Profile of Tyco, one of the world’s largest fire safety and security companies with a customer base exceeding three million in industrial, commercial and residential sectors worldwide.
The firm’s 69,000 employees include scientists, engineers, sales professionals, technicians and management staff in over 1,000 locations in nearly 50 countries – including research and development labs, manufacturing facilities, service and distribution centres, and sales offices.
Company history
Tyco’s United States headquarters are in Princeton, New Jersey; its corporate headquarters have recently moved from Schaffhausen, Switzerland to Cork in the Republic of Ireland. The company was founded in 1960 by Arthur J. Rosenburg as a research laboratory to conduct 1960s experimental work for the US government.
The business focused on solid-state science and energy conversion and by 1962 began to move from US government research contracts into commercial applications. It went public in 1964 and one year later made its first acquisition, Mule Battery Products. Following further expansion in the 1970s, it began pursuing an extensive acquisition strategy which saw the procurement of leading brands such as AlliedTube and Conduit and Grinnell Corporation.
In 2012, Tyco International was divided, separating the firm’s Flow Control business, North America’s residential security business and its international fire and security business. The separation resulted in the creation of Tyco (fire protection and electronic security), the ADT Corporation (residential and small business security in North America) and Flow Control (fluid valves, controls, and equipment protection products).
Tyco at a glance
Tyco security and fire product ranges include:
- CCTV/access control equipment (Tyco Integrated Security, ADT, American Dynamics, Kantech, Software House, CEM Systems)
- Circuit protection devices
- EAS (electronic article surveillance) and RFID (radio frequency identification) products (Sensormatic)
- Engineering services
- Fire alarm systems (Simplex, ADT)
- Fire sprinklers (SimplexGrinnell, Wormald)
- Fire-fighting hardware and fire-fighting foam concentrates (Ansul, Chemguard, Skum, Total Walther, and Sabo)
- GRINNELL grooved products
- Safety products (including industrial-site safety & personal protective equipment (PPE) SCOTT Safety)
- Security systems (Tyco Integrated Security, ADT, DSC, Visonic)
- Valves and controls
One recent fire protection innovation has seen subsidiary Tyco Fire Protection Products launch its Raven Studio sprinklers range. Designed mainly for commercial applications such as hotels, casinos, offices, educational facilities, museums and other cultural properties, the 5.6K pendent and horizontal sidewall Raven Studio Sprinklers are claimed to be UL and C-UL listed, and to be available in standard coverage for the protection of Light and Ordinary Hazard occupancies and Extended Coverage for Light Hazard applications.
“By incorporating an unobtrusive, low-profile design with a paint-in-place escutcheon, the new Tyco Raven Studio sprinklers are uniquely discreet sprinklers in the industry today,” said Luke Connery, Global Product Manager at Tyco Fire Protection Products. “This can afford architects and interior designers an enhanced level of creative freedom not available with more traditional sprinkler options.”
Proximex surveillint PSIM solution from Tyco
Designer sprinklers
The new sprinklers are claimed to feature a paint-in-place escutcheon, providing clients with a variety of custom colours to match the palette of a project. The flush design is made aesthetically appealing by concealing the deflector and other operating parts behind the link assembly. Raven Studio Sprinklers, with a heat sensitive solder type release element, are listed as quick response sprinklers.
On the video surveillance side, Tyco Integrated Security (TycoIS) recently announced Total Security, a system claimed to combine access control, IP video surveillance and intrusion detection. Available via a unified graphical user interface (GUI), Total Security apparently allows users to manage multiple security tasks on any Internet connected device. With real-time alerts, remote arm/disarm capabilities, access management and live video look-in, Total Security aims to improve workplace safety, security and business operations.
“Today’s always-on, always-connected workforce was a key driver in building out the Total Security solution for our customers,” said Joe Oliveri, Vice President & General Manager at TycoIS. “By combining video surveillance, access control and intrusion detection, organizations can save time and money on system maintenance better spent concentrating on core business functions.”
The Fireclass range from Tyco
Scalable surveillance system structure
Total Security is claimed to allow business owners and security managers to remotely handle more than 20 security tasks in real time. Tailored for mid-size businesses, the system is said to scale to larger environments as operations grow. Solution components include the company’s Kantech Intevo and Exacq /AD Illustra for video integration, Kantech KT Series for access control, DSC NEO intrusion detection, EntraPass Web and Go mobile application
Total Security provides one-app view for access control, video surveillance and intrusion detection, which is claimed to help users avoid spending time and resources contacting multiple providers for questions, software upgrades, service and administration. In addition, the simplified solution is available on Internet connected devices, facilitating remote operation.
