Can I be the first to wish you a happy Christmas. Yes, early I know, but this is our Christmas issue as our next one will hit your desks after the new year. So I hope that Santa will be really kind to you all, and fills your stockings! Let’s start with that gossip you so love to read about.
Gary James has after almost 15 years at Visimetrics has left and joined a company called Aurora. So if I ever use this photo again of him wearing a branded Vismetrics short, you know it’s an old one. Yep, Visimetrics was one of the companies that were bought by Digital Barriers. Aurora say they are the UK’s leading provider of face recognition technology. OK I have not heard of them, you neither!? You have now. Gary has become a bit of an expert in the face biometric industry over the years and I am aware that he has been looking for a new challenge which had to be in the area he knew best. He has established himself in the casino world as probably the industry’s expert on the subject; well, he has convinced me of that and always believe what I am told by my mates. It’s true that Gary and I go back quite a few years well to my MVD distribution days, Gary started at MVD in 1993 running marketing for the company. He will always tell the story about when I blew up his Volvo. Yes he is, or at least was a Volvo driver but let’s not hold that against him. OK, so I don’t like Volvos – sorry to all you Volvo drivers. and I know that’s quite a few of you. Yes, I am sure they are a good car, just not for me thanks. In fact isn’t it always a Volvo towing a caravan that’s at the front of the traffic jams? Anyway back to Gary. He had a bright red one which looked like a fire engine. I borrowed it once as my wife had been rushed into hospital one IFSEC to have our son – so that was 16 years ago now … anyway where was I? While I had it, the Volvo, the thing blew up; well OK, the clutch fell out. He has never forgiven me about that so once again Gary: I’m sorry. And he is well know for his very colourful socks, in fact I used to tease him that he had modelled for a Microsoft screen saver many years ago, remember the guy on the rocking chair? Now you know who I mean, eh! I am sure now Gary is over there we will hear a lot more about Aurora and what they are doing, as once a marketer always a marketer.
Chris Valentino has left IC Realtime who through Chris’s efforts have stared to crop up everywhere. He has joined the Canadian-based company Avigilon as the sales director for the south of the UK, one assumes working along side Mark Massie. Chris spent almost four years with the company but has been head-hunted for a new challenge; I am sure he will do well with the guys.
Steve Klapiscak, I think that’s how you spell it? Anyway Steve has joined Canon as the key account manager. You never knew Canon made keys?! Excuse my little joke. Steve was at Sony for some 12 years before moving on, he came from video conferencing which involved video security, so has a lot of experience to bring to the fast-growing team at Canon. And here are some brief updates:
TDSi has appointed a new Strategic Business Development Manager, Gary Aimson; and Marketing Assistant, Sophie Wilkins.
Stentofon say Alasdair Gardner, pictured, has joined as a new Business Development Manager. Very few people have experience in the intercom market so Stephen King the MD tells me.
DVS has been recruiting as well. The Cardiff-based distributor has taken on five people: Louise Parsons as Area Sales Manager; Kylie Beach, Sales Co-ordinator; Lucy Newcombe, Internal Sales; Ryan Edwards, warehouse team; and Jake Britten as Marketing Executive.
Siemens acquired
As you may have heard, after a while of looking for a buyer Siemens have been acquired by Vanderbilt Industries, the US security product company, is acquiring Siemens’ Security Products business, part of the Siemens’ Building Technologies Division. The business will be renamed Vanderbilt International GmbH. US security industry man Joseph J Grillo will be Managing Director, working from the new operational headquarters in Germany. Siemens’ SP offers access control, intrusion alarm, and video products, which complement its products, Vanderbilt said. The acquisition includes such well-known brands as Bewator and Cotag in access control, Alarmcom and Europlex in intrusion alarms. The firms did not give financial details of the transaction.
TIS the Mansfield based installers have opened a new office in Solihull. John Whitehouse tells me that this is the first part of an ambitious expansion. Why Birmingham? because the company have a long standing relationship with many clients in the area, new installations and maintenance contracts. The company has recruited five new staff to work out of the offices already.
That just leaves me to say I hope you have a great Christmas, a great holiday and that the new year is one of the best you have ever had. Thank you all for reading the magazine and thanks too everyone that has supported us over the years. The year 2015 is our 25th so we are looking forward to sharing many more stories and gossip items with you. We may even look back at how we did it 25 years ago. Seen some changes? We sure have.
