March 08 eNews

In this issue:

Access Control Simplified Campaign

IEI Continues ISO Registration

Updates to IEI's Return Material Authorization (RMA) Policy

Payment Card Industry - How you can leverage this requirement for physical access control

How to Configure a Secured Series System in a 1 to 8 Door Installation

Access Control Case Study: Washington DC Fire & EMS

New People: Regional Sales Manager, Engineering and Tech Support

New IEI Training Schedule

Customer Survey

Washington DC Fire and EMS Case Study

The District of Columbia Fire and EMS was able to achieve a number of major operational improvements with the installation of a Max 3 access system solution. Important results include: significantly less time spent on facility access control issues because the software is easy for non technical operators to use; less theft and greater accountability for employees; and the ability to manage all facilities from a central location.

The Max 3 solution was funded by a grant from the US Department of Homeland Security.

For the full story, read the case study by clicking here.

New People

Andy Aylesworth has been hired as IEI's Regional Sales manager for New England, New York and Mid Atlantic territories. Andy has extensive experience in the security industry. Since 1978 he has held positions with various security manufacturers, dealers, integrators, distributors, rep firms and end users. You can reach Andy at a_aylesworth@ieib.com, or at 800-343-9502 ext. 152.

IEI has hired Don Sweitzer as the Senior Director of Engineering. Don joins IEI with extensive experience in software engineering, having worked at Softrax Corporation, a software company developing ERP solutions, and at NewsEdge, a company delivering real-time news to companies. Don can be reached at d_sweitzer@ieib.com, or at 800-343-9502 ext. 143.

New to our Technical Support Department

Nick Diamond
graduated from Mass Bay Community College in 1995 in IT management. He brings several years of customer service and technical support with him to his new position in tech support here at IEI.

You can reach Nick Diamond at n_diamond@ieib.com, or at 800-733-9502 ext. 107.

Carlos Lugo graduated from Juan Pablo Duarte in Bani Dominican Republic. In 2000 he went to ACCT technical school in Quincy, Massachusetts for his MCSE. He has worked part time as a computer technician and video installer. In 2006 he registered his own company Lugo PC Solutions.

You can reach Carlos Lugo at c_lugo@ieib.com, or at 800-733-9502 ext. 108.

Training Schedule

Classes will be held for both eMerge certification and Secured Series products in various locations throughout the country over the next several months. Classes will allow dealers to become trained on installation procedures, networking issues, hardware, and application modules.

For a complete schedule of classes and information on how to register click here.

Your Opinion Counts

Take a few minutes to let us know what you think. Please complete our online customer survey. We appreciate your input and feedback on our products and services.

Click here to go to our online customer feedback form.

IEI Launches "Access Control Simplified" Campaign

Highlighting the "ease-of-use" of the Secured Series product line, IEI has launched an informational direct marketing campaign. The program, consisting of a sequence of both mailed post cards and emails to specific territories, is designed to inform security dealers that IEI’s Secured Series access control systems are proven, easy to configure and install, making them ideal for entry-level to mid-range applications.

For more information on the Secured Series product line, click here.

ISO 9001:2000 Registration

IEI continued its pursuit of quality by passing its recent annual ISO audit. As a result, the company has been approved for continued registration as an ISO 9001:2000 company. Only companies that pass rigorous quality standards in all areas of operation are approved for ISO registration. IEI has been an ISO approved company since December of 1998.

Best practices of IEI that were observed and reported in the final report included: 1. Knowledge and commitment of personnel; 2. Consistency and discipline of internal processes, and 3. Management support for customer focus and support of the Quality Management System.

RMA Policy Modifications Take Place

In order to better serve IEI customers with a consistent and equitable product warranty and material return policy, the company’s Return Material Authorization policy has been reviewed and updated. Changes have been made to the "advanced replacement" procedures (section 2.3 of the policy) to clarify the responsibilities of each party and the proper procedures needed to obtain advanced replacement of products under warranty.

All IEI customers are encouraged to review this policy before requesting advanced replacement of products or to return materials. Click here to see IEI's current RMA policy.

Data Security Standards for Payment Card Industry

In order to address the threats to credit card information, the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI-SSC) was formed in September, 2006. If you are a security dealer supplying access control to companies that process credit card information, you should be aware of these standards. These standards apply to every organization that processes credit or debit card information, including merchants and third-part service providers that store, process or transmit credit card/debit card data.

The PCI Compliance is not a suggestion, it is requirement.

Among the requirements of PCI is the need to restrict physical access to cardholder data. The requirement forces organizations to apply rules on access and proximity to the actual credit card data, and it develops procedures to identify employees and visitors. The following requisites are a sample of the physical access requirements:

Restrict physical access to wireless access points, gateways and handheld devices.
Restrict physical access to publicly accessible network jacks.
Store media back-ups in a secure location, preferably an off-site facility.
Physically secure all paper and electronic media-computers, electronic media, networking and communications.

PCI offers new business opportunities for IEI dealers. An IEI dealer recently enabled a multi location retailer to comply with PCI by installing Secured Series access control on the cash room door in each of approximately 70 food stores nationwide.

For more information, visit the PCI Compliance Guide site by clicking here.

Secured Series System Configuration Guide

For customers wanting more information about Secured Series System configuration options in a 1 to 8 door installation, IEI has developed a "Guide to Building a Max 3 System." The Guide contains information on communications accessories and the optimal mix of Max 3 and MiniMax 3 systems in installations of up to 8 doors.

To view a copy of the Secured Series Access System Guide, click here.

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Electronic Newsletter \| Spring 2008