They say wisdom comes with maturity ...

... and with such a mature market as we have in the UK it’s probably no surprise that security manufactrurers are now thinking it a very wise move to target Europe and all points east. In this ssue not only do we report the bright prospects ahead for sales in central and easern Europe (see page 7) but we detail twomajor providers - JVC and Norbain - who are looking at new sales areas away from the UK (see page 8). While prospects look rosy for UK manufacturers who are looking to export (some already export the majority of their products) we don’t see many installation companies making inroads into Europe.

We’ve detailed some projects undertaken abroad by UK installers (not surprisngly some installers work a few months in Spain each year among the ex-pat community) but we have yet to hear of many high profile projects or even volume low profile jobs carried out abroad by UK installers. If readers have had experiences abroad where conditions, architecture and standards can be very different (tiles from floor to ceiling make cabling extremely demanding!) then we’d like to hear from you. Send accounts, advice, dire warnings to the address on the left of this page.

We’ve detailed Export seems to be getting more important for UK manufacturers making new inroads Two of our biggest providers to a situation where those who are employed are now calling all the shots. Twice in this edition we hear of situations where proprietors are left tearing their hair out over the behaviour of their engineers. Our columnist Mike Lynskey relates the story of a small company left without staff because they fitted trackers to their vans. Some people (especially those staff engineers out on the road) might say, fair enough – no one wants to be snooped on. But considering we’re in an industry built around surveillance, I can’t see the objection.

bunch of flowers for a woman or a bottle of something for a man is more appreciated. I am thinking that most men wouldn’t get out of bed for £25 but would be over the moon with a bottle of whisky. It makes it more personal.” Thanks Mike ... What do readers think?