Socomec UPS has been praised as delivering “unparalleled quality, innovation and customisation” upon recognition with a European Frost & Sullivan award for Product Differentiation Excellence 2013.

Describing the factors that set Socomec apart from the competition, Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Gautham Gnanajothi said: “Socomec’s product differentiation excellence mainly stems from the fact that it designs and develops products that match the market needs. For instance, the company is currently focusing on two main market trends; the need to reduce the cost of energy along with the emergence of alternative energy sources, and the need for customers to efficiently estimate their power requirements.”

Socomec firmly believes in designing products with value-added features and functionalities – across all power ranges. The entire portfolio offers features that enhance performance, reliability and total protection. Socomec strongly advocates on-line double conversion (V.F.I or voltage frequency independent) mode for operation – the only working mode that guarantees total load protection along with reduced energy bills. Its UPS products are designed to assure high efficiency, not only at full load, but also at partial load and under every possible working condition.

The high focus on quality is inherent within the design phase – efficiency and fault tolerance are priorities. Socomec is one of the first companies in the industry to employ an innovative “3-Level” technology in its UPS products, incorporating sophisticated power converters with fully digital controls. It is with this technology that Socomec offers industry leading efficiency of 96 per cent in the on-line double conversion mode. The company also enforces some of the most rigorous tests in its plants to ensure highest quality for the units it produces.

“Providing customised solutions to end-users is one of the key strategies of Socomec and the company has dedicated departments to handle customisation,” noted Gnanajothi. “As a part of this strategy, it continues to focus and develop both transformer-based and transformer-less UPS systems, whereas its competitors focus mainly on transformer-less designs.”

In addition to its engineering and project management department that specialises in defining bespoke recommendations for specific requirements, Socomec has a dedicated service team responsible for creating customised service solutions.

Frost & Sullivan describe Socomec as “a company that promises product innovation to address industry challenges such as efficiency, availability and floor space. It boasts of high customer retention and customer satisfaction, which it has acquired over the years by delivering top of the class products. It maintains excellent proximity with its customers in order to understand their needs better and come up with products that demonstrate unique features and functionalities.

In recognition of its capability to deliver extraordinary levels of quality, innovation and customisation of the highest magnitude, Socomec is the worthy recipient of the 2013 Frost & Sullivan Differentiation Excellence Award.”

Andrew Wilkinson, regional managing director Socomec, added: “We are delighted to have been recognized with this industry award. Socomec is firmly committed to delivering innovation that matches our customers’ evolving needs in terms of efficiency and performance; innovation that delivers measurable and sustainable benefits to our customers today and in the years to come.”

More Information:

www.socomec.com

Milestone, a leading security software developer, hosted its fourth annual Milestone Partner Open Platform (MPOP) event in the Middle East from 30 April to 2 May at the Al Raha Beach Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

Over three days, delegates were treated to a series of seminars, networking and technology showcases and an exhibition featuring 26 Milestone partners. This was topped off by a Gala Dinner, sponsored by Axis Communications, and Awards Ceremony on 1 May.

The keynote address was delivered by Peter Biltsted, Milestone Director for the MENA region. He said, “At our first Middle East MPOP in 2009 we had just 70 guests, at this event we have over 270 attendees and 26 exhibiting partners from 24 countries. It is a testament to the success of Milestone and Milestone partners in the region, and tangible proof of our combined growth. Milestone alone saw 25 per cent growth in 2012, and it is down to the unwavering support of our partners, so many of them are with us at this MPOP.

“These annual events, which we host all around the world, are a vital aspect in maintaining the strong partner relationships that are responsible for the on-going expansion of the Milestone ecosystem. To date, we have over 100,000 Milestone end-users across the globe, more than 9,700 certified partners, and over 6,000 integrators within that ecosystem, and the Middle East continues to emerge as one of our strongest footholds.”

Milestone’s theme for the three-day event was ‘Think Bigger’, so Milestone used the opportunity to focus on their future plans and how they were going to enable the security industry as a whole to ‘Think Bigger’.

Al Raha Beach Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

Bjørn Skou Eilersten, VP Business Unit for Milestone, delivered a seminar dedicated to the organisations 2013 product line-up. He explained that, “Our focus for 2013 is threefold. First, we intend to strengthen our high-end offering by optimising XProtect Corporate, which will meet the specific needs of our high-end users.

“Secondly, this year we are launching a new product named XProtect Expert. Expert is an advanced open platform IP that is, essentially, a stripped down version of XProtect Corporate, developed in response to calls from clients for a high-end product that was simplified.

“Finally, Milestone will also be launching the revolutionary Milestone Interconnect system this year. This is a system that will enable users to manage a range of individual systems from one central location.”

Throughout the course of the year, Milestone users can also look forward to the optimisation of XProtect Professional, Express, Essential and Go.

In addition to the range of seminars from the Milestone perspective, there were also a variety of talks from the point of view of partners and end users. For example, IBM and Razberi Technologies spoke on their products and how they exclusively partnered with Milestone in the security industry, and Zarqa University and Cape Town’s Victoria and Albert Waterfront both discussed how the implementation of Milestone software, in addition to hardware provided by Milestone partners, have made their institutions safer.

Throughout the whole event there was an atmosphere of optimism and an eagerness to continue driving the region’s security systems to the forefront of technology. Eric Fullerton, chief sales and marketing officer for Milestone, delivered a keynote speech on the second day of the event, looking closely at Milestone’s past as a pioneer and its future as a driver of trends.

He said, “Between 2004 and 2012, Milestone has seen a CAGR [Compound Annual Growth Rate] of 34.3 per cent, with the Middle East region seeing year-on-year performance of 117 per cent. This region has emerged as one of the strongest for Milestone, leading the pack in the first quarter of 2013, and we are proud to be partnered with such pioneering organisations positioned to rise to the challenge and maintain this regional boom in the security industry.

“It is clear to anyone, that the Middle East is the place to be successful if you are in this industry, and Milestone are the ideal software provider to meet the full range of end user needs. 2012 was a year of strategy for us, planning and developing the best possible solutions for a market with rapidly evolving technology requirements. We can see clearly the new challenges that are arising from the on-going shift from analog system to IP, and 2013 is all about implementing answers to these challenges.

“It is our goal to create trust and strength that carried through to our customers, and the aim to create security systems that are reliable, affordable, and easy to use while remaining tailored to end-user’s specific requirements.”

The prime sponsor for the event was IBM, with support from platinum sponsors Arecont Vision and Razberi Technologies, and exhibitors included industry leaders such as Sony, Bosch, Pivot3, Everfocus, Orion Systems, Optex, Panasonic, and Sentry360.

Netman, the resident IT guru at Prodec Networks, made only his second public appearance at IFSEC 2013, showcasing recent businesses he has helped by providing them with security solutions.

Attendees to the exhibition were able to meet Netman in person and have their picture taken with him, even getting an autograph if they were lucky. What’s more if they uploaded their picture with him to Twitter they were entered into a prize draw for their chance to win a free Bonded 3G box for 12 months.

Russell Barley, managing director at Prodec Networks, said in the lead up to the event: “Netman was so popular and created such a stir at Unified Comms Expo 2013, we decided to bring him along to IFSEC International as well.

“Netman enables companies to do things they didn’t know were possible. I recommend coming to see how Netman and Mobile Data Connectivity can help your business at stand 5/B118.”

Prodec Networks showcased its ‘Security without Compromise’ solutions at IFSEC International  at the NEC, Birmingham. These solutions allow businesses to eliminate the vulnerability of fixed line connections whilst benefiting from an encrypted secure IP-SEC tunnel, remote centralised management and mixed media connectivity, with resiliency as standard.

More Information:

To request your copy of Netman’s comic book please email harriet.fidler@prodec.co.uk

www.prodec.co.uk  www.netmanuk.com

Sans Digital, a leading provider of high performance storage subsystems, has announced that Sans Digital 3.5” and 2.5” 6G SAS rackmount JBOD enclosures, the EliteSTOR product line, is certified with LSI’s MegaRAID SAS RAID cards.

Included in the LSI compatibility list are the Sans Digital 6G SAS rackmount enclosures for 2.5” hard drives and SSD called the EliteSTOR 2.5” series, 1U-8bay ES108X6+BR, 2U-16bay ES216X6+B, and the 2U-24bay ES224X6+B as well as the environmentally friendly low carbon footprint single power supply models the EliteSTOR 1U-8bay ES108X6+B, 2U-16bay ES216X6+BS, and the 2U-24bay ES224X6+BS. For 3.5” hard drive SAS rackmount enclosures the EliteSTOR 3U-16bay ES316X6+B, 4U-24bay ES424X6+B, and single power supply versions are also now officially supported by LSI MegaRAID SAS RAID cards.

The compatibility report for LSI’s MegaRAID 6Gb/s SAS controllers represents the basic compatibility to hardware which is known to function with the listed MegaRAID SATA+SAS controllers. LSI’s End User Center of Competence, performs comprehensive functionality testing in order to demonstrate the overall compatibility of the MegaRAID product line. LSI’s compatibility guide for the direct attached storage ecosystem is based on their testing which consists of over 50 individual tests which includes RAID functionality across all supported RAID levels, basic enclosure SES functions (Drive Locate, Array locate, fan poling, temperature, power supply information, enclosure information), enclosure power cycles during IO and physical drive pulls. LSI’s extensive testing reinforces the strict standards of Sans Digital to ensure a cohesive hardware environment for better overall reliability and maximum performance.

The Sans Digital EliteSTOR ES108X6+B, ES216X6+B, ES224X6+B, ES316X6+B, and ES424X6+B are all SAS JBOD rackmounts for high capacity storage solution and ultra fast performance. Utilizing the latest SAS and 6G SAS expander technology provides over 24 Gb/s or 2400MB/s of bandwidth able to support the most demanding applications. The built-in 6G SAS expander allow for multiple daisy chained EliteSTOR rackmounts (up to 120 drives per SAS controller), zoning, and single or dual cable connections to the host (dual SAS cables allows for faster performance and added high availability). Also included are fan, voltage and temperature monitoring and alarms for instant live notifications. The EliteSTOR ES108X6+B, ES216X6+B, and ES224X6+B supports 2.5″ SATA, SAS 6Gbps, and 6G SATA/SAS SSD and is also backwards compatible with 3Gbps 2.5” inch hard drives. All models support the latest SAS technology which enables the user to use multiple 2.5″ inch SAS, SATA, SSD drives using a one mini-SAS cable. All necessary hardware comes standard including mini-SAS cable, hard drives tray modules and built-in mounting rail. The EliteSTOR 2.5” hard drive enclosures is truly the ideal storage expansion solution for servers or high performance video editing workstations.

“The official compatibility of the EliteSTOR product line for use with LSI’s MegaRAID controller, offer added reassurance to customers looking for a fast performing reliable solution,” said Stanley Chan, Director of Business Development at Sans Digital. “Sans Digital and participating customers have long approved the use of LSI cards with our enclosures; however, the official release in LSI’s compatibility list adds another layer of trust and support on our already popular SAS enclosure product lines.”

More Information:

Sans Digital EliteSTOR series are available now and backed by 3-year limited Hardware warranty.

For more information for 2.5” SSF for SSD / SAS / SATA models, please visit http://www.sansdigital.com/2.5-elitestor/index.php.

For 3.5” models, please visit http://www.sansdigital.com/elitestor/index.php .

At IFSEC Honeywell Security Group is running a series of solutions-focused seminars on its stand E80 in Hall 4.

Covering the major concerns and trends affecting the security industry today, the seminars will focus on the key challenges facing installers, integrators and end user companies, and will look to provide guidance and information on the best solutions that bring value and respond to business requirements.

See below for details about each of the seminars taking place:

Low investment and strong cost savings from MAXPRO Cloud – Andy Davies

Andy Davies will discuss how Honeywell MAXPRO ® Cloud delivers the benefits of a modern security system connected to the cloud, available without a large upfront capital investment and providing a strong cost saving benefit.

Security for Banking and Financial Enterprises – Douglas Gray

Douglas Gray illustrates how the scalable nature of Honeywell ’s security solutions provide global management of security to the Banking and Finance sector with local control, and a strong focus on solutions that increase security, boost efficiency, help with compliance and provide cost savings.

Access Control with video over the internet – Gordon Thomas

Gordon Thomas will discuss the options available to organisations looking for security solutions, including access control and video monitoring, which can grow and expand with the needs of the business. Businesses can significantly reduce the costs of access control and video integration with NetAXS-123, designed to fit any budget and business requirement.

Cost effective video surveillance with ONVIF-compliant IP Video – David Gregory

David Gregory will showcase Honeywell ONVIF-compliant IP camera range which is compatible with other third party systems, ideal for customers seeking a cost effective surveillance solution that requires higher image and picture quality even in low light, high contrast and changing light conditions.

The security of visual verification for small to mid-sized businesses – Phil Matthews

Phil Matthews will showcase Galaxy ® Flex, an integrated door control and intruder alarm system that provides visual verification of alarm activations for small to mid-sized organizations addressing the issue of false alarms which waste valuable man hours, police time and disrupt the day-to-day operations of a business or residence.

Web based monitoring solutions for large enterprises – Norman de Andrade

Norman de Andrade will discuss the common challenges associated with security and how the technology used by web-based monitoring solutions allows large enterprises to implement one solution that improves security, reduces risk and increases peace of mind across the enterprise. He will reveal the newest version of Pro-Watch ® security management system designed to tackle such challenges.

Security for Retail businesses – Bob Govier

Bob Govier will reveal how Honeywell ’s security management solutions can monitor critical equipment to identify and prevent problems before they become serious and can help to protect you against a wide variety of challenges across the retail organization, including customer theft and fraud, staff theft and fraud, vandalism and terrorist attack, Health and Safety compliance.

More Information:

www.security.honeywell.com

Serviced Office Group, the AIM-listed provider of office space and IT facilities which operates 23 business centres, has selected Lodge Service as the new supplier of security for its South East locations.

Savings in the cost of protecting property and assets are estimated at 28 per cent, achieved by undertaking a strategic review of its security operating model across its estate.

Serviced Office Group, primarily in London and the South East, include the newly refurbished and prestigious 33,000 sq. ft. Mermaid House office block at Blackfriars, London EC4, adjoining the Mermaid Theatre and conference centre.

All sites are monitored at Lodge Service’s high-security data centre at Accrington, Lancashire, which is staffed 24 hours a day. The network’s software and hardware platform enables monitoring of almost any client on-site system or service, including HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) and fire alarms, with alerts to a smartphone, tablet or other selected device.

The combination of security systems and trained manpower in the Lodge Service intelligence network enables premises’ managers to target resources according to the risk and cost profile, to maximise both safety and return on investment, according to Stuart Lodge, CEO of Lodge Service. The company works with organisations to identify the principal security issues, quantify the level of impact, and then find the best solution, with agreed key performance indicators to measure outcomes .

“Lodge Service offered the experience in both guarding and monitoring, as well as robust management reporting and the flexibility to provide the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to ensure the performance and productivity required for the programme.” said Anne Stokes of Serviced Office Group.

“By continually benchmarking service providers we can ensure that Serviced Office Group and its clients receive the maximum benefit from both innovation and value for money. The initial assessment and periodic re-examination of partners ensures the solutions provided by us are always best in class and robust. ”

More Information:

www.lodgeservice.com

Mayflex, the cabling infrastructure, networking and electronic security solutions distributor, has unveiled a new comprehensive fibre product guide.

The guide not only features the full range of fibre products and accessories available from Mayflex but it is also a great reference document with useful information relating to fibre installations.

The guide also gives the user an overview of fibre optic cabling systems, details the different types of cable construction and looks at the fibre optic cabling standards.

Mark Simmons, Sales Director at Mayflex comments, ‘Although most people associate us with copper cabling systems, we are actually a major provider of fibre optic systems from cable and connectors right through to MTP and Blown Fibre. Our distribution facility holds considerable stocks of fibre for next day, free delivery to the UK Mainland and the idea behind this brochure is to highlight the breadth of our fibre portfolio and make it easier for our customers to find what they’re looking for.’

Mark continued ‘Our range of MTP products has been extended to include new high density patch panels with a choice of straight and angled options that take up to 5 cassettes. Our solution utilises the MTP Elite® connectors which provide superior product performance over standard MTP connectors.’

Mark continued ‘We’ve also extended our pre-termination offering and this brochure includes an example of a detailed schematic showing the typical pre-terminated assembly which is provided with each order. This diagram shows the specification of the fibre and connectors used, complete with a breakdown of the components that make up the assembly.’

Mark concluded ‘Testing is another key area and one that we’ve focused on within the guide and includes details on our product offerings from Fluke Networks, Owl and Fujikura. The products have been split between Tier 1 and Tier 2 testing, to make it easier for our customers’ to select the right tester for their requirements.’

More Information:

To view the turning page pdf of the fibre product guide visit the downloads section of the Mayflex website www.mayflex.com

Spica International has announced plans to launch its workforce management solutions, including access control and time and attendance (T&A) software and hardware, in the UK.

The Slovenian technology pioneer, which integrated NFC (Near Field Communication) technology into its systems as early as 2007, plans to build an impressive network of partners and installers across the country within the next 18 months.

A recognised leader in its own country, as well as across the Middle East and Adriatic region, Spica has more than 3,000 customers in 25 countries, including a number of organisations in the UK market.

Focused on designing and developing its own software and hardware solutions, including its unique modular approach to workforce management, the company already has an established UK partner, Permatek, and also works closely with leading technology providers, such as HID, Morpho, Assa Abloy and others.

Spica aims to have in place several tier one partners, including systems integrators, specialists in workforce management, HR and ERP and security installers, across six main geographical regions in the UK. The company is also recruiting partners with specialist vertical or market expertise, including manufacturing and knowledge of industrial and factory systems.

Andrija Pušić, founder of Spica International, and head of the company’s R &D in Ljubljana, believes the UK is a market ripe for growth: “We have spent many years getting it right in other parts of the world, designing and installing thousands of access control and T &A systems.  We are keen to capitalise on the popularity and growth of workforce management and also biometrics-based identification technologies in this market.

“We’ve been very successful with our first partner Permatek, but our goal now is to have a number of high-performing, dedicated partners in place over the next two years – and hundreds of Spica installations.”

Exhibiting for the fourth time at the IFSEC show this year, which showcases the leading security products and companies from around the world, Spica (stand C35, Hall 4) will be demonstrating its brand new access control architecture.

The company will also be showcasing its flagship product, a comprehensive and fully integrated solution for access control (Space) and workforce management (Time).

Nick Jakowiw, Managing Director, Spica Solutions Limited, added: “Spica ’s heritage is firmly rooted in designing and delivering superior, technology-driven products and solutions.  Research and development and technical expertise are at the heart of everything the company does.  We are fortunate to have a team behind us that is also incredibly supportive and responsive and we believe that this will also be a key factor in our successful growth into the UK over the next few years. ”

Nick Jakowiw, Managing Director, heads up the Spica UK team, supported by Rob Howland, Export Sales Manager.

More Information:

www.spica.com

The National Exhibition Centre (NEC), the UK’s largest and Europe’s busiest exhibition centre has chosen Axis cameras and Genetec’s unified security platform, Security Center, to help it improve the effectiveness of its security and traffic teams, ensuring it becomes the UK’s venue of choice.

The venue is located on a 610-acre site just outside of Birmingham city centre offering more than 186,000 square metres of covered exhibition space and welcoming over 2.1 million visitors each year to over 140 trade and consumer events.

The installation at the NEC consisted of a fully integrated solution and utilised over 200 Axis cameras and the video surveillance and automated number plate recognition systems of Security Center. It sought to improve the venue’s security and traffic management systems to reduce incidents and maintain customer confidence in its security arrangements.

Paul Austin, director at Vindex Systems who installed the system said: “We have worked with the NEC to deliver an integrated solution to improve the effectiveness of its security and traffic teams. We carried out a rigorous testing process of potential solutions to ensure an enhanced customer experience alongside increased safety measures.

“The project was challenging as the site was in operation during the installation. There were over two million visitors during the project so we had to ensure that the work was well co-ordinated with the minimum of disruption.”

The integrated solution provides all security operators with intelligent, high-quality, intuitive information in order for them to make informed decisions based on the time of day and activity on site. The cameras integrate seamlessly with Security Center system which centrally manages the security and traffic operations from the newly created ‘Venue Operations Centre’.

Gary Masters, NEC Group security and traffic operations manager added: “The high-quality images from the Axis cameras, and the ability to centrally manage our operations using Genetec Security Center, are vital in our efforts to reduce incidents of crime and ultimately helped to improve the effectiveness of our security and traffic management team..”

“Our customers’ experience and safety is paramount. Because we are using a state-of-the-art, future-proof security and traffic management solution, we are confident that they will keep on returning and we will become the ‘venue of choice’ for UK events.”

Atul Rajput, regional director, Northern Europe, Axis Communications concluded: “This is a typical example of how Axis is being selected by some of the UK’s leading brands to deliver cutting-edge solutions to improve safety and the customer experience.

“Our cameras were chosen after a rigorous selection process due to the quality and breadth of the range. They have been deployed right across the 610-acre site and are now providing the NEC with valuable information enabling them to make informed business decisions.”

“The NEC is a complex security site involving multiple systems, such as video surveillance and automated number plate recognition, which is better served through a central system that can improve operational efficiency of their team,” concluded Simon Barnes, regional manager, UK & Northern Ireland, Genetec. “We are very excited to be partnered with the NEC in the development of its Venue Operations Centre and ongoing integrations that will further unify its view into its environment.”

More Information:

www.axis.com

Anthony King, Managing Director of Kings Security Systems

Kings Security Systems has launched a new training academy to promote skills and provide on-going development to its 579 security professionals across the UK.

Anthony King, managing director of Kings said: “The launch of Kings’ Training Academy puts training firmly at the core of our business and will drive our employee skills, standards and qualifications to an even higher level.

“The new academy further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investing in our people and developing homegrown talent across all areas of the business, from apprentices to senior managers. We will continue to lead the security industry through our apprenticeship programmes and NVQs through to Masters degrees, with the aim of developing industry professionals and leaders for the future.”

Kings has also created a new internal training committee to oversee the academy’s development and has engaged with a training partner, SPS Ltd, to support the company’s current and future training needs.

A number of training initiatives are already underway at Kings:

• 22 staff are undertaking the 12-month Certified Security Management Professional (CSMP) Certification; a modular qualification that provides core knowledge for managing a security function. This includes the managing director, commercial director, national account managers and sales managers
• 210 security officers are working towards NVQ level 2 in Security Guarding
• 23 managers are working towards NVQ level 3 in Management
• 17 team leaders are working towards NVQ Level 2 in Team Leading
• 32 members of staff have successfully passed their NVQ Level 2 in Business Admin, whilst 15 members are working towards this qualification
• 120 Kings’ engineers across the UK will be working towards NVQ level 3 in Electronic security & Emergency Systems.
• 13 apprentices are already being trained in the business, with further apprentices being recruited in the London area
• All employees are attending a two-day course covering first aid, customer service, manual handling, fire awareness and elements of the ISO27001 quality accreditation.

More Information:

www.kingsltd.co.uk