Security Systems News

JAN 2018

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www.securitysystemsnews.com january 2018 SEC ur IT y S y STEMS n EWS Commer C ial & systems integrators 14 briefs Robotic Assistance Devices to supply robots to Allied Universal RENO, Nev.—On the Move Systems announced recently that its wholly owned subsidiary Robotic Assistance Devices has executed a strate- gic agreement to supply its intelli- gent robotic solutions through Allied Universal. "The RAD portfolio augments the core competencies of our guard per- sonnel because it offers fully autono- mous patrolling that stakeholders can leverage to make rapid, informed decisions," Ty Richmond, president, Integrated Security Solutions and Technology, Allied Universal, said in the announcement. "The data cap- tured by the security robot will prove valuable in post-event investigations, enabling our customers to quickly address ongoing issues, close cases and identify trends. We are excited to explore the possibilities alongside RAD." Steve Reinharz, founder and presi- dent of RAD, said that the robots will be leveraged to help Allied Universal customers supplement existing secu- rity professionals and improve safety, increase situational awareness and drive efficiency across the enterprise. "The market is primed to embrace the combination of human personnel and robotic guarding, and we expect this trend to increase significantly in the coming year," Reinharz said in the announcement. "We are thrilled with our already valuable partnership with Allied Universal and the size and qual- ity of the sales funnel we've been able to create together." Amazon announces the new 'Alexa for Business' SAN FRANCISCO—Following the suc- cess of it Echo device for the home, Amazon unveiled Alexa for Business, a new service that enables businesses and organizations to bring Alexa into the workplace at scale. Amazon said that Alexa for Business provides tools and resources for organizations to set up and manage Alexa devices at scale, enable private skills, and enroll users. "Alexa for Business brings the Alexa you know and love into the workplace to help all types of workers to be more productive and organized on both personal and shared Echo devices," the company said. "In the workplace, shared devices can be placed in com- mon areas for anyone to use, and workers can use their personal devices to connect at work and at home." PSA TEC 2018 program announced Minuteman Security to grow nationally By Paul Ragusa WESTMINSTER, Colo.—PSA, one of the world's largest security and systems inte- grator cooperatives, recently announced the education line- up and conference agenda for TEC 2018, which will be held March 12-16, 2018, in Denver. TEC, presented by PSA, is an education and network- ing event for all professional systems integrators in the s e c u r i t y a n d a u d i o - v i s u a l markets. For 2018, TEC gets "Amplified" at its new location at the Sheraton Downtown in Denver with more than 140 new education sessions for systems integrators serving the security and audio-visual markets, dedicated exhibit hours where more than 100 vendors will showcase their products and services, and VTI expanding its presence in Omaha By SSN Staff BOSTON—Minuteman Security Technologies Inc., an enter- prise security systems solutions company based here, recently announced the nationwide expan- sion of its integrated security systems business including the citywide video surveillance and license plate recognition solu- tions. According to Minuteman's CEO Joseph Lynch, Minuteman's expansion is the result of both customer driven organic growth and strategic acquisitions. "Together, the acquired com- plementary secure city technology solutions and our Transit Sentry mobile surveillance products allow us to offer our clients the most advanced public safety solu- tions available," Lynch said in the announcement. "Smart police cars and intelligent real-time fusion crime center programs will provide the company growth opportunities we never thought possible." Founded in 1988 and head- quartered in Andover, Mass., Minuteman's security solutions are used by enterprise organiza- tions throughout the U.S., includ- ing law enforcement, energy companies, the transportation industry, large retail chains, aca- demic institutions, public safety agencies and community hospi- tals. Minuteman's product offer- ings include video surveillance, access control systems, emergency communications, intrusion detec- tion systems and public safety security solutions. "This expansion is key to both our growth and diversification strategies. From a growth per- spective, these additions are in line with our strategic objective of complementing our organic growth by completing selective acquisitions," Lynch, said, not- ing that Minuteman is currently looking at additional expansion through acquisitions in strategic geographic U.S. locations. To support the new nation- al expansion, Minuteman announced the hiring of Michael Tiffin, SVP, who will oversee the development of both Western and Central regional offices, and Michael O'Brien, VP, who will oversee the Central U.S. region. SSN new networking events that tap into the unique offerings of Denver. "For over 40 years, TEC h a s f o c u s e d o n p ro v i d i n g high quality education to serve the most pro- gressive integrators in the security indus- try," Bill Bozeman, president and CEO of PSA, told Security S y s t e m s N e w s v i a email. "That legacy continues this year with the most session offerings in our history that touch on emerging industry trends such as cybersecurity, audio-visual systems integra- tion, RMR and so much more." T h e c o n f e re n c e i s o p e n to all industry profession- als and is designed to meet the educational needs of all The increased space also shows VTI's commitment to the Omaha market—to b o t h i t s c u s t o m e r s a n d its employees, Viau said. The build-out "will help our branding a n d r e p u t a - tion. I think that helps us when people a r e s a y i n g , ' I m a y h a v e never heard of VTI in Omaha before—tell m e a b o u t them.'" T h e n e w learning cen- ter in Omaha has space for 35 people, he noted, which can be used for manufacturer presenta- tions or VTI University, an educational program for customers. " We r e m o d e l e d t h e Minnesota office a little over two years ago and built a similar training/learning center that seats 85 and two years before that we remodeled our Colorado office [in Denver], and built a learning/training center that seats 50," Viau said. VTI aims to i n c l u d e l o c a l f l a v o r i n t h e design of each office, such as architecture, w h i l e a l s o k e e p i n g s o m e elements con- s i s t e n t a c ro s s t h e c o m p a - ny's branches, including furni- ture, Viau said. Vi a u a d d e d that VTI Security will be focused on expanding its presence in the Dallas mar- ket. "Our focus [for] the remainder of this year and next year is really to try to introduce ourselves to a broader group of potential customers and introduce them to VTI," he said. SSN what's ahead." The education lineup will also feature 13 industry cer- tification courses presented b y l e a d i n g m a n u f a c t u re r s and industry associations, a learning path focused on recurring monthly revenue (RMR) topics, and more than 10 peer-led sessions from PSA Committees. The education program will deliver sessions tailored to physical security and audio-visual integrators focused on emerging tech- nologies, critical issues in the industry, and tool develop- ment to augment attendees' knowledge needed to continue to drive these industries for- ward. Manufacturers will be show- casing products and services during dedicated exhibit hours on March 14, 2018. SSN employees within an integra- tor's organization with sessions serving disciplines includ- ing business management, sales and marketing, HR and recruiting, project manage- ment and operations, and installation and service. "The industry is evolving very quickly and TEC is poised to address all aspects of these changes from t h e p o i n t o f v i e w of executives, sales and marketing professionals, project managers, technicians and every other area of an integrators' business," said Bozeman. "TEC is open to everyone in our industry, not just PSA members, because we all need to be prepared for these changes and poised for Continued from page 1 Bill Bozeman "In the last roughly five years, we've grown from around $30 million to exceeding $60 million [in annual revenues]." —Bryan Viau, VTI Security

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