Author Archives: admin

How Integrators Can Handle the ‘Punch List Creep’

By admin | Published: January 12, 2012

OK, I admit it; I like the title of this blog because the first thing that comes to mind is the nickname for the person doing a punch list on a project. As in, “You’d better get those things done before the punch list creep gets here.” Although, truth be told, I’m sure “creep” would [...]

Posted in Needs Assesment, Planning and Budgeting, Project Management, Published Articles | Leave a comment

Evaluating Security Product Substitutions for Installations

By admin | Published: December 1, 2011

When specifying a project, the term “or approved equal” (OAE) comes up often. We frequently find it easier to describe a specific make and model than force the bidder to decide what we are looking for from a detailed list of specifications. Adding the term OAE lets the bidder know they are free to present [...]

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How Many Trade Shows Is Enough?

By admin | Published: September 30, 2011

In the aftermath of what was undoubtedly a successful industry trade show — ASIS Int’l 2011, September 19-22 in Orlando — I have been inundated with people telling me they missed me at the show. And before the trade show, there were people calling to set up meetings with me at the show. And it’s [...]

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Mystic Lake’s Gold Standard

By admin | Published: August 25, 2011

Original article published at StarTribune.com, click to read the full article here – Mystic Lake’s Gold Standard “Mystic Lake Casino is known for gambling, concerts and buffets, but it’s also known for having one of the best surveillance systems in the world. Mystic Lake Casino surveillance experts watched over the Prior Lake casino. Tribal officials [...]

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How Trimming Support for Obsolete CCTV Products Benefits the Industry

By admin | Published: July 27, 2011

I received an E-mail blast from a CCTV manufacturer today describing a new five-point plan aimed to overhaul its technical support and customer service. Four of the five points were in line with expectations for a high-end company in the electronic security industry, but I suspect that the bulk of the objections the manufacturer hears [...]

Posted in Product Evaluation, Specifications, System Design, System Documentation | Leave a comment

How to Impress Clients During a Bad Installation Job

By admin | Published: June 29, 2011

It seems to me that clients often measure the performance of an integrator by how well the company cleans up the metaphorical messes its made. I suspect that this is one, if not THE most important, factor when considering job performance and customer satisfaction. In fact, for many, this defines the actual quality of the [...]

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P/T/Z Control in an IP World

By admin | Published: May 26, 2011

Based on some comments I have received from a surprising number of manufacturers, I’m going to write a “CCTV 101″ type blog. It will be short and sweet, and if this is too basic for you, check back in a few days for a new entry. But when a question comes up as often as [...]

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The UPS and Downs of Camera Power Supplies

By admin | Published: May 16, 2011

In an earlier blog, I mentioned that innovation seemed in short supply at ISC West this year. That’s not to say there wasn’t anything new, just that you had to dig further to find it. So, digging I went … Case in point was a new line of camera power supplies from Altronix that include [...]

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Objectionable Consultants

By admin | Published: April 27, 2011

At ISC West, I had the honor of teaching a class on bright and early on April 6. Early in Las Vegas was at 11:15 a.m. The session, “Developing, Influencing and Responding to Request for Proposal’s (RFP’s)“, focused on practical, hands-on tips to make the whole RFP process work better for all involved. The class [...]

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ISC West 2011: The Year of the Copycat

By admin | Published: April 21, 2011

I’m a big fan of the ISC West trade show, which is held in Las Vegas each year at the beginning of April. As a consultant who must bill hours to make a living, my time is valuable and I try to choose one major trade show a year to attend. The two biggest shows [...]

Posted in Product Evaluation, Vendor Assessment | 1 Comment