Volunteers Are the Heart and Soul of TMA

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April is National Volunteer Month! As the month draws to a close, this week, in particular, is set aside to celebrate and recognize the innumerable contributions of volunteers across our nation.

For TMA, our member volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization –  without whom, we would not be able to advance our mission to promote and advance professional monitoring to consumers and first responders through education, advocacy, and the creation of standards. 

Today, we extend our deepest gratitude to all of those who have and continue to contribute their time, talents, and expertise to and through TMA. No matter how small, you make a difference!

If you aren’t currently engaged in TMA’s committees, we invite and encourage you to consider joining. Jump in, give back, and reap the rewards! Learn more at https://tma.us/about/our-committees/join-a-committee/

TMA Member IronYun Wins Industry Best New Product Award

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Congratulations to new TMA member #IronYun for winning the SIA NPS prize Best New Product Award and the Managed Services Award for its Vaidio AI Vision Platform 8.0 product. The awards were presented at ISC West on April 10th.

Congratulations also to these TMA members who also took home prizes:

#AXISCommunications – Won multiple awards, including: Threat Detection and Response Solutions Award for its AXIS D2210-VE Radar and Video Surveillance Awards for its AXIS W110 Body Worn Camera

and its AXIS Q9307-LV Dome Camera, which won Honorable Mention in the same category.

#Bosch – Won Hosted Video Solutions Award for its Bosch IQsight Data Fusion

#Evolon – Won Commercial Monitoring Solutions Award for its Evolon Insights

Jefferson County, NY Goes Live with TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP, April 16th

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Jefferson County Office of Fire and Emergency Management is the 143rd public safety communications center in the United States and the 12th agency in the state of New York to implement the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP).

Jefferson County Office of Fire and Emergency Management went live on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024, with Rapid Response Monitoring, Vector Security, Securitas, Guardian Protection, Protection One/Everon, Tyco (Johnson Controls), United Central Control, Vivint, Brinks Home Security, National Monitoring Center, Affiliated Monitoring, Amherst Alarm, Doyle and ADT.

Learn more about TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP at https://tma.us/programs/asap/

TMA 2024 Award Winners Announced! ADT and Stealth Monitoring take top honors.

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The Monitoring Association (TMA), in conjunction with its publication sponsors, presented the 2024 TMA/SDM Excellence Awards and the 2024 TMA/SSI Marvel Technology Award this afternoon at a virtual awards ceremony.

Please join in congratulating this year’s winners:

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Monitoring Center of the Year – Enterprise
ADT Security Services

Monitoring Center of the Year – SMB
Stealth Monitoring

Monitoring Center Manager of the Year
Erik Chalifour, TELUS Smart Security & Automation

 Monitoring Center Operator of the Year
Brenda Eichfeld, COPS Monitoring

 Monitoring Center Support Person of the Year:
John Turner, ADT Security Services

MARVEL TECHNOLOGY AWARD

Elite Interactive Solutions

Winners will be featured in the August issues of SDM and SSI magazines.

Resideo to Acquire Snap One to Expand Presence in Smart Living Products and Distribution

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Resideo Technologies, Inc. and Snap One Holdings Corp. announced a definitive agreement pursuant to which Resideo has agreed to acquire Snap One for $10.75 per share in cash, for a transaction value of approximately $1.4 billion, inclusive of net debt. Upon closing, Snap One will integrate into Resideo’s ADI Global Distribution business.

The transaction will combine ADI’s strong position in security products distribution and Snap One’s complementary capabilities in the smart living market and innovative Control4 technology platforms, which is expected to drive increased value for integrators and financial returns. Together, ADI and Snap One will provide integrators an increased selection of both third-party products and proprietary offerings through an extensive physical branch footprint augmented by industry leading digital capabilities.

“The acquisition of Snap One is an exciting step in Resideo’s continued transformation through portfolio optimization, operational enhancements and structural cost savings actions,” commented Jay Geldmacher, Resideo’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “ADI and Snap One are highly complementary businesses and together will meaningfully enhance our strategic and operational capabilities as a significant player in attractive growth categories. We are excited about the enhanced value proposition through increased product breadth, local availability, support services and broad market expertise, as well as the future opportunities this creates for integrators serving residential and commercial markets. In addition, the investment by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is a testament to the strategic and financial merits of this transaction and provides financial flexibility as we continue to transform and optimize our portfolio. We look forward to the ADI and Snap One teams working together to drive value for all stakeholders through executing on the substantial business and financial synergies we see in combining the two businesses.”

“Snap One has grown from a startup built by entrepreneurial integrators to an industry leader in smart technology, delivering seamless experiences to consumers and high-quality services and support to our integrators,” said John Heyman, Chief Executive Officer of Snap One. “This is the right next step to capture new opportunities to bring our solutions to market. The future of smart living is here. Demand for connected technology products continues to grow, and Resideo is the right owner to drive our expansion. We believe this transaction will deliver compelling value to our stakeholders and will create opportunities for our people and integrator partners.”

“We are excited to support Resideo on this highly strategic acquisition and in their ongoing transformation,” commented Nathan Sleeper, CD&R’s Chief Executive Officer. “I look forward to joining Resideo’s Board of Directors and supporting the business as it executes on this transaction and the significant opportunity we see available over the coming years.”

TMA 2024 Awards Finalists Announced

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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

Bosch Brings Visual Intelligence to a New Level with Smart Solutions for Industries and Building Security at ISC West

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At ISC West 2024, April 10-12, in booth 11053, Bosch will showcase solutions using visual and audio intelligence to enhance security, safety, and operations across industries, including energy and utilities, education, smart cities, and more. Edge-based application-specific analytics accurately detect, classify, and count objects, enabling the latest video cameras from Bosch to act as sensors, serving as the foundation for solutions that help secure perimeters, elevate safety for building occupants, and capture data for decision-making. With ongoing investments in AI resulting in an expanded suite of Intelligent Video Analytics Pro (IVA Pro) offerings, Bosch continues to increase the capabilities of its cameras to bring greater value for users.

For securing buildings, Bosch is adding to its video systems portfolio with new intelligent cameras and will launch the Commercial Series (Gen2) motion detectors that provide even better catch performance and false alarm immunity.

Enhance detection capabilities for improved critical site security and safety

Booth visitors will see solutions for detecting and deterring perimeter breaches at energy and utility sites. Bosch cameras with Intelligent Video Analytics Pro (IVA Pro) Perimeter provide long-range, accurate detection of people or objects, including intruders who crawl or hide in tall grass. Once detected, the analytics triggers a Bosch Mic moving camera to pan, tilt, and zoom to the object’s location and track its movements with IVA Pro Intelligent Tracking. Simultaneously, the detection turns on the camera’s white light illuminator and triggers an IP horn loudspeaker to play a message, informing the intruder that they are under surveillance. This automated solution helps to deter damage or theft.

Capture data to enhance safety and efficiency in smart cities

Artificial intelligence (AI) is improving safety in cities, enabling cameras to extend beyond monitoring to serve as sensors that help keep vehicle and pedestrian traffic flowing efficiently with automated incident detection and alerts. By streaming metadata, these intelligent sensors equip planners and engineers with information to make data-driven decisions that enhance safety. The new IQsight Data Fusion cloud-based service transforms unstructured raw video metadata into organized data for users to generate visual insights that support decision-making. Empowering them to harness the power of video data, it offers interactive dashboards with actionable information, options for exporting data in common formats, and direct API access for easy integration with common visualization tools for more advanced analysis. A versatile solution for smart cities and other industries – such as education and energy and utilities – it eliminates the need for costly data architects or added hardware for analysis.

For more data capture capabilities, Bosch will preview IVA Pro License Plate and IVA Pro Make Model, which adds license plate and vehicle make and model details to the metadata stream. IVA Pro License Plate provides plate recognition in low-speed vehicle access control and toll booth applications or in medium-speed environments, such as city surveillance and free-flowing traffic monitoring.

Pair video and audio AI for gun detection on school grounds

The Gun Detection System from Bosch is the first to pair video and audio AI for a multi-layered approach designed to detect guns at schools. When a person brandishing a gun approaches a school entrance, two Flexidome 5100i cameras with IVA Pro Visual Gun Detection are designed to promptly alert personnel. If a gun is not visually detected, the second layer – a Flexidome panoramic 5100i camera with Intelligent Audio Analytics – is designed to detect and classify gunshots while accurately estimating the direction from which they originate. The near-invisible camera-based system improves safety while offering a frictionless flow and welcoming atmosphere to promote learning.

Manage video events with on-premise or cloud-based offerings

Customers have the flexibility to manage analytic alarms and view associated video in the way that best fits their needs with on-premise and cloud-based solution options. The Bosch Video Management System (BVMS) offers the highest level of incident management capabilities and maximum resilience to deliver continuous live and playback of video for critical installations, such as for government sites and other high-security buildings. The new VideoView+ service provides instant event notifications to help users respond to alarms quickly. It is a lightweight and cost-effective cloud service for remote video surveillance that reduces hardware costs and infrastructure requirements for businesses with multiple sites. Bosch analytics also integrate seamlessly with solutions from industry partners, such as those from Milestone Systems and Genetec.

Secure building interiors and exteriors

AI-driven video systems and solutions can transform buildings into smart, efficient, and safe environments. The latest cameras from Bosch come with AI built-in and are suited for commercial to high-security buildings.

At ISC West, visitors will see the Flexidome micro 3100i dome camera with a discreet and compact design and the Dinion 3100i IR bullet camera, ideal for outdoor applications requiring a compact yet noticeable deterrent. The Dinion 5100i IR bullet camera ensures outdoor detection day and night with high image quality in low light and long-range infrared illumination. The Flexidome corner 7100i IR camera supports monitoring in enclosed spaces with a wide field of view without blind spots, excellent image quality in low light with invisible IR, and privacy masking for sensitive areas. Each camera comes pre-installed with IVA Pro Buildings that provides advanced intrusion detection in and around buildings.

Bosch will highlight how its cameras provide complete building security in outdoor and indoor areas, including entrances and lobbies, hallways and staircases, elevators, and more. An interactive booth demonstration will showcase how combining access control with Bosch cameras featuring IVA Pro Buildings helps to detect tailgating at entrances to high-security buildings or areas.

Making products smarter

To further enhance building security, the new Commercial Series (Gen2) motion detectors incorporate MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) sensors to deliver even better catch performance and false-alarm immunity. With the MEMS sensors, the Commercial Series (Gen2) understand their orientation and will provide a visual indication to alert the installer if a detector has been mounted upside down. The MEMS sensors also make it easier to identify tampering at the place of installation, such as if a person attempts to pull the detector off the wall or remove its brackets and swivel joints. These TriTech detectors offer a detection range of up to 15 meters and are suited for use inside commercial premises with a moderate to high security risk, such as office and factory buildings, banks, and retail stores.

Enhanced user interface

Fast, accurate, reliable response to emergency events is essential for building security. The CONETTIX B6800-SR Software Central Station Receiver is a software based IP receiving platform that features Bosch CONETTIX IP communication technology to receive alarm messages, process the data quickly,  and securely pass the information to the monitoring automation software. Operating on commercial off-the-shelf Windows software, B6800-SR is simple to install, use, and maintain. Now with an enhanced browser-based user interface,  there is no special software to install on the operators’ workstations.

Innovative intrusion technology

Special for ISC West 2024, the Bosch booth will also feature a new exhibit displaying intrusion product and software throughout the years. It will show product highlights from the past, current technology advancements in control panels, keypads, and sensors, and innovations in software that will enhance the customer experience and bring new value to building security through intrusion technology.

For more details on these products and solutions from Bosch, visit ISC West booth 11053.

TMA Members Make SIA’s Women in Security Forum Power 100

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TMA is proud to recognize its members who made the Security Industry Association’s (SIA) Women in Security Forum (WISF) Power 100 in 2024.  The program honors 100 exceptional women in security who are raising the bar, changing expectations and breaking barriers. They lead, they inspire change and they innovate, and this is their time to be recognized!

Join us in congratulating these amazing women for their outstanding accomplishments:  

JULIE BEACH
Vice President, SONITROL, Securitas Technology

KELLY DELEO
Director, Solutions and Services – Americas, Axis Communications

AMANDA EDWARDS
Senior Account Executive, Paladin Technologies

TIFFANY GALARZA
Senior Director, Telecom & End User Tech, ADT

HRISTINA KOLEVA
Vice President of Customer Success, Stealth Monitoring

RACHELLE LOYEAR
Vice President, Integrated Security Solutions, Allied Universal

CARLA MANZANILLA
Program Manager, Allied Universal Technology Services

CAROLYN MCGRATH
Global Senior Director, Security and Fire Services, Johnson Controls

CHRISTINA PARK
Global Account Manager, Axis Communications

NANCY PETERSON
Executive Vice President/North America General Counsel, Allied Universal

JOEY RAO-RUSSELL
President and CEO, Sonitrol

SHARI WILSON
Director of Monitoring, ADT

Carrier to Divest Industrial Fire Unit in $1.4B PE Deal

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Carrier Global Corp. (NYSE: CARR) has agreed to sell its Industrial Fire business, which includes brands Det-Tronics, Marioff, Autronica and Fireye, to Sentinel Capital Partners for an enterprise value of $1.43 billion.

The transaction represents the latest step in Carrier’s ongoing portfolio transformation, following the recent acquisition of Viessmann Climate Solutions and the recently announced agreements to sell Carrier’s Global Access Solutions business to Honeywell for nearly $5 billion and its Commercial Refrigeration business to Haier for $775 million.

Carrier said it continues to prepare for the last of its four announced business exits — its combined commercial and residential fire businesses.

With approximately 1,400 employees operating in more than 20 countries, Carrier’s Industrial Fire business is a global provider in fire detection and suppression solutions for high-hazard applications across verticals such as critical infrastructure, oil and gas, marine and clean energy.

The pending sale will allow the business to build on the strength of its advanced lifecycle solutions, strong customer relationships and high growth potential across key segments, according to the announcement.

“This transaction marks another milestone in our transformation as we become a more focused, higher growth company, and furthers our vision to become the global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions,” said Carrier Chairman & CEO David Gitlin.

Carrier expects net proceeds from the transaction to exceed $1.1 billion and intends to use the proceeds to pay down debt. Closing is expected in the third quarter of 2024 and is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are serving as financial advisor to Carrier. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Linklaters LLP are providing external legal counsel.