SICC is intended for security industry professionals who perform or provide technical support for the installation, networking, configuration or specifying of electronic security and low-voltage technology devices. These individuals may include senior service technicians, installers, technical project managers, security system designers, technical support engineers, security specifiers and consultants, IT and cybersecurity managers, chief technology officers, network administrators and product managers.

“The new SICC was born out of the recognition that the security of installed systems depends on the knowledge and qualifications of those who install and configure them,” said Ray Coulombe, founder and managing director of Security Specifiers. “This certification is an important step in the provisioning of cyber-secure systems.”

To earn the SICC credential, individuals must apply and take a certification exam. Each applicant is required to have a minimum of two years of experience directly related to or technically supporting the installation, networking, configuration or specifying of electronic security or low-voltage technology devices.

The certification promises to:

• Establish baseline competency requirements for employees who are responsible for installing and technically supporting the installation, networking and configuration of security devices.

• Provide clients with the assurance that security devices are installed securely, configured skillfully and integrated into a security ecosystem with cybersecurity risks in mind.

• Give recipients a competitive advantage by distinguishing installers and technicians who have cybersecurity baseline competence and who are committed to ongoing learning and development in order to prepare for, combat and respond to rapidly evolving cyber threats.

“The daily news underscores the critical importance of cybersecurity awareness, hygiene and training,” said Ric McCullough, president of PSA Security Network and chair of the SIA Executive Council. “This new cyber certification program specifically and proactively addresses those important concerns with a cyber certification designed especially for our security industry. PSA is proud to be an active co-contributor to this program.”

Applications are now being accepted to test for the SICC credential. Learn more at www.securityindustry.org. — By Courtney Wolfe, SDM Managing Editor //

“The company is predicting growth in demand for unified management solutions that encompass security, safety, building management and databases, allowing integration with corporate systems for human resources, workflow scheduling and visitor management,” said Leo Coo, Quanika general manager. “These solutions — which are now straightforward to implement, maintain and extend — are helping users to benefit from data intelligence providing insight on all aspects of activity on their premises. As building use and occupancy patterns change, the ability of companies to make decisions based on granular data from access, video and other systems will become ever more important.”

Over the last 18 months, Quanika has been addressing these and other common challenges solved by systems integration, strengthening its partnership with Axis Communications. The tech collaboration, under which Quanika has joined the Axis Application Development Partner (ADP) Program, has proven effective in Europe, opening up easier project delivery paths and resulting in major implementations in sectors such as healthcare, logistics, manufacturing and mixed-use commercial developments.

“There’s a pressing market need for easy, yet comprehensive systems integration and a modularized approach addresses this,” said Bruce Stewart, business development manager, Axis Door Solutions. “Quanika’s off-the-shelf integration with Axis hardware, site-specific devices and other third party VMS platforms makes seamless integration easier for users. We are eager to welcome our partner, Quanika, to the Americas and are pleased to have their solutions available to our partners and end customers.”

Quanika Compact and Enterprise access control software primarily benefits users looking to leverage the power of Axis Communications’ AXIS A1001 Network Door Controller and A1601 Network Door Controller for unlimited doors and users, and to integrate AXIS Camera Station as well as Milestone video management software (VMS).

Thanks to reduced cost and complexity, Quanika Compact is a practical choice for small-to-medium applications in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, logistics and similar locations, giving users the ability to tie together and flexibly manage multiple sites.

Quanika Enterprise is designed for large scale facilities and organizations that need unlimited cardholders and enterprise level functionality without the price tag, including multi-purpose buildings, hotels, transportation hubs, hospitals and universities, giving organizations complete control and situational awareness across their entire estates globally.

For more information, go to www.quanika.com. //

For customers utilizing the LenelS2 OnGuard or NetBox access control security systems, the indoor location service provides app users with convenient, facility-wide navigation. From corporate campuses, to entertainment venues, hospitals, convention centers and more, users can quickly get directions by pulling up a map from their smartphone to show their current location and search for points of interest such as meeting rooms, exits and more. In combination with BlueDiamond readers, users can also unlock doors using voice commands or other app features for an enhanced touchless access experience.

The service is hardware-agnostic, allowing it to work with various technologies including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy and virtual beacons. Organizations can digitize facility maps and define dynamic points of interest. The beacons deployed throughout the facility enable the app to triangulate the smartphone’s location for display on the map.

The Indoor Location service joins the recently announced contact notification service as part of BlueDiamond mobile app version 2.1.8 that also includes a variety of non-subscription-based updates to improve the access control and user experience.

For more information, visit www.lenelS2.com. //

Last fall, DMP released its FirstNet Ready Cellular Communicator, and DMP’s flagship control panel, the XR Series, became one of the first to be approved for use on FirstNet. Now, DMP’s XT Series control panels have also met the standards for supporting the critical operational needs of public safety agencies and users who need tools that are secure, resilient, scalable and available when needed.

FirstNet can be used by premises alarm units at government facilities, as well as businesses and homes, to communicate alarm information through the network. Typical signals would be burglar alarm, fire alarm, medical alarm signals and other related signals.

Learn more at www.firstnet.com. //

With a small footprint, the Illustra Flex Gen3 cameras provide a choice of bullet, indoor mini-dome, outdoor mini-dome and compact camera formats. The new 3MP models will supersede existing Gen2 3MP Illustra Flex cameras. The 8MP (4K) models — which feature a built-in suite of intelligent video analytics for enhanced situational awareness and faster response, as well as facilitate exception reporting — complement 4K Flex Gen2 cameras.

The external cameras are equipped with built-in adaptive IR illuminators which enable them to capture crisp, clear images day or night, regardless of lighting conditions, up to a distance of 40 meters, while the compact cameras’ IR illuminators are effective up to 15 meters.

To learn more, visit www.illustracameras.com. //