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30 suppliers www.securitysystemsnews.com Matrix creates two new divisions By Martha Entwistle MIAMISBURG, Ohio—Matrix Systems' transformation, which began last year when Holly Tsourides took on the role of CEO, continued Jan. 6, when Tsourides announced that the company is creating two separate lines of business: Frontier, a manufacturing business and Xentry Systems Integration, a systems integrator. Matrix Systems, based here, has historically been a provider of access control, although it did do some integration work for longtime customers. "We had two different models that were intertwined and that were restricting growth," Tsourides said. "In the security industry, customers and partners want to know, 'Are you a channel business or a direct service business?' The answer is that we were both … and both assets were not being maximized," she said. "It became clear that for long-term growth we can decouple the businesses and that's what we've done." The two divisions will be separate P&Ls.; Xentry (pronounced Zen-tree) is Matrix's "rebranded services business with very distinct geographic boundaries: the Great Lakes area and southern Florida [where the company has existing long-time customers]," Tsourides explained. Xentry is not looking to expand will have the continuity of serbeyond those boundaries any time vices they've been accustomed to, soon. "The No. 1 priority is to and they'll have the opportunity build density [in those to get more services regions]. … There's a from Xentry than they lot of work to do and ever did from Matrix," a lot of opportunity Tsourides said. to build out our capaFrontier is expected bilities as a true systems to introduce its new integrator," she said. integrated platform, a Xentry's first offiunifed access control cial day of business is and video management expected to be April. Holly Tsourides system, in the third Its customers include the nation's quarter. It will be a truly integrated two largest steel companies, health platform, not just an interface care entities, and Smuckers, a $4 between systems, she emphasized. billion conglomerate. Importantly, Frontier channel Xentry will also be the exclusive partners will have restricted terreseller for Frontier in its regions. ritories. SSn "So the clients [in those areas] Verint buys KANA U.T. late-night access now controlled better By Martha Entwistle MELVILLE, N.Y.—Verint's Jan. 6 agreement to acquire KANA software for $514 million will not directly impact Verint's video surveillance and physical security business immediately, but there may be some integration of KANA capabilities into Verint's video intelligence business at some point. KANA is a provider of customer service Ryan Hollenbeck solutions on premises and in the cloud. "Kana does not have specifc video technology, but they do have technology relevant to risk management and technology that can help with process orientation, especially at the desk top," Ryan Hollenbeck, Verint's SVP global marketing, , told Security Systems News. Verint had 2013 revenues of $840 million. The company has two divisions, Verint Enterprise Intelligence Solutions, which offers workforce optimization solutions; and, Security Intelligence Solutions, which offers communications and cyber intelligence solutions and its physical security component video and situation intelligence solutions. Hollenbeck said that Verint is taking a "fresh look at how the technologies across all of Verint can work together [with an eye toward] … offering Verint technology more holistically." KANA falls into that category of a technology that may be an add-on offering to physical security integrators in the future. "What we have already seen is an example of customers working to integrate KANA and Verint [non-video surveillance related] technology," Hollenbeck said. In the future, customers may want to integrate Verint video surveillance technology as well. SSn By Amy Canfeld AUSTIN, Texas—The University of Texas at Austin's new accesscontrol system prevents students working late at night in many campus buildings from leaving a door "blocked open so their friends can enter," says Bob Harkins, vice president for campus safety and security. That was a common practice before, Harkins said, and it concerned him. Students frequently inhabit campus buildings at night— even around the clock—to do research or study, he said. UT has 51,000 students and 24,000 staff and faculty members. Even though building doors were locked at a specific time each night, say 10 p.m., graduate students often had keys to their relevant buildings. The students had every right to be in the buildings after hours, he said, but "I worry an awful lot about the number of offces and little cubby holes we've got in buildings. There are students working there literally 24 hours a day." UT deployed an accesscontrol code system for 65 of its 160 buildings, with plans to roll out the system at the remaining buildings. If a student props open a door that is equipped with the new access control system, an alarm goes off and campus police respond. The system also includes an automatic lockdown capability. With United Technologies' Picture Perfect Software, integrated by Entech Sales and Service, authorized students and staff need their ID badges to get into the secured buildings after hours. The university can lock down the equipped buildings by pushing a button, he said. SSn OV's latest licensing agreement is with FLIR By Martha Entwistle RESTON, Va.—Video analytics provider ObjectVideo in January signed its 17th licensing agreement, this time with thermal camera provider FLIR, Raul Fernandez, OV CEO, told Security Systems News. "It's a global agreement, for the whole portfolio of patents that we have," Fernandez said. "It covers the intelligent thermal cameras for traditional security; it mentioned that Video IQ is a also covers [analytics licensee of OV He said . used in cameras] in the deal "further validates the traffc monitoring th e imp ortan ce o f cameras that became intelligent video analytics part of the FLIR and the trend toward portfolio through deeply embedding those its acquisition of analytics in cameras." The Trafcon." fact that Avigilon intends Asked about to embed analytics into Raul Fernandez Avigilon's recent its own products "raises acquisition of VideoIQ, Fernandez the bar for everyone in terms of what the minimal expectation is for video analytic capabilities included with cameras," Fernandez said. Is the deal a negative for standalone analytics companies? Fernandez says it's a positive, in fact. "The major manufacturers are already licensed with us [so the reality is] the more products they sell, the more IP licensing revenue we get." SSn february 2014 SeCurITy SySTeMS NeWS briefs Robert Hile, Chris Brown join SureView Systems TAMPA Fla.—SureView Systems, a provider of situational awareness software, in January announced two new leadership appointments. Robert Hile now serves as director of strategic accounts, focusing on enterprise-class market opportunities, and building relationships with key integration frms, consultants and A&E; frms. Hile's executive career has involved working for both private and public entities, including Fortune 500 Global companies. He previously held the title of CEO for Integrated Fire & Security Solutions. Formerly, Hile also served as Senior Director, Enterprise Security Solutions at Siemens Industry, where he led the security division within the building technologies group. Chris Brown assumes the role of director of central station accounts. In this position, he will manage SureView's central station monitoring business, focused on maximizing returns and increasing recurring monthly revenue options for central station customers. With more than 23 years of experience in the security industry, specializing in the operational success of high-growth companies, Brown recently served as VP at CheckVideo, where he revamped the company's strategic vision and go-to market strategy. Previously, he was SVP of operations for Iverify, where he directly managed all aspects of system design, installation, service, core infrastructure deployment and the video monitoring center. Mobotix unveils new camera line WINNWEILER/LANGMEIL, Germany— New 5-megapixel IP cameras from Mobotix—the D25, M25 and Q25— offer more detail with less blur, even when lighting is bad, the company announced Dec. 18. The new line easily integrates additional features. The cameras record on SD cards, USB sticks and on an IP network, according to the release. The cameras contain twice as many pixels as HD, the company said, and include state-of–the-art, self-confguring motion detection. With MxActivitySensor, they record video or trigger alarms only when important events happen, and are better at ignoring things like wind, shadows and snow than previous models, according to the release. D25 is a compact dome for indoor and outdoor use. M25 includes a microphone and is designed to withstand extreme weather. Q25 produces 180-degree panoramic images. All cameras are weatherproof, according to the news release.