Expanding Access Control At ISC West

Companies in the access control vertical are finding a way to expand past doors.

My favorite thing about coming to ISC West is figuring out what the trends are and how they mold the evolution of the products, solutions and integrations of the security industry. This year, one of the first things that stood out to me was within the access control vertical.

We see a lot of these companies as protectors of our spaces, starting at and limited to our doors. But these guys want to provide so much more.

Here’s a few access control solutions that I saw today that are pushing how we think of access control.

HID Location Services

HID Global announced its new HID Location Services that provide organizations with visibility into the location of their workforce in a facility, making it possible to analyze room usage for better building management and increased operational efficiency. HID Location Services is enabled by Bluvision, a company recently acquired by HID, and provides numerous capabilities based on an organization’s needs. Its real-time location services are ideal for monitoring and providing deeper analytics around the movement of personnel in a building for better insight to optimize usage of facilities, common areas and individual rooms. The proximity-based services verify when personnel are nearby a given area for use cases such as monitoring employee check in and check out; it also helps organizations meet health and safety regulations by monitoring room occupancy.

Nortek Security & Control's Linear BluePass

Nortek Security & Control's Linear BluePass offers a complete ecosystem of smartphone/tablet-based mobile credentials, user and dealer apps, and multi-tech Bluetooth readers that provide a more secure, easy to use approach to access control. BluePass reduces total cost of ownership by protecting the customer's existing system controller and software investments and enables a smooth migration from legacy credentials using both the multi-tech readers and a cloud-based credential issuance and management portal. Additional credentials can be easily procured, even in small quantities, with channel-friendly credential bundles.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.