Ballet to Security

I admit there is not a lot in common between ballet and a security installation. However, a few months ago, while attending my granddaughter’s ballet recital and walking through the parking lot, I came across a parked van with the I3Concepts logo. This had to be a sign. (Not that I was looking for a sign.)

As I walked into the recital hall with the 3-year-old dancer, I kept thinking about that van parked outside. Honestly, I was excited about the ballet but I didn’t want to forget about a possible story idea. I safely, or I should say, securely, tucked my granddaughter in the dance room with her teacher and other students and popped back outside to get a phone number and website address. Not that I forget stuff, but I wanted to be sure.

A few days later, I made a call to hopefully set up an appointment or interview. I quickly found out that I3Concepts is a busy group of people. It took a week or so to make contact. I met with Jeff Comeaux and took a tour of the offices and technology side of an integration farm. I don’t say farm in a mean way at all. Here’s the deal. Comeaux and his team really get into parking garage security entry and exits. They get the parts in the shop and literally build the automatic pay stations from the ground up. Once assembled, they are tested before installation.

Okay, everyone does that with their security equipment, but I found myself standing in a rather large room with numerous pay stations. This was quality at work.

Comeaux is the one that got this all started about eight or so years ago. He is also the first to admit that it is his team of professionals that make it all work so smoothly. Like he says in the cover story, “surround yourself with people that are as good as, or better than myself, and you will be great.”

I3Concepts is an interesting story about a company that opened for business smack dab in the middle of the 2008 economic recession. Comeaux is a believer in hard work and work smart, and so are his staff and team. And, oh, by the way, the ballet recital was pretty amazing as well.

This article originally appeared in the May 2017 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.