EY US announces Scott R. Elkins, CEO, Zeus Fire and Security as an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2025 Greater Philadelphia Award Finalist

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Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced the finalists for the prestigious Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Greater Philadelphia Award. Now in its 40th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program celebrates the bold leaders who disrupt markets through the world’s most ground-breaking companies, revolutionizing industries and making a profound impact on communities. The program honors entrepreneurs whose innovations shape the future and pave the way for a thriving economy and a hopeful tomorrow.

An independent panel of judges selected Scott R. Elkins, CEO of Zeus Fire and Security (“Zeus”), among other finalists for the 2025 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, recognizing his visionary leadership, resilience, and relentless pursuit of innovation.

A second-generation fire and security entrepreneur, Scott built Universal Atlantic Systems into a thriving business operating across North America before leading its acquisition and becoming the founding CEO of Zeus in 2022. Since then, he has transformed Zeus into one of the fastest-growing, tech-enabled life safety companies in the nation, completing 20 acquisitions, doubling profits, and expanding to over 800  employees across seven hubs.

With a mission to protect people, property, and profits, Scott has championed a culture of purpose, investing in talent, innovation, and local legacy brands to deliver world-class services at scale.

“This recognition is a reflection of the incredible people I’ve had the privilege to collaborate with over the course of my career,” said Scott. “At Zeus, we’ve always believed that our strength lies in our unity. Every milestone we’ve reached has been made possible by the collective effort of a truly exceptional team and the belief that we’re better when we’re together.”

Scott continued, “I’m honored to stand alongside such an inspiring group of finalists. It’s an honor to be part of this community, and I look forward to learning from the experiences and insights of my fellow finalists. The future is bright, and I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Entrepreneur Of The Year honors business leaders for their ingenuity, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to strengthen it for the future.

Regional award winners will be announced on June 12 during a special celebration in Philadelphia and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. The winners will then be considered by the National judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.

 Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include presenting sponsors PNC Bank, Cresa LLC, Marsh USA, and SAP. In Greater Philadelphia, sponsors also include Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN), ADP, Solomon Edwards Group, and DLA Piper.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year

Founded in 1986, Entrepreneur Of The Year has celebrated more than 11,000 ambitious visionaries who are leading successful, dynamic businesses in the US, and it has since expanded to nearly 60 countries globally.

The US program consists of 17 regional programs whose panels of independent judges select the regional award winners every June. Those winners compete for national recognition at the Strategic Growth Forum® in November where National finalists and award winners are announced. The overall National winner represents the US at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ competition. Visit ey.com/us/eoy.

About EY

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society, and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.

Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy, and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data, and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

 

Audio Central Alarm Partners with DICE Corporation to Implement Full Nationwide Branded Call Display

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Audio Central Alarm, a client of DICE Corporation, has become the first alarm company in the industry to implement full nationwide branded call display. This groundbreaking service ensures that both service and sales calls from Audio Central now display the company’s logo and identity to recipients across the country—including calls from its central station partner, CSA Monitoring, based in Lansing, Michigan.

Historically, the alarm industry has struggled with call answer rates, as many customers assume unidentified or generic numbers are spam—especially on mobile phones. To address this issue, more than a year ago, Dice began addressing this issue by developing branded calling technology in partnership with telecom providers. The goal: to restore consumer trust and improve the visibility of life safety-related calls.

DICE has been recognized as a leader in bridging the needs of the alarm industry with the priorities of the telecommunications sector, particularly around critical life safety communications. Three of DICE’s engineers have worked closely with mobile carriers to integrate branded calling into DICE’s PBX systems and its advanced alarm and video event management solutions.

Scott Valentine, President of Audio Central Alarm, praised the new system: “This is amazing. We’ve already seen an increase in answered calls, and CSA Monitoring has reported fewer voicemails and more real-time responses from clients.”

Cliff Dice, President of DICE Corporation, added, “This marks the first phase of branded call deployments, now live across the T-Mobile network. We expect to roll out branding to Verizon and AT&T later this year. It’s a major step forward in helping alarm dealers build trust and visibility with their clients.” He continued, “The future is very exciting as we continue to lead with innovations in AI and interconnected services tailored to the alarm industry.”

PureTech Systems Wins TWO 2025 GOVIES Awards for Excellence in Autonomous Security Solutions

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PureTech Systems Inc., a leader in AI-powered perimeter protection and geospatial video analytics, is proud to announce it has been named a winner in the 2025 Security Today GOVIES Government Security Awards. PureTech earned top honors in two categories: Autonomous Border Systems and Autonomous Perimeter Systems for its latest release, PureActiv®v16.

The GOVIES Awards recognize outstanding government security products that deliver innovation, functionality, and performance. PureActiv® v16, the latest version of PureTech’s flagship solution, continues to set the standard in autonomous detection, identification, and response for critical infrastructure and border protection.

“We are honored to be recognized by Security Today for our work in advancing autonomous security technologies,” said Larry Bowe, President and CEO of PureTech Systems. “PureActiv v16 reflects our unwavering commitment to providing the most reliable and intelligent solutions to protect vital assets and enhance national security.”

“We have heard directly from government leaders about the critical need for autonomous capabilities in surveillance towers. With the v16 release, we’re combining our latest technological innovations-proven in border security programs with the invaluable experience and feedback from agents who tested these capabilities in the field,” says Ilia Rosenberg, PureTech V.P Federal Sector.   “This ensures our solutions truly meet the operational demands of today’s border environment and what USBP is expecting from us.”

PureTech Systems remains at the forefront of developing cutting-edge solutions that empower government and commercial agencies to detect and respond to threats faster, more accurately, and with greater autonomy.

2025 TMA/SDM Excellence Awards Finalists Announced

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The Monitoring Association (TMA) is pleased to announce the finalists for its 2025 Excellence Awards. This year, the awards competition received a total of 37 entries across five categories. Listed in alphabetical order by company within each category, the finalists are:

Monitoring Center of the Year – Enterprise

  • Affiliated Monitoring
  • Becklar Monitoring
  • TELUS Smarthome Security & Secure Business

 Monitoring Center of the Year – SMB

  • Elite Interactive Solutions
  • Kimberlite – Sonitrol
  • Pro-Vigil

 Monitoring Center Manager of the Year

  • Shari Wilson, ADT LLC
  • Allen Waldrip, Brinks Home
  • Galina Klimchuk, Vivint, an NRG company

 Monitoring Center Operator of the Year

  • Terell King, ADT LLC
  • Jennifer Rivera, Affiliated Monitoring
  • Carol Marcil, TELUS Smarthome Security & Secure Business

 Monitoring Center Support Person of the Year:

  • Michael Christatos, Affiliated Monitoring
  • Heather Ferrara, COPS Monitoring
  • Johnny Garcia, Kimberlite – Sonitrol

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. Entries are judged by a volunteer judging panel appointed by TMA. The five winners will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony presented on April 24, 2025, at 3:00 pm ET. For past winners and more information, visit https://tma.us/events/awards/excellence-awards/.

Register to attend the General Business Meeting and Awards Presentation at https://themonitoringassociation.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/52FvwwJsbCWCq

DMP Recognizes Top Dealers of 2024

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DMP recognized top dealers at the DMP Owners Forum. This event was held at Fontainebleau Las Vegas the day before ISC West. Special recognition was given to dealers in Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond level categories for their accomplishments in 2024. Dealer of the Year awards were presented in several categories.

DMP also recognized Dealers of the Year for certain product categories, celebrating the use of these various products.

Dealer of the Year award winners were announced for certain vertical markets, including Banking Dealer of the Year Securitas Technology and Retail Dealer of the Year OWL Services.

Each year, the New Dealer of the Year is celebrated. This year it was awarded to SAV Digital Environments. The Community Service Dealer Award was given to Tel-Tec Security Systems.

Additional recognition went to dealers that achieved outstanding sales volume and partnership with DMP.

These awards are presented annually by DMP to celebrate the success of their dealers.

*TMA member company

View Dealer Awards Photo Album.

 

Elite Interactive Solutions Hosts Lunch-and Learn Event for Law Enforcement

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Elite Interactive Solutions, a remote video guarding pioneer using patented intelligence and integration to achieve proven crime prevention, recently gathered law enforcement officials to its headquarters for a special invitational lunch-and-learn event. The function exemplifies Elite’s multifaceted mission to strengthen private-public partnerships by educating officers on how remote guarding directly prevents crime and protects properties in real-time, eliminates false alarms, boosts law enforcement apprehensions productivity, and enhances their safety via critical, live crime scene information.

Hosted by Elite’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board, the well-received proceedings encompassed touring the company’s leading-edge, subterranean Security Operations Command Center (SOCC), a multimedia presentation held within an adjacently located auditorium, a Q&A session, lunch and networking. The SOCC is located within one of L.A.’s most bulletproof buildings, built to withstand an 8.9-magnitude earthquake. Attendee enthusiasm ran high at the event, as did widespread interest to encourage their respective LE agencies to support remote guarding relationships.

“Working closely and collaboratively with law enforcement is a crucial element to Elite’s unmatched real-time crime prevention solution. Although 96% of incidents are directly resolved by our command center through live voice-downs to sites within an average of 7 seconds, it’s essential that for the other 4% in which law enforcement is engaged they fully understand Elite’s capabilities and veracity such that they provide priority response that leads to arrests and detainments,” says Elite Security Director Noel Delgado. “Our recent event was an excellent way to get officers out of their daily routines to observe firsthand how optimized remote guarding works. Virtually everyone who witnesses how our command center operates becomes a believer.”

Further demonstrating Elite’s private-public partnerships, the firm is also the only provider of its kind that maintains its own Law Enforcement Advisory Board (LEAB) and
that is endorsed by FBI-LEEDA, which includes thousands of law enforcement executives. The LEAB serves as a protocol and communications bridge between the Elite SOCC and responding agencies.

“Elite has consistently demonstrated a companywide and nationwide commitment to stopping rather than reacting to crime, as well as acting in the best interests of not only their clients but police as well,” says LEAB member Justin Feffer, an attorney who retired in 2020 as commanding officer of the L.A. County D.A.’s Cyber Crime Section. “As someone who has been involved with law enforcement since 1988, I well know their challenges and how remote guarding serves as an invaluable force multiplier and safety net. It is an amazing experience when I tell them about it and see their eyes light up for that ‘Aha!’ moment.”

Members of the law enforcement community and security industry, along with property managers and other parties interested in seeing how leading-edge technology is being leveraged for real-time crime prevention are encouraged to contact Elite to schedule a command center tour.

DMP Recognizes 2024 Top Dealers at Owners Forum

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DMP celebrated its top dealers at the DMP Owners Forum, held April 1, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas the day before ISC West. Special recognition was given to dealers in the Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond level categories for their accomplishments in 2024.

Dealer of the Year awards were presented in several categories:

DMP also recognized Dealers of the Year for certain product categories, celebrating the use of these various products:

Dealer of the Year award winners were announced for certain vertical markets, including Banking Dealer of the Year, Securitas Technology, and Retail Dealer of the Year, OWL Services.

Each year, the New Dealer of the Year is celebrated. This year it was awarded to SAV Digital Environments. The Community Service Dealer Award was given to Tel-Tec Security Systems.

Additional recognition went to dealers that achieved outstanding sales volume and partnership with DMP.

These awards are presented annually by DMP to celebrate the success of its dealers. To view the dealer awards photo album, go here.

RAD Announces Entry Level ROSA Solar Trailer to Meet Surging Demand for Mobile Security Solutions

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Robotic Assistance Devices, Inc. (RAD), a subsidiary of Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”) (OTCPK:AITX), today announced the expansion of its popular RIO™ solar powered, mobile security solution lineup. Named RIO Mini, the new security solution is now in production, with the Company forecasting that it can add up to 500 units to its sales expectations this fiscal year.

The Company joins LiveView Technologies Inc., which raised $50 million in a Series B round in 2022, in finding success and growth in this rapidly expanding market. LiveView Technologies has demonstrated strong demand for solar powered mobile surveillance systems, validating the market opportunity that RAD is now addressing with RIO Mini.
Utilizing a dual configuration of RAD’s award winning ROSA™ device, RIO Mini surpasses other affordable mobile security solutions in performance and value. ROSA is a multiple award-winning, compact, self-contained, portable, security and communication solution that can be installed and activated in about 15 minutes. ROSA’s AI-driven security analytics include human and vehicle detection, and complete integration with RAD’s software suite notification and autonomous response library. Two-way communication is optimized for cellular, including live video from ROSA’s high-resolution, full-color, always-on cameras. RAD has published six Case Studies detailing how ROSA has helped eliminate instances of theft, trespassing and loitering at retail centers, hospital campuses, multi-family communities, car rental locations and construction sites across the country.

RIO Mini joins RAD’s existing RIO lineup, which includes the popular RIO 180 and RIO 360 units, further filling in the product family. RIO Mini is expected to achieve greater profitability than the primary RIO lineup while being substantially less expensive for clients. It will feature reduced analytics processing and limitations on other select features while maintaining RAD’s core Autonomous Intelligent Response capabilities. The device is enabled by a lower cost modified version of RAD G’s RADPack, providing consistent performance in a compact and economical format.

Steve Reinharz, CEO/CTO of AITX and RAD, commented, “We are starting to see the benefits after years of hardware and software development by AITX’s various subsidiaries. Utilizing internally developed analytics and electronics hardware and benefiting from our complete control of the supply chain, we are well-positioned to compete aggressively in the mobile surveillance unit marketplace. This new solution will enable dealers and our internal sales team to expand their target markets to include clients that want the basics of intelligent autonomous response.”
As with all RAD security solutions, RIO Mini is supported by SARA™, the Company’s multiple award-winning AI-based software platform. SARA (Speaking Autonomous Responsive Agent) provides real-time responsiveness, centralized device management, and seamless integration across RAD’s ecosystem of autonomous security technologies.
RIO Mini was introduced to the public last week during ISC West in Las Vegas, the security industry’s largest and most influential trade show. The response from RAD’s channel partners, existing clients, and new prospects was overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees expressed interest in how RIO Mini’s streamlined design and accessible pricing could open new markets and use cases that complement the existing RIO offerings.

With the introduction of RIO Mini, RAD is positioned to reach a broader segment of the market, including clients who may have previously hesitated to adopt advanced security solutions due to budget limitations. This addition to the product lineup reflects the Company’s ongoing focus on addressing evolving market demands with practical, high-performance offerings. RIO Mini reinforces RAD’s reputation for innovation and dependability while making intelligent autonomous response more accessible across a wider range of use cases.

RIO Mini’s aggressive pricing has not been publicly disclosed. Interested dealers, clients, and prospects are encouraged to contact RAD directly for additional details and availability.