President's Message

During the last several years two major events have had a powerful and continuing impact on security-related issues. The first of these of course is 9/11, and the subsequent creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The other is the passage of regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA, which have resulted in the need to leverage technology, including security systems such as access control, to meet compliance and reporting requirements.

Why Convergence?

The security industry is abuzz with talk of convergence: the melding of physical security with IT security. Security threats now come in many forms; the intruder at the door and the one sailing in over the Internet. Security experts and IT leaders have found that the pairing of physical security with IT security makes for a more formidable defense system. But what are the factors pushing this paradigm shift, and how can organizations gain from it?

Q&A: Introduction to Integrated Access Control

There is a lot of talk in the security industry these days about integrated access control. While it's well understood what access control is all about, what exactly is integrated access control, and what are the advantages of integration? We asked RFI Technical Sales Manager Greg Young to go through the basics.

Video Monitoring Provides Big Benefits

In the last issue of the Integrator we reviewed the wide range of applications and benefits provided by remote video monitoring. From video tours to event notification and alarm verification, remote video monitoring is rapidly becoming the solution of choice in many situations. In this article you'll discover how a major developer uses remote video monitoring to secure the millions of square feet and thousands of units at its many properties.

How Fire Alarm Systems Save Lives

According to the National Fire Protection Association, a structural fire occurs in the United States every 60 seconds. In 2004, these structural fires resulted in over $8 billion in property damage. Much worse, they were responsible for thousands of deaths and injuries. Recognizing this threat to both people and facilities, more and more organizations are adding fire alarm systems to their security and life safety infrastructure.

RFI's Central Station Receives Major Upgrades

After months of planning and development, RFI recently opened the Control Center, a new state-of-the-art, UL-certified central station monitoring facility. This new facility features advanced tools and capabilities based on the latest developments in information technology.