TMA Members Contribute to ASAP 3.0 Next Generation Fund

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

TMA announced on Wed., June 26th it had signed a a multi-year managed services agreement with Mission Critical Partners (MCP) to power the future growth of its Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) Service.

The partnership with MCP will expedite the rollout of the next-generation of the ASAP Service and drive the development of a new, cloud-based solution. The next-generation solution will allow for the real-time sharing of rich data, including camera video streams, live location, health information, photos, and interior blueprints, dramatically improving situational awareness for emergency responders.

The primary goal for the Service is to achieve 80% coverage of the populating by 2028.

This partnership and technological advancements have been made possible by the generous support and commitment of TMA members that contributed to our ASAP 3.0 Next Generation funding program. TMA extends its gratitude to the following donors:

  • ADT, LLC
  • Affiliated Monitoring
  • Alarm Detection Systems, Inc.
  • Alert360
  • AvantGuard Monitoring Centers
  • COPS Monitoring
  • CPI Security Systems
  • Doyle Security Systems, Inc.
  • Dynamark Monitoring, Inc.
  • Holmes Electric Security Systems
  • National Monitoring Center
  • Per Mar Security Services
  • Quick Response
  • Rapid Response
  • Securitas
  • Security Central
  • United Central Control
  • Vector Security, Inc.
  • Vivint Smart Home
  • Washington Alarm, Inc.

Learn more about the new partnership and goals for enhancements to the Service by reading the full public announcement HERE.

Parks Associates New Research Reveals MDU Property Interests

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Parks Associates’ latest research finds a high interest in energy systems and services among MDU property owners and managers.

Parks Associates will present multifamily housing research at two upcoming events, including this week at Apartmentalize, hosted by the National Apartment Association, following by the Smart Spaces virtual session “Smart Living: Attracting and Retaining Residents” on July 23.

  • At Apartmentalize, Jennifer Kent, VP, Research, Parks Associates, is speaking on the session “Seamless Connectivity: Where in the WiFi is Waldo?” on June 21, in Philadelphia, PA, starting at 1 PM.
  • Kent and Kristen Hanich, Director of Research, Parks Associates, will host the virtual session “Smart Living: Attracting and Retaining Residents” on July 23, 11 AM CT, featuring a visionary keynote from Thomas Stanchak, Managing Director of Sustainability, Stoneweg US. Then a panel discussion will cover smart living solutions, from automated home systems to AI-driven amenities, and their impact on resident satisfaction and loyalty.

Parks Associates’ latest research finds a high interest in energy systems and services among MDU property owners and managers, with 69% showing interest in a backup power service and 56% showing a high interest in a generator for backup power during outages.

“Smart building solutions can create innumerable benefits to multifamily properties, provided the deployment and ongoing support are planned correctly for each property,” said Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO, Parks Associates. “These discussions with key executives and stakeholders at Apartmentalize and Smart Spaces are key to share case studies, consumer research, and best practices so that we can maximize the potential for smart solutions in the MDU space.”

Parks Associates recently released the white paper “Smart Tech for Multifamily Properties: Understanding ROI,” in partnership with SKBM, with insights from interviews with leading multifamily owners, operators, and management companies. In this white paper, properties report a 20% efficiency boost and 10% fewer maintenance requests after installing smart door locks and electronic access control systems.

Parks Associates will host sessions for the second annual Smart Spaces: Apartments, Hospitality, and Community Living throughout 2024. The in-person conference takes place September 24-25, 2024, at the Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel in Richardson, Texas, with virtual sessions on March 21, July 23, and December 12. Smart Spaces sponsors include ADT Multifamily, Vantiva, Nice, Cox Communities, Xfinity Communities, Kwikset, Homebase, Calix, Dojo Networks, and Salto.

To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific data, please contact Mindi Sue Sternblitz-Rubenstein at mindi.sue@parksassociates.com or 972-490-1113.

Tennessee Announces Overlay for 423 Area Code

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The new 729 area code will overlay the existing 423 area code in eastern Tennessee. The Tennessee Public Utility Commission issued a news release about this overlay recently. We want to make your organizations aware of the upcoming key dates for the overlay implementation:

  • August 5, 2024: Permissive 7- or 10-digit dialing begins for customers with the 423 area code
  • February 5, 2025: Mandatory 10-digit dialing begins for customers with the 423 area code
  • March 5, 2025: The new 729 area code becomes effective, and mandatory 10-digit dialing is required in the new 729 area code too

Read the notice HERE

FYI- Zoom Updates

/0 Comments/in , , /by

TMA received the following message sent to Zoom Customers. Please make note as TMA conducts many of its meetings via Zoom.

“We are reaching out with a reminder that Zoom will be enforcing minimum versions as outlined in our Software Lifecycle Policy on August 3, 2024 (Pacific Standard Time).

This is a quarterly enforcement policy so please check our support article and status page for the table of products and corresponding minimum versions, as well as future enforcement dates. Users who are running an end-of-life version after Aug. 3 will be logged out of their Zoom Client (Desktop, Mobile, and VDI) or not be able to join meetings via the Zoom Client until they update.

As always, we highly recommend you regularly update to the latest version of Zoom software by checking for updates within the Zoom client or by navigating to zoom.us/download.

As an admin or owner you can view the versions users on your account are running through the Dashboard or within the user management portal by filtering by client type.

Thank you for your partnership as we continually work to make our platform more secure and deliver a better experience for our customers. Please feel free to reach out to the Zoom Support team if you have any additional questions or need assistance to update your organization.

Team Zoom”

Preview TMA’s NEW AVS-01 Operator Online Training

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

The first of three new TMA-AVS-01 online training modules for monitoring center operators is now available for preview. Module 1 provides operators with a foundational understanding the ANSI/TMA-AVS-01 Alarm Validation Scoring Standard by explaining the “What and Why.” It is the first in a series of online training modules that will help monitoring center operators to understand the impact and tremendous benefits of the new standard for the professional monitoring industry and public safety community.

By adopting the AVS-01 Standard, monitoring centers can significantly enhance their alarm response processes, improve public safety outcomes, and contribute to industry-wide standardization and efficiency. By using real-time and historical data, AVS-01 provides us with a standardized way to calculate an alarm score that results in a repeatable metric to estimate the validity or potential threat level of an intrusion alarm activation.

The three modules are:

  1. TMA-AVS-01 Introduction for Monitoring Center Operators
  2. TMA-AVS-01 Introduction to Understanding Category Definitions
  3. TMA-AVS-01 Overview of the Call Handling Scoring Process

Preview the first module:

Learn more about TMA-AVS-01 HERE

Public Comment Period for the ANSI/TMA-AVS-01 Standard is Now Open, Closes June 9, 2024

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

The Monitoring Association’s (TMA) AVS-01 Standard Committee has completed revisions to the ANSI/TMA AVS-01-2023 Alarm Validation Scoring (AVS) Standard and the draft is available for comment. In accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) directives, a 30-day public review period opened May 10, 2024, and will close June 9, 2024.

TMA is a Standards Development Organization, or SDO, accredited by ANSI, which facilitates and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standards and conformity assessment system. As an SDO, the TMA Standards Committee works on standards that benefit consumers, regulators, and the security industry.

View the proposed changes: AVS-01 Markup | Summary

Comment Form: https://tma.us/standards/comment-form-for-avs-01/

Learn more about the ANSI/TMA-AVS-01 2023 standard at https://tma.us/standards/tma-avs-01-alarm-validation-standard/

The Passing of Dale Eller Announced

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

This morning, we were saddened to learn of the passing of TMA friend Dale Eller on April 29th following a brief illness. Our leadership and staff remember Dale fondly for his kind and thoughtful manner and his many contributions to TMA and the security industry.

Dale served in the U.S. Navy for six years before joining his family business, Glenwood Fire and Security, which was later acquired by Doyle Security. He went on to start his own company ITZ Solutions, a security management company. He was inducted into the Security Sales and Integration Industry Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years and two children, a son, Joshua Eller and a daughter, Diane Sangster (Douglas) in addition to two siblings and many nieces and nephews.

Friends are invited to call at Brugger Funeral Homes & Crematory on Friday, May 3rd from 3 to 7 p.m. A funeral service will also be held at the funeral home on Saturday, May 4th at 11 a.m. Read the full obituary HERE.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations in Dale’s memory be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or the U.S. Navy Memorial.

TMA 2024 Awards Finalists Announced

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

The Monitoring Association (TMA) is pleased to announce the finalists for its 2024 Excellence Awards and Marvel Technology Award.

TMA’s Monitoring Center Excellence Awards recognize any FM Approvals, Intertek/ETL or UL-listed monitoring center (TMA members) and outstanding personnel who perform in the highest professional manner, thereby making a significant contribution to the betterment of the alarm industry and the alarm profession while demonstrating exceptional service to their customers and community.

The purpose of the awards program is to:

  • Establish and promote the inherent value of professional monitoring services in general.
  • Honor those who have made the most significant contributions to the service.
  • Promote the distinct level of professionalism attained by NRTL-approved monitoring centers.

TMA’s Monitoring Center Excellence Awards are co-sponsored by SDM Magazine, which will publish a feature story on this year’s award winners in its August issue. This year, the TMA/SDM Excellence Awards competition received a total of 32 entries across five categories. Listed in alphabetical order by company within each category, the finalists are:

Monitoring Center of the Year – Enterprise

  • ADT
  • Affiliated Monitoring
  • Rapid Response Monitoring

Monitoring Center of the Year – SMB

  • Kimberlite
  • Per Mar Security
  • Stealth Monitoring

Monitoring Center Manager of the Year

  • Jessica Lambert, AvantGuard
  • Claudia Torres, Rapid Response Monitoring
  • Erik Chalifour, TELUS Security

 Monitoring Center Operator of the Year

  • Esperanza Sena, ADT
  • Angelica Miranda, Affiliated Monitoring
  • Brenda Eichfeld, COPS Monitoring

 Monitoring Center Support Person of the Year:

  • John Turner, ADT
  • Jennifer Acevedo, Affiliated Monitoring
  • John Balthrop, Stealth Monitoring

TMA’s Marvel Technology Award honors innovations in monitoring center technology. It is co-sponsored by TMA and Security Sales & Integration (SSI) and coordinated by the TMA Technology Committee. The purpose of the Marvel Award is to provide recognition for monitoring centers creating and/or using cutting-edge technology to raise awareness of these new technologies and is presented to one overall winner for the “best adoption of new technology to advance your business.”

The finalists for the 2024 TMA/SSI Monitoring Technology “Marvel” Award are:

  • Elite Interactive Solutions, Inc.
  • Rapid Response Monitoring
  • Stealth Monitoring

Award entries are judged by a volunteer judging panel appointed by TMA. The winners will be announced at a virtual award ceremony presented on April 18, 2024, at 3:00 pm ET. Register to attend at https://themonitoringassociation.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/n4HmaGMtXHNCZ

View the Spring Issue of TMA Dispatch

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

The spring issue of the TMA Dispatch is now available! Login to the InfoHub to read.

One area where monitoring companies and dealers who are “new to the game” are concerned about is the camera conditions that AI can work well with and those they don’t work well with. In this issue’s cover story, TMA member and AI guru, Sonny Tai, Actuate, hopes to help clear this up. Learn more about the primary factors impacting camera accuracy.

In our Guest column, TMA friend and past keynote presenter Joel Block, Bullseye Capital, shares some of his and a colleague’s essential steps to master the art of attracting top performers. What are your company’s STATs when it comes to identifying and attracting top performers to your team?

Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates, dives into the latest residential market facts and figures in her monthly column. Just for starters, her research reports that 43% of US internet households now own a security solution and 32% subscribe to a security service. The news is quite exciting.

TMA’s GSOC Committee Co-Chair Richard Flores, IV, tackles redundancy in GSOC operations and systems in this new sanding column. In doing so, he asks the reader to consider the difference between redundancy and resiliency. Are they interchangeable?

Read these and more in the first issue of 2024!

Thank Your Local Public Safety Telecommunicators in April

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

National Public Telecommunicators Week is coming up! make plans now to recognize the dedication and hard work of your local public safety partners.

There are many ways to show how grateful you are for the life-saving services these professionals provide 24/7/365.

APCO International has shared some ideas here: https://www.npstw.org/