Students from kindergarten through college understand an audible alert means something is wrong, and they need to evacuate a building that might be under threat. Whether it’s a fire, imminent tornado strike or active shooter,...
When contractors receive calls to bid on renovation work during busy times, they can choose to do one of two things: bid the project extremely high or decline the request. Many contractors seem to believe new construction...
As additional regulations, standards and laws continue to proliferate in the critical infrastructure landscape, keeping up with the rules and regulations and specifying the right technology is imperative for electrical...
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable energy cells considered to have a “high-energy density,” meaning they can store a lot of energy. As an energy source, lithium-ion cells have been around for a while. Lithium-ion...
To get started in fiber optics, you need to follow a simple path. First, if you are looking at it as a new career, you must research the available jobs and determine what is expected of a worker in that field. If you are...
One of your goals as a professional contractor should be to become a trusted advisor to your customers. This goal doesn’t require you to be the low bidder on every project, but it does require you to show your customer why...
Electrical contractors (ECs) know their clients have an increasing desire for buildings that are more energy efficient. For ECs looking to get into energy efficiency, there are several good places to begin. 1. Install copper...
The city known for its gambling, neon lights and shotgun weddings has embarked on a mission to gather something more than just dirty little secrets. With a new internet of things (IoT) project, Las Vegas will have a lot of...
Commercial Technology Contractors Inc., Clifton, N.J., operates from one location with 55 employees (including office, engineering and field staff). Technically, the company is a licensed electrical contractor, but it does...
It seems you can’t pick up a newspaper today without seeing an advertisement touting a cellular company’s coming 5G wireless network. Some ads claim the service provider offers 5G connections to the home and you should sign...
Emergency communication systems (ECS) and mass notification systems (MNS) are traditional, hardware and software-based solutions designed to provide early warning of fire, life safety and other events, such as active shooters...
We must consider safety issues when installing a fire alarm system, interconnecting to other building systems, and testing and/or repairing fire alarm systems. We must also consider occupant safety during an alarm....
According to a new report , "Residential IoT Market Overview," from Navigant Research, the growth of the internet of things (IoT) solution offerings has flooded the smart home market with new connected devices, including...
In my previous article about OTDRs, I covered the basics of how the instrument works and how it is used to make basic measurements of attenuation, splice or connector loss and reflectance. If you need to, go back and review...
In 2015, the Boston Consulting Group examined the LED lighting market and trends in its article, “How to Win in a Transforming Lighting Industry.” It stated, “The upheaval stems from two powerful shifts: the move toward light...
Every jail, prison and correctional facility depends on technology to keep personnel, visitors and prisoners safe. The contractors and integrators that install or maintain those systems operate in a highly specialized niche....
It’s always nice to hear from my readers. In December 2018, I wrote about aerial fiber optic cables, and that column prompted a very interesting inquiry. Usually these inquiries are technical in nature and come from...
When I discuss a fire alarm system with a contractor in the field, they always state their system installation complies with NFPA 72 2019, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. So, when I ask which chapter in the code they...
For years, the physical security industry was hyperfocused on the tipping point of IP cameras and when network devices would surpass their analog counterparts in numbers. Now that the tipping point has come, users have...
For over 60% of Americans, feeling their homes are safe and secure is the most important advantage of integrating smart technology¹. When addressing this need with your customers, it is probably easy for them to see the value...
