Blogs

Smart home devices have become commonplace in the residential landscape for the better part of a decade now. Streaming devices, TVs, appliances, thermostats, and of course, security devices such as Wi-fi cameras, video doorbells and door locks are all considered to be “smart” in the sense that they can be controlled to perform tasks around the house that offer convenience, peace of mind and cost savings to homeowners. To offer a clearer picture of the current smart home device landscape,...

Okay, so 2022 hasn’t started out the way we wanted. For me, personally, my son tested positive for COVID on New Year’s Day, along with half his school over the past few weeks, a story that is being repeated in cities across the U.S. as we enter year three of what seems like a recurring nightmare we all can’t wake up from. Wait, Paul, I thought this blog was supposed to be about glimmers of hope? Yes, hope. Seems like that is all we have to hold onto these days, as we all...

Happy New Year to all our readers! As we start what we hope is a successful 2022 for the security industry, we hope you did not put those New Year’s Eve wine glasses, party hats and noisemakers away just yet as we kicked off the first week of the new year with not one, but two exciting announcements that are worthy of cueing up Kool and the Gang and celebrating! First, we announced earlier this week that Security Systems News is the founding media sponsor and partner of the inaugural...

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year than by telling 40 young security professionals that they are part of this year’s Security Systems News’ “40 under 40” Class of 2021! Getting those emails back from thankful and grateful recipients is really rewarding for me, and kind of makes me feel like Santa when he sees a child opening-up that gift they wanted but didn’t think they were going to get that year. As one “40...

Networking. Partnering. Getting together. Having fun. Showing support. Those were some of the thoughts swirling in my head as I got in the car with my kids and headed up the Palisades Parkway on Saturday, Dec. 11, destination - Stony Point, N.Y. It was a dreary day outside, but we knew that once we arrived at Kirkbride Hall, the site of the first Moms in Security/Mission 500 Cornhole Tournament, the community venue would be filled with bright and cheery faces as we got ready for a fun afternoon...

It’s the first week of December, and while I’m very excited about spending time with family and friends this holiday season – something we really couldn’t do last year – I’m also looking forward to what 2022 brings for all of us, COVID aside. While the pandemic wreaked havoc on the security world in myriad ways over the past 20 months or so, we started to see the industry bounce back in 2021, especially in the latter half of the year. In-person events gradually...

With the latest COVID variant rearing its ugly head – again – many of us are wondering, “When will this $h!t ever end?” Daily reminders are unavoidable as we all push through and try to stay positive, pivoting our businesses and the way we work to make this new pandemic-driven dynamic somehow work. Supply chain issues have been a topic of discussion all year with many industries, including security, impacted greatly. Response to this month’s News Poll on the...

Well, we’re just one day away from getting together with our loved ones and feasting on turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, loads of other scrumptious offerings and, of course, mouthwatering dessert to cap off our Thanksgiving smorgasbord. As we spend time with our family and friends on Turkey Day and throughout the holiday season, this is a perfect time to focus on all the good things that happened over the past year, especially with the challenges we have all faced due to...

With just about a month or so to go, 2021 has been a year to remember, with M&A activity, including blockbuster deals that seem to be announced every month, lighting up the headlines and pointing to a continuing year of transition. Looking back at this year and the year ahead, Security Systems News readers see this frenzied pace continuing into 2022. For example, in this month’s News Poll, about two thirds (65 percent) of respondents feel this year’s activity is more than usual, with...

Last week, Security Systems News Editor Paul Ragusa was feeling the love. This week, I’m feeling angry and sad. The horrible, unspeakable tragedy that occurred last weekend at the Astroworld Festival in Houston, in which eight people were killed and scores of others injured during a crowd surge at a concert headlined by rapper Travis Scott, created a wave of emotions for someone like me who has attended hundreds of concerts over the years, including massive stadium shows. While I...