California Alarm Association Annual Convention a Hit!

...I just returned from San Francisco from what looks to be my last trip of the year. ISC annually attends and supports the California Alarm Association’s Annual Convention – an event that has certainly grown beyond its geographic boundaries and truly serves as the last time for the Who’s Who in the security manufacturer and distribution markets to see one another before ISC West the following year. This year’s event appeared to be one of the biggest on record – certainly the largest I’ve attended – with over 300 people in attendance.

Congratulations for the success of the event certainly goes to California Alarm Association’s Executive Director, Jerry Lenander. In addition to his marketing consulting business, Syncomm, Jerry has been the Executive Director for the CAA for over 10 years and is personally responsible for the Annual Convention. With the help of strong member leadership, Jerry and his team have taken the event from a state supporting end-of-year event, to the alarm event for the western United States in the 4th quarter of the year. This year’s Keynote speaker was California Attorney General Jerry Brown, rumored by many to be making a run for Governor in the next election. Honored this year with the George A. Weinstock Award for his lifetime of service to the California Alarm Association was George DeMarco, founder and CEO of the Greater Alarm Company. Among the many in attendance were Richard Chace, CEO of the Security Industry Association (SIA), Ralph Sevinor, President of the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), and Mike Miller, President of the Electronic Security Association (ESA).

I’d also like to congratulate Matt Westphal, President of the California Alarm Association, and 3rd generation with Bay Alarm. The growth and success of both this event and the association has been in no small part due to Matt’s efforts.

This is my last blog for the year – I hope you’ve enjoyed them; thanks for reading them. Happy Holidays to you and yours from everyone at ISC!

Ed Nichols
Industry Vice President
Reed Exhibitions
ISC Events
203 840-5968
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Are we meeting the needs of Security End Users?

...In reading this month’s industry trade journals, I was particularly drawn to Laura Stepanek, Editor of SDM Magazine’s, ‘Editor’s Angle’ with Lisa Roy, Vice President for Global Security and Fire Safety Solutions, with Johnson Controls. In her first question, Laura asks Ms. Roy if she feels that the security systems integration industry as a whole is meeting the needs of end users right now. Ms. Roy’s response, to paraphrase, is that today’s security end user is increasingly frustrated with the way security solutions are sold and delivered. While she feels that the industry has made progress in some areas, overall she feels that the industry has more work to do.

This was echoed by Lynn Mattice, former CSO at Boston Scientific and current Chairman, Board of Advisors, for the Security Executive Council, at the first-ever State of the Industry discussion panel at ISC East last month. Participating in the panel were Mike Miller, President of ESA (formerly NBFAA), Bill Bozeman, President and CEO of the PSA Security Network, Gordon Hope, Senior Vice President with Honeywell and current Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Security Industry Association (SIA), as well as Mr. Mattice. What Lynn was saying in representing the end user perspective on the panel, is that he feels that our discussions with security end users have been from our own perspectives - product features, camera resolution and RMR streams – all very important for him to understand, however, we are not fully understanding the security end users’ need for an overall solution to a problem. For example, when we go to buy a car, the Blu-tooth capabilities and the Sirius satellite radio are great features, much better than a standard FM/AM radio with a cassette player (do they even make cassettes anymore?), however, we ultimately are looking for a car that is safe, reliable and affordable. Are we spending too much time addressing the features and benefits and not explaining how we will provide a solution to the end users’ need?

‘From what we have seen, many end users are frustrated with the way security solutions are sold and delivered today,’ was the quote by Ms. Roy in the call-out in Laura’s article. We have heard this from many different sources, but what are we doing about it?

Ed Nichols
Industry Vice President
Reed Exhibitions
ISC Events
203 840-5968
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