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March 20, 2012
INOVONICS PRESIDENT MARK JARMAN TO PARTICIPATE IN PSIA PANEL AT ISC WEST 2012
Security industry leader to discuss the importance of standards in product development and implementation
WHO: Mark Jarman
President
Inovonics
Inovonics is a leader in high-performance wireless sensor networks for commercial and life safety applications.
For more than two decades, Jarman has served as an industry executive in the security and wireless industries. He has a deep technical background combined with sharp business acumen from his years of management and business development experience. He has an undergraduate from the University of Colorado and an M.B.A. from DePaul University in Chicago.
WHAT: “Implementing PSIA Standards: Perspectives from Industry Leaders”
Whether in product development or service delivery, it is important to develop industry standards in an open and collaborative manner to benefit the security industry as a whole. At ISC West 2012, Geoff Kohl of SecurityInfoWatch will moderate the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance’s (PSIA) panel of security industry leaders discussing standards, why we need them and their experience in implementing them into products. This panel presentation will demonstrate the importance, value and positive ROI effects of a collaborative standards development process.
Jarman will draw on his experience in the security and wireless industries to provide insight on how standards development activities in the security industry compare to other industries, and how companies can become part of the standards development process. Other panelists include, Gary Myers, vice president of engineering at ObjectVideo, Deon Chatterton of Cisco STS, Mike Regelski, vice president of engineering at UTC Automation Control Systems and Frank Gasztonyi, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Mercury Security Corp.
WHERE: ISC West 2012
Bellini Room 2012
Venetian Hotel/Sands Expo Center
3355 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
WHEN: Thurs., Mar. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. PDT
CONTACT: For more information or to set up an interview with Mark Jarman, president of Inovonics, please contact Christie Denniston at Catapult PR-IR 303-581-7760, ext. 13 or (cdenniston@catapultpr-ir.com).
June 13, 2011
INOVONICS AND ARMED RESPONSE TEAM HELP ACCENT SOUTHWEST WINDOWS AND DOORS KEEP RETAIL PREMISES SECURE
Albuquerque retailer’s operations had come to a screeching halt several times due to copper wire theft until it installed a reliable wireless sensor network
LOUISVILLE, Colo., June 13, 2011 – Inovonics (http://www.inovonics.com), the industry leader in high-performance wireless sensor networks for commercial and life safety applications, said today it partnered with Armed Response Team (ART) to solve a persistent and costly security breech for an Albuquerque-based retailer, Accent Southwest Windows and Doors: copper wire theft.
The retailer was victimized four times in the past four years — the last two incidents just a month apart about a year ago. As a tenant, Accent Southwest did not have to pay for the loss of 100 yards of copper or some $7,500 in electrician fees that resulted from its most recent incident, but lost sales opportunities have cost in excess of $20,000 each time.
“We had no power and customers couldn’t see,” said Greg Noel, Accent Southwest’s Vice President. “We couldn’t ring up sales resulting in us being out of business.”
With the ongoing recession continuing to hit specific parts of the U.S., copper wire theft has become a way for individuals to make a living. Copper is the essential ingredient in power lines, heating and cooling pipes, and grounding wires-the basic components of the modern world. When this vital element is ripped from buildings, police stations, telecommunications providers -the world goes dark. The results can be dramatic – with cell phone calls dropped, retail outlets being put out of business for days or weeks, police officers unable to respond to crime scenes and city budgets constantly hampered by having to replace the essential metal.
Numerous studies indicate the growing concern of copper wire theft across the country, including one startling report in 2008 from the Department of Energy that estimated the theft of copper wire costs Americans $1 billion per year. Legislation across the country is mounting to put measures in place to thwart stealing of the precious metal and lobbyist groups have formed, such as the Coalition Against Copper Theft (www.coppercoalition.com) based in Washington, D.C. The Copper Coalition has grown consistently since its founding in 2008 with a heavy retail presence. Members include the International Council of Shopping Centers, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation.
Noel says thieves targeting copper wiring “know how to cut the electrical wires even while the power is still on. They cut it 'hot’ because they have insulated cutters. Once they cut the wire, a breaker trips and it shorts out. Then the thieves can work two, three or four hours – whatever they need to physically strip the wiring out of the service box, through the conduit and back to the transformers.”
After several attempts at trying to avert the perpetrators himself, Noel called ART, which installed and monitors his burglar alarm system. Armed Response Team CEO David Meurer recommended that Noel install Inovonics’ commercial-grade wireless monitoring contact sensors within the company’s control panel. If anyone touched the panel’s door or tried to tamper with it, an alarm would activate, alerting ART’s monitoring station in seconds.
ART tested a number of wireless systems before deciding to partner with Inovonics.
“We sat down and worked with them to develop the technology to easily, within the building codes, put trip sensors inside of those electrical enclosures that could communicate to an alarm system,” explained Meurer. “At the same time, we put in an audio alarm that would make it clear to anyone who touches the container that they’ve been noticed and that someone is coming.”
Inovonics President Mark Jarman says, “Our sensors and wireless devices are ideal for retail environments for a number of reasons. First, wireless offers a level of flexibility that fits the shop floor well. It can easily be moved around to accommodate new merchandising or layout schemes. Second, because it is 900 MHz technology, it is proven to be reliable and durable. People know it works in even the most difficult situations where human safety is critical.”
Meurer said he selected Inovonics mainly for those same reasons: “It is wireless technology. That means a lot less labor and time, which made it a more cost-effective solution for Accent Southwest. Second was the fact that Inovonics’ wireless transmitters work well inside of a metal box,” he added. “Most wireless devices don’t. But, because Inovonics uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technology, it can communicate where most others fail, even within noisy, challenging environments.”
Since working with ART and installing the Inovonics’ wireless sensor network, Accent Southwest’s Noel says he hasn’t had any copper wire theft. “The combined system from ART and Inovonics has worked like a charm,” he said. “I have to believe that the system has deterred many further attempts at stealing our copper wiring. Even with just one theft prevented, the system has easily paid for itself.”
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About Inovonics Wireless Corporation
Inovonics is the industry leader in high-performance wireless sensor networks for commercial and life safety applications. Founded in 1986, the company pioneered the use of 900 MHz wireless technology to deliver the most reliable, cost-effective and flexible solutions for critical wireless applications. A leader in security and senior care markets, and the standard for multi-family submetering solutions, the Inovonics family of transmitters, receivers and control modules provides the wireless backbone for many of the world’s most widely used wireless systems. Renowned for exceptional performance and reliability, more than 6.5 million Inovonics wireless systems have been deployed in the most challenging of commercial environments, where structural limitations and multiple wireless networks can prove disruptive to lower quality systems. Working with leading OEMs and service provider partners, Inovonics provides network design and system engineering support to continuously advance the use of wireless technologies for corporate, industrial, government and educational applications. For more information contact Inovonics at (www.inovonics.com), or call 800-782-2709.
Media Contact:
Christie Denniston
Catapult PR-IR
3030-581-7760, ext. 13
February 16, 2011
Making the case for wireless long-term care facilities
Making the case for wireless long-term care facilities
Mark Jarman February 15, 2011
Today, wireless technologies have become the standard life-safety monitoring solution for assisted living, skilled nursing and the full spectrum of continuing care retirement communities (CCRC).
As the baby boomer generation continues to age and increase in numbers, so does the need for reliable technology that not only will protect and ensure resident safety, but also contribute to increasing the care center’s efficiency. Innovative new wireless applications allow staff to focus more on their job rather than constant manual check-ins for resident activity.
Residents, on the other hand, can have increased freedom of mobility, while being assured proper safety measures are taken to ensure their well being. Wireless technologies can provide passive sensors that instantly detect a resident’s activity. For example, residents traditionally are required to push a button or open a door to initiate a daily check-in. A new, automated approach involves wireless sensors that detect activity, which essentially eliminates the need for active check-in.
Key advantages
The “first generation” call systems implemented in CCRC and assisted living facilities were hard-wired. Although these systems are highly reliable and remain on the market today, they carry a higher cost to install, replace or expand. A wireless system is easy to install and use, ensuring significant cost savings from installation to deployment.
In addition, wireless offers a unique benefit that a wired solution cannot – the ability for installation almost anywhere in a building or campus without having to run wire or pull existing cable. Wireless manufacturers have worked hard to ensure their systems can be seamlessly relocated and reconfigured to meet the needs of building/campus changes. These systems can be expanded for new construction and facility upgrades and used to retrofit complete buildings/campuses that are being converted into senior care facilities. This ease of installation and low cost is especially compelling in a time where the aging population will soon increase dramatically.
Over the years, wireless has proven to be a reliable option for life-safety call system monitoring. However, with so many choices now available in the market it is difficult to determine which solution has enough range and can guarantee reliable emergency and distress response, despite what could be described as RF noisy environments.
Wireless options
There are primarily four different wireless technologies used in long-term care facilities: Wi-Fi, Zigbee, 900 MHz and 433 MHz systems. Each has its own unique performance characteristics, causing variations in range, location capabilities, battery life, etc.
WiFi: This wireless technology is capable of moving large amounts of data over a moderate distance, usually measured in hundreds of feet, making it a perfect fit for mobile computing applications. Many retailers, communities, airports and other public locations offer Internet through WiFi. These systems will only move data with an established infrastructure. WiFi also has high power consumption and limited range, which are not suitable for battery-powered devices in remote locations. Because of the amount of traffic on these networks today, WiFi technology is not ideally suited for critical information or life safety applications.
ZigBee: This technology is a standards-based wireless networking solution that can support moderate data rates and low power consumption. ZigBee systems send small data packets through a series of nodes, where each node of the network repeats the messages from its neighbor until the message reaches the head end. Typically, the range of a ZigBee device is less than 500 feet. This is a relatively new and still evolving technology that often is chosen for home, building and industrial automation fields. However, latency is lengthy, which is not ideal for applications where urgency is required, such as life safety.
900 MHZ: The performance of technology at this spectrum is ideal for life-safety systems. Open field range on 900 MHz devices varies from about a half mile to one mile. Information then can travel through a repeater network within the campus or building. The battery life of 900 MHz technologies usually achieve 2-5 years, which can significantly reduce maintenance and support expenses. Many 900 MHz technologies rely on Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technology. FHSS systems send redundant messages across multiple channels to avoid interference obstacles. A transmission at a specific channel may be blocked; however, the following retransmission on the next channel will most likely be multiple channels away and thus avoid the interfering signal. FHSS systems not only avoid interference but also can tolerate in-band interference signals more than 10,000 times stronger than the desired weak signal. These characteristics make FHSS the best choice for short message communications such as life safety and distress alerts.
433 MHz Systems: This technology is very similar to 900 MHz in terms of range, battery life and relatively low overall cost. While 433 MHz has greater worldwide acceptance for general wireless applications, one of its major disadvantages is that it operates on a very narrow band channel making it more susceptible to interference. This fact makes it a less desirable technology for applications in senior care that rely on wireless to protect human lives.
New wireless applications
The assisted living market is focusing on solutions that offer flexibility to run several different applications with a single system or technology. Wireless providers are working toward achieving this goal.
A well-known application for wired is the traditional call system, which is the call device from an apartment or living space that requires residents to push a button or open a door in order to initiate a daily check-in. Today, there is a wireless 900 MHz solution, an activity sensor that enables passive detection of activity. It includes an extended sleep timer that reduces unwanted radio frequency traffic in large installations. This technology automates the daily check-in procedure, eliminating the need for the resident to perform a check-in activity. It also dramatically reduces the number of unwanted alarm signals-one of the largest offenders of excessive alarm traffic, which can impact the effectiveness of a wireless system.
In addition, wireless offers a mobile device, in the form of a pendant, that the resident wears. This device can move throughout the building or campus and provide a duress call capability for the resident while they are mobile. There also are applications for real time location capabilities and for asset tracking.
Seniors in the early stages of dementia can benefit from wireless systems that can create boundaries or restricted areas and provide a notification to caregivers when an individual enters an area that she or he shouldn’t, or gets too close to an exit.
Fall detection and prevention is a primary need within assisted living centers and skilled nursing areas. Wireless devices can easily help monitor when somebody might get up out of a wheelchair or bed and provide information to the caregivers about the activities of the individual so they can be alert and aware.
Typically, if somebody has a propensity to fall, the staff is aware and they’ll be looking and watching out for those people. One way to closely monitor individuals who are at a higher risk of falling would be to put a pressure sensor on their bed, or motion sensor in their bathroom or hallway so if they get up in the middle of the night and need to use the restroom, a caregiver would know they need to check on that resident.
Impact of wireless on staff
The wireless technologies for today’s nurse call systems provide flexible notification methods. This allows caregivers to be mobile-they don’t have to be sitting at or near a nurses station to receive a notification. Caregivers can do different activities throughout the day and can use mobile devices such as pagers, mobile phones, two-way radios, or Spectralink phones that will receive the alert.
The ability for caregivers to be mobile offers increased work efficiency. Nurses and other staff are spending time doing the appropriate tasks for their job and receive and act upon notifications while they’re mobile.
Impact on residents
The biggest impact that wireless has on residents of CCRCs and other care facilities is increased sense of security and freedom. They no longer have to be tied down to one particular spot; however, they still carry the call device with them. This benefit not only increases quality of life, but also allows residents to have more independence and privacy.
Implementation considerations
There are several key items that an operator should consider when determining which wireless system is best. The list includes, but is not limited to:
* Does the system provide sufficient coverage to meet your needs?
* Can the system withstand interference and assure life safety applications will be reliably deployed?
* Are there any line-of-sight issues or dead spots where coverage may be difficult?
* Have you reviewed and compared all options as they apply to your particular installation?
* Does this technology provide the most efficient solution possible?
* What are the installation costs vs. equipment costs?
* Are the wireless devices monitored or supervised to notify the facility if a device fails?
* What is the battery life of the devices, and how long will it provide a low-battery alert before the battery dies?
* Will the pendants work throughout the facility vs. only near the resident’s room?
* Can the system provide location coordinates for mobile pendants activated anywhere on the premises, and at what level of accuracy or resolution?
Conclusion
New applications for long-term care centers aim to satisfy the need for increased efficiency, cost savings, reliability and life safety. The aging population will dramatically increase in years to come, which will require the development and expansion of more CCRCs and other care facilities.
Wireless technology for life-safety applications should be selected based on the highest level of performance, resistance to interference, and message redundancy. In addition, the cost savings for installation and deployment of wireless is dramatically greater than wired.
While the benefits of wireless technologies are straightforward, decision-makers must understand the different types of wireless available in order to select the best possible option for their facility or campus. Using the correct wireless technology offers more freedom to residents, greater effectiveness for staff and the best overall economic benefits.
The author has served in the security industry for more than 20 years and is the president of Inovonics.
To view the full article at McKnight’s Long Term Care Information website, please click here: http://www.mcknights.com/making-the-case-for-wireless-long-term-care-facilities/article/196424/
