Archive: August 2011
AT&T's purchase of T-Mobile blocked with government lawsuit?
August 31, 2011Daniel Gelinas
I wrote a while back about AT&T's bid to purchase T-Mobile. I wanted to look whether or not having such a large provider as the only choice for a GSM carrier would be damaging to the security industry. Whether or not it might prompt others to throw their hat in the ring as wireless service providers to the industry.
I, and others, argued that it might be dangerous from a service and pricing perspective to have one giant wireless provider being the only place security folks could go for their GSM...
This Blog's on Fire (And Other Stuff)
Fifteen companies have the IQ
August 30, 2011Tess Nacelewicz
Security Systems News has written before about how IQ Certification provides what amounts to a “seal of approval” for alarm companies.
IQ is a quality certification program for security alarm systems. Companies participating in the voluntary program have to comply with ethical guidelines regarding the selling, designing, installing and monitoring of alarm systems.
Seems to me that showing that you have the IQ and are reputable can only help a company's bottom line. Apparently, many...
Pinnacle lawsuit: Ex-employees, consultant “conspired” to start rival company in Canada
August 25, 2011Tess Nacelewicz
OREM, Utah—Pinnacle Security is suing two former employees and an industry consultant, claiming they “conspired together” to create a new Canadian company, Titan Alarm, to compete against Pinnacle in Canada. Pinnacle contends the employees were working for Pinnacle at the time and that the new company was created by “unlawfully using Pinnacle resources and in violation of contractual and fiduciary duties.”
However, one of the ex-employees that Pinnacle is suing, Graham...
Telular delivers manufacturer-agnostic, cellular, two-way voice solution
August 25, 2011Daniel Gelinas
CHICAGO—Wireless connectivity solution provider Telular on Aug. 16 announced the availability of two-way voice over cellular using its Telguard TG-1 Express solution. According to Telular vice president of marketing and business development Shawn Welsh, the TG-1 Express will save time and money for central stations and dealers by becoming the one-stop shop for two-way voice communication from the panel to the central station.
"First and foremost this works with virtually everyone. It's not...
Networking works for Executive Electronics
August 25, 2011Tess Nacelewicz
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla.—Networking opportunities is a major reason Executive Electronics of Southwest Florida, a long-standing security dealer based here, joined Honeywell's First Alert Professional program.
John A. “Johnny” Minerva, VP of consumer services for Executive Electronics, told Security Systems News that FAP “dealers tend to share more in terms of best practices.”
“There's a dealer in Myrtle Beach that's very similar to us in their size and approach and...
Following up on the Detroit verified response issue
August 25, 2011Daniel Gelinas
So I blogged last week about Detroit's decision--effective Monday, Aug. 22--to no longer respond to unverified alarms. I wrote a story last year about the city working cooperatively and successfully with SIAC to enact an ECV policy, an outcome the guys at SIAC called a victory given that the alternative was a much more severe verified response policy.
Well, less than a year later here we are stifling that sigh of relief as Detroit goes ahead and enacts the tougher of the two options.
What's the...
This Blog's on Fire (And Other Stuff)
Judge AGAIN sides with alarm industry in Illinois
August 25, 2011Tess Nacelewicz
I've written recently about the battle in Illinois over public entities taking control over fire alarm monitoring. A federal court judge's ruling this week again supports the industry's side in this battle—for the second time this summer.
A federal judge in July issued a partial summary judgment and a permanent injunction against the Lisle-Woodridge fire district, which had invalidated contracts that ADT and other companies had with their customers and put itself solely in charge of commercial...
NAV acquires Nexus for $2.8m cash
August 25, 2011Martha Entwistle
BRICK, N.J.—In a deal that NAV CEO Jason Oakley says will “double our operational capability and capacity across the tri-state region,” NAV on August 22 announced that it's acquiring Nexus Technologies.
NAV paid $2.8 million cash for Nexus, according to Tom McMillen, CEO of Homeland Security Capital Corporation, the former owner of Nexus.
HSCC had owned Nexus for five years. “We decided to sell Nexus because we're exiting the integration business, it's not core to what we're...
Interface bundles services for 9,500 Dollar General retail stores
August 25, 2011Martha Entwistle
ST. LOUIS—Interface Security Systems is in the process of completing the installation of a secure managed cloud services project for the entire Dollar General 9,500-store retail chain. While terms of the deal were not released, Interface CEO Michael Shaw told Security Systems News that the Dollar General multi-year contract is “expected to generate in excess of $100 million in top-line revenue for Interface.”
Interface is providing the WAN management, PCI compliance, wireless access...
A security cluster grows in Ohio
August 25, 2011Martha Entwistle
I saw an interesting story this morning in a Cleveland Heights publication about intelligent access control company FST21 establishing a demo center in the city of Cleveland Heights.
Turns out this is the beginning of a security business initiative designed to make Cleveland Heights a regional center for security technology development.
Howard Thompson, economic development director for Cleveland Heights, told me that he wants to establish Cleveland Heights as a hub for security manufacturers...