Commercial Integrator + Security Sales July 2024 - 6

EDITOR'S NOTE
A Publication Created for You
O
ur editorial team and our corporate parent, Emerald, are clearly big
believers in the fundamental synergies between commercial AV integration
and electronic security integration. That, after all, is what inspired
us to bring together Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration as a single
publication that shows the way for integrators to go deeper with their commercial
client base. But for a content creator and curator like me, each month poses a
challenge: How can our team pull together a mix of features and columns that will
speak not only to someone installing a DVLED videowall but also
to someone integrating a fire alarm system? We produce
this publication not for ourselves but, rather, for you.
We hope that we've succeeded in creating something
compelling this month.
On the CI side of the house, we're excited to
showcase Pace University's Seidenberg School
of Computer Science and Information Systems'
Cyber Range, located at the school's Pleasantville
N.Y. campus. The Cyber Range allows Pace
University students to get firsthand experience
with how to combat cybersecurity threats, thus
preparing them for a career in that field. Craig
MacCormack's story dives deep into the underlying
technology infrastructure, including a fully reconfigurable
videowall that allows instructors and students to adjust on the
fly based on their needs. They can even engage in hackathons among themselves
and with other schools. Read all about it, starting on page 20.
CI's other big feature, which also graces our cover, is an Alyssa Borelli profile
of Southtown Audio Video (SAV), the Hamburg, N.Y.-based AV integrator that
Heather Sidorowicz, owner and president, runs. The company, whose roots
trace back 40 years, began with Sidorowicz's father, Thomas Laski, opening a
Hi-Fi shop. Our real story, however, begins in 2014, when Sidorowicz bought
the evolving company outright, allowing her to chart a new course and steer the
company in a different direction. Her vision has proved wildly successful. What
started with an annual revenue of $600,000 and a team of just four employees
has grown to more than $3.5 million in revenue and a dedicated workforce of 15.
Alyssa examines the business principles that underlie SAV's remarkable success.
Check it out, starting on page 30.
As for SSI, we are pleased to relive the 29th
annual SAMMY Awards by
delivering a deeply reported feature on our Integrated Installation of the Year
winner: Everon, for its work with Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union
(HIFICU). Amala Reddie, who usually covers AV, does a great job diving into
security in this multi-page, image-rich feature. HIFICU approached Everon to
ensure that security, fire and life safety needs would be met with consistent,
quality service and the vertical-specific expertise that the credit union market
requires. The full-service design engineering project not only updated existing
systems to extend the longevity of viable systems but also introduced HIFICU
to new technologies and services that more comprehensively and reliably
protect its facilities and help HIFICU establish operational efficiencies. Read
the story, starting on page 40.
Plus, I share a recap of SSI's Most Valuable Product (MVP) Awards, a program that
exists to recognize products that make a substantial impact on electronic security
6 Commercial Integrator+Security Sales & Integration | July 2024
We are big believers
in the fundamental
synergies between
commercial AV and
electronic security.
That is what inspired
us to bring together
a single publication
that shows the way
for integrators to
go deeper with their
commercial clients.
integrators and their businesses. In this,
our 10th
year presenting the MVPs, we
were fortunate to have nearly 40 nominees
across categories including access control,
intrusion detection, security apps and video
surveillance. In addition to highlighting all
nominees, we offer exclusive comments
from our MVP winners: NAPCO Security
Technologies, D-Tools, Inc., Alarm.com,
Snap One, Nice North America, Axis Communications,
LiftMaster and Bosch Security
and Safety Systems. Read all their insights,
starting on page 44.
Of course, no issue of CI+SSI would
be complete without our usual mix
of columns and thought-leadership
content. This issue features everything
from Alesia Hendley talking online
community-building, to Paul Boucherle
discussing " amateur " salespeople, to
Brandy Alvarado-Miranda teaching lessons
in confidence and communication.
As you leaf through this issue of
CI+SSI, think about what we're doing well
and how we can improve. Share your
thoughts with me - good or bad - at
dan.ferrisi@emeraldx.com. CI+SSI
DAN FERRISI
Group Editor, Commercial and Security
dan.ferrisi@emeraldx.com, @danferrisiedit
http://www.Alarm.com
Commercial Integrator + Security Sales July 2024

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