@Sequoia will post this here as i am locked out of posting on...

@Sequoia
will post this here as i am locked out of posting on the thread.
following is my interpretation of the questions u asked based only on being in a similar supply industry.
I have done very little reasearch in fft as i no longer have the time but
as mr sausage spells out ....fft sells fibreoptic sensors yes but they will imho be a generic sensor purchesed by them from a OEM (Sensor manufacturer) that is fit for fft purpose.

my limited reasearch leads me to believe that fft's IP or market advantage is in their own software system that reads and interprets all the incoming signals from the field mounted sensors. fft is very pround of the fact and i have read it in their own marketing literature that there advantage over all other competitors is the minimum number of false alarm signals will be triggered from any environmental sources so think along the lines on lightening and thunderstorms....earthquakes......herds of animals.......thermal...... vibrations from nearby road rail corridors.......or in the case of trumps wall think along the lines of mexican drug runners tunneling under any physical above ground wall etc etc. obviously false alarms are a key point for any customers to consider due to the costs of attending 2 false signals and maybe even missing the intended breach point if pre occupied with the false ones.
so this is the reason i believe the fft software control system is where the IP is at.
as far as labour question goes.....yes i would think subbies would handle the dumb mechanical install install which accounts for the fluctuation in the figures that u get.... i would also think fft would have a core small fulltime group of staff who would manage the subbies then commission and service the software side of the system themselves.

luv ur work btw.