In the latest twist in the bidding war to purchase guarding company G4S, GardaWorld  declined to raise its bid for the company, moving Allied Universal into what appears to be the winning position.

No, the battle over G4S is not over. The takeover of G4S will come down to a head-to-head auction between the remaining two bidders (GardaWorld and Allied Universal) that will commence at the end of February.

Allied Universal acquires SecurAmerica -- a privately held, Atlanta, Georgia-based security company with 49 offices located throughout the United States.

The International Foundation for Protection Offices has appointed Mike Hurst, CPP, to serve as its IFPO Representative in the UK.  

When Steven Wagner joined Indiana-based Hendricks Regional Health, the department was run on 99-percent paper, with no electronic method of tracking security officers’ activity or sharing information across shifts except for a sporadically updated blog without a search function.

Traditional guarding is getting shaken up by new skills, services and technology. How are guarding firms and security officers shifting their priorities and offerings to keep pace and continue to add value to enterprises and security departments? It’s time to go beyond basic patrol, observe and report functions.

Security and facility services company Allied Universal today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire U.S. Security Associates (USSA) from Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division (GSMBD), further building on its position as a leading player in the security services industry.

Check out the top guarding firms in this year's listing.