SSI Bench Test products reviewer and well-known industry consultant addresses top integrator challenges. My April issue editorial discusses security integrators’ top 10 challenges as indicated inSSI’s annual Systems Integration Study. I consulted with a handful of trusted colleagues and contributors to the publication for ways integrators can best overcome these challenges, perhaps even turning them […]
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Keep the Customer Satisfied
In an earlier posting (Manage Customer Expectations to Define Success) I knocked around the idea that properly setting expectations was a requirement for defining a project’s success. Some inferred that a successful project equated to a positive reference, which could in turn lead to more business. I want to explore that concept in greater detail […]
Manage Customer Expectations to Define Success
I think that most of us agree that the success of a project, to a great extent, is defined by the level in which we meet the client’s expectations. Yes, I know that there are financial goals for a project as well, but if a project winds up not being as profitable as projected, it’s […]
Some Corners a Security Installation Shouldn’t Cut
Security system installations are rarely done in a vacuum, although many integrators would tell you otherwise. Often the emphasis is on getting in and out quickly — after all, time is money, right? Unfortunately, as many learn the hard way, that axiom cuts both ways. Sure, it’s more profitable to complete a job quickly than […]
Choosing an Integrator: Small vs. Large
At the end of a competitive bid process, our deliverable is a bid analysis report. We look at a number of factors, with the ultimate goal of making a vendor recommendation to our client. We’re often putting our own reputation on the line when we do this, as our client expects us to be responsible […]
Keeping Surveillance Networks Secure
The bad guys aren’t supposed to be able to hack a video surveillance system, period. Recent headlines about a casino scam in Melbourne brought the consequences of an insecure security system front and center as scammers allegedly walked off with $32 million after using the casino’s surveillance system to cheat at cards. While we may never know […]
6 Tips to Selecting the Right Security Camera
As we move toward more advanced video surveillance equipment, it’s often hard to resist finding high-tech solutions to low-tech problems. For example, if you can use image stabilization, why worry about camera vibration? While it’s true that modern cameras can often get you good images under lousy conditions, improving conditions usually improves the image quality dramatically. […]
Hacking Surveillance Cameras in Casinos
A high roller and his accomplice scammed a casino in Melbourne, Australia, by hacking into the surveillance system to cheat (and win) at a series of card games in his suite. The Herald Sun in Melbourne reported that the gambler was able to use information from security cameras about his opponent’s cards to scam the […]
The Morphing Integrator
I have noticed, and I’m sure most will agree, that over the past 20 years the electronic security industry has morphed. And, while change is good, and the whole should, in theory, be greater than the sum of its parts, in practice we’re clearly seeing gaps that I don’t believe are getting closer to being […]
The Security Buying Chain Explained
Chances are, if you’re involved in a security project, you are part of a team. And, like most teams, yours has its challenges. From people working at cross purposes, to folks who won’t listen — or won’t speak up — the roles and responsibilities of such a group can be difficult to navigate. Owner (or […]
