Blogs

The last post is spot on about customer needs driving the use of technology. The IP-analog faceoff is actually a simple, user-by-user "what are you doing and what do you need" decision matrix, not a battle between titans as marketers often make it seem. Here's the down-and-dirty:

I'm the first to admit that there isn't a TON of security-focused news that comes out of our great state of Maine. But today a report came out that said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wants to take large pieces of the relatively famous Waldo-Hancock Bridge to an undisclosed, off-site location and test it to see how vulnerable suspension bridges are to terrorist attacks.

DHS offered $400,000 in federal funding for non-destructive testing of the bridge, reported The Republican Journal & The Waldo Independent.

In addition, as the bridge is being taken apart, Homeland Security wants to work with the Maine Department of Transportation to make sure it gets key components of the bridge as intact as possible so they can be moved for more extensive testing.

Generally, DHS has to manufacture a bridge structure specifically for testing purposes — the Waldo-Hancock Bridge is a better match for the roughly 100 other suspension bridges now in service throughout the United States, the article said.

(Wanted to post lovely photo of bridge here, but still having trouble posting photos. Can anyone help?)

It's kind of funny to hear DHS' desire to use this bridge because for some time no one in Maine wanted it. Completed in 1931, work was undertaken to rehabilitate the bridge starting in 2000 by focusing on strengthening the cables, but the bridge continued to deteriorate (motorists, myself included, became afraid to cross it.) In 2006, the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge opened, but the Hancock bridge still stands nearby it today (again, pretty picture could have been placed here.)

So, I'm glad to see the bridge will go to good use. It has been compared to the Golden Gate Bridge in the past and anything that can be done to protect that or other bridges like it from terrorist attacks is thumbs-up in my opinion.

Contributed by Noelle Britton, director of marketing for the security division at Siemens Building Technologies.

I was walking through the airport recently on a day plagued with weather delays. As I dodged my way past teens sitting on the floor engrossed in their iPods, and parents trying to navigate strollers down narrow aisles in search of seats, I got to thinking: Where did all these people come from?

It seems that in the past few years, the world has become a bit more crowded, doesn’t it? The UN certainly agrees; consider these two facts:
o The world’s population quadrupled during the last century and will continue to grow in the 21st century, from roughly 6 billion today to 8 billion in 2025.
o The year 2007 marked a unique milestone in human history: For the first time ever, more people on earth live and work in cities than in rural areas.

The crowded airport is a perfect illustration of the impact this burgeoning and changing population will have on our society. Accelerating urbanization and the accompanying economic growth will fuel a massive demand for dependable infrastructures, such as energy and water supplies, transportation and traffic management and safety and security.

Can you imagine the impact this will have on our industry?

As areas become more densely populated, the vulnerability to potential threats increases. The increase in populations will make achieving security more important and, at the same time, more challenging.

Fortunately, our industry has responded to this challenge with an unprecedented level of innovation. The rate at which our industry is developing new technologies and applications is truly impressive. Unfortunately, those who seek to undermine this security have proven to be equally innovative. The threats facing individuals, businesses and societies as a whole are both unprecedented and unpredictable.

So, how can integrators prove our value to you, the end users? Traditionally, integrators have focused most of their efforts on implementation. You should expect tomorrow’s integrators to have the skills and commitment to partner with you through the entire lifecycle – from strategy development through ongoing adaptation.

During the strategy development phase, we have to know your businesses as well as you do. Without this knowledge, we can’t help you create a tailored strategy which employs the right blend of people, processes and technology measures to accomplish both your security and business objectives.

During implementation we must not simply install the selected technologies but ensure that your team members have the skills to fully leverage the security system. We then have to offer ongoing service and support, which addresses the continued operation of the technology as well as the ongoing training and development of your staff. Finally, we must work with you on an ongoing basis to help you adapt your strategy to the ever-changing range of threats and risks you face.

Simply stated: You should expect your integrator to become a full partner in helping you achieve your security and business objectives.