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A Critical Tool for Monitoring and Managing Security Events (SIEM) Event Management SCHEDULE A DEMO A Critical Tool for Monitoring and Managing Security Events Fine-tune event thresholds SIEM systems generate a vast number of alerts, which can be overwhelming for security teams. It is crucial to fine-tune event thresholds to ensure that only relevant events trigger alerts. This can be achieved by setting rules to filter out noise and false positives. For example, if an organization knows that a certain type of traffic is normal for their network, they can set the threshold for that traffic higher to reduce the number of alerts generated. Automate response actions Automating response actions can help save time and reduce the burden on security teams. This can be done by setting up automatic responses to specific events, such as blocking traffic or isolating compromised systems. Automated response actions can be triggered by predefined rules or can be configured to respond to specific events that meet certain criteria. FREE Cyber Threat Assessment! Secure network architectures need to constantly evolve to keep up with the latest advanced persistent threats. There are two ways to find out if your solution isn't keeping up - wait for a breach to happen or run validation tests. Our threat assessment is: Quick: Less than 7 days of monitoring Easy: No interruption to your infrastructure Comprehensive: Security, Productivity and Performance No Cost Contact us to schedule! GET IN TOUCH! SUBMIT! Thanks for your interest! We will be in touch with you shortly CTA

See how the newest possibilities in video analytics can cut down footage review to a matter of minutes. Crack the Case: Find the Drug House See how the newest possibilities in video analytics can cut down footage review to a matter of minutes. Jul 19, 2022 In this demo video, law enforcement had intel of drug activity on a particular street - but they could not prove enough probable cause to secure a search warrant. They set up a surveillance camera and gathered 12 hours of footage. Using Briefcam analytics, they instantly removed the vehicles, isolated the foot traffic, and converted that to a heat map. With all pointers leading to a specific house, they could zone in on occurances around that location and identify activity that closely correlated with drug trafficking. This was enough to secure a warrant. Now Read These! AI Network Monitoring: Smarter Solutions for Complex Networks READ 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

Eckert Seaman's redesigned conference space is complete with a large Video Wall and electronically recessed Flat-panel displays, microphones and cameras. A look at Eckert Seamans' newly redesigned boardroom Eckert Seaman's redesigned conference space is complete with a large Video Wall and electronically recessed Flat-panel displays, microphones and cameras. Sep 7, 2017 PITTSBURGH — Walking into Eckert Seamans ‘ newly remodeled boardroom at their downtown Pittsburgh office it’s hard to miss the large Video Wall. The large Video Wall in Eckert Seamans’ redesigned boardroom at their downtown Pittsburgh office. The Video Wall, made up of nine smaller monitors, is without a doubt the focal point of the room but the space offers so much more. Eckert Seamans adopted the use of videoconference technology more than a decade ago and the functionality of the space allows them to effectively communicate with their 10 office locations in other parts of the country. “We have this conference room designated for partnership meetings,” Sandy Mikita, information technology project manager at Eckert Seamans, explained. “We also use it for staff meetings and we can connect clients from outside the office to the room.” Complimenting the Video Wall are three large Flat-panel displays that are electronically recessed in the ceiling. When needed, the TVs lower and pivot for optimum viewing at the touch of a button on the room’s easy-to-use Touch Panel Control System. A fourth, larger Flat-panel display is located on the wall adjacent to the Video Wall. Throughout the room are microphones also recessed in the ceiling. The microphones lower when the application is appropriate to provide consistent audio coverage, regardless of furniture configuration. Two high-definition cameras round out the video capabilities of the space. One camera is positioned directly under the Video Wall and the second lowers from the ceiling in the center of the room. Users can easily alternate between the two based on required viewing angles using the Touch Panel Control System. The Eckert Seamans conference space can be divided into two small rooms via a sliding partition wall. Whether it’s a large, all-staff meeting or small videoconference, Eckert Seamans can accommodate and the technology follows suit. The main Touch Panel controls both rooms when they are combined into one space. A second Touch Panel controls the second, smaller room when in divided mode. The deployed technology was designed to not only be effective but to not put a drain on staff resources to support. “It doesn’t take a lot of time for our staff to support the rooms,” Mikita said. “It’s very easy for us to set up and connect our other office locations.” In addition to designing and installing the technology in the space, Dagostino Electronic Services provides ongoing support to Eckert Seamans. BYOD at Eckert Seamans Conference Room Concealed Multimedia at Eckert Seamans Conference Room Video Wall in Eckert Seamans Conference Room Digital Signage in Eckert Seamans Conference Room Overhead Speakers in Eckert Seamans Conference Room Concealed Multimedia at Eckert Seamans Conference Room Eckert Seamans Conference Room Now Read These!

90% of cyberattacks originate from email. Protect yourself and your data. Email & Email Protection SCHEDULE A DEMO 90% of cyberattacks originate from email. Protect yourself and your data. Microsoft 365 Outlook Exchange: business-class email and calendaring. Exchange helps you collaborate on your critical documents and gives you a focused inbox that prioritizes important messages and adapts to your work style, so you can get more done–faster. Get access to a more personalized inbox with helpful features and a smarter, more organized way to view and interact with email. Don’t leave any gaps in your email protection. To achieve effective email protection, a comprehensive approach involving multiple layers of defense is crucial. We deploy email gateways to filter specific types of emails from accessing the mail server, as well as tools to detect compromised internal email accounts. Employees are your first line of vulnerability and your first line of defence! We can assist you with employee training modules. Keep email communication private and secure. Loss of sensitive data can lead to regulatory fines and reputational damage. Create and enforce content policies to prevent sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, HIPAA data, customer lists, and other private information from being sent via email without additional security. Easily create policies to automatically encrypt emails based on the sender, recipient, keywords, domain, and many other criteria. GET IN TOUCH! SUBMIT! Thanks for your interest! We will be in touch with you shortly CTA

The Red Carpet Awards Season for 2016 has wrapped and Dagostino Electronic Services has picked up a few awards of our own. DES awarded best partner, building excellence awards in 2016 The Red Carpet Awards Season for 2016 has wrapped and Dagostino Electronic Services has picked up a few awards of our own. Mar 4, 2016 PITTSBURGH — The Red Carpet Awards Season for 2016 has wrapped and Dagostino Electronic Services has picked up a few awards of our own. Alcatel-Lucent Enterprises presented DES two prestigious awards at their 2016 Partner Day. We are honored to be selected for the fourth year as the Customer Satisfaction Partner of the Year. The Customer Satisfaction award is presented to the partner that delivers the highest level of customer service for both installation and post-support of telephony and network infrastructure. DES President Bob Dagostino and Vice President Chuck Roberts accept the 2015 Customer Satisfaction Partner of the Year Award. The second award that ALE presented was a joint award to DES and Magothy Technology for the 2015 Project of the Year for our project with Morgan State University. This project combines voice, data, and wireless solutions that offer feature rich content, reliability and simple friendly user interfaces with an unprecedented level of wireless connectivity, control and security. Our other awards come from the MBA Building Excellence Awards. These awards are the highest and most sought-after commercial construction industry awards in Western Pennsylvania. Winning projects are presented a crystal award to symbolize the ever-lasting relationship of the entire construction team. We had the honor to be on two winning teams this year for the Best New Project over $25 million – Industrial Scientific’s new headquarters and Best Renovation Project over $10 Million – Heinz Field South End Zone Expansion. Both of these projects required high levels of teamwork and effort by everyone involved. We couldn’t have won these awards without our committed employees, partners, and most importantly our wonderful customers. Thank you for letting us help you get connected and stay connected to the latest technology. Now Read These! AI Network Monitoring: Smarter Solutions for Complex Networks READ Juniper Networks & HPE Aruba Merger: Reshaping the Landscape of AI-Driven Networks READ FRIDAY15: AI-Driven Location Services with Juniper Networks READ

Three commercial real estate buildings located in downtown Pittsburgh required a unified surveillance solution. DES Secures Surveillance at McKnight Properties in the Heart of Downtown Pittsburgh Three commercial real estate buildings located in downtown Pittsburgh required a unified surveillance solution. Mar 19, 2020 The Oliver Building, Heinz 57 and the Smithfield Building, located in downtown Pittsburgh, are three expansive commercial real estate properties owned by McKnight Realty Partners. The buildings are home to multiple first-class tenants who span retail, hospitality, healthcare, professional services and higher education. UPMC, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Robert Morris University and the Embassy Suites are a few of their tenant roster. Brooke Brown is senior property manager for these buildings. She ensures that the facilities run smoothly and understands that security is paramount to the tenants’ experience. Over time, she detected a consistent vulnerability in the buildings’ security fabric. The Oliver Building had an unmanned and manual freight entrance that was in constant use. Delivery drivers would buzz on an intercom which would alert the security officer located at the front entrance to the building. The officer would then leave his post to operate the freight door, causing that front entrance to be exposed to any drifters coming off the streets. Understandably, an unmanned security desk in the building’s front lobby was not reassuring for tenants and presented a legitimate safety matter. Another concern was the quality of perimeter surveillance on the Heinz 57 and the Smithfield Buildings. The buildings used analog surveillance cameras that did not provide sharp imagery. Aside for the obvious hinderance, by being prominent downtown buildings, local law enforcement would approach Brooke with requests to survey their footage of the surrounding streets. But the footage was of such poor quality, it was impossible to make out facial recognition. “I wanted to create a safer community for our tenants,” explained Brooke, “Our first line of defense is security.” DES installed an HID EntryProx keypad that is networked from the freight door of the Oliver Building to the security desk situated in the front lobby. Authorized delivery people can punch in an access code and monitor their own deliveries. Meanwhile, the security officer can view and communicate with delivery agents directly from his desk and operate the freight door remotely. Mapping out the downtown intersection, DES wired four globe cameras on the exterior of the Heinz 57 and Smithfield Buildings. Each camera, manufactured by our partner Axis, is equipped with multi sensors that provide a 360° vision including beneath the camera itself. Using Genetec software, the cameras are networked to a unified command center and provides multiple angles that can be viewed simultaneously on a dedicated screen. A single security officer can monitor the full perimeter of these two block-length buildings. “I can see everything!” Brooke exclaimed, “I can see what lipstick they’re wearing. I can zoom in and see exactly what is happening around our building.” Brooke describes her experience with DES as “connection” – a relationship that seeks the best solutions and mutual satisfaction. “I could speak in my property management layman terms,” she explained, “I could say, ‘I don’t know what I want, but give me this’ and they were able to provide a solution.” As a busy property manager, Brooke works with multiple contractors and juggles countless jobs. When working with DES, Brooke felt no pressure to proactively manage her contract—instead, she received regular updates about the progress of the work. Once the project was over, DES approached Brooke for feedback wanting to know if the equipment was operating as it should. Brooke described how her security personnel encountered an end-user error while operating the new dashboard, and a DES technician arrived on scene within a day to provide client support. Would Brooke recommend DES to others? “Absolutely!” DES’ four business units – structured cabling, security, networks and cybersecurity, multimedia and AV – make us a robust partner in equipping commercial real estate with advanced technology. Call us today to consult with an account specialist about your needs. Surveillance Dashboard The unified security platform displays multiple views from the IP networked surveillance cameras. Panoramic Surveillance Cameras Four panoramic security cameras, across both the Heinz 57 and Smithfield Buildings, provide clear views down this busy intersection. Brooke Brown Brooke Brown, Property manager at Mcknight Realty partners, talks with DES Security Cameras A close up of 3 out of 4 panoramic security cameras. Digital Signage Digital signage in the Heinz 57 building displays the tenant directory. 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

DES Service and Support Manager, Larry Squires, travels annually to Lee and Owsley Counties to build houses—and he keeps going back. Powering New Houses for Kentucky’s Poorest DES Service and Support Manager, Larry Squires, travels annually to Lee and Owsley Counties to build houses—and he keeps going back. Aug 17, 2021 Jake* is a single dad. His wife died, and he looks after their two children. Living with him in his mom’s one-bedroom home are his sister’s three children. They’ve been orphaned, too. That’s five children under one small roof. Elsewhere in Boonesville, KY, is Shelly. Her home has just burned down. She salvaged some plastic bags filled with clothes. She sits on a sidewalk stoop with her two-year old daughter in absolute despair, with no recourse and no options. The Johnsons, a family of four, own a home—if you’d call it that. The windows are boarded up and the roof is rotted. When it rains, water drips down the walls and puddles on the floor. Travis, the nine-year-old, must shake off snakes from his clothing before heading off to school. While the individual names have been changed, these events are the reality for residents in Lee and Owsley Counties, Kentucky, one of the poorest regions in rural Appalachia. Sparsely populated at 4,400 people, it is desperately impoverished. The median income is less than $20,000 annually and over half of the county’s children live below federal poverty line. DES Service and Support Manager, Larry Squires, travels annually to Lee and Owsley Counties to build houses—and he keeps going back. It’s a place where he literally gives these men, women and children, a dry roof and four safe walls. Throughout the year, folks at the St. Catherine Labouré Parish in South Park and St. Thomas the Apostle in the Steel Valley Area, and the Pittsburgh area sell calendar tickets, hold monthly raffles, and host special events to fundraise for the annual mission of the Appalachia Work Camp, Inc. As July draws near, the group kicks into gear, filling three box trucks with power tools, plumbing supplies, windows, doors, electrical breakers, nails and screws, tents and gear, school supplies, children’s clothing, and household items. This year, the convoy tallied over 100 people with diverse backgrounds – DIY aficionados, career engineers, builders, plumbers, electricians, and simply high school and college students ready to lend a helping hand. Larry is a helper assigned to the electric crew. Volunteers set up camp at Appalachia Work Camp’s 18-acre home base near Booneville, KY, and prepare for 7 to 10 days of work, depending on available vacation time. On the first Friday and Saturday, they dig holes for foundation posts and build the supporting decks for two or three homes. On Sunday, volunteers divide into crews: the waterline crew digs the water line; the electrical crew mounts the breaker panel and service entrance; the plumbing crew pulls in the exterior pipes. By Monday, exterior walls are raised, and on Tuesday and Wednesday interior walls are completed, the roof is on, and wiring and plumbing is roughed in. By Thursday or Friday, the dry wall is completed, windows and doors are installed, and wiring and plumbing is finished. By late Friday afternoon, two or three freshly built, 875-square foot houses are ready to welcome their new residents. All the while, the crew works without cellphone coverage, relying on brass-tacks communication methods of megaphones and daily pow-wows for project management and coordination. “There’s a feeling of real camaraderie,” Larry explains, “We’ve developed many lifelong friendships.” The week culminates with a key ceremony and a prayer blanket for the families starting their new lives. Larry is pragmatic about the impact of his labor. “It’s darn difficult to break out of dire poverty. Some families succeed – and it’s gratifying to see that. Some don’t. But those kids never chose to be born into that. The little part I can do is to give those kids a warm place to sleep.” *Names changed to protect privacy. All anecdotes are based on real events. To learn more about the Appalachia Work Camp visit https://sclpgh.org/appalachia-work-camp You can make a difference! Please contact Larry if you would like to donate. Raising the Walls of a New Home Adding Beams Securing the Roof Larry Working with the Breaker Panel Windows and Doors are In! Larry stands on the lower right A Prayer Quilt at a Housewarming Celebration Appalachia Camp Volunteers Larry Squires at his DES Office Now Read These! Building Strategies: How to Combine Sustainability & Technology to Reduce Facility Overheads READ "I Turned My Height Into Data!" READ We're All in the Same Boat! READ

Know your vulnerabilities. Get a free cybersecurity threat asessment. The comprehensive report details security risks, network utilization and performance. There are two ways to find out if your cybersecurity solution is failing you— wait for a cyber breach or run a diagnostic assessment. Our free threat report identifies malware and botnets currently active on your network and also gives you a full rundown of bandwidth utilization along with risky devices and unsafe applications. Know Your Vulnerabilities See What Threats Are Currently On Your Network SCHEDULE A FREE THREAT REPORT Our Cyber Threat Diagnostic is: Quick: Less than 7 days of monitoring. Easy: No interruption to your infrastructure. Comprehensive: Covers security, productivity and performance. Free: No cost and no obligation to purchase cybersecurity solutions. VIEW A SAMPLE REPORT SCHEDULE A FREE CYBERSECURITY DIAGNOSTIC SUBMIT! Thanks for your interest! We will be in touch with you shortly

Implementing Alyssa's Law in Pennsylvania would significantly enhance the safety and security of students and staff. Know what to expect. Alyssa's Law: Strengthening Emergency Response in Pennsylvania Schools Implementing Alyssa's Law in Pennsylvania would significantly enhance the safety and security of students and staff. Know what to expect. Jul 9, 2024 Alyssa's Law, named in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student who tragically lost her life in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, aims to enhance school safety by mandating the implementation of silent panic alarms that directly link to law enforcement. Alyssa’s Law has already been enacted in six other states, including New York and New Jersey, and is now working its way through the Pennsylvania Legislature. The rationale behind Alyssa’s Law is that Time Equals Life . When a life-threatening emergency occurs on a school campus, law enforcement response time literally saves lives. Alyssa’s Act , which has already passed through Congress, calls for the installation of silent panic alarms that are directly linked to law enforcement, so in case of any emergency they will get on the scene as quickly as possible, take down a threat and triage any victims. Current State of Alyssa's Law in Pennsylvania On May 13, 2024, a bipartisan group of Pennsylvania state senators introduced Alyssa’s Law to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. You can read their statements here . The bill requires all public schools to be equipped with silent panic alarms that directly notify law enforcement in the event of a school-based emergency. The bill also mandates regular training and drills to ensure staff and students are familiar with the panic button systems, minimizing panic and confusion during actual emergencies and ensuring a coordinated response. Current School Safety Measures and Their Limitations Schools typically employ a range of safety measures, including security cameras, controlled access points, school resource officers, and lockdown drills. These measures, while crucial, have limitations. Security cameras provide surveillance but not immediate assistance. Controlled access points restrict entry but are ineffective if an intruder is already inside. School resource officers can't be everywhere at once, and lockdown drills do not involve law enforcement in real-time emergencies. Alyssa's Law Requirements : Alyssa's Law addresses these gaps by requiring the installation of silent panic alarm systems in schools. These systems can be activated via a mobile app, desktop application, or strategically placed physical buttons, providing immediate notification to law enforcement. The integration of panic button systems with other security technologies, such as video surveillance and communication systems, enhances real-time information sharing with first responders, aiding efficient decision-making during critical situations. Compliance and Impact on Pennsylvania Schools Compliance with Alyssa's Law would require Pennsylvania schools to allocate resources for the installation and maintenance of panic button systems. State and federal funding may be available to support these efforts, alleviating the financial burden on individual schools and districts. Implementing Alyssa's Law in Pennsylvania would significantly enhance the safety and security of students and staff. Panic button systems ensure that help is just a button press away, potentially reducing response times and mitigating the impact of emergencies. Telecor’s eSeries Public Address and Intercom Solution As we’ve been studying Alyssa’s Law and our solution portfolio, we like Telecor’s eSeries product set. Many schools already use Telecor for public address, such as bells, clocks and paging; adding panic alarms to that same notification network is typically an expedient upgrade. The software includes real-time map-based reporting, so you can see immediately which classrooms have triggered the panic button, which classrooms have marked themselves as safe, and which have signaled that they have evacuated. Telecor integrates nicely with the Genetec security platform too, so law enforcement can instantly gain that same visibility. School Safety is Our #1 Priority We welcome Alyssa’s Law because steadfast communication is the foundation for swift and coordinated response. We will be closely monitoring the development of Alyssa’s Law. If you have any questions about the compatibility of your current public address and intercom solutions, please contact us for a consultation. We have no greater passion than making our children’s schools as safe as we possibly can. 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 Genetec Unifies Security at Central Valley School District READ

Dagostino Electronic Services installed security, voice, audio and video technologies for Maitri Medicinals' new medical marijuana dispensary. DES customer Maitri Medicinals opens medical marijuana dispensary in Uniontown Dagostino Electronic Services installed security, voice, audio and video technologies for Maitri Medicinals' new medical marijuana dispensary. Aug 28, 2018 UNIONTOWN, Pa. — Dagostino Electronic Services customer Maitri Medicinals ‘ first medical marijuana dispensary is now open in Uniontown. The 7,500-square-foot dispensary, located on West Main Street, is the first in Fayette County. DES designed and installed the dispensary’s security system in accordance with strict guidelines set forth by the state of Pennsylvania. Maitri also partnered with DES for a new Fortinet FortiVoice phone system , Fortinet firewall, data switches and wireless system, an audio system and multimedia technologies throughout the space. The state-of-the-art security system includes strategically placed exterior and interior Axis cameras, access control on nearly every door, electronic visitor management and intrusion detection, all of which is monitored and managed with Genetec ’s easy-to-use unified security platform Security Center . During business hours, a security guard will be stationed at the dispensary’s front door and only patients with state-issued medical ID cards will be allowed into the waiting room. Beyond the waiting room, behind a set of locked double doors, is the sales area where patients will discuss treatment options with trained pharmacists and other personnel. The medical marijuana is stored in another secured room behind the sales room. Maitri Medicinals was founded by Corinne Ogrodnik and Joseph Vesely in 2016 and was granted approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in June 2017 to open up to three medical marijuana dispensaries. Maitri’s second dispensary will be in located in Pittsburgh. DES will install various technologies in the space, including the security system, and work on the project has already begun. Maitri is also planning to open a medical marijuana grow facility in the Pittsburgh area in the coming months. Medical marijuana is available to Pennsylvanians diagnosed with one of 21 qualifying medical conditions listed on the health department’s website, medicalmarijuana.pa.gov . Patients must apply for a state-issued medical marijuana ID card. Learn more about the program at medicalmarijuana.pa.gov . Maitri Medicinals.jpg Maitri Medicinals-2.jpg Maitri Medicinals-3.jpg Maitri Medicinals - Digital Signage.jpg Maitri Medicinals - Digital Signage 2.jp Maitri Medicinals - Surveillance Cameras Maitri Medicinals - Phone System.jpg Maitri Medicinals - Access Control 2.jpg Maitri Medicinals - Access Control.jpg Now Read These! WATCH: Power-Up Webinar for Fortinet Fortigate READ Hear the Difference: Transform Your Hybrid Meetings READ FCC Launches Cybersecurity Pilot for K-12: What You Need to Know READ

DES leads Technology Innovation in Pittsburgh with Showcase Partnership in EIC Innovation Hall. DES to be Founding Member of EIC Innovation Hall DES leads Technology Innovation in Pittsburgh with Showcase Partnership in EIC Innovation Hall. Jan 6, 2020 DES has joined Covestro and Peoples as Founding Members of The Innovation Hall, housed in Pittsburgh’s Energy Innovation Center. The Innovation Hall is geared to become a dynamic event and exhibit space showcasing next-generation technology from the region’s leading drivers in energy sustainability. Described as “A Living Laboratory,” the Energy Innovation Center is a magnificent testament to the powerful possibilities of green adaptive reuse. Formally the site of the Connelley Trade School, the pioneering vocational institution trained multiple generations of students into the industrial workforce. After the decline of the rustbelt economy, the building shuttered its doors in 2003 and lay in disrepair for a decade, until its purchase and revitalization by the Pittsburgh Gateway Corporation. With a deliberate focus to promote entrepreneurship and energy-sector research, the nonprofit assembled the city’s cutting-edge businesses and universities to create the building of the future. Boasting a sustainable infrastructure, including locally sourced building materials, onsite energy generation and strict clean air standards, the Energy Innovation Center was granted the distinguished LEED Platinum award in 2017. Now, the EIC wants the building’s interior spaces to reflect the novelty of the building itself. The Innovation Hall, a two-level, multiuse space in the heart of the building, will be designed in tandem with the Founding Members to feature emerging technology in real-life action. Bob Dagostino, president of DES, is thrilled at the opportunity. “Front-row access to a building with this level of commitment to energy innovation will give us a virtual sandbox, so to speak, to demonstrate how the newest communication technology will interact with our lives.” DES, a Mid-Atlantic leader for integrated communication solutions, is researching ways to use lighting fixtures beyond illumination. Visible light communication (VLC) is a new-wave communication variant that uses the light itself to embed advanced data, creating a networked grid that is fully responsive to its environment. Visitors to the Innovation Hall would be able to communicate via this innovative medium. “As a Founding Member,” Dagostino added, ”I want visitors to the site to actively imagine the possibilities of the next technology revolution.” With DES’s proven expertise in multimedia, security and network infrastructure, including configuring artificial intelligence applications for clients in government, education, healthcare and enterprise business sectors, the company’s partnership will introduce a wealth of world-class vendors into the space. Promethean, Fortinet, Alcatel-Lucent, Genetec and Barracuda are just several of DES’s solution partners. “Exciting is an understatement,” remarked Robert Meeder, Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation CEO & President, “Within the span of our first meeting with the Dagostino team, we were convinced that this company’s experience, leadership and vision fit ‘hand and glove’ with the Innovation Hall’s goal to represent the best of our region’s global innovators.” 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

Dagostino Electronic Services deployed 5G ultra-wideband in Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium 5G Scores in the Steel City Dagostino Electronic Services deployed 5G ultra-wideband in Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium Jun 24, 2024 Originally printed in Electrical Contractor, Summer 2024 . Since opening its doors in 2001, Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium has been the beloved home of the NFL’s Steelers and the NCAA’s Pitt Panthers, while also playing host to professional hockey games, concerts and other special events. Originally known as Heinz Field, financial tech and insurance company Acrisure acquired the naming rights in 2022. The stadium, nestled comfortably alongside the banks of the Allegheny River in the Steel City’s North Shore neighborhood, enjoys a rich, eclectic history. From the Super Bowl winning campaigns of the 2006 and 2009 Steelers, to the 2011 NHL’s Outdoor Winter Classic, to comedians Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock rocking the house, to a record-setting 73,117 jubilant fans at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stop last summer, the stadium offers an oasis of entertainment and fellowship. And now attendees can look forward to a more convenient, differentiated stadium experience courtesy of 5G ultra-wideband service. The installation was carried out by Pittsburgh-based Dagostino Electronic Services (DES), the “Preferred Technology Provider” of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A serious upgrade Founded in 1973 by Pittsburgh native and company president Bob Dagostino, DES has been overseeing the telecommunications needs of the stadium from its beginning as Heinz Field to the present day. The cabling infrastructure is huge, with a whopping 240 miles of cable that includes 747,000 feet of Cat 5e cable, 238,000 feet of broadcast cable, 169,000 feet of security cable and 36,000 feet of fiber optic cable throughout prior to the 5G upgrade, for point-of-sale systems, display monitors, sideline communications, cable TV connections, security cameras and Wi-Fi networks. “Yep, we know that place inside and out,” Dagostino said. So when the NFL issued a directive stating that all 30 stadiums in the league must be 5G-enabled by the opening kickoff of the 2022 season, it was clear who would tackle the assignment. The project, started in early 2022 and completed in August, involved a crossing over from a lower-capacity 4G LTE network—which can be slowed by many users coming together on it at the same time in one place—to Verizon’s higher-capacity 5G millimeter wave network. The 5G network is supplemented by edge computing, allowing stadium attendees and service providers with compatible devices a faster, more robust experience through access to greater coverage areas, an increase in speed range and a decrease in latency, or the time it takes data to be processed on the network. Diligent work by the team of 25 technicians from DES all but guaranteed that the stadium would meet the opening day deadline to the delight of football fans and more. The 5G upgrade chiefly enhances the Steelers’ immersive fan experience platforms. Stadium-goers can access live action or replays from multiple camera angles on enabled devices; real-time, in-game performance stats; up-to-the-minute player information and scoring; heightened engagement through augmented reality and virtual reality experiences; and interactive games. Social media sharing is made easier through faster uploading and receiving of content on apps. Plus,in-stadium transactions for concessions and merchandise sales are easier and more convenient. 5G also allows for improved security and crowd management through advanced video surveillance systems and wearable communications devices for staff. The 5G installation The 5G installation involved laying in 90 radios, 440 antennas and over 100,000 feet of fiber optics throughout Acrisure Stadium. DES’s expertise in fiber optic installations, and the use of Digital Electricity to push energy to a vast densification of wireless endpoints, ensured that the project was completed efficiently and on-time. A VoltServer transmitter sends “safety packets” of Digital Electricity to a receiver unit. Digital Electricity Patented by VoltServer, East Greenwich, R.I., and operational in major venues nationally, including casinos, airports and stadiums, Digital Electricity is a means of transmitting significant power over long distances while using the same safety requirements as low-voltage cabling. The technology behind it is a fault-managed power system (FMPS), which works by “packetizing” or splitting an energy stream into smaller “safety packets” and then sending the packets from a transmitter unit to a receiver unit on the other end, where they can be converted to power AC endpoints. Leaders in the industry see a bright future in the use of FMPS, which has been classified under Class 4 Power in the 2023 National Electrical Code . The expansive footprint of Acrisure Stadium made it an ideal candidate for Digital Electricity. Whereas the traditional architecture of electrical distribution would have meant power sourcing and all that accompanies it (conduits running to each radio location, 20A circuit panels, etc.) running out of multiple UPS systems, the greater distances enabled by Digital Electricity allow for data and power to be centralized in one location. The Class 4 wiring can push loads of up to 1,500W for distances of more than a mile. Digital Electricity also offers greater levels of control for technicians, such as the ability to reboot an antenna remotely rather than needing to be on-site to do so. “When I first started in the business, we were changing fuse panels to circuit panels. This to me is probably going to be one of the next evolutions of controlling energy. Overcurrent conditions, ground faults, fibrillation—a fault-managed power system mitigates all those issues,” Dagostino said. Air-blown fiber optics A preferred technique of DES, air-blown fiber optics can best be described as the placement of microtubes within a cable framework into which fiber strands are blown through controlled, compressed air. The air acts as a lubricant between the fiber’s cable jacket and the inside of its tubing. After installing a backbone of more than 100,000 feet of tubing throughout the stadium, the DES team blew strands of fiber optic cable throughout the facility using compressed air before connecting the signal portion of the radios back to the host. DES is a regional leader in fiber optic cable installations. Feedback, and the future Feedback on the upgrades from officials, staff and public users at Acrisure Stadium has only been positive. Fans attest that the features make their stadium visits more enjoyable, and these comments fall in line with national surveys showing that overall consumer satisfaction with 5G is high and growing, along with the still-evolving system. But technology marches on, and glimpses of the future are on the horizon. According to Dagostino, “There [are] a lot of studies going on right now for the 6G initiatives, and what that is going to do—smart cities, vehicle-to-vehicle communication. It’s gonna be a big lift when you get 6G.” Research and requirements gathering on 6G technologies have already started, and with tentative plans calling for the beginning development in 2025, another upgrade may be in the stadium’s future. But Dagostino was unfazed about a possible future 6G install. “What you need to do is an RF study of how the 6G antennas and radios would function,” he said. “The nice part of it, though, [is that] the majority of the pathways have already been put in.” This will be a good thing, because there is also talk of yet another technology coming around the bend. “Light fidelity [Li-Fi] is going to come into play here sooner or later,” Dagostino said. This might mean the pairing of 6G with Li-Fi, a wireless communication technology that transmits data by modulating the intensity of visible light from a light source. NASA is one of the biggest governmental users currently of Li-Fi, but applications are currently being adapted, and further use in the private sector is being explored. Until then, thanks to DES, visitors have plenty of technology to make any event at Acrisure Stadium unforgettable. Now Read These! Technology "Lives Well" at GNC READ WATCH: DES Techs Pull Fiber in Acrisure Stadium 5G Deployment READ Morgan State University Enhances Student Life with Wi-Fi 6 READ