As you may have seen in the news or on social media recently, big box stores have begun to hire sales teams and are training them to become field representatives to sell many of their products and services which include Home Control, A/V, and Security.  These deep-pocket companies believe that having sales personnel who can [...]

In a crowded marketplace with non-traditional companies and DIY products being pushed into prospective channels, residential security dealers and low-voltage contractors may be questioning how they can differentiate their system offerings and help their businesses stand out in the market. One facet of residential installations that can provide concrete value for end-users is the addition [...]

With the continued rising popularity of IP-based security camera systems showing no signs of slowing down, the capability to remotely monitor and control these systems from a mobile device has become a major draw for customers. The ability to check on their property with a glance at a smartphone or tablet is playing an increasingly [...]

  In many installations security integration companies are putting IP cameras onto separate or parallel networks. In these cases, the installing firm would normally supply network switches to provide connectivity for IP cameras, access control devices, and other security equipment.  By putting the security devices on isolated separate cabling and network switches, the security of [...]

As the old year rolls into 2016, it’s time to consider some of the trends that have the potential to change our industry in the future.  While some of these topics may be considered as threats to security and low-voltage contractors, within each potential problem is an opportunity for astute companies to get ahead of [...]

There has never been a more exciting time in the security industry for the connected home. Before a few years ago, access control and home automation meant tens of thousands of dollars in investment and hours of running wires. With the advent of Z-Wave wireless solutions, security dealers can now offer higher levels of functionality, [...]

According to the FBI, every 15 seconds a burglary is committed in the United States. It’s no wonder that home and business owners are installing increasingly sophisticated intrusion systems to help protect their properties. And while today’s intrusion systems offer progressively robust life-safety features, many now include lifestyle and convenience functions such as remote controls [...]

In my house I have a number of IP cameras set up from various vendors. A few of the cameras are set to send video streams to an NVR connected to my LAN. We recently had a power outage that lasted about six hours, after which the power was restored. I checked my cameras and [...]