TMA Welcomes Zeus Fire and Security CEO to its Board of Directors

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The Monitoring Association (TMA) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Scott R. Elkins, CEO, Zeus Fire and Security, to its Board of Directors. An accomplished and highly respected security industry executive, Elkins was appointed by TMA President Morgan Hertel to fill in a vacancy in the Board of Directors.

TMA President Morgan Hertel shared, “Scott brings more than three decades of security industry knowledge and experience to his new role within TMA. He is a passionate leader and is deeply committed to excellence in all aspects of his work. His unique insights to business and technology will assuredly be an asset to our Board and to our membership community as we evolve to meet the changing landscape of our industry.”

“It is an honor to be appointed to the TMA Board of Directors.  I have dedicated my entire professional career to this industry and TMA has been an invaluable resource to me and companies along the way. Every industry needs a strong governing association, and we are so fortunate to have TMA serve that role for the Monitoring Industry,” stated Elkins. “The opportunity to give back is appreciated and one I do not take lightly.  It is a privilege to serve with so many dedicated industry professionals, many of whom who have been long-term friends and colleagues.  I believe that TMA’s best days are ahead of it as we continue to support this amazing industry in these new, challenging, and exciting times.”

Per Mar Security Services Named Top Regional Channel Partner

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Per Mar Security Services was named 2022 Top Regional Channel Partner by Axis Communications. Chris Edwards, president of the electronic security division for Per Mar, accepted the award saying, “We are honored to be recognized by Axis for this award. Video, and specifically live video monitoring, has been increasingly popular with our customers and has been a significant driver of growth for us.”

Axis Communications’ regional and area sales managers selected Per Mar for the award based on the company’s continue growth, revenue, loyal partnership, and drive to offer customers the best and most secure video solutions.

“Axis Communications is proud to recognize Per Mar Security Services of Iowa as our 2022 Top Regional Channel Partner” said Karl Radke, Midwest Business Area Director for Axis Communications. “Per Mar Security Services strives to provide their end customers with the best designs and security solutions available today. Their quality services coupled with their collaborative partnership approach to business puts them at the forefront of our Iowa partners.”

TMA Welcomes Dynamark Monitoring to its ASAP-to-PSAP Service

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The Monitoring Association (TMA) welcomed Dynamark Monitoring, Inc. to its growing list of ASAP-to-PSAP connected monitoring centers – bringing the total number to 29. Launched in 2011 as a public-private partnership, TMA’s ASAP service is designed to increase the accuracy and efficiency of calls for service from alarm monitoring centers to Emergency Communication Centers (ECCs)/PSAPs.

“Dynamark Monitoring, Inc. is thrilled to go live with TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP service. The journey, while long, has proven well worth the effort. All our processing times have been reduced, which allows our team to provide quicker and more accurate emergency response to our customers. We look forward to adding more locations with our goal to be online with every city across the nation where ASAP-to-PSAP is available. Many thanks to the TMA staff, Bill Hobgood, and our own Donia Cook for their hard work,” said J. Keith Godsey, COO, Dynamark Monitoring, Inc.

Pam Petrow, chair, TMA ASAP-to-PSAP Committee, remarked, “With the addition of new companies like Dynamark Monitoring, Inc. that demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the protection of life and property, our list of ASAP-to-PSAP connected monitoring centers continues to grow. In tandem, TMA’s ability to offer this leading-edge service across the U.S. expands as well.”

Based in Hagerstown, MD, Dynamark Monitoring, Inc. is a UL, FM, TMA Five Diamond Monitoring Center serving over 1,000 dealers throughout the U.S. Its technologically advanced platform, which includes its award-winning Instant Connect Response Platform, enables the company to exceed established industry standards in alarm delivery speed and reliability when seconds count.

Learn more about TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP service at www.tma.us/asap/.

Johnson Controls Collaborates with Cobalt Robotics Robot Guards

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Cobalt Robotics, a machine-learning company that automates repetitive manual security and facility tasks with autonomous robots, has announced a new collaboration with Johnson Controls. Johnson Controls C•CURE 9000 access control and event management system is now integrated with Cobalt’s remote robot guard service which includes AI robotics, machine-learning software and human oversight.

With this integration, Cobalt robot guards listen for alarms and are automatically dispatched to the location in real-time after an alarm is triggered. The robots will escalate the incident in the C•CURE 9000 system, stand guard and provide situational awareness until the issue is resolved. Cobalt robots can also escalate incidents to C•CURE 9000 if an anomaly is detected such as a door held open (DHO) alarm and escalate the incident to a GSOC operator if human support is required. At the end of the event, Cobalt provides a complete paper/digital trail, including images, live video, timestamps, response time and resolution for each incident.

“We are excited about this collaboration, as businesses now can take advantage of both the C•CURE access control system and Cobalt’s AI-powered robotics,” said Mike LeBlanc, President and COO of Cobalt Robotics. “As companies turn to technology to secure their facilities and keep employees safe, the integrated Johnson Controls and Cobalt solution can automate responses to major security incidents from breaches and break ins to risks like open doors. With businesses struggling to find security guards and keep costs under control, this integrated system is the way to automate alarm response at a substantially reduced cost.”

“For many of our customers, hiring expensive security guards during a difficult labor shortage is not an option,” said Rick Focke, Director of Product Management, Enterprise Access Control, Johnson Controls. “With this integration, companies can get an all-in-one security solution from alarms to robots to keep their building secure and employees safe. The security workflow between our alarms and Cobalt’s robots is seamless, and all reports are automatically created and tracked so companies can make facility improvements over time. Dispatching AI robots from state-of the-art security alarms is going to be the future of securing buildings in a much smarter, more cost-efficient way.”

Cobalt is propelling the use of robot guards among modern enterprises as companies look to new AI-based innovations to automate security and improve safety.

American Alarm Grows Massachusetts Footprint with Malfy Alarm Acquisition

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American Alarm and Communications, based in Arlington, Mass., completed the acquisition of Malfy Alarm of Falmouth, Mass. , a provider of life-safety and security systems serving some 700 customers, both residential and commercial.

Malfy Alarm Founders Sarah and Philip Malfy will remain with American Alarm full-time to continue to serve and grow the company’s combined customer base across Cape Cod.

Alarm system monitoring for Malfy Alarm customers will be handled by American Alarm’s company-owned and operated UL Listed and TMA Five Diamond-certified security monitoring center, located at the company’s headquarters.

“We started Malfy Alarm in 2011, working out of our house, because we are native Cape Codders who love this area and we wanted to create a sustainable means for our family to remain here, year-round,” Sarah Malfy said. “Malfy Alarm grew steadily, even faster than we expected. Now with so many customers relying on us, the time has come to join a bigger team, with more resources to serve customers. American Alarm was the right fit.”

“Cape Cod is a special part of New England and we remain committed to providing our customers there with the highest levels of security and life-safety systems,” said Wells Sampson, president and co-owner of American Alarm. “As we grow strategically in New England, we are essentially a collection of local family businesses uniting together to protect families and businesses in the communities we serve.”

Jewelers Mutual® Group Acquires Core Luxsurance Technology

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Jewelers Mutual® Group recently announced its acquisition of the core technology of Luxsurance, LLC. This acquisition brings new technologies to the jeweler that transform the point-of-sale experience through an app that allows customers to digitally manage their new and existing jewelry with ease.

Jewelers Mutual continues to work with jewelers to reimagine the customer experience and make it easy for customers to protect their jewelry purchases before they walk out of the jewelry store. The Lux Digital Vault® is an app recently launched with a pilot group of independent jewelers. The advanced software capabilities give customers a sleek and easy way to keep inventory of their entire jewelry collection, while allowing them to submit their jewelry descriptions directly to Jewelers Mutual to receive a quote and insure each piece with a click of a button.

“The acquisition of the Luxsurance technology is an exciting opportunity for us as we continue to drive innovation and bring a new, comprehensive digital solution to market,” said Mike Alexander, Chief Operating Officer at Jewelers Mutual. “In listening to our jewelers and agents, we’re uncovering growing business needs and investing in technology that enhances the experience for both consumers and jewelers. The digital vault will be transformational in strengthening jewelers’ in-store offerings while staying connected to their customers in new ways.”

“We’re excited about this acquisition as it will allow us to bring our innovative solutions to more jewelry retailers,” said Stephen Alexander, cofounder of Luxsurance, who has joined forces with Jewelers Mutual to continue driving the insurtech platform forward. “The app is truly an added-value gift jewelers will be able to extend to their customers while building loyalty and strengthening relationships.”

The Lux Digital Vault seamlessly integrates into some of the most-used point-of-sale systems, including THE EDGE®, Logicmate, ARMS and more joining the platform. Jewelers interested in learning more about how the app works can visit JewelersMutual.com/luxsurance and get ready for broader availability in the coming months.

SecurityCEU.com Launches New Webinar Series

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SecurityCEU.com has created a new series of webinar events for security dealers/integrators.

Upcoming webinars include:

  • Feb. 16th – Holdup and Panic Alarm Systems – Methodologies and Best Practices
  • February 21st – How to Retain Top Talent & Improve The Bottom Line of Your Alarm Business
  • April 13th – Household Combination Listed Burglar and Fire Alarm Control Units

Go online to view the full list of upcoming events on the new SecurityCEU.com Webinar Channel. All the webinar events are live there. Click on the event of interest to learn more and to register.

TMA Honors Fiore’s Lifetime Contribution with Everlasting Scholarship

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The Monitoring Association’s (TMA) President Morgan Hertel announced the establishment of the Louis T. Fiore Electronic Communications Scholarship on Mon., Oct. 31st during the TMA General Business Meeting at the 2022 Annual Meeting on Marco Island, FL. The scholarship honors Mr. Fiore’s enduring contribution to the alarm industry and the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC) and is intended to promote careers in electronic communications.

“How do you recognize someone who’s given his heart and soul for more than 30 years to an organization?” asked President Hertel when introducing the new scholarship. “Lou has served the alarm industry in many capacities. We wanted to honor his immeasurable contributions in an everlasting manner to make certain he and his work is never forgotten.” The room rose with a standing ovation as Fiore approached the stage to accept a small token of recognition from President Hertel.

“I am honored. As chair of the AICC for 30 years, I worked hard to make certain the Committee and its members thrived. The work was very close to my heart. Thank you very much. This is incredible,” stated Fiore in his acceptance comments.

The scholarship is open to anyone studying electrical engineering, specifically electronic communications, or software development related to electronic communications, regardless of financial need. Students at any nationally accredited educational institution, including vocational schools, two-year colleges, or other institutions of higher learning are eligible.

For more information on this scholarship, including donating, go to http://tma.us/louis-t-fiore-electronic-communications-scholarship/

Pictured (l to r): Bill Signer, Carmen Group; Ret. U.S. Rep. Peter T. King [R-NY]; and Louis T. Fiore

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Issues Seventh Gunshot Detection Patent to Shooter Detection Systems

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Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com (NASDAQ: ALRM) company and the world’s leading gunshot detection solutions provider, today announced the issuance by the USPTO of SDS’ seventh patent for its gunshot detection technology, Patent No. US 11,417,183 titled Cable-Free Gunshot Detection.

The patent describes the application of indoor gunshot detection sensors that use a cable-free device powered by a battery. The foundational concepts and designs in this patent are currently offered by SDS as their Guardian Wireless product, a dual mode acoustic and infrared gunshot detection sensor that has been on the market since 2019. This patent builds on earlier SDS patents, specifically US 10,657,800 B1 titled Gunshot Detection Within an Indoor Environment, which focused on techniques for privacy-centric gunshot detection in an indoor environment utilizing two-factor authentication. The Guardian Wireless product has allowed SDS to achieve commercial success by meeting its goal of lowering overall customer costs by as much as 40-60 percent via reductions in overall project infrastructure costs.

Unlike some manufacturers whose patents do not directly relate to gunshot detection sensor technology, or focus only on single-factor acoustic detection, SDS’s patent portfolio reflects its long-term dedication to advancing the technical state of the art while delivering highly reliable, cost-effective solutions to the market. Additional technical advances developed by SDS and described in the new patent include high-level ambient lighting filtering in complex lighting environments, and advanced data processing techniques in the cable-free sensor to improve processing speeds and battery life.

“SDS works tirelessly to give our customers the most accurate, value-driven solution on the market today,” said Richard Onofrio, SDS’ Managing Director, member of the sensor design team and co-author of the patent with Ronald Fowler, Chief Technology Officer for SDS. “I am extremely proud of our entire engineering team. A strong patent portfolio demonstrates unequivocally to experts, clients, and investors that SDS is the industry leader in this domain.”

“Not all technical advances are patentable,” added Ronald Fowler. “The innovations that our team has made clearly deserve the attention and recognition that comes when a US patent is awarded.”

This patent marks the seventh gunshot detection patent owned by SDS, following its 2020 patent for techniques for indoor gunshot sensor testing. SDS invites its partners, competitors and the public to view its technical advance on the company’s patent page.

ADT appoints Wayne Thorsen to Chief Business Officer role

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On January 9th,  ADT announced the appointment of Wayne Thorsen to the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, effective immediately. Thorsen will be responsible for leading ADT’s product, innovation and new business development teams.

“Wayne is a seasoned executive who brings valuable experience in business development, strategic partnerships and product marketing and development,” said Jim DeVries, ADT President and CEO. “Wayne’s expertise will accelerate our strategy to sustainably grow our business and continue to attract strategic partners by showcasing ADT’s market leadership.”

“ADT’s innovation and strategic partnerships with fellow marquee brands, like State Farm and Google, are creating fantastic value that consumers are seeking from their preferred brands today,” Thorsen said. “It’s an exciting time for ADT, and I’m eager to join the teams building market-leading safe, smart and sustainable solutions for more customers in more places.”

Thorsen joins ADT from Google, where he served as Vice President, Devices and Services Business Development. Throughout his career, Thorsen held leadership roles at SoFi, Viacom, Telefónica Digital and Microsoft.