Elite ISI - Experts & Thought Leaders

Elite Interactive Solutions, a remote video guarding pioneer using proprietary intelligence and integration to achieve proven, real-time crime prevention, announces the company has been selected The Monitoring Association’s (TMA) 2026 Monitoring Center of the Year. Elite was proclaimed winner of the security monitoring industry’s highest honor during the 20th Excellence Awards presentation, held during TMA’s annual Mid-Year Meeting. According to TMA, the Excellence Awards recognise FM-Approved, Intertek/ETL or UL‐Listed monitoring centres and outstanding personnel who perform in the highest professional manner, thereby making a significant contribution to the betterment of the industry and profession while demonstrating exceptional service to their customers and community. Real-time crime prevention The awards promote the value of monitoring centre services; honour those who have made the most significant contributions to the service; and recognise the distinct level of professionalism attained by Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratory (NRTL)-approved monitoring centres. Elite impressed a panel of independent judges in a multitude of ways, including leadership and growth; management and operations; training and personnel; procedures and best practices; technology and innovation; real-time crime prevention; elimination of false dispatches; law enforcement partnerships; and community and industry involvement. During 2025, Elite’s Security Operations Command Center (SOCC) directly prevented more than 71,000 crimes and assisted police in more than 2,300 arrests and detainments. Events escalated to police dispatch resulted in a record 78% apprehension rate. Facilitating optimal support Elite is believed to be the only provider that has an in-house Law Enforcement Advisory Board (LEAB) comprised of former LE command staff and executives. They are fully engaged in the daily activities of Elite’s UL-Listed command centre. The LEAB contributes to the training of Elite agents, reviews and ensures calls for dispatch follow best protocols, and communicates and meets with agencies around the country to facilitate optimal support and collaboration. In addition, during 2025 Elite appointed a decorated former military and Los Angeles Police Department sergeant as its chief security officer in charge of SOCC operations. Elite representatives serve as active members of TMA and Security Industry Association (SIA) committees dedicated to developing industry best practices, guidelines and standards. Law enforcement partnerships During 2025, Elite educated the industry and marketplace about remote video guarding, crime prevention, and partnering with police by participating and presenting at numerous events as well as engaging in webinars and publications. In March 2025, Elite spearheaded a historic industry townhall to rally the security channel in the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires disaster. “Receiving this prestigious honour has instilled the entire Elite team with elation and pride. It is a testament to their dedication and hard work, and a validation of our operational fortitude and unique approach to stopping crime in real-time,” says Elite CEO Michael Zatulov. “It is gratifying TMA’s judges appreciate our focus on delivering exceptional customer outcomes, advancing AI-powered detection and human intervention, educating and supporting the industry, strengthening law enforcement partnerships, and structuring operations for strategic growth.” Elite, which also captured its third consecutive SAMMY (Sales & Marketing) Award at this year’s ISC West tradeshow, was named as a finalist for TMA’s 2025 Monitoring Center of the Year and recognised by the association in 2024 as winner of the Monitoring Technology Marvel Award.

Elite Interactive Solutions, the industry pioneer in remote video guarding and real-time crime prevention, has named Peter Hargittay as its new Chief Revenue Officer. He brings more than 25 years’ experience designing revenue systems that align marketing, sales, partnerships and customer success. Hargittay’s background spans branding, demand generation, enterprise sales, partner ecosystems, and post-sale organisations. As CRO for Elite, he will be responsible for all revenue-generating processes, aligning sales, marketing, customer success, and revenue operations to drive growth. Accelerating revenue performance “We are delighted to welcome Peter as CRO at a vital moment in Elite’s journey. As the company enters its next phase of growth, we are at an inflection point that demands disciplined leadership and execution, and a vision for scalable growth,” says Elite CEO Michael Zatulov. “This appointment reflects our commitment to strategically scaling the organisation, strengthening our go-to-market capabilities, and accelerating revenue performance. Peter’s demonstrated success as a cross-functional operator equally adept at brand, pipeline and customer ownership will serve this mission well.” Quality management solutions Hargittay’s most recent and longest association was with Intellect, a leading provider of quality management solutions with an AI platform enabling quality and regulatory compliance teams to automate critical quality processes, such as CAPAs, audits, document control, and supplier management. His roles there included Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Business Development, SVP of Sales and Chief Customer Officer. “My approach springs from a full customer lifecycle perspective — including acquisition through retention, expansion, and advocacy. I favor an account-based experience that aligns marketing, sales, and customer success around shared account ownership to increase net revenue retention and expansion,” says Hargittay. Remote guarding industry “I am excited to apply my skills and join the winning team at Elite, whose innovative approach to crime prevention has paced the remote guarding industry and is transformative to security overall.” Hargittay spent nearly 14 years with Intellect, which included delivering record revenue growth through building data-driven systems, high-impact marketing and SDR/BDR teams, and a partner ecosystem. His other previous positions include executive roles with PeopleSupport, Aegis Ltd. and Arise Virtual Solutions. Hargittay is based in the Los Angeles area, along with his wife and two sons, ages 15 and 11.

Elite Interactive Solutions, the industry pioneer in remote video guarding and real-time crime prevention, announces its participation in this year’s International Security Conference (ISC) West & Expo. For the first time, the company will have a presence in the exhibition hall (Booth #35051) and is also leading one of the conference’s education sessions. The event, which is security’s most prominent trade show with 30,000 industry professionals, takes place March 25-27 in Las Vegas. Potential channel partners At the show, Elite executives and team members will be available to meet with potential channel partners such as technology leaders, monitoring providers, integrators and guard companies, as well as commercial end users and trade media. Conversations will revolve around Elite’s substantial differentiation and unique value proposition, how the solution optimises security effectiveness and efficiency, and developing mutually beneficial partnerships. “Elite’s ISC West booth presence is indicative of the business proactively expanding its go-to-market strategies and reach. We are extending opportunities for potential partners to participate in the level of real-time crime prevention that only Elite delivers,” says Elite CEO Michael Zatulov. “Like our well-documented crime prevention metrics, Elite emphasises substance over flash. Our results alone speak volumes as a ‘wow factor’. At ISC, our objective is to engage in meaningful discussions that significantly move the needle for everyone.” High-end cybersecurity Off the ISC West show floor, educational sessions will include, ‘How Remote Video Guarding's Revolutionary Crime Prevention Generates High-Dollar RMR,’ moderated by Elite Marketing Director Scott Goldfine and scheduled for March 26 from 11:15-12:15 p.m. in the Casanova 506 room. Attendees will hear how remote guarding that blends proven system design practices, strategically placed surveillance cameras, specially tuned analytics and AI, high-end cybersecurity, highly trained command centre operators, and a tight relationship with law enforcement is profoundly impacting crime. They will also learn how they can bring those benefits to their own end customers. Remote video monitoring “While awareness of terms like remote video monitoring and remote guarding have increased substantially the past couple of years, confusion and misinformation abound related to their definitions, capabilities, and perceptions,” says Goldfine. “The differences among solutions and providers can be vast. That’s why authoritative education that delineates the differences, manages expectations and explains the enormous opportunity is essential.”   The panel presentation will also feature Allen Azran, Director, Safety and Security, Canyon Partners; Elite Interactive Solutions VP Operations Rudy Aragon and CSO Tom Stone III; and Justin Feffer, Attorney & Cyber Crime Investigator, Justin Feffer & Associates. Azran, Stone and Feffer are all former longtime Los Angeles County police officers, which reflects Elite’s unusually close ties with responding agencies. Remote guarding firms Elite acts as a force multiplier and live eyewitness to police as they respond to active crimes in progress. Elite is the only company with its own Law Enforcement Advisory Board, which is comprised of former police executives who are integral to the company’s standardised dispatch protocols and jurisdictional relationships. This approach helped police catch suspects during 78% of 2025’s Elite-initiated dispatches, well beyond the scope of other security or remote guarding firms. That’s among the key differentiators those who visit Elite’s booth or sit in on the seminar will find out more about. What: ISC West; Venetian Expo; Las Vegas. Why: Elite Interactive Solutions. Where: Booth #35051; Casanova Room 506 (March 26, 11:15 a.m-12:15 p.m.) When: March 25-27 (Wed.-Thu. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.)

In the realm of physical security, the distinction between being perceived as a security vendor and a security partner holds great importance. While both may seem interchangeable at first glance, how an organisation is viewed by its clients can have a huge impact on the success of its security programmes. At the heart of this differentiation is the concept of relationships and how they shape the dynamics between providers and their clients.  Time, care, and diligence For security vendors such as systems integrators, security dealers, monitored services providers or manufacturers that sell directly to the end user elevating from supplier to partner requires a greater investment of time, care, and diligence. However, the eventual payoff can be incalculably advantageous to the organisation. Not only does this approach better serve the client but it also cultivates longer-term business and is more likely to generate referrals. Clients will change vendors often but stick with partners for the long haul.  Simple installation and/or service Security end-users should look to their security products and service providers to partner with them Security end-users should look to their security products and service providers to partner with them, be vested in their success, and be part of the solution. They should seek out and expect more than a simple installation and/or service in the absence of any real, tangible, and value-added relationship with stakeholders. That means looking deeper than the similar cameras or equipment most vendors provide. Doing so brings benefits from the partnership in solving problems and creating strategies for mitigation.  Vendors have short shelf lives  A security vendor is typically seen as a transactional company that offers products or services to address specific security needs or challenges. When an organisation engages with a vendor, the focus is primarily on the exchange of goods and/or services for a fee. The relationship tends to be more transactional, with limited interaction beyond the scope of the security solution being provided.  Tools, technologies, or service offerings The relationship between a security vendor and a client is often short with a one-time purchase Security vendors often play a crucial role in the security industry by offering specialised tools, technologies, or services that can help organisations improve their defences against threats. Examples would be video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection, or fire/life-safety systems, as well as the monitoring of any of them from a central monitoring station or security operations command centre. The thing about it is, however, that the relationship between a security vendor and a client is often short with a one-time purchase and limited ongoing engagement or consultation.  Partners prove their value  On the other hand, a security partner is viewed as a member of the team that works closely with an organisation to address its security challenges. Unlike a vendor, a security partner is invested in the long-term success of their clients and is committed to building a strong relationship based on expertise, trust, and transparency.  Creating custom solutions Security partners go beyond offering products or services by engaging with companies and organisations Security partners go beyond offering products or services by engaging with companies and organisations to understand their unique security needs, goals, and challenges. They work concurrently with organisations to develop customised security solutions, provide support and guidance, and adapt to ever-changing threats and risks.  When this kind of scenario is developed, the potentially distracting and detracting focus on monetary cost moves to the back burner because the value and return on investment (ROI) are so thoroughly compelling.   Relationships bring real benefits  The core of the difference between being perceived as a security vendor and a security partner hinges on the crucial role of relationships. While vendors focus on transactions and sales, partners prioritise collaboration and a sense of being in it together. Building strong relationships based on trust, communication, and shared goals is essential for forging a successful security partnership.  Personalised approach Security partners navigate complex security challenges, drive innovation, and deliver incredible value over the long term Security partners are not just providers of security solutions; they are trusted advisors who are invested in the success and well-being of their clients. They can be reached easily when needed and emphasise a personalised approach with custom-tailored solutions. By building strong relationships based on respect and understanding, security partners navigate complex security challenges, drive innovation, and deliver incredible value over the long term.  Operational opportunities Businesses and facilities often encounter or face very specific security needs that can only truly be solved in concert with a vendor that essentially acts like an extension of the end-user organisation. Furthermore, when communicating and collaborating on that level, additional security/safety and sometimes even operational opportunities for improvement come to light. This amplifies the value for both the end customer and their security vendor. Talk about a win-win!  Prosper with partner power  While vendors offer products or services, partners offer teamwork, expertise, and a shared commitment At the end of the day, the difference between being a security vendor and a security partner is not merely a matter of semantics. It is about the fundamental difference in approach and mindset toward physical (electronic and networked) security. While vendors offer products or services, partners offer teamwork, expertise, and a shared commitment to reducing losses and crime.   Quality of relationships Ultimately, it is the quality of relationships that separates providers in the security space and determines the success of security initiatives in the current rapidly changing security landscape. This unification of intent, practice, and purpose enables practitioners and the public alike to harness the full power of pioneering-edge technologies that support the security industry’s core mission of protecting people and property. Security partners are not just providers of security solutions; they are trusted advisors who are invested in the success and well-being of their clients. 

The average business owner or investor has some kind of security precaution in place, especially in the after-hours when there are fewer deterrents to inhibit criminal activity. Security guards, video surveillance systems, motion sensor lights, or even just fake cameras placed around the property are some of the common options people choose.  Future of overnight security Smart business owners are starting to realise, however, that some of these traditional security measures are becoming antiquated and no longer cutting. The now and future of overnight security is in remote guarding. Pioneered by companies like Los Angeles-based Elite Interactive Solutions, which was founded back in 2007, remote guarding is revolutionising the overnight security business. Minimising criminal activity Remote guarding is fast becoming the most popular choice among commercial end-user property owners Remote guarding utilises a combination of cutting-edge technology, “digital guards,” highly trained security agents, and local law enforcement if and when necessary to minimise the potential of criminal activity. For those adequately enlightened to its overwhelmingly impressive crime prevention capabilities, remote guarding is fast becoming the most popular choice among commercial end-user property owners to secure and protect their investments. What Is remote guarding?  Remote guarding is a revolutionary concept and increasing trend in security systems that utilises a combination of methods to effectively analyse potential threats to property. Cameras and/or other monitoring devices running highly advanced algorithmic software are installed in strategic areas or vulnerable places onsite and remotely located security agents are immediately notified of any activity within a designated perimeter of the property. A blend of AI, cybersecurity, and video analytics When properly deployed by an expert provider, the technology stack includes a proprietary blend of video analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more. Done right, “noise” is effectively filtered out, allowing agents to act on legitimate alerts and achieve zero false alarms communicated to first responders. Today, there are a lot of terms and descriptions tossed around about remote guarding, remote video, virtual guarding, etc., but those attributes must be present to represent the true definition of the offering and its many virtues. Realtime situational awareness Many systems have a two-way speaker that allows the security agent to give a verbal warning When specially trained security agents are alerted to trespassers, possible intruders, or other suspicious activity, they analyse the situation in real-time and determine the necessary level of action. Many systems have a two-way speaker that allows the security agent to give a verbal warning, known as a voice-down, to the individual(s) that they are being watched. Most perpetrators, often believing the response is emanating directly from security personnel on the property itself rather than from a remote command centre, flee immediately. However, if the threat persists, the security agent enlists local law enforcement to get on the scene.  Customised remote guarding When properly deployed, remote guarding systems are also customised to specific properties. A team of consultants visits the client’s property to evaluate its vulnerabilities and where to best place cameras and/or other monitoring devices for system efficacy. Traditional security shortfalls  According to Keith Bushey, a retired commander for the Los Angeles Police Department, there is much frustration between law enforcement officers and potential victims of crime due to the historically unreliable performance of traditional burglar alarm systems and central monitoring stations. He states about 90% of security-related calls are false alarms, a problem that has been well-documented through the years. Onsite challenges When a legitimate emergency does occur, the perpetrators have often already done their damage When a legitimate emergency does occur, the perpetrators have often already done their damage and/or escaped by the time law enforcement arrives.  Onsite security guards are not the remedy either as they bring their own set of issues and challenges.  Unexpected costs Traditional security systems can also have unexpected costs. The cost is not only in the security guards’ paycheck or the cost of the equipment itself. The cost comes when an actual incident occurs. In worst-case scenarios, the security guard(s) are injured, the business suffers inventory loss, and/or damage is sustained to the property.  The medical and other costs for the security guard(s), the loss of inventory, property damage, deployment of law enforcement resources, and possible fallout of legal expenses all add up. Even in the best-case scenario, false alarm expenses incur if law enforcement is dispatched. These, among many others, are some of the primary issues that remote guarding resoundingly answers as a superior alternative. A bounty of benefits Remote guarding systems have been proven to cut costs and be more effective than traditional security systems. Even though the monthly monitoring costs of remote guarding are significantly higher than traditional intrusion detection system monitoring, the much higher effectiveness in crime reduction, elimination of false alarms, and augmenting or replacement of manned guards result in a substantially higher return on investment (ROI) to the end user. Easy tracking of threats The security cameras already have their image captured on record, making them easier to track down For example, case studies have demonstrated reduced security costs for clients by 60%, on average. These reductions have come from the costs of security staff, inventory, or property loss, plus saving money on insurance premiums and deductibles. The nature of remote guarding reduces the risk and costs of false alarms, with professional security agents able to determine an actual threat before law enforcement is called. In a rare instance when a perpetrator escapes before law enforcement arrives or can detain the individual(s), the security cameras already have their image captured on record, making them easier to track down and identify. Reduction of false alarms The significant reduction in false alarms is greatly appreciated by law enforcement, as it allows them to focus on real emergencies or crises. Better relationships are also developed between clients and law enforcement, as remote guarding systems are highly reliable in providing accurate and real-time information to officers as they approach the scene. In short, it assists law enforcement in doing their job more effectively, as well as more safely thanks to having eyewitness information before engaging in an active crime scene.  Partnership When you combine the decreased cost with the increased efficiency and success rate, it is easy to see why many commercial end-user property owners across the country are making the shift to remote guarding. It’s also an outstanding opportunity for professional security dealers and integrators to partner with a remote guarding services provider to bring a superior solution to their end customers and pick up a recurring monthly revenue stream in the process.