Alarm.com, a Tysons-based home protection system, started as one of the pioneers of remote home security management. Today the company is fighting to hold its own in a market becoming increasingly saturated with smart home technology.

The company was started in 2000 as an innovation project within MicroStrategy, a business intelligence company based in Tysons. Matthew Zartman, the company’s director of communications, said Alarm.com has benefited from the technology talent pool in the Washington, D.C. area and that Tysons serves as a good central office location for employees living throughout the region.

Part of the company’s core model has been working with authorized dealers to install the products in client’s homes.

“The smart home can be pretty complicated and daunting to the typical consumer,” said Zartman. “There are a ton of options out there, and consumers want help understanding how they can get value from this new technology, and how they can get it installed and working properly.”

Investor’s Business Daily reported that the company took a stock market hit as a result of worries about competition from Amazon and Google’s smart home technology. Both companies offer smart home technology that customers self-install, while Alarm.com distributes its product through home security dealers.

“They are smart home security experts,” said Zartman. “They can provide advice for getting the right system, and they can provide installation and ongoing support. We believe that the combination of our solutions and our service provider partners’ expertise has been key to driving the mass market adoption of smart home technology.”

While smart home technology often focuses on entertainment and other home amenities, Alarm.com’s technology has remained focused on security. Recent moves into business protection and international coverage could help the company carve out a new niche.

In April this year, Alarm.com announced that it would be adding a new service for protecting small and medium-size businesses. Alarm.com for Business offers intelligent intrusion detection, video surveillance, access control and energy management

The company has also been making moves internationally. Alarm.com announced on Aug. 2 it was partnering with European insurance provider Aviva to offer Alarm.com coverage under the banner of Aviva Smart Home.

(Updated 4:30) — A series of improvements for 1676 International Drive are planned to bring the building more in line with newer developments like the nearby Boro project.

1676 International Drive is currently a 13-story, 300,000-square foot office building. Brandywine Realty Trust, the owner of the property, said the renovations will focus on transforming the interior space into a more popular flexible workspace environment. Renovations begin this month and are expected to be completed next fall.

New outdoor and recreation spaces will include an outdoor fireplace and lounge, an oversized outdoor TV, a bocce court and other relaxation areas. A new penthouse suite will include a 120-person conference center and a luxury fitness center.

Infrastructure enhancements are also planned for the area will also improve the building’s accessibility to Tysons Galleria across International Drive and the Boro, diagonally opposite the property across Greensboro Drive.

Brandywine Realty Trust said in a press release that the added walkways and a new traffic signal planned for Tysons Boulevard will improve accessibility to the building.

Allie Seifert, a spokeswoman for Brandywine, said the redevelopment is part of a broader strategy of reinvesting in existing assets in burgeoning neighborhoods outside D.C., like Tysons and Ballston, and converting them into more modern workspaces.

Brandywine also recently announced a new line of flexible office offerings similar to MakeOffices and WeWork called BEX, with the first location opening at 8260 Greensboro Drive in Tysons.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can make life difficult, but the ADHD Awareness Month Resource Fair this Saturday (Oct. 20) in Tysons aims to make living with the disorder a little easier.

Attendees will have a chance to meet with professionals, school representatives, and nonprofit organizations to access resources for those with mental illness and learning disabilities. The event will run from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at BASIS Independent McLean (8000 Jones Branch Drive).

The keynote speaker will be Kathleen Nadeau, a clinical director in Washington, D.C. specializing in the treatment of ADHD. Sessions and panels throughout the day will focus on building supportive environments for people with ADHD and advice for young adults with ADHD.

General admission is free but a $10 donation to Children and Adults with ADD (CHADD) is suggested.

Photo via CHADD

(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) A student at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church reportedly brandished a fake gun inside the school, prompting a prompting a police investigation and a letter to parents.

John Torre, a public information officer for Fairfax County Public Schools, said that the school was made aware of the video last night (Tuesday).

Torre said police were notified and determined that the weapon the individual was holding was a fake. Fairfax County Police said on Twitter that they did not believe there was a threat to school safety.

We have been investigating since it was reported to us. The gun pictured in the video is a fake and the information we have at this time does not suggest there is a threat to school safety.

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 17, 2018

The video was reportedly circulated on Snapchat. A clip posted on Twitter, purporting to be of the video in question and sent to the school system and a local TV station, shows a young person brandishing what appears to be a gun under the caption “uhh 109% ur f****d if u at marshall.”

The school notified parents early this morning. The FCPS Twitter account said parents should have received the update around 7:30 a.m., but some parents said via Twitter they didn’t receive the update until their children were already on the bus to school.

Yes received after my child would have been on the bus. Some parents didn't get until 9ish. Too little info too late. FCPS needs to do more to inform parents and keep our kids safe.

— Shari Blackburn (@ShariABlackburn) October 17, 2018

Torre said the police contacted the student and family, and that the school would not comment on any disciplinary actions taken.

Photo (top) via Google Maps (bottom) via Twitter

(Updated 10:45 a.m.) — Lieutenant Eddie Payne, a firefighter at Station 1 in McLean, was recognized by the Sons of the American Revolution’s George Washington Chapter on Monday, Oct. 15 with a Fire Safety Award for his role in a dramatic rescue this summer.

On June 20, the Beltway came to a standstill as a tractor-trailer driver crashed into construction vehicles working on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The driver was killed and four of the vehicles caught fire, closing the bridge and clouding the sky with smoke.

Three construction workers were in a bucket under the bridge, attached to a boom truck that was caught in the accident, and were trapped as several local fire departments worked together with boat crews to rescue them.

Payne was off-duty at the time but stepped in to help coordinate the rescue of the workers. Bill Delaney, a public affairs officer for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, said Payne happened to see the chaos and was one of the first to try to get everyone organized.

“He called it in and was in communications with the 911 center to let them know what they were coming into,” said Delaney. “He was helping to coordinate what was going on while he was off-duty.”

Firefighters from Fairfax Station 11 near Alexandria and stations in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County also received awards for their efforts.

“He took control of a very chaotic scene and kept a level head,” said the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in a Facebook post.

Metro ridership in Tysons has been increasing, bucking the transit system’s overall downward trend.

According to a recent county report, from April 2017-2018 ridership increased across Tysons stations by eight percent, from 7,142 to 7,723 riders per weekday.

According to the report, the most active Metrorail station within Tysons is Tysons Corner, which averages over 3,400 passengers per day (total entries) on weekdays and over 2,500 for Saturdays, exceeding the ridership at the other three stations.

The only station to show a decrease in ridership has been the Spring Hill station, which declined from 1,220 riders to 1,188, a three percent decrease.

The same report also showed that morning and evening peak period traffic to and from Tysons in single-occupancy vehicles had decreased after years of mostly trending upward. Morning trips for single-occupancy vehicles decreased over the last year from 106,389 to 99,472, while evening trips decreased from 108,604 to 104,596.

Professor Frank Shafroth, director of the Center for State and Local Leadership at George Mason University, said the two numbers are likely rooted in traffic and tolling along I-66.

“I think the uptick reflects how terrible I-66 traffic is — and, increasingly, how expensive it is,” said Shafroth. “I know when I go out to Tysons, I do not even think of driving, even though it is almost a straight shot, when I can, instead, relax, read, and prep for whatever meeting I am headed to.”

Graph via Fairfax County

The 4th annual DC Sustainability Summit and Green Product Expo (DCSS) is bringing industry leaders to Tysons to discuss sustainability.

The summit will be held in Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Road) from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. this Thursday.

Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Seth Goldman, CEO of Honest Tea Company, will be the keynote speakers in the day-long discussion of environmental equity issues. Discussions will focus on helping to develop regional solutions to work towards reducing carbon emissions.

The Green Product Expo following the summit will give attendees a chance to ask questions about, and see in action, new green building technology and products.

A full schedule of events is available online.

General registration for the event is $95 and student registration is $45. Breakfast, lunch and happy hour are included in the admission.

The summit is sponsored by DCS Design and the Tysons Partnership.

Photos via Facebook

Fairfax startups are economically strong but disproportionately tied to the public sector, even compared to other nearby jurisdictions, according to the 2017 Startup Census.

Adam Zuckerman, founder of census creator Fosterly, spoke to the Fairfax County Economic Advisory Commission meeting earlier this month to offer a recap of Fairfax’s role in the survey of local startups.

In total, 48 companies from Fairfax participated in the survey, while 377 businesses from around the region were surveyed in total.

Some findings:

• The Fairfax startups that participated in the survey generated $28 million dollars in revenue in 2017 and projected 194 percent growth in 2018.
• Startups throughout Northern Virginia generated $108 million in revenue and projected 166 percent growth.
• Throughout the entire region, startups generated $193 million in revenue and projected 217 percent growth overall.
• Fairfax County is home to about 12.5 percent of startups in the D.C. area.

According to the survey, startups in Fairfax also derived less of their revenue from consumers or private businesses than the regional average.

• Fairfax startups derived 66 percent of their revenue from private sector customers.
• Regional startups  averaged 89 percent revenue from private customers.

“If you look towards the larger set, only 11 percent of revenue in the overall set came from the public sector,” said Zuckerman. “So Fairfax County companies have a disproportionate amount of public sector revenue than the larger ecosystem.”

Ryan Touhill, chief of staff for the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, said in the survey analysis that the regional shift away from a reliance on the public sector is a positive trend for local economic diversification.

For Fairfax, Zuckerman said this public sector reliance for startups that are generally less than five years old is unusual because most public sector deals require a track record that startups generally don’t have. Most startups, Zuckerman said, start off working in the private sector before dipping their toes into the public sector when the product is proven.

The survey also found that the top five industries in Fairfax for startups were technology and services, computer software, real estate, financial services, and management and consulting.

There was one unfortunate item of news about one company in particular: Fosterly, the company running the census. Unless another organization takes over the mantle, Zuckerman says this year’s census will be the last.

“We’re not doing it again this year,” said Zuckerman. “We’re going to be talking to a few entities to see if they want to continue the census… but the resources weren’t there.”

Photo via Fosterly

Wristbands are now on sale for Haycock Elementary’s Fall Festival.

For $12 pre-purchased or $15 at the door, children will have access to unlimited games, moonbounces, face painting, magic and more. There will also be food trucks, pony rides, a cupcake walk, a scarecrow walk, balloon animals, a “butterbeer garten” and a 50/50 raffle.

Advance tickets are only available online until noon tomorrow. Children under two and adults are free. Armbands bought for children will be delivered to students by teachers on Friday (Oct. 19).

The event will take place on Sunday, Oct. 21 from 12-4 p.m, rain or shine. Parking at the festival is limited to handicap spaces, so attendees are encouraged to walk or use other parking spaces in the neighborhood.

The festival is also looking for volunteers to help run the event, promising shifts to be short and suite so volunteers can also enjoy the festivities. Sign up is available online.

Photo via Fairfax County Public Schools

(Updated at 11:30) — November at The Barns at Wolf Trap is a season of returns for classic rock legends.

Ronnie Spector & The Ronettes, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers behind hits like “Be My Baby,” will be performing on Friday (Nov. 9) and Saturday (Nov. 10). Ticket are $50 for rear orchestra or side balcony or $55 for prime orchestra or prime balcony.

Hot Rize, a popular 1980’s bluegrass band, will play at Wolf Trap on Nov. 17 as part of the group’s 40th-anniversary tour. Tickets range from $45 to $60.

The following three nights will feature Art Garfunkel, a solo artist and part of the iconic Simon and Garfunkel duo. Concerts will be held Nov. 18, 19 and 20 with prices ranging from $80 to $95.

The list of Wolf Trap events in November:

• Nov. 2: Bourbon and Bubbles at the Barns
• Nov. 4: David Finckel and Wu Han
• Nov. 6, 7: The Lone Bellow
• Nov. 8: John Lloyd Young
• Nov. 9, 10: Ronnie Spector & The Ronettes
• Nov. 14: Nicole Atkins
• Nov. 15: Alan Doyle
• Nov. 16: Maggie Rose
• Nov. 17: Hot Rize
• Nov. 18, 19, 20: Art Garfunkel
• Nov. 24: Janis Joplin & Jimi Hendrix Tribute
• Nov. 25: John Eaton
• Nov. 30: Chris Smither

The full Wolf Trap schedule is available online.

Photo via Wolf Trap