Bold Blog: Alarm Automation Software and Services

Tip of the Week: Setting up Confirmed Alarms to System Handle and Initial alarm to generate an Email Response in 1.6.0 by Matt Narowski

Richard Hahn — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:41:00 GMT

1. Setup the confirmed alarm setup under the Country Setup -> country options for 2 signal confirmation and All Signals are immediately available (Regardless of Confirmed State)

2. Setup the Transmitter Programming so that you have the Event that you want to be confirmed setup in such a way that it generates an Event separate from the first alarm. In my example I use a TB1 as the original alarm and set the TB3 as my confirmed alarm event

3. I then setup an action pattern to send out an email script and then close the alarm.

4. Finally, setup the Event Actions Programming so that you act upon the first event type and not the second event. In my example I set the TB1 as Alarm=Yes and TB3 as Alarm=No.

5. An Alarm event will be generated for the first event but all subsequent events within the time period will be marked as Confirmed alarms and will be logged as signals.

Recent enhancement provides verification benefit to all Manitou users - by Bob Bishop

Kellee Hardy — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:47:00 GMT

Recent enhancement to meet new legislation in Spain provides verification benefit to all Manitou users.

In August 2011, Spain enacted a national law requiring verification of private alarm systems (commercial and residential) prior to the dispatch of authorities. One of the approved methods for verification is multiple signals (three or more) received within a defined period of time. While Manitou has always provided transmitter-level soft programming options for Confirmed events or TwoTrip events, the system was hardcoded to wait for a second signal only – not a definable number of signals. Since this would not allow for compliance with Spanish law, our development team enhanced the Confirmed commands.

This enhancement now allows all Manitou central stations to define the Confirmation requirements at the Country level (Supervisor Workstation->Maintenance->Setup->Country – jump to Country Options). With the options now deployed, you can not only define the number of signals before Manitou creates a “Confirmed” event, you can also set an option to receive the original event at the time it was received, rather than waiting for the confirmation signal.

This new enhancement will provide central stations a method to notify users upon receipt of the initial trip, but dispatch upon receipt of the confirming event. For example, if a customer would like to be notified via email upon receipt of an interior motion detector, the system can now send out that notification immediately. Additionally, if a subsequent signal is received (i.e., door opened), the system can escalate the signal as a confirmed alarm and provide dispatch instructions to the operator. Prior to the release of this update (available in Manitou 1.6.0 Update 17), the notification would only go out AFTER the delay timeout occurred for the confirming event.

For more information on this new enhancement, please refer to the Manitou Release Notes for version 1.6.0. We will also demonstrate this enhancement during our November 30^th Coffee with Manitou session entitled “How Did You Do That.”

-Bob Bishop

Tip of the Week : OzVision and Windows 7 / Silverlight – Patrick Dench

Kellee Hardy — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:04:00 GMT

Tip of the Week : OzVision and Windows 7 / Silverlight – Patrick Dench

OzVision and Windows 7

Windows 7 features more stringent default security settings than previous releases. These can wreak havoc on your ability to view OzVision videos through the Manitou client. The problem is that Manitou attempts to copy the video out of the Manitou database and onto the local drive (C:\Program Files\Bold Technologies\Manitou\BinFiles). However, Windows 7 will prevent this copy from occurring and as a result the video player will be unable to find the video file.

The simplest resolution to this problem is to give users full control of the BinFiles directory within the Manitou folder. If the folder does not exist, simply create the folder and change the security permissions to allow the appropriate users/groups access to the folder.

After doing this you should again be able to view OzVision videos through the Manitou client.

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Silverlight: A 32-bit plug-in living in a 64-bit world

Microsoft’s Silverlight platform requires a 32-bit browser even when run on 64-bit machines.

We’ve had a few reports of anomalous behavior when running 64-bit Windows 7 and accessing a BoldNet page. Reported results vary from continuously seeing a prompt to download and install Silverlight, to occasional IE crashes. This can be avoided by running the 32-bit version of Internet Explorer. When installing IE9 on a 64-bit machine, both the 64 and 32-bit versions are installed.

In order to run in 32-bit mode, make sure your IE shortcut points to the 32-bit executable. This is installed to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer folder by default.

-Patrick Dench

Never the same way twice!

Kellee Hardy — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:07:00 GMT

Never the same way twice!

The MediaGateway is a powerful tool that will allow your business to grow in new areas and improve efficiency. It is also a complex module that can be implemented in many different ways. Very rarely is the MediaGateway implemented in the same way twice.

Although the same functionality has been achieved at many of our client’s sites it has been done differently almost every time. This is largely due to the fact that almost every site uses a different PBX. Even if the same type of phone switch is installed at two sites the required connection might be different. For example one system might have an available T1/ISDN card and another might have analog ports. Because of the MediaGateway’s versatility we can usually configure the hardware to match any existing configuration.

However it is this versatility that can make the implementation process complex. Before any components are sold we complete a technical discovery call that will help us better understand the layout of your existing PBX, and hopefully minimize any surprises that might be discovered during the installation phase of the project. This information along with the lessons learned from previous installs will help us build a system that will integrate with your existing equipment.

It is important to remember that we can integrate the MediaGateway with almost any existing phone system or piece of telephony equipment but the amount of options available to us can also make the planning phase more complex. The planning phase can be the most important part of a successful MediaGateway deployment. I understand that this might sound like a daunting task but the good news is that once it is installed you don’t need to make any modifications to the configuration. In general the system will simply run, you just don’t need to think about it again.

-Shaun Blair

September Coffee with Manitou Video Now Available

Bob Bishop — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:21:00 GMT

The video from the September Coffee with Manitou session is now available. This session demonstrated suggestions for helping to improve operator efficiency through the use of enhanced Action Patterns, email/SMS notifications, and OpenVoice.

We are please to offer the video via three formats:

Flash Video (recommended for most users)

Windows Media Video (WMV)

iPad MP4

Generational Aspects of Adult Learners

Caryn Morgan — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 07:00:00 GMT

As trainers we sometimes do not consider the important generational aspects of the students in our training classes. Below is a great reference to better understand how learners in your training classes approach work and their education.

"Traditional Generation members (born between 1922–1945) tend to:

• believe in conformity, authority and rules

• have a very defined sense of right and wrong

• be loyal, disciplined, logical, detail-oriented

• view an understanding of history as a way to plan for the future

• dislike conflict

• seek out technological advancements

• prefer hierarchical organizational structures

Baby boomers (born between 1946-1964) are drawn to:

• long hours at the office, including evenings and weekends

• building their career over the long term and loyalty to their employer

• viewing themselves and their career as one and the same

• commitment to quality and doing a good job

• “hanging tough” through difficult work situations and policies

• finding solutions to problems

• being in charge and respecting authority

Members of Generation X (born between 1965-1980) tend to:

• prefer high-quality end results over quantity

• set and meet goals and are very productive

• multitask

• balance work and life; like flexible working hours, job sharing

• see themselves as free agents and marketable commodities

• be comfortable with authority but not impressed with titles

• be technically competent

• value ethnic diversity

• love independence

Members of Generation Y (born between 1981-1994) tend to prefer:

• effecting change and making an impact

• expressing themselves rather than defining themselves through work

• multitasking all the time

• active involvement

• flexibility in work hours and appearance; a relaxed work environment

• teamwork

• on-the-job training

• getting everything immediately

• a balance of work and life" (Mitchell, 2005)

Mitchell, B (2005) Value Options, Achieve Solutions

I know that I have to consider these items when teaching training for Manitou. Some references will fall on deaf ears if the generation can't relate to it. Also, when preparing training it is vital to consider these differences when preparing materials. Yes, not everyone falls into their stereotype, but it is a good place to start!

Happy Training!

Grief Involved with Change

Caryn Morgan — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:14:00 GMT

I had several conversations with people last week at our Users Conference where they were experiencing change within their organization and the challenges that ensued as a result. That got me thinking... every change requires people to pass through the grief process. Recently, I read an article that articulated the stages in the grief process in a funny but accurate way. I thought I might share this:

"I like to use the analogy of losing the keys to your car. For example think about a normal work day in your life. You arise at the normal time and go through your normal morning routine. As you ready yourself to head out the door you go to where you always keep your car keys. You are shocked when they aren’t hanging on the keyboard, in the key drawer, in your purse or coat pocket. You can’t believe your eyes.
1. DENIAL – “No, it can’t possibly be. I know I put them right here last night.” You look everywhere! You check every nook and cranny in your home. You search your car. You go back into the house and look everywhere you have already looked!
2. ANGER/BLAMING -- “It isn’t possible! My keys were just here! I never lose my keys. I take such good care of everything and I am always so careful.” You rant and rave that your keys can’t be lost and if they are, it isn’t your fault. It’s your stupid husband, wife, son, daughter, houseguest, cleaning lady, or dog.
3. BARGAINING – “Keys, if you just show up I promise to be more careful next time.” You make a deal with God, the house ghost, or the keys themselves to be found so that you can be on your way.
4. DEPRESSION – “I can’t believe I’ve lost my keys. I’m going to be fired, I am going to be demoted, and everyone is going to know that I am irresponsible and a loser. How could I be so stupid?”
5. ACCEPTANCE – “Well, I’ve lost my keys. I’m going to be late for work. I need to make a decision on what to do next. I can and will deal with the consequences.” "

(taken from: http://www.counselingforloss.com/fivestagesofgrief.html)

These are very real experiences that everyone experiences on a regular basis. We can correlate that into the changes made within our organizations. For example someone is getting ready to retire and they are reliquishing some of their responsiblities to another, most likely younger, person. The person reliquishing these responsiblitys may be glad to be rid of them, but they still have to grieve the loss. Some may percieve that they are less important now. So how do we manage for this? What might help this person transitioning to a new stage in life feel better about the loss?

The same can be said when people are moved from one specialty to another. They must grieve the loss of the old and get ready for the new. Just like personal loss, time will heal much. It is important to consider that everyone has a different timeline and that will also require patience from managers and owners.

I hope this was helpful. If you would like a copy of a really useful article on "The Grief Involved in Change" please contact me carynm@boldgroup.com for a copy.

Action Pattern Enhancement - Include

Bob Bishop — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:38:00 GMT

After all of the positive feedback that we received from our recent Coffee with Manitou session (What’s New in Manitou 1.6.1?), we decided to do a series of blog posts highlighting some of the new and enhanced features. There are a number of changes to the core application that will provide improved alarm handling efficiency (through the enhanced Action Patterns and Workflows) as well as new tools to handle alarm verification (the redesigned Media Matrix and VideoPlus). These posts will allow us to break the release into smaller pieces and provide you with some usage scenarios and best practice ideas.

To start the introductions, today’s post will cover one of the new Action Pattern items – INCLUDE. The new include feature will provide users with the ability to create a hierarchy to the Action Pattern and run “Sub Action Patterns” within the main Action Pattern (embedding some “nesting” characteristics). This will prove to be a powerful tool in making sure that the operator/dispatcher has situational logic presented with the Action Pattern. Additionally, you can designate WHEN you want to include these additional Action Patterns and tie them to situations such as Disaster Mode, Status Open/Closed, Verified, and many more.

For example, a traditional Action Pattern may include the following steps: (1) Call Customer Site; (2) Call Police Authority; and, (3) Call Customer Contacts/Keyholders. With the INCLUDE feature, you can now add additional Action Patterns based on desired situations – such as Verified Alarm. In this case, the operator will be prompted to: (1) Connect to Camera; (2) Call Customer Site; and (3) INCLUDE Action Pattern “Verified“ – additional instructions for the operator on exactly how to proceed under the current set of circumstances.

We look forward to introducing you to even more new features over the next several weeks. Bold Technologies is committed to continually enhancing the feature sets of our applications and providing our users with the highest quality tools to reach their operational goals and potential.

Tip of the Week : Changing the Resolution - George Habenicht

Brandon Lilly — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:33:00 GMT

Ever needed to change the resolution of an alarm after it has already been closed?

The Cloud, is the future clear? - Rod Coles

Brandon Lilly — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:17:00 GMT

There is a lot of talk these days about the “Cloud”, and like many buzzwords its use has become casual and often used out of context. So what exactly is “Cloud Computing”?