Eastern Bank Announces LOUD Security Systems As A Commercial Banking Customer

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Eastern Bank is pleased to announce LOUD Security Systems, Inc., a leading provider of security, fire, access control and video systems for residential, commercial and government customers, as a new commercial banking customer. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Kennesaw, Georgia, LOUD serves nearly 13,000 customers across metro Atlanta and 20 states, providing sales, installation, service and monitoring of security systems such as intrusion and fire alarm, access control, video surveillance and automation.

Eastern is providing $7.5 million in financing to support LOUD Security’s growth initiatives, including a revolving line of credit to support the company’s ongoing financial needs as well as a full suite of treasury management services.

“LOUD is a well-established, growing operator in the security alarm sector and we’re pleased to add them to our portfolio of customers in the alarm services industry,” said Greg Buscone, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Banking Officer of Eastern Bank. “We look forward to providing a comprehensive range of financial solutions tailored to support their ongoing day-to-day operations as well as future growth plans.”

“This financing supports our vision of leveraging growth opportunities – both organically and through acquisitions – and allows us to invest capital in key acquisitions within our market,” said John Loud, President of LOUD Security Systems, Inc. which ranks on the SDM 100 Report. “Eastern Bank demonstrates a clear understanding of our business and the dynamics of the security industry. Their responsiveness and ability to deliver the financial solutions specifically for our needs made them the ideal bank to support our company’s vision and financial goals.”

Eastern Bank provides a range of commercial financing offerings to help companies across many industries improve cash flow, increase efficiencies and build for the future. Commercial lending solutions include working capital/lines of credit, equipment/term loans, real estate loans, acquisition financing, asset-based lending, franchise lending and employee stock ownership plan-related financing.

The Commercial Banking team advising LOUD Security includes: Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Banking Officer Greg Buscone; Senior Vice President and Commercial Group Director Brendan O’Neill; and Senior Vice President and Team Leader Matthew Hunt.

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Acquires Phoenix Fire Protection

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Pye-Barker Fire & Safety acquired Phoenix Fire Protection to expand its sprinkler services in Las Vegas. This transaction strengthens Pye-Barker’s ability to serve customers in the area with integrated life safety services that protect lives and livelihoods.

“Delivering top-tier sprinkler systems that preserve life and property has always been our top priority,” said Tim Myszkowski, owner and president, Phoenix Fire Protection. “The Pye-Barker team is positioned to elevate our operations and give our team new opportunities with their extensive knowledge and resources. With this partnership, our company’s next chapter is set up for success.”

Bart Proctor, CEO, Pye-Barker, added, “I’m grateful that companies like Phoenix Fire Protection trust us to continue their legacy. We consistently take strategic steps to partner with local teams that help us service our customers even better, and I’m confident that Phoenix Fire Protection will be integral in expanding our fire protection services surrounding Nevada.”

Phoenix Fire Protection’s skilled technicians will continue to serve customers in Las Vegas. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP represented Pye-Barker in the transaction.

Verkada Unveils Major AI-Powered Enhancements at VerkadaOne 2025

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Verkada used its annual customer conference, VerkadaOne, to unveil a slate of new products and platform upgrades designed to make security more proactive, intelligent, and seamless. More than 2,000 IT and physical security leaders attended the event to explore how the company is advancing the future of connected security.

“We’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in physical security, delivering a platform that powers the entire workflow of a security professional,” said Brandon Davito, Verkada’s SVP of Product and Operations.

AI-Driven Innovations

Building on existing capabilities like People and Vehicle Analytics and AI-Powered Search, Verkada introduced the Unified Timeline, the industry’s first tool to visually map the movement of people and vehicles across a property. This new feature brings video events from every camera into a single, map-based timeline, simplifying investigations and response.

Alongside Unified Timeline, Verkada rolled out expanded AI Alerts tailored to specific industries and activities, plus a new Operator View that organizes alerts into a ticketing-style workflow to help teams work faster and more efficiently.

Verkada also expanded its access control portfolio, debuting the AF64 Access Station Pro, which allows users to unlock doors with facial recognition. The AF64 combines a door controller, multi-technology reader, touchscreen, and wide-angle camera into a single device requiring only a PoE connection.

Update Announcements

Additional software updates announced at VerkadaOne include:

  • Retail analytics dashboards that deliver queue, conversion, and exception-based reporting.
  • Attendance insights based on access control data to analyze space usage across sites and departments.
  • Device health dashboards for simplified management of large camera fleets.
  • Emergency response tools within Verkada Guest, modeled after the Standard Reunification Method (SRM) by The “I Love U Guys” Foundation.

New hardware also joined the lineup, including redesigned multisensor cameras (CH53-E, CH63-E, CY63-E), the compact BP32 wireless alarm panel, next-gen wireless sensors (QM11, QC11, QT11), and new audio intercom units (TA43 series).

The new software features will roll out on October 9, with hardware availability varying by product.

Speco Technologies Expands in Canada and Prepares for Florida Launch

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Speco Technologies, a trusted leader in video surveillance and security solutions for over 60 years, is proud to announce two major expansions designed to enhance customer experience and strengthen partnerships across North America.

New Canadian Warehouse: Faster Shipping, Greater Access

Speco Technologies is establishing a brand-new warehouse in the Greater Toronto Area to better serve Canadian customers. This strategic initiative stems from years of careful evaluation of shipping logistics from the U.S. into Canada. By moving from cross-border shipping to a direct Canadian distribution point, Speco will now deliver products faster, reduce shipping complexities, and improve access for Canadian dealers and partners.

“Canada has always been an important market for Speco,” said Todd Keller, President of Speco Technologies. “With this new warehouse, we are streamlining the process to ensure our Canadian partners receive the solutions they need quickly and seamlessly.”

Florida Expansion: Deeper Partnerships & A New Experience Center

In addition to strengthening its Canadian presence, Speco Technologies is expanding its focus in Florida, one of the fastest-growing security and surveillance markets in the U.S. The company is building stronger relationships with key partners and contacts throughout the state while preparing to unveil a new Speco Experience Center.

This state-of-the-art facility will act as an immersive showroom, allowing visitors to experience Speco’s solutions firsthand. Dealers, integrators, and partners will have the unique opportunity to interact with real-world demonstrations of Speco’s advanced analytics, cutting-edge IP cameras, SecureGuard® video management, and more—guided by experts from the Speco team.

“Our Experience Center will redefine how customers connect with Speco,” said Peter Botelho, Executive VP of Speco Technologies. “It’s more than a showroom, it’s a place where technology comes to life, where our partners can see the difference Speco makes in real-world applications.”

The Florida Experience Center’s location will be revealed soon, with doors set to open in the near future.

Stark County, Ohio, Deploys ASAP Service Across Multiple Emergency Communications Centers to Reduce Alarm-Notification Delays

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New Research Shows Flawed Spectrum Proposal Would Cause Public Safety Risks, Communications Disruption

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A new research report, filed by the Security Industry Association (SIA) with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), details the risks of a proposal under consideration by the FCC that would restructure portions of the Lower 900 MHz band, which is used by billions of unlicensed, low-power devices.

NextNav has petitioned the FCC to reconfigure the frequencies between 902-928 MHz (the Lower 900 MHz Band) and grant the company a nationwide license for 15 megahertz of spectrum so it can establish a 5G terrestrial-based position, navigation and timing network—radically altering the spectrum. The new research conducted by engineering consulting firm Pericle Communications Company, commissioned by SIA and with additional support from the Alarm Industry Communications Committee, the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and The Monitoring Association (TMA), shows that the proposal would severely limit the range and compromise the effectiveness of devices operating in this spectrum, including:

  • Panic buttons, motion sensors, carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms
  • Personal medical alert devices and emergency call buttons
  • Wireless microphones, headsets and license-free two-way radios
  • Wireless security cameras and doorbell cameras
  • Outdoor public safety and security devices, including traffic control and tolling devices, vehicle status and alerting devices and gunshot detection devices

Lower 900 MHz band is heavily used by “Part 15” security and life safety systems, smart home technology, consumer and business electronics and more devices that would face harmful interference from NextNav’s high-power usage in the band.

In addition to these public safety and security uses, other critical systems that could be disrupted include equipment that first responders use during emergencies, municipal infrastructure, railroad operations and safety, highway infrastructure, retail and supply chain operations and agriculture solutions.

“Our research modeling and simulations show that NextNav’s proposed system would render an enormous number of public safety and mission-critical devices—along with countless other devices that rely upon the Lower 900 MHz Band—inoperable,” said Michael McGinley, senior systems engineer at Pericle. “This amount of interference would simply be unacceptable due to the severe disruption it would have on the user experience and radio performance. The interference would be a direct result of the incompatibilities between NextNav’s high-power cellular network and the low-power, radio frequency devices currently operating in the band.”

“NextNav’s proposal would be detrimental to the operation of devices that are critical for our life safety and security, first responders and the public,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “This proposal would have devastating effects in many U.S. households, and make everyday life less safe, less convenient and more costly.”

“Since the proposal to the FCC was filed more than 16 months ago, the Commission has been flooded with concerns from affected companies and trade groups about the potential consequences,” said TMA President Steve Butkovich.

“The Pericle study confirms the negative impact to consumers and to public safety that would result if the petition were to be granted,” said ESA Executive Director and CEO Merlin Guilbeau.

As other concerned parties have noted, there are a variety of GPS alternatives that do not require severely disrupting existing spectrum users. While a backup GPS system is needed, these other solutions would cause much less disruption, and implementing NextNav’s proposal would present tradeoffs that are not worth the harmful impact on our nation’s safety and security and major inconveniences the proposal would cause.

The full research report can be found here. More information and resources related to the Lower 900 MHz band can be found here.

American Alarm Acquires Instant Signal & Alarm

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American Alarm and Communications announced it has completed the acquisition of Instant Signal & Alarm of Salem, a fire security and life-safety systems provider across the North Shore and greater Essex County in Massachusetts.

Founded in 1954, Instant Signal & Alarm (often called Instant Alarm) has grown to become the security systems and 24-7 alarm monitoring provider for more than 3,000 customers, including homeowners, municipalities and businesses large and small. The company also provides alarm monitoring as a service for several regional security system dealers.

“This deal was special,” said Wells Sampson, president and co-owner, American Alarm. “Two family-owned companies, who have known each other and worked together to improve our whole industry for so long, it was so natural and seamless to come together to better serve our customers into the future.”

Instant Alarm’s employees and the third generation of family ownership, David, Barry and Shawn Wescott, are staying on with the merged company.

“When our grandfather James Wescott installed his first alarm system in 1954, his goal was to take care of customers by protecting their homes, families and businesses. That family goal has never changed and never will, which is why we have decided to join American Alarm,” David Wescott said in a letter to Instant Alarm customers announcing the change.

The Instant Alarm team will continue to operate from their existing building in Salem.

“This is a great fit and another example of how we organize our company,” said Louis Sampson, chief operating officer and co-owner, American Alarm. “As we grow, we are careful to stay close to our customers. We are essentially a group of local companies with deep roots in their communities, who by coming together have more resources to serve customers.”

SightLogix Debuts New Website for Next-Gen Perimeter Security

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SightLogix announced the launch of its newly redesigned website delivering a modern, customer-focused experience for security professionals, specifiers, and integration partners.

The new website simplifies how users discover SightLogix solutions with streamlined navigation, clear product information, and quick access to technical resources and partner training. Designed around customer feedback, the site emphasizes early detection, AI-driven accuracy, and simplified deployment—key needs of today’s perimeter security decision-makers.

“This isn’t just a website refresh — it’s a signal of where we’re headed,” states Jim Hahn, Chairman and CEO at SightLogix. “For over 20 years we have listened to our customers and designed technology to best meet their unique needs and requirements. We continuously think how we can best show up for our customers, and that starts at first click on our website.”

The redesign puts the company’s edge-based thermal AI, dual-spectrum detection, geospatial intelligence, and automated tracking capabilities front and center while while also making it easier for customers to access training, support, and design tools to accelerate deployment and ensure success.

Key features of the new site include:

  • Streamlined product pages with application highlights to guide solution design
  • Dedicated partner resources and training registration to enhance both technical and sales expertise
  • A cleaner, faster browsing experience across devices

View the website.

SS&Si Dealer Network Named Among the Fastest-growing US Companies on the 2025 Inc. 5000 List

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SS&Si Dealer Network, one of the fastest-growing companies in the security and low-voltage space, has now been recognized among the fastest-growing companies in the nation with its inclusion on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list.

Released in August 2025, the Inc. 5000 ranks the fastest-growing privately held for-profit companies in the United States based on percentage revenue growth over the past three years. SS&Si Dealer Network achieved a 172% growth during this period, earning them the #2,459 spot and placing them in the top 50% of all companies on the list.

“We’re officially one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and that’s because of my team,” said Jake Voll, founder and president of SS&Si Dealer Network. “We’re building something special, and it’s getting noticed. This isn’t just about growth. It’s about grit, consistency, and believing in what we’re doing. And we’re not done.”

In the last three years, the company’s tea has tripled in size, growing from 10 employees in 2022 to nearly 30 as of today. In 2025 alone, SS&Si also doubled its physical footprint, expanding from two branches to four by adding Tulsa, OK, and Hagerstown, MD, to its headquarters in Deltona, FL, and existing branch in Huntsville, AL.

The Inc. 5000 recognition is a testament to SS&Si’s continued growth in revenue, team size, and national presence. It also reflects how the company’s innovative approach to distribution is influencing the security industry. Committed to adding value beyond the role of a traditional parts supplier, SS&Si Dealer Network is now attracting attention well beyond its own sector.

Elite Interactive Solutions to Seek Crime Prevention Partnerships at GSX

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Elite Interactive Solutions, a remote video guarding pioneer using proprietary intelligence and integration to achieve proven, real-time crime prevention, announces it will have an exhibit hall presence for the first time at the Global Security Exposition (GSX). This year’s GSX takes place Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Organized by ASIS International, the tradeshow is one of industry’s largest annual North American events, typically drawing more than 20,000 professionals from across the commercial security channel.

“Elite has one of the industry’s most compelling stories to tell and solutions to offer — market-leading client retention based on unmatched success preventing crimes in real-time,” says Marketing Director Scott Goldfine. “Our leadership and reps are eager to meet with technology leaders, commercial end users, integrators, guard companies and media alike at GSX to discuss Elite’s substantial differentiation, how the solution optimizes security effectiveness and efficiency, and mutually beneficial partnerships.”

Scheduled visitors to Elite’s GSX show-floor suite (No. 1177) will learn about remote guarding services that are having a profound impact on preventing crimes. During 2024, Elite’s 24/7/365 Security Operations Command Center (SOCC) directly prevented more than 78,000 incidents and actively assisted with police in 1,900 other live crime situations that concluded with suspects being detained or arrested 57% of the time. Those incident and police engagement totals were record highs, as were the 19.4 million events cleared along with the 1,074 arrests & detainments.

Elite’s added value includes serving as a force multiplier and live eyewitness partner to police as they respond to active crimes in progress. Elite is the only company with its own Law Enforcement Advisory Board comprised of former police chiefs who are integral to the company’s standardized dispatch protocols and jurisdictional relationships. Despite increases in clients, cameras and alerts during the past several years, Elite has maintained its promise of zero false alarms and its pledge to never miss an event.

Through the years, Elite has continued to innovate and perfect its crime prevention solution, which is predicated on the scientific blend of four pillars: technologies, practices, people and partnerships. These elements coalesce within its nerve center, a state-of-the-art, subterranean UL Security Operations Command Center located within one of the nation’s most fortified buildings in Downtown Los Angeles that is manned 24/7 by former military and law enforcement operators.

“During the past couple of years, Elite has significantly ramped up its exposure and growth. Hosting a suite on the show floor at GSX continues that progression as the company ramps up to scale its services nationwide,” adds Goldfine. “We are excited to engage in meaningful conversations and explain why — whether it’s partnering with technology providers, guard companies and integrators or protecting commercial end users — Elite is the ideal, long-term choice. We look forward to seeing everyone there!”