Award

FEBRUA RY 2018 | 35 Security & Life Safety Systems PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY JOHNSON CONTROLS + HOULE ELECTRIC LTD. of critical, event-specific information to exactly where it is needed. This is espe- cially important in buildings that leverage a multi-stage notification sequence." It's not exactly a new technology, but the way it's being used is a fresh take. "While addressable technology has been employed for many years on the 'detection' side of fire alarm systems, it is now also available on the 'notification' side of fire alarm functionality," says Hugh. This combination offers a multitude of benefits that can be realized at every stage in the life cycle: from design and installation, to operation and ongoing service. Because Simplex TrueAlert speakers can be installed with smaller gauge, unshielded wire, they offer increased value to architects, engineers and installing contractors: it's an ultra-cost-effective method, and the higher operating voltage translates into greater power efficiency of the appliances themselves. "For building owners, addressable notification technology offers greater value by reducing the testing, inspection, and maintenance processes, to ultimately lower the overall life cycle cost," Hugh points out. "With addressable communica- tion, faults are often specifically pinpointed to an individual device, reducing troubleshooting time, and lowering repair costs." And of special interest to building owners: addressable notification technology enables self-testing, which saves time, money and labour in comparison to conventional notification appliance testing. S A F E T Y F I R S T While a lot of add-ons have been created over the past few years – from cameras to apps – and technology is advancing at a thrilling rate, at the end of the day, the essentials of safety haven't really changed. "Whenever I talk about this I always mention that companies are just getting better at smart marketing. But the product at its core is still the same," says Strube. "Some companies talk about home automa- tion and energy management, but to be honest, making a schedule on the light switch is not really energy management, it's a gadget, and it's a cool thing to have." Strube argues that the security world may not be susceptible to trends, period. "I don't know if there are ever really trends for security and life safety products," he notes, "I think, though, that smart marketing and the demand for lifestyle gadgets masks a lot of that. We talk about apps and all that kind of stuff, and we automatically reference lifestyle products, but the fundamentals of security and life safety is you have your smoke detector, motions, etc. Nothing really has changed that much when it comes to the really basic things." What has changed, though, is the level of knowledge consumers are bringing to the decision-making process. Consumers are growing increasingly educated about their option, notes Strube. "Customers are very educated when they first speak to us. This is the main difference and the biggest change from the past. When we start talking to people they've already spent some time on the Internet looking up different products. They ask the right questions so we can really tailor to their demands." That being said, even the savviest of consumer is looking for some honest advice from the experts – support and a human touch is key, even in this high-tech information age. A Aluflam.indd 1 2017-09-20 7:58

• Cover