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32 | FEBRUA RY 2019 Security & Life Safety Systems Today's integrated security systems allow users to do much more with less by STACEY MCLACHLAN S mart home security devices made up a $920-million market in 2017. Products that barely existed five years ago – like video doorbells – are now a growing force in the market. But in a recent Allegion Canada Future talk video on YouTube, Scott Harkins, VP of Internet of Things partner programs at Honeywell, pointed out that these DIY products can sometimes be more sizzle than steak. "If it has a beautiful app but it doesn't lock or unlock properly, there's a problem with the real user experience," Harkins explains. "We often get confused by great apps and beautiful designs, which are critically important, but the products themselves have to do what they're designed to do and they have to do it 100 percent of the time." So for those who are truly serious about security – whether for multi-family residences or big commercial or institutional projects – seasoned security profes- sionals will serve you better than an off-the-shelf motion-cam. And with security tech improving and evolving at a rapid pace, the offerings are more exciting than ever before. T H E P R I C E I S R I G H T As technology develops and proliferates, the price drops dramatically, which means today's security systems can do a lot more for a lot less. "What's driving the industry is that a bunch of things – the cost of sensors, the cost of transmission to the cloud, the cost of storage in the cloud – have come down so dramatically that it allows us to really collect way more data than we could col- lect just a few years ago, and analyze that data in ways we could never have done before," says Harkins. "We're selling five times as many cameras as we have in the past," says Don Conner, regional manager for Vipond Security. That's hardly surprising given that prices over the last few years have dropped from $2,000 price points to closer to $300, even as the quality of recordings have been improving. "The images the cameras produce are of higher megapixel, and they're cheaper than ever," says Conner. "People are demanding to feel safe in public places. Whether it's a courthouse, prison, or school, they want to make sure people who are up to no good are caught." S Y S T E M S T H AT D O I T A L L Today's preferred security systems are all about that cross-functionality. Johnson Controls (who merged with Tyco SimplexGrinnell in 2016) sees the demand for a one-stop solution with most of its projects, like the Magnolia Regional Medical Center's new state-of-the-art facility, which features a pack- aged communications and life-safety solution. In addition to advanced fire and alarm systems, the team installed IP video surveillance that could be managed easily from a central hub, and provided state-of-the-art internal communication. The Access Control System utilized multiple computer-based systems, smart cards, biometric devices, and video – all linked together via an enterprise-wide IP-based network. Habtech Command and Control centre was originally designed as a military- based radar system, but is now available for commercial use through Vipond Security, integrating a variety of different types of systems together with one command screen. On Lock Down

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