Round The Clock

• By Megan Weadock
• Sep 22, 2009

The first day of ASIS 2009 seemed to start with a bit of a whimper, but luckily things were picking up by mid-day. Recession aside, plenty of companies were introducing new products, discussing innovative case studies and looking ahead to 2010, which many say will bring an uptick in business.

During Sony’s “The Changing Face of Security” luncheon, a range of speakers examined the evolution -- and future path -- of security, especially in the IP world. Simon Harris, a market analyst with IMS Research, said the independent research firm predicts network video sales to account for 25 percent of the U.S. surveillance market by 2013. Analog, by contrast, will be drawing near zero percent by then. And despite the downturn in the economy, Harris said IMS sees network security bouncing back to a 17 to 18 percent growth mark in 2010.

Keep an eye on the education market; IMS predicts IP installations at schools and college campuses in the U.S. will grow 20 percent in the next five years. And video analytics may be the hottest surveillance add-on in that time, especially for forensic search.

“Video analytics is one area that I see a lot of promise because it solves a real problem,” Harris said.

Video analytics’ viability was summed up well by Randy Jara, Sony’s next speaker, who is the general manager of Redrock Security in Southern California. “Time is our most valuable asset,” he said. “How do we find ways to reduce the time it takes to find information?”

Finally, Miguel Lazatin of Sony Electronics’ security division, introduced their new product offerings: the SNC-CH140 fixed camera and SNC-DH140 mini-dome camera, which are the first to incorporate the company’s new Exmor™ CMOS image sensor technology.

“With various segments of the security industry adopting high-definition video solutions, we incorporated the Exmor CMOS imager in our new cameras for its ability to capture high resolution images in the most challenging environments, including high contrast lighting situations,” Lazatin said. “The View-DR algorithm makes it possible for the camera’s high-speed sensor to convert all of the electrons from the light captured by the imager. As a result, View-DR nearly doubles the sensitivity of the new cameras, making the capture of high-quality HD images possible in almost any lighting environment.”

After lunch -- and after an afternoon checking out the show floor -- the Security Products team was treated to dinner by Sanyo at El Torito. The company is introducing a whopping nine new cameras at the show, a line that executives are calling the “world’s first line-up of full HD/full frame rate CCTV cameras.

What does that mean, exactly? It’s a full surveillance suite -- including dome, PTZ, box and zoom cameras -- that include focus assist, edge recording, HDMI out (in some) and up to 4MP M-JPEG and full HD video for critical security monitoring. The president of Sanyo in North America, M. Murata, was on hand to discuss the company’s vision for the future, which lies mainly in the education, commercial and government network markets. And, close to my heart, Sanyo also introduced its new brand focus: “Think Gaia: For Life and the Earth.” The company as a whole is beginning to focus on being a leading provider of environmental and energy-related products. That’s why Sanyo, from its cameras to its hybrid bicycles (yes, apparently one division of the company makes hybrid bicycles) is working to use more rechargeable batteries, incorporate more earth-friendly materials, re-use resources and reduce power consumption as much as possible.

As you can see, the first day of the show was already chock-full of interesting news. On deck for tomorrow: Optelecom news and product information, dinner with Panasonic System Solutions Co. and -- of course -- the results of the Security Products’ New Product of the Year award contest.