all activities

Nancy Laxson

•

Barry Taylor

in support of FST21 sales in Canada. Nancy Laxson joins FST21 as regional sales manager for Eastern Canada. Laxson has worked in security for the past 12 years and has served as a board member of CANASA. TOA Canada announces two sales territory changes for 2014. British Columbia will now be serviced by Barry Taylor, regional sales manager - British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. TOA has extended Gino Pileggi’s sales territory to now include Manitoba. Pileggi’s new title will be regional sales manager - Ontario East & Manitoba.

Sept. 18, 2014 Anixter Showcase Mississauga, Ont. www.anixter.ca Oct. 7, 2014 Anixter Showcase Calgary, Alta. www.anixter.ca Oct. 22-23, 2014 Security Canada Central Toronto, Ont. www.securitycanadaexpo.com Oct. 29-30, 2014 Securing New Ground New York, N.Y. www.securityindustry.org Nov. 25, 2014 Security Career Expo Richmond Hill, Ont. www.securitycareerexpo.ca Dec. 10, 2014 Canadian Security’s Focus On Series: Health Care Richmond Hill, Ont. www.focusonseries.ca

LINE CARD Proximex, Barco integrate technologies

Proximex, part of the security products business unit of Tyco, announces the integration of its Surveillint physical security information management (PSIM) solution with the Control room Management suite (CMS) from Barco. Under this collaboration, security operators using Surveillint will be able to select particular camera sources to be shown in pre-defined areas on Barco CMS-powered video walls and displays. The integration also extends Surveillint’s capacity to fully leverage the “perspectives” concept within the CMS environment, by grouping cameras and other sources that enhance situational awareness in a visually correlated way.

IndigoVision reports growth in U.S., overseas IndigoVision is reporting in its sixmonth interim financial report a 23 per cent increase in revenue in the United States, Asia Pacific and EMEA, and company revenue is up by 14 per cent to £18.4 million ($33.8 million).

“EMEA and the United States achieved their highest rates of growth for many years, and growth continued in Asia Pacific and Latin America,” says Marcus Kneen, IndigoVision chief executive officer. Recent U.S. wins include a national industrial security project for a Fortune 500 company and continued expansion for a Las Vegas casino.

Milestone Systems expands device support Milestone Systems has released Device Pack 7.2 for partners and customers using Milestone XProtect security solutions. Device Pack 7.2 has deep driver support for more than 3,000 devices. The Milestone Device Packs

include optimized drivers that enable all relevant capabilities of a camera or other hardware device to be managed fully

by XProtect software. The company says it has added more than 2,000 supported devices since 2011.

Christian Bohn, Milestone Systems vice-president of corporate marketing

and alliances, says, “The ability to add 2,000 devices in just three years is only made possible by having an open platform strategy, and clearly showcases the power of our open platform.” The 3,000th supported device was the AXIS Q6045 HD highspeed PTZ dome camera.

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Hikvision says it has signed a worldwide patent licensing agreement with video analytics provider ObjectVideo.

“With this co-operation with ObjectVideo, Hikvision is able to accelerate the promotion of intelligent video analytics products and solutions in the global market to better serve our customers and partners,” says Yangzhong Hu, president of Hikvision.

Hikvision is one of 18 companies joining ObjectVideo’s patent licensing program. Others include Panasonic, Sony, Pelco, Bosch, Tyco / American Dynamics and FLIR. “We are very pleased to have Hikvision join our patent licensing program,” adds Raul Fernandez, chairman and CEO, ObjectVideo. “Hikvision is our first partner from China.”

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@SecurityEd • April 2014 13 2014-03-27 2:54 PM

CANASA UPDATE

By JF Champagne

One to watch It’s about time for another disruptive technology in security monitoring

A

few months have passed since the big announcement by Google of the purchase of Nest, a maker of smart thermostats, and we are starting to see some signs of the impact this may have on our industry.

Some people may say this is going to only affect the home automation market and not have much influence on traditional alarm systems. But let’s not forget that the second product developed by Nest was a smoke and CO detector. The Nest vision is even more revealing than its product lineup: “We take the unloved products in your home and make them simple.”

I am sure that for most consumers, a burglar and fire alarm system fall into that category. That vision, combined with the power of Google, will over time result in a shift in product offerings and technologies for the sector.

Google with its Android mobile OS, claimed more than 43 per cent market share in Canada at the end of 2013. At that time, 56 per cent of the Canadian population had a smart phone. I can only

DISPATCH DIGEST

imagine what that proportion would be if we were to consider only people who have a security system, but I would like to think it would be even higher.

“The Nest vision is even more revealing than its product line-up” But Google is also working on the next generation of smart devices with their Google Wear platform for wearable technology such as smart watches. All major manufacturers in the Google OS ecosystem, including Samsung, HTC, Motorola and LG have all announced plans to release smart watches in the near future.

I should add that while Apple has not confirmed working on a watch (they never talk about product development) it is likely that they will introduce one this year as well. If you are skeptical about the potential of smart watches you should know that Pebble Technology raised more than $10 million on

crowd-funding website Kickstarter to develop the Pebble Watch. Best Buy, which agreed to sell the product, ran out of stock in three days when it was launched last summer.

We should know that some of the people from the Nest team have been working on the Google Gear platform and the latest demo by Google showed a proof of concept where a Google Gear watch was able to respond to a voice command to “open garage door.”

I would predict that we are now less than five years away from a product that will be relatively low cost, fashionable to wear, able to inform us about the status of our security system from anywhere, know our whereabouts to determine if we are an authorized person on premise or an intruder while monitoring our vital signs, and send a signal if we were to have a medical emergency.

We’re about to get some Google love.

JF Champagne is the executive director of CANASA (www.canasa.org).

By Ron Walters

Understanding ECV Why enhanced call verification can have such a dramatic effect on reducing false dispatches

A

ccording to Stan Martin, executive director of SIAC, “You can’t have a meaningful discussion on dispatch reduction without addressing the use of ECV.” The development of enhanced call verification (ECV) was the result of a specific request by the International Association of Chief’s of Police (IACP) Private Sector Liaison Committee (PSLC).

In the days immediately following the 9-11 attacks in New York City there was no way to know if, or when, another attack might occur. So the PSLC issued a challenge to the industry to find a method to dramatically address false dispatches that didn’t require heavy lifting on the part of law enforcement.

A group of industry professionals, the catalyst that would become SIAC, met in an attempt to address this challenge.

First, it is an accepted fact that 77 per cent of all false alarms and false dispatches are the result of user error. Furthermore, virtually all alarm companies were making a call to attempt to verify these signals. The most indisputable fact was: ”For there

14 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

to be user error, there must be someone at the premises.” So why weren’t we able to verify more of these signals without a dispatch?

The biggest issue was identified as the call-waiting feature on phones. Over the years, the alarm transmission and verification process had become so efficient that an alarm signal was transmitted, and an attempt to verify was made before the alarm panel had released the phone line. With call-waiting, the central station operator was making the verification call to the alarm site while the alarm panel still had line seizure, so the operator would hear a ringing tone but there was no phone ringing at the site.

Tests were conducted on ECV and we quickly learned that in cases where a call was made to the premise that went unanswered, if the operator hung up and called the same number a second time, in 25 per cent of the cases a responsible party was reached.

Seeking a broader test, we were able to get Boulder, Colo., to agree to require ECV as a policy.

This allowed alarm companies to enforce the policy without customer approval. However it did require

that customers be notified. Boulder was unique in that two companies controlled roughly 75 per cent of the business. After completing a one-year test using nothing more than ECV, reductions reached 61 per cent. The difference was that the two test companies made a conscious effort to obtain cellular phone numbers for the responsible parties.

It is important to recognize that there should never be a case where an alarm user who is not at the premise should guess whether there should be a dispatch. In most cases, once reached by cellular phone, the responses will be some known circumstance that doesn’t require a dispatch. Once enforced, there is an immediate 25 per cent reduction in dispatches that builds over the first year.

ECV eventually became an industry standard.

The title of the document is ANSI/CSAA CS-V-012004.xx and you can find a link to the full document at www.siacinc.org under Standards.

Ron Walters is the director of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition (www.siacinc.org).

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LESSONS LEARNED

By Victor Harding

Verified growth market Smart alarm dealers know that video verification is here to stay

B

ob Miller runs SecureVision View in Aurora, Ont., and has been setting up alarm systems for video verification for 10 years now.

More than any alarm dealer I have talked to, he understands both the benefits and opportunities of video verification but also some of the issues connected to this service. He built a monitoring station, Maximum Monitoring (which now belongs to SecurTek), which is one of the few stations in Canada that understands video verification.

The case for video verification of alarms is strong.

Customers complain about the slow police response to alarms. By the time police get to the premise, the damage is often done. The industry needs a justifiable reason to make police dispatches a higher priority.

What could be better than a video of the crime in progress?

Setting up customers so that they can view their premise from a smart phone or a computer is becoming commonplace. Video verification takes this one step further by delivering the video to the monitoring

BRAND BUILDING

station and tying it to the alarm signal. The operator handling the alarm signal can quickly view the corresponding video and better determine whether there is truly a break-in.

Up until very recently, there were good reasons for alarm dealers and stations to be wary of video verification. The cameras and DVRs were expensive and bandwidth was a problem. It was very cumbersome for station operators to manage video verification with the different types of DVRs that they had to handle. There was no tested software simplifying the process of what to do in the station when you had an alarm signal.

Today, cameras and DVRs cost a fraction of what they once did and bandwidth is more readily available. Better motion detectors and cameras with analytics are helping to reduce false alarms. The CSAA in the U.S. is working with a new organization called the Partnership for Priority Video Alarm Response to create a standard set of monitoring protocols for video verification. VV is about to go mainstream in the U.S. and I predict that within the next few years

authorities will not respond to “unverified” alarms.

Although the case for video verification appears to be a slam dunk, Bob Miller will tell you that there can be issues and a learning curve. Do you use off-site storage or DVRs to store the video images? Each has its pluses and minuses. There are still false alarms coming from VV, particularly when used outside. Additionally the authorities want the VV dispatch to come from a ULC-approved monitoring station. Finally, the monitoring operator still has to exercise judgment in many cases. Is that person they see inside the premise legitimate or not? In these cases, it is always better to have the owner look at the site remotely as well.

The Lesson Learned here is, as with all new technologies, getting into VV is not without its issues.

There is a learning curve, so you had better start now.

Finally, we need more monitoring stations to take video verification seriously and start to learn how to do it and offer it as a service.

Victor Harding is the principal of Harding Security Services (www.hardingsecurity.ca).

By David J. Atkins

Effective engagement Communicating well with a potential client means truly understanding their point of view

W

e all have a job to do and frankly, are too busy to do it.

That’s why you need to find a value that hits home with your client. This could either from the technical side, found within product features, or from the help your products and services provide.

The financial gains found in creating efficiencies are definitely a key motivator for upper management. This may include additional employee security and reduced mitigation. Also, having increased visibility will motivate further investigation.

Operations management are more keen on a streamlined implementation and ease of use.

Change is painful for most by nature. Further demonstrating ease of use and minimal maintenance will always gain friends.

Try not to let their eyes glaze over by using deep industry jargon. Otherwise, you’ll only frustrate your client and stymie engaging conversations that will feed critical cues on what matters to them.

Being able to relate in a consistent manner is

important. But understand, everyone has their own values. What you find to be exciting about a product is usually the opposite of what your audience does.

You can bridge that gap by stepping back from your knowledge. Try asking clients what they like the most and least about their current provider.

A conversation is the opposite of a pitch. Let the customer do the talking. They’re not used to this approach, so it may take some timely questions. My experience is that honesty best serves all concerned.

You having all the answers is not allowing for the client’s participation.

Treat every meeting as a learning experience.

Every person has individual drivers that trigger actionable results. Sharing a common interest or goal will strengthen these interactions.

Showing passion about your offerings is infectious. It exudes confidence and brand strength.

Sometimes the client has bought into products that may compete with yours and learned more about them through their own past experiences. This lends a bias that should not be challenged. Instead, use it

to your advantage. Agree with their previous choices at the time and perhaps select key benefits or features of the products in question. Now use those examples to illustrate how your offerings raise the bar. Ask them if the key differentiators would align with past deciding factors. In other words, would they have selected your offerings back then?

This type of mutual engagement is a winning approach and allows the customer to gain further insights on how they can take ownership of a project and develop a solution in co-operation with you.

Once they see the opportunity to marshal a project within their own working area, help them convey this to upper management.

Be aware, though, that operations and finance speak different languages. Think of it as a team effort — each has different perspectives, mandates and responsibilities. You become the glue that keeps this project moving forward.

David J. Atkins is the principal of David J. Atkins Consulting (www.davidjatkins.com).

@SecurityEd • April 2014 17

EMBRACING CHANGE

Sponsored by

In a roundtable discussion sponsored by Pelco by Schneider Electric, leading Canadian integrators shed light on how the security business is evolving

Continued from front cover

know us out there. Our website is also a lead generator. That’s what works for us right now.

SP&T News: How do you generate new business?

Danny Zavaglia: We like to see it as going to the owner direct. It’s a competitive market out there right now. That’s at least what we’re finding. To get that good new business, we feel what works is going directly to the owners and showing them what value Johnson Controls can bring to that customer — sustainability, knowledge, a proven track record. Getting that buy-in from the customer has been a big help.

Antony Strube: Our business mostly comes from referral. We’re trying to provide an end-to-end security solution with our customers. We enter into contracts on the guard side and then expand our security systems to provide whatever else they need.

That [approach] keeps us very busy. Of course, we also go after the RFPs and tenders out there, the public ones. It’s mostly referral business. On the residential side, because we do intrusion, it’s the same thing: referrals. Customers

SP&T: Do you find one side of the business feeds the other: referrals from guarding customers and vice-versa?

AS: It really does. It’s a huge advantage for us.

Farley Schapira: I’d say about 80 per cent [of our business] is strictly referrals. We tend to network with our existing clients and ask them to suggest who they think would be a good fit for our company.

We do generate a few leads just from cold calls and seeing what’s happening in the market. Rarely do we entertain RFPs. It’s not a good market for us. With the commercial side, it’s who you know … good networking. That provides us with a reasonably steady stream of leads. That also helps with generating closings, because one person may know another and they can see the type of work we’ve done.

SP&T: Do you generate much business via social media tools?

FS: We are on LinkedIn [but] we don’t find very much action from it. We get a bit of traffic from our website. We’ve found that unless you drive the traffic to your website through Google ads, it’s very difficult. Just to search for “alarm” or “security” ... there’s no shortage of ads that come up.

SP&T: Paladin has been quite aggressive in its use of social media. What has the impact been on business?

AS: It does draw awareness and attention to your website. That’s why a lot of companies are doing it. In our industry, we have to make sure customers understand that they’re in good hands with us — that we respect their privacy and make sure that nothing gets disclosed that shouldn’t be out there.

We have very strict rules in how we use social media, but it definitely helps us to create awareness and drive people to our website so we can talk about what we are and what we’re doing. It’s a helpful tool.

It’s new to us, so we had to go through a learning curve. There’s no room in our industry to make any kind of mistakes when it comes to that sort of thing.

DZ: The majority of our [social media] is in the U.S. Our CEO is on Twitter. We do have a Johnson Controls Twitter account as well — especially for our security and fire division. It [provides] updates on what is happening around North America — not only the U.S. but Canada as well. Social media right now is the way to go to get your message across.

The landscape is changing for Canadian security integrators.

There are new challenges around customer expectations, new technologies coming to the fore and new skillsets coming in as college graduates test the waters of the job market.

18 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

SP&T: How knowledgeable are the end users you deal with?

DZ: I’d say over the last 10 years, our end users have become a lot more knowledgeable. A lot of them belong to the same associations that we belong to; they’re going to the same trade shows; they’re picking up the information. They’re still relying on us as their trusted advisor. We want to tell them, “Here’s a solution we feel is best for you.” Through their knowledge, they’re going to challenge us, they’re going to question us. Nowadays, the end user is probably one of the most knowledgeable people out there.

SP&T: Who are the end users you deal with most often?

DZ: The majority of the time, it’s the security directors, advisors and managers. But more and more we’re seeing the IT managers and directors involved in the decision-making, depending on the solution. If it’s riding on the network, it’s going to be the security manager and their IT person. The IT person’s there saying, “How much traffic are you putting across our network? How much bandwidth are you using?”

AS: I have to agree. The customer is approaching us. They have a really good understanding of what they’re looking for. The Internet makes it possible to educate yourself before you go into any kind of security planning. And that’s good. I actually appreciate that the customer has some basic knowledge to come to the table with. But sometimes the expectation is a little bit off, so we have to manage that expectation.

Mostly we’re dealing with someone who’s in charge of security. If any IP solution is involved, then IT gets involved. They want to have some say in that. We always appreciate their input. In the beginning, it was a bit of a battle talking to IT people, but that has changed. They realize that they need us and we need them.

“Nowadays, the end user is probably one of the most knowledgeable people out there.”

— Danny Zavaglia, Johnson Controls AS: Absolutely. TV helps to promote that idea.

Customers approach and say, “I want to have just one camera and it should be able to do everything.”

That’s when I talk about managing expectations.

“Yes, you can have this camera, but this is really the one thing that this camera can cover for you.” We have to sit down and determine what is it you are trying to accomplish? Then we can look at solutions and see if they still fit into your budget in terms of what you are really trying to do.

FS: [My customers] are small and medium businesses where the management of expectations is huge.

Today, you’ve got big box retailers selling four, eight and 16 camera systems at a price that none of us can even touch. It can be very difficult at times to sit down and try to explain to somebody the difference between a high quality camera and something that just comes in a box as a kit with 50 feet of cable per camera. Occasionally you run into some where you just cannot serve their needs. We try to qualify them within the first half an hour or so and see if it’s a good fit. Or we just walk from the project and say, “You’re best to be at the big box store and give us a call in a couple of years.”

I find that the security manager may not want to bring the IT person in initially. Sometimes there’s been a bit of a fear that the IT person would be taking over. Sometimes we have to tread a little bit cautiously, show them the products then at some point down the road, bring in the IT person. That can be a good thing. It’s going to sit on their network; they’re going to have to support it, so they really need to be at the table.

what linguine he ordered.” It can be a bit challenging. You can certainly fit their needs and find the products, but generally in the small arena, they don’t have the budget for something like that. There is no IT person; the integrator becomes the IT person.

They have a simple high-speed connection and they want to see what’s happening at their premises on their phone. Beyond that, they really don’t understand the technology.

SP&T: Are customers interested in the Cloud or hosted solutions?

FS: Right now, from my perspective, there’s not a lot of interest in the Cloud. An ISP I’ve known for quite a while said to me the other day, “We’ve been describing the Internet as a cloud for 20 years.”

Then somebody coined the term “the Cloud,” and now everybody thinks everything needs to be the Cloud.

Once you start sitting down with the client and you explain the bandwidth issues and how much data you’re going to want to transfer to the Cloud, that usually persuades them not to go that way, at least on the video side. On the access control side, there’s very good reasons to use the Cloud. There are more and more access control systems that offer Cloud-based solutions. If you’re a property manager and you manage, 10, 12 or 15 buildings and you want to be able to do it from your tablet or your phone, the Cloud is the way to do it. With multiple IPs and multiple buildings, it’s just easier to have it all in one central location.

SP&T: Do people still have false notions about what security can do?

FS: That’s the CSI effect, definitely. “I want to see every table in the restaurant and I need to know

DZ: From the video standpoint, I think the customers would prefer that the information stay locally.

Whether it be archived or on their mass storage, they don’t want it going out somewhere. They’ll create the redundancies within their own facility.

Smaller end users will probably want that Cloud

Danny Zavaglia

Antony Strube

Farley Schapira

Director of security systems Paladin Security

President Security Technology Services

Security and fire business manager Johnson Controls Canada

SP&T: Do some small business customers, like a restaurant, have unrealistic expectations?

and to have access to it from remote sites. But generally, what we deal with, from an access and a CCTV standpoint, they want that information stored locally. They don’t want it getting out to the public. Unless it’s high security, some 13-year-old is probably going to be in there trying to hack it.

AS: When people talk about the Cloud, do they mean a web interface or do they really mean storing information on the Cloud? Some people get so confused about it. Some of our customers say, “I want to be able to use my Internet browser on my tablet.” That doesn’t necessarily have to be a Cloud solution. It could be an “in-house Cloud.” But when it comes to really storing information on the Cloud, there are concerns, especially when you’re dealing with government. Some of them don’t even allow you to do any of that, so there’s that limitation already.

I think that storing on the Cloud is something that everybody talks about but when you start talking about the pros and cons of bandwidth, they quickly realize that, OK, maybe that’s not the right way to go. Having maybe a back up solution where data is stored off site might be something that people consider, but then again, how secure is it? And that’s the next question. Especially when you read every day in the news that people are getting hacked.

SP&T: Are there other issues that integrators are dealing with now that they weren’t a few years ago?

AS: For sure, the Cloud. The next issue that we see is to get really knowledgeable technicians. We have to invest in our technicians to make sure they understand. It’s a challenge of providing training and making sure our technicians are comfortable when they’re going out there and implementing these solutions. That’s something where we have to get away from the traditional technician that runs his RG59 to connect some cameras. Now we really need a higher skill of technician. The higher skilled technician also means that we have to charge more money to the customer. That’s what happens if you

“In the beginning, it was a bit of a battle talking to IT people, but that has changed. They realize that they need us and we need them.”

— Antony Strube, Paladin Security want to have a very knowledgeable technician. The technician knows that and he wants to get paid accordingly. The service rate needs to adapt and I think that’s where the challenge comes.

something that they can load onto their PC, manage it themselves and say, “We’ve got X number of sites.

What we need is a little box that we can plug all this information in to so we can control it.”

DZ: It’s not a simple RG59 connection any more. A lot of the troubles we’re seeing are IT-related. It’s their network issue. Is the port locked out? Did their network switch go down? Why is my video pixelated? In the old days, it was a VCR, then a DVR, then an NVR, and now it’s web-based video systems.

That has taken us to the next level and we’re seeing new trends evolving out there. We’re going to the video management systems.

With all these edge devices, it’s plug it into a network jack and here’s your security device. HID came out with an edge reader — you just plug it in and you’ve got a standalone card reader system. Is it going to be possible in the next five to 10 years that we’re going to see security systems just being software? Software that’s going to be able to talk to a Lenel panel, to a Software House, to an AMAG panel. No longer are the manufacturers going to say, “Here’s our panel, here’s our software.” It’s going to be that you pick Software A with Panel B, C or D.

FS: I find with the technicians, it’s definitely an issue. It becomes tough even for us on the management side to keep up with the changes, let alone to send your technician in for training on a particular product which will have a network component to it.

But there are so many different products out there with so many different nuances that it’s very tough to make the technical installer happy and give him enough knowledge so that he can complete his task.

In the old days, your one guy programmed your alarm system, he set up your multiplexer and your VCR and you’re all done. Now we’re finding that somebody else with a higher level [of training] after your installer is finished needs to go down and work with the IT person and program the cameras and set up the features. Instead of one technician, you may need two or three people to complete the project.

SP&T: Are security vendors getting better about allowing more interoperability between competing systems?

FS: With the [small business] client, they see something, they think it’s a great idea — they want to make this talk to this, but they just don’t seem to have the budget to do that. We’re not at the point where we’re at a plug and play, where this module talks to this module and there’s one control panel and away we go. Even some of the home automation systems are so complex to set up. Once they’re set up, they work great. As long as you give the end user a simple interface and lock them out of the changes, you’ll have no trouble.

DZ: Well, a lot of them are going to say, “We’re not going to give you our GUI and our information.” As a manufacturer or a vendor, we’ve got to give a little.

I would love to have our software and our panels on everybody’s wall, but I don’t think that’s what every customer is going to want. They’re going to want

SP&T: Is the growth of standards in the security industry making the installer’s job at all easier?

SP&T: Are people still having discussions around standards like ONVIF, or is it fading into the background?

FS: I think so. I remember back when ODBC compliance was the big word. Everybody needed everything to talk to everything. But once they drilled down and tried to get the other components, like the HR database to talk to the access control, they started getting into some resistance from HR: “How do we know it’s secure and the data is being passed correctly?” Then there was always a component that they needed to provide for the interface to work.

Sometimes you run into obstacles from the end users themselves. They just don’t want to do it or they can’t accomplish it or they don’t have the time to make it happen.

AS: ONVIF is something that’s talked about, but I think the standard hasn’t really set a “standard” yet.

Even though a lot of big manufacturers are part of

20 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

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it, they cannot agree on what it is that they want to do. I can understand that from their perspective there are concerns — spending a lot of R&D dollars on designing and making sure that their system is different or better. I think that’s one challenge that they have to overcome first. There are many platforms out there. There isn’t always a standard for the language that they want to talk to. We hear a lot that people want to bring everything together on one platform. It makes sense from the operational perspective, but when it comes to the technical side, it’s the same thing — how much information do we want to share with each other and is it really necessary? Maybe sometimes what looks good at the beginning might be a security compromise.

DZ: I think it’s in the background. When you’re looking at what systems you’re putting together: what camera with what VMS system . . . everybody would like to say, “We’re ONVIF compliant.” It’s a catchphrase, but to what point? Are we going to get all the features from the camera or are we just going to be recording an image? Who knows where we’re going to be six months or 12 months from now. All the user wants to know is, does it work? Does it do what you say it’s going to do?

SP&T: Are you finding you can hire qualified technicians who can keep pace with everything that’s going on?

PALADIN SECURITY Geographic areas covered: Nationwide security services (systems services currently focused on B.C. and Alberta).

Years in business: Since 1976 Number of employees: 5,800 Markets addressed: Health care, industrial (including oil, gas and utility providers), commercial and residential SECURITY TECHNOLOGY SERVICES Geographic areas covered: Ontario Years in business: Since 1997 Number of employees: Six Markets addressed: Government, school boards, condos and large commercial facilities JOHNSON CONTROLS CANADA Geographic areas covered: National/ global Years in business: Since 1903 in Canada (1885 in the U.S.) Number of employees: 3,500 in Canada (170,000 globally) Markets addressed: Airport, government, health care, education, commercial and corporate real estate 22 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

“It can be very difficult at times to sit down and try to explain to somebody the difference between a high quality camera and something that just comes in a box as a kit.”

— Farley Schapira, Security Technology Services DZ: I know from hiring lately, it’s really been a challenge out there with the talent pool that’s available.

A lot of the organizations like to keep their more talented people and there’s a price tag if you want to bring them over to your organization. But if you can get them in early, right out of college or university . . . they’ll have zero experience in the industry, but they’ll have all the theory and the knowledge. They know an IT system, they can configure networks, and we can teach them everything else.

AS: It’s the same challenge. It’s hard to find people.

Our approach is to [hire them] directly from school, from BCIT. You need to be a trade-qualified technician in B.C. They’re fresh from school, they’re ambitious. Those are the kinds of people that we’re trying to scoop up, and then just do all the training in-house and really spend some time and money with these people and get them to the level you need them to be.

Sending out a technician these days requires at least basic networking understanding. Even if you send someone to a residential home . . . trying to connect his interactive solution, you need to connect it to the Internet. You need to have someone who is comfortable doing it without screwing something up on the customer side. The “normal” technician is kind of obsolete.

SP&T: Obsolete in what way?

AS: We see a lot of technicians that still believe the phone line will be there forever. And you have to tell them, “Sorry, it’s not happening. What are you doing to get more knowledgeable and educate yourself?” We go through a screening process with the next generation of technicians we want to hire to see if this is a fit or not.

SP&T: Are students just coming out of college more likely to adapt to new technology?

AS: They bring a lot more base knowledge because they’ve been playing with [the technology] every day. They have a good foundation and they’re comfortable around computers because that’s what they learned in school.

FS: While it’s very true that you need the IT component. . . . Your technician may be knowledgeable on the Internet and on the network, but can he cut a door strike in? Can he run the cables? There are high level people that come out of school with a good knowledge of networking, but do they want to get dirty? I think this is a problem that we’re all going to experience. Those people want to [come to work] nicely dressed and work on their product and that’s it. But if you send someone to a factory because an IP camera is out and he has to go up a

ladder, is that in his scope? Is he comfortable doing something like that? It’s very difficult to find the IT component with the installer component these days.

The guy who’s been pulling cable for 20 years can look at it and have the work done in half the time than the 22-year-old who’s looking up at the ceiling saying, “I’d better call the office.” What kind of vehicle do you send the person out with? How much equipment? How many different cameras?

DZ: A lot of kids coming out of school with their IT backgrounds, they don’t know the basic fundamentals, they won’t be able to troubleshoot. Their idea of troubleshooting is, pull out the circuit board and put in a new circuit board. If a door strike is not working, they don’t test for voltage anymore. If they have a volt meter with them, they’re looking at it, saying, “Where’s the keyboard?” I agree that they might have spent three or four years in school and they’ve got the networking knowledge, but the hands-on experience plays a big part.

Being able to “MacGyver” something to get it to work — that ability has gone. It’s a little bit of a thorn in your side, but when you’re hiring these junior people, I always explain to them, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty. As an organization, you’ve got to train them, you’ve got invest in their future. You’re not coming to Johnson Controls for a job, you’re coming for a career. We’ll train you to be a “super-tech.”

SP&T: Is security drawing the right kind of talent?

If they’re not coming here, where are they going?

AS: It’s a good question. I think most of the people we are looking for originated from the IT world.

But how do we draw them in? I think sometimes it’s a lack of knowledge about what we do. I think the security world is a very interesting world, but some people coming from school don’t understand what we have to offer. I think we may need to do a little bit more work on that side. The industry has to show them what options we have. It’s not just running wires and getting your hands dirty, but as the industry is shifting more and more into an IT world, I think they will realize that there is an opportunity. But if they’re coming into the security world, they’ll like it because there’s so much variety in the work. It’s not only sitting at a computer or big data on a database.

DZ: I don’t think that kids, when they’re in school, are thinking, “I want to be in security.” I grew up through the trades and security didn’t really cross my mind. But now it’s become a profession where we need to draw the best talents. We’re competing with IT companies. We’re competing with start-up dot-com companies and the Googles of the world.

They’re going out and getting the best program-

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FS: I definitely see the IT component meshing more and more with security. Having been in the industry for about 30 years, I’ve loved it. I love the dynamic part of it, the different clienteles, the stories, trying to solve different issues at different stages. That’s alluring, I think, if you can present it to a young person. But I’m starting to see, perhaps, in the security world,

where we should be is more in the IT and the technology part. Maybe we should just be farming out the installations to electrical companies.

They’re already there, they’re already experienced with putting in conduits.

Then at the end, we just send in our high-level guys, terminate the cables and set them all up. I’m not sure if a full in-house solution on installations will be where we all end up down the road. We’re certainly going to need the experienced service people, but on the

installation part of it, I think it’s going to move that way. There’s already a lot people that are experienced in cable running, whether it’s the network or electricians, and a lot of that work will be farmed out to them, especially on new construction. Why not have the electrician put another pipe in for us?

On some of our projects, we’re actually suggesting that.

SP&T: Are other industries, like electrical, also your competitors?

FS: There are several really large electrical companies that do security work and they do it quite well. The middle-sized companies are geared towards doing electrical and they may or may not be asked by the client to provide a [security] solution.

Depending on the size of the client and the knowledge of the client, they may or may not get it.

Very often, the client will get something that’s not a good fit for them. I wouldn’t purport to be an expert on the electrical side. Having been in security for a long time, [I know] there are so many nuances that I can’t see too many electrical companies treading in our ground. It doesn’t concern me that much. The IT — that part concerns me. They’ve fragmented the market. There are so many people that are “qualified” to do cameras.

Just because you can look at a camera and say it’s just another network appliance — [that’s] a half truth. They may be an expert on the network, but not an expert on surveillance or access control.

AS: I have to agree. Sometimes we partner with electrical contractors to help us out. They know their trade.

There’s the advantage of that side. But there’s also the risk of the IT people coming in. You have people looking at the cameras and saying, “Oh, I can install this. There’s a little extra money in our pocket.”

I guess it comes down to, how much do our customers trust us to be their consultant, to be their go-to guy when it comes to their security needs?

It’s not just getting the camera on the wall and the image on the screen. It’s what is the right type of application?

What is the camera you really need?

We just have to make sure we can compete with the pricing structure when we do go out there.

DZ: Electrical contractors are saying, “Hey, we can increase our scope. If they can do it, why can’t we do it?”

There’s distributors out there that will sell the electrical, the conduit, the wiring, the switch gear and throw some cameras in, some door contacts, electric strikes — they’ll provide them with everything.

Not only electrical, but the communications companies, the guys that are doing the low-voltage cabling, the communications cabling — they’re seeing the increase in security for customers. They’ve decided to cash in as well.

We went from being the integrator, priding ourselves on being certified, getting credentials and hiring IT people to program, and our competitors are doing the same thing. We went from a handful to a big pot of competition in the marketplace.

24 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

genetec.com/synergis

© 2014 Genetec. All rights reserved. Genetec and Synergis are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Genetec.

Nothing happened today In a perfect world, no one thinks about access control except you.

The hundreds of people coming and going don’t think about you, or what a good job you’re doing, or how they always manage to get seamlessly where they need to go. Because you chose Synergis access control, it was another great day.

ReadyforWork Security skills that used to be acquired on the job are now being taught to students in colleges and technical schools to better prepare them for the realities of the workplace

By Linda Johnson

S

tudents graduating from security and fire technician programs today are prepared for the job market as never before.

Community colleges and private training institutes alike continue to introduce new skills and provide the latest technology in labs and classrooms. Striving to keep in step with a rapidly changing industry, these schools have created programs that offer great opportunities for anyone seeking a career in the industry.

26 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

The 28-week, full-time security systems technician program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby, B.C., provides foundation training, preparing students for entry-level positions working with alarms, access control and CCTV, says instructor Mike Zecchel.

Graduates receive a certificate, while the course counts as seven months towards the two-year mandatory apprenticeship.

Training is very practical, he says, and content is constantly evolving. Every few years, the curriculum is reviewed and upgraded. A program advisory committee, comprised of people in the local alarm industry, helps guide content, making sure the college is teaching the skills they want future employees to know.

“At the forefront of the trend today are IP addressing and IP-based equipment. We’ve had to get that material into the program so students know it and can compete in the job market. Wireless technology, as well; it’s not new, but it does keep evolving,” Zecchel says.

“We go to trade shows to see what people are working on and what new products are coming out

and try to integrate those into the program. It’s a constant battle to keep up to date.”

Some new equipment and software is acquired through donations from manufacturers and even installation companies, he says. These firms want to know students are learning the type of product lines they will work with after they’re hired. Instructors often have software vendors come in and explain how to set up and work with their products.

Students must have the basic skills, and it’s unlikely the course’s core requirements will change in the next few years, Zecchel says. However, he does believe the prevalence of smart phones and laptops will change the way students learn, both during school and on the job. Security companies will take advantage of that willingness to connect.

“Companies will have everybody out there working, spread out over several cities, and yet employees will link together using a blog site or interoffice website, where they can communicate with each other, ask questions, post technical notes. That’s one of the big ways I see things changing, with connectivity and the social aspect of communication,” he says.

McKenzie College, a private career college in

Sydney, N.S., will offer a six-month electronic alarm and security technician program in September after a three-year hiatus. The program combines low-voltage electrical wiring installation with security alarm installation, CCTV, access control and home automation, says Todd Graham, president. The course includes training in Internet and networking fundamentals. Graduates receive a diploma from the Nova Scotia Department of Education.

The alarm systems installer (ASI) program taught at Careers in Transition, a private adult-training institute in Edmonton, Alta., is a 14-week entry-level course in intrusion alarm systems. At the end, students write CANASA’s two Level 1 exams, and then do a two-week practicum.

In addition to their CANASA certificate, graduates receive an ASI certificate, as well as their construction safety training system (CSTS) certification, required for work on many construction sites in Alberta.

Since he began teaching the course four years ago, Peter Francey, ASI program instructor, says the practical portion has been increased by two weeks, and content has also been expanded. While they used to teach just a basic panel, they have now added relays, power supplies, expansion modules and wireless devices.

He also set up a training room where students can practise mounting a panel, motion detectors, door contacts and key pad. He then has them run a wire over to another board with a device that simulates a dial tone. “I’ve noticed some installers have trouble connecting the control panel to the phone line to get it to communicate properly. So I teach that here in class,” he says.

In future, Francey would like to see the course cover CCTV and access control — skills his students now learn entirely on the job.

Fire alarm technician courses, which qualify a student to do inspection and testing of fire alarm systems, are taught at community colleges and private institutions across Canada. The nationwide curriculum is set by the Markham, Ont.-based Canadian Fire Alarm Association (CFAA) and is frequently updated as standards (devised by ULC and National Fire Protection Association) and government fire and building codes change.

The CFAA curriculum consists of five courses, each requiring 36 hours of training: introduction to the fire detection and alarm industry; written and verbal business communications; basic electricity; electronics; and fire alarm systems.

Over the last five years, says Steve Clemens,

CFAA executive director, training has begun to focus more on the testing and inspection of smoke detector sensitivity, as well as on the recording of those tests and inspections. It is also dealing more with the testing and inspection of audibility and intelligibility of notification devices.

“They were carrying a soldering iron and actually fixing components within a fire alarm system. Now, it’s all about programming.”

— Steve Clemens, CFAA “So, how do we test to ensure we have the right decibel level, and people can hear the fire alarm systems? And with all the speakers and voice communications for mass notification and fire alarm, we want to ensure that the voice messages are intelligible,” he says.

Students are also learning new troubleshooting methods, Clemens says.

“The technician used to come out of an electricity course. They were carrying a soldering iron and actually fixing components within a fire alarm system.

Now, it’s all about programming. We need to teach the skill of how to troubleshoot using a computer or secondary interface,” he says.

Currently, a person who completes the CFAA program and has one year of Canadian work experience, is deemed “registered.” Clemens expects it will soon become a certified program.

“Then, we can offer a certificate that [students] can take nationally, to help them with their career throughout Canada and the world,” he says.

Seneca College’s Newnham Campus in Toronto strives to provide its fire technician program students, who graduate with a certificate, with the most up-todate training and information, says Alan Hills, a professor and co-ordinator of the Pre-Service Firefighter part-time program.

“The technology has been upgraded in all of our fire alarm and sprinkler systems. The AutoCAD, for computer-assisted drafting, is so important for our students,” he says.

“They learn the basics — electricity, building and fire codes, combustion, chemistry. And then all the way up to the electronics of the fire alarm systems

and the technical communications that currently exist and are being upgraded in fire departments all across the country.”

The college acquires some new equipment from local fire alarm companies, Hills says. They also invite industry professionals to come into the fire sciences labs and provide some hands-on training.

Seneca has partnerships with other organizations, including the University of Cincinnati, and affiliations with many local fire safety associations.

Students of the two-year fire and life safety systems technician diploma program at Durham College in Oshawa, Ont., acquire a more in-depth knowledge of fire alarm systems than their counterparts in previous years, says Randy Panesar, professor. Students today, for example, are asked to design a complex fire alarm system for a critical environment, such as a mining facility or server room.

“It’s more of the design side of fire alarm now.

And they do a lot of work programming sequence of operations: what actions take place when the smoke detector goes off? The elevators go to the ground floor, fans shut down, magnetic locks release. That’s basic, but we get into air velocity, air pressurization, aspirating systems,” he says. “It gets very detailed, very in-depth.”

Students today are also acquiring a wider knowledge of the systems that interact with alarms, Panesar adds. By studying building construction and getting a basic understanding of how, for example, elevators and HVAC systems work, they can better understand how the alarm’s relay shuts those systems down.

“If they understood that in the past, it was only after years of experience,” he says. “Now, we want them to know it from the start. It makes them a lot more employable.”

Earlier graduates also were not skilled enough at reading and filling out inspection, verification and insulation reports, Panesar says. They didn’t know where smoke detectors legally should be placed, how to test them and how to document the test results.

“We noticed there was a big void there, and we’re trying to fill that void. So we partnered with industry professionals, had many meetings and designed the program based on that,” he says.

As students approach the end of his course at BCIT, Zecchel says, he tries to impress on them their learning will be a lifelong process.

“They need to appreciate that once they’ve graduated,” he says, “they’re not done. They’re just starting.”

Linda Johnson is a freelance writer based in Toronto.

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Consisting of a 2GIG Go!Control Panel, three Thin Window/Door Contacts, a Passive Infrared Motion Detector and a Four-Button Keyring Remote, the 2GIG Go!Control Starter Kit from Linear offers a starter package for a security and home automation system. The Go!Control system uses GSM (cellular) for communication and features remote control capabilities and built in Z-Wave connectivity for future integration with HVAC, access control and other Z-Wave appliances.

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Front door monitoring iSmart Alarm

The iSmartAlarm Doorfront is a security and home control tool that alerts users via their smartphones when someone comes to the front door or rings the doorbell, and allows them to see, hear and speak to their visitors whether they’re at home or not. Users can remotely monitor entryway activity, keep an eye out for package deliveries, and be alerted to suspicious activity. Doorfront integrates motion detection, a high-resolution controllable camera, doorbell and intercom functionalities. It notifies a user via an Android or iOS device if there is motion in range or if someone rings the doorbell. The user can see who is at the door and can directly communicate with the visitor.

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The latest in security technology

Front access video wall cube Christie

This front access video wall cube product enables high performance rear projection video wall displays with minimal installation and maintenance space required. The benefits of Christie’s latest and brightest Entero HB DLP LED-based technology display are available in a platform that allows video wall cubes to be positioned directly against a rear wall, removing the need for maintenance space behind. The first front access cube model, the Christie Entero HB 70-inch HD, will be joined by other front access models including 50-inch and 70-inch SXGA+, and 72 inch WUXGA. Christie’s front access system design addresses space limitations without compromising performance or image quality.

Megapixel camera series Avigilon

The new HD Pro camera delivers high-resolution images with Avigilon’s next-generation bandwidth management technology to provide maximum detail and coverage. Available in eight MP, 12 MP and 16 MP, the HD Pro camera provides detailed coverage of vast areas with fewer conventional cameras required. The camera provides low-light performance and smooth capturing of moving objects due to its increased frame rates. The image quality of the camera series is made possible by the H4 platform, which combines H.264 compression technology with Avigilon’s HDSM 2.0.

The FLEXIDOME IP corner 9000 MP camera features high-resolution optics for maximum detail and image usability, as well as a wide-angle fisheye lens. Integrated active infrared LEDs maintain video clarity even in complete darkness. It is equipped with Content Based Imaging Technology, which lowers bandwidth consumption and thus storage costs by up to 50 per cent by way of intelligent Dynamic Noise Reduction (iDNR).

This feature suppresses all irrelevant image noise artifacts, substantially reducing the bandwidth required.

www.avigilon.com

www.boschsecurity.us

www.christiedigital.com

Dome camera suitable for critical areas

Bosch Security Systems

Hybrid DVR

Speco Technologies

These Infrared and White Light LED Illumination products for security camera installations provide energy efficient, targeted discreet or deterrent lighting for video security. This lighting extends the effectiveness of megapixel IP cameras for evening and night use and helps security camera installations comply with light pollution restrictions. Security cameras need a sufficient amount of light to produce usable images. With good lighting, network cameras can achieve high quality images at night, as well as reduce the bandwidth and storage requirements, and allow faster frame rates. Proper lighting allows megapixel cameras to deliver the resolutions they are capable of, and eliminate the constant video noise the camera generates in trying to adapt to a low level of light.

The LX DVR is the latest addition to the Speco hybrid DVR series.

The LX is the first hybrid DVR from Speco combining both IP megapixel technology with 960H analogue recording capability. The LX allows users to migrate to IP at their own pace. The LX hybrid allows viewing of both IP and analogue cameras on the same screen as well as the option to view both live and playback on the same monitor at the same time. The LX is fully customizable with per-channel scheduling as well as HDMI output for 1080p HD resolution monitors and BNC loopouts for all the analog channels. The LX features an intuitive graphical user interface for easy setup and installation.

www.pelco.com

www.specotech.com

LED illumination Pelco

HD CCTV baluns MuxLab

The HD CCTV Pass-Thru Balun (500720), HD CCTV Pass-Thru Balun with Cable Lead (500720CL), and the Active HD CCTV Receiver Balun (500721) are all part of a new line which focuses on the SD, HD and 3G environments. The Active HD CCTV Receiver Balun provides extended distance between an HD-SDI CCTV camera and an HD-SDI DVR via Cat5e/6 cable. The 500721 supports up to 150 feet @ HD-SDI (720p, 1080i). The baluns work in pairs and can be interchangeable.

The 500721 features LED diagnostics and supports MuxLab mounting accessories (models 500720 and 500721).

www.muxlab.com

Flat panel wall mount Video Mount Products

The FP-XMLPAB “extra medium” low profile articulating wall mount has tilt and list adjustment capabilities. It holds most 32- to 52-inch flat panels up to 100 lbs. With a closed depth of 1.5 inches and a fully opened extension of 16.2 inches along with a fully adjustable 15 degree tilt, three degrees list adjustment and ± 45 degrees of rotation, users can get a flat panel to the optimal viewing angle. For added safety and security, the mounting rails accept padlocks. The FP-XMLPAB also includes an integrated cable management system, an integrated level, 600mm x 400mm maximum flat panel hole pattern, and comes in a black powder coat finish.

www.videomountproducts.com 30 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

Screwdriver kit Platinum Tools

The 22-in-1 Security Screwdriver Kit (p/n 19105) is designed specifically for security professionals. The set provides versatility for both security and traditional applications.

The handle features a non-slip, comfort grip and a shaft design that reaches screws recessed up to five inches deep. The 11 double-ended shaft-style bits include multiple sizes of security Torx, hex and Robertson, along with spanners and triwings.

www.platinumtools.com

Wide angle IP cameras

Toshiba Surveillance & IP Video Products

Fault tolerant servers Exacq Technologies

The new S-Series Enterprise line of networked video storage servers allows users to add extended storage and archived storage to any exacqVision server running the exacqVision Professional or Enterprise Video Management System (VMS) software. In addition, S-Series Enterprise servers can be used to archive video from exacqVision Edge IP cameras. By using the S-Series to archive video and audio, users can optimize their network load with scheduled archiving. The S-Series Enterprise includes flexible, user-defined archiving rules to store critical video and audio longer. Additionally, the S-Series allows users to consolidate video archives from multiple exacqVision recorders to one or more S-Series devices.

2014

SECURITY

INTEGRATOR OF THE YEAR

www.toshibasecurity.com

HD outdoor PTZ Videotek

The ULISSE COMPACT HD is an IP66 Full HD network camera PTZ that delivers high-definition video quality. The Full HD Day/Night camera incorporates a 20x optical zoom lens and is able to accurately identify specific details of a scene. The flexible operator control of Pan/Tilt/ Zoom functions allows the images transmission over Ethernet with H.264/AVC and MJPEG compression, certified ONVIF, Profile S. The unit can withstand harsh external environments, ensuring high speed and accurate target detection.

TOA Canada

This substation allows the client to view the person at the entry point of the facility. The visitor can push the button to speak with an attendee and the attendee can now see and hear and communicate back with the person at the entry point.

The RS-480VSET consists of an intercom substation RS-480V, and a video substation interface unit IF480V. The RS-480V is an intercom substation with a colour camera designed for indoor and outdoor use in combination with the IF-480V, and the N-8400RS substation interface unit. It requires only one CAT5 cable to connect between the RS-480V and the IF-480V.

www.toacanada.com

www.videotec.com

SHINE THE SPOTLIGHT

on an integrator making a difference

Integrators are the engines that help drive the security industry forward. Help us recognize excellence, ingenuity and customer service and nominate a shining example for Integrator of the Year 2014.

Full details are available at www.sptnews.ca/integrator-of-the-year.html www.sptnews.ca/integrator-ofor contact Neil Sutton at nsutton@annexweb.com

Security Products and Technology News

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V.17 I.7 OCTOBER 2013

PERS potential SpecoSnipe_SPT_June.indd 1

Personal emergency response systems could be the next big RMR opportunity p. 26

2013-06-19 2:49 PM

Enjoy your stay

How integrators can provide a full suite of security options to hotel operators p. 34

Q&A with Daniel Demers Reliance Protectron’s president on the impact of home automation on the residential alarm market and what he thinks about Rogers p. 62

Submission Deadline: June 27, 2014

Alan Dawes, facility general manager, Carillion; Dave Trudel, president, Marcomm Systems Group; and Geordie Seed, director of sales and marketing, Marcomm Systems Group help keep the security tight at Toronto’s Forensic Services and Coroner’s Complex.

Integrator of the Year 2013:

Marcomm Systems Group From autopsy suites to a ballistics lab, Marcomm installs a security system in the challenging and complex environment that is the new Forensic Services and Coroner’s Complex in Toronto

p.52

Product Previews The latest in security technology

p.59

By Neil Sutton

T

Sponsored by:

PM# 40065710

www.exacq.com

The outdoor-ready IK-WR05A and indoor IK-WD05A full HDTV (1080p) mini-dome IP cameras feature 110° horizontal viewing angles to capture up to 20 per cent more area than cameras equipped with standard 93° angle lens. Both models are pre-focused for objects at close range up to infinity and are ONVIF Profile-S compliant for simplified integration with third-party ONVIF products. They have 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology to eliminate the need to run electrical cables for power. Along with a suite of intelligent features, such as motion detection and alarm recording, both cameras will stream live video at 30 frames-per-second at full frame rate, two-megapixel (1920 x 1080) resolution. Their 4X digital zoom, combined with the HDTV resolution, provides highly detailed, close-up images for better identification.

Video intercom substation

here’s a building in Toronto that exists to uncover the truth.

The Forensic Services and Coroner’s Complex, which opened in September 2013, is tasked with conducting investigations into fatalities that require sometimes microscopic L_L5100iOSCNA_D_STPBANNER_Layout 1 6/12/13 levels 11:42of AMinquiry Page 1and

analysis. The building, located at the intersection of Keele St. and Wilson Ave., houses autopsy suites, a ballistics centre, coroners’ courts, a CL3 (containment level three) lab and other facilities designed to both protect and investigate.

Continued on p.28

PM40065710 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses To Circulation Department P.O. Box 530, Simcoe ON N3Y 4N5

app-ealing!

Want to connect to more customers? Offer mobility at home.

Honeywell’s new LYNX Touch L5100 Connect iOS app lets your customers control their security system and Z-Wave® enabled locks, lights and thermostats from anywhere in the comfort of their homes when using Apple® mobile devices. For even more convenience, they can perform these functions anywhere in the world with Honeywell Total Connect™ Remote Services—a great way for you to earn more RMR. What could be more appealing than that?

1-800-467-5875 or visit www.honeywell.com/security/canada

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2013 WINNER MARCOMM SYSTEMS GROUP

@SecurityEd • April 2014 31

Product Previews

Visitor management Four door controller AMAG Technology

LCD battery backup systems

The Symmetry SR-2000 Controller is a four-door control panel designed for new and retrofit security applications. The SR-2000 joins AMAG’s line-up of control panels which are designed for plug-and-play upgrade of Picture Perfect and other legacy Casi Rusco and similar systems. The SR-2000 directly replaces the legacy M2000. The controller supports F/2F reader communication protocol, along with a pin-for-pin compatibility with the legacy four door F/2F controllers.

www.amag.com

Genetec

The company has introduced three new AXIS Q60-S PTZ Dome Network Cameras with nitrogen-pressurized stainless steel casings. The rust-free, install-ready cameras resist the corrosive effect of sea water and cleaning chemicals and can withstand high-pressure steam cleaning. The nitrogen-pressurized housings also prevent internal condensation. The AXIS Q60-S Series is suggested for surveillance and remote monitoring of marine, mining, oil and gas environments, as well as food, medical and clean room manufacturing facilities.

The SV-32 is a network security appliance designed for customers that require a small size network video recorder (NVR). The SV-32 will support up to 32 cameras, and offers local viewing and recording capabilities. Powered by Genetec Security Center, the SV-32 will ship with pre-installed software, verified hardware configurations, and a new Installer Assistant tool which provides automatic discovery and enrollment of cameras and video devices on the network.

www.axis.com

www.genetec.com

Para Systems

EnterprisePlus LCD UPS products are battery backup systems that protect vital networking, security and communications equipment from all power problems. Upgraded features include an LCD status display for monitoring power and system status, separate standard and extended runtime models, additional outlets, ENERGY STAR certification on select models, and more.

Network security appliance

Stainless steel dome cameras Axis Communications

www.minutemanups.com

Bullet camera

Mobile VMS app

IQeye R5 Series bullet cameras are full-featured, multi-megapixel H.264 Main Profile indoor and outdoor cameras. With support for up to 3MP resolution, these cameras provide multiple, individually-configured H.264 and simultaneous MJPEG streams. Featuring on-camera storage and built-in IR, IQeye Bullet cameras are suggested for retail, commercial, city and transportation applications. Additional features include 30 fps @ HD720p and HD1080p; 20 fps @ 3 MP; and IP66 outdoor enclosures.

Sentry VMS Mobile is a free mobile app that provides users with VMS control from most Apple and Android mobile devices. Support for the mobile app is built directly into the Sentry VMS platform and requires no additional, dedicated mobile servers to be added to the network. The app provides secure, user-authenticated access to live and recorded video from any camera on the network. Sentry VMS Mobile provides facility maps, layouts and camera lists.

Features include a motion indicator and the ability to take snapshots of video.

IQinVision

IPVideo

www.iqeye.com

www.ipvideocorp.com

Looking for ways to increase revenue and expand your business?

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Low light camera

Video Technology Handbook

To read our latest Handbook, visit www.sptnews.ca and click on the Digital Edition tab

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

IP Video

Sponsored by: A look into the products, technologies and solutions shaping the market

DIGITAL

SUPPLEMENT TO

Hikvision

The DS-2CD6026FHWD DarkFighter network camera uses a low-light MP lens and is designed specifically to capture sharp colour and monochrome images in extreme, low-light conditions. The result is crystal-clear colour images down to 0.002 Lux and B/W to 0.0002 Lux. The camera features a two-megapixel, half-inch progressive scan CMOS image sensor. Together with a 120dB WDR (wide dynamic range) and Hikvision’s 3D DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) technology, the new camera is able to stream video in full 1080p HD at 60 fps.

www.hikvision.com 32 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

“Putting a new face on an old friend”

CML Security

is the new name of Consolidated Monitoring Ltd. “Trusted & Dedicated to protecting lives & property”

Welcome: Independent Alarm Companies 3rd Party Monitoring Station Remote Internet Database Access Monitoring via IP, Cellular & Landline ULC Listed Station Video Monitoring Solutions Dealer Enquiries: sales@cmlsecurity.com Phone: 1(877) 525-4109 Website: www.cmlsecurity.com

Helping security professionals build their brand since 1977.

CONTACT VICTOR HARDING 416.925.7474 victor@hardingsecurity.ca

UNLOCKING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SECURITY INDUSTRY

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SP&T ad 2.75 x 3.375

Reaching Canadian security professionals has never been more affordable.

Contact us today to learn how your company can make its mark in SecurityPlace!

Peter Young: 905-713-4344; pyoung@annexweb.com

FYI

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

COMPANY

PAGE #

Altronix

13

PHONE #

WEB ADDRESS

www.altronix.com

Anixter

11

877-ANIXTER

www.anixter.ca

Axis Communications

36

800-444-AXIS

www.axis.com

CANASA

16

905-513-0622

www.canasa.org

CML Security

33

877-525-4109

www.cmlsecurity.com

Digital Watchdog

5

866-446-3595

www.digital-watchdog.com

DSC

7,15

888-888-7838

www.dsc.com

Genetec

25

Graybar

23

800-GRAYBAR

www.graybarcanada.com

Harding Security Services

33

416-925-7474

victor@hardingsecurity.ca

Honeywell Security

1

800-467-5875

www.security.honeywell.com/canada

J.C. Gury Company

33

800-903-3385

Kantech

29

Keyscan

9

888-KEYSCAN

www.keyscan.ca

Maxwell

33

800-472-7336

www.maxwellmfg.com

Milestone

21

503-350-1100

www.milestonesys.com

Reliance Protectron

8

866-711-6111

www.protectron.com/careers

Speco Technologies

1, 2

800-645-5516

www.specotech.com

TRI-ED

35

800-398-7282

www.tri-ed.com

WatchNet

28

www.genetec.com

www.jcgury.com www.kantech.com

www.watchnetinc.com

@SecurityEd • April 2014 33 CGury_SPT_Feb.indd 1

12-01-20 9:59 AM

QA &

P

SIM, or physical security information management, may be one of the most misunderstood technologies in the security business.

A panacea to some and a mystery to others, it holds the promise of organizing disparate security systems, but is not always easy to explain. “It’s more of a concept that means completely different things to different people, which is why it’s so hard for integrators and consultants to articulate it to a customer,” says Bob Banerjee, who is an expert on PSIM, video management systems and video analytics. SP&T News spoke to Banerjee recently about bridging the PSIM knowledge gap.

SP&T: What is your background in PSIM technology?

Bob Banerjee: I joined NICE a few years back, and they brought me on to be their head of training and development. Basically, to take the complex ideas behind Situator, which is our PSIM platform and make it more understandable, easier to assimilate for the marketplace.

Even though PSIM has been defined many times, people still have this mental block around it. With a video product, like VMS, why do people need it? Well they need it because they want to view live what’s happening far away, or they want to collect evidence that they can use later to establish who did what, and so on. That really is it. There are many

with Dr. Bob Banerjee, senior director, training and development, NICE Systems

By Neil Sutton

sophisticated products to do that. PSIM is about three bid things: effectiveness, ROI and migration.

PSIM allows you to see multiple video systems, multiple access control systems multiple intrusion systems, as well as things outside of the physical security realm. A bank, for example, that has invested very heavily in one technology from a vendor, but wants to move to a different vendor, for whatever reason — normally they have to do a massive rip and replace. Well, if you put a PSIM in place, you can keep the old, add in a new system and they work side by side.

It allows you to do a phased migration.

SP&T: Many point products are taking on some of the functionality of PSIM. How do you position PSIM as something that’s still effective in the market?

BB: I used to have a PowerPoint that had about 60 slides in it which showed all the screens of Situator. What I quickly realized is that, because [PSIM] means so many different things to different people, I had to stop selling and start listening. I boiled down my PowerPoint to four slides [that explain] the areas that PSIM touches in terms of what you do as a business.

SP&T News: When you’re talking to an end user, is it a security department or an IT department?

BB: Very often, security is in there, because at the end of the day, PSIM does have physical security as the first two words in the title. But when I look back over our deployments in the last decade or so, about a third of them are to do with operations and not physical

security. For example, a pharmaceutical has multi-million dollar refrigerators. If one is going wrong, then a notification comes in and people leap into action because there’s an awful lot at stake.

Operations is a big part of PSIM. You have operations, you have security and you certainly have facilities management.

Those are the three big ones.

SP&T: Are there any verticals that have come to the forefront in terms of PSIM adoption?

BB: The big ones are airports, seaports, mass transit, utilities — especially the power generators, because of NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) compliance. These are regulated industries and you’ve got to do the right thing at the right time. Also, water departments of cities. [They] are adopting it because they have a different challenge. They have dozens or even hundreds of reservoirs spread over an enormous geography. We have countless different technologies monitoring all of these different facilities. They are very susceptible to attack and graffiti and destruction.

Banking is very popular for a couple of reasons, including the sheer number of false alarms that they have across so many locations that are so geographically spread [out]. But also because of mergers and acquisitions. The other one we’re seeing is higher education. It is such a public environment where a lot of younger people are free to flow around as they wish. However, when something does go wrong, the university is not an island. It’s very accountable, especially to local organizations — local PD, the mayor’s office and so on. When something goes wrong, they cannot afford to wait a week to reconstruct the events leading up to an incident.

SP&T: How do security standards like ONVIF and PSIA fit into PSIM? BB: ONVIF is the main standard at the moment, however ONVIF is more about integration at the video level and not at the system level. Although I do believe ONVIF is extending it out like PSIA did. At the moment, we don’t have a good standards-based way for systems to interact that has been adopted by the industry. What we have done is a very simple workaround. Let’s say you’re a city and you’ve got thousands of store owners with tens of thousands

34 SP&T News • www.sptnews.ca

of cameras attached to DVRs and video management systems. The challenge becomes, how can the police get hold of that information? There are web-based methods for those store owners to share just enough information with a central organization without giving away full access to the entire recorder. We’ve used web-based method for tackling large projects involving hundreds or thousands of organizations.

SP&T: What is the future of PSIM? Is it branching beyond security into other enterprise systems?

BB: There’s dreaming and then there’s reality. On the reality side, I think PSIM is going to continue to have a split between physical security and operations.

There is no doubt that when something happens in the physical security space, it impacts operations. Queue lengths might get longer or inventory starts to get damaged. People in operations have an acute interest in what happens in the security space.

When I speak to consultants and integrators there is a little bit of shock when they realize the scope that PSIM offers. The wise integrators look at their staff and ask themselves, do we have the skillset in-house to be able to consultatively sell such a thing, to install such a thing and then subsequently maintain it? Because we’re talking about, typically, an integrated system. Most systems integrators are not capable of that. Most won’t even ask that question of themselves. What I am seeing over the last four years is the small number of systems integrators that do get it are rapidly moving up to the top.

In terms of dreaming, I think the most exciting trend around PSIM revolves around big data. Currently, when I set up a security system for you, I put in rules as to what I want to detect and then what I should do. If somebody crosses this line, I want to raise an alarm.

With true data mining — which hasn’t happened yet in the physical security space, but it happens every day with Google and Amazon — when the system can detect that something unusual is happening, it will let us know.

Eventually, we will be less dependent on us writing rules on how our systems should behave and increasingly we will trust the system to detect what is happening.

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TRI-ED carries the industry’s leading video manufacturers…

formerly

VIV T K

For a full list of our supplier partners, visit www.tri-ed.com

What’s the difference between night and day?

Nothing.

I can get excellent color images even in the dark.

That’s because Axis network cameras are fitted with Lightfinder technology. They’re so sensitive to light, I can get clear color images even in very low light conditions – and that makes identifying people, vehicles and objects easier, at any time.

When you’re responsible for securing a poorly lit area after hours, it’s a huge step forward.

To learn more about Lightfinder, image usability and the surveillance solution that’s right for you, visit the Axis interactive guide at

www.axis.com/imageusability