Aiphone Opens Florida Office
Redmond, Wash. –Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, announced it has opened a new office in the Tampa, Fla., area, a further testament to the company's position as an industry leader and continued growth within the security industry.
The new office marks Aiphone’s first location in the South, and fourth overall in North America. Aiphone currently has offices located in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Laval, QC. The corporate office is located in Redmond, Wash.
The new office comes at a pivotal time for Aiphone. Earlier this year the company introduced its new access control line, expanding its portfolio of offerings beyond intercoms and emergency communication towers. The Tampa location will be used as a sales and training facility, enabling the Aiphone sales team to further extend its reach and strengthen client relationships.
"Opening this new location signifies our commitment to serving our customers better, fostering innovation, and strengthening our community ties,” said Brad Kamcheff, marketing manager for Aiphone Corporation. “We're excited to be closer to our clients and partners in the South, ensuring we continue to meet their evolving needs. It also serves as a convenient location to support the growing security market in Latin America."
Spencer Britenstine, Director of Sales for Aiphone, will be leading the office in Tampa and will be supported by a talented team of professionals. The team includes Jasen Dunn, Robert Hilt, Jessica Baker and Daniel Esposito, all of whom share Aiphone's vision and dedication to delivering top-tier emergency communication, intercom, and access control security solutions.
More information: www.aiphone.com
Paxton Secures One of England's Oldest Boarding Schools
GREENVILLE, SC- Christ’s Hospital School has a long history. It first opened its doors to 380 pupils in November 1552, at that time located in Newgate Street, London.
In 2022 the school needed to replace their now obsolete security system with a new solution that would be simple to manage while maintaining the security of the site, staff, and pupils.
The school has around 900 students, over 95% of which board. With 18 boarding houses on site, all requiring different access permissions, as well as the school buildings, dining hall, and other common areas. It was imperative that the school’s new security system was able to manage a huge number of doors and users, whilst still providing a simple, user-friendly experience.
James Brookes, Operations Manager at Vistec, said: “I’ve been working with Paxton systems for over 12 years, and as soon as I heard the requirements for Christ’s Hospital, I knew that Net2 would be the right solution.”
Net2 is Paxton’s flagship, networked access control solution, designed to make the management of any site straightforward. Easy to use and with a range of features, it moves beyond the basics of controlling the flow of people around a building, offering benefits such as building control and system integration. The Net2 system is easily scalable, making it perfectly suited to the school’s needs.
James continues: “There were a few challenges to contend with for this installation, including the need to use existing cabling, limited space for hardware storage, and most difficult… time! We needed to install over 280 readers and all of the supporting Net2 plus access control units in only six weeks whilst the students were on their summer holidays. Thanks to the ease of the Net2 system to install, and the occasional help from Paxton’s Technical Support team, we were able to deliver!”
More information: www.paxtonaccess.com
HID Supplies Finland Driver’s License Cards
HID, a leader in trusted identity solutions, has been awarded a contract to provide Finland with a new high-security driver’s license cards and personalization services solution, incorporating the European second-generation smart Tachograph solution. This collaboration reflects HID’s commitment to enhancing security and efficiency in Finland's transportation systems.
Finland will benefit from a comprehensive, tailor-made, and configurable solution that integrates software, hardware, and equipment to align with the Traffic Authority's vision of a streamlined and efficient digital document issuance system. For the project, HID has joined forces with CardPlus Systems, a trusted partner that provides secure ID documents, services, and systems, to ensure an exceptional driver's license solution with industry-leading features.
Max Fogdell, Head of Services for Driving Licenses and Examinations at Finland’s Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom, stated, "The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom, is pleased to enter into a partnership with HID. We are convinced that with HID's broad experience in the field of trusted identity solutions, we will be able to ensure that our card services continue to meet the highest level of security, efficiency, and compliance with the European Union's safety regulations.”
Craig Sandness, Senior Vice President and Head of Citizen Identity & Secure Issuance, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "We are proud to collaborate with the government of Finland and contribute to the enhancement of the country's driver's license and tachograph systems. Our commitment to security and innovation is unwavering, and this contract is a testament to our dedication to safeguarding citizens and infrastructure."
With the European Union’s new safety standards and tachograph regulations, commercial vehicles in the region are required to install second-generation tachographs by 2026. HID’s advanced solution fully complies with these stringent regulations and includes smartcards securing access to device data for drivers, law enforcement, companies, and workshops.
2024 State of Physical Security Report
The newly released 2024 Genetec State of Physical Security Report reveals physical security market is rapidly embracing cloud and hybrid solutions. Based on insights from 5,500 physical security leaders worldwide (including end users and channel partners), the report looks at the security strategies organizations are putting in place to effectively navigate the realities of a changing industry. Following are some of the findings:
Cloud adoption is picking up speed. The adoption of cloud-based solutions for physical security has been gradually increasing over the past decade, but it is now picking up speed. According to the survey, 44% of end users reported that more than 25% of their physical security setups are now either in the cloud or use a combination of cloud and on-premises solutions. This is a significant jump from the 24% reported in last year's survey.
Cyber concerns about the cloud are diminishing. Cyber concerns about cloud-based solutions are lessening significantly. In last year's survey, end-users considered perceived cybersecurity risks to be the primary factor discouraging their organizations from adopting cloud-based security systems. However, there seems to be a shift in attitudes. This shift underscores growing confidence in the capabilities of cloud solution providers to establish robust cybersecurity measures. As a result, in the 2024 survey, respondents have relegated perceived cybersecurity risks to the sixth position among the factors deterring their organizations from adopting security systems in the cloud.
Channel expects increased demand for cloud and hybrid solutions. Feedback from channel partners also supports the idea that end-users are eagerly shifting towards cloud solutions. A substantial 74% of channel partner respondents anticipate that more of their current customers will embrace cloud connectivity for security in the coming year. Furthermore, 39% of channel partners stated that they prioritize cloud-based solutions whenever possible, and an additional 52% offer cloud-based solutions upon customer request.
IT and physical security departments are increasingly interconnected. The increasing adoption of cloud-based physical security systems has led to a rise in cybersecurity threats, data handling, and compliance requirements. As a result, IT and physical security teams are becoming increasingly interconnected as evidenced by 55% of end users indicating that the IT department has access to physical security data. As technology adoption grows and remote access from external networks becomes more common, the partnership between IT and physical security will continue to develop.
The future looks hybrid. It appears that most organizations will prefer a hybrid approach, combining both on-premises and cloud-based solutions. 60% percent of end-user respondents revealed that their organizations aim for a security deployment strategy that combines both. The transition to hybrid systems is already in progress, with 15% of end-users stating that their organizations are currently storing video surveillance data both locally and in the cloud, marking a notable increase from the 4% reported in last year's survey.
“A hybrid cloud deployment clearly emerges as the ideal path forward for many organizations, seamlessly blending local infrastructure with the power of the cloud," said Christian Morin, Vice President Product Engineering / Chief Security Officer at Genetec Inc. "With a hybrid-cloud solution, organizations can optimize their physical security installation to best fit their business. And no matter how their security needs evolve, their systems will remain agile and adaptable to continue providing them with the capabilities they require.”
To download a full copy of the report, visit https://www.genetec.com/a/physical-security-report.
dormakaba Names EVP, North America
INDIANAPOLIS – Ben Brydges has been named dormakaba’s Executive Vice President, North America, which includes businesses in the USA and Canada. As such, he serves as a member of the dormakaba Group senior management team. Brydges will be based in the company’s North American headquarters in Indianapolis.
“Our industry is in the midst of a transformation that involves digitization and integration across the entire access ecosystem,” said Brydges. “This shift requires new security solutions that incorporate technology appropriately and work across a wide range of demographics in increasingly diverse settings. We will continue to deliver products, solutions, and services to create safe, secure, and sustainable places where people can move around seamlessly.”
Brydges will lead dormakaba North America committed to serve the marketplace with best-in-class products and services.
Brydges joined dormakaba in 2020. Immediately prior to his current role, he served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of dormakaba’s Specialty Access Solutions group with direct responsibilities to grow the hospitality, multifamily housing, vacation rental, and time & attendance businesses. He has also led the company’s program management and business transformation teams.
BHMA Elects Board of Directors
New York, NY – Members of the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) gathered and approved the 2023-2024 Board of Directors during the association’s annual fall meeting
Members who were elected to the 2023-2024 BHMA Board of Directors include:
- Board President: Tim Weller, Allegion
- 1st Vice President: Justin Crotzer, dormakaba
- 2nd Vice President: Mark McRae, Hager Companies
- Past President: Mark Bloom, Spectrum Brands HHI
The new board members join the Directors: Scott James, CompX International Inc.; Robert Strong, dormakaba USA Inc.; Ernie Mitchell, TownSteel, Inc.; Dick Kreidel, ASSA AMLOY Group; and Mark Berger, Securitech Group, Inc.
“I’m looking forward to what we will accomplish together,” noted Weller. “As BHMA nears its 100th anniversary, builders hardware safety and standards are more important than ever – and our organization has an incredible opportunity to continue being a leading voice for our industry.”
BHMA’s new Board President, Tim Weller (AHC, CDC, FDAI), Manager of Codes, Standards and Sustainability at Allegion, brings more than 40 years of industry experience where he, amongst many things, is responsible for developing the product sustainability strategy to meet market requirements for Allegion’s products and solutions. Weller is active in numerous industry organizations such as the Steel Door Institute National Fire Protection Association, ASTM International, the U.S. Green Building Council, and more.
For additional information on the BHMA Leadership, visit https://buildershardware.com/About-Us/Leadership and follow BHMA on LinkedIn.
SIA Awards 2024 SIA RISE Scholarships
SILVER SPRING, Md. – The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named 18 recipients for the 2024 SIA RISE Scholarship, a program offered through SIA’s RISE community, which supports the education and career development goals of young industry talent and emerging leaders.
Through this scholarship program – open to SIA student members and RISE members who are employees at SIA member companies – each awardee will receive a $3,000 scholarship to use toward continuing education and professional development courses, SIA program offerings and/or other academic or education programs. Scholarship funds can be used to expand knowledge in the areas of business, human resources (HR), information technology (IT), marketing, sales, project management, security engineering and/or risk management.
“The 2024 class of SIA RISE Scholarship awardees is an inspiring, accomplished and dedicated group of individuals who are making a difference in the security industry and actively pursuing their educational and career development goals,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “We are proud to present these 18 honorees with scholarship funds to support them as they grow their knowledge and expertise and foster their leadership in this industry and in the larger community.”
The winners for the 2024 SIA RISE Scholarship are:
- Brian Abraham, area sales manager, Software House
- Kiara Bell, lead information and security compliance analyst, Arcules
- Callie Buzzeo, technical program manager, Meta
- Chasity Cope, HR admin, Down East Protection Systems
- Olivia Doherty, consulting coordinator, Northland Controls
- Devin Gonzalez, product champion, i-PRO Americas
- Amanda Hahn, director of digital marketing, LRG Marketing
- Alisha Hippert, project manager of customer experience, dormakaba
- Alicia Janowicz, HR business partner, Axis Communications
- Justin Lei, senior engineer, i-PRO Americas
- Jennifer Lemoine, program administrator, Convergint
- Pamela Madey, channel sales specialist, BCD
- Dan Metz, intelligence analyst, TAM-C Solutions
- James Robles, technical trainer, HID
- Rachel Salina, product marketing coordinator, Axis Communications
- Maya Sears, mechanical engineer associate, dormakaba
- Mustafa Shahriyar, escalation engineer, i-PRO Americas
- Shaunté Sivas, business development manager, Systems Distributors, Inc.
Learn more at https://www.securityindustry.org/professional-development/scholarships/rise-scholarships/
SIA would also like to thank contributors to the 2024 RISE Scholarship fund. Tax-deductible donations were made through the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST), a not-for-profit organization founded by SIA and the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and dedicated to connecting passionate, innovative professionals with new opportunities in the security industry.
Contributors include: Access Control Executive Brief, Allegion, Axis Communications, BCD, Genetec, Grid Squared Systems, HID, Secure Access & Digital Systems, Securitas, Wasabi and ZKTeco.
