Archive: September 2008

Night-vision manufacturer Vumii picked up a nice accolade today when the Wall Street Journal tabbed the company for its 2008 Technology Innovation Awards. Basically, the WSJ employs a panel of judges, mostly entrepreneur and inventor types, to evaluate new technology entries in a bunch of different categories, and picks a "winner" in each of those categories, physical security being one. Of all the new stuff out there in physical security - easy-to-configure analytics, browser-based control of alarms...

Tired of all the depressing economic news? Here's some feel-good news about an alarm company volunteering to help out victims of Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas. Apx COO Alex Dunn said: "Our employees expressed a desire to help the hurricane victims, and so we set up a plan to make it happen. While many are concentrating on the financial headlines that are dominating the news, there are people affected by Hurricane Ike who don't have the most basic things: power, phone, or a safe place to live....

I'm going to try to look at the presidential election fairly often over the next month for clues about how each candidate will perform for the security industry. There is, on one hand, the simple fact of how they'll perform for the economy in general, and small businesses especially, since the vast majority of security companies are simply small businesses trying to get by in what are increasingly uncertain economic times. But what of the candidates' views on actually keeping people safe? Sure,...

Much of today's discussion was dominated by standards, especially video standards and the seemingly competing PSIA and Sony-Axis-Bosch video standards groups. I say seemingly because there's a lot that can be misconstrued in the "standards" discussion. First and foremost, it's not even standards we're talking about. As has been noted often today, anything either group releases will really just be a specification. Without the verification of a standards body like SIA or ANSI, they don't quite reach...

Apparently, faux security signs are back in vogue. A news outlet near Norfolk, Va., randomly checked seven homes that had security signs, and found out that four of the homes didn't have the security system to go along with the sign. One woman said she got the sign from her brother 15 years before. At least—judging by the photo in the story anyway—her sign is for an authentic security company (the one and only ADT). Faux security signs were fashionable at my house when I was growing...

Okay, some people prefer to suspend disbelief more than I do. The ghost-in-the-gym story has made it to Australia. I love how every story about this makes sure to mention that bugs, dust, and headlights have been ruled out. Those, of course, are the only possibilities. If it's none of those things, it must be a ghost. Clearly.

FREMONT, Calif.--Kim Rubin, CEO of IP-based video surveillance, networking and security company SightMind, hopes "2008 is a crossover year." Just two years after founding the company here, the serial entrepreneur is currently meeting with interested potential franchisees and expects to see the first SightMind franchise in full operation within the next 60 to 90 days. Rubin expects big growth outward from there. "Sales of IP camera systems is growing at a rate of 44 percent a year," he said. "Our...

ATLANTA--At least two separate organizations working toward more robust standards in the IP video space used the ASIS International show here as an opportunity to meet and raise discussion. The Physical Security Interoperability Alliance met on the last day of the show to discuss the impact of the release here of its specification on network device discovery and to elect officers, while the Sony-Axis-Bosch standards alliance held a meet and greet on Sept. 16 to help announce the Open Network Video...

MINNEAPOLIS--After years of trying, sprinkler advocates scored a major victory this week, when the International Code Council voted overwhelmingly to include a residential sprinkler requirement in the International Residential Code. The vote, which took place here on Monday, was 1282 to 470, according to Jeff Hugo, manager of codes for the National Fire Sprinkler Association. "We're very happy," Hugo said. This mandate will apply to all new one- and two-family homes and will be part of the 2009 IRC,...

DALLAS, Texas--Because of severe damage caused by hurricane Ike, the Texas Burglar and Fire Alarm Association has moved its Oct. 23 through 25 annual convention from Galveston, Texas, to Dallas' Worth Airport North Hotel and Convention Center. The hotel will honor room rates quoted for the Galveston convention and will accommodate all members and vendors. Registration information can be found at www.tbfaa.org. The convention features a forum with False Alarm Reduction Association president Jim Cogswell...