Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/755184
DECEMBER 2016 | 43 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY TYCO INTEGRATED FIRE & SECURITY Fire Protection Systems All the panels were installed first using new wiring, and after the system was fully configured, its transfer was performed one floor at a time during the night shift, as was testing and alarm sounding. In total, two years were spent on the proj- ect – which was approved by the authorities without a hitch. The big news in 2016 from Tyco Integrated Fire & Security, whose product port- folio includes fire alarms, sprinklers, suppression, health care, emergency commu- nications, access control, intrusion, and video and monitoring, is that it merged with Johnson Controls in September and is currently undergoing rebranding. Johnson Controls International plc brings together best-in-class product, tech- nology and service capabilities across controls, fire, security, HVAC, power solutions and energy storage. "The merger almost doubles our size and allows us to offer new suites of services related to energy management and building controls," says Peter Redfern, Tyco's commercial sales leader. The merger is particularly salient given that service integration remains the pre- dominant technological trend in the fire protection systems market. "Many excit- ing things are being explored by our research and development specialists," says Redfern. "For example, we are looking at having building controls, fire and security as a single solution instead of just fire alarm panels in buildings, which will mean great efficiency for everything from college campuses to mid-level businesses; it also means clients will have to rely on only one service provider instead of many." Redfern stresses that his company will continue to go to market as Tyco Integrated Fire & Security, and as such, is pursuing its typical course of releasing many new systems to market, one of the most noteworthy being cloud video, a low total cost of ownership cloud-based video solution provided by Eagle Eye Networks. Customers using cloud video are able to view live and recorded video from any location using a standard web browser or mobile device. The scalable system works with any number of IP or analog cameras, making it ideal for commercial businesses as well as mid-size and small business owners. Plus, with no PCs to manage or soft- ware to install, cloud video users are up and running with minimal disruption. Addressing another growing trend in the fire protection business is the Simplex TrueAlert ES from Tyco: it's the industry's first advanced line of intelligent, fully addressable notification appliances. This system enables users to monitor their fire systems from anywhere with live video look-in and other options, via their iPhone, iPad, Android, or other web-enabled devices. TrueAlert provides real-time alerts, remote arm/disarm capabilities and access management along with live look-in. While there's nothing uplifting about the need for bigger and better complex fire protection systems, the MarketsandMarkets report at least ensures that business will be brisk for providers for the next 14 years. Moreover, its findings suggest that increasingly, companies will emphasize servicing and inspection as well as instal- lation expertise; ethernet connections and other non-traditional, non-fire network connections in fire alarm applications will rise to prominence; and apps will more and more be used to make inspections and maintenance much more cost effective. In short, no matter how complex the needs of customers will become, providers will be well equipped to meet them. A