Archive: October 2019

At the core of the Physical Security Governance conversation is the ability or inability of organizations to collaborate and communicate between silos such as operations, human resources, finance, etc. Best practices, policies and procedures are often thwarted by ineffective collaboration and management within the enterprise. I have found that although the desire is clearly explicit, the action is far from perfect.Building physical security governance through proper policies and procedures cannot...

Recent mega deals — Alarm.com acquiring OpenEye and ADT bringing on I-View Now — couldn't be timelier as this month's News Poll looks at the topic of M&A, which seems to be as active as ever with big deals hitting what seems like weekly. These two deals, which happened within the same week, are making waves in both the residential and commercial markets. SSN caught up with John Mack, executive vice president and co-head of Investment Banking with Imperial Capital, which represented OpenEye...

Yesterday's J.D. Power 2019 Home Security Satisfaction Study that includes both professionally (pro) installed and DIY home security systems got me to thinking about the importance of customer satisfaction as it pertains to the security industry. The study, based on responses from 5,289 customers, fielded during July and August of 2019, measured customer satisfaction with home security based on the following: billing and payment; customer service; price; professional monitoring; purchase and installation;...

YARMOUTH, Maine—Over the last few years, Security Systems News has covered hundreds of mergers and acquisitions, and it seems M&A in the security industry is still as hot as ever. In this month's News Poll we asked our readers for their thoughts about M&A in our industry.When comparing 2019 to 2018, more than half (54 percent) said M&A activity was about the same, with 31 percent saying they felt like there was more activity this year, and 15 percent saying there was less activity this year.“The...

With the ever-increasing access to smart technologies, consumers are expecting more than ever from them. This of course includes home security; homeowners expect an easy-to-use and reliable security system - one that tells them when the kids are home and when the package has been delivered. After all, what homeowners want is “peace of mind” and when elements like door locks and security systems connect together this is easier to achieve. Homeowners are now expecting their security systems...

TORRANCE, Calif.—Over the past five years, AMAG has morphed from a pure access control company into a physical security company, evolving into more of a trusted advisor. The company has paid special attention to talk directly to their customers to understand their problem(s) and, in turn, provide solutions that met their needs, while along the way, implementing changes and innovating in unique ways based on customer feedback and practical, logical internal business decisions. As part of the...

IRVINE, Calif.—Arcules, innovators in integrated video and access control cloud services, added Nigel Waterton as chief revenue officer. Waterton has led sales and operations teams for more that 22 years, building and managing large, high-growth technology organizations.As a 10-year veteran of Aronson Security Group (ASG), where Waterton served as senior vice president of corporate strategy and development, he led a cross-disciplinary team within the company as well as with ASG's strategic...

As the weather cools off here in Texas, I'm heading to the desert — Phoenix, Arizona to be exact, for some (more) sun and warmth, but most importantly to join Resideo at the CONNECT 2019 dealer's conference. It's here that I'll learn all about the connected home - security, HVAC, plumbing and more — and bring all that knowledge to you! Below is a description of all that you can look forward to in the coming days. The Partner and Innovation Showcase offers the opportunity to meet with...

Once again this year, the folks at the Security Industry Association (SIA) — including Don Erickson, Scott Schafer and the rest of the incredible team there — have identified the key “megatrends” that are impacting the security industry as we move into 2020. Hard to argue with any of the trends on the list, as SIA always has its finger on the pulse of the industry, providing thought leadership and bringing top industry subject matter experts together for education at key industry...

TYSONS, Va.—Alarm.com announced a majority-stake acquisition of OpenEye, a provider of cloud-managed video surveillance solutions for the commercial market. OpenEye is optimized for enterprise-level commercial customers requiring expansive video recording capabilities, in addition to remote viewing, administration and diagnostic reporting.“OpenEye has consistently demonstrated that they are the unequivocal leader in the video-surveillance-as-a-service space and we are excited to help...