Choice of Words

In my business we get to use words to explain and herald new products, technology and solutions. In this business, our writing follows the AP Stylebook. It's supposed to help journalists use the right words.

I have a few choice words that I don't allow as the editor in chief. For instance, I never allow utilize. We substitute use. I don't like the word personnel. We use staff.

A new word has entered what I call, Ralph's style. The word, convergence.

Convergence was part of the security industry a few years back. I'm sure you remember all the hype. It's one of those words we have to let go of. Convergence has happened, and if you still waiting for convergence, you missed the boat.

I bring this up because during the tradeshow travels on Tuesday, one of the exhibitors began the conversation with, "when the industry converges with IT …."

We've converged.

Here are a few things I found interesting on Tuesday.

Protection 1 has earned a coveted Cisco Cloud and Managed Services Express Partner certification. This award recognizes companies that have attained expertise in the preparation, planning and designing and implementing phases for selling and supporting cloud or managed services based on Cisco platforms. Oh yeah, they are the only monitoring company that has earned this honor.

Sielox has introduced its Sielox Class Crisis Lockdown Alert Status System. This is a great solution in the K-12 education vertical. Getting a handle on crisis situations in our schools and universities is important to students, parents, educators and law enforcement.

The product is accessible from anywhere, anytime on your iPad, Android, smartphone, desktop and more.

Now that Tyco IS and ADT are two separate companies, I had the opportunity to meet with Mark VanDover, president of Tyco IS about the new strategy for Tyco IS.

Tyco IS is targeting small- to medium-sized businesses as new clients. Tyco is known for its focus on commercial accounts, but now are looking at the other end of the market.

"Small business is now a stable market," VanDover said. "Entering this market is a good value proposition."

Five market areas have been targeted for a test drive of the new Tyco IS. They include two areas in Southern California, Chicago, South Florida and Dallas. The criteria for this trial run involves current areas of growth and opportunity, and the skill set of Tyco leadership in these areas.

I think it will be very interesting to watch Tyco IS grow and mature its new business model, which is expected to be fully implemented in 2015. VanDover said the company is always looking for the right opportunity to grow, and they will. Watch them.

It's been a great tradeshow. The traffic near the convention center is horrible, but inside the building is business as usual. Good hard work by hard working people.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

  • Why the Future of Video Security Is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reasons. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. Read Now

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.