SpotterRF has released a new aerial surveillance line optimized for low altitude aerial perimeter protection and interdiction. The new A-Series features the A3000 radar, a solid state radar with a larger coverage area for detecting small drones. The A3000 also provides drone detection and tracking for small hobby drones and protects an aerial perimeter greater than 85 football fields, the company says. Each radar is about the size and weight of a small textbook, requires less than 20W of power, and mounts on existing infrastructure.

The Kensington Keyed Cable Lock for Microsoft Surface Pro provides non-invasive locking technology supported by Kensington’s common keying system. Designed specifically for the Surface Pro, Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4, the product also features a strong lock head that meets industry standards for tamper-resistance, reliability and durability, a 5mm keying system and a register and retrieve program that offers free and secure cloud-based key replacement.

Avigilon Corporation’s new integrator cloud service platform, Avigilon Blue, is a subscription-based platform for security and surveillance, purpose-built for Avigilon partners and their customers.

HES introduces the K20 and KP20 cabinet locks, which secure stand-alone doors and drawers in residential, commercial and institutional facilities. The K20 offers card reader technology while the KP20 allows keypad control for instant flexibility for access or denial.

The Avigilon H4 IR PTZ (Infrared Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera line combines Avigilon patented self-learning video analytics with zoomable infrared (IR) technology to provide broad coverage and high image quality in a range of lighting conditions and environments. Using its built-in self-learning video analytics, it can detect and alert users of a person or vehicle of interest. The camera’s zoom lens and IR technology allows users to see up to 250 meters in complete darkness. Available in 1.3 and 2 megapixel camera resolutions, the camera features continuous 360-degree rotation, up to 45x optical zoom, Electronic Image Stabilization, electronic de-fogging image processing capabilities, built-in tamper detection and more.

Johnson Controls introduces its multi-functional Software House TST-100 Touchscreen Terminal, which provides an enhanced end-user experience at the door. Featuring an intuitive touchscreen user interface, native intrusion functionality and compatibility with legacy and IP-based door controllers from Software House, the TST-100 Touchscreen Terminal allows users to have more flexibility and control at the reader level, the company says. The 4.3-in. graphical LCD touchscreen comes with a range of colourful icons and custom command menus.

STI’s see-through polycarbonate cabinet offers protection for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units. The cabinet comes with Select-Alert alarm/strobe (STI-735AED), which allows the AED to be highly visible while the alarm helps guard against theft and vandalism. It mounts on the wall and is secured with a thumb lock. With independent strobe and siren timing (15, 30, 60 seconds or continuous), the alarm length can be adjusted for multiple settings.

Altronix has expanded its Trove Access and Power Integration Solutions series. New additions to the Trove series include Altronix integrations with Bosch, DMP, Honeywell, Kantech and Sielox access. These new models join the line of Trove solutions which accommodate AMAG, CDVI, HID/Vertx, KABA/KeyScan, Mercury and Software House access controllers. The Trove2 Access and Power Integration Solutions are designed for larger applications and allow Altronix power/accessories combined with access controllers from manufacturers to be wired and pre-tested prior to on-site installations. Meanwhile, the Trove1 Access and Power Integration Solution, a more compact version of the Trove2 for smaller applications, accommodates CDVI, HID/VertX and Mercury access controllers. All Trove enclosures include a cam lock, tamper switch and mounting hardware.

Genetec Inc. has added new additions to its Streamvault line of turnkey security infrastructure solutions, including turnkey high-performance rackmount appliances that scale up to over 2,000 cameras, and workstations designed to provide smooth playback of high-resolution video streams. Each unit is delivered pre-installed and pre-tested with Genetec Security Center, the company’s open-architecture, IP-based unified security platform. Featuring the latest cybersecurity standards, each product is delivered pre-hardened to safeguard security systems and their supporting networks against cyber threats. A variety of storage options are also available, including Direct-Attached Storage (DAS), Network-Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN).

Lyric Gateway allows consumers to control their home security and automation systems on their personal devices. It is designed for the mobile lifestyle, including renters, condo and second home owners, and those who frequently move. The Lyric Gateway integrates with AlarmNet 360 and can be placed anywhere in the home using the included desk stand. Through the Honeywell Total Connect® Remote Services app, consumers can control all aspects of their Lyric connected home system.

The Connect ONE cloud-hosted security management platform offers detailed management and accountability of intrusion, access control, mobile credential access, video, critical environmental monitoring and energy management services from an interface accessible anywhere with an Internet connection. Connect ONE also supports Bosch Remote Connect Cloud Services, DMP, ELK, Honeywell Vista panels and Nest.

Platinum Tools has launched the new RJ45 Cat6A stranded 10Gig connectors (p/ns 106195, 106197C, 106198C). Features and specifications include: Max cable jack OD: 8.5mm/0.335 inches; Max cable conductor OD: 1.35mm/0.053 inches; Exceeds 10-Gig performance standards; Individual conductor OD range: 0.042 inches - 0.053 inches (1.07mm-1.35mm); Wire gauge range (AWG) 24—22; Uses 0.35 mm (.014 inches) contact; works for CAT6e, CAT6A, CAT7; and is UL and RoHS compliant.

Alarm Lock has expanded its Trilogy T2 Series electronic standalone access locks. Standalone Trilogy T2 electronic keyless access locks provide vandal-proof all metal keypad and longest-life battery operation, lock models have a rugged clutch and fingertip tool-free programming, plus feature BHMA Grade-1 installation. The Trilogy T2 series now includes the DL2700 standalone digital cylindrical lock; new DL2700LD cylindrical lock with lockdown, suitable for schools and campus security with remote keyfob and bright visual lockdown indicator bar; and new mortise locks for high-security mortise locking, in either DL2700 CR classroom or DL2700DB deadbolt functions.

The Kensington VeriMark Fingerprint Key combines biometric performance and 360-degree readability with anti-spoofing technology and fingerprint activated collaboration capabilities. Designed to meet Windows Hello security requirements, the key allows users without a fingerprint sensor in their computers to enjoy the benefits of the faster, more secure login that Windows Hello affords. Businesses whose employee computers do not have biometric authentication capabilities, can deploy the fingerprint key without having to replace an entire fleet of laptops.

Emergency vehicles in Surrey, B.C. should have an easier time getting through intersections thanks to Global Traffic Technologies Canada (GTT), which recently contracted with the City of Surrey for the implementation of its Opticom traffic preemption solution. This system works alongside intersection controllers to help “ensure emergency vehicles can move through intersections rapidly and safely”.

Delta Scientific, the manufacturer of counter-terrorist vehicle control systems, says 20 Delta MP5000 mobile deployable vehicle crash barriers have been ordered by the U.S. Secret Service to protect participants and observers from terrorists using vehicles as a weapon. Provided through Global Access Control Systems (Pittsburgh), these mobile deployable vehicle crash barriers carry a K8 rating (M40 ASTM rating), stopping 7.5 ton (6400 Kg) vehicles traveling 40 mph (64 kph), according to the company.

Chicago’s Soldier Field has upgraded its security system to include Axis Communications’ high-resolution network video cameras. Axis partnered with Convergint Technologies and Genetec to create the solution for the venue that hosts the Chicago Bears and many other events throughout the year.

Groupe Partouche, a casino and hotel group in France, has partnered with MeReal Biometrics in for a real-world test and case study to transform its business using the MeReal Biometrics smart cards. The initial test will take place in two of the group's 42 casino and hotel properties.

Kiwanis Village Lodge, a care facility for seniors in Nanaimo, B.C., has selected a new IP-based access control system from Kantech that features one-button door controller enrollment and the ability to leverage the facility’s existing infrastructure to ensure continuity of services to the lodge’s residents.

Architects, specifying engineers, designers and building owners can receive an overview of Legrand products that contribute toward LEED certification with the “LEED with Legrand Product Guide.”

The Atlanta Police Department (APD) is purchasing 1,015 Axon Flex and Body 2 cameras from Axon, a division of TASER. APD secured a five-year unlimited subscription to the Axon cloud solution, Evidence.com, to help store, manage and share data from the body cameras and other digital evidence sources. The department has requested an eight-month staged deployment starting in 2017.

Baseball teams from around the world converged on Williamsport, Penn., in late August for the 70th annual Little League Baseball World Series championship. And, as it has for the past 18 years, security systems provider Lenel was there to help keep the iconic summer event safe and secure.

To better serve and support its professional customers who design, build and maintain living and work spaces, Legrand North America has launched a new, mobile-friendly website.

Tenants in Toronto Community Housing can no longer access their buildings’ televised “lobby channel” unless they subscribe to Rogers cable network. The Toronto Star reports that the change is the result of Rogers upgrading its cable networks at more than 200 Toronto Community Housing apartment properties.

A multi-sensor, fixed chemical detection system has been installed in a Manhattan building to protect the asset and its tenants from a targeted terrorist attack or accidental release of toxic industrial chemicals.

Implant Sciences announced that its QS-B220 desktop explosives and drugs trace detector has been deployed to more than 160 airports across the United States and Europe over the past twelve months.

An innovative solution to prevent criminal activities will be deployed during the 2016 Olympic and Paralymic Games in Brazil this year. Security authorities responsible for safeguarding the events have chosen Altave’s Altave Omni Aerostats as a key surveillance technology.

A seamless integration of Kantech access control, DSC intrusion and exacqVision video from Tyco Security Products now protects Camosun College’s two campuses in Victoria, B.C.

What’s the best way to stay within a tight budget when it comes to installing new security products and systems? Just keep it simple, according to Peter Dyk with Tyco Integrated Fire & Security Canada.

The stage is set. Cloud computing continues to rise in deployments, with users citing economic advantages, speed, agility, flexibility, elasticity and ongoing innovation.

My experience is that most “pure” alarm companies (where the object of the business is primarily installing and monitoring alarm systems) do not make much money along the way — despite paying their owners’ below market salaries — even if they have more than 1,000 accounts.

Although still a minority, the number of Canadians who believe the private sector has the highest obligation to help veterans find jobs more than doubled from five per cent last year to 12 percent in 2016, according to a new national survey conducted by Nanos Research Group and released by Commissionaires.

In the Middle East, as populations and infrastructure grow, public and private stakeholders are looking for new ways to protect people and property. With solutions ranging from large-scale homeland security strategies to risk-specific equipment and products, leading suppliers from the United States and Canada will compete for defense and security business at Milipol Qatar in Doha, October 31 through November 2.

After a recent telephone system upgrade, Huronia Alarm & Fire Security found itself with telephone equipment it no longer needed. The previous system would no longer sync with the new technologies installed in the company’s offices and 24/7 monitoring station.

Monitronics has a new relationship with AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, social welfare organization. The relationship names the company as the exclusive AARP-branded provider for professionally installed residential security monitoring. Monitronics will provide a discount on residential security services for members AARP.

Sonitrol has launched a new brand image to the market, updating its logo, website, literature and sales tools.

Whether a security company is just starting out or has been around for a while, it can be difficult to know how to build the business.

An installer of home security alarms is being investigated for identity theft after an Alberta man discovered fraudulent charges on his credit card following the installation of a home security system.

Are you looking to hire the best and the brightest students out there? Do you sometimes feel lost in a sea of booths at a career fair and wonder if you’ll really get noticed?

We all have a job to do and frankly, are too busy to do it. That’s why you need to find a value that hits home with your client. This could either from the technical side, found within product features, or from the help your products and services provide.

It’s a war out there; a war for talent. In order to make sure you are best equipped to find the best talent, take a moment to assess your organization’s practices with a Recruitment Scorecard.

When targeting large corporations, you may run into the person (or people) responsible for deflecting salespeople. They are there for a reason: to screen and restrict all suitors from reaching the key decision makers — an off-limits area known as the C-suite.

The most common method of valuing small businesses is to use a multiple of earnings or EBITDA.

Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become an icon of the future. The possibilities of what drones could do are endless.

In Part One I left off with the dealer or seller having determined that they are financially ready to sell, and at the same time they have determined that this is a good time to sell. With the recent changes to taxation of small businesses, this is even more important today.

CANASA’s first quarter of 2018 is flying by with exceptional turnout and support coming from our members at CANASA hosted events. Quality speakers focused on timely topics along with the opportunity to network is a winning formula.

For end users with multiple locations, managing surveillance systems is complicated.

DIY means Do It Yourself and MIY means Monitor It Yourself.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning for video has opened the door to new possibilities where computers can analyze both live and recorded video to produce surprisingly accurate data.

Security Canada is pleased to announce that information on the six shows to be held across the country is now available at www.securitycanadaexpo.com.

SP&T News recently caught up with Peter Strom, CEO of Ottawa-based March Networks, to talk about their latest solutions, the role of analogue in a world filled with cybersecurity concerns, the potential for AI and a lot more. We began by getting an update on March’s parent company, Chinese camera manufacturer Infinova — an acquisition that was completed back in 2012.

Over the last year, we have seen innovations in the surveillance space create more accurate analytics, higher resolution cameras, and better video compression.

I thought it might be useful to lay out the issues in the order that I would address them if I was an owner and thinking of selling.

Looking back on the past year, it’s clear that as the industry continues to change, the Canadian Security Association (CANASA) is preparing to meet those challenges by providing information, training and networking opportunities to our members and their associates.

CANASA wrapped up our show schedule for this year with a very successful Security Canada Central show in Toronto. (For more information please visit www.securitycanadaexpo.com).Attendance was better than projected and the feedback we have received from our sponsors and vendors has been quite positive.The show got off to a great start with a powerful presentation from Brittany McBain of the RCMP, who spoke about the protection of critical infrastructure related to events that have taken place in Canada — some of which were thwarted by the efforts of various police services.Our Monitoring Symposium, which was held just prior to the Toronto show, was also a big success, well attended and featuring some great contributions from our guest speakers:  •ULC  - Alan Cavers•The Monitoring Association -  Ivan Spector•Cyber Security -  Sascha Kylau•Bell Communications -  Ken Short•Video Monitoring – Rob Baxter•Software Integration Panel – Rod Coles, Cliff Dice, Hank Goldberg and Jens KolindNow it is time to get back to work on a number of the initiatives that we have already started.CANASA has signed a MOU with ASIS Canada and we are looking forward to working with the ASIS team.  By combining our resources, we can continue to promote the values and issues that are important to members of the Canadian security industry.As executive director of CANASA, I am scheduled to meet with the new executive director of the Canadian Fire Alarm Association (CFAA) before the end of November and look forward to exploring collaborative opportunities with them.We have strengthened our social media presence by continuously improving our website and we are intensely marketing CANASA now on Twitter and LinkedIn.Our focus is on connecting with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) and Canadian media outlets across Canada. I would urge you to visit www.canasa.org for information on the benefits of membership and security-related information.All of us here at CANASA look forward to finishing off the year with lots of momentum moving into 2018.  Patrick Straw is the executive director of CANASA.

Video surveillance has become a critical component of any security system. However, the best security systems do not rely on any single product to provide a complete solution. Video surveillance is often most effective when paired with other devices or technology to expand a systems capability beyond the video. Motion detectors and alarm contacts are all popular devices to integrate into video surveillance systems but new technology is constantly emerging.

Trade shows, conferences and magazines are important for obvious reasons. You see suppliers, learn about new equipment, read about the issues in the security industry and you can network with other dealers. But there is another reason to take part in all of this. Most of us spend too many of our working hours just “doing” and don’t spend enough time standing back and thinking about the broader picture.

According to an IHS Markit analysis, the number of security start-ups and security options available to homeowners are higher than ever before.

IHS Markit has released an analysis of safe cities, noting the concept will become increasingly important as more migrate to urban areas across the globe.

According to a new study commissioned by Schneider Electric, companies across industries are “increasingly leveraging the cloud for security applications”, with 42 per cent of respondents indicating they currently run security applications in the Cloud and almost half (45 per cent) stating they are likely or extremely likely to transition security operations to the Cloud in the future.

IHS Markit says disruption is coming to the professional smart home market and that fast growth and low penetration means opportunity remains for everyone.

IHS Markit has issued insights from the Appliance & Electronics World Expo 2017 in China, noting smart connected home appliances are becoming appliance makers’ strategic products but interoperability is still a barrier.

Tripwire, a global provider of security and compliance solutions for enterprises and industrial organizations, has announced the results of a study that looked at the rise of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) deployment in organizations, and to what extent it is expected to cause security problems in 2017.  

Researchers in the U.K. have found children are at “risk of dying in house fires because they often remain asleep when smoke alarms sound”, according to a recent Guardian article.

A global study by Citrix and the Ponemon Institute has highlighted global trends in IT security risks and reasons why security practices and policies need to evolve, finding technology is all too often outdated.

According to recent research by IHS Markit, the penetration of smart home systems will reach 3 per cent of global households by 2018 and 7 per cent by 2025.

In a new report from IHS Markit, analyst Jimmy Dearing says globally in 2017, the access control market will increase by 6.8 per cent and exceed $4.2 billion. Here is more from Dearing on the highlights of his study:

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has revealed the findings from its 4th annual State of Security Operations Report, which discusses the trends, capabilities and maturity levels of organizations’ security operations centres (SOC).

The IPSO Alliance’s (IPSO) Security, Privacy and Identity (SPI) Working Group has published its charter, which provides a framework for the group to help the industry address the challenge of secure IoT interoperability by identifying and describing best practices for the authorization, authentication, privacy, integrity and confidentiality services of IP-based smart objects, as well as object life cycles.

A new analysis form IHS Markit says Chinese supplier branded consumer video surveillance equipment accounted for approximately 5 per cent of U.S. market revenues in 2016. However, the report warns the recent explosion of supply and demand for consumer video in the Chinese domestic market is a “potential ticking time bomb” for American market stakeholders.

For market research and consulting company Parks Associates, three new technologies have “promising applications for improving technical support experiences and managing support resources” in 2017. These include: big data analytics, voice control and augmented reality.

Looking back at 2016, the smart home market made great strides in 2016 but there is still a lot of work to be done to bring smart home to the mass market.