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Des Tronic is Thankful for Public Wi-Fi and Hacker Babies! Join Des Tronic as he give thanks this Thanksgiving season! Nov 23, 2020 Join Des Tronic as he give thanks this Thanksgiving season! Now Read These! Fifty Years of Excellence READ Designing for Technology Seminar at Heinz Field READ How About a Career in STEM? DES High School Booth Goes Virtual READ

DES quickly becoming 'valued partner' of Mercyhurst University DES is Mercyhurst University's go-to integrator for classroom technology. Most recently, DES designed and installed the audio and video solutions for Mercyhurst's new Cyber Education Center. Feb 28, 2019 ERIE, Pa. — Dagostino Electronic Services is Mercyhurst University ’s go-to integrator for classroom technology. A few years ago, Mercyhurst was looking to make some upgrades and contacted DES following a recommendation from Extron . DES has since upgraded the technology in dozens of classrooms and installed a state-of-the-art phone system in the university’s board room and audiovisual equipment in conference and events spaces. Most recently, DES designed and installed the audio and video solutions for Mercyhurst’s new Cyber Education Center . “We are really excited about the Cyber Education Center,” Jeanette Britt, CIO and VP of Technology at Mercyhurst, told DES. “It’s an amazing facility. It looks great. It’s very high-tech, very functional and will help meet the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals.” The 8,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 2018 before the start of the fall semester, consists of a cyber lab, two general-use computer labs and a security operations center where students gain hands-on, real world experience. “We really think this facility gives our students an advantage,” Britt said. “To be able to learn and then walk across the hall and work in a real, live security operations center [and gain] hands on experience is invaluable.” “The unique experience that the students will have in the center will allow them to get their hands dirty early on in their education, before they get to the workforce,” Dr. Christopher Mansour, a professor of computing and information science and cybersecurity at Mercyhurst, added. DES was involved in the Cyber Education Center project from the start. Britt explained, “As soon as this project came up, we called DES. They came up and met with our students, our faculty, the project team, and really listened to what the needs were of the space and really presented an amazing package of technology solutions.” The cyber lab runs on its own network, with its own servers and firewalls, separate from the rest of the university. Professors can simulate real-world events such as hacks, data breaches and malware, allowing students to experiment without spreading sensitive data across Mercyhurst’s main network. As such, there is no wireless in the room. All of the technology is hard-wired. There is a Crestron controller at each student workstation wired to the controller at the teaching podium so students can present and share their screen on monitors throughout the room. The two general-use computer labs are equipped with Crestron AirMedia wireless presentation technology and controllers, projectors, monitors and drop-down screens. Audio processors and speakers were also installed by DES. When the project was complete, DES trained faculty and staff on the technology throughout the space. DES also provides ongoing support to the university as necessary. Britt said, “Any time we have questions, we pick up the phone and they’re right there willing to help.” The design of the Cyber Education Center is almost as impressive as the technology. The space is clean and modern, and it’s white, shiny walls add to the wow factor. “The students and faculty could not be more excited about this space,” said Britt. Nemanja Matijevic, a senior at Mercyhurst studying information technology and data science, called the center “out of this world.” “No one expected this,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a movie.” Mercyhurst credits DES, in part, for the project’s overall success. “DES really provided us with the solutions we needed to bring the Cyber Education Center together,” Britt said. “We could not have done it without them.” She concluded, “Working with DES is a pleasure. They are partners with you through a project from the beginning to the end. They bring smart solutions. They are incredibly flexible and I would recommend them to any university or company.” About Mercyhurst University Mercyhurst University is a four-year liberal arts Catholic institution founded in 1926 by the Sisters of Mercy. Mercyhurst offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and more than 10 master’s programs at it’s main campus in Erie, Pennsylvania, and secondary campus in nearby North East, Pennsylvania. Approximately 3,400 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled at Mercyhurst each year. About Dagostino Electronic Services Dagostino Electronic Services is a multi-faceted, full-service communications company passionate about designing and installing technology solutions to meet the needs of our customers. DES specializes in the integration of structured cabling systems, data and wireless networks, security and surveillance systems, phone systems, and cybersecurity and multimedia technologies. Founded in 1973, DES is the preferred technology provider of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cyber Education Center at Mercyhurst.jpg Cyber Education Center at Mercyhurst 4.j Cyber Education Center at Mercyhurst 3.j Cyber Education Center at Mercyhurst - D Cyber Education Center at Mercyhurst - D Now Read These! Hear the Difference: Transform Your Hybrid Meetings READ FCC Launches Cybersecurity Pilot for K-12: What You Need to Know READ 5G Scores in the Steel City READ

Plan Your COVID-19 Re-Entry Tools for Business Continuity: A Look Inside Our Solution Toolbox Jun 1, 2020 COVID-19 cases have steadily decreased over Western Pennsylvania and businesses are beginning to reopen – nonetheless, life as we know it will not be the same. The possibility of a second wave of infections and our increased awareness of contagion will radically change the way we interact within our communities and our workplaces. Looking ahead at this uncharted environment, we have been gathering solutions that can assist organizations to reopen in a safe, welcoming and successful environment. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, DES was classified as an essential business, and we have been fully operational throughout the months of lockdown. We have spent these months educating ourselves on federal and local health regulations, talking with our manufacturers about innovative ways to deploy their solutions, listening to the challenges facing our customers – and putting all these into practice. Broadly speaking, companies need to address three areas of operation: Safety : Ensuring the on-site location is fully compliant with current health guidelines. Connectivity : Managing the network access and cloud software of both onsite and remote workforces. Communication : Keeping the flow of communication moving despite social distancing. We have applied this framework to the sectors we serve in the education, healthcare, commerce, and manufacturing fields. Below is an overview of the solutions we provided and expect to provide during this outline of the solutions we offer. As a technology integrator, we customize solutions according to your requirements. Using Advanced Technology to Create Safe Workplaces Controlling who comes into your premises is at the core of your re-opening strategy. Entry point management must screen visitors and employees for COVID-19 symptoms and also limit the building occupancy to government guidelines. Thermal Camera Technology: These camera sensors can be calibrated to detect persons with temperatures reading above 100.4°F, a key symptom of COVID-19, and prevent them from entering the premises. We have investigated two systems for thermal imaging: an overhead camera that zones onto people’s faces as they enter, and a self-check kiosk where visitors hover their wrist over a scanner for a temperature check. We installed the Cohu HD Costar thermal camera in our offices and integrated it with the Genetec surveillance system. The camera can handle a limited flow of people entering simultaneously and transmit temperature readings. Because it integrates with our IP system, we can program rules and triggers for when someone enters with a high reading. The self-check kiosk is a standalone system, so it is more budget friendly, but it necessitates each visitor to pause and check in. Bear in mind that whichever thermal technology you do opt for, it is not a medical-grade diagnostic tool, they do have a slight margin of error, and they cannot definitively detect occupants infected with COVID-19. Your company continuity policies should include additional layers of screening. Occupancy Detection: Social distancing can only work when there is occupancy control. During recent weekends, while we have been out-and-about doing our errands, we have seen big box stores lined with people, with crowd management enforced by employees holding hand-held radios at entrances and exits. This system is rudimentary, prone to error, and certainly not cost effective. We have installed people counters as part of the Genetec IP surveillance system. The overhead camera uses lidar or virtual line crossings to tally people entering and exiting the location. Since it is a networked system, not only does the unified dashboard give you an accurate occupancy count, but it can be programmed to trigger alerts and actions as occupancy reaches an unsafe threshold. Voice-Activated Technology : Along the same lines as machine learning, in the DES offices, our multimedia engineers have programmed our Crestron system to activate using our smart virtual assistant. A request to Alexa turns on the conferencing mode and adjusts the volume and lighting. Integrating voice commands into repetitive functions, such a light switches or temperature controls, can promote a work culture that cares about safety. Contact Tracing: Should an employee contract COVID-19, the re-entry plan must include a means of containing and mitigating the outbreak. The surest methodology is through contact tracing – mapping out the interactions the infected individual had with others in your organization and informing those people to take action to stop the spread. Our partner, Alertus, has developed a mobile app where users who have tested positive for COVID-19 can anonymously submit their tracked movements from the previous 15 days. Other users are alerted if they crossed paths. While this tracing method is elaborate, it relies on visitors and employees to participate in the app. A more controlled method is through the Genetec IP surveillance system. Their Omnicast platform can be configured with video analytics to isolate the infected individual from the surveillance footage and compile a time lapse reel of that individual’s movements, thereby tracking social interactions. Configuring the Network for Secure & Seamless Connectivity The abrupt rupture to remote operations has highlighted the vulnerabilities in our clients’ networks. Some clients handled the move fairly well while others scrambled to make their servers securely accessible to their offsite employees. Moving forward, organizations have sharply learned that their workforce must be able to work remotely in some capacity. For this to flow productively, we have honed the following solutions: Secure Remote Access via Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Remote Access Points (RAP): Many organizations still house their critical assets on their premise servers. Needless to say, it is crucial to ensure remote access without compromising cybersecurity. VPN is the more streamlined method because it does not involve distributing dedicated equipment, however actually providing RAPs to your employees has the benefit of allowing remote workers to plug in devices that do not support VPN, such as IP phones. Furthermore, an essential component of a cybersecurity strategy will be the software that protects beyond the firewall, such as Forticlient. This safeguards company assets from bad actors infiltrating home-based devices. Rainbow – The Web Meetup That Does More Than Zoom: Virtually overnight, Zoom became the go-to venue for cloud meetings. Yet it has little integrations when it comes to easing productivity. For customers requiring complex functionality, such as the ability to share files during online conferencing, Zoom fell short. We deployed Alcatel Lucent’s Rainbow suite for a Western Pennsylvania university. With Rainbow, the university administration was able to do reliable audio/video calls, instant messaging, and document and screen sharing on a secure, simple-to-use platform. Rainbow is developing a classroom platform with features unique to the educational experience – it should be ready mid-summer. Facing the future, organizations will need to layer a cloud-based collaboration and communication portal to allow for seamless transitions between in-person and remote work. Promoting Communication in a Socially-Distanced World Experiencing meaningful human interactions has been essential for organization continuity. Arguably, the difficulty in creating this connection has been most felt in the education sector. Some schools were able to set up synchronous online learning while others simply did not have the resources. Without connection to their teachers, many students have struggled to adapt to changes this semester. Moving forward, both K-12 and higher education institutions have consulted with us on how to facilitate hybrid classrooms – learning spaces that will serve an online and in-person audience. Multimodal Classrooms: These learning spaces accommodate both onsite and online learning. A room camera livestreams the teacher’s instruction to the online classroom. A Wacom tablet – a personal touch-sensitive networked screen – simultaneously connects to the physical classroom’s display and to the web-based portal. For more sophisticated settings, the room camera can be calibrated to track the teacher’s movements for a more natural teaching experience. We understand that many teachers are not comfortable using IT, so we design the multimedia controls of these hybrid classrooms to be easy to manage. Live Streaming to Multiple Destinations: Whether you require a board meeting with multiple remote stakeholders or a religious service to a parking lot congregation, our multimedia team is deeply experienced in configuring unique streaming solutions. Our solutions are fully customizable and crafted with important features such as embedding modules for audience participation or archiving recorded events for later access. Unified Digital Communication: While not exactly human interaction, a remote workforce thrives on updates and insights. We partner with Industry Weapon, a software platform that manages your digital signage. Their Remote Work tool pushes relevant content from your on-site digital signage to your remote employees’ laptops. The DES Difference: Making Connections with Advanced Technology As technology becomes ever more complex, it is also becoming increasingly more unified. More and more systems are controlled through the network, and API integration between diverse applications is steadily growing. DES is comprised of five business units that span the network. Our ability to connect diverse systems into one integrated solution uniquely positions us to solve the challenges facing businesses today. If you are interested in talking with us about your unique needs, please reach out at sales@descomm.com . Now Read These! Technology "Lives Well" at GNC READ The Futuristic Universe of PoE Lighting READ PoE Lighting Infographic READ

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Differences in Securing Grow Facilities vs. Dispensaries As new threats and challenges emerge, more opportunities evolve for security professionals Nov 21, 2022 The cannabis industry is one of the most challenging and rewarding industries for security technology professionals to serve. Meeting regulatory requirements, and ensuring the security and safety of their people, products, facilities and reputations, all on the budget of a startup business creates both a tremendous challenge and an opportunity for creativity. At present, cannabis is still considered a Schedule 1 Narcotic by the Federal Government under the 1970 Controlled Substance Act. Because of this designation, it makes it near impossible for these companies to receive funding from banks, credit unions and any other financial institution that is Federally insured and regulated. When funding these projects, companies within the cannabis industry are forced to rely heavily on private investors. It is crucial for security technology integrators to find creative, cost-effective ways to meet regulatory requirements, without sacrificing the safety and security of the facilities. In addition to the challenges that the Federal law creates with funding, it also leaves the regulation of this industry up to each individual state. Understanding the expectations of each state’s regulatory body is crucial in creating a successful physical protection system. The cannabis industry desperately needs talented security technology integrators to help them strike the proper balance between compliance, safety, and cost. While funding, regulatory compliance, and the unique threats that this industry faces all create challenges for security professionals, perhaps the biggest challenge is the diversity of the facilities used within this industry. In many instances, you’ll have the opportunity to work with companies that are vertically integrated within the industry, owning both dispensaries, where the products are sold to the public, and cultivation and processing facilities, where the plants are grown, and the products created. Each of these sites carries with them its own unique risks and challenges. Cultivation/Processing Facilities The life cycle of the cannabis industry’s products begins at cultivation/processing facilities. It’s at these sites that the cannabis plants go all the way from seeds to the oils, pills, edibles and vapes that you find in your local dispensary. Most state regulations require the tracking of these plants with RFID technology all the way from seed to sale. That tracking begins here, using barcodes as soon as the seeds are put in the soil. Each state requires 24/7 video surveillance and access control within these sites. Most of these facilities are large-scale indoor agricultural operations covering upwards of 100,000 square feet. The number of endpoints required to secure a space that size under normal circumstances can be massive. However, these facilities offer unique conditions that increase those requirements even further. Many of the grow rooms now utilize vertical vegetation racking systems to maximize the yields they can produce inside the footprint of the facility. Typically, these racks extend from floor to ceiling allowing three to four different levels of shelving for plant cultivation. They are fixed on a track system that allows entire rows to be shifted from side to side to provide cultivators with access to each plant. While this system offers tremendous flexibility and efficiency on the cultivation side, it creates an equally difficult challenge on the surveillance end. In an industry that requires every square inch of the facility to be monitored by surveillance cameras, moving shelves that extend from floor to ceiling makes meeting that regulatory requirement very challenging. A creative solution that many of these facilities are currently using consists of installing a series of fixed dome cameras along the front and rear walls of the grow rooms. As the shelving slides and impedes the view of one of the cameras, the new corridor is covered by the camera that is positioned immediately next to it. Another challenge posed by the plants is that it is difficult to see what individuals working around the plants are doing with their hands. Product diversion by insider threats is quite common in this industry. Even with the substantial number of cameras throughout the facility, the cover that the foliage provides can be used to remove and hide small amounts of product on the employee’s person. Over time these small amounts add up to big losses for the company. One solution that is being evaluated is the use of body-worn cameras. Like the cameras currently used by law enforcement departments across the country, these cameras can be positioned on the employee’s chest allowing everything they are doing with their hands to be monitored and recorded. Video footage can be uploaded to the security system via Wi-Fi. While the size and scope of these facilities can be challenging to secure, they are limited access facilities. This provides security professionals with the benefit of taking an “area security” approach, where the perimeter and entry portals have a much higher level of control. Typically, the grounds are surrounded by fencing and other barriers such as bollards, controlling both vehicle and pedestrian access. Any visitors to the facility are vetted and tracked using electronic visitor management systems. For the most part, only employees, regulatory officials and company vendors will require regular access to these sites. That is not the case for dispensaries that are welcoming customers through their doors every single day. Dispensaries Although dispensaries are much smaller in comparison to cultivation facilities, they offer their own unique challenges. In most states, these facilities are held to the same intense regulatory standards that are present at the grow facilities. However, these sites must maintain a welcoming environment that helps turn individuals that visit their sites into life-long customers. Security measures cannot create a competitive disadvantage for these companies in the marketplace. Consumers want to feel safe when they visit these locations, but they don’t want to feel like they are entering a prison every time they shop. Access to the facilities can be controlled up front using mantraps and video intercoms. This will allow the security staff to identify and vet the individuals before they gain access to the sales floor. From that point on, security technology can be implemented in a way that is both effective and aesthetically pleasing. Cameras can be matched to the color of the ceilings or walls to make them less noticeable. Open floor plans can allow more areas to be covered with fewer devices. Additional precautions must be taken due to the cash-intensive nature of the industry. Because it is well known that these sites accept large amounts of cash every day, they have become frequent targets for robbery. Panic buttons should be hidden throughout the facility, including the front desk, sales floor and back-office spaces. In the event of an armed robbery, the authorities can be quietly notified using this technology. When it comes to dispensary security, it is crucial for integrators to be heavily involved during the design phase. Collaborating with the architect, integrators can identify creative ways to blend the security equipment into the architect’s vision for the space. Partnering with architects that work in this industry can give security integrators the opportunity to get in on these projects from the very beginning and establish more credibility with these companies. Cybersecurity is another element that needs to be considered, especially for medical cannabis facilities. These sites regularly transmit sensitive patient information over their networks. If a bad actor can exploit a vulnerability within that network to gain access to this sensitive data it can create a tremendous financial liability for the company, not to mention potentially compromise its reputation and brand. Each site should have measures in place to secure its network against phishing, ransomware and cyberextortion attacks. In addition, it is vital to provide regular cybersecurity training to company employees so they can identify attacks before they infect the network. As the cannabis industry rapidly expands across the United States, new threats and challenges will inevitably emerge. This will create a tremendous opportunity for security professionals to serve this market. Helping guide them through the creation of a culture of security will allow their companies and the industry to safely continue its upward trajectory for many years to come. Article first published in Security Info Watch Author’s Bio: Ron Stein leads customer engagements for Dagostino Electronic Services, Inc. in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He specializes in industries and organizations that must meet high standards and regulatory compliance regarding physical and cyber security systems, including Medical Cannabis and Critical Infrastructure. He has worked with cannabis companies for six years, helping them to understand and meet regulatory requirements, and succeed with technology. Now Read These! New PCCD Grant Update: $100,000 Instant Funding for School Safety READ PCCD Grant Deadline: Plan for School Emergency Alerts Ahead of Alyssa’s Law READ Alyssa's Law: Strengthening Emergency Response in Pennsylvania Schools READ

Air-blown fiber vs. conventional cabling What's the real difference between air-blown fiber and conventional cabling? Dec 9, 2013 PITTSBURGH — One of the most innovative network infrastructure solutions of the past decade has been air-blown fiber cabling. ​ “We place a tubing conduit system throughout the facility much like a plumbing system and then blow or launch the required fiber through those tubes,” DES President Bob Dagostino explained. “This technique gives customers a future-proofed and bandwidth-proofed topology as long as the building stands. This approach offers the best return on investment for the end user, especially when access into ceilings, floors and walls may be more difficult. It gives excellent reliability in the case of renovations, repair or restoration.” ​ Our business partner and manufacturer of air-blown fiber, Sumitomo Electric , breaks down the difference air-blown fiber and conventional cabling. ​ Scalability & Network MACs ​ Air-Blown Fiber Keeps exact pace of emerging technology Blow out fiber and reuse anywhere in your network At speeds of up to 150 feet per minute, install any fiber type anytime and anywhere for easy and quick upgrades in a matter of minutes or hours ​ Conventional Cabling Requires installation of additional cable, often taking weeks or months to plan and install Once dark fiber is laid, it is not reusable… wasting investment dollars Upgrades reported to take up to “12 times longer and 10 times the cost” of the air-blown fiber solution ​ Capacity Control & Allocation ​ Air-Blown Fiber Minimizes the use of conduit space and provides virtually unlimited pathway, fiber, and bandwidth capacity Tube cables provide simple demarcation of network components, destinations, and ownership ​ Conventional Cabling Consumes conduit space, limiting network expansion, fiber count, and potential capacity Difficult to define and allocate capacity ownership for current and future applications ​ Planning & Budgeting ​ Air-Blown Fiber Eliminates forecasting future technology requirements Saves 70-90% of time and labor costs Fast and easy installation reduces planning time, increases responsiveness with quick project turnarounds, and controls recurring costs for positive ROI ​ Conventional Cabling Requires guessing future network growth and other unpredictable variables Extensive project planning slows turnaround, especially for emergencies and network restoration. High installation costs increase recurring costs, inhibiting ROI ​ Work Environments & Operations ​ Air-Blown Fiber Blowing fiber results in no work site disruption and reduces or eliminates network downtime Air-blown fiber can be “blown” easily anywhere at any time, including restricted access areas ​ Conventional Cabling Pulling of cables requires construction work and installation crews disrupting the work environment and network operations Difficulties, disruption, and additional expense when installing in restricted access or hazardous areas ​ Network Integrity ​ Air-Blown Fiber Continuous point-to-point, splice-free connectivity between and within buildings reduces attenuation for better transmission and signal integrity ​ Conventional Cabling Necessitates splicing and connection at various points between and within buildings, adding further labor costs, increasing attenuation, and points of failure ​ Time & Labor Savings Air-Blown Fiber 3,000 feet of fiber can be blown in 30 minutes with only 2 installers ​ Conventional Cabling It typically takes one-8 hour day with a minimum of 4 skilled installers to pull 3,000 feet of fiber optic cable Now Read These! Copper vs. Fiber: The Battle of Quick Performance vs. Futureproof Infrastructure READ A Sweeping Security Transformation for Bellwood-Antis School District READ 8 benefits of fiber optic vs. copper cabling READ

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Simulation Inspires Nursing Excellence at Saint Vincent College Hands-on technology provides real-life sim scenes for student nurses. Jul 9, 2021 “How are you, Mrs. Hernandez?” The nurse enters the patient room and encounters an elderly woman laying on a bed, coughing and struggling to breathe. Her vitals are erratic. She moans and wheezes. Swiftly, the nurse lifts Mrs. Hernandez to an upright position and applies oxygen – and the monitor displaying Mrs. Hernandez’s vitals revert to a regular pace. Ten minutes later, the scene repeats itself, yet this time with a new nurse. She fumbles with the nasal cannula on the first take and succeeds on the second. Ten minutes later, the scene repeats itself again. Same scenario, new nurse. At this point, we will reveal to you that Mrs. Hernandez is not comprised of skin and bones but is a manikin – a full body patient simulator. Her wheezes and complaints do not stem from her larynx but from an integrated audio synthesizer controlled by a simulation instructor. The setting is not within a hospital but in the nursing wing of the Dupré Science Pavilion at Saint Vincent College. Simulation labs are an excellent example of complex multimedia integrations handled by the DES multimedia team. The nursing sim lab at Saint Vincent College is built along four unique data video streams with combined audio that transmit inputs from the simulation room to a control room. An instructor sitting in the control room can watch the action through multiple live camera views; listen to the conversation; participate in the dialogue; control the manikin; adjust patient vitals; and flag footage for further review. “The key to simulation technology is collecting and displaying the metrics that are critical to the learning experience,” explained Bob Greenhow, DES multimedia systems engineer. “As an example, is hand hygiene critical to nursing care? Of course. That’s why we have a camera view over the washing station streaming the footage through that angle.” In total, over a dozen metrics are collected from the data streams to the instructor’s customized dashboard. DES installed the capture stations that converge the metadata into specialized simulation software. Augmenting the simulation lab and the control room, is a technologically-enhanced debriefing room. Here, the instructor shares the simulation footage with the student cohort, and they can analyze where they excelled and how they can improve. An overhead projector and a commercial-grade audio system makes viewing and collaboration easy. “In today’s scenario, the students had to collect the subjective data – that is the patient’s anecdotal experience – and connect that with the objective data they see on the patient monitor,” observed Carla Tomas, coordinator of the joint Sant Vincent College-Carlow University nursing program. “On my end, it took a couple clicks here and there to make these things happen.” We are pleased to report that Mrs. Hernandez resolved to adopt a healthier lifestyle and will be discharged from hospital shortly. _____________ The DES Multimedia department is comprised of seasoned audiovisual engineers and programmers who can design. build and install the most complex multimedia solutions. Whether it is designing the audiovisual components for a conference room, engineering the streaming requirements for a crisis command center, calibrating venue sound or unifying digital signage, the DES difference lies in the deep understanding of your project and in the ability to tailor solutions that scale with your needs. Watch the Saint Vincent Sim Lab case study . Learn about simulation lab solution design . Discover more multimedia projects . Simulation Lab Carefully Positioned Cameras Control Room Microphone and Control Dashboard Debriefing Room Playback Monitor Now Read These! Hear the Difference: Transform Your Hybrid Meetings READ Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) Eliminates Cellular Dead Zones READ DES Audiovisual Enlivens Duquesne’s New School of Osteopathic Medicine READ

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Dagostino Electronic Services engineer Doyle Hawk retiring after 3 decades Dagostino Electronic Services System Engineer Doyle Hawk is retiring after more than 30 years in telecommunications. Nov 7, 2017 PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh native and longtime Dagostino Electronic Services System Engineer Doyle Hawk ends his successful three-decade career this month. Hawk, the youngest of three children, grew up on Pittsburgh’s east side. He attended Edinboro University and later the University of Pittsburgh. He is retiring to travel and spend more time with family, including his six nieces and nephews and eight great-nieces and nephews. Hawk began his career in telecommunications in 1986 working in the warehouse at the now-defunct Nortel. Doyle Hawk was featured on the cover of Northern Telcom’s Universe magazine in June 1988. Northern Telcom became Nortel in the mid-1990s. After just eight short months, he moved into a system design, programming and training role for Nortel, a role that he would continue on and off for the better part of his 30-year career. In the early 1990s, Hawk took a position at Bell Atlantic as a manager of the mail and distribution facility in Monroeville but it wasn’t his passion and after a year, he returned to a design, programming and training role for Bell Atlantic Meriden Systems. For a time, Hawk worked as a major project implementer at Bell Atlantic, installing digital Centrex solutions at companies such as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, before settling into a design and programming role at Williams Communications which later became NextiraOne. Hawk began working at Dagostino Electronic Services in 2004 but his first stint with the company only lasted a year. “I left just to better where I was at,” he recalled. “It was strictly monetary.” Before returning to DES in 2009, Hawk worked as a telecom leader at UPMC’s Passavant Hospital and Cranberry Hospital and then spent about a year at Ronco Communications installing solutions at three new VA hospitals. When the time came, the decision to return to DES was an easy one. “I came back [to Dagostino] because of the family feeling,” he said, adding, “People is my biggest part about being here.” Looking back on his career, Hawk’s proudest accomplishment was learning the Alcatel system once hired at DES. At the time, he had only worked with Nortel systems. “My first day [at DES] I was sent to Slippery Rock University to install their phone system and I had no idea how to install this phone system. But we got it in installed and [DES Director of Operations] Bob Weiss didn’t wring my neck,” he joked. Hawk quickly became a vital asset at DES. He would meet with customers to determine how their current communication system worked, program their new system so they could take advantage of the latest technology and then provide training and support. “His role was very intricate in the acceptance of these new systems by our customers,” DES Vice President Chuck Roberts explained. “Without him, user acceptance would’ve been [poor], they would’ve been frustrated with the technology and our customers would not have had the same connection with the system.” With his great successes, also came some heartache. “The hardest thing I faced was in ’92 when I was let go,” Hawk said. “That was one of the hardest things for me because when you put your heart into what you’re doing you don’t think [you’re going to lose your job.]” The evolution of the industry throughout his career is one that continues to impress him. “The industry sure has evolved back from when it was tip and ring and everything was punched down and you had a punch tool and you had to fill a wall with wires,” he recalled. “To think that you can have one jack on that wall now and come out into your phone and into your PC and everything works and if you don’t have that you have the wireless… it wasn’t like that back in the 80s and 90s.” DES has evolved as well. “To think that this company, that really started out as a cabling company, and then did phones [is now doing] security, video…. It’s a one-stop-shop and it’s pretty neat seeing that,” he said. Hawk’s last day is November 10. “He will definitely be missed,” said Roberts. “[The role] he served here at Dagostino and his legacy will be remembered for many years to come.” Congratulations, Doyle! We wish you all the best in your newfound retirement! Now Read These! Building Hope in Haiti: Bob Weiss on Faith, Partnership and Kindness READ Jane Cushion Reflects on Multimedia, Motherhood and Women in Tech READ From the White House to DES READ

DES gives back to the local community DES employees volunteered across the city this weekend to give back to the community. May 29, 2019 Employees at DES had a busy weekend serving the community! Employees volunteered with the Light of Life organization on Saturday, May 25th and helped with the early morning setup activities for the 17th Annual Tunch and Wolf’s Walk for the Homeless. Light of Life raised over $115,000 at the event at Heinz Field to help their mission of caring for the poor and homeless. DES also worked with the 31st Ward Community Action Group. President Bob Dagostino and Director of Operations Bob Weiss hung flags along Mifflin Road outside of the DES office building. DES carefully stores and maintains the flags throughout the year and uses the DES bucket truck to place them. The flags will stay up from Memorial Day until the Fourth of July holiday. DES hangs flags in Pittsburgh 31st ward DES Participates in Walk for the Homeless DES Volunteers Now Read These! Designing for Technology Seminar at Heinz Field READ How About a Career in STEM? DES High School Booth Goes Virtual READ Des Tronic is Thankful for Public Wi-Fi and Hacker Babies! READ