Editorial

Some years it's difficult to pick anything out of the crowd, the piece of kit that has star quality ... other years, you know immediately that this is destined to be big in the market. A number of this year's contenders, however, have that star quality which should make the IFSEC Dinner a great evening. The awards evening is the highlight of IFSEC week and a great night for networking. Many readers will be at the show but if you're not able to attend the dinner, turn to page 10 for a line-up of this year's awards contenders which cover the widest range of sectors. We're sure you'll agree that many of this year's products are bound to be big in the market.

As regular readers know, we are always on the lookout for ways to help installers increase their profits, get into potentially profitable new areas and increase their business. Our recent home automation feature had a big response from installers wanting to get into this area at the beginning of its development. Our regular technical writer Gerard Honey, however, thinks that profits are to be made without straying too far (see page 31). Installers can gain extra business by upgrading or installing additional power supplies to their existing systems and improving network efficiency. Upgrading or improving also means it gives your systems greater capacity for future integration with other potentially profitable areas ... and that all means additional potential business for installers.

Following on from Gerard's article on mains compliance in the April edition I had a letter from Peter Moss of Fast Fire & Security Training which came in too late to get into this month's edition (see next month's Mailbox!) but pointed out a number of interesting points. He also sent me an ACT Meters Guide to Fuse Spur Installation which is a professionally produced booklet clearly documenting the 27-step process from checking the mains supply to documentation. This is probably the easiest followed guide available and, with any luck, ACT may send you one! Contact ACT Meters Ltd, The Old Smithy, Church Road, Rainford, St Helens, Merseyside WA11 8HD Tel 01744 886660, web: www.actmeters.com or email: dave@actmeters.u-net.com

In this edition Mike Lynskey has some criticism for those installers who take two days or more to fit an alarm system into a three bedroom semi ... and those that fit one in three or four hours are equally criticised (See Current Affairs, page 15). So what is the appropriate average time for this bread and butter job? Mike goes by the simple "one da, one job" attitude. Let us know your views. Email me at our Mailbox address on page 19.