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In mid-October, ESX opened registration for ESX 2018, to be held in Nashville, Tenn., June 19-22. "To open the event to even more industry professionals, ESX is launching registration with budgeting season in mind," the announcement read.
"It takes people to drive profits," ESX chairman George De Marco said in a prepared statement. "At a time when market competition has never been fiercer, it's important to invest in your people—to fuel their development. Launching registration early allows business owners and management to plan for ESX, while in budgeting mode. I urge you to think hard about professional development programming for you and your team — I'm confident there's no other event that can deliver the same impact to your business."
Additionally, ESX is currently offering its full-access Premium Pass at $199. The event will feature new technologies, perspectives ideas and best practices relevant to electronic security and life safety companies.
According to the announcement, "Educational programming will address such topics as: building sales teams, increasing leads, driving profits with doorbells, cameras and door locks, tracking top KPI's, customer care programs, creation cost analyses, organic vs. acquisition growth, disruptive technologies, cyberattacks, attracting and retaining operators, and more."
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—The Monitoring Association recently recognized two notable professionals: Morgan Hertel, vice president of technology and innovation of Rapid Response Monitoring Services, and Sascha Kylau, vice president of sales at OneTel Security.
Hertel was awarded The Monitoring Association's highest honor, the Stanley C. Lott Memorial Award for Exemplary Service. "This award was created to honor the memory of Stanley C. Lott, a TMA (CSAA) past president renowned for his above-and-beyond efforts to lead and financially support the Association through difficult times," the announcement read.
Pamela J. Petrow, then-president of TMA who presented the award, said in the announcement: "Morgan is someone who gives tirelessly of his time through committee work, responding on our digital community board, and in one-to-one consultation, all in an effort to improve our association and to educate others in the industry … including his competitors!"
Hertel said in the anouncement, "This is really an honor and a privilege – not only to receive this award but to be here at the TMA Annual Meeting."
He continued, "One of the reasons I do what I do is a personal belief in the importance of giving back. I think many in our industry feel the same way. You give back to your community, church, faith, your industry that's provided you with a great living over the last 40 years.
Kylau was awarded TMA's President's Award for service to the alarm industry.
"Part of TMA's mission to provide education to our members that helps them meet today's industry challenges. This year Sascha's efforts as co-chair of the Technology Committee and member of the Education Committee have resulted in considerable advances toward that goal," Petrow said in the announcement of Kylau's award. "He helped coordinate technology webinars open to all TMA members, spearheaded the Annual Meeting technology sessions that were a big attraction at our event, and assisted in the review of the Level 1 training course."
Kylau, upon receiving the award, said, "I am honored to be presented with this award by Pam Petrow. Not only do I consider Pam a friend but I look to her as a mentor; she has helped me to become the person I am today. I have had the privilege of serving this association for the past 19 years. I will continue to bring my knowledge to the table and assist the association in its education as we move forward in a constantly-evolving industry."
Both awards were presented at TMA's annual meeting, held Oct. 7-11 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
On the Move Systems announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary Robotic Assistance Devices will make its S5 Security Guard Robot available to members of PSA Security Network, one of the world's largest systems integrator cooperatives in North America, encompassing more than 400 branch locations and employing more than 7,500 industry professionals, with more than $4.5 billion annually in security, fire, life safety and pro audio-visual installations.
By leveraging the power of the PSA Security Network, RAD will expand the geographic reach of the innovative S5 Security Guard Robot solution while allowing PSA members to gain access to the rapidly growing artificial intelligence market.
Steve Reinharz, president and CEO of RAD, told Security Systems News that he is excited to offer a robotic solution through another channel as part of PSA's expansive integrator network.
"This is a big announcement for us and another great way for RAD to be introduced to end users through the integrator channel," he said. "We already have a couple of PSA affiliated members signed up as RAD dealers. It was really great meeting and working with [PSA president and CEO] Bill Bozeman on this partnership. The foresight he has—he really understands this opportunity—and we both feel it is important to include integrators in the RAD ecosystem. Previously I had been focusing on guarding companies, but because of Bill Bozeman and others on my team, I have opened up the channel to integrators as well."
"Robotics is the wave of the future, and PSA strives to be a leader in the delivery of cutting-edge technologies," Bozeman said in the announcement. "RAD enables PSA integrators to deliver advanced solutions that streamline efficiency, are cost effective and strengthen overall security. We are excited to have the opportunity to add RAD to our rich portfolio of technology partners."
Reinharz noted that this partnership not only allows RAD to expand its market reach, but also to "educate more end users on how these solutions can solve today's most complex security problems," he said. "PSA members will now have the ability to not only offer a cutting-edge technology to their customers, but also add additional revenue to their business through our robots-as-a-service model."
RAD robotics "redefines the security services market, allowing organizations to augment the value of traditional manned guarding services with high-tech robotics," the press release read. "Through the incorporation of advanced analytics and strategic technology integrations, the artificial intelligence solutions created by RAD accelerate deep learning, automate the security patrol process and build situational awareness for leaders and first responders in the event of an incident."
RAD currently has a sales pipeline of more than 50 Fortune 500 companies and more than 25 qualified dealers and distributors that have a combined customer base of more than 35,000 end-user corporations.
PHILADELPHIA—Medical Guardian, a large medical alert provider, recently changed up its branding, rolling out a new website, logo and tagline. Geoff Gross, company founder and CEO, talked with Security Systems News about the process behind the company's "brand evolution," which it started at the beginning of the year.
Medical Guardian's new website features images and content that better reflect the lives of seniors today, Gross said. The largest obstacle in the PERS industry, "is the perception of the service," he said. "We want to display imagery and content that is relevant to the lives [that potential customers] are actually living."
The website also now includes a "Risk Score" which assess factors of a potential user's life based on questions and suggest either an mPERS or in-home PERS product. Visitors to the website can also have another questionnaire that will recommend a more specific offering. Additionally, the company is including a customer web portal and a Medical Alert Blog.
Medical Guardian's new logo is a shield with a range of red and purple colors. "The shield represents the protection that Medical Guardian provides, while the gradient provides a visual metaphor for growth and transformation," the company said in its announcement.
The company's new tagline, "Life Without Limits," resonates with the company's customer base, according to Gross. "If you want to go in the garden in the summertime and spend a few hours out there, with the protection of our service and one of our mobile products or home products, you'll be able to do that. If you want to take the volunteer shift at the museum, feel free and have the confidence to go and do the things you love to do," he said.
Gross said the research was the most involved step in rethinking the company's brand. Through this process, the company learned that the potential customer don't like certain terminology, such as "mature" or "senior." Medical Guardian refers to its customers as "older adult" or "older American," Gross noted.
In research for the new branding, the company conducted a survey with its customers, asking about their number of falls, level of activity and types of activities. "We were able to pull a tremendous amount of data and most of it all pointed toward that our customer base specifically … they're more active than we think. It's reflected in the products we're selling now," Gross said, adding that almost half of Medical Guardian's new sales are mobile PERS products.
Medical Guardian, based in Philadelphia, has about 200 employees, Gross said.
Honeywell began notifying customers this week about the launch of a new DIY home security system.
"We are actively working with our professional security dealer and installer customers to grow their businesses as this industry evolves," Brian Casey, vice president and general manager, Residential & Intrusion Solutions, Honeywell Security & Fire, told Security Systems News. "We believe the rapidly growing self-installed security space represents an opportunity for professional security dealers to expand their existing business models. The new Honeywell Smart Home Security solution gives our dealers an opportunity to sell to a different type of customer, and compete against the new players expanding into this space."
Honeywell said through email that the new solution—called the Honeywell Smart Home Security System—is "targeting tech savvy consumers. The new solution will be an all-in-one, self-monitored and self-installed system that is attractive to the estimated 60 percent of U.S. households who aren't interested in traditional security services and contracts. Honeywell Smart Home Security System will be available for professional dealers early next year to help them reach this market."
This is a very interesting announcement, especially coming on the heels of all the recent developments in the DIY space, including announcements from Samsung/ADT, Ring and Nest.
In addition, SSN's News Poll is focused on the topic this month.
Alarm.com announced today the launch of its PowerUp Conference, an intensive multi-day training program exclusively for Alarm.com's service provider partners. At the training conference, scheduled for Nov. 14-16, 2017 in Dallas, Texas, participants will learn technical and operational skills, and sales expertise in the smart home and business security fields. Created by the Alarm.com Academy training program, PowerUp offers a customizable schedule of specialized, hands-on training and industry insights.
"PowerUp is a comprehensive, immersive learning environment designed to ensure that our service provider partners come out of the conference with actionable skills and knowledge to improve their business," Katie Refano, Alarm.com's director of training, said in the announcement. "With more than 25 sessions to choose from, as well as presentations from Alarm.com executives and product updates from hardware partners, attendees will be able to tailor a learning experience to their exact company role and business needs."
PowerUp is the latest addition to the Alarm.com Academy, Alarm.com's program of in-person and online training for service providers. Continually refreshed and expanded to keep service providers ahead of the latest innovations and market trends, the program offers end-to-end training across all areas of a service provider's business, helping Alarm.com's partners to become experts in selling, installing and supporting Alarm.com products and services.
In terms of overall growth for the Academy, Matthew Zartman, director of marketing for Alarm.com, told Security Systems News that from 2015 to 2016 "we've seen a 57% increase in in-person training participation. From 2015 to 2016 we've seen more than 170% increase in participation in our online training program."
PowerUp offers a broad array of focused training sessions for different roles within service providers' businesses, including:
• Installation: Technicians can learn how to get every installation right the first time and avoid future truck rolls with Alarm.com's mobile tools, while earning Continuing Education Units that keep their qualifications up-to-date.• Operations: Managers can learn how to get hands-on with system integrations, business intelligence reporting and account set-up tools.• Sales & Marketing: Sales personnel will learn to use Alarm.com's end-to-end suite of resources to increase close rates, grow RMR, and maximize lifetime customer value.• Customer Support: Join advanced workshops in remote troubleshooting led by Alarm.com's C.O.R.E. support experts.
Alarm.com service providers can register to attend PowerUp by clicking here, or by emailing: [email protected].
SYRACUSE, N.Y.—Rapid Response Monitoring recently announced that it will be expanding its West Coast facility in Corona, Calif. This news comes as the company is currently working on expanding its headquarters here from 40,000 to 75,000 square feet.
"Our partnerships with dealers on the West Coast have increased steadily since the opening of our Corona facility in January 2015. The growth of our dealer network and our commitment to provide the highest level of support for the industry is the driving force behind this project," said Spencer Moore, vice president of sales and marketing for Rapid Response, said in a prepared statement.
In the announcement, Rapid said that the Corona facility—fully redundant with the company's headquarters in Syracuse, N.Y.—will be a total of 35,000 square feet after the expansion and "will include a state-of-the-art dealer and vendor training center, an enhanced employee training area and an expanded monitoring center," the announcement read.
"We are excited to support our West Coast Dealers and vendors in an advanced space completely dedicated to learning and facilitating their growth," said Moore.
Excited to be in Dallas for ASIS 2017. My first two days of the show were packed with excitement, including intellectually stimulating keynotes, meetings and sessions as well as conversations with more than 30 companies, from manufacturers to integrators. I racked up about 15,000 steps on day one, but was rewarded with an invite to the Securitas' event at AT&T stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys and the most famous cheerleaders in the world.
As I tweeted out, Securitas pretty much had a 'drop the mic' moment, creating a memorable experience for everyone in attendance, whether you were taking pictures with those aforementioned cheerleaders, catching passes in the back of the end zone (yes, that was me!), or just taking in the warm sound of country rising star Jennifer Nettles. This event will be hard to top next year. Big thanks to Securitas Electronic Security President Tony Byerly!
Back on the trade show floor, I saw a continuation of some of the themes that were discussed at ISC West, from cybersecurity, video analytics and big data, to cloud-based solutions, AI/machine learning, robotics and IoT.
It is also great to see the industry and manufacturers continuing to move away from proprietary systems, as partnerships and playing nice with others is helping these companies provide more comprehensive solutions. The vibe on the show floor, and within the industry is one of open architectures, seamless integration of complimentary products and companies providing open APIs that their partners can write to easily and securely, opening up so many opportunities for both integrators and end users.
And getting back to some of the emerging technologies in the industry today, it finally feels like we are starting to fulfill the promise of some of them, especially in the area of video and data analytics. As many pointed out to me, there is so much more being done with data and meta-data today, as we can now take the data from all of these disparate systems—access control, video surveillance, fire and life safety, for example—and bring them into one platform where that data can be turned into actionable info, providing greater opportunities for integrators to move into the managed services and recurring revenue model, while giving end users the power to leverage their data for not only better and more predictive security, but also operational efficiencies, business intelligence and business continuity.
I also see greater adoption of cloud-based solutions among not only manufacturers but integrators as well. And on the cyberssecurity front, I am impressed with the way the industry has mobilized to address this issue, hardening their products, providing education and resources to integrators so they can speak more intelligently on the topic.
I also see the industry continuing to embrace mobile solutions, whether it is mobile credentialing or having the power to remotely interact and manage your systems. As many pointed out, the same kind of evolution that we have seen on the residential side is moving to the commercial side. People want that same convenience and ease of use and control they have at home in their work and professional lives as well, and the opportunities that can be had with smart buildings and smart cities is really exciting; I am already seeing companies—both suppliers and integrators—making an impact on crime, and mitigating risk using these new advanced IP and cloud-based solutions.
And I would be remiss to not mention all of the M&A activity going on the industry right now. In addition to talk about ACRE selling Mercury Security to HID Global and the recent merger of ipDatatel and Resolution Products, attendees got to see the new JCI, post Tyco merger. Also, there was plenty of speculation and gossip around the convention center about who will be in the next M&A breaking news headline.
This really is any exciting time to be in the industry!
PARK CITY, Utah—AvantGuard recently held its fourth PERS Summit here. Included here is a day-by-day overview from Security Systems News' managing editor, Spencer Ives, who attended the event.
Tuesday, Sept. 26
To kick off this year's PERS Summit, AvantGuard hosted a tour of its recently remodeled Ogden, Utah, headquarters. Small groups of about eight people each were shown each department. Veronica Smith, account executive with AvantGuard, led my tour group.
The remodel was extensive, and involved moving entire departments across the building's three floors.
Certain aspects of the remodeled building stand out. All employees have similar workspaces in a very open floor plan; no one has a separate office. The updated building also includes a new lounge for employees. Additionally, every workstation is outfit with a convertible desk for sitting and standing.
Rich Watts, VP of information technology, gave and overview of the IT department. Watts also detailed the levels of redundancy, between the company's Ogden, Utah, and Rexburg, Idaho, and locations, for alarm communications.
Madison Barlow, company director of training and quality assurance, outlined the training process for new employees, including a written exam to in-call center training. This process is followed by quality assurance audits. The company also has coaches, she pointed out, which work with the operators and hear feedback and ideas.
Cindy Miller, dealer care supervisor, introduced the company's team of account representatives and account executives.
Spencer Dean, operations manager working in AvantGuard's Idaho facility, met with the tour to talk about culture and finding the right people. Dean pointed to a company saying to illustrate AvantGuard's culture, that AvantGuard cares F.I.R.S.T., meaning the company cares, it is Fun, it is Innovative, it values Relationships, focuses on Service, and builds Trust. He also highlighted that both of AvantGuard's facilities are close to universities, allowing the company to bring in college students with new ideas.
Suzie Nye, AvantGuard's VP of operations, discussed the company's monitoring center. A big difference following the remodel was bringing the monitoring from the first floor to the third floor. When the monitoring center was on the ground level, windows needed to be blocked as a requirement for UL certification. Now, the monitoring center is just about surrounded by windows that can let in natural light. Troy Iverson, AvantGuard's vice president, commented on an increase in productivity after the move.
Rich Slater, the company's VP of human resources, talked about his team's approach within HR, as focusing on the employees as well as the company as a whole.
The first day ended with a networking reception at The Chateaux Deer Valley, where the conference is being held.
Wednesday, Sept. 27
Justin Bailey, AvantGuard president and COO, presented Wednesday's first session on "The Future of PERS Monitoring."
Bailey first started by taking a look back at the predictions he made about the PERS industry and where it was headed in 2013.
He warned of the demise of the landline. In the last two years, he said, there are more homes with only cellphones than those with landlines.
Next he took a look at VoIP and how that's progressed. AvantGuard has seen massive growth in non-traditional communication, according to Bailey.
MPERS has also grown greatly since 2013. In 2013, AvantGuard's medical monitoring was 3 percent mPERS, it grew to be 36 percent in 2015 and now—the majority—55.3 percent in 2017.
Another prediction Bailey had in 2013 was toward the advancement and use of location services, and noted significant growth in that area. While there is cell ID and GPS, "What we're seeing now in the industry is the use of Wi-Fi location," he said.
Additionally, at this year's PERS Summit he highlighted IPS—or indoor positioning system—technologies, and predicted more of those in the future.
Not all of his predictions came true; Bailey also discussed some that missed. In 2013, he predicted a large PERS and Telehealth convergence. While that hasn't happened, Bailey expects that it will come in the future.
Similarly, the obsolescence of equipment refurbishment was another 2013 prediction from Bailey that wasn't seen in the last four years, but he still predicts it's coming up down the road.
Bailey then showed a short video to illustrate AvantGuard's work with PERS, a true story of when an AvantGuard used the proper procedures after receiving a PERS alert. The operator, after speaking with the user and dispatching paramedics, contacted a family member who informed him of certain doctors the PERS user should be taken to. By then contacting the paramedics, the user was able to get the help she needed.
AvantGuard refers to its operators as "heroes" and following the video, Bailey asked all of AvantGuards heroes in the room to stand up and be recognized.
Times are changing, according to Bailey, with increasing Internet and social media usage as well as the number of smart phones and cell phones. One demographic that he highlighted was those 50 to 64 years old, 97 percent of who have a smartphone or cell phone.
Bailey looked at the process of the call list on an alarm, which hasn't changed much in a while; calling a home number for one contact, then calling their cell, then moving on to the next contact. He shared that when a landline rings now, a person may not answer, thinking if it's important they'll receive a call on their cell. Likewise, some people are not inclined to answer a call on their cell phone from a number they don't know. The process of reaching someone can take time.
This process could be changed if AvantGuard's sent a text message to several people on a call list. The message would include a link to a browser-based chatroom, where members of the call list can discuss the alarm. Bailey called the model "Interactive Parallel Monitoring," and said it could result in improved notification and response times, meaningful caregiver involvement, increased subscriber retention.
Enhanced caregiver engagement is the future of PERS, according to Bailey.
Technological advancements can disrupt and industry. Bailey gave the example of the taxi industry, disrupted by Uber's capabilities with a smart phone. "I want to challenge each of us to not be the taxi industry," Bailey said.
The day's second session looked at PERS cases in court, and what business can do before, during and after potential litigations. Philip Kujawa, attorney with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, opened by saying that this presentation is not legal advice.
Specifically, Kujawa looked at what a PERS company could do to prepare for or prevent a lawsuit, such as a wrongful death suit following the death of a PERS user.
The PERS user is not a medical alarm company's enemy, Kujawa said, and the people who get PERS to help a loved one are not either, typically. The potential problem is with people who buy a PERS for a family member out of guilt. Kujawa said that he finds plaintiffs in wrongful death cases against PERS companies don't have a great relationship with the deceased.
"Try to evaluate who it is that's purchasing the product from you," he said. "Put high caution on those customers." If a person is paying for the PERS unit but doesn't want to be on the call list, that can be a sign of potential trouble.
Litigation in this arena is new, according to Kujawa. Unfortunately, alarm companies don't have the greatest reputation, which can make them a target, he said. Additionally, some states are more litigious than others, he said, pointing to Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, California, and Florida as the five worst states.
"Unfortunately, you have to think about being defensive," Kujawa said, and the best defense is a good offense. In order to offensively protect a company, attendees should do a good job with their businesses, he said, adding that attending an industry conference is a good sign. Company's that want to be defensive can develop, adopt and implement best practices in all facets of the business.
Contracts are critical, not having one is very helpful to the plaintiff's lawyer, Kujawa said. "I want the person wearing the pendant to sign that if they can," he said; family members bringing a suit would not have better rights than the deceased. After the user themselves, the next best thing would be to have the person who is most responsible and involved in the user's life as the signatory. "What I don't want is somebody completely remote to the end user signing the contract; [such as] the hospital, the nursing home."
In preparation before a suit, those on the frontline should be aware of when they receive complaints after an event—such as a user's death—and get the facts, do an internal investigation. Kujawa also encouraged attendees to save any media coverage related to the event, as it might be helpful. He stressed that companies should be careful regarding requests for information. Freely sharing information that the company isn't required to—like an alarm history—may appear helpful but can create more problems in a lawsuit, he said.
Laurie Orlov, founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, presented the last session of the day, "Key Technology Trends for the Aging Beyond 2017."
Orlov began by pointing out four key technologies needed in the aging in place market: communications and engagement, safe and security, learning and contribution, and health and wellness. From there, Orlov examined the ways these technologies fit around aspects of aging in place.
She started with home care, which is a space that sees a lot of turnover—at least 64 percent, according to Orlov. Potential reasons for this are that the work is labor intensive compared with other low wage occupations. Home care is a space that needs partners, devices and services, she said.
One technology that Orlov highlighted was voice interactions. This is the opportunity for virtual assistants, she said. For example, a senior could repeat questions with a virtual assistant, and the response would be the same, not annoyed or frustrated.
Currently, there are 9 million devices like this in homes, Orlov said, and by 2018, 30 percent of interactions with technology will be through conversations. Examples of this category would be Amazon's Echo, Google Home, and Siri with Apple.
Orlov also addressed risks and concerns in the voice market, such as the cost of broadband, language support, and difficulties implementing the system through an app.
Another technology Orlov examined was wearables. Wearables are relevant because older demographics have pets and have to walk their dog; one third of the 65+ population has a dog, she said. While some wearables appeal to a users interest in fitness, that will give way to their interest in safety, said Orlov. She listed Phillips wearable, Freeus belle+, Unaliwear, FallSafetyApp and Kytera among examples for wearable technologies.
Wearables have changed, Orlov noted, becoming more mobile, accurate in terms of location services, and can be voice activated. One of the problems with safety wearables is that people forget to wear them, she said.
Virtual reality technologies also have potential among seniors because it can be used to show them different areas, outside of their facility, Orlov noted.
Thursday, Sept. 28
Jason Hewlett, the speaker giving the day's first keynote presentation, gave lively impressions of various singers, including Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder. He pointed out how recognizable he was by simply copying one or two signature pieces of their stage presence.
Performers need to meet expectations by doing what their known for—their signature; MC Hammer had "Cant Touch This," Billy Joel had "Piano Man," Michael Jackson had his moonwalk. These are expectations—promises that each performer needs to fulfill when they take the stage, according to Hewlett.
"Have you thought recently about the unspoken promises inside of you?" Hewlett asked at the beginning of the session. "Each of us are performers in our line of work," he said later.
Hewlett went on to discuss how, as performers, people have promises they need to fulfill in various aspects of their life, such as with customers or an audience, at work, at home and for themselves.
When it comes to delivering on the promise to a person's audience, they need to consider whether the reality of their offering meets "the commercial"—their promise. "We just want to exceed expectations," he said.
People can look at work differently, as a family, Hewlett said. Additionally, everyone has a part that they play, and relying on others specialties can be a good thing.
Hewlett asked attendees whether they are consistent on and off the stage as performers. While work requires energy, so does home life, according to Hewlett; at the end of the day, he still needs energy to play with his kids.
He asked attendees to think about promises they have for themselves. These are promises that people break a lot, he noted.
He asked attendees to write down what they think they're good at, pointing out that its more difficult than finding personal faults. A core theme of his presentation is that people need to recognize their gifts and share them.
Eric Allen, managing attorney with Allen, Mitchell & Allen based in Salt Lake City, presented the fourth session of this years PERS Summit, "New regulations for Texting and Automated Calls."
Allen started by saying that he wouldn't be focusing on state laws, but instead, talking more about federal.
Allen explored why this matter is important. FTC fines are now over $40,654 per individual violation, he said. TCPA—the Telephone Consumer Protection Act— plaintiffs can sue alone or in a class action for up to $1,500 per call. There are over 130,000 telephone numbers identified as being owned by individuals who sue telemarketers, and career plaintiffs or "serial litigators" on the rise.
While that seems daunting, some basic principles can offer hope, Allen said. "One, don't auto dial or auto text cell phones without consent," he said. "For anything other than an emergency call, you need some level of consent to text."
Allen added that, "you better know which numbers in your data base are cell phones."
Don't send recorded messages without consent and be able to prove you had consent, he said—"have documentation."
One point that Allen highlighted a few times—something particularly relevant for the PERS industry—is that emergency calls are a big exception, though, companies should be sure not to include and marketing or upselling during that call. Allen also advised honoring opt-outs here as a best practice.
Allen covered new technologies in telemarketing, such as ringless—where a voicemail can be left without a calling seeming to go through—and avatar—where a person, regardless of their natural speaking voice, can use small recordings of someone else to sound more natural.
Henry Edmonds, president of The Edmonds Group, and Hugh Van der Veer, attorney at Buchanan Ingrersoll & Rooney, looked at "Best Practices for Buying and Selling a PERS Business," by each taking a different side; Edmonds presented the seller's perspective and Van der Veer presented the buyer's perspective.
Edmonds opened the session with the seller's perspective. Companies should be able to outline their strategy as well clearly articulate their strategy and tell the story of their business, he said. They should also be organized, and have good financial and operational reporting, he said.
Businesses looking to sell should consider their monitoring and make sure that customers could be moved to a different central station of monitoring service, Edmonds pointed out.
State and local taxes are an emerging issue, according to Edmonds, and companies that aren't paying tax in every state where they have customers are going to encounter problems.
Van Der Veer added: "Be proactive, because the buyer is not going to let your problem become the buyer's." Additionally, companies that approach the state before it becomes and issue may be in a better position in working to resolve an issue.
Van Der Veer said, "Two things that will kill a deal: speed—trying to rush—and surprises."
Edmonds ended his portion of the presentation by covering relevant metrics—such as creation cost and attrition rate—as well as other value drivers—such as the company's reputation and the size of the transaction.
Van der Veer began by looking at some of the traits that would make up the idea buyer: a company already in the PERS space, well financed, one that is opportunistic but patient.
While Edmonds discussed where a seller's reputation can come in, Van der Veer advised looking at that buyer's reputation. Selling owners likely want to protect their employees and their customers.
Van der Veer outlined some key initial steps, including NDAs for the buyer and the seller, conducting due diligence and gaining exclusivity from the seller.
Common problems that can come up are legacy problems, or lacking critical third party consent, according to Van der Veer. There are also common solutions: sharing some risk, or the fact that the seller and buyer have come too far to walk away.
Ahead of both the 2015 and the 2017 PERS Summit, attendees were given a survey about their experiences in the PERS industry. John Brady, owner of TRG associates, shared the results of this year's survey and how some of the responses differ from 2015's survey results.
Included here are a few of the survey questions and some of their findings.
One question asked attendees for the number of subscribers they currently service, with answers ranging from less than 100 to more than 10,000. Some notable differences: the 5,000 to 10,000 category jumped from 7 percent in 2015 to 13.79 percent in 2017. The category of less than 100 accounts, was 21 percent of respondents in 2015 and now 17.24 percent in 2017.
Another question asked ho many PERS manufacturers attending companies support. Results showed 2.8 on average, slightly fewer, than in 2015.
Attendees were also asked about the number of customers expect to add in 2017? The average number of subscribers was 4579, with revenue ranging from $20,000 to $90,000.
What is the cost to create an account? Figures given by respondents dropped more than 100 dollars on average between 2015 and 2017.
Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place and subject of the movie 127 Hours, delivered the 2017 PERS Summit's last session and second keynote.
Ralston was hiking in southern Utah when he came to a canyon where boulders were lodged. He described the experience of watching a boulder come lose above him, ricochet between the canyon walls on the right and left side of him, and trap his right arm from his fingertips to his wrist. "And that's where I reach for the pendant I always wear around my neck," he joked.
Ralston introduced himself as the guy that cut his arm off, but said he'd tell the story of being the guy who cut his arm off while smiling.
Metaphorically, everyone faces boulders in their lives, according to Ralston. "Whatever your boulders are, we get to make choices," he said. Later in the session, he pointed out that he had made some big choices that impacted him: going alone and not telling anyone where he was headed.
Ralston was trapped under the boulder for more than five days, attempting various means of freeing himself—using ropes to move the boulder, chipping away at the area around his arm—before using a pocket knife to amputate his arm. "I felt every bit of it, and yet I was still smiling," said Ralston.
"Boulders, obstacles—they can also be our stepping stones," Ralston said. While the experience was extreme, it brought him clarity of what was important to him: his family.
"What we are capable of is a lot more than what we believe we're capable of. ... We're only able to find that out because of the boulders," Ralston said.
LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.—Announced earlier this month, Tunstall Healthcare Group, through its subsidiary Tunstall Americas, acquired Providence Lifeline Medical Alert Service. Tunstall Americas provides healthcare monitoring services throughout the United States.
"For us, we were looking at really filling in geography and covering pockets that we hadn't really had good distribution in," Ryan Fix, VP and general manager for Tunstall Americas, told Security Systems News. "We've been in discussions with them … for about two years now. So, it was a long process of really getting to know both organizations and coming together to find the right solution."
Providence Lifeline Medical Alert Service is a business unit of Providence Health & Services, with a presence in the Northwest U.S, as well as in California, Texas and New Mexico. Tunstall will be maintaining the offices and the staff, expanding its regional presence.
"We service the same customers. I think we've got a broader service offering as far as product portfolio. So, we'll be able to bring that to the customers out of the gate," Fix said.
"One of the synergies that we had—that both organizations believed in—was really that service aspect. Instead of mailing units out, we have feet on the ground and field technicians that go out and actually go to the customers homes and do the installation and do any of the service calls that are required," Fix said.
Providence's accounts, which were previously monitored through Phillips Lifeline, will be brought into Tunstall's HIPAA compliant call centers in New York and Rhode Island.
Tunstall completed one other acquisition this year, a smaller purchase in the Midwest, Fix said. "Behind the scenes, we've been making investments into expanding technology, upgrading platforms and doing things that … we think, separated us from anybody else in the industry.
Tunstall Americas was formed in 2012, after Tunstall Healthcare Group purchased the American Medical Alert Corporation. Tunstall Americas currently has 500 employees.
In addition to medical monitoring services, Tunstall also manufactures a range of medical alert, telehealth, and medication management solutions including traditional telephone based systems, cellular systems, and mobile safety devices to meet the needs of all individuals.
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On the Editor's DeskPaul Ragusa
News and notes
Monitoring MattersGinger Hill
Guest Blog
© 2020 United Publications ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


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cPanel/WHM Hosting (2)
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MySQL Database KB
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Mastering the VI Editor
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Clear the .NET Application Cache
The code below clears all the cached data in your web application for .NET This is also can be...POP/POP3 Client Configuration
Enable POP in Google App's. Don't forget to click Save Changes when you're done....Un-Lock a locked POP3 account {I receive repeated prompts for password}
Common POP/POP3 Errors If you're setting up a POP3 E-Mail Client with to pickup your...Bypass Google Labs if your un-able to open your Inbox.
Limo.Net Internet Services Mail Labs: Some crazy experimental stuff. Limo.Net Internet...IMAP Client Configuration
Enable IMAP in Google App's. Don't forget to click Save Changes when you're done....
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The 35th annual San Francisco Decorator Showcase has recently completed its month-long run in a turn-of-the-century mansion in Pacific Heights. The show house presented more than 30 rooms by West Coast designers, including Brian Dittmar, Geoffrey De Sousa, and many others. The showcase is a fundraiser for San Francisco University High School's financial aid program, and has raised close to $12 million over the years.
If you didn't make it this year, click through our slideshow to see some of the show-stopping rooms.
Click here to see the gallery for "San Francisco Decorator Showcase."


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Migrating to a new server, so the Forum will be down for a couple more days til I get it's database reworked in.
- Congratulations to the new Official Website for the Clan Hay Society - Main Scotland Headquarters - ClanHay.org
(They never actually let me know they intended to create a different one, dohh!? No worries.) It looks great! I believe it went live earlier this year offhand.
Anyways, it has been a great honor that the Chief and Commissioner (back in 1998) had honored my site to have been the Official Site for so many years (1998-2010).
I will continue to make updates to this site periodically, as that was my intention since 1996 when I first began this site.
The Public Forum here
is still alive and active, and remains the only online public forum where you can personally and actively participate with fellow clan members world wide. It has been
great to always see fascinating dialog amongst members of our Clan worldwide over the years in our Forum, from the breaking of the news of the revamp of New Slains,
and all those threads pertaining to the intriguing history of Hay and Rosslyn Church as depicted in the "Davinci Code."
I don't see a forum on the official site, and I have no idea if they intend to create one there,
so feel free to continue to use this one, as there is a wealth of tidbits throughout the forum as I have been running it since 2004.
As always, this website is for you!
- David Hay
- Beginning some overhaul of the site here. Updating look, cleaning up dead links, adding info, etc... I'll re-add content as I go (So some of the nav links will remain dead until I get to them).
Chief of the Clan Hay on STV - Scotland TV
Rodney Village - American Branch President - STV spot
- thanks Tom Hye for those links!
- Added "Continental Europe" to the world regional clan hay links (left sidebar of this page). There's a bit more to do for the Europe section as Tom sent me a good bunch of material for it. So stay tuned.
- I accidentally broke the navigation link part of a few of the other regional pages it looks like (ooopsie). I'll fix 'em soon as I can...
- I reset the home counter.. as I discovered it hadn't been tracking since prob. last Nov.when I made a server move. We're at a good 120K! hits overall though since 1997 when I started it.
2007 - Apr 26
The Clan Hay Forum will be down for a day or so for some maintenance and server changes. ('tis back up now)
2007 - Feb 18
The Clan Hay Forum is Back Up and Live!.. Yay. Let me know if something seems skewy. I've updated it to the latest version of the software, so hopefully nothing got broken.
2007 - Jan 12
Held back a bit from my business projects (from the rework needed to turn the Forum live again). Hopefully I'll be able to get to it soon! I've missed it too!
2006 - Nov 27
Undergoing a physical server hosting change. The Forum will be down for a bit as I reconfigure, make adjustments, do backups, etc... Hopefully it will be back up by into Fri. Dec. 1st. I'll send out a newsletter (you can sign up bottom of this page) notifying you folks when it is back up.
2006 - Aug 07
Added a location map of where
the Hay Castles are located on
a map of Scotland.
2006 - July 27
Photo journal from the American Branch 2005 Tour are up at the American Branch Clan Hay website here.. Great pics from Roger Peeples! I'm jeaolous, I wanna go next time! ;-)
2004 -Nov 19
New Slains Castle - reconstruction / development plans??
If anyone hears more on this, let me know and I'll post it.
You can read the Clan Hay Forum thread on it here (updated 2006, July 24)


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A recently approved Party document includes urgently needed policies to promote China's ecological progress, and the assessment and inspection mechanism in it will help ensure their effective implementation, experts said.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has underscored efforts to further modernize the system and capability of China's emergency management by giving full play to the system's features and advantages.
Home|About us|Contact us|Southcn.com
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National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy
National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy
Recent Activity
This report focuses on the development of children of Black immigrants in the United States, comparing against the outcomes for their peers in native-born and other immigrant families. It also compares these U.S. children to those in the United Kingdom, where there is a large Black immigrant population but a notably different policy context of reception.
This report analyzes prenatal behaviors and birth outcomes of Black immigrant mothers, and finds that Black immigrant mothers are less likely to give birth to preterm or low-birth-weight infants than U.S.-born Black women, but more likely to experience these birth outcomes than other immigrant and U.S.-born women.
This report examines the role of naturalization as indicator and facilitator of successful integration in the United States. It examines why immigrants decide to naturalize and why many of those eligible to naturalize are unable or choose not to do so.
This fact sheet provides an estimate of the number of DREAMers—unauthorized immigrants potentially eligible for a two-year reprieve from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative—based on eligibility criteria outlined by the Department of Homeland Security. It also offers a detailed analysis of the demographic characteristics of prospective beneficiaries.


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Snowmobile Accident Victim Rescued After SPOT Satellite Messenger Sends Distress Message and GPS Location; Wife Kept Informed and Updated on Rescue Progress
May 27, 2008 – SPOT Rescue Alert (SRA) Bill Hanson, a member of an experienced snowmobiling party out for some winter fun in the remote backcountry near Seward, Alaska, initiated a 9-1-1 rescue alert from his SPOT Satellite MessengerTM after two sleds collided head-on. Mr. Hanson's friend was badly injured as result of the collision between the two, 480 pound machines approximately 150 miles from Anchorage.
The group realized that the man needed immediate medical attention and due to the severity of his injuries, they could not transport him on their own. Twenty-five miles from the nearest road, deep in Nellie Juan Canyon and without phone or radio service, Mr. Hanson initiated a 9-1-1 rescue alert from his SPOT Satellite Messenger, a personal safety device that allows users to communicate from remote locations around the globe and initiate emergency response calls independently of cellular networks.
Capsized and Stranded Ocean Kayaker Rescued After Sending Distress Message and GPS Location Using SPOT Satellite Messenger
March 4, 2008 - SPOT Rescue Alert (SRA) Sea kayaker Derek Crook was rescued off of the west coast of Tasmania near the Pieman River after pressing the 9-1-1 button on his SPOT Satellite Messenger™. Crook, an experienced Canadian paddler, was attempting to circumnavigate Tasmania in a 36 day expedition when he was hit by rough seas near Conical Rocks and flung from his boat on a reef just off shore.
SPOT Satellite Messenger Sends Distress Message and GPS Location of Remote Workers to Emergency Responders; Stranded Snowmobilers Brought to Safety
February 5, 2008 – SPOT Rescue Alert (SRA) - Two stranded snowmobilers were rescued from a remote location outside of Grand Junction, Co. on Tuesday night after pressing 9-1-1 on their SPOT™ Satellite Messengers. Will Eisemann and Mike Kelley of Grand Junction, Colorado were riding back from servicing a communication tower at 8,500' 500 feet in a remote area when they got drawn off course due to white-out snow conditions with nightfall setting.
GPS Device Sends Location Data and Alert Message to Emergency Responders
January 7, 2008 – SPOT Rescue Alert (SRA) When Natalie Bertsch bought her husband a GPS-enabled SPOT™ Satellite Messenger for Christmas, little did she know that only a week later he would use SPOT while coming to the aid of four friends swept away in an avalanche near Laramie, Wyoming. On Jan. 2, 2008, Brian Bertsch contacted an emergency 9-1-1 call center by pressing a single button on his handheld SPOT.
SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger Sends Distress Signal and GPS Location to Emergency Rescue Coordination Center Which Notifies Emergency Responders
January 7, 2008 - SPOT Rescue Alert (SRA): Mike Brady, an outdoorsman working alone maintaining a seasonal lodge over winter, was rescued after using his SPOT™ Satellite Messenger to alert 9-1-1 of his predicament and location in a remote section of Alaska. Brady collapsed in minus 30 degree temperatures while working in a remote outpost in the Wrangell St. Elias National Park, one of the largest and most isolated parks in the state. This is the first documented rescue initiated by SPOT, coming only two months after the product's initial release.
"SPOT saved my life," said Brady. "If my brother hadn't given it to me before I left, I might not be here right now."


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SFCASA necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 16 diseños de 5 diseñadores freelance.
SFCASA - Is San Francisco's Court Appointed Special Advocates Program. More than 1,200 of San Francisco's children are victims of abuse and neglect and are living in foster care. San Francisco CASA recruits, screens, trains, and supervises volunteers who advocate for and mentor these children one- on-one, helping to find safe and permanent homes for them and addressing their educational, healthcare, and other urgent needs.
I Chair the Guild for SFCASA which is a fundraising arm. We are throwing the second, of what we plan to be an ongoing yearly event, for CASA this October. We plan on holding the event every October, it will be "Hot October Nights" with a sub-theme every year of a different international city. This year it is Havana, next year perhaps Casablanca, or Cape Town..so on and so forth.
We are looking for a logo to capture the essence of "Hot October Nights"!
Our desired audience is anyone who has some disposable income and will become interested in supporting this great cause.
Picture Logo Only Please No Words - Other than that no requirements - I'll know what I love when I see it!
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Bosque School Partnership
- Details
- Category: Youth
- Published: Wednesday, 28 October 2015 20:48
The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is excited to be building partnerships with the Bosque School in Albuquerque.
The Bosque School hosted NM Wild's annual Wilderness Conference in 2009 and 2010. In fall 2010, Bosque School's students and faculty developed a children's education track concurrent with the regular Conference, which culminated in an excellent presentation by Bosque School students on their wildlife monitoring and research efforts.
The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance looks forward to future collaborations with the Bosque School and with its students, the future conservation leaders of America.
More About The Bosque School:
The Bosque School is an independent school for 6th-12th graders, with emphasis programs in community service, creative and performing arts, and environmental science. The Bosque School is home to the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP), a renowned long-term ecological research project using volunteers (mainly K-12 teachers and their students) to monitor key indicators of structural and functional change in the Middle Rio Grande riparian forest, or "bosque." BEMP now has over 5,000 students and teachers participating in field data collection.
For more information, visit the Bosque School website at http://www.bosqueschool.org/


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| 8.4°C Belfast
A change in the law that will allow same-sex couples in Scotland to marry has been approved in a "historic" vote at Holyrood.
The Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of legislation that will permit gay marriages - with the first such ceremonies now expected to take place before the end of this year.
The passing of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill, by 105 votes to 18, was hailed by equalities campaigners.
But religious groups who had strongly opposed the change said it had been "steam rollered through" as they declared it was a "sad day for those who believe in and who have fought for traditional marriage".
As the Bill was approved Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil, who had steered the legislation through Holyrood, declared it was "one of the great historic days of the Parliament".
He said that was "not just because of the provisions of the Bill, but because of the message the Bill sends out about the new Scotland we are creating in the 21st century".
He stated: "Today is a momentous day for equality in our nation. No longer will persons of the same sex be barred from showing their commitment to each other through getting married.
"This legislation sends a powerful message to the world about the kind of society we in Scotland are trying to create - a nation where the principles of fairness and equality are weaved into the very fabric of our society, a nation that protects and promotes freedom of expression, a nation that cherishes love."
While MSPs at Holyrood discussed the legislation, equalities campaigners had rallied outside, setting off celebratory confetti cannons in anticipation of the Bill's approval.
Tom French, policy coordinator for the Equality Network, said afterwards: "Today will be remembered in history as the day that lesbian, gay and bisexual people were finally granted full legal equality in Scotland, and given an equal right to marry the person they love."
He added: "This is a profoundly emotional moment for many people who grew up in a country where being gay was still a criminal offence until 1980. Scotland can be proud that we now have one of the most progressive equal marriage bills in the world, and that we've sent out a strong message about the kind of country we are. We know this change means so much to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across Scotland and we look forward to the first same-sex marriages taking place as soon as possible."
Colin Macfarlane, director of Stonewall Scotland, said: "This a truly historic moment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Scotland. We're delighted that MSPs have overwhelmingly demonstrated that they're committed to building a Scotland fit for the 21st century."
But the Bill has polarised opinion in Scotland, with some church leaders viewing it as an assault on tradition.
A spokesman for the campaign group Scotland for Marriage said: "This has been a sad day for those who believe in and who have fought for traditional marriage.
"The overwhelming majority of MSPs have completely ignored public opinion and steam-rollered through a law which is ill-conceived, poorly thought out and will, in time, discriminate against ordinary people for their sincerely held beliefs."
The Rev David Robertson, a Free Church of Scotland minister in Dundee and director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, said: "Those of us who do not accept this redefinition of marriage and hold to the traditional view which has been the building block of our society, mourn this day.
"Not just because it is certain that we will now be discriminated against when we do not bow down to the new State absolutist morality, but because we believe that ultimately this will be detrimental to the people of Scotland, especially the poor and marginalised."
Legislation to allow gay marriage in England and Wales was passed at Westminster in July last year.
Under the legislation in Scotland religious bodies who wish to perform same-sex marriages have to opt in to do so. Protection will also be given to individual celebrants who consider such ceremonies to be contrary to their faith.
Alex Hamilton, convener of the Church of Scotland's Legal Questions Committee, said it adhered to the "mainstream Christian belief that marriage is properly between a man and a woman".
He added "opinion is also divided within Scotland about same sex marriage", saying: "We do not expect that our ministers would ever be forced to carry out same sex marriages.
"We are also concerned that public servants, particularly registrars and teachers, who do not support same sex marriage, may find themselves disadvantaged in the workplace.
"We continue to call upon the Scottish Government and Parliament to provide meaningful assurances that their freedom of conscience will be respected."
During the debate at Holyrood, attempts to add "protection" for religious groups opposed to same-sex marriage were rejected by MSPs.
SNP backbencher John Mason had hoped to alter the legislation to ensure no one is "compelled by any means" to solemnise gay marriage.
His was the first of a series of backbench amendments seeking to bolster protection in the Bill for freedom of expression.
"If the Parliament accepts none of these amendments this afternoon, we are sending out a signal that we've not been listening," he argued.
Mr Neil insisted however that the legislation already protects celebrants who do not want to take part in ceremonies.
While he conceded that churches had concerns, the Health Secretary stated: "There are robust protections for religious bodies and celebrants in the Bill and in the planned amendments to the Equality Act."
An amendment has been agreed to the UK Equality Act which should provide further protection for individual celebrants who did not wish to conduct same sex weddings from court actions claiming discrimination, Mr Neil said
Labour's Jackie Baillie backed the Bill, stating: "It's time for change, it's time to support equal marriage."
She insisted gay marriage was "an idea whose time has come" adding: "For me this Bill is about equality, fairness and social justice, values instilled in many of us by our parents, our community and by society.
"For many of us the Bill is also about how we see ourselves as a nation and how others see us. It's about the values we hold and whether Scotland is indeed a confident progressive nation, where equality is truly valued."
Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw said: "I regard today as a fantastic, celebratory change in the mood, style, signature and stamp of my country, Scotland."
Meanwhile Liberal Democrat MSP Jim Hume said: "In passing this legislation today, we're making the proud statement that we're not content to isolate a section of our diverse community. We're not giving preferential treatment to any one group.
"We're simply saying that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, should have the same rights. Anything less is inhumane."
Scottish Quaker Phil Lucas said: "Scottish Quakers are delighted that this Bill has been passed which will bring marriage equality to Scotland, which we have been working towards.
"Quakers warmly support this move and look forward to celebrating such marriages in our meeting houses."
Belfast Telegraph


text:
Obsessive Ink necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 95 diseños de 30 diseñadores freelance.
Next Event - Complete Conference Solutions
New logo required for fast growing events management company. Next Event is an industry leader in events management and conference organisation and needs a logo to reflect our current status.
We target medium to large organisations looking to outsource their conference mangement. Logo needs to be clean, modern and professional.
DETAILED BRIEF FOR A QUICK PAY DAY. We have a good understanding of our desired outcome hence the short competition time. Corporate colours are red, black and silver. We would like to see the creation of a hero image similar to the attached to create an 'N' however rather than being square would like to see the possibilities for a round image representing the globe. So the image would be a circle, to reflect our ability to organise conferences anywhere in the world, with arrows reflecting a fast moving, progressive organisation. A square image would also be considered if it worked well as part of the total logo. Copy needs to include 'Next Event' on the hero line followed underneath by 'complete conference solutions'. Attached is an example only although we like the use of different weighted fonts without spacing. The winning design will integrate the appropriate fonts and image.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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A core member is a company that invests (directly or indirectly) develops, finances, owns or manages property either as its core business or corporate activity. Core member categories are based on the combined market value of property owned/managed/developed/financed in a state of membership.
This is a membership category for companies who do not fall into the above core categories. The number of employees working in your selected state of membership will determine your membership type. Voting rights do not apply.
Please complete the expression of interest form above. Alternatively you may contact the Business Development Manager in your state or territory, see details below.
National – Monique Meinrath (02) 9033 1912
Victoria – Danielle Trudgeon (03) 9650 8300
New South Wales – Kiki Heffernan (02) 9033 1954
Queensland – Smaro Exelby (07) 3225 3000
South Australia – Daniel Gannon (08) 8236 0900
Western Australia – Melissa Harley (08) 9426 1206
Northern Territory - Ruth Palmer (08) 8943 0666
Tasmania – Danielle Trudgeon (03) 9650 8300
Australian Capital Territory – Patrick Morgan (02) 6276 3601
Capital Markets Division – a national membership with both core and associate members. Please contact Belinda Ngo.
Residential Development Council (RDC) – a national membership offered to core members by approval of the RDC Board. Please contact Rebecca Douthwaite.
Retirement Living Council (RLC) – a national advocacy group by invitation of the Board. Please contact Andrew Lowcock.
In order to access our specialist divisions, RDC and ICMD, your company will first need to have and maintain a state based membership in at least one state.


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Educational Resources - Search Tool
LIDAR Remote Sensing Technologists uses remote sensing strategies to analyze data to solve problems in areas across the globe. They use LIDAR - Light Detection and Ranging - as a method of remote sensing to examine the surface of the Earth.
Remote sensing scientists use sensors to analyze data and solve regional, national and global concerns. For instance, natural resource management, urban planning, and climate and weather prediction are applications of remote sensing.
Geospatial Information Scientists and Technologists research geospatial data or develop geospatial technologies.
At the core of scientific visualization is the representation of data graphically - through images, animations, and videos - to improve understanding and develop insight.
Mathematical modelers use mathematics to create models that demonstrate complex processes or solve problems. Many mathematical modelers use their skills to create and animate 3D representations of their processes with the assistance of software technology.
Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices including tools, engines, and machines.
A Data Support Specialist works with the user community to understand their science needs with the goal of providing support for NASA data and information services. They represent the user in product
Data scientists work with data captured by scientific instruments or generated by a simulator, as well as data that is processed by software and stored in computer systems. They work with scientists to analyze databases and files using data management techniques and statistics.


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Paris Photo booksigning with Sophie Ristelhueber
As I mentioned before I will be attending Paris Photo this year to promote the Errata Editions Books on Books series. I will be taking reservations on the remaining limited edition sets which are moving quickly. If you are also attending, please stop by Markus Schaden's booth near the entrance and introduce yourself.
Also as mentioned we are having a book signing for Sophie Ristelhueber on Thursday the 13th from 5-6pm at Schaden's booth (#Ed6 on the floor plan). We have a very limited amount of books that were shipped over at great expense from China so if you think you'd like to pick up a copy of Books on Books #3: Fait by Sophie Ristelhueber, I'd advise to show up early. Sorry but due to the limited amount we also cannot hold books for people.
There are many, many book signings taking place every few hours through the course of the festival so check www.parisphoto.fr/files/pdf_file_51.pdf for a complete listing.
I will also be doing some blogging on all of the European books that never seemed to make it to the US so stay tuned for new discoveries.


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Heavy shelling in a neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo sent civilians fleeing for their lives on Sunday, and the state news agency accused rebels trying to topple the government of setting fire to three oil wells.
Syria's civil war has battered the country's infrastructure and torn its social fabric. After more than two years of conflict, neither President Bashar Assad's regime nor the rebels fighting for his ouster appear close to victory.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said civilians were vacating the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo under heavy shelling by government forces. Rebels took over parts of the neighborhood late last week and were still clashing with Assad's troops who are trying to push them out. The Observatory, which relies on a network of contacts inside Syria, said four people, including two children, were killed in the shelling.
In the east, the state news agency, SANA, said rebels had set fire to three oil wells in the province of Deir al-Zour, causing a daily loss of 4,670 barrels of oil and 52 cubic meters of natural gas. It accused "terrorists," the government's term for rebels, of setting the fires after fighting among themselves about how to divide the oil.
Rebels battling Assad have seized large areas of territory in Syria's oil-rich east, including a number of oil fields. Although they lack the ability to exploit them, their loss represents a setback to the cash-strapped government they are trying to overthrow.
SANA said rebels have burned a total of nine wells in recent months. The three set ablaze on Sunday are the only ones still burning.
Also on Sunday, the government and the opposition blamed each other for killing a group of people found dead near the Lebanese border.
The Observatory said the bodies of 11 people, including eight women, were found near the town of Talkalakh in Homs province. The group said they were killed when government forces stormed the area. But SANA blamed rebels for the "massacre," saying they stormed the area, killed 10 people and looted homes and shops.
In another development, the head of the Syrian opposition's umbrella body said the group's military chief planned to visit Arab countries to solicit military aid. The trip follows a declaration last week by the Arab League that its member nations have a "right" to aid the Syrian opposition. Mouaz al-Khatib, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, told the Qatari daily Al Sharq of Gen. Salim Idris's travel plans, but did not say which countries he would visit.
Syria's conflict began in March 2011 with protests calling for Assad's ouster. It has since become a civil war, with hundreds of independent rebel groups across Syria fighting Assad's forces. The government says the war is an international conspiracy to weaken Syrian being carried out by terrorists on the ground. The U.N. says more than 70,000 people have been killed.
Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Brian Murphy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.


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Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi 110025
Chandigarh, India
Karnataka, India
punjab, India
Mohali, India
chennai, India
Ahmedabad, India
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text:
We believe that design and quality is as much a preference as it is a lifestyle. A commitment to only use the best materials, we offer the finest quality modern door hardware manufactured with high-grade stainless steel.
Precision engineering and attention to detail, our stainless steel hardware is meant to last a lifetime.
We are committed to offer you the highest quality product at a value price that can fit your budget.


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Yola Style Designers necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
68 ganadores han sido elegidos entre 1304 diseños de 105 diseñadores freelance.
We are a website building program that uses templates to create quality websites. We are looking to dramatically increase the number of templates we offer our customers. We need templates that appeal to small businesses and organizations. We are looking to award 20-30 winners at $250 each for this project.
Please check our previous design contest for winning examples.
Please also read more about the what styles are and how Yola uses them at: http://www.styledesigners.yola.com.
All designers who submit an entry will receive a one week free subscription to Fotolia stock images! Redeem your code here: https://us.fotolia.com/yola99
The Audience
The Yola target audience are small businesses and micro businesses, as well as individuals looking to create a professional image for themselves. Our target customer is a micro-business owner with 0-5 employees. Our diverse users include restaurant owners, artists, photographers, designers, churches, pet breeders, small shops, consultants and many others. We think the types of styles our users are looking for can be categorized as:
Business/professional look and feel
Theses are style build specifically for business type users. They like clean style with images that inspire confidence.
Artsy creative styles
For these styles we encourage you to get your creative juices going. We are looking for new, innovative designs that push the envelope in what the Yola framework can sustain.
Highly customizable styles
These designs will be made specifically for our users that like to customize a design. Users will probably change the banner and background so the the value of the design should be in framing, shadow elements, fixed bottom images and other design elements.
Yola Style Design
Definition: A Yola Style is a website design template built for the Yola site builder in PSD format. A Yola Style Design defines the look and feel of a website outside of the content area that gets populated by a user. A Yola style has the following properties: Background, Page Header, Navigation, Banner and Content Area. We're fans of style elements like shadows, framing, gradients, reflection, graphic art, etc.
We are looking for 1-3 different pages for each style with possibly different banners and content images. We are also looking for styles without a banner and with vertical navigation.
Before submitting a style please make sure it fits guidelines:
You submit:
A 1-3 page Website Style Design in layered PSD format following our specifications and target audience guidelines
A text file describing your Design Image resources/stock photos and links to images used
All images used in your style must be available for purchase with extended licenses or you must own and relinquish redistribution rights for that image once we pay for for the accepted style. If you use stock images you can use the watermarked picture or the limited license for your design, as long as you provide us with a link to buy the extended licenses.
Images you find on the web that do not have specified rights are NOT acceptable.


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Bugged Transmissions
As with the original Vegas, Vegas 2 contains its fair share of bugs and issues. While none are game-killing, the especially picky may find them annoying. The sound bug that results in a persistently recurring gunfire sound effect is still present, but we only encountered it once (as opposed to Vegas which displayed this bug considerably more frequently). Unlike in the first game, however, the bug corrected itself after a few moments.
We also encountered a couple of instances early in the game where our AI teammates would become hopelessly confused and either get stuck in the environment or forget which side of a door it would be appropriate to stack up on. One of our pals over at Team Xbox, Andy Eddy, also encountered this problem, where members of Team Rainbow would suddenly lose their minds and attempt to stack up on the wrong side of a door (breaking a window and walking through the center of an enemy-packed room in order to do so). Luckily this issue is exceptionally rare.
While the AI of both enemies and teammates alike does seem to have undergone improvement (the terrorists are definitely more aggressive, as promised), that doesn't mean that you will never come across a couple of terrorists who will remain totally oblivious to you and your team despite being shot at. Similarly, your crew will occasionally display questionable intelligence as they crouch behind cover while a terrorist blind-fires over the opposite side of the same cover, riddling their stupid faces with bullets... and then expect you to rush to their aid.
Flashbang Funtime
When compared to the previous game, Vegas 2 is definitely an improvement, but not by a huge amount. Indeed, Vegas 2 is only barely more than an expansion pack, but those who enjoyed the first Vegas will almost certainly be capable of forgiving the somewhat minor upgrades (we certainly are).
At the same time, the new A.C.E.S. system highlights just how awesome it is to be able to use your Persistent Elite Creation character across all modes of the game. While it may not seem like a big deal (in fact, to some it may not be a big deal), having the ability to progress your PEC regardless of whether you are playing online or off, with friends or without them, is a substantial improvement. Consequently, the minor visual upgrades and essentially unchanged gameplay are totally satisfactory as far as we are concerned and our only major gripe is the removal of the four-player story mode co-op.
Suffice it to say that if you enjoyed the first Rainbow Six: Vegas, then you will undoubtedly find considerable value in Vegas 2. Although it may seem like more of the same, we were pretty entranced with Vegas and so highly recommend Vegas 2 as well. Sometimes, it pays to stick with what works.


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RomainC necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 64 diseños de 20 diseñadores freelance.
CAPITAL SANTE* is a leader in the specific market of "health & business" in France.
The company targets large and very large companies and addresses a wide range of psycho-social and stress management related issues. It offers second-to-none consulting and training services as well as distinctive and original web-based solutions.
In the current booming market, with more and more new-born competitors arriving, CAPITAL SANTE needs to bring its visual identity to the next level. As a start, the company has decided to modernize its corporate logo (rather than recreate it, to be consistent in its clients' mind).
(* "sante" means "health" in french)
Large and very large companies (mostly in France).
The new logo is an optimization of the existing one (see http://www.capital-sante.fr).
Main requisites :
• The logo has to be used and integrated in the current website, with no need to rebuild pages.
• The new logo must be readable when printed on paper.
The new logo translates the ideas of : Visionary, Leadership, Corporate, Professional, Trustworthy, Reliable, Modern, Dynamic, Human, Warm-hearted.
The following are NOT requirements. We are open to creative ideas!
1) Ideally, two parts for this logo: an iconic graphical image and the text "CAPITAL SANTE". Ideally, each should be able to carry the brand on its own, but be even stronger when together.
2) Font is corporate, serious yet modern and dynamic. Some elements may be used to distinguish between the two names (i.e different colours, different fonts, different placement,...). Legible on light and dark backgrounds.
3) Open to different colours, with a preference for the current ones.
4) You may use the current iconic graphical image, though improving it.
5) Must be multi-purposed for print communication and web utilization.
Final format :
a) Logo guidelines including RGB, CYMK, and pantone colours would be included.
b) Two modifiable vector versions (with and without baseline) of the logo in .ai, .psd or eps (CYMK).
c) A layered photoshop Web file – jpg (RGB).
d) Winner must transfer copyright for created artwork and font.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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What we do. The Recurse Center is a self-directed, community-driven educational retreat for programmers in New York City.
Our philosophy. We believe people learn best when they take control of their own education and are free to explore what they're interested in. RC is heavily influenced by unschooling.
Never graduate. RC doesn't end after you leave. We have a diverse, active, and engaged alumni community of over 1,600 smart, enthusiastic, helpful programmers all over the world.
Build a career. We're here to support you at every stage of your career, whether you're looking for a new job or not, and whether you just finished RC or attended many years ago.
Hire great programmers. RC has an integrated recruiting agency. We help companies of all sizes hire our alumni. If you care about building productive, diverse teams, get in touch.
Mar 12, 2020 — We're temporarily closing our space because of COVID-19.
The time and space to become a better programmer is just one of the many reasons to come to RC.


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It Is All About BTC, LTC, ETH, ZEC mining as well as other alternative crypto currencies
Finding an online wallet for Bitcoin might be an easy thing to do as there are quite a few, but when it comes to online altcoin wallets things may become harder and online wallets for multiple coins are even harder to find. Add to that the ability to earn interest from Proof of Stake altcoins and you only get a few options available with CoinWallet probably being the most versatile supporting a total of 58 different crypto currencies including many PoS coins. The number of supported altcoins with Proof of Stake that will earn you interest on the stored coins in the wallet is 34 out of the 58 in total that are currently supported by the service.
List of all currently supported crypto coins:
– Archcoin (ARCH), Bitbean (BITB), Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoindark (BTCD), Blackcoin (BLK), Cannabiscoin (CANN), Carboncoin (CARB), Clams (CLAM), Dash (DASH), Diamondcoin (DMD), Digibyte (DGB), Digitalcoin (DGC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Dopecoin (DOPE), Emercoin (EMC), Energycoin (ENRG), Europecoin (ERC), Feathercoin (FTC), Gamecredits (GMC), Gridcoin (GRC), Groestlcoin (GRS), Hyperstake (HYP), iCash (ICASH), Limecoinx (LIMX), Litecoin (LTC), Magi (XMG), MasterTraderCoin (MTR), Megacoin (MEC), Metalcoin (METAL), Mindcoin (MND), Mintcoin (MINT), Nakamotodark (NKT), Netcoin (NET), Noblecoin (NOBL), Nubits (NBT), OKcash (OK), Orbitcoin (ORB), Peercoin (PPC), Potcoin (POT), Primecoin (XPM), Quatloo (QTL), Quotient (XQN), Reddcoin (RDD), Rubycoin (RBY), Sapience (XAI), Shadowcash (SDC), Solarcoin (SLR), Spreadcoin (SPR), Startcoin (START), Syscoin (SYS), TEKcoin (TEK), Titcoin (TIT), Transfercoin (TX), Unobtanium (UNO), Vericoin (VRC), VPNcoin (VPN), Warpcoin (WARP), Zetacoin (ZET).
The service charges a small PoS pool mining fee of either 1% or 2% for the different supported coins and the fee is deducted from the total of the staked coins with the rest distributed among all of the users with mature coins. The other small fee charged by the service is when you are withdrawing coins, the fee is 0.25% for Bitcoin and 0.50% for all of the other alternative crypto coins that are supported.
When you have some coins deposited in your CoinWallet online wallet you can use some interesting extra features such as sending coins by email with no extra fees. The other useful thing you will get access to is a Twitter tipping service allowing you to easily send and receive various coins in the form of tips, though in order to be able to use the Twitter tipping Bot you need to connect your Twitter account with your online wallet. Note that you can receive tips to your Twitter account before you have registered with CoinWallet (or connected your Twitter account) as tips will remain pending until you register and connect your accounts.
– For more information and to try out the CoinWallet online wallet with PoS pool…


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When Guido and Kyle were looking for a name for their newly founded company, they were struggling to come up with something that captured the breadth of their vision for what they foresaw as the future of the networking business. They could have found another randomly-generated five or six letter Latin-sounding name, but that didn't seem to do the vision or the company justice.
IP networking, the technology that powers the Internet, was originally invented by DARPA (an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technologies for use by the military). Its principles were simple and, not surprisingly, designed for military use. The Internet was built using relatively autonomous devices that exchanged information with each other through pre-established protocols. This information exchange would allow for the devices to send and receive data while being resilient to one or more of them going down or being taken over (think a big bomb blowing up your router). The resulting network had some very robust attributes, which we all enjoy today as we share files on Dropbox, buy some clothes on NastyGal, or enjoy some music on Sonos.
IP networks were highly scalable (just add another device to the network and have it talk to the others); highly resilient (if a system goes down, just find another path to the destination); upgradeable (just pop in new systems one at a time), and so forth. But, all things considered, the design of Internet was brilliant and has served us well since the 1970s.
Unfortunately, any architecture is a series of tradeoffs, and even the best ones do have some drawbacks. In case of IP networks, there were three main issues that we still cope with today. First, management of these networks was a nightmare. Having to centrally administer a disparate range of elements with different operating systems, protocol implementation, etc. was awfully hard. Not surprisingly, VCs have backed an endless stream of network management companies over the years. Second, networks services (like quality of service) had been hard to implement across a network because each device had a diverse set of both "open" and proprietary features. And, last, IP networks were "shared", by many users, but, endpoints were assume to be physical – either servers or clients.
Fast forward these issues to today, and, we find some of the most challenging problems that network managers face. Networks are hard to manage and configure. The "Noah's Ark" of devices strewn across networks make it impossible to consistently implement features. Finally, the advent of virtualization and cloud are massive headaches for networkers who never imagined the notion of a virtual server or cloud service. This latter issue is the most acute for today's IT departments and is perhaps the proverbial "first bowling pin."
But, what if the network could be controlled and managed as if it were one big programmable system and still maintain its scalable architecture? Could we build a big platform layer that spanned across individual devices – both physical and virtual – and offers a universal programming interface? If we did that, the network would be one Big Switch. The vision of the company became its name.
This core value proposition has evolved over the last two years in both nomenclature – from OpenFlow to Open SDN – as well as maturity. But, the key principles are clear:
(1) A consistent range of APIs that can be used by developers and network managers alike to create network applications that are deployed across diverse network elements
(2) An underlying control plane that leverages both physical and virtual network elements to implement the applications on a packet-by-packet basis
(3) The creation of an ecosystem of applications for networks. Think iTunes and iOS and the millions of applications that run on iDevices. A network that could deploy firewalls or load balancers as a network service on demand.
The popular perception of SDN is that it will "commoditize" the routing and switching devices and usher in a new breed of low cost devices as happened with Linux and servers in the computing world. Switches may, in fact, become more cost effective with the advent of SDNs. But, the real transformation for the networking industry lies in the third principle above. And, in fact, the first beneficiary of this approach will be the cloud-based and virtualized environments which are already well-equipped for SDNs.
If we stretch our sights to the horizon, we can see how just as the enterprise application business has been transformed from premise-based software to SaaS, the networking business would undergo an analog metamorphosis where the network services would be sold and deployed as a utility rather than software running on the devices themselves. In parallel, the virtual switching universe would benefit from the use of the same services and the same architecture. This is Big Switch's vision. To transform an industry that has grown up on pushing boxes into an entirely new era, just like what we have witnessed in the computing world over the last five years.
Today, Big Switch Networks is formally introducing itself to the world. Big Switch is a young entrepreneurial venture, but what they represent is a path into a new era for the networking and communications industry. Big Switch's open source SDN controller – Floodlight – has been downloaded over 10,000 times since January. Microsoft, Citrix, Palo Alto Networks, Arista Networks, F5, and many other amazing companies are voting with their feet in support of Big Switch. The fledgling academic project called OpenFlow has come a long way.
We want to congratulate Guido, Kyle, Howie, Jason, Mansour, and David and the whole team there on their big day and a delighted to support them in their journey forward.
Mike Volpi


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Please expect 3-6 business days for most shipments and 7-10 days for bikes and oversized items.
At this time we are prioritizing the health of our employees and will only be offering ground shipping. We are fulfilling orders as efficiently as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience in delayed shipments.
The health and well-being of our employees and customers is our top priority. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic we will only be offering ground shipping at this time and are fulfilling orders as efficiently as possible. Please expect 3-6 business days for most shipments. We apologize for any inconvenience.*
We are temporary unable to ship any items to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico.
All eligible orders will be shipped with a 3-6 day delivery. Free Economy Ground shipping is only available in the contiguous lower 48 states (excluding AK, HI, international orders, PO boxes and APO addresses and excludes all oversized items such as Bikes, Wakesurfers, Surfboards, Paddleboards, Water Trampolines and Car Racks.) If billing and shipping address are different allow 1 additional day for delivery.
A number of items require special shipping and handling due to their larger size. Some examples are Bikes, Wakesurfers, Surfboards, Paddleboards, Water Trampolines and Car Racks.
If you need further assistance please contact our customer service department at 866-243-6932
Shipping rates are available in the shopping cart based on delivery location
Please See Our - International Shipping Rate Page
Contact our customer service department at 866-243-6932
1. You will receive an Order Confirmation / Email (within 15 min of submitting the order)
2. Economy orders typically ship within 2-6 business days. Expedited orders ship same day (placed before 2 P.M. CST) or the next business day
3. Shipping Confirmation Email with a tracking number once your order ships
Please Note: during busy season (Nov through Jan) economy orders can take longer to process.
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Marcia Malsar of Brazil is helped up after falling with the Paralympic torch during the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games at Maracana Stadium Maracana Stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 07 September 2016. Photo by: Kay Nietfeld/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
RIO DE JANEIRO _ Powerful moments topped a political protest during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games, at least in the view of organizers, who saw the event as a big success.
Andrei Fomachkin, who marched with the Belarus delegation, was a guest of the president of the Belarus Paralympic Committee. During the ceremony, he displayed the flag of Russia, which is banned from the games due to a state-sponsored doping program. Fomachkin's accreditation has been removed.
Despite the disruption, Craig Spence, a spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee, praised the ceremony and is optimistic that it emphasized a theme of inclusion. Spence said at a news conference Thursday that he now hopes the focus of the games will now turn toward the athletes.
"There was so much nice messaging in there," said Spence, singling out the torch relay, during which an inaccessible staircase suddenly transformed into a ramp leading to the Paralympic flame's cauldron.
Probably the most powerful moment of the night came a few minutes earlier, during the torch relay, when a storm broke out and torch bearer Marcia Malsar, the first Brazilian to win gold at a Paralympic Games in 1984, fell to the ground in the rain. She then rose to a standing ovation and continued to carry the torch, with some help from assistants nearby.
"The legacy of this games is to convince the Brazilian society that we need more inclusion, we need more accessibility and we need to understand our differences when remembering that everybody has the same heart," said Mario Andrada, the spokesman for the local organizing committee. "I think the opening ceremony went in that direction spot on."
Even as disabled athletes from around the world congregate to compete in Rio, questions remain regarding the accessibility of the area. Spence said that it is impossible to "transform an entire city to an accessible metropolis" in the seven years between the country winning the bid and the games.
However, Spence said hosting the Paralympics does have the ability to springboard a nation in the direction of increasing acceptance for disabled individuals — the same message Spence said was evident in last night's ceremony.
"These Games are a catalyst to making places more accessible and more inclusive," he said. "If that's the start of what's to come here in Rio, then fantastic."
Emily Giambalvo is a journalism student at the University of Georgia. Penn State and Georgia are partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2016 Paralympics.