Everon - Experts & Thought Leaders

Everon, a globally renowned security integrator and premier provider of commercial security, video, fire and life safety solutions ranked the third-largest security company in the U.S. by SDM Magazine, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the business-to-business (B2B) segments of the multifamily business from ADT LLC, one of the most trusted brands in smart home and small business security. The transaction is expected to close at the end of the third quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Comprehensive security and quality service Everon currently provides fire and life safety services to multifamily customers nationwide, making this acquisition Everon currently provides fire and life safety services to multifamily customers nationwide, making this acquisition a strategic extension of the company’s current business and reinforcing its commitment to deliver comprehensive security solutions and quality service to a wide range of commercial customers. The acquisition will deepen Everon’s value as a provider and partner as well as expand its ability to serve the broader B2B multifamily space by offering property owners and managers a tailored solutions portfolio, including access control, video surveillance, and self-guided tour capabilities to integrate with top property management software. Enhance security and improve operational efficiency “This agreement marks a natural progression in the growth of our business and expands our reach in a valuable market with a traditionally low attrition rate,” said Don Young, Chief Executive Officer for Everon. He adds, “The multifamily team brings incredible expertise to deliver a unique solution for property owners and managers that can help increase net operating income, enhance security, and improve operational efficiency. The completion of this acquisition will mean we can do even more for multifamily customers with industry-pioneering solutions and excellence in service delivery on a national scale.”

Everon, a major security integrator and premier provider of commercial security, video, fire and life safety solutions ranked the third-largest security company in the U.S. by SDM Magazine, announced the promotion of Carson Clemons to Vice President, National Accounts Installation. With 13 years of combined operational and sales experience in the security industry as Sr. Manager, Operational Excellence and Sr. Director, National Accounts for Everon, Clemons brings proven leadership to this new role for Everon, overseeing the company’s centralised project and programme management teams within the National Accounts and Integrated Solutions departments. Operational excellence His expertise in operational excellence will be critical in optimising operations for a customer experience that thrives on consistency, efficiency and superior customer experience across the organisation. ”Our top priority is always our customers,” said Bobby Dale, Chief Customer Officer. “Carson’s ability to focus on customer needs and deliver with speed, quality, and dependability makes him the right leader to lead and strengthen this critical part of our business.”  “I’m proud of the work these teams have done to deliver service quality at a national level,” said Clemons. “We are focused on optimising our processes to make every customer interaction seamless – prioritising speed, communication, consistency, and simplicity – and it’s an honour to have the opportunity to help lead the way.”

Everon, a security integrator and premier provider of commercial security, video, fire and life safety solutions in the U.S., announces the promotion of Kyle Kastner to General Manager for the organisation’s Great Lakes district to drive growth in the market. Since being acquired by Chicago-based firm GTCR in 2023, Everon has emerged as an industry-pioneer provider ranked the third-largest security company in the U.S. by SDM Magazine, specialising in install, service, and monitoring for commercial-grade systems and environments. Customer service excellence As General Manager, he will focus on the continued growth of the Great Lakes district  With 22 years of industry experience, Kastner will oversee Everon’s Great Lakes District, business locations across Chicagoland, Illinois, Wisconsin, and northwest Indiana. He will leverage critical expertise to drive Everon’s reputation for customer service excellence in the region as an all-in-one security partner and provider for commercial organisations across industries including large area hospitals, sporting venues, national retailers, multi-use commercial buildings, and more.  As General Manager, he will focus on the continued growth of the Great Lakes district by delivering comprehensive security, video, fire and life safety solutions with speed and efficiency for every customer. Upholding service quality “Kyle’s leadership acumen and ability to foster a culture of collaboration will be essential to upholding service quality and reinforcing Everon’s vision for the customer experience we aim to deliver – not just in the Midwest region, but across the country,” said Kwame Williams, Sr. Vice President, Central Region for Everon. “We’re excited to welcome him into this role and are confident in the next-level service he’ll champion in the district.” Kastner will be relocating to Illinois to help lead Everon’s newly expanded Addison office location at 2100 Corporate Drive in Addison. Fast-growing market “With the new location opening under Kyle’s leadership, we’re proud to be further investing in a critical, fast-growing market with a new, capable leader and a larger office footprint to serve the Great Lakes region and Chicagoland market.” “This level of targeted investment is focused on strengthening our presence in the area while better supporting our existing and prospective customer base in the market,” continued Williams.

Ibrahim Kassem, Everon’s new Chief Technology Officer (CTO), has been in the security industry since 1998 in various IT leadership roles. Most recently, he was Chief Information Officer for a video monitoring company. With most of his professional experience rooted in commercial security, Kassem has come to understand how customer needs and demands change with the evolving technology landscape. That understanding is a foundation for his new role at Everon, the national provider of commercial security, fire, and life safety solutions formerly known as ADT Commercial. Integrate AI to security operations “In this role, I am responsible for any customer-facing technology at Everon,” says Kassem. “Our primary focus is to provide a platform that will make it easy to do business with us. That platform will involve most of our solutions, including video monitoring which is the near-future focus for us.” As an integrator, Everon’s objective is to identify the best solutions. “We have partners that we leverage to help develop solutions for our customers that directly respond to their needs,” says Kassem. “For example, we partner with video camera providers to integrate AI to take security operations to the next level.” Demand for video monitoring Everon is looking to shift from reacting to events after they take place toward proactive monitoring Like most security operations, Everon is looking to shift from reacting to events after they take place toward proactive monitoring and preventing crimes as they are happening or deterring them from taking place.  The ability to detect objects and behaviours is possible through AI. “Through this detection, we can respond accordingly – that’s why it’s at the forefront of our video monitoring efforts,” says Kassem. Every pursuit at Everon is in response to customer demand, and there is tremendous demand for video monitoring, says Kassem. Customer needs are the main philosophy behind the development and acquisition of technology, which also ensures that Everon is at the forefront of evolving with the security industry. Video-based security solutions “Right now, we’re noticing a trend towards video-based security solutions versus solely intrusion and guarding,” says Kassem. Everon seeks to strike a balance between “build versus buy.” The integrator prefers to buy when there is a proven product that will bring the most value. “We’re an integrator before we are a developer of technology,” says Kassem. “However, we are not shy about complementing a technology that we purchase with technology that we build if we don’t find the proper platform.” Video monitoring solutions and services Everon continues to evolve in step with ongoing trends, including smarter AI and analytics, smarter cameras Everon continues to evolve in step with ongoing trends, including smarter AI and analytics, smarter cameras, faster internet connectivity, and availability of wireless through 4G, LTE, and 5G connections. All of these are critical pieces of the video monitoring roadmap, says Kassem. “We aim to develop our video monitoring solutions and services to provide the best value to enterprises, reduce false alarms, and focus on relevant activities to save time and money,” he adds. “That’s what we’re looking forward to in the next couple of years.” Dependence on physical security Everon provides video monitoring services on a monthly basis, so the approach plays well with their recurring monthly revenue (RMR) model. Video monitoring is in great demand, and Everon is working towards being pioneers in that space, pushing to make it a major part of their future offerings. Everon is working towards being pioneer in that space, pushing to make it a major part of their future offerings “The dependence on physical security has gotten expensive, and many responding agencies no longer dispatch without video verification, which is the biggest technology challenge currently in the commercial security space,” says Kassem. “Video monitoring is the most direct, effective answer to that challenge, replacing costly, around-the-clock guarding services while also providing video verification for first responders and law enforcement agencies.” Portfolio of security solution offerings Everon roots all its pursuits in responding to the customer. Making the difference in Everon’s approach is an eagerness to listen, an awareness of industry trends and changes, and a full portfolio of security solution offerings.  “Our technological roadmap is ambitious, innovative, and looks to the future through our thoughtful investments in this space, including through acquisitions of technology and top talent,” says Kassem. “All our efforts are supported by our teams of experts with decades of experience.”

ISC West 2024 mirrored a vibrant industry on the precipice of accelerated change. Factors such as the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, and biometrics are shaping the future of the security marketplace, and they were front-and-centre at the industry’s biggest U.S. show in Las Vegas.  Foot traffic was steady and impressive, including more than 29,000 security industry professionals viewing 750 exhibitors. A torrent of eager attendees crowded the lobby on the first day and could not wait for the doors to open. When they were admitted, the wealth of technological innovation and business opportunity did not disappoint. Focus on cloud systems Cloud systems were high-profile at ISC West. Camera manufacturer Axis, for example, introduced their Axis Cloud Connect at a press conference. Meanwhile, Genetec officially launched their Security Centre SaaS platform, which aims at eliminating points of friction to enable integrators to easily embrace cloud systems from quoting and ordering to provisioning and installing.  Camera manufacturer Axis, for example, introduced their Axis Cloud Connect at a press conference Cloud provider Eagle Eye Networks promoted their new “Eagle Eye 911 Camera Sharing” technology under which both non-Eagle Eye Cloud VMS customers (via Eagle Eye 911 Public Safety Camera Sharing) and Eagle Eye customers can opt to share their video feeds for use by 911 operators in case of emergency. If users opt-in, 911 operators can have access to live video as an emergency unfolds. Eagle Eye Networks provides the feature by integrating with RapidSOS call centre software. Camera locations are based on geolocation coordinates, and customers can choose if they want to participate and which cameras they want to share. Biometrics in the mainstream Biometrics were well represented at ISC West, including Alcatraz AI, which introduced an outdoor version of their biometric face recognition product. The Rock X works well despite harsh lighting. Alcatraz’s products do not have to be integrated, they communicate just like a card reader using OSDP or Wiegand protocol. “At the show, customers are excited about moving to a frictionless environment and getting rid of existing credentialing,” said Tina D’Agostin, CEO and co-founder of Alcatraz. “We are making access control frictionless, secure and private. The experience can be as passive as possible – people can just walk in.” Multiple types of authentication, and the ability to detect tailgating and stream video SAFR from Real Networks also featured biometric face recognition, emphasising feature sets, convenience, and price/performance. They offer multiple types of authentication, and the ability to detect tailgating and stream video. A new device is a small mullion mount that is “approaching the price of a card reader, factoring in the need to purchase cards,” said Brad Donaldson, Vice President and General Manager. SAFR focuses on convenience: You don’t have to take out your phone to pass through a door. Enrolment is easy by incorporating existing databases, and costs are lower than competitors, said Donaldson. The system analyses multiple points on the face, turns it into data and then encrypts it, providing a “unique signature for each person.”  Credentials in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet AMAG Technology announced the compatibility of credentials with the Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. The company is also embracing a new strategic direction under President David Sullivan. They launched a new website in January, are developing dynamic resources and a partner page, and they now integrate with 120 tech partners. AMAG Technology Financial Services now enables their channel partners to offer leasing and financing options to customers. The big new booth at ISC West reflected an effort to “market different and look different,” according to the company. The big new booth at ISC West reflected an effort to “market different and look different" The new Symmetry Control Room, a command-and-control system, is a relaunch of an earlier AMAG product with enhanced features. Suitable for large enterprise customers, the software enables a big video wall to display all the various systems and incorporates all the data into a single “pane of glass.” Operators can “draw a lasso” around cameras they want to display on the video wall and can follow action across multiple camera feeds.  Navigating megatrends A breakfast meeting for integrators, sponsored by Assa Abloy Opening Solutions, was built around the theme “Navigating Megatrends for Sustainable Growth." The megatrends are artificial intelligence, sustainability and cybersecurity. Related to cybersecurity, there are 350 common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) published per week, reflecting the continuing threat to cybersecurity. Physical security has a “data lake” of information from various physical security systems that can be an attractive target for cybersecurity breaches. Data sets can be exploited and/or poisoned. The security industry needs to apply “defence in depth” to the challenges of protecting data. “The threat landscape is always changing, and security technology is an iterative process,” said Antoinette King, i-PRO’s head of cyber convergence, one of the panellists. Natural language systems Natural language systems are a newer approach making an early appearance at ISC West Natural language systems are a newer approach making an early appearance at ISC West. Brivo, for example, has an early prototype of its “natural language search capabilities” that can answer questions such as “Who is in the office?” or “Where is Bob and what has he done?” Brivo also promoted its all-in-one door station device that combines a card reader and a camera (for facial authentication) and serves as a video intercom, thus eliminating the need for multiple devices at the door. Brivo is also emphasising tailgate prevention, facial authentication, and people counting using AI at the edge. Also promoting natural language systems was Verkada, which unveiled a beta version of its AI Search feature that embraces national language capabilities. With AI Search, users will soon be able to use natural language to search for people or items. For example, a search could be “person climbing over a fence” or “person making phone call” or “person wearing football jersey.” Verkada wants to be thoughtful with the rollout and make sure effective guardrails are implemented to prevent abuse and bias. The release should happen in the coming months. Multi-family applications Allegion is promoting the XE360 hardware lock platform in various formats, including cylindrical lock, mortise lock, deadbolt and exit trim. At the show, Allegion noted an enthusiasm for multi-family applications. “We have been surprised by the people who want to add electronics and to retrofit existing multi-family facilities to compete with newer facilities,” said Henry “Butch” Holland, Allegion’s Regional Director, Channel Sales East Region. Allegion works with 60 different physical access control software providers, including familiar players such as LenelS2 and Genetec Allegion also offers an “indicator” display on its locks, showing at a glance whether a door is locked or unlocked. The “indicator” might also display “occupied” or “vacant.” Allegion works with 60 different physical access control software providers, including familiar players such as LenelS2 and Genetec.  Integrator M&A trends Everon looks for acquisitions in areas where they do not currently have support for national accounts A conversation with Everon at ISC West provided insights into the accelerating trend of mergers and acquisitions among the integrator community. Everon, formerly ADT Commercial, has done six acquisitions of local integrators since they changed their name last year. In targeting companies to acquire, they look for a good company with a good reputation, and they consider how the new company’s competencies complement their own. Some M&A strategy is geographic, as Everon looks for acquisitions in areas where they do not currently have support for national accounts. They also consider density, seeking to add new acquisitions in larger markets where they don’t currently have a big market share. “A lot of investment is coming into security because it is seen by investors as recession-proof,” said Michael Kennedy, VP, Mergers and Acquisitions, for Everon. Kennedy met with 95 businesses last year for possible acquisition, and the company only finalised a handful – reflecting that Everon is selective and careful that corporate cultures are aligned. “With an acquisition, the goal is to keep every customer and every employee,” said Kennedy. Voice of the customer  ISC West provides an opportunity for manufacturers to listen to the “voice of the customer;” in person, no less. “We have every kind of problem come to the booth,” commented Heather Torrey, Honeywell’s General Manager, Commercial Security, Americas. “People are passionate, interested and very specific with their questions and comments,” she said. “We are driving a complete system, but we are flexible, helping our customers to meet their needs and not try to fit every foot into the same shoe. Sometimes meeting customer needs involves working with competitors," Torrey commented. “It truly comes back to listening to the customer, not just ‘this is what we have to offer,’” she adds. ISC West provides an opportunity for manufacturers to listen to the “voice of the customer;” in person, no less. Edge applications are everywhere at ISC West, and one company is promoting a new approach to expand functionality at the edge. Camera company i-PRO advocates the use of the “Docker” platform for app development, an option they offer on their cameras. Docker “containers” package deep-learning algorithms to make it easier to embed software into edge devices. Anyone can run Docker apps on i-PRO cameras that use the powerful Ambarella chip. A Docker “swarm” can combine multiple edge devices to work together and share resources. For example, the approach can increase computing power at the edge to increase the capabilities of instant analytics. It’s faster and provides better redundancies. A “distributed computing platform” ensures less latency than communicating analytics to a central server.  Unification of capabilities Johnson Controls (JCI) also promotes the trend of combining multiple systems into a single pane of glass. Their “Open Blue” platform, with a security version unveiled at the show, integrates various security systems into one, combining data and monitoring device health.  Basically, the system manages all resources holistically. JCI also notes a trend toward “unification of capabilities,” e.g., combining access control and video. “The scope of security is evolving from a focus on protection to a broader focus on operations,” commented Julie M. Brandt, JCI’s President, Building Solutions North America.