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Alarm Funding Associates Rebrands as Alarm Connections
Alarm Funding Associates, a security funding and acquisition company based out of West Chester, Pa., has rebranded as Alarm Connections.
“We’ve evolved from a bulk acquisition company to one that’s focused on customer experience and synergy with our partners to deliver that customer experience,” said Alarm Connections CEO Sean Forrest.
Aside from the name change, operational changes include dividing partners into regions, each with a regional relationship manager to increase communication between the partner and Alarm Connections; access to a partner equipment program that allows partners to buy products at national level pricing and thus be more competitive; and providing them with marketing materials so end customers know they are part of a larger network, but with their known dealer.
The latter was previously not clear before. According to Forrest, this allows Alarm Connections partners to generate add-on sales to customers that didn’t exist previously.
“When we acquire accounts and bulk acquisitions, our dealer becomes an Alarm Connections partner, but the partner maintains their own business identity, their name brand, and they continue to serve the customers at a local level,” Forrest said.
Additionally, partner benefits include free access to an annual partner conference Alarm Connections partners can attend to share best practices, and access to a call center with technical support.
During COVID-19 — and even beyond — Forrest says providing lightning quick service is essential, especially when most security companies are considered essential businesses.
“We answer the phone 90 percent of the time in 30 seconds or less,” Forrest said. “Our average speed is around 20 seconds. That’s what customers are looking for in the pandemic.”
Watch this video about AFA’s rebrand to Alarm Connections where Alarm Connections CEO Sean Forrest chats with SDM Staff Editor Amanda Reed.
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With Amazon and Google’s DIY solutions becoming more popular and prominent, Alarm Connections’ investment in smaller brands is contrarian to industry trends.
“Our bet is that the local guy is a survivor and a competitor in whatever comes through technology and do-it-yourself options,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that there is a large market for people that want expertise from someone they trust rather than buying off the internet.”
Between lenders leaving the space and the security industry falling out of favor with the financial community, Alarm Connections is there to help and support that “local guy,” according to Forrest.
“We have funding for substantial growth in the future, and will provide that funding gap that occurs with local alarm companies not being able to access financing,” Forrest said. — By Amanda Reed, SDM Staff Editor //
$45k
In Texas, homes with security cameras are listed for nearly $45,000 more than homes without.
// Source: Redfin
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KangeStudio/iStock/ Getty Images Plus via getty images
ADT Commercial Enters Electronic Article Surveillance Market
ADT Commercial announced its expansion into the electronic article surveillance (EAS) market through a strategic alliance with WG Security Products Inc.
ADT Commercial will install and service WG Security Products’ EAS portfolio in the U.S., including a range of detection systems, hard tags, specialty tags, disposable labels, deactivation devices and detachers.
“We’re thrilled to expand into electronic article surveillance and offer customers another provider to consider in their search for EAS solutions, one with service excellence at its core,” said Dan Bresingham, executive vice president of commercial at ADT. “We’re proud of the dedicated team we’ve assembled, with decades of retail and EAS experience to deliver on the promise of best-in-class service, including Rex Gillette, a 35-year veteran in retail loss prevention and the EAS market.”
ADT Commercial will help customers build and maintain their current EAS solutions that utilize 58 kHz AM frequency technologies, regardless of type or manufacturer, as well as install new systems.
“WG Security Products is a trusted and comprehensive provider, and this partnership enables us to offer customers a total EAS solution,” said Rex Gillette, vice president of retail sales at ADT Commercial.
Additionally, ADT Commercial will provide remote system tuning and troubleshooting, which reduces the need for technician trips and helps customers save money.
“We’re excited to have ADT Commercial as our business partner,” said Graham Handyside, executive vice president at WG Security Products. “WG strives to help more retailers minimize shrink, improve sales and reduce in-store labor costs.” //
RapidSOS Raises $85 Million in Series C Funding
RapidSOS, creators of the emergency response data platform, closed $85 million in Series C funding led by global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners.
The RapidSOS platform powers more than 4,800 Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) across the U.S. and is integrated with over 350 million connected devices. These devices transmit real-time location, health and medical information, connected building and alarm data in an emergency.
“2020 reminded all of us of the heroic work that first responders do in our most challenging moments,” said Michael Martin, founder and CEO of RapidSOS. “We spent the past eight years building the RapidSOS emergency response data platform in partnership with thousands of first responders — collaborating with leading technology companies to provide the right data, at the right place, at the right time to save lives across over 150 million emergencies annually.”
Image courtesy of Rapid Response
The investment, which brings RapidSOS’s total funding to $200 million, will advance the company’s work to connect emergency data from digital health, smart buildings, security, connected vehicles and app companies with first responders.
With the support of Insight Partners and existing investors, RapidSOS plans to accelerate its partnership with first responders, supporting their work with data from devices equipped with the RapidSOS platform.
“Insight has a history of backing category-defining companies, and RapidSOS has all the makings of one in the emergency response space,” said Nikitas Koutoupes, managing director at Insight Partners. “We are excited to have our team of software ScaleUp and platform experts help drive RapidSOS’s mission.” //
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Thirty-four percent of U.S. broadband households own at least one smart home device and 23 percent now own three or more smart home devices, up from 19 percent in 2019, according to Parks Associates.
// Source: Park Associates
Cumberland County, Pa., Launches ASAP-to-PSAP
Cumberland County, Pa., has joined a growing number of municipalities across the nation to implement Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) at its Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).
ASAP automates communication from alarm monitoring central stations to PSAPs and 911 centers resulting in faster, more accurate emergency response by delivering alarm notification information directly from the alarm monitoring centers to PSAPs via computer rather than by phone.
All pertinent data goes directly to first responders and the process takes only about five seconds. Many agencies using ASAP can expect alarm response times to drop from minutes to seconds.
“Hundreds of Vector Security customers served out of our local Lancaster branch will experience faster, more accurate emergency dispatch as a benefit of ASAP,” said Jim Lorah, general manager for Vector Security. The company is one of just a few alarm companies with the ability to interface with ASAP technology in Cumberland County.
Additionally, Vector Security helped develop ASAP in partnership with The Monitoring Association (TMA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO). Vector Security President and CEO Pam Petrow served as founding co-chair of the committee; the company was the first to debut ASAP in Richmond, Va. in 2012.
“With the installation of ASAP into our system, we can improve 911 response times for Cumberland County residents or business owners who have alarm systems,” said Robert Shively Jr., public safety director for Cumberland County.
Vector Security assisted with implementation in Cumberland County by helping to conduct extensive testing prior to the system going live.
“As the use of ASAP continues to grow across the country, Vector Security is pleased to be a pioneer of this technology,” said Anita Ostrowski, central station vice president, Vector Security. “We continue to promote ASAP’s value to emergency centers and alarm companies for the greater good of the industry, as well as for the increased safety of our communities.” //
dormakaba Opens Customer Discovery Center at Indy Headquarters
Located in its Americas headquarters in Indianapolis, dormakaba designed the interactive Customer Discovery Center to engage guests in hands-on, technology-driven collaborative activities. Although limited to virtual visits and extremely small gatherings at this time due to the pandemic, dormakaba will host annually through a wide range of tours, training and interactive experiences. The Customer Discovery Center began hosting visitors by scheduled appointment in February.
Dan Stewart, business development manager at dormakaba, led media in a virtual tour of the Discovery Center, which incorporates dormakaba solutions even before entering by utilizing a touchless controller to proceed. After joking about camping outside headquarters in the Indianapolis winter in anticipation of the Discovery Center opening, Stewart said the Discovery Center was created to highlight solutions and provide partners and customers with new ideas on how to use dormakaba products.
“Typically, a partner will come in with an idea of what they need, a challenge that they’re trying to address,” he said. “[The] Discovery Center allows us the opportunity to address that for them in order to be able to go ahead and discover the solution that they need. Beyond that, we have the opportunity to help them see different solutions, how to help them improve functionality, improve their efficiencies in their buildings beyond what they came here to see.”
Customers can discover and interact with dormakaba’s innovations, meet with dormakaba’s product and technical experts, provide ideas and insights to the company’s leadership team and more.
“At the core of dormakaba, we are focused on delivering our customers superior, cutting edge solutions that support safe, hygienic and secure entry and access points for buildings and other spaces as a trusted industry partner,” said Alex Housten, COO, dormakaba Americas. “Our customers expect to see, touch, experience and otherwise directly engage with our products. The new interactive Customer Discovery Center allows us to ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to our products and expertise in access control innovations. It gives them a chance to be an integral part of the solutions they seek.”
dormakaba’s Customer Discovery Center incorporates an open floor plan divided into multiple zones that highlight marquee products, access control technologies and 12 markets. — By Amanda Reed, SDM Staff Editor //
Immix Software Announces Sale to Norland Capital
Immix Software, a global provider of video monitoring security software, announced its sale to Norland Capital, a global private equity firm focused on investing in and growing software and technology companies.
Immix produces video monitoring security software that enables central station dealers to deliver video-based remote services to customers and improve a central station’s ability to validate, manage and respond to security events. Immix’s software monitors around one million cameras at approximately 100,000 sites across North America and Europe.
“We are extremely excited to announce our partnership with Norland,” said Chris Brown, CEO of Immix Software. “This is the next step in Immix’s evolution. Teaming up with Norland will allow us to further invest and continue to develop our product offering, build the team and expand internationally, as well as continue to work very closely with current customers and help them grow their business.”
Imperial Capital LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor to Immix in the transaction. //
Suprema Shares Business Blueprint, New Tech at Virtual Partner Summit
Suprema, a global provider of access control, biometrics and time and attendance solutions, hosted a virtual Partner Summit on Feb. 3, where it announced new leadership and shared business success stories as well as a business blueprint for future growth.
The Partner Summit, attended by almost 100 Suprema partners, began with a greeting from James Lee, the new chairman of the company. Lee thanked partners for Suprema’s sales performance, shared how Suprema headquarters employees are surviving during the COVID-19 pandemic and introduced the new leaders of Suprema.
Hanchul Kim, previous managing director of Suprema, was appointed the new head of the BioStar business. Seongbin Choi, the former head of software R&D, is now leading BioStar’s R&D. Andrew Kim, who joined Suprema last September as chief strategic officer, was named the head of MOCA Systems Inc., a Suprema-affiliate start-up specializing in mobile credential solutions.
At the virtual partner event, Suprema shared the success of FaceStation F2, the fusion multimodal terminal featuring Suprema’s latest face recognition technology that combines the best of IR and visual face recognition methods.
“FaceStation F2 hit record sales for most units sold three months into the launch,” Kim said. “This is the most success than with any other product we’ve ever released. Thanks in part to the success of FaceStation F2, Suprema’s sales units of face recognition devices more than doubled in 2020. With the demand for contactless solutions on the rise, we expect face readers to account for around 30 percent of entire unit sales in 2021.”
Suprema also presented a five-year vision to become a leading provider of ACaaS (Access Control as a Service) to the enterprise market using AI, big data and cloud technology. Additionally, Suprema gave a peek of X-Station 2, scheduled for launch in the first half of the year. X-Station 2 is an advanced touchscreen-based card reader capable of adding QR code module option at the bottom. //
Hanwha Techwin is expanding its team with the appointment of Kevin Darnell as retail development manager. In his new role, Darnell will focus on the unique security needs of retail organizations, including specialty, big box, grocery, discount/off-price, home improvement and warehouse retail stores, as well customers in the restaurant sector, including QSR, casual and fine dining establishments.
Darnell
Arcules has announced the appointment of Lisa Harris as its director of marketing. Harris will lead the global marketing team to extend and grow marketing at Arcules. She will design and implement marketing efforts and strategies across the Arcules organization, including product marketing, demand generation, brand positioning and design, events and content marketing.
Harris
dormakaba announced that Rick Zimmerman has joined its Access Solutions Americas segment as associate vice president, partner development for physical access control companies. He will focus on growth strategies across the dormakaba product and service portfolio, with particular emphasis on door hardware and electronic access and data solutions in North and South America. Zimmerman will be based in the company’s Indianapolis headquarters.
Zimmerman
Iluminar appointed Pierre Bourgeix, chief technology officer and founder of ESI Convergent, a global security consultancy, to its board of advisors. Bourgeix brings over 30 years of security experience through his work at The Rand Corporation, U.S. State Department, ADT/Tyco Security, HySecurity, Wallace International, SecureState and BoonEdam.
Bourgeix
Bosch Building Technologies announced that Michael Hirsch has taken over as vice president of the fire business unit. Most recently, as vice president, he was responsible for account management for customers in the European system integrator business at Bosch Building Technologies. In his new role, he will be responsible for strategy, research and development, product management, marketing and sales for Bosch’s portfolio of fire alarm systems, which includes fire panels, detectors, manual call points, video-based fire detection and other accessories and services.
Hirsch
SimpliSafe announced the appointment of Madeline Ling as chief financial officer, where she will help bring the company into a sustainable and scalable future. Ling brings a wide range of experience to SimpliSafe, having worked in the U.S., China, Mexico and Thailand over the course of her 20-plus-year career. Most recently, she served as the chief financial officer at Agoda.
LING
Identiv announced the addition of Leigh Dow as vice president of marketing. Dow brings experience across many facets of media and marketing strategy and development on a global scale, serving in senior-level global marketing positions with Honeywell and Intel and most recently, building her own agency, 48 West Agency, at which she was CEO.
DOW
RemoteLock announced the addition of Daniel Bailin as chief product officer for the company. In this role, Bailin will be responsible for developing and driving the technology roadmap and product innovation strategy to propel the company’s future growth. Bailin comes to RemoteLock with over 20 years of experience in the access control, biometrics and semiconductor industries where he has held product innovation and business development leadership roles.
Bailin
The Monitoring Association announced Tara R. Compher as TMA’s programs and administrative coordinator. Compher will oversee TMA’s Five Diamond, IQ and FirstNet programs, in addition to assisting with CRM data management and other projects, and serving as the staff liaison to TMA’s NextGen group.
compher
Nortek Control announced that Rich Villafane has joined the company as the new regional sales manager for its security, control power/AV and health and wellness business lines covering the Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and the Florida panhandle territory. Villafane holds certifications in different intrusion, video and access control platforms. Prior to joining Nortek Control, he held sales management positions at Interlogix and DMP.
Villafane
