Tyco Integrated Security - Experts & Thought Leaders

Gallagher Security is thrilled to announce the appointment of Matt Butts as Executive Vice President – the Americas, effective September 15. With more than 25 years of experience in the security and software industries, Matt has built a strong record of driving growth and leading high-performing teams. He’s held leadership roles at Johnson Controls, Tyco Integrated Security, ADT, and most recently served as Senior Director of Global Security Sales at Transact Campus, where he successfully led global expansion efforts and strengthened the company’s position in key markets. Matt leads Gallagher’s operations Matt lead Gallagher’s operations across North, Central, and South America, guiding regional strategy In his new role, Matt will lead Gallagher’s operations across North, Central, and South America, guiding regional strategy as Gallagher continues to expand its presence in the region.  He’s enthusiastic about joining the team, citing the company’s 85-year history and tangible drive as key factors that attracted him to the role. Gallagher’s culture and commitment “Gallagher stands out for its culture and commitment to innovation,” says Matt Butts. He adds, “I see a company with the capability and solutions to play a much bigger role across the Americas. I strongly believe Gallagher’s solutions are the best available, and I’m eager to work alongside the team to help more businesses in our market see that, too. The momentum already created in this region is inspiring, and I can’t wait to get started.”  New standards of success Mark Junge, Chief Executive, believes Matt will lead the team to set new standards of success Mark Junge, Chief Executive, believes Matt will lead the team to set new standards of success. “Matt’s passion for innovation and ability to inspire teams makes him the right pioneer to accelerate our momentum in the Americas,” he says. Mark Junge adds, “He brings dynamic energy and genuine passion to the role, and most importantly, his core values are aligned with our mission to protect what matters most. I’m confident Matt will make this role his own in a way that furthers our global vision.” Real impact for customers and partners The way Matt sees it, that means tapping into the region’s greatest asset: its people. “When you ask security professionals what makes Gallagher stand out, it’s always the people,” he explains. Matt Butts adds, “My leadership philosophy is built around empowering people and fostering a culture where teams can do their best work. I believe that when people feel trusted, supported, and inspired, they achieve remarkable results. At Gallagher, I see an opportunity to harness that kind of energy to deliver real impact for our end customers and partners.” Gallagher Security at GSX 2025 Matt will be joining the Gallagher Security Americas team at GSX 2025 in New Orleans at booth #3339 from September 29 to October 1 and invites all GSX attendees to stop by to say hello.

Johnson Controls, a provider of smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, announces results of independent surveys of 800+ building decision makers showing a clear shift to increased investment in healthy building trends and technologies. “At the centre of a vision for a healthy world must be healthy buildings, and that means delivering on the most critical elements to serve People, Places and Planet,” said George Oliver, CEO of Johnson Controls. Game-changing solutions “Our OpenBlue technologies reinvent the building landscape, creating dynamic smart facilities that help businesses meet their sustainability commitments, while delivering healthy places, enriched experiences and cost savings. Johnson Controls leads the industry in translating new building technology capabilities into game-changing solutions that deliver on our focus of People, Places and Planet.” As a pioneer in the category with 135 years of experience, Johnson Controls is ideally positioned with technologies and solutions that accelerate the reinvention of healthy buildings. The surveys confirmed the need is greater than ever, with 90 percent of responding firms having dedicated resources to healthy buildings initiatives. Reducing energy use Johnson Controls OpenBlue technologies deliver a unique, game-changing capability to solve for healthy places" “Building owners are struggling to balance urgent and conflicting priorities between employee health and wellness with critically needed cost savings, increased revenue and sustainability targets,” said Michael Ellis, executive vice president and chief customer & digital officer at Johnson Controls. “Johnson Controls is best positioned to help businesses meet those sustainability commitments while delivering on our customers’ return on investment,” Ellis said. The 2020 pandemic showed that few customers were able to reduce building operating costs despite lower occupancy, highlighting the need for technologies to deliver flexibility. “Energy use should be dramatically lower when occupancy is low, but surprisingly less than one in ten building operators were able to reduce energy use more than 20 percent,” Ellis said. “At a time when companies are aggressively pursuing energy and cost savings, customers need and want solutions that help them do better, while increasing the health profile of those buildings. Johnson Controls OpenBlue technologies deliver a unique, game-changing capability to solve for healthy places, while simultaneously serving sustainability goals.” Specific investment priorities The survey of facilities operators showed a range of specific investment priorities to meet goals for Healthy People, Healthy Places and a Healthy Planet: Healthy People - Businesses are increasingly committed to employee health and wellness as a driver of high performing teams. The studies show an increase in investments by organizations toward wellness, clean air and peace of mind. 80 percent of respondents stated that protecting the health and safety of building occupants during the COVID pandemic and afterward is very or extremely important. New factors are being included in this mix such as temperature control, disinfection, ventilation and air filtration which all require well maintained systems and equipment, enhanced through intelligent sensors and control software. The realities of the COVID pandemic have increased the potential benefit of these technologies and for contactless access and contact tracing. These capabilities can help increase overall building security through enhanced tracking of building guest and occupant access, flow and location, while maintaining trust. Johnson Controls delivers solutions for all of these needs and in support of broader wellness for people in shared spaces. Flexible facility monitoring Finding cost savings and making fast and informed decisions is a critical part of facility operations Healthy Places - Finding cost savings and making fast and informed decisions, supported by data, is a critical part of facility operations. In the Johnson Controls independent studies, 80 percent of facility executives stated that increasing flexibility to quickly respond to emergencies is a top driver for investment in technologies such as flexible facility monitoring and healthy air strategies. The spaces in which people work, shop, entertain and live become more inviting, more efficient and less expensive to operate over time. Space optimization, capital planning and increasing the uptime and lifetime of assets all support operational performance and lead to cost savings & increased revenue opportunities for building operators. Johnson Controls OpenBlue, a complete suite of connected solutions and services, leverages digital integration to optimize the performance of buildings and assets. Smart building technology Healthy Planet - Improvements in energy efficiency, renewable energy and smart building technology are becoming more critical each year. In the studies, 76 percent of facility executives stated that energy cost savings are a top driver for investment. These investments also influence corporate sustainability rankings, an important metric for attracting and retaining investors, employees and customers. Buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of the planet’s total energy consumption Buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of the planet’s total energy consumption and 36 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from energy use. But only 1 percent of buildings undergo energy efficient renovation every year. Effective action is crucial in aligning to increased regulation, decreasing energy consumption and increasing sustainability. For the health of the planet, the studies revealed that 57 percent of organizations plan to achieve net zero carbon or positive energy status in at least one facility in the next ten years. Energy-savings performance Through ongoing efforts to create more healthy buildings, Johnson Controls has implemented more than 3,000 energy-savings performance contracting projects in North America alone. The result has been reductions of more than 29 million metric tons of carbon emissions from customer facilities and savings of $6B in energy and operating costs driven by a comprehensive suite of product and technology solutions. In fiscal year 2019 almost half of Johnson Controls revenue came from products and services that reduce energy use and improve sustainability. Johnson Controls helps building owners and occupants make efficient, productive decisions in support of healthy people, healthy places and a healthy planet.

Johnson Controls, the global provider of smart and sustainable buildings and architect of the OpenBlue digital platforms, introduces the Tyco American Dynamics victor Application Servers. These servers are ideal when managing video from VideoEdge NVRs via the victor VMS. Scalable from single-site locations to enterprise-level deployments (SAS and MAS), these servers are available in several form factors with distinct configurations to simplify ordering and installation and come with full service technical and hardware support. The 1U Rack Mount Server with a single CPU delivers powerful performance and enterprise-class features. Users can scale even further to the 2U Rack Mount Server for a large memory and extensive I/O footprints. Product security program AI and analytics are now combined and integrated with VideoEdge to strengthen operational efficiency Each server is backed by a three-year limited warranty. Powerful AI and analytics are now combined and integrated with victor / VideoEdge to strengthen operational efficiency and effectiveness. Detect suspicious objects and abnormal behaviour to identify trends that help mitigate threat and pinpoint the exact location of alarms on maps to arm security teams with life-saving details. With powerful, automated and forensic search capabilities, powered by Tyco AI, victor / VideoEdge users are able to save time when minutes matter. All of the company’s products are analysed, tested and required to meet or exceed the rigorous standards of the Johnson Controls Cyber Solutions Product Security Program. This holistic approach is aimed at providing peace of mind to the company’s customers. Their security mindset begins at initial design concept and is supported through deployment, including a rapid incident response to meet the comprehensive and evolving cyber security environments.

Protecting power grids is essential to deliver electricity that serves millions of consumers. Transmission substations are a component of the power infrastructure that presents unique security challenges. These important facilities often sit out in the open, in remote locations, and were historically protected by little more than cameras or chain-link fences. Much of the current concern about securing electrical substations in the United States originated in response to a 2013 sniper attack, using military-style weapons, on Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Metcalf Transmission Substation in Coyote, Calif., near San Jose. Gunmen fired on 17 electrical transformers, resulting in more than $15 million in damage. The crime is still unsolved. Security critical infrastructure The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC/CIP) guidelines emerged in the aftermath of the attack, triggering growth in security spending to protect utilities. The latest NERC/CIP Version 6 standards were issued in January 2016, with deadlines of various phases falling in July 2016, April 2017, and the final phase to be completed in September 2018. The earlier deadlines were for high- and medium-risk facilities, and the future deadline covers lower-risk areas. The standards target four areas of concern securing utility sites: security awareness, physical security, remote access connections, and incident response. Although medium- and high-impact facilities tend to be more critical, the connected nature of utility infrastructure means that security is only as strong as the weakest link. Perimeter security requirements Every facility has a baseline requirement for perimeter security protection around the site, although medium- and high-impact sites will have more stringent requirements. The geography surrounding sites – Is it an urban area or rural? Does the surrounding elevation provide additional lines of sight? – also impacts the types of systems they require. A lack of similar incidents since the 2013 Metcalf attack could fuel debate on whether the extra security was necessary, and could even lead to a sense of complacency. “A lot of money has been spent on fancy systems at the top tier,” says Greg Hendrix, Sales Lead at Tyco Integrated Security. “But nothing has happened since Metcalf. The concern is that we could lull ourselves into a sense of everything’s OK. We need to find a balance between what’s appropriate and what isn’t, and it’s a moving target. There is no silver bullet.”  With 35 years in the physical security industry, Hendrix manages a specialised team of 12 pre-sale field engineers that focus on designing electronic security solutions for complex needs as part of Johnson Controls’ Centers of Excellence network. Every facility has a baseline requirement for perimeter security protection around the site, although medium- and high-impact sites will have more stringent requirements Cameras and access control for high-security facilities Hendrix assisted one utility industry customer as a primary design engineer for nine high-impact sites. The sites were high- to medium-tier sites that are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Thermal cameras with analytics were positioned to detect intrusions and discern between wildlife and human intruders. Avoiding false alarms is crucial if, for instance, 300 cameras are monitored at a single site. The analytics systems were augmented with pan-tilt-zoom cameras that could be directed to view intruders. Analytics zones were used to trigger large LED light panels to flood various zones with light in case of an intruder. If an intruder gets even closer, it would trigger a recorded voice to tell them to leave. Metal fences that were 12 feet high and even concrete were used to protect lines of sight to provide a ballistics barrier against gunshots. Mountainous or hilly areas presented additional challenges, as someone could position themselves above the fence line. In some cases, automated gates use multi-factor access control readers (cards and PINs) to allow vehicles to pass and then to close behind them. In other instances, pedestrian-only gates are used, requiring vehicles to remain parked outside the perimeter. Video surveillance watches entrances and exits. Compliance with NERC/CIP regulations Connecting IP cameras into a utility’s IT system, or even using a laptop to programme a video system, can introduce cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The idea is not to contribute to the cybersecurity challenges utilities already face to protect the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) monitoring systems and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in daily operations. “The physical threat is evident, but the cybersecurity threat is not so obvious,” says Hendrix. “To focus on one without the other doesn’t make a lot of sense. The physical security folks focus on how we can physically detect and deter, and promote visibility. But we have to remind ourselves that the security of the cyber connection is critical. Security awareness applies to us as integrators as much as customers. We have to find an IT guru within the organisation and make sure we are working together.” Failure to adhere to NERC/CIP requirements, which are enforced using audits, trigger fines that could put the profitability of private utility companies at risk. “There is an opportunity for integrators to partner with customers and identify how to appropriately meet the requirements within budget and get these projects done,” says Hendrix. Among the audit requirements is a log showing who comes and goes at a facility; access control systems collect that information and provide the needed documentation. Employees are issued cards, and contractors and other visitors are required to be escorted by approved personnel into and out of a site. For frequent visitors and contractors, a credential can be issued. Promoting awareness of such policies and requirements is another factor in CIP compliance.

The minutes are counting down to one of the biggest security industry trade shows of the 2017 calendar. Expectations are high going into ISC West 2017 in Las Vegas: Last year’s show was very well attended and highlighted lots of new technologies. Looking ahead to this year’s show, we wanted to get the Expert Panel Roundtable’s take on what news will dominate the show. So we asked our panel: What do you expect to be the big news at ISC West 2017?

Changes in our industry’s technologies are reflected in the language we use. Over the years, more than one industry trend has been tied to associated buzzwords – for better or worse. As the technologies change, so does the language. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the industry’s newest “buzzwords” and what do they reflect about the changing market?