Call For Entries

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• May 01, 2009

It's great fun to announce we're making a call for entries in our first ever New Product of the Year award. After spending three days at ISC West in Las Vegas, I saw plenty of new technologies deserving an award as prestigious as this.

Security Products magazine is the largest circulation magazine in the industry, and our focus is on new product development and application. These solutions are paramount to improving workplace security.

We jumped into the competition arena a few months ago by sponsoring the Security Products New Products Awards at GovSec/U.S. Law Conference and Exhibition. It was a lot of fun to see the broad range of products and their capabilities. Three companies received recognition in the categories of IT Security Software/Hardware, Handheld Devices and Homeland Security. One of the three winners was selected as Best of Show.

Hirsch Electronics was announced winner of the IT Security Software/Hardware category and also won Best of Show. The company entered a product called the Identity and Access Management System. G4S Wachenhut was declared the winner in Handheld Devices with its Secure Trax technology, and HACH Homeland Security Technologies won the Homeland Security division with its Guardian Blue Early Warning System.

The IAMS entry from Hirsch is a suite of integrated hardware and software products that deliver an end-toend solution for complete identity management and access control. The identity management portion creates a known identity for the person to whom you are giving access privileges because it scans and archives the identification documents. It also conducts a background check for felonies and inclusion on government watch lists, and end users are able to protect themselves by using workflow software and checklists to ensure that no steps are missed. The specialized workflow software manages the process and guides the end user through best practices that help ensure compliance, privacy and security. It won Best of Show because the product collects identification documents and biometrics, links to background check services and allows users to obtain a certificate from the Certificate Authority.

G4S Wachenhut won its category because SecureTrax enhances the role of the professional security officer by allowing that person to integrate a state-ofthe- art handheld security administration application using PDAs. This system is fully integrated and built upon the latest mobile computing technology. It optimizes security programs for end users by providing detailed and reliable incident notification in real time.

Our third category winner was HACH Homeland Security Technologies with a product that has potential to affect all of us. The Guardian Blue Early Warning System is a breakthrough technology that can be used to detect contamination, alert officials to terrorist activity and improve general operational control of a drinking water supply. It has received the SAFETY Act designation and certification from the Department of Homeland Security.

We had so much fun with this new products contest, we're opening our doors to a completely new industry awards program this fall. During ASIS, we will be announcing the winners of the Security Products magazine 2009 New Product of the Year awards. If you don't have an entry form, they're available on our Web site (www.secprodonline.com), or contact me and I'll forward an entry form to you via e-mail. The entry deadline is June 15.

We're going to take the contest up a notch with categories including access control, accessories, alarm, fire and gas equipment, network-centric security, perimeter security, video surveillance and business continuity products.

Winners in each category will receive media attention from Security Products and recognition during ASIS 2009 in Anaheim, Calif. Winners also will be able to use the magazine's 2009 New Product of the Year logo for one year on all advertisements and marketing materials, plus receive recognition in Security Products marketing and promotions. Best of all, winners will receive editorial coverage in the December issue.

Our judges will be selected from within the security industry by our staff, all of whom will review the submissions to determine the winners. I hope you'll take a moment to review your newest products and find one worthy of this new product award. I believe this will make ASIS 2009 a more lively venue for marketing your products.

See you in September in Anaheim, and I look forward to helping you organize and endorse your new product entries.

This article originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Security Today.