Volume 29 | August 8, 2025

This Week’s Featured Articles & Media

Allan Chester | ...Sympathy for the Standards.
Over his morning tea, Allan reflected on how terms like 'open' and 'standard' carry different meanings depending on who's talking. In an industry full of jargon and shifting definitions, he questioned whether the rush to create new standards really helps the customer—or just keeps the conversation going.

Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST) | Half Marathon - FAST Fundraising
Join Don Erickson, Kyle Gordon, and other security leaders on October 5th in Hutchinson Island, Florida, as they race to raise funds for FAST.

The Access Control Collective | Breaking News Alert
HID acquires Intelligent Observation, expanding its RTLS healthcare play. Read more about this story below.

The Access Control Collective | Breaking News Alert
Allegion has continued to expand in the United Kingdom by acquiring UAP Limited. Read more about this story below.

The Access Control Collective | ACS LATAM
The Access Control Collective is heading to São Paulo for ACS LATAM 2025! In partnership with Google and with support from HID and ASSA ABLOY, this event is set to be a cornerstone gathering for the region. Don’t miss it. Find the link to register below.

The Access Control Collective x Bloxspring | RAMP: The Conference for Marketing Leaders in Security and Protech
RAMP 2025 is a conference designed specifically for marketers in built environment technology and security—bringing industry leaders together in New York City for a full day of insight, innovation, and meaningful connection.

The Access Control Collective | PhySecJobs.com
Below you will find all of the latest jobs in the physical security industry.

Find them all below!

The musings that pop into my head over the morning Cuppa Tea… 🫖

Actions influence language, and language, in turn, influences action.

Catching up with the various threads the last few weeks, conversations with Lee Odess and in the Slack groups, and the fantastic write-ups he does show that words carry weight. Using words 'open', 'standards', and even mentioning interoperability can be tricky these days.

“One man’s ‘open’ is another man’s ‘insult.’

Lee scared a few and encouraged others. I just got the Popcorn 🍿.

So, when does something qualify as a standard, and what does it really mean for a platform to want to be open? Is a standard a standard when it's being used in volume by all? Most requested by customers? And is it good to be open? ..or the better term would be common. Common with whom? I dunno.

You see, in my previous life in the Telco business, we really, really, really loved our abbreviations, jargon, and new standards. Made us all feel real good about ourselves, and when Cisco started naming products with 3-4 letter thingys..we all loved it. It confused the hell out of the customers. But they gladly paid invoices to ensure that they never ever had to find out what it all meant.

Standards and acronyms are great but can often lead to more complexity, cost to support and deploy, and which 'Standard' do you go for? VHS or Betamax (reference for the older generation)?

One might be better..but if you’re stuck in a Video store and you can’t rent Rocky because your dad put all bets on Betamax..you’re not gonna be happy.

I digress… and my tea is cooler.

Our access control industry’s sesquipedalianism (yeah, i looked that one up, folks) is maybe missing the fact that the customer doesn’t always care. They talk a lot about interoperability, but it’s articulated in a desire to support multiple use cases. Where possible, reduce the friction of having to deal with multiple vendors (as we know how collaborative our industry can be, huh?).

And now we are all racing to create new standards or reboot others.. Some of which have been kicking around for quite some time and have limited traction in both the US and EU (including the UK in this one). Old is new.

So what does the customer really want and what is it we’re trying to achieve? That is the question (my tea is cold) ?

The Customer buys from someone they trust. Delivers that solution with longevity, works, is secure, and cares about what they want, and for that…is a vendor ‘lock-in’ really bad?It could even give me a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that I am locked in the hands of someone I trust. Many, in fact, trust proprietary solutions precisely because they offer predictability, established security, and clear accountability. But of course everyone wants to claim that they are the new, improved washing powder. I get it.

So I come back to my original aversion to new abbreviations and naming of standards.

I get a bit itchy.

Feels like when countries or political parties name themselves with clichés in their name. Like the German Democratic Republic (GDR) back in the day wasn't democratic, nor a republic. Or “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is neither democratic, nor a republic, nor Korean.” (That's North Korea btw).

It's really really hard to make things 'great' again, or 'take back control', and Bruce Springsteen is actually contrary to belief, not 'on fire'.  Naming things is still important. But the emotion and purpose are too. And that's what made these statements powerful (for good or evil..). So maybe we all need rethink where the lines are.

As Clint said 'Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one'.

Enjoy your cuppa.  Mine was cold.

FAST is committed to connecting forward-thinking professionals with exciting career opportunities in electronic security and life safety. A joint initiative by industry leaders ESA and SIA, FAST highlights the pathways for growth in this dynamic, technology-driven field focused on protecting people, places, and property.

Please join the CEO of SIA, Don Erickson, and Kyle Gordon of AMAG Technology, alongside other security leaders, in Hutchinson Island, Florida on October 5th. There, they will run a half-marathon, raising vital funds to support FAST’s mission of propelling and empowering the next-generation security workforce. Equipping tomorrow’s professionals with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to innovate and lead in the rapidly evolving security industry.

Originally posted here on LinkedIn by Lee Odess.

HID acquires Intelligent Observation, expanding its RTLS healthcare play.

Today, they announced they acquired the Miami-based hand hygiene compliance platform using NFMI wearables and real-time SaaS dashboards to help reduce hospital-acquired infections.

This move reinforces HID’s position in healthcare by adding granular, room-level hygiene data and infection tracing capabilities to its RTLS portfolio.

Super interesting and a super nice, but does complements their tech stack in healthcare RTLS.

Originally posted on LinkedIn by Lee Odess.

Allegion continues its strategic expansion in the UK with the acquisition of UAP Limited a leader in residential door hardware.

With nearly 200 IP assets and a strong reputation for specifiable mechanical solutions, UAP aligns tightly with Allegion’s vision. This move bolsters Allegion’s international segment, complements its UK commercial portfolio, and extends its customer value.

ACS is heading to São Paulo!
Join us October 21–22 at Google’s LATAM HQ for ACS LATAM 2025—our first flagship event in the region.

This invite-only gathering will bring together 150 leaders shaping the future of access control, identity, and digital infrastructure across Latin America. Expect sharp insights into a fast-moving market, focused sessions on mobile, cloud, and software-based access, and the kind of honest, cross-sector conversations that drive real progress.

If LATAM is on your roadmap, this is the room you want to be in.

Seats are limited— register here.

Bloxspring and The Access Control Collective are headed to NYC for RAMP 2025.
Mark your calendar: Thursday, October 16, 2025 | 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

We noticed a gap—no dedicated space for marketers in built environment tech and security. So we created one. RAMP is more than a conference; it's a catalyst for change.

Join us in New York City for a full day of insight, inspiration, and meaningful connections. Expect bold talks from visionary voices, practical sessions on the latest tools and strategies, and honest conversations about where our industry is headed.

Whether you're a veteran marketer or just stepping into the space, RAMP will equip you with the ideas, network, and momentum to push your work—and the industry—forward.

Spots are limited—register here to be part of it.

Below are the highlighted jobs and companies this week. New jobs are bolded.

• Preventia Security 

  - Regional Sales Manager - South - apply here

  - Director of Sales - apply here

• Lockmasters, Inc. - VP of Specialty Door Division - apply here

• EyeOTmonitor - Account Executive - apply here

• HID Global 

  - Senior Product Manager, Government Solutions-North America – apply here

  - Product Manager, Mercury Controllers – apply here

  - Senior Product Manager, Readers – apply here

  - Senior Product Manager, Biometric Readers – apply here

  - Senior Software Engineer Java – apply here
  -Pre-Sales Consultant – apply here
  -Staff Engineer – apply here
  -Channel Account Manager DACH – apply here
  -End User BDM - Emerging Technologies – apply here
  -Director of Quality – apply here
  -Director of Product Management - Readers – apply here
  -Sales Development Representative – apply here
  -Product Manager, Credentials – apply here
  -Business Development Leader, Controller Apps – apply here

• Kastle - Project Manager, Implementations - apply here