ESA creates video RMR 'wiki'

[MotionViewer]

Industry Surveillance from SecurityInfoWatch
Author: Joel Griffin - (about) Date: Oct 9 2009 - 9:29am

SIW recently had a chance to catch up with Keith Jentoft, president of RSI Video Technologies, about a new Wiki that has been setup for members of the Electronic Security Association. Wondering what exactly a "Wiki" is? Well, according to Wiki.org, it's a piece of server software that allows users to create and edit the content of a Web page using any Web browser. The Wiki that most of you are probably familiar with and have used from time to time is Wikipedia.org, which is usually a good source of information on just about any topic.

According to Jentoft, when the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association changed it's name to ESA, one of the things the organization wanted to embrace was technologies outside the traditional "burg and fire" realm, which include video, access control and Personal Emergency Response Systems or PERS. Hence, the ESA has now established a Wiki on its Web site, alarm.org, dedicated to providing dealers with information about video and how they can setup a recurring month revenue business model. The Web site, http://www.alarm.org/references/esawiki, not only explains the different video RMR models, but also discusses legislation that affects video surveillance and best practices.

"As successful dealers start making money (with the video RMR model), we hope that they would contribute to the Wiki so it starts to become a repository for other dealers to make money on video," Jentoft said. "We think that as this grows, we're going to add integrators and... they can consider getting into the RMR business.

Unlike Wikipedia, however, this ESA Wiki can only be edited by ESA members. Though it is already active, the video RMR Wiki will be officially announced when the ESA sends out its next newsletter explaining the non-profit's name change, Jentoft said. A Wiki for access control and PERS are also in the works and should be live soon.

[SIW Editor]

Just so we are clear here:
Motionviewer is NOT our associate editor Joel Griffin, whose original blog post appears here (where you can place comments also):

http://www.securityinfowatch.com/Industry+Surveillance/esa-creates-video-rmr-wiki

-Geoff

[CameraMan]

I, for one, would like to be the first to welcome the NBFAA to the late 20th century. As soon as ASIS gets on board with collaberative software I'll know they've decided to get on board as well.

Seriously, folks, ASIS sent me a letter asking me to fax in my vote for, um, I don't know, ASIS President or something. My point is, who still faxes things? To be fair, they also had a website, with a biography of each candidate.

And they'll always be the NBFAA to me, dagnabit.

[IP-Alarms]

What's a letter ?

....and what the heck is a fax ? - Is it one of those sqeeking and squaking phones that spits out wafer thin paper with black smudges all over it ?

I tried to write something down the other day, I can't remember why, but it's that long since I used a pen - I had lost all control of my hand :eek:

What has technology done to us :o

[integrator97]

Punch card!!! Carbon paper!!! You'll probably have to google those things, youngsters.

And what does ASIS have to do with NBFAA? I mean other than that they are in the same industry.

[Curtis Baillie]

Dealing as much as I do in the legal world - I can tell you attorneys still heavily rely on fax machines.

[CameraMan]

And what does ASIS have to do with NBFAA? I mean other than that they are in the same industry.

I was comparing and contrasting.

I suppose that the Electronic Security Association has a younger membership than the typical ASIS member, who joined immediatly after getting back from fighting the redcoats from dinasaur-back in Vietnam at the Battle of Antietam, when President Benjamin Franklin made that famous speach about having nothing to fear but fear itself.

Meanwhile, I have multiple email addresses, some going back to when I was 13 years old (lo these many years ago), and it is quite natural to me to collaborate on projects with people all over the planet whom I've never met in person. To be fair, that project usually involves a game of some kind.

I once approached a certain "cross-industry forum" interested in proposing standards for CCTV installations. I was told I couldn't join because my schedule isn't stable enough that I can garauntee I'd be able to participate in conference calls and because I don't own a fax machine. I suppose they'd never heard of email, instant messaging, forums, and wikis.

[integrator97]

I was comparing and contrasting.

I suppose that the Electronic Security Association has a younger membership than the typical ASIS member, who joined immediatly after getting back from fighting the redcoats from dinasaur-back in Vietnam at the Battle of Antietam, when President Benjamin Franklin made that famous speach about having nothing to fear but fear itself.

Meanwhile, I have multiple email addresses, some going back to when I was 13 years old (lo these many years ago), and it is quite natural to me to collaborate on projects with people all over the planet whom I've never met in person. To be fair, that project usually involves a game of some kind.

I once approached a certain "cross-industry forum" interested in proposing standards for CCTV installations. I was told I couldn't join because my schedule isn't stable enough that I can garauntee I'd be able to participate in conference calls and because I don't own a fax machine. I suppose they'd never heard of email, instant messaging, forums, and wikis. All cameras shall be of the 1/2 inch variety and used Vidicon tubes...

[CameraMan]

Ye devile that dwelleth within yon camera to paint rapidly ye Portriat of yon Theif shall be Supplyd with ye Paint Pots and Parchment; and ye shall nameth yon devile by the name Ikegami; and the voltage of the demon-beast shall ye supply 24 volts AC.

[BailBondInvestigator]

What the......???

[IP-Alarms]

Dealing as much as I do in the legal world - I can tell you attorneys still heavily rely on fax machines.
Well, since the onset of the summer door-knockers and the alarm industry pushing attorneys off the top of the "most hated list", the legal world will have to do something worse than continuing to use fax machines in order to regain their rightful place :D

[SecTrainer]

Well, since the onset of the summer door-knockers and the alarm industry pushing attorneys off the top of the "most hated list", the legal world will have to do something worse than continuing to use fax machines in order to regain their rightful place :D

The attorneys are doing what they can. I recently attended a seminar on the growing theories of liability (negligence, breach of contract, strict liability, code violations, etc.) for alarm & CCTV companies installing crappy gear, doing bad site analysis and poor system designs, salesmen misrepresenting the system capabilities and/or failing to mention its limitations, failure to maintain systems properly, and the mishandling of trouble/alarm signals - among other things.

Google "inadequate security liability" and see how many hits you get for law firms just itching to file a suit on behalf of a victim - like these guys (http://www.reiffandbily.com/lawyer-attorney-1367171.html). Unfortunately, their job is made all the easier because of how many jake-leg alarm, CCTV and other so-called "security" companies there are these days. It's okay by me if they get sued out of existence.

"Yesterday I kuddn't spell CCTV*; now I are a expurt."

Bottom line: If you don't know what you're doing professionally, you'd better do something else that you do know how to do. The lawyers are looking for jake-legs, and if you're in that category they'll find you sooner or later.

*Old joke:
Marge - looking up from crossword puzzle: "Henry, how do you spell Volkswagen?"
Henry - watching Monday Night Football: "VW".

[AJStevens]

Industry Surveillance from SecurityInfoWatch
Author: Joel Griffin - (about) Date: Oct 9 2009 - 9:29am

"As successful dealers start making money (with the video RMR model), we hope that they would contribute to the Wiki so it starts to become a repository for other dealers to make money on video," Jentoft said. "We think that as this grows, we're going to add integrators and... they can consider getting into the RMR business.

Unlike Wikipedia, however, this ESA Wiki can only be edited by ESA members. Though it is already active, the video RMR Wiki will be officially announced when the ESA sends out its next newsletter explaining the non-profit's name change, Jentoft said. A Wiki for access control and PERS are also in the works and should be live soon.

Love RMR. CCTV, and PERS are going to be booming, and I can't wait for ESA to get that wiki going. I note that it isn't quite ready for prime time yet. Thanks for letting us know about this.

[AJStevens]

The link to the ESA Wiki doesn't work any longer ... perhaps they've extended members-only editing to members-only access. :-(

Anybody know anything further about that wiki? I've poked around on the ESA website and can't find a link or reference.

[SIW Editor]

Hmmm... good question and I am not sure of the answer. I was provided the link by one of their members and I asked Joel to write it up (I was a writer with one hand at the time and was limited in my productivity). Being that we were getting the info from an associate member and that it was definitely an "in development" project, it's possible that they either 1) made it members only or 2) didn't want to show it to the public until it was really looking good or 3) changed the link and didn't leave a redirect.

If you're a member, reach out the staff and find out what happened...it seemed to be getting some interest and was a way for the NBFAA/ESA to actually promote their technology groups that they just started and are trying to get going.

Geoff