Security System News - Mircom Group of Companies

SECURITY SYSTEMS NEWS
MaY 2014
NEWS
www.securitysystemsnews.com
9
Great ISC West Roundup 2014
Continued from page 8
president of Lancaster, Pa.-based Select Security; Patrick Egan, owner and CEO of Select
Security and also Security Partners; John Bergher, EVP of marketing and customer care
for Sacramento, Calif.-based GHS Interactive
Security; and Jim Vogel, the new VP of ADT’s
dealer program.
Firestone told me one part of the company’s
new Utah call center will support Select Security’s residential direct sales program. Also at
the call center, he said, “we are about to start
an inside sales outbound telemarketing organization.”
Egan said Select Security has plans for growth
through acquisitions this
year.
GHS’ Bergher said the
company has formed a
new partnership with
Solar Universe to provide
a comprehensive soluDenis Hébert
tion combining security,
home automation and solar. [See story, page
28]
ADT’s Jim Vogel spoke about the enthusiasm of the crowds at the show and about
some of the opportunities the ADT dealer
program offers dealers.
I also heard about new life safety developments from Beth Welch, public relations
manager for Honeywell Fire Systems and also
from David George, director of marketing
communications for System Sensor.
Welch told me, “It’s a very busy show. It
seems like there’s more interest from security
integrators to do fre.”
She said there’s increasing interest in Silent
Knight by Honeywell’s combined smoke and
carbon monoxide detector, the SK-FIRE-CO
Detector. “It’s one of the few, if not the only
one, sold over the counter, so it’s non-proprietary,” Welch told me.
Welch also spoke about Fire-Lite by Hon-
eywell’s new Emergency Command Center,
which she said is “like having mass notifcation for the down market” because dealers
can promote it for a smaller applications,
ranging from churches to offce buildings.
The system also has a new interactive
module, called the Remote Telephone Zone
Module (RTZM) that is designed to provide
authorized users remote access to send out
emergency notifcations through a building’s
ECC via any phone.
System Sensor’s George talked about how
the 2010 and 2013 editions of NFPA 72 now
require, as of Jan. 1, that all new commercial
sleeping places must have a an audible device
that produces a low frequency tone centered
around 520 Hz. George said System Sensor
has some new low frequency notification
appliances that meet that requirement. [See
story, page 22]
Next I talked to Jay Kenny, VP of marketing at Alarm.com, who had many developments to talk about.
The highlights included an announcement
that Alarm.com’s cellular-based interactive
technology will soon be available with Verizon’s 4th Generation, Long Term Evolution
(4G LTE) network. “It’s really the beginning of
the 4G life cycle,” Kenny
said. He said it “opens
up new opportunities to
deliver things over the
cellular connection” in
a managed network way.
Another announcement was that Alarm.
com and LiftMaster
announced the integra- Jay Kenny
tion of the MyQ Universal Garage Door
Controller, so that now all major garage door
brands now integrate with Alarm.com’s connected home platform.
At the Interlogix booth, Warren Hill, product marketing manager, talked about some
new technology Interlogix has acquired in
frst of its kind to control up to four cameras
and two-way voice over Wi-Fi.”
Honeywell also is developing a new app to
its recent buy of Ultra High Speed (UHS) help dealers in selling the LYNX 7000. Marfrom Australian company Hills Limited. The keting communications specialist Natasha
acquisition will “broaden [Interlogix’s] global Ramjit told me that sales reps previously
portfolio of intrusion product offerings and have had to lug around a “big demo kit,”
services,” according to Interlogix, which is but with the app, which can be used on an
a part of UTC Building &
iPad or Android device,
Industrial Systems, a unit of n For more detailed versions
the system can easily
United Technologies Corp. of stories in this section, go to: be demonstrated to the
Hill said the new technol- WWW.SECURITYSYSTEMSNEWS.CoM homeowner. “It just puts
ogy resulting from the deal
everything at anyone’s
was creating buzz at the show. “Lots of deal- fngertips,” said Ramjit.
ers are coming to see the new products we
There was great excitement at the Eaton
have,” he said.
Cooper Notifcation booth because Cooper’s
Next up was the LILIN booth to fnd out new ALERiTY line of IP network-based mass
news about Control4. Control 4 partners with notification solutions
camera manufacturer LILIN. At the show, won the Best Emergency
Control4 was showcasing enhanced integra- Communications System
tion for surveillance cameras and NVRs for award in the ISC West
residential and commercial systems.
New Product Showcase.
Paul Williams, Control4 VP of security
How does it function
and communications products, spoke to in the real world? Dan
me about Control4’s Simple Device Discov- Moceri, CEO of Conery Protocol (SDDP) technology, which he vergint Technologies,
described as being able to “automatically dropped by the Eaton John LaFond
identify and load drivers for supported IP- Cooper Notifcation booth to explain. [See
connected devices.”
story, page 22]
Williams said SDDP increasingly supAlso on Thursday, I talked to John LaFond,
ports many surveillance cameras and NVRs, VP of integrated systems, strategic business
helping provide Control4 dealers with more unit, for Linear, which provides access consecurity monitoring options in residential and trol, health and wellness and security solucommercial applications.
tions.
On Wednesday evening, I chatted with
LaFond talked to me about the e3 OneBox,
Russell Cersosimo, CEO of Guardian Pro- described as combining “Linear’s embedded
tection Services, at a Guardian event.
browser IP-based access control platform with
On Thursday, my third day at the show, I Digital Watchdog’s full-featured DW-VMAX
learned that Honeywell’s new wireless LYNX digital video recording capability within one
7000 won Best Intrusion Detection and Pre- enclosure to create a fully integrated access
vention Solution Wireless in this year’s ISC and video solution.”
West New Product Showcase event, according
LaFond noted that the combination of
to Ralph Maniscalco, Honeywell’s director of access control and video has a greater market
marketing communications.
appeal than either alone. “Integrated systems
The company describes the LYNX 7000 is a much larger proposition,” he said.
as “an all new version of Honeywell’s selfMircom, a Toronto-based manufacturer
contained wireless touchscreen security and and distributor of intelligent building and life
home automation system. The product is the safety solutions, held a interesting press conference to talk about the connected condo—
taking home automation features into the
condos and apartments of multifamily units.
[See story, page 31]
At the Kwikset booth, that residential security door look manufacturer had on display its
touchscreen version of the company’s SmartCode 914 deadbolt lock. “The SmartCode
Touch provides all of the features of SmartCode—including keyless entry—combined
with the added convenience and enhanced
aesthetics of a capacitive touchscreen,” the
company said in a news release.
Larry Goldman, Kwikset’s North American sales and business development manager,
told me the lock “is very robust” because its
lock cylinder is the only residential lock cylinder that meets commercial grade standards.
I also talked with Dirk Wyckoff, VP of
sales and marketing for UniKey, an access
control technology provider. Wyckoff told me
about updates to the frmware in the Kevo
lock, powered by UniKey. The company bills
the lock as “the only keyless Bluetooth residential door lock on the market.” Wyckcoff
noted that it’s a “mass market solution.”
At the Tyco Security Products booth,
Tim Myers, product line director, intrusion, talked to me about the more than
30 products that DSC, part of the security
products business unit of Tyco, released
at the show. “This is the biggest product
roundup see page 10
security systems news
may 2014
residential systems
www.securitysystemsnews.com
Mircom gets into ‘connected condo’
By Tess Nacelewicz
LAS VEGAS—Everyone has heard of the connected home, but what about the connected
condo? That’s an untapped market that Mircom, a Toronto-based manufacturer and distributor of intelligent building and life safety
solutions, says it is successfully targeting.
Mircom announced at the ISC West show
here that it has taken its expertise in providing security, fre and life safety solutions for
multiresidential buildings and gone from the
lobby into upscale condos and apartments,
where it offers residents the latest in home
automation services.
“We feel it’s the frst of its kind,” said Jason
Falbo, Mircom VP of engineering. “No one in
the home automation market today is targeting the multifamily buildings.”
Rick Falbo, Mircom VP of marketing and
business development, said Mircom has 24
Mircom Engineered Systems offces in Canada, the United States and internationally and
is “well recognized for our fre and life safety
solutions.”
But at the show, he said, the company
introduced something a little different: its
TX3 InSuite and its TX3 Community. Those
are the latest additions to its TX3 Platform,
dmp
Continued from page 28
“Every single employee in our company
is in the sales department and I’m talking
about the company operator,” he said.
Harris also warned against “devaluing
professionalism by competing on ‘price’ as
the signifcant differentiator.” He told the
dealers, “There are effective ways to overcome that low price.”
For example, he said, security companies
have to stress to customers that they stand
which “provides a total management, communication and security solution.”
Jason Falbo explained that “the previous
generation of the products were focused at
the lobby of the building,” providing such
services as access control. But InSuite, Falbo
said, “allows to get a footprint inside the tenant suites of the building as well, for a total
management solution.”
He continued: “It’s a revolutionary home
automation platform. Most of our competitors are focused on the single family home
market but we’ve leveraged our experience
and skill set in the multifamily sector and
developed this home automation controller
to provide the best in functionality from stan-
dard home automation equipment. And, in
addition to that, we interface with what were
previously stand-alone building solutions.”
For example, Falbo said, “with our controllers, not only can you manage the devices within your own home or condo, things
such as door contacts, motion sensors, door
locks, thermostats, lighting etc., you can also
receive alerts, notifcations and emergency
notifcations from systems such as the fre
alarm detection system, the mass notifcation
system, the building automation system and
the energy management system.”
Also, he said, buildings can arrange for
advertising on the system’s home screen
panel. For example, the panel could have an
icon for a local taxi service that offers special
discounts to building residents if they press
that icon and summon a taxi.
Mircom also has an app that provides the
same functionality as the touchscreen for that
and other services, Falbo said.
Another feature is a “portal” that is “a
social network for that micro-community in
the building,” he said.
Falbo said the offering is “meant for luxury
environments but we are receiving a lot of
traction in the apartment market.” SSN
out from cablecos and telecoms in that they’re
the local providers who are members of the
community.
Harris asked dealers if they would buy furniture or a new car from their cable provider.
“Why are your customers buying core security offerings from cable?” he asked.
Professional security companies also
should bundle more services, like the big
players do, Harris said. “We need to educate
our teams with new levels of possibilities that
empower them to lose the fear of selling value
bundles,” he said.
Also, he said, adding fre services is a
way to distinguish a company. “I don’t see a
cable company going out to do fre systems
anytime soon,” Harris said.
Rick Britton, DMP CEO and president,
also urged the dealers to compete with the
big players in such ways as offering a single
bill for bundled services and emphasizing
their local ties to the community.
“We are providing something completely
different,” Britton said. SSN
Mircom vice presidents Jason Falbo
(left) and Rick Falbo say condo residents wants home automation too.
31
Solar
Continued from page 28
dovetailing neatly with the smart
home services security companies
offer, he said.
“One of the aspects of security is
securing your home, but it’s also securing your fnancial position for the long
term, and if you can make your family more secure by protecting yourself
from high energy costs, it’s just another
form of security—it’s fnancial security,” Miller said.
John Bergher, GHS executive VP of
marketing and customer care, told SSN,
“There’s obviously a growing synergy
in the last fve years with things like
home automation and energy management and environmentally conducive
products, and at some point we knew
there was going to be a convergence
of the two industries … and we just
wanted to fnd a quality partner who
would be willing to work with us.”
He said GHS found that partner in
Solar Universe, which he said shares
GHS’ customer-focused philosophy.
“We were able to see their culture was
really comparable to ours … [with
a] quality focus and making things
friendly and seamless with the latest
technology,” Bergher said.
The two companies are also neighbors. “We were close in vision and
close in geography, which also presented an additional beneft,” Bergher
said. “We’re strongest in California.”
The company recently expanded
into southern California.
Solar Universe also sells door to
door, Miller said, but it additionally
employs other sales methods, such as
its “innovative design center” for customers who want to buy solar online.
Miller said, “Think of it as the Amazon of solar. We can literally go online
and help you custom build and design
a system as well as [tell you] what the
economic payback of what that system
would be. We have distinct and different ways we can engage consumers.”
Bergher explained to SSN, “We’re
taking what would normally be a
complex relationship and [simplifying it by] co-merging and bundling
it. I think the consumers are going to
be really excited about this when they
fnd they can get all these great benefts
and save money in the process.”
He said the two companies will
combine some resources to sell the
comprehensive package, such as “sharing of data bases and marketing cross
pollination.”
GHS will add to its selling arsenal
with the partnership, Bergher said.
“Door to door is still our bread and
butter but we’re so excited about this
partnership and will use any applicable
chance to get in front of a customer
who could beneft,” he said.
“You can see why this relationship
makes so much sense,” he continued.
“It takes advantage of converging
trends of generating your own power
and making your home smarter …
as well as the sales and marketing
approach which we’re both using.” SSN