Weston in Space

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Barrier1 Systems, the North Carolina based manufacturer of crash tested vehicle barriers, has announced a master licensing agreement with Perimeter Protection Group (PPG) of Germany to sell, distribute, and manufacture PPG’s complete line of security barriers and products. “The United States and Canada have long been on our radar as the next areas for us to engage” says Thorsten Grunwald, president of Perimeter Protection Group. “We have looked at various plans and approaches, and we decided to align with Barrier1 because their new ownership and capitalization provide the tools to take on the task, and their professional team can be rapidly trained to sell, ship, install, maintain, and soon manufacture our products in the USA.” Barrier1 joins a worldwide team of companies in 25 countries bringing PPG’s products to their individual markets as part of its network of resellers and distributors. The company’s products currently protect critical infrastructure, governm...

NORCROSS, Ga. – SALTO Systems has announced the appointment of three new area leaders for the West, Southeast, and Northeast regions of North America. The move comes as part of the organization’s decentralization initiative to enhance customer service, foster a culture of learning, and ensure sustainable growth. “I’m proud that our team and organization has grown and achieved the ability to begin to realize this decentralized vision. Many within our team have been working hard behind the scenes to arrive at this moment,” says SALTO North America President Bill Wood. “Decentralizing our organization allows us to get closer to our customers and better understand their needs. By moving decision-making closer to the customer, we can respond more quickly to their needs, improve our service offerings, and ensure that we are meeting their expectations. “We believe this approach will lead to a more customer-centric organization, resulting in greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, and wi...

Checkpoint Systems, the New Jersey-based provider of RFID and RF technology solutions, has acquired Denmark-based Alert Systems, an Internet of Things (IoT) specialist with a focus on metal and magnet detection in the retail environment. Alert Systems has, since 1999, supplied the retail industry with solutions to identify tools and techniques used by criminals to steal items from stores, such as boosterbags (handmade containers lined with foil used to shoplift) and detachers (illegal magnets used to detach tags with ease), commonly detected at store entrance/exits and fitting room areas. For a number of years, Checkpoint has been a partner and major distributor for Alert Systems, providing metal and magnet detection products, including Hyperguard, Metalguard and Apparelguard – a batch of digital software-driven solutions that serve to work against shoplifters using boosterbags and detachers. “Organized retail crime (ORC) is increasing globally; in the U.S. alone, retailers saw a 2...

TYSONS, Va. – Alarm.com has announced the acquisition of substantially all assets of Vintra , a software provider of AI-powered video analytics for the enterprise commercial market. Alarm.com acquires Vintra’s core intellectual property, its research scientists, software engineers, and technical services teams as part of the acquisition. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Integrating Vintra’s software capabilities and its experienced science and engineering teams will expand Alarm.com’s deep learning program and accelerate deployment of advanced video analytics solutions for the Alarm.com and OpenEye platforms, states Alarm.com. “The Vintra team adds to Alarm.com’s science and engineering expertise in the field of AI and machine learning, and we’re excited to welcome them on board,” says Jeff Bedell, Alarm.com’s president of ventures business and corporate strategy. “The acquisition expands the specialization of Alarm.com’s AI team and will extend our leadershi...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. –   ASIS International and the Security Industry Association (SIA) have announced the agenda and speaker lineup for the inaugural Security LeadHER conference, an event designed to showcase women in security. Security LeadHER 2023 will be held June 12-13 at the Hilton Nashville Downtown Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. This new conference from ASIS and SIA will bring together security professionals committed to advancing, connecting and empowering women in the security profession, kicking off with a reception on June 12. Keynote speaker Eliza VanCort, author of A Woman’s Guide to Claiming Space: Stand Tall. Raise Your Voice. Be Heard. On June 13, the Security LeadHER conference programming will begin with a keynote from author, speaker and consultant Eliza VanCort on how to “Claim Your Success…Stand Tall, Raise Your Voice and Be Heard.” VanCort will share her personal story, from kidnappings to a near-fatal head injury to becoming a bestselling author, address some...

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Interface Systems will join forces with Helzberg Diamonds, Signet Jewelers, and Brookfield Properties to conduct an educational session titled, “Securing Mall-Based Retailers – Best Practices & Partnerships” at the upcoming RILA Retail Asset Protection Conference in Aurora, Colorado. The panelists for the session include: Tim Lapinski – divisional vice president, Helzberg Diamonds Chris Hackler – vice president, global asset protection, Signet Jewelers Dan Ryan – senior vice president, Brookfield Properties Matt Smitheman – senior security consultant, Interface Systems The discussion will focus on the importance of people, processes, and technology to ensure security and safety for employees and customers at malls. The panel will cover various aspects of mall security such as employee training, emergency public address announcements for active threats, tenant emergency response plans, next-generation security technologies such as interactive remote video ...

BRAINTREE, Mass. – OMNI Resource Management , a regional leader in diversified facilities services, has acquired Massachusetts-based Alarm Computer Technology (ACT), a full-service security systems contractor. Founded in 1983 by Helder Lemos, ACT specializes in video surveillance, burglar and fire alarm, and automation systems. “ACT’s geographical service area, large commercial client base, and long-standing commitment to quality service aligns very well with our business model,” says Chris Pratt, OMNI CEO. “We look forward to a seamless integration and the opportunity to support the valued ACT clients.” The ACT acquisition, says OMNI, is a strategic part of its expansion and growth in the electronic security industry. It comes on the heels of OMNI’s acquisition of Mainstream Communication Systems in January of this year. ACT will merge operations with Security Concepts , the electronic security division of OMNI. “This decision was driven by our goal to always put our clients’ in...

Tulsa, Oklahoma – Alert 360 has announced its acquisition of security alarm accounts in Southern California from Caliber Security. Alert 360 reports that it is now serving more than 20,000 accounts in the Southern California area, with branch operations in Los Angeles, Chatsworth, Corona, and San Diego; in California, the company also has branch locations in Anaheim, Fresno, and Sacramento. “We are excited to welcome our new customers from Caliber Security,” says Richard Ginsburg, CEO of Alert 360 and ACS Security. “Expanding our operations is part of our ongoing commitment to providing exceptional security alarm services in communities across California and beyond. Our team is well positioned for continued, strategic growth in all of our service areas. At the same time, we continue to develop advanced security products and services to meet the needs of consumers and help combat crime.” Jason Grelle, Alert 360’s senior vice president of acquisitions, lead the acquisition process. Dav...

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Scarlet Security & Risk Group (SSRG) has announced that it has acquired Fusion Security Inc. Based in Burnaby, British Columbia, Fusion is a local provider of systems integration, mobile patrol and protective services. All Fusion staff and management will join the SSRG team, working alongside SSRG’s executives and subject matter experts. Harry Stausgaard, currently Fusion’s vice president, will join SSRG’s executive team overseeing his current and growing book of business with a focus on growing the systems integration business, SSRG reports. Bruce Marginson, currently Fusion’s president, will continue in a senior advisory role. “I am delighted to announce this transformational transaction further moving us toward our vision for the road ahead,” says Patrick Doyle, SSRG president and CEO. “Adding Harry and Bruce and their team to ours will make us better and I am excited to work with them.” “Systems integration has become a must-have for us,” adds ...

Virtually every corner of business has adopted SaaS (software as a service) in one form or another. SaaS has changed the way organizations think about their day-to-day operations, and has had a transformational impact on IT. Physical security, however, has yet to fully take advantage of SaaS solutions. Here are a few key reasons why SaaS has seen broad adoption across the enterprise: It’s simple to deploy. You can get up and running quickly, which provides quick time-to-value. It’s seamless to maintain. Ongoing maintenance, such as server management, is generally handled by the software provider. It’s easy to scale. You can test, experiment, and prove it works — with minimal effort. If it works well in your environment and you want to scale up, great, that can be done quickly. It’s cost-effective. You can pay as you go, for what you use. You won’t need to host servers or software on your premises. You won’t need implementation teams to come in and spend weeks getting your app...

Attending ISC West during the period in which SSI ’s annual AI Issue was produced could not have been more timely as the loudest buzz (cynics might say hype) around what appeared to be this show’s most robust turnout ever was unquestionably artificial intelligence. This makes sense as AI is going to transform the way modern society lives, works and conducts business across industries. Electronic security — with its access control, video surveillance and other systems’ capacity to aggregate large datasets and its mission to safeguard people and assets — is near the top of that list. AI holds the key to realizing dreams like the elimination of false alarms, real-time response, and even predicting and preventing incidents. The prospects are astounding and game changing. No wonder on the ISC West expo floor, to varying degrees, most of the largest and familiar vendors, and especially newer entrants, promoted either AI-centric products or the incorporation of the technology into their pro...

TORONTO, ON – Xtract One Technologies has announced its SmartGateway patron screening solution was selected by Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium , a 58,000-capacity stadium in Memphis, Tenn., to secure entrances for its live events. The property is owned by the City of Memphis and is managed by global sports and entertainment company Oak View Group (OVG), which announced a strategic partnership with Xtract One in October 2022 . Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium is home to the Memphis Showboats, a team in the United States Football League (USFL). “As we began preparations for the start of the USFL season, we wanted to optimize our security screening technology,” says Thomas Carrier, Oak View Group’s general manager at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. “At the stadium and across Oak View Group, we prioritize fan safety, while simultaneously leveraging innovation to enhance the fan experience. The kickoff of the new USFL season was a logical starting point to introduce Xtract One’s SmartGateway scr...

LONDON and SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Pimloc , a developer of AI video privacy and analytics solutions, has announced it has partnered with Rhombus , the Sacramento-based provider of enterprise cloud-managed video security systems. The partnership enables the integration of Pimloc’s API-based video redaction solution, Secure Redact, into Rhombus video management systems (VMS) to ensure all personally identifying information (PII) is removed from captured or live video. “The public debate on video surveillance has been heated on all sides: ‘freedom’ on one side versus ‘security’ on the other. Obviously, both are absolutely fundamental to Americans’ livelihoods, and now thanks to the responsible and intelligent use of technology, we can have both,” states Simon Randall, CEO, Pimloc. “Video is one of the most valuable tools we have to keep our streets safe and its analytical capabilities are invaluable to business life. Rhombus is at the top of the league when it comes to smart camera securit...

In my previous three columns , I talked about the supply chain and how it responds to emerging technologies, along with the challenges these technologies present for each segment of our security ecosystem. We discussed security suppliers who create the technology and bring it to market; distribution networks that take that technology and move it into a value-added supply chain; and systems integrators, who work with new technologies and use them to improve their business. Now, in the last column in the series, we’ll address the end user. After all, the end user is the recipient and benefactor of all the work that has been done to develop emerging technologies, as well as the distribution to get the technology into the hands of system integrators who apply that technology to solve problems. Finally, then, it’s the end users who use those technologies in an operational sense to reduce the risk, improve their revenues, and wield value propositions to their customers. A Tolerance For Ris...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Guardian Access Solutions has acquired VP Access Gate Systems (VPA) from Val and Paula Moliere. VPA is a leading installer of custom gate systems in the greater Atlanta metro area with over 50 years of combined expertise in the industry. Val Moliere has joined the Guardian team and will oversee the custom automated gate division in the Georgia market, the company reports. “We are thrilled to welcome the VP Access team to the Guardian family,” says Chad Colony, CEO of Guardian, “This important acquisition enables us to increase our presence in the Atlanta marketplace and complete our customer offerings by adding custom automated gate systems to our suite of services.” “We are excited to join the Guardian team in Atlanta,” says Val Moliere. “The resources that Guardian are bringing to bear will allow us to continue our growth while providing the same high level of service to our customers.” A portfolio company of Brixey & Meyer Capital , Guardian Access Solutio...

TULSA, Okla. – Earlier this month, Alert 360 announced the purchase of Coastal Security in Virginia through its leading bulk acquisition program. The company is now serving more than 5,000 new accounts in the growing Virginia market and has opened a branch in Virginia Beach. The new service territory includes Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and surrounding areas. As part of this acquisition, Alert 360 will now provide security service, security system upgrades, and technical support to former Coastal Security customers, including alarm monitoring from Alert 360’s company-owned monitoring centers. “We were excited to work with our former dealer in this acquisition, as he transitions into retirement and wish him well,” says Anastasia Bottos, Alert 360 president. “We also appreciate the trust these customers place in their home and business security systems and provide them with the highest quality security services. Additionally, we are pleased to now offer them our expans...

LAS VEGAS – DMP presented its annual dealer awards prior to the recent ISC West show during its Owners Forum, the company’s signature dealer event, at the Keep Memory Alive Event Center in downtown Las Vegas. The awards consist of the Milestone award, honoring 10- and 25-years as a DMP dealer; Sales Recognition Awards, which spotlight Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond level sales accomplishments in 2022; and Dealer of the Year Awards for 2022 in 12 different categories. The top award categories are listed below. Platinum Level Award Recipients: TecnoSeguridad Privada, Ciudad, Mexico Priority One Security, Greenville, S.C. American Alarm & Communications, Arlington, Mass. Koorsen Fire & Security, Indianapolis, Ind. Cook Solutions Group, Portland, Ore. Navco, Fullerton, Calif. Security Equipment Inc. (Sei), Omaha, Neb. Guardian Alarm, Detroit, Mich. Owen Security, Calhoun, Ga. Diamond Level Award Recipients: ADT Commercial, Boca Raton, Fla. Convergint Technolo...

Secure Perspectives is a monthly column by the Security Industry Association (SIA) profiling women in the security industry. The column is part of SIA’s Women in Security Forum (WISF), an initiative to support the participation of women in the security field through programs, networking and professional growth events and thought-leadership opportunities. This month, we profile Candice Aragon, vice president of marketing and education at PSA . How did you get into the security industry? Candice Aragon : I started in the security industry by chance in 2019 when Ric McCullough and Bill Bozeman hired me at PSA Network. I loved the job description, the team I would be managing and certain facets of PSA, but didn’t know very much about the industry. It’s been amazing learning about security over time. I am thrilled I landed here! What is your current position? Aragon: Vice president of marketing and education. I oversee the marketing, education and events teams for PSA and Edge as we...

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. – NAPCO Security Technologies has appointed Michael Venoit as its new VP of Sales, Fire & Security, managing all NAPCO Security regional sales managers and accounts. Venoit, who joined NAPCO as the Continental Access Division VP of Sales in 2021, has decades of leadership experience growing revenue in the commercial fire and intrusion categories, states the company. “Michael has proven himself as an effective sales leader for NAPCO Security Technologies,” says Stephen Spinelli, SVP of sales for all NAPCO divisions, “and he’ll be an ideal fit for growing the NAPCO Security Division business and managing that team, at a particularly exciting time, with the nationwide rollout of StarLink MAX 5G Universal Cell Communicators, the expansion of FireLink Commercial Fire FACP line, and the debut of NAPCO Prima Residential All-in-One Super Panel early this summer.” Venoit is based in the greater Boston area. In other NAPCO news, the company reports that it had a very su...

MONTRÉAL – Genetec recently helped the Chicago Cubs’ security and technology departments undertake a massive upgrade to modernize security at the iconic Wrigley Field ballpark. Based on Genetec Security Center, Omnicast and Streamvault, the new solution extends security to neighboring venues, parking lots and the Chicago Cubs front office. The security modernization effort followed a multi-year restoration of the 100+ -year-old ballpark to preserve its beauty, charm and historic features while modernizing amenities and improving the ballpark experience. The project also expanded its footprint and the surrounding campus. As the legacy security systems had been installed independently, working with multiple systems slowed the security team’s investigations and response times considerably, Genetec reports. Additionally, the aged storage server infrastructure limited the organization’s ability to remain compliant with Department of Homeland Safety requirements around video retention. ...

ATLANTA – Pye-Barker Fire & Safety has acquired The Hartline Company, a family-owned and operated security, alarm and fire prevention company serving central Florida. The acquisition allows Pye-Barker to add security to its fire protection services in the central Florida market. Founded in 1984 by Alan Hartline, The Hartline Company provides security monitoring, CCTV and access control in addition to fire sprinklers, fire alarms, extinguishers, emergency lighting, suppression and kitchen hood systems. Based in Lake Wales, Fla., and serving customers throughout Lakeland, Tampa and Orlando, Hartline’s end-to-end offerings include testing, inspection, maintenance and installation of high-quality life safety systems. “As a family-run company serving central Florida for over 40 years, The Hartline Company takes the job of protecting our neighbors and community members seriously,” says Alan Hartline, president and founder of Hartline. “Pye-Barker holds those same values of commit...

LENEXA, Kan.—American Direct’s access control platform, AccessNsite, is said to be one of the most versatile platforms in the industry. According to the company, AccessNsite’s priority lies in agnostic compatibility with a variety of industry-leading hardware brands. Supporting the brand’s flexibility, American Direct, has announced a brand new integration with Alarm Lock products, by Napco Technologies, Inc. With an initial emphasis on Alarm Lock’s Networx gateways, this newly established integration focuses primarily on the Trilogy and ArchiTech hardware lines and locksets. As a designer and manufacturer of commercial door technology solutions for over four decades, Alarm Lock specializes in access and egress solutions for education, healthcare, government, airports, and mixed-use environments like multi-use commercial, retail, transportation and industrial facilities. Both companies point out that with just one button and virtually no special training or knowledge require...

NORWALK, Conn. – Touting impressive attendance figures, ISC West, in collaboration with premier sponsor the Security Industry Association (SIA), saw a robust 56% year-over-year gain in attendance for ISC West 2023, hosting over 27,000 security industry professionals in Las Vegas, March 28-31. “As the nation’s leading comprehensive and converged security trade event of the year, attendance numbers from ISC West were remarkable, proving our industry is resilient and continuing to grow,” says Mary Beth Shaughnessy, ISC event vice president. “We held more than 85 educational sessions and saw 660 exhibitors showcase the latest technology and innovation on the show floor, creating a pre-pandemic atmosphere that left many attendees speechless.” Compared to previous ISC West conferences, this year’s numbers were impressive, ISC West reports: Post-show attendance numbers totaled over 18,000 attendees, an increase of 56.2% from ISC West 2022. Additionally, this year’s show saw an 89.6% increas...