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briefs www.securitysystemsnews.com January 2016 SECurITy SySTEMS nEWS suppliers 26 By Amy Canfeld FOSTER CITY, Calif.—The cloud is here to stay, and physi- cal security pros would be wise to get on it. That's the message Monica Hopelian, c l o u d s p e - c i a l i s t f o r Microsoft's s t a t e a n d local govern- ment team, put forth in her keynote a d d r e s s a t the inaugu- r a l C l o u d + conference, held here. She related the move to cloud to the industrial revolu- tion. It used to be that factories produced their own power. When the power grid came Avigilon acquires new 135,000 square foot headquarters VANCOUVER, Canada—Avigilon has a new $42 million headquarters here, with nine stories and 135,000 square feet, the company announced. The new building "provides more than double the space we presently lease at a lower fnancing cost than our current rent," Alexander Fernandes, Avigilon's founder, president, CEO and chairman of the board, said in the November announcement. The new facility was frst announced in Februaruy 2015. Avigilon has more than 1,000 employees. IDV Solutions to hold conference in Orlando LANSING, Mich.—IDV Solutions will hold its third annual Visual Command Center User Conference in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 24-25, at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. End users will share how they use command center software to protect people and assets, ensure business continuity and build a risk resilient enterprise at the conference. Attendees will learn best practices for implement- ing the solution. The event will also include previews of upcoming releases and improvements. "We will share new insights and developments that can be taken back to command centers to improve eff- ciency and effectiveness," George F. Siegle, director of product manage- ment, IDV Solutions, said in a state- ment. ASSA ABLOY acquires in Netherlands STOCKHOLM—ASSA ABLOY will acquire IAI industrial systems B.V., and its subsidiaries, from its parent company DOCDATA N.V. IAI specializes in security printing solutions for government ID, bank notes and other security solutions. "IAI is an important technological addition to the ASSA ABLOY Group. The company complements our cur- rent offering within secure identity solutions," ASSA ABLOY president and CEO Johan Molin said in a pre- pared statement. "The acquisition of IAI consider- ably enhances the group's position within government ID and will provide complementary growth opportuni- ties," Molin said. IAI was established in 1990 and has about 85 employees. The com- pany is headquartered in Veldhoven, Netherlands, where it will maintain its operations. Sales for 2016 are expected to reach $21.8 million. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close during Q4 2015. Microsof tells Cloud+ 'Find the right cloud' ASG COO takes new role in software By Spencer Ives LAKE MARY, Fla.—Bill Rose, formerly ASG's chief operating officer, is now the COO for SecureNet Technologies, a software company based here that provides a platform for various secu- rity devices in the home. R o s e w i l l b e looking into new p r o d u c t s a n d technologies, and overseeing the new integrations into SecureNet's platform, he told Security Systems News. "One of the big things that I bring to SecureNet is having 30-plus years work- ing … in the security feld, specifcally in selling similar products that SecureNet offers," Rose said. He will give insight to SecureNet's design teams on both con- sumers' interests as well as those of security companies, he said. SecureNet specializes in the connected home, Rose said, integrating with ZigBee and Z-Wave products including some DIY. "The security piece is still the center and really the founda- tion of our offering, while … the home automation side is probably more convenience- based," he said. A S G a n d S e c u r e N e t a r e similar, both being sales focused, he said. "The differ- ence really is that i n t e r a c t i o n [ a t SecureNet] is more at a corporate level … as opposed to the end user [level]." SecureNet stands out with its "direct integration into professional monitor- ing stations' automation p l a t f o r m s , " R o s e s a i d . SecureNet's app interacts with central stations by allowing end users to can- cel an alarm or update their contact information. Rose pointed to the com- pany's "white label approach" as another differentiator; that each app is custom-designed to be "fully and exclusively branded with our partners' branding." SSN Bill Rose along, factories were concerned about whether they could trust the power grid. Eventually, other than back up generators, factories did not think about having a propri- etary power source. They could worry about busi- ness instead of power. A s b u s i - nesses move to the cloud today, they can "focus o n t h e i r business, not on their server," she said. She sells cloud products to municipalities in northern California, and, having previ- ously worked at a state data center "security has always been near and dear to my heart." Microsoft is the fastest growing provider of cloud ser- vices with triple-digit revenue growth over the past three years. Finding "the right cloud" is vital, she said, and offered the following advice: "Look at industry research to see where your cloud service stacks up. "The right cloud is enterprise grade. "The right cloud is also very flexible." On-premises data centers won't be going away because entities such as police departments that use body cameras, for example, need to have recent data on site, but they can offoad old data to the cloud. "Tiering off into the cloud" allows her customers to meet their different require- ments and compliance issues, she said. The cloud also improves operational effciency, allowing employees to work from anywhere safely. And, "it allows us to take advantage of the vast amount of data we collect and make sense of it," Hopelian said. In addition, the cost of storage in the cloud keeps coming down. "It's pennies on the dollar," she said. "There's rapid development, rapid deployment, an unlim- ited scale and powerful data insights, that's what we see as implications for physical security," Hopelian said. SSN Monica Hopelian SecureNet platform brings together disparate systems in the smart home "There's rapid development, rapid deployment, an unlimited scale and powerful data insights, that's what we see as implications for physical security." —Monica Hopelian, Microsoft By SSN Staff S A N D I E G O – M i c ro P o w e r Technologies, a provider of sur- veillance solutions, announced in December that it will offer its SOLVEIL integrated solar, wire- less surveillance platform to K-12 schools through a newly devel- oped grant program designed to help schools better address threats and further strengthen security efforts. With continued bud- get restraints, funds to expand security in schools are often limited. MicroPower seeks to assist schools through a partnership that partially addresses today's common fnancial con- straints. Under the new program, MicroPower will select one school per month over the next 10 months to receive the hard- ware, software and additional equipment necessary to imple- ment SOLVEIL HD. The package includes a megapixel surveillance camera, solar panel, lens and RF radio, lithium ion batteries, a pole mount adapter, one Hub and one Ethernet connector. MicroPower will collaboratewith the school to identify a certified systems integration partner to assist the school with the installation. "Today's educational facilities MicroPower announces K-12 grant program face a growing number of chal- lenges that can hinder the open environments that best support learning. Today's schools need open video surveillance solu- tions that can help address risks in outdoor and perimeter loca- tions," said Aaron Tankersley, CEO, MicroPower, in a pre- pared statement."The grant pro- gram is one way that MicroPower hopes to give back to commu- nities and schools that need added security, but are unable to fully commit to updated technology because of budget constraints." The SOLVEIL HD surveillance platform is a mega- pixel camera that allows users to achieve high-resolution video coverage in perimeter and out- door areas for enhanced security and operations monitoring. Its integrated wireless and solar- power capabilities eliminate the need for power, network and transmission cabling, reducing up-front costs and installation complexity. Operating on a nominal ¾-watt, the SOLVEIL solution can capture and transmit live video up to a half-mile away and run for up to fve days on a single charge of its integrated, long-life battery pack. SSN Aaron Tankersley