A Day in the Life at ASIS 2014

• By Ginger Hill
• Oct 01, 2014

With a packed schedule of back-to-back meetings, quick drive-bys to say hi to new and old acquaintances within the security industry, an early-morning breakfast and, of course, no time for lunch, I welcomed a full day on the ASIS 2014 tradeshow floor. Maybe it's because I'm still "new-ish" to the industry, with a curriculum of high-tech concepts to learn, but the glamor of the showroom floor catches my eye.

The best way I can think of to describe a day at a tradeshow is to imagine your favorite soup; different flavors are present, maybe there's onions, celery, carrots, corn and beef, but together, when you get a little bit of each on your spoon, they all meld into one glorious bite. Much the same is the tradeshow as many companies are present, each offering different technologies, products and services that enhance the safety and security of society, but when you combine all of that together, you find a holistic vision of the security industry.

Because of its size, it is impossible for me to visit each and every booth represented at ASIS; however, here is a sampling of companies that shared their time and knowledge with me on the second day of ASIS 2014:

Boon Edam – Once a door is opened via an ID card, anyone following that person can gain access. This is where Boon Edam comes in: to stop tailgating and piggybacking by adding barriers.

Marketing Manager Tracie Thomas highlighted that more and more barriers are going deeper and deeper inside of buildings. Known as "hardening the core" in the world of data centers, it translates into a best practice in physical security of maintaining the protection of the perimeter and focusing further on protecting the inside of buildings.

Thomas also indicated that customers are asking different types of questions that are more enterprise driven, which leads to the want/need for global standardization.

Pacom/STANLEY – Smaller, turnkey, holistic solutions that allow interaction. As security integrators become more educated, these are what they are requesting of manufacturers, and Pacom Systems, a partner of STANLEY Security has done just that with their 8003 Pacom-Edge Intelligent Security Controller.

This fully-integrated security solution combines critical capabilities of IP-based alarm panel, access control panel and multi-card reader interface into a single, cost-effective device. As a use example, the 8003 controller secures and monitors ATMs. The system can detect and malfunction and then identify the issue, ensuring the deployed technician is properly equipped for the required repairs.

3 SI Security Systems – Offering the ability to monitor assets, 3 SI is the manufacturer of CashTrack, a technology that can be used to determine the exact location of stolen items. Used in banks, this technology pinpoints the exact location of the cash as well as tracks the robber.

Relying on satellite tracking via GPS, when an item is stolen CashTracker alerts 3SI, who in turn immediately engages in tracking and shares this with the client as well as police.

Blackboard – Known mostly in for its educational learning platforms, within this company is a specialized group known as Transact, offering university and college campuses the tools and knowledge to answer the number one question being asked by parents: Is my child going to be safe at your campus? Gone are the days of asking what and how students are going to learn to be successful in life BEFORE the issue of safety and security is addressed. It's parent's number one concern.

According to Peter Rivera, regional VP at Blackboard, "security is a strategy that higher education needs to embrace."

Rivera said that, with security, it is important to stay ahead of the times, and he predicts that NFC is the future as the card is able to interrogate the reader and the reader interrogate the card for cryptic verification.

"That's the beauty of the chip," he said.

Traka – At the heart of key management, Traka is a software company that can create customized solutions for their customers by driving processes.

"Forget about the key and focus on the process," said Danny Garrido, president. "What does the customer want to see happen? This dictates key placements and access to formulate an efficient process."