New Focus on the Classroom

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• May 01, 2015

Prior to two weeks ago, as of this writing, I paid attention to cameras in the classrooms as they affected others. Then, on March 31, my granddaughter was enrolled in daycare. My wife and I are raising this 16 month old, and the first thing I did when touring daycare centers was look at access control, and the cameras in the rooms.

Shocked, I found that some day care centers do not have cameras in each room, and as far as locks on the front door, well, that’s another story. When we narrowed the list of where she should be enrolled, it came down to whom had video surveillance in each room, and what type of cameras they were using.

Maybe it was my old age; some daycare providers thought they could baffle me with their (lack of) knowledge of video surveillance. I listened and found I wasn’t completely happy with any of the daycare centers, though we had to choose one. Now, I find myself checking in to the shared video feed to make sure my little one is okay.

It’s been two weeks and it’s time for me to introduce the latest video surveillance technology to the daycare center. They need to install IP cameras, so I can clearly see what that baby girl is doing, and make sure she is treated like I expect my granddaughter to be treated.

It is amazing how security solutions become part of our lives, whether by security solutions at work, home or now, at daycare. I understand that there are still plenty of people who swear by an analog camera; I’m more convinced than ever before that an IP networked camera is the only way to go.

Mergers and Acquisitions

There have been some amazing transactions this year in the security industry. I’m anxious to watch them mature over the next few months. Surprising to me: the public offering of Axis Communications by Canon. I’m anxious to watch this solution evolve under the new ownership; it makes me think that Canon is excited to reemerge in the security vertical.

Milestone Systems was snapped up by Canon, in order to build up its surveillance brand.

“Canon is aiming to take a leadership position in network video surveillance and we are making an important strategic investment today to realize our objective to expand in this market,” said Rokus van Iperen, president and CEO, Canon Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Video Insight was also part of the action as Panasonic acquired all shares of the Houston-based company. Panasonic said the acquisition was to strengthen its North American presence in the education market solution business.

“We’re excited and honored to partner with the Panasonic Group,” said J. Robert Shaw, CEO of Video Insight. “We believe this partnership will help us accelerate innovation, enhance product development, and allow us to provide our customers with better security solutions for years to come.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise to me stemming from last year at ASIS, Eric Fullerton, formerly with Milestone Systems, has taken over at Vicon as CEO. Vicon acquired the assets and technology of IQinVision, and really, Fullerton is the right person for the job.

“IQinVision is a very good name for a camera company, and the continuing company is not just a camera company,” Fullerton said. “Vicon actually has 47 years on it, with a lot of knowledge in certain parts of the industry that has a value.”

Vicon plans to retain the name, using either “IQin- Vision” or “IQeye” as the camera brand. Which form it’s fully going to take has not yet been ironed out.

There have been numerous mergers and acquisitions, too many to name in this short space. I think the security industry at large will be keeping an eye on each business model to see how it plays out. I think it will be very interesting.

One Last Thing

Brinks, a security firm that hauls around a lot of cash for its clients, found an honest man, and the story is worth repeating.

Dan Kennedy, who lives in the Salt Lake City area, found a bag of cash (75 pounds) that had fallen from a Brinks truck on a local a freeway. Brinks offered Kennedy $5,000 because he returned the bag of cash. That bag probably had about $22,000 inside.

“My folks called me, told me they were proud of me,” Kennedy said. “It felt real good.”

Kennedy insists that almost anyone else would have returned the cash in the same situation. I’d be curious to know if that would be the case.

Two good things resulted: The two employees who were in the truck made it possible for steps to be taken to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. More importantly, a true gentlemen emerged in the form of Tom Kennedy.

This article originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Security Today.