Two Way Direct

HIGH TECH GUARDING: IS SECURITY THE STEAMROLLER OR THE ROAD?

Brandon — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:00:00 -0700

High Tech Guarding: Is Security the Steamroller or the Road?
by Bill Zalud / Security Magazine
June 1, 2010

Once a new technology rolls over you, the adage goes, you’re either part of the steamroller or part of the road.

There has been a lot of tech rocking and rolling when it comes to security staff and their tasks of patrolling, protecting and reporting. In the past, technology used by a security officer was limited to a guard tour system device, a two-way radio, a flashlight and keys. Often there was limited communication and incident reporting was via paperwork and relied heavily on memory. Critical information was not shared effectively.

Over many years, single-focus watchmen have turned into multi-tasking security officers and their watchmen’s clocks – going back to the mid-19th Century, believe it or not – have turned into sophisticated guard tour and information analysis systems. It’s not uncommon to see an officer zipping around a parking lot on a Segway; forget the golf cart.

Two-way radios are now more powerful, more featured and more discrete thanks to a myriad of ear-wear accessories. Remember those sign-in books for visitor controls? Well, today’s improvements range from higher tech visitor badges to computer-based visitor management systems a welcoming officer uses.

And security video in ever-evolving applications now is a key guarding tool, augmenting or replacing a static or patrolling officer. Then there are those robots – call them unmanned guided vehicles, if you must – hoofing it around some facilities and equipped with more eyes and ears than Joe Officer.

Fitting into an Officer’s Hands

It seems every time a new techie gadget is introduced, someone tries to mold it or force it into the hands of a security officer. Joysticks. Touch screens. Is the iPad next? Apple’s Steve Jobs might think so when he said that “I’ve always wanted to own and control the primary technology in everything we do.”

Still, no matter what the eye-popping guarding advance, enterprise security leaders must keep their focus on business goals including productivity gains and return on investment.

Robert Messemer, chief security officer at the Nielsen Company, the leading consumer research firm, agrees. “Our goal in the adoption of high technology is for our uniformed security personnel to have the most complete and up-to-date information from which to make timely decisions.” Messemer adds, “As unplanned critical incidents occur, senior executives trust the Nielsen security team to deliver them with new insights, enabling them to make better-informed decisions.”

But there is more to officer tech within enterprises. “Improvements in operational efficiency aside, the adoption of high technology can also bring about beneficial changes in organizational culture, including greater openness, transparency and collaboration across geo-political boundaries,” contends Messemer.

Avoid a Human, Technology Disconnection

Yet Drew Levine, president of G4S Secure Solutions cautions, that as many push towards enhancing technology, businesses are learning that just investing in technology is not enough. He often sees businesses that have spent significantly on technology, but there has been a disconnect with their security officers. It is imperative that it is all tied together, he notes.

There is no disconnect for officers at Willis Tower, one of the world’s tallest buildings. They work smoothly with technology to deliver bottom line services from the 107th Floor on down. Keith Kambic, the tower’s director of security and life safety and earlier featured in Security magazine, realized a mindset change was needed after 9/11. His contracted service (AlliedBarton) “showed us that they could assist in controlling our costs, implement the newest in technology and place a greater emphasis on security officer training and customer service, too,” he says.

Security officers are cutting edge when it comes to situational awareness and the technologies that go with the emerging concept. IBM UK, with 26 British locations and a world-recognized brand that needed protecting, brought in technology from CNL, which created centralized command and control while integrating the whole physical security infrastructure across all locations. The resulting data is presented in an easy to use interface, ensuring only relevant data is displayed when required. In a related recent move, G4S Technology formed an integration partnership with CNL and its physical security information management or PSIM software.

Video plays a guarding role at isolated, remote sites where sometimes officers may conduct a visit once a week or never patrol because of the distant location.

For example, Walter Griesseier of American Iron & Metal, one of North America’s largest scrap metal operations, constantly fights theft and vandalism at such remote sites, including facilities in northern Quebec, Canada. Beyond guards, “at some sites, we have security video with remote monitoring from UCIT Online Security which acts as an officer to capture license plate information and with truckers assigned their own passwords,” says Griesseier.

Images now can more easily move right into the hands of officers today. G4S’s Levine says he sees a lot of investment going toward video. Often, the cameras are just sitting and recording with a central station operator in place, viewing 100-150 cameras, he says. More often than not, this defies what a human can do. Now, video analytics can move away from passive recording to actionable video. With the right communication tools in place (for example, sending screenshots to a security officer’s Secure Trax device) that officer can respond proactively, Levine notes. For businesses which invest in video but do not have the critical mass to spend for their own command and control center, a remote command and control center is a smart option, he says.

Two-Way Radios Continue to Evolve

Concerning communications, two-way radios remain an important tech tool for security officers although cellular and smart phones have a growing role. Such mobile radios today are high powered, simple to use, and are available as low-cost units in VHF and UHF frequencies and wattage with a number of conventional talk channels. According to Brandon Ocampo of Two Way Direct, in open field use, VHF will travel farther, while in buildings, UHF travels better. Its Blackbox units boast 16 channels.

Security officers who welcome and manage visitors and contractors onto a site now have a number of options. Electronic access control systems often can include visitor management while firms such as EasyLobby specialize in standalone and access-integrated systems. There are solutions a security step higher than yesterday’s sign-in logs. In these applications, less costly, simple to use solutions are in the hands of security officers. Take, for example, visitor badging.

Robin Pratt, with office administration at the Doe Creek Middle School in New Palestine, Ind., uses peel-off badges from Data Management because of the solution’s ease of use and low expense. Her source recently expanded into tab-expiring visitor passes using a right fold-over tab to initiate a chemical process that causes the badge to change color over night. A red “VOID” shows the badge is no longer valid, preventing visitors from re-entering facilities without registering each day.

For others, higher tech handheld PCs, PDAs and smart phones are the thing. Especially for large corporate security operations, there is officer interfacing at different levels, notes Andrews International’s John Petruzzi.

To highlight the coming together of officers and new-age technology, Petruzzi’s firm partners with D3 Security Management Systems (D3) which enables a mix of manpower and technology to strengthen security while driving down overall costs through enterprise security management solutions. Officers collect data of certain types of events as a first step. “What it is all about is information and the ability to insert it into predictability models so that the chief security officer can pull data from any number of reports,” points out Petruzzi.

Reduce Cost, Improve Security

The endpoint: decreasing the physical footprint through broader security coverage that requires fewer uniformed guard hours, thus reducing costs while improving security.

For example, incident reporting and task management lets security conduct configurable data collection, workflow and analysis, ensuring compliance, collaboration and permitting organizational convergence, according to Julie Copithorne of D3. The e-alerts enable individuals to open a configured form to report events. Data can trigger automatic notifications, alert responsible security professionals, and prompt human audits to escalate or archive events, she adds. And geofences can be set up to reflect officer patrols and assignments.

Whole cities are now extending the concept of putting more technology into the hands of officers on duty. In Chicago, for instance, IBM, Axis Communications, Genetec and Firetide are part of a master plan for the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications’ Operation Virtual Shield. At its heart, there are an estimated 15,000 security cameras on streets, in schools, within the transit system and including cameras at private office buildings and even around private homes. The system constantly evolves with added analytics, license plate recognition, trending projections and intelligent search capabilities to the existing infrastructure.

David Cullen of ISI Intelligence Security International knows that mobility of officers through higher level technology is growingly important for enterprises, government agencies and law enforcement. A majority of security officers today use security video and access controls, he notes, adding that handheld devices including iPhones now can run a variety of applications with information captured, logged and analyzed. So for some, it is more a question of when to invest in officer technology that complements a solid security plan.

Are the Robots Marching Forward

Is the ultimate future for security officers be robots and drones? There are continuing advances in patrol robots inside facilities and on the perimeter. Back in the late 1990s, companies such as Hitachi were assembling wheeled vehicles with sensors and cameras that could be programmed to follow a set route.

More recently, a firm called MobileRobots put together a package called Seekur Jr. as reconnaissance scout with field swappable batteries, software architecture and tools that ease integration and programming. And thanks to their war-time success, future street, campus and port patrolling may be by drone or what the U.S. military calls unmanned aerial vehicles.

Levine says that he doesn’t think there will be robots or anything radical like that in the future. But he does believe there will clearly be an evolution in the technology that a security officer has at his or her fingertips. Performance will go up. Video will mature, he says.

He adds that security officers will be equipped with amazing technology to do their job. The advances in wireless and advanced video will allow them to do more with less. They will have the means to perform multiple functions: security, safety and facility. In the future, a CEO will perceive a security officer as a strategic part of his or her business.

Who’s Guarding the Schools?

School districts throughout the country face diverse threats from vandalism and theft to violence. At the same time, budget-strapped schools often depend on local law enforcement to provide officers on patrol inside buildings and around them. Often, only the largest districts can afford their own security officers.
So it is no surprise that many schools opt for increasing use of security video.

A case in point: In California, the Redlands Unified School District serves the communities of Redlands, Loma Linda, Mentone, San Bernardino, Yucaipa and East Highland with 23 elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as the Redlands Independent Study Education school.

In an upgrade of the district’s network backbone, the school superintendent wanted to upgrade and expand the use of video surveillance to improve security for students, staff and visitors.

Redlands High School, the oldest high school in California, was the first location targeted for a new video surveillance system. David Massaro, coordinator of technology services for Redlands Unified and his team, requested bids for a high-quality IP video system. “We looked at a lot of different products, but the ones that caught my eye were the OnSSI software and the multi-megapixel camera technology,” he says. “We looked at several major IP camera manufacturers and we liked the 1.3 megapixel models from IQinVision.”

Through late 2009, two Redlands Unified School District high schools had deployed more than 100 IQeye HD megapixel cameras. Conduit Networks of Temecula, Calif., is the project integrator. The original 18-camera system was deemed a complete success, and it laid the groundwork for a much larger installation at Citrus Valley High School.

There, the District has installed 53 IQeye Sentinel cameras for exterior surveillance and 36 IQeye Alliance dome cameras to monitor the administrative offices, library, hallways, the security offices, and other key interior locations. The district is monitoring and recording video at the high schools at speeds ranging from 5 to 15 frames per second. Video is stored for 16 days, long enough for any incident to be reported and checked out, if it wasn’t observed real-time.

Source: Security Magazine

UNDERSTANDING FCC NARROWBANDING REQUIREMENTS

Brandon — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -0800

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, February 8, 2010

Understanding FCC Narrowbanding Requirements

In December 2004, the Federal Communications Commission mandated that all private LMR users operating below 512 MHz move from 25 kHz wideband channel spacing to 12.5 kHz narrowband voice channels and highly efficient data channel operations by January 1, 2013. Using narrowband channels will ensure that organizations take advantage of more efficient technology and, by reducing channel width, will allow additional channels to exist within the same spectrum space.

Deadlines

To phase in the migration deadline of January 1, 2013, the FCC has estalished interim deadlines. The first important deadline is January 1, 2011, after which:

The FCC will not grant applications for new voice operations or applications to expand the authorized contour of existing stations that use 25 kHz channels. Only narrowband authorizations will be granted.
The FCC will prohibit manufacture or importation of new equipment that operates on 25 kHz channels. This will reduce the availability of new equipment for legacy radio systems and will affect how agencies maintain and upgrade older systems.

Planning for the Move to Narrowband

Start planning – the FCC deadline is not very far away.
Assess your current equipment
Obtain new or modified licenses

Call Us Today to Help with Your Narrowbanding Process!

1-888-742-5893

TWO WAY DIRECT LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

Brandon — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, June 8, 2009

Two Way Direct Brings a Fresh New Voice To Their Market Space

(San Diego, CA) - Two Way Direct offers next-generation two-way radio solutions in an industry that is still very traditional and conservative. Today, they have launched a new cutting-edge website revitalizing their online presence to reflect their current position as an invaluable information resource, a credible solutions provider and an environmentally innovative company.

While competitors sites are crowded, busy and highly templated, Two Way Direct's new site brings a fresh new voice to their market space through simple, intuitive architecture, interactive social networking features and an elegant product display and comparison tools.

HOSPITALITY TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE FEATURES TWO WAY DIRECT'S GREEN INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Brandon — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Two-Way Radio Communications Company Offers Green Incentive Program: Article Featured on Hospitality Technology Magazine

INCENTIVE AVAILABLE TO HOTELS INTERESTED IN RECYCLING OUTDATED TWO-WAY RADIOS

Brandon — Thu, 21 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 21, 2009

Two-Way Radio Communications Company Offering Reusable, Affordable Technology: Article Featured on Hotel-Online.com

(San Diego, CA) – Two Way Direct launched in 2004 in San Diego, California out of President Brandon Ocampo 's living room. Two Way Direct has since grown over 310% in the past 12 months alone enabling its consumers to enhance efficiency in the workplace by providing the latest in two-way radio communication and offering consumers a competitive edge. Now, the company is pleased to announce an additional incentive to corporations--and especially hotels--interested in recycling their outdated two-way radios with their 2009 "Recycle and Save " campaign.

Hotels can take advantage of the "Recycle and Save " offer and receive an addition $100 off each new waterproof IC-F50V/F60V Series when they trade-in any working or non-working, handheld radio. In tough economic times, Two Way Direct is finding a way to stay environmentally friendly while increasing efficiency for their clients by offering them incentives to reuse and recycle.

“I saw the need to enable communication utilizing a trusted and proven technology with two-way radios,” says Brandon Ocampo, President of Two Way Direct. “Our system appeals to hoteliers that value instant, secure communication at the touch of a button without the fear of busy signals or overage charges. We custom build each account to the customer specifications, because at the end of the day it’s about service. With this incentive program, we are offering yet another reason to go green with Two Way.”

With monumental growth since its launch, Two Way Direct quickly moved from Ocampo's living room to offices in San Diego with a 24-hour online store complete with round-the-clock online customer service providing portable, fully compatible, easily transportable, and durable reusable two-way radio systems.

“We believe our creative ideas and powerful strategies will create a new generation of two-way radio communication,” adds Ocampo. “We’re raising the industry-standard bar and as a result we have developed an online business network, which is the most advanced in the industry. It will help our customers increase safety, control and efficiency in the workplace.”

Two Way Direct offers top-of-the-line radios from Icom America, Inc. and Klein Electronics, and became Land Mobile Dealers Top 3 Fastest Growing Dealers of 2008. Current and past clients have included General Electric, Costco, Overstock.com, Omni Hotels, Four Seasons, and many more.

“Communication is the backbone of any company's operations speaking from experience,” Ocampo closes. “In many cases, lives depend on it, and it is our goal to continually provide our customers with the most affordable, reliable, and effective communications solutions.”

TWO WAY DIRECT DONATES RADIO COMMUNICATION TO EVIRO-BUSINESS SOCIETY DURING EARTHDAY AT SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

Kevin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:19:00 -0700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Ecology, ethics, economics: The three E’s to live by

(San Diego, CA) - The Enviro-Business Society (e3) is bringing a new shade of green to the San Diego State University campus this April 22 for Earth Day.

According to the official e3 Web site, they “believe that at the core of their revolutionary new business model there are three pillars which must always be upheld: ecology, ethics and economics.” The Enviro-Business Society offers students of all majors an innovative and beneficial way to make an impact on campus, in the community and in the business world.

At e3’s annual event, Earth Day, on April 22, various events will help students in learning how they impact the world with their daily actions. Each event will act as a tool for e3 to teach SDSU students and community members about different environmental issues.

“We are striving to reach every student with some piece of information in an interactive way that they can take with them, in order to reduce their waste production, exposure to toxic chemicals and carbon footprint,” says e3 executive Josh Van Lente.

On Earth Day e3 is urging students to “get fresh with the locals.” The Enviro-Business Society is presenting a farmers market and has been working for two semesters to implement it on San Diego State University’s campus.

“The Earth Day Farmers Market will be the catalyst for change on the SDSU campus. Hopefully it will influence SDSU to implement a Farmers Market regularly for the students,” president Rae Gurne said.

Another Earth Day attraction is the Business Exhibit. Through endless networking, e3 has built relationships with many environmentally and socially responsible organizations. At least 60 green businesses are going to be featured on Campanile Walkway on Earth Day for student to network with. e3 is providing the future of corporate America (students) a chance to explore job opportunities with companies whose core values support ecology, ethics and economics on equal platforms.

Club e3 also plans to host their own booths in order to bring awareness to environmental issues that are detrimental to our Earth. Their booths will showcase various topics, and pinpoint issues that are specific to San Diego County. Along with awareness booths, there is going to be a “shock factor” component featured in the middle of Campanile Walkway about the use of plastic water bottles.

“We are really trying to make people open their eyes to the fact that changing little actions in their everyday lives, like buying a reusable water bottle, can really make an impact in the long-run,” Gurne said.

Other crowd-pleasing events that will catch students’ attention is the Earth Battle, a battle of the bands competition performed on a solar-energy stage in the evening; Earth Dance, a battle of the DJ competition where students are invited to stay and dance to the music; picnic in the park, where students are offered free pizza and an opportunity to view “Flow,” a documentary about water conservation; and a shock art exhibit, showcasing art submitted by SDSU students that pertain to the Earth.

e3 is working with environmentally-friendly companies such as Two Way Direct , a wireless two-way radio communications provider that has committed to going green. Two Way Direct offers many recycling programs to their customers, such as the new battery trade-in promotion, which offers extra discounts on new batteries in exchange for the customer's old batteries. This way, Two Way Direct can properly dispose of the old batteries to help protect the environment.

Earth Day is the Enviro-Business Society’s most effective way of reaching out to the student body and surrounding community. It is the means of completing their mission statement, and allows them to focus on bringing awareness to issues in the business world and day-to-day life that can easily be changed.

If you would like to find out more information about the Enviro-Business Society and their efforts for Earth Day, please visit their Web site at www.clube3.org .

Boilerplate: Enviro-Business Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit student organization. Their mission is to promote awareness of the beneficial relationship from integrating ecology, ethics and economics into business practices. The organization works on different activism projects and events according to the theme of each semester. e3 has an executive board that meets once a week for two hours. General member meetings are bi-weekly.

TWO-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY LEADS INDUSTRY IN GOING GREEN

Kevin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:16:00 -0800

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, January 5, 2009

Two Way Direct enables customers to adjust to difficult economic times by offering reusable, affordable technology

(San Diego, CA) – Two Way Direct launched in 2004 in San Diego, California out of President Brandon Ocampo’s living room. Two Way Direct has since grown over 310% in the past 12 months alone enabling its consumers to enhance efficiency in the workplace by providing the latest in two-way radio communication and offering consumers a competitive edge. Now, the company is pleased to announce an additional incentive to corporations interested in recycling their outdated radios with their 2009 "Recycle and SAVE " campaign.

Customers can take advantage of the "Recycle and SAVE " offer and receive an addition $100 off each new IC-F50V / F60V Series when they trade-in any working or non-working, handheld radio. In tough economic times, Two Way Direct is finding a way to stay environmentally friendly while increasing efficiency for their clients by offering them incentives to reuse and recycle.

“I saw the need to enable communication utilizing a trusted and proven technology with two-way radios,” says Brandon Ocampo, President of Two Way Direct. “Our system appeals to corporations and businesses that value instant, secure communication at the touch of a button without the fear of busy signals or overage charges. We custom build each account to the customer specifications, because at the end of the day it’s about service. With this incentive program, we are offering yet another reason to go green with Two Way.”

With monumental growth since its launch, Two Way Direct quickly moved from Ocampo’s living room to offices in San Diego with a 24-hour online store—complete with round-the-clock online customer service—providing portable, fully compatible, easily transportable, and durable reusable two-way radio systems.

“We believe our creative ideas and powerful strategies will create a new generation of two-way radio communication,” adds Ocampo. “We’re raising the industry-standard bar and as a result we have developed an online business network, which is the most advanced in the industry. It will help our customers increase safety, control and efficiency in the workplace.”

Two Way Direct offers top-of-the-line radios from Icom America, Inc. and Klein Electronics, and became Land Mobile Dealers Top 3 Fastest Growing Dealers of 2008. Current and past clients have included General Electric, Costco, Overstock.com, Omni Hotels, Four Seasons, and many more.

“Communication is the backbone of any company’s operations speaking from experience,” Ocampo closes. “In many cases, lives depend on it, and it is our goal to continually provide our customers with the most affordable, reliable, and effective communications solutions.”

About Two Way Direct
Two Way Direct is a sole proprietorship with offices located at 402 West Broadway, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92101. Targeted industries include, but are not limited to, the following: Agriculture & Forestry, Airports, Apparel and Access Stores, Auto Dealers and Gas Services, Automobile Services and Parking, Casinos, Concert Management Services, Construction, Department of Defense, Educational Services, Utility Services, Entertainment Companies, General Government, Golf Courses, Health Services, Hospitality, Individual Consumers, Public Safety, Manufacturing, Mining, Motion Pictures, Night Club, Property Management, Race Teams, Religious Organizations, Restaurant, Retail Trade, Security, Ski Resorts, Sports Teams and Clubs, Theme Parks, Transportation, TV Broadcasting, Wind Energy, and Wholesale Trade. Visit http://www.twowaydirect.com or call 1-888-742-5893.

FCC ADDRESSES RULES FOR PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SYSTEMS TO TRANSITION TO 6.25 kHz NARROWBAND TECHNOLOGY

Kevin — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:11:00 -0700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 22, 2007

FCC ADDRESSES RULES FOR PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SYSTEMS TO TRANSITION TO 6.25 kHz NARROWBAND TECHNOLOGY

(Washington, D.C.) - Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Third Report and Order (Order) that declines, for now, to establish a fixed date for private land mobile radio (PLMR) systems in the 150-174 MHz and 421-5 12 MHz bands to transition to 6.25 kHz narrowband technology, but strongly urges licensees to consider migrating directly to 6.25 kHz technology rather than first adopting 12.5 kHz technology and later migrating to 6.25 kHz technology. The Order also revises the implementation date of the 6.25 kHz equipment certification rules from January 1,2005 to January 1, 2011.

In today's Order, the FCC declined to establish, at the present time, a fixed date for PLMR systems to transition to 6.25 kHz narrowband technology. There are no accepted industry standards for 6.25 kHz technology, which would be a bar to interoperability. Further, 6.25 kHz technology is not mature enough to warrant setting a migration schedule. The FCC reiterated, however, that it will expeditiously establish a schedule for transition to 6.25 kHz narrowband technology once the technology matures to the point that sufficient equipment is available for testing.

The FCC also decided in today's Order to change the date for the implementation of the 6.25 kHz equipment certification rules from January 1,2005 to January I, 201 1, but strongly urges licensees to consider migrating directly to 6.25 kHz technology by January 1,2013 rather than first adopting 12.5 kHz technology and later migrating to 6.25 kHz technology. Deferring the implementation date permits manufacturers to develop and test equipment after the expected finalization of 6.25 kHz standards in the near future.