Deborah L. O'Mara

Freelance Writer

Deborah L. O’Mara is a journalist with more than two decades experience writing about security, life safety and systems integration, and she is the managing director of DLO Communications in Chicago. She can be reached at dlocommunications@gmail.com or 773.414.3573.

Security Industry Dropping Silos in Favor of Open Systems

Deborah L. O'Mara

A new specification for advanced video streaming released by ONVIF will continue the organization’s goals of promoting advanced interoperability between IP-based physical security solutions. ONVIF, a global and open industry...

Integrated Systems

Nov 2018

Hit Refresh: Cost-Effective Technology Transitions

Deborah L. O'Mara

How long can your customer expect their installed security to be effective? What is the average life of surveillance, access control or intrusion detection? How can you prepare your customers for the future so they have the...

Integrated Systems

Oct 2018

Drone Demand Builds

Deborah L. O'Mara

Drones are all the rage—for entertainment, asset protection, first response and physical security. There is even a category of counter-drone technology—designed to address unauthorized aerial devices. Drones, also known as...

Your Business

Oct 2018

Can Drones Assist Your Business? Unmanned Aircraft Systems Complete the Total Security Picture

Deborah L. O'Mara

Until recently, drones were a conversation of the future. Today, the use cases for drones, referred to as robotic aerial security or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), have an ever-expanding application in physical security,...

Integrated Systems

Sep 2018

Mobile Credentials Own the Road: The Migration to Smartphones for Physical Access Control

Deborah L. O'Mara

Someday, all personal identification may be stored on chips implanted in our bodies. Until then, smartphones as mobile credentials are steadily becoming the access-control technology of choice for physical security. It’s easy...

Integrated Systems

Aug 2018

FCC Passes One-Touch Make-Ready Rules, 5G Boost Expected

Deborah L. O'Mara

Passed on Aug. 2, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) One-Touch Make-Ready (OTMR) Ruling, “Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment WT Docket No. 17-79,” is...

Integrated Systems

Aug 2018

Maintain the Perimeter: Tech Advances Improve Detection and Performance

Deborah L. O'Mara

We can’t make sense out of the horrible events we see on the news. However, with outdoor and perimeter detection that offers additional safeguards with new integrated technologies, security industry professionals can work to...

Integrated Systems

Jul 2018

The Bigger Picture of School Security and Safety: Industry Continues to Focus on Facilitating Better Outcome

Deborah L. O'Mara

After disbelief, outrage and grief following the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, the nation began to pick up the pieces. One of the discussions...

Integrated Systems

Jul 2018

What Can’t Video Do? You Can Leverage New Services With Surveillance

Deborah L. O'Mara

Video surveillance is the workhorse of physical security. It is often the starting point of any specification and can be integrated with access control, intrusion detection and other connected technologies. It also serves...

Integrated Systems

Jun 2018

Which Direction Should You Go? The Intersection of Cyber and Physical Security

Deborah L. O'Mara

You may be great with security and surveillance, but what about protecting the networks your customers’ video or other sensitive data and information is riding on? Are you selecting the correct products, cyber-hardened from...

Integrated Systems

May 2018

Digital Technology Magnifies Critical Infrastructure Threats

Deborah L. O'Mara

Earlier this year, the U.S. government issued a report pointing the finger directly at the Russian government for attacks on the energy infrastructure. It’s the first time the United States has publicly blamed Russia’s...

Integrated Systems

May 2018

Hot Markets to Watch: Emerging Trends in Physical Security

Deborah L. O'Mara

Given the current state of affairs, many vertical markets in the physical security industry are growing. Some, however, are more active than others, and there are some interesting trends to watch as electrical contractors...