Veterans in security

PSA, a consortium of professional systems integrators, announced that Dan Dunkel has joined PSA as Managing Director of PSA's Managed Security Service Provider Program. In this role, Dunkel will recruit solution providers to become part of PSA's newly created Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) program and develop go-to-market strategies and ongoing programs to increase program adoption within PSA's network of systems integrators. PSA's MSSP program is designed to help systems integrators diversify their service offerings and realise the full potential and benefits of a managed services business model. Comprehensive business program PSA has partnered with industry leading solutions providers to bring cloud-based cybersecurity services, video management, remote video monitoring and access control solutions to systems integrators as part of a comprehensive program that will help support them in implementing this new business model into their existing business constructs. Dunkel brings with him over 22 years of sales, management and executive level success in the high-tech sectorPrior to joining PSA, Dunkel led New Era Associates, a security convergence consultancy he founded in 2003. His prior consultancy clients include Fortune 500 firms in the intelligence and defence sector, multinational IT networking and storage firms, as well as start-ups providing PSIM, video surveillance, big data analytics and biometric solutions. Sales and marketing experience Dunkel also brings with him over 22 years of sales, management and executive level success in the high-tech sector having served in companies with offerings including optical networks, big data and enterprise software. From 2017-2019, Dunkel was the Senior Vice President of Sales at Cyber adAPT, a provider of network threat and cyber breach detection services based in Dallas, TX and prior to that was the former Vice President of Strategic Partners at Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud-based video surveillance and access control solutions, from 2014 - 2016. 

ONVIF, the global standardisation initiative for IP-based physical security products, announced that it will be a featured speaker at the upcoming PSA TEC 2019, the premier education and networking event for systems integrators, to be held March 11-14, in Denver, Colorado. To highlight the role of access control in the burgeoning smart building market, David Busco of Anixter will present on behalf of ONVIF in the session “Driving the Future: How Interoperability Standards in Access Control Can Enable Smart Building Success” from 1 – 2pm on Tuesday, March 12. The session will explore why interoperability standards and an open platform approach to access control are becoming necessary components of an intelligent building. Education and certification programs Being able to receive and export data in a universal manner is the key to realising the potential of a smart facility"“Common interfaces such as ONVIF are necessary to standardise the communication pathways between different sensors and management platforms for current and future IoT functionality,” said Per Björkdahl, chair of the ONVIF Steering Committee. “Being able to receive and export data in a universal manner is the key to realising the potential of a smart facility.” TEC 2019 features education and certification programs as well as networking opportunities and dedicated exhibit hours designed to advance the skills of industry professionals. TEC 2019 provides invaluable sessions with dedicated learning tracks. Over 100 sessions and workshops are being offered to attendees during the three day event. A security industry veteran of more than 13 years, Busco serves as Director of Marketing for Global Security Solutions at Anixter, a long time ONVIF member company that is active in many areas of the technical development of ONVIF specifications.

Ojo Technology, one of the fastest growing security integrators in Northern California, has named Shailesh Prasad as its new vice president of operations and promoted Jeffrey Gutierrez to general manager for its growing Central Valley office. Prasad will work from the company headquarters in Fremont serving as vice president of operations and overseeing day-to-day operations as well as strategic planning and goal-setting. Gutierrez will lead the company’s rapidly expanding office in Stockton, California, responsible for operations, planning and sales. Expanding company’s presence The personnel changes and additions are a result of the company’s continued strong growth, according to Angie Wong, president and founder of Ojo Technology. “Shailesh and Jeff have strong systems and security backgrounds,” she said. “We are looking to them to be part of the management team that will help us continue to expand throughout the region.” Ojo Technology already has a great name in transportation, municipal and campus security" Previously, Prasad was a senior executive and engineer for Hayward-based HSQ Technology where he led integrated systems projects for organisations including BART, eBART, Sound Transit and the San Francisco International Airport. He has an extensive background in working with a variety of industries including light-rail, waste water management and airports. “Ojo Technology already has a great name in transportation, municipal and campus security,” said Prasad. “I’m looking forward to using my past experience to strengthen those markets and reach beyond them.” Experienced security integration professional Gutierrez has been with the company for more than three years as director of sales. He is an experienced security integration professional. Prior to joining Ojo Technology, he was a senior account executive for Johnson Controls and has also worked with Siemens, Tyco and ADT. “We are seeing tremendous growth potential in California’s Central Valley, working with some of the top organisations in the region,” said Gutierrez. “I’m looking forward to using my years of experience to continue to expand our presence in the area.”

Avigilon Corporation (“Avigilon”), a Motorola Solutions company, is pleased to announce that Alex Asnovich has joined Avigilon as Vice President, Global Marketing and Communications. Mr. Asnovich brings nearly 20 years of global experience in leading marketing and communications for companies in the security, life safety and technology industries. His proven abilities to build and implement successful marketing strategies will be a key asset in Avigilon’s growth. Mr. Asnovich’s marketing accomplishments led him to be named one of the ‘World's Most Influential CMOs’ by Forbes Magazine. Marketing expert with industry knowledge “Mr. Asnovich brings a unique combination of industry knowledge and marketing expertise,” said James Henderson, Avigilon’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “His track record of success in partner marketing, sales enablement and brand strategy will be invaluable assets as we continue to grow our market share and expand into new verticals.” “I’m thrilled to be joining Avigilon during a critical stage in their continued growth,” said Mr. Asnovich, Avigilon’s Vice President, Global Marketing and Communications. “Avigilon is a formidable force in the security industry and an established leader in providing real-world solutions." AI and analytics “Avigilon’s AI and analytics are changing the industry by delivering actionable results and I look forward to helping advance the awareness around the challenges they can help solve. I am thrilled with the opportunity to continue to grow our brand and reach new customers.” Mr. Asnovich holds a B.A. degree from Michigan State University and an M.B.A. from Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business.

The growing cyber threat is the target for the new man at the helm of Gallagher Security (Europe), whose vision is to equip companies and authorities to combat it. Richard Huison has stepped up to General Manager for UK & Europe, a year after joining Gallagher from Vanderbilt Industries access control brand ACT. He believes Gallagher is perfectly placed to counter the cyber threat as a long term CPNI-approved supplier to the Home Office and critical national infrastructure clients such as the National Grid. Securing the Grid from cyber threat Given the cost to businesses and nation states of falling prey, we have to be sure that security is increasingly baked in to everything we put on our networks"Huison says: “The cost of a power outage on the Grid is £1m per minute so they have to be absolutely sure of their cyber resilience and that everything they plug on to their network is secure. That’s a real challenge in an era where kettles and other household appliances are becoming increasingly wifi-connected, so a hacker switching them all on at the same time could bring down the Grid.” He cites the recent decision to limit Chinese giant Huawei’s involvement in 5G in the UK as evidence of how seriously Government takes the threat and wonders if mass network failures at mobile providers Vodafone and O2 Telefonica have a more sinister cause. “Given the cost to businesses and nation states of falling prey, we have to be sure that security is increasingly baked in to everything we put on our networks,” he says. Filling the shoes of Dave Bentley Huison fills the shoes of career-long Gallagher stalwart Dave Bentley, who has left after 24 years for an entirely new challenge – to run a holiday camp in France. Bentley was the first on site in the UK at customers like Severn Trent Water, EDF, United Utilities and National Grid, which has evolved to be Gallagher’s largest UK client and its biggest worldwide for perimeter, covering a total of 700 sites via different channel partners via the Gallagher Command Centre in two Alarm Receiving Centres. One of Huison's last projects in this role was the development of the Rapier 2000 fire command system where optical cryptos initiated the launch Gallagher employs 1,100 people across a global network in ten countries. Research and development alone makes up 135 of the workforce, 75 of whom are software developers. Global security boss Kahl Betham says: “Richard is a strong natural authentic leader with great drive and ambition for the future. We are delighted to have Richard taking on this GM role.” Security expert for the government Huison spent 14 years at Dublin-based ACT, expanding the brand, increasing their market presence and boosting growth by 25% in the UK. That followed three years with French security manufacturer CDVi. His career in the security industry started with a government contractor making voice and data cryptos and scramblers for the military and government departments. The technology was also adopted by banks and utilities to make secure financial transactions over a non-secure infrastructure. One of his last projects in this role was the development of the Rapier 2000 fire command system where optical cryptos initiated the launch. Out of work, Huison is a qualified commercial diver and a CAA-approved drone operator, both linked to the security and infrastructure industries.

Open Options (acquired by ACRE, LLC), the pioneer in open platform access control solutions, has appointed Steve Wagner as the company’s new President. Steve began his career in the industry in 1986 as VP of Sales & Marketing for Checkpoint Systems. He moved on to become the COO with HID Global for 8 years. In 2009, Steve became the President of Mercury Security and successfully grew that business which was eventually sold to HID Global/Assa Abloy. Steve brings a wide breadth of knowledge and experience to the Open Options team. “Open Options has worked with Steve for a number of years at both HID and Mercury. Steve is a well-respected professional and Open Options will benefit from his long and distinguished career in this industry,” said Steve Fisher, Open Options Founder and CEO. “We look forward to having Steve join us as we continue our growth path and as a new member of the ACRE family.”

Last week, the Schedule 84 Suppliers Research Panel participated in reviewing the 2018 contracting year with the GSA Schedule 84 leadership team. Our panel group consists of experienced contractors and consultants meeting for a monthly conference call. Schedule 84 is the GSA Schedules Contract for Total Solutions for Law Enforcement, Security, Facilities Management, Fire and Rescue. Our opinions are part of a research programme to provide valuable feedback to the GSA Schedule 84 programme and on to the GSA central office. The director of GSA Region 7 Schedules Program, the Schedule 84 Branch Chief and the Category Manager Subject Matter Expert who manages our suppliers' panel gave us their full attention as we discussed the successes of the programme, hot topics, problems and the future. We determined 2018 under the Schedule 84 team to be a year of innovative thoughts, cooperative effort and renewed enthusiasm Innovative review team We determined 2018 under the Schedule 84 team to be a year of innovative thoughts, cooperative effort, renewed enthusiasm and productive changes building upon the successes of 2017. There was high praise for the accessibility to the Schedule 84 staff. Their consistent quick response to questions and concerns, thinking outside the box and supporting the programme by partnering with their contractors was much appreciated. There has been a renewed spirit of partnering to cooperatively bring the best to agency customers. It seems to be working as per the Centre Director sales are growing for GSA Schedule 84. Advocating for the security industry In my experience, business development starts with the Administrator from Region 7 in Ft. Worth, TX. As the annual Schedule 84 Industry Day at the SSAC begins he is shaking every hand and passing out his cards looking folks right in the eye asking, “how can I help you?” They have the best practices and most organised paperwork. The SSAC director has chosen well in her staff and is hands-on in every endeavour to direct things along when challenges occur or to improve the programme. The new 84 Branch Chief is knowledgeable, innovative, tireless and has been heavily involved in advocating for the security industry It continues with the centre’s CASE Manager encouraging the contractors at events, visiting agency customers and promoting the GSA Schedules Program by helping coordinate the partnering. The new 84 Branch Chief is knowledgeable, innovative, tireless and has been heavily involved in advocating for the security industry for adding new technology, meeting with industry associations, understanding the complexity and challenges of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD12) and advocating for the purchasing Physical Access Control Systems (PACS) utilising the appropriate standards and the GSA Program among other innovations. As far as the supplier panel, we gave our GSA Schedule 84 team and leaders high praise for 2018. GSA also added new categories or SINs for clearly identifying Physical Access Control Products that appear on GSA’s Approved Product List Changes in the GSA programme Some changes this year in certain GSA programmes included the creation of a new category of products/services Special Item Number (SIN) for Order Level Materials (OLM) developed to assist with solution procurements. This new SIN was added to Schedules 03FAC, 56, 70, 71, 00Corp, 738X and 84. Under Schedule 84 it is SIN 84-500. GSA Schedule 84 consolidated many Special Items Numbers (SINs) to make finding products and services less complex Essentially this SIN allows agencies procuring under the aforementioned GSA Schedules’ programmes to purchase and the contractor to add items and services not known prior to the task as a Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) not to exceed 33% of the order. For more information and FAQs on OLMs go to www.gsa.gov/olm. This is not to take the place of “Open Market” items for adding products only that are not listed on a company’s GSA Contract. Physical access control products Previously, GSA Schedule 84 consolidated many Special Items Numbers (SINs) to make finding products and services less complex for the agencies. GSA also added new categories or SINs for clearly identifying Physical Access Control Products that appear on GSA’s Approved Product List according to the standards created under FIPS201. These products appear under SIN 246 35-7 after being tested and approved by GSA. To be qualified to install these products under the GSA Program at least one individual from the GSA Contractor company must complete the class and be CSEIP certified before applying for labour SIN 246 60-5. Additionally, the company must demonstrate certain qualifications and have past performance for this type of work. The Security Technology Alliance offers the training class and certification. Certified individuals and approved products are listed at www.idmanagement.gov. Companies listed with SIN 246-35 7 and SIN 246-60 5 may be found by searching at www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov. Updates to guidance for procurement Updates to guidance for procurement of PACS will continue to be posted to the GSA PACS Ordering Guide Updates to guidance for procurement of PACS will continue to be posted to the GSA PACS Ordering Guide. The ordering guide posted at www.gsa.gov/firesecurity is a valuable support tool created to assist agencies with understanding the requirements of FIPS201 and procuring a PACS. The guide includes relevant regulations, FAQs, sample systems designs, sample statements of work, a list of key points of contract for additional help and questions. In partnership with GSA and guided by the GSA Ombudsman group, the Security Industry Association and the Security Technology Alliance members and their contractor companies participated in a GSA Reverse Industry PACS Training Day on September 17, 2018. We presented from an industry perspective important fact on PACS system requirements, procurement planning, providing information on resources and further educating with panel discussions, individual presentations and amusing skits to over 300 Government agency staff and acquisition specialists. You can find some of the unedited recording of the PACS Reverse Industry Day Training on YouTube. Some changes included the creation of a new category of products/services Special Item Number (SIN) for Order Level Materials (OLM)  GSA Schedules Program A hot topic about the GSA programme for 2018 was also an issue for the prior year. The GSA Schedules Program is a streamlined contracting vehicle incorporating specific Federal Acquisition Regulations for more efficiently purchasing commercial items. Companies may apply per a continuous open season for a 5-year contract with three 5-year options to renew. Contractors are vetted for past performance, corporate experience and financial capability. Products and services are considered for offering to Federal, State and Local customers (for Schedule 84) with pricing that is determined to be fair and reasonable through negotiations with GSA. To make the determination for fair and reasonable pricing GSA carefully reviews the commercial practices of the contractor To make the determination for fair and reasonable pricing GSA carefully reviews the commercial practices of the contractor as well as the competition of identical or similar item pricing. The most vocal complaint of concern from the contractors was regarding the consideration of competitor contractors offering identical items with out-of-date pricing or holding a Letter of Supply not authorised by the manufacturer. GSA pricing tool Since the GSA utilises a pricing tool to determine if the pricing offered is competitive, a rogue competitor can cause a pricing action to possibly be rejected due to out of date information even as the manufacturer offers an update of the product. This is an issue on all GSA Contracts that the supplier panel hopes will be reconsidered by GSA policymakers at the central office. Most of us believe the Letters of Supply should only be issued by the manufacturer or with documented specific permission of the manufacturer to a reseller. Manufacturers may want to have a better understanding of the Letter of Supply, how it is considered by GSA and more carefully choose their Government partners for experience and compliance. Another challenge for the security community is regarding the lack of accessibility of participating dealers to GSA eBuy Overcoming challenges for the security community Contractors may only see RFQs which are posted under the Special items Number(s) that were awarded to their GSA Contract Another challenge for the security community is regarding the lack of accessibility of participating dealers to GSA eBuy. GSA eBuy is an online Request for Quotation (RFQ) programme that is for GSA Contract holders only. Agencies will post their requirements by Special Item Number for at a minimum 48 hours. Contractors may only see RFQs which are posted under the Special items Number(s) that were awarded to their GSA Contract. GSA Participating Dealers may take orders on behalf of a manufacturer if they are authorised under the manufacturer’s GSA Contract. They may also have an online PO Portal to receive orders. But they have no access to GSA eBuy to response to RFQs. Usually, under these arrangements, the manufacturers do not respond directly, so there is a problem using GSA eBuy for opportunities as their GSA Participating Dealers have no access to respond. GSA Schedule 84 leadership In some instances, a contracting officer may allow an emailed quotation. However, with the use of the electronic ordering system, this has become a common problem we hope to bring to the attention of policymakers. Some changes to the programmes may make the presentation of documentation more effective going forwardThe GSA Schedule 84 leadership has been helpful to explain the challenges to the agencies to try and resolve such issues. So, what’s up for 2019? GSA modernisation is coming. There will be improvements to their tools and more consolidations of SINs and more. There have been discussions of a revival of the GSA Expo. The Expo offered training for contracting staff both Government and private industry. Valuable tools for vendor training Equally important is the networking, meetings and the exhibits of the contractors. Expos have been discontinued since 2012 but smaller events have been growing as well as online webinar training. Webinars are valuable tools for GSA and vendor training, but they do not take the place of being able to meet your customers face-to-face. GSA online eOffer and eMod programme have made processing actions more efficient. Some changes to the programmes may make the presentation of documentation more effective going forward. The GSA online website for viewing the items on the GSA Contract and for purchasing items, GSA Advantage could definitely use an update as it has been basically the same for 20 years. Keep an eye on GSA Interact for the latest happenings with GSA.

The security industry has been earning more than its share of accolades for employing military veterans. With big companies such as G4S Secure Solutions employing more than 9,000 veterans in various positions – 22 percent of its workforce – the industry has become distinctly “military friendly.” In fact, the company and rival Allied Barton Security Services were both named 2014 Military Friendly Employers by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs. Both have also won the G.I. Jobs Top 100 Military Friendly Employers honour. To win these awards the companies had to meet strict criteria for recruiting and employing veterans. “Character, commitment and courage are the characteristics I find many veterans have and that’s what many employers in the workforce want to hire,” says Bob Williams, president, Briscoe Protective Systems Inc. G4S was named multiple times to these prestigious lists and awards: Top 50 Military-Friendly Employer by G.I. Jobs; Top 100 Military-Friendly Employer; Training magazine's Top 125; and Most Valuable Military Employer. Additionally, all across the USA, G4S has received awards from the Department of Defense, Employer Support of the Guard (ESGR) program. Going the extra mile in employing veterans is particularly important these days. In recent years the plight of unemployed veterans has gotten a lot of attention. With unemployment at a stubborn 6.5 percent – 9 percent for Gulf War II era veterans – there were more than 722,000 unemployed former military personnel in 2013. In many respects, actively seeking veterans for employment has been an easy sell to companies. Many of the skills taught by the military translate well into the security field. “Character, commitment and courage are the characteristics I find many veterans have and that’s what many employers in the workforce want to hire,” says Bob Williams, president, Briscoe Protective Systems Inc. in Centereach, New York. “If you have someone who has the technical skills, but bad work habits and bad character traits in dealing with customers, you can’t correct that. You can teach the skill, but not the character traits.” From the American Legion to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the security industry has received recognition for its dedication to the nation’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

Veterans are able to use their skills from the military to help develop strategies Ex-army officers/ military veterans bring considerable skills and invaluable experience to security companies. Not only do they play an important role in frontline positions, but also their exposure to a diverse array of security challenges make them increasingly valuable in formulating security management strategies. At the same time, such companies also offer the veterans an alternative and rewarding career in the civilian workforce where their past experience is highly valued. It's a win-win situation for both parties. Kevin Farrell always arrives early to his job at the offices of G4S Security in Jupiter, Florida. As senior manager for the national communications centre, he is charge of all the communication with more than 130 field offices for this large security company. A former military officer and current Florida National Guard captain, he has spent 23 years serving in capacities ranging from commanding an artillery unit to transportation security and military policing.   “We manage incoming crisis calls, field calls, requests for services and internal operations,” says Farrell. “We can handle anything from (company response to) Super Storm Sandy and utilise our centre here to ensure that our officers and clients are taken care of. We use this as an operations centre to send officers from other locations to assist (with situations.) It’s a 24/7, 365 day operation.” When the East Coast was ravaged by Super Storm Sandy a few years, G4S sent more than 100 additional officers to assist customers in digging out from the disaster. Farrell’s operation, which includes a dozen managers and staff, is tasked with handling all the critical communications needed to make such big logistical operations happen. In addition to crisis, the centre also handles big jobs such as communications for events like the Super Bowl. Veterans working for security companies say their military backgrounds and the wide variety of skills they acquired there serve them well. Veterans working for security companies say their military backgrounds and the wide variety of skills they acquired there serve them well “There was a time I was pushing 4000 hours per week providing security coverage with 120 officers that worked for me at the time,” says Timothy Meredith, Client Value Manager at AlliedBarton Security Services. That job was one of a series of positions with increasing responsibility Meredith has filled since joining the company in 2007. His first job as a uniformed security officer came at an opportune time for the military veteran. After first getting out of the service he had joined a company called Homeland Security Solutions that provided military police training to the U.S. Navy. When that contract ended, and the Navy took the program back in-house, he was left unemployed. “I was out of work, so just like anybody else I was jumped on the computer immediately and started looking for a job,” he recalls. He was seeking a security industry position when he came across a listing for AlliedBarton. Within a few days he was working as a new emergency response officer responsible for providing security to a variety of client sites. He received his first promotion within three months and has moved steadily up the ladder since then. Each position has brought more responsibility and – usually – an extended geographic area. His latest job put 600 employees and 60 different work sites under his authority. “I was looking for a solution where I could advance my future and do something good and meaningful at the same time,” recalls Kateri Nelson, Capture Management Support Representative with AlliedBarton Security Services. “I thought the military was a good option for me.” “We can handle anything from (company response to) Super Storm Sandy and utilise our centre here to ensure that our officers and clients are taken care of... It’s a 24/7, 365 day operation”, says Florida National Guard captain - Kevin Farrell. Thanks to the military, she was able to not only complete college, but also attend advanced training in linguistics and human intelligence. These were all skills that proved useful when it came time to move into the security industry. While finishing up a tour of duty with the Colorado National Guard, Nelson learned about an opening with AlliedBarton from a fellow soldier in her unit. She got her foot in the door as a human relations assistant and then quickly moved into a recruiting job that allowed her to use her skills in identifying and interviewing candidates for jobs within the company – including a number of fellow veterans. More recently she was promoted to “capture management” for the company. “That has been a great opportunity to use some of my other military skills as far as intelligence collection,” says Nelson. “We focus on government security contracting opportunities. I’m able to use my skills from the military there to help develop strategies and get any relevant intelligence around a pursuit we might be interested in following.” For these and other veterans, the security industry has proven a path of opportunity that has allowed them to put their hard earned skills to work in the civilian workforce.