News Release | March 4, 2020
Layered Solutions, an Indianapolis-based provider of integrated daily and emergency communications, was chosen as a finalist for the 25th Annual SAMMY Awards, which honors security systems dealers and integrators for their excellence. Security Sales & Integration magazine, which hosts the awards, received more than 160 entries from security systems contractors throughout the U.S.
Integrated Installation of the Year
Layered Solutions is one of five finalists for “Integrated Installation of the Year” among small to midsized companies. The recognition was a response to Layered Solutions’ work in helping public school districts in New Jersey integrate and automate existing technologies for faster emergency response.
Safer schools, faster emergency response
In 2019, leaders at Kingsway Regional and South Harrison Township Elementary School Districts (Woolwich Township, New Jersey) sought Layered Solutions to help them improve emergency monitoring and communications. To that end, district leaders wanted the ability to reach multiple audiences instantly, in a variety of communications formats.
Faced with limited resources, Kingsway and South Harrison couldn’t afford to replace legacy technologies. Layered Solutions was able to integrate disparate technologies the schools already had (e.g. fire alarms, security cameras, LED signage, PA system and more), enabling staff to automate and manage those systems from a central dashboard.
“Say a kid pushes a blue lockdown button,” explains Robert Iocona, the districts’ chief technology officer. “Within a minute, our officials can [view the entire campus] on their phone, see where the button was pushed, and respond accordingly.” With just a couple more clicks, school staff can also deploy alerts to various audiences and share information (like camera views) with first responders.
“Other solutions were fragmented and didn’t integrate in one go-to dashboard,” explains Iocona. “With Layered Solutions, I can go to one map, see where the cameras, fire alarms, lockdown buttons are, and I can initiate a lockdown from that map.”
Keeping costs low, customization high
“We’re encouraged to be recognized for something we do every day: help organizations increase their security and communications capabilities by integrating systems they already own,” says Jerry Geis, Layered Solutions founder. “In doing so, we keep costs low and customization high, even as our clients’ needs and resources change.”
SAMMY Award winners will be revealed during a ceremony on March 17 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.
Layered Solutions helps organizations shrink risks, inefficiencies and potential losses with effortless emergency, routine and mass notification capabilities that integrate with their existing technologies. Based in Carmel (Indiana), Layered Solutions serves clients in Education, Healthcare, Industrial and Commercial industries.
