Award

34 | FEBRUA RY 2018 Security & Life Safety Systems The high-tech world of security and life safety systems by STACEY MCLACHLAN F eeling secure in a building is a privilege that should always be deeply appreciated, and having peace of mind, whether you are in the building or not, is a priceless experience – it's just not always fun and flashy. But thanks to high-tech industry developments in the security and life safety systems sector, the market is now flooded with intriguing new wireless and remote offerings, making this traditionally oh-so-practical feature into something to get seriously excited about. Economies of scale and widespread adoption has begun to make previously pricey digitally operated security products much more accessible to the masses. One prime example? As the cost for wireless smart locks drop, their reach grows. While once a niche item for early adopters, the managers and builders of multi-tenant facilities – from hotels to retirement homes to rental units – are now able to reap the benefits of these high-tech security products, too, without breaking the bank. Beyond hardware, there are other security benefits that can be reaped thanks to our widespread connectivity. "Everything is going wireless these days. End users also want direct control or access to the data from their devices. This is prevalent in the typical residential intrusion alarm market where there appears to be many more do-it-yourself systems that can do a lot more," says Levis Veilleux, who handles business development at Houle Electric. He points to the popularity of consumer products like Google and Ring, which can easily be installed and operated with little fuss, and at a decent price. Chubb Edwards is just one Canadian company utilizing the power of wire- less technology to offer owners the option to engage with their systems using smartphones, tablets or personal computers and its ChubbConnect app. Users can remotely view their alarm system status, arm or disarm it, and monitor activity via live or recorded video (there are also options to control lights and thermostat settings from a distance, too). Using an encrypted and supervised private network, Chubb Edwards is able to offer an ultra-secure surveillance system, wherever in the world you might be accessing its services. D O L L A R S A N D S E N S E Why does cost matter? Besides basic safety, people are first and foremost looking for economically efficient products. "How much will it cost? What's the function- ality? Everyone wants to know if it comes with an app. We always joke about that, about how much people want apps with their products. Fridges, TVs, everything has an app," laughs Antony Strube, VP of alarms and services at Paladin Technologies. "Some just want a new fire alarm so they'll get a discount on their home insurance. Some want a camera, doorbell, and all the other technologies that are available to get notified – that's the most sophisticated customer. But at the end of the day it comes down to, 'what will it cost me?'" Customers want those cost savings while still keeping all their devices and products connected, but, warns Veilleux, at this point in time, both of those things may not necessarily be compatible. "I would personally not buy anything for several years, unless I expect it to be disposable, because all of these DIY and professional integrator systems will eventually morph into a combined solution that satisfies integrators and the typical DIY'er. For now it is only one or the other," says Veilleux. Though off-the-shelf products may be convenient and cost-effective, Veilleux warns that they come with a cost. "Where these products tend to fail is support and monitoring," says Veilleux. "Many residential users call into security integra- tors asking them to fix their products or systems. It is still a better idea for users to go with an actual company rather than DIY," he advises. While DIY products are getting better every day, "they still do not have the reliability that the professional products provide," Veilleux continues. He points to the way that DIY products often use third-party monitoring to "marry" various products to do one task – a much less efficient option than a program from Houle Electric, which offers a total solution for Internet of Things, from mobile devices to installed equipment and in-house monitoring. Why does that matter? "When a product is designed end-to-end to perform a task, the manufacturer will support that entire solution," explains Veilleux. "If an integrator is using various different third party products and often unsupported custom or home-made software to make the overall solution function, it may work great at first, but clients soon learn that these types of systems are not sustainable over time." Unfortunately, other technology doesn't always play nicely with more profes- sional security systems. While Bluetooth or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is gaining popularity in the professional market with wireless mobile devices due to its reduced drain on batteries (which means longer-lasting mobile devices), in the residential markets, the trend is to only support Bluetooth or Z-wave products, as new products like Amazon Alexa and Google Voice support connection of wireless devices to allow them to be controlled by voice commands. It's a tough call to make between immediate convenience and connectivity of off-the-shelf products, and long-term reliability, but ultimately, with security and safety on the line, an investment in a more professional system might just be worth it. H I G H A L E R T Fire alarms and other emergency systems have come a long way in the past few years too, especially thanks to companies like Johnson Controls. By implementing new applications for addressable technology, engineers at Johnson Controls are creating fire alarm systems which offer features that stretch far beyond the need to detect fire and notify occupants. Johnson Controls Simplex TrueAlert ES addressable speakers, for example (the industry's first addressable speakers with individual on/off audio control) offer more precise control than conventional speaker circuits. "These speakers have the capability to deliver audio messages to specifically targeted areas within a building, allowing the fire alarm panel to be programmed to select exactly which speakers activate and what message is broadcast," says Mike Hugh, field sales engineer at Johnson Controls. "This unique audio capability enables the delivery Playing It Safe

• Cover