ISC West 2014 Begins with Creative Security Solutions and a Crowd

• By Ginger Hill
• Apr 03, 2014

Mimicking Vegas as "larger than life," opening day of the ISC West 2014 showroom floor sprang into action as people poured into the convention center and scurried from booth to booth to see the latest and greatest of the security industry. The excitement could be felt in the air, and the yearning to learn could be heard in the constant humming of languages being spoken, communicating security concerns in hopes of finding the perfect solution.

I was among this structured chaos.

Speaking with Dave Tynan, VP of Global Marketing and Business Development, MicroPower Technologies, I learned that solar panels are helping to eliminate power-hungry components of surveillance cameras. Dedicated to power management, MicroPower Technologies is focused on educating the security industry about the reliability of solar panels as well as the heightened awareness of conserving natural resources. This theme of conservation seems to play well into the conservative nature of the security industry as a whole.

Kirby Han, art director for Altronix, illustrated adaptive transmission technology solutions that enable most infrastructures to easily switch to IP. Using their new product, Pace, up to 500 feet of twisted pair and up to 1600 feet of CAT 5 wiring can be used effectively.

For DVTEL, it's all about providing flexible options by listening to the feedback from integrators and end users to drive their innovations. Via a newly established user forum, an outlet is provided to discuss challenges within the security industry and how technology is able to help solve these challenges.

Sometimes the simplest quotes produce the most profound effect. This happened today when talking with Wendi Burke, director, global marketing communications, IQinVision, when she said, "We do cameras…that's what we do." By the way, did you know that IQinVision is merging with Vicon? While IQinVision and Vicon don't have overlapping products, coming together allows each company's products to work together in a complimentary manner; therefore, bringing more powerful solutions to the security industry.

Offering an event-driven video platform, Chris Beaudoin, director of marketing for Solink, explained how their product enables more than just reactive security by taking data from hardware, in this case, a video camera, and breaking it down into small segments of video. This allows each frame of video data to become usable by running analytics, which creates intelligent video.

Convenient security is the theme for FST21 as they are helping people adopt themselves into 21st century security by actually using their own identity to provide access through biometrics. Demonstrated with their turnstile, people simply look at a camera that reads their face, allowing a swing gate to open if an authorized user is attempting to gain access. Should an unauthorized user tailgate an authorized user, an alarm will sound and a warning message will immediately be sent via text message or email to alert the proper people.

This is but a small snapshot of security professionals and companies represented at ISC West 2014, yet I feel that these represent the richness and diversity that this convention provides. And just think…this was only day one!