For the Good of the Industry

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• Apr 12, 2017

ISC West, this year, was as good as I ever remember. It seems to me that manufacturers' booths were filled with attendees, and foot traffic was very good until the last minute. SIA should be proud of the way they represent this industry, and this tradeshow.

Looking back for a moment, the tradeshows of yesterday were packed with people but if I remember right it was more of a vacation for some than today's crowd that is seeking technology and solutions.

In my several daily booth visits, I'm anxious to see the development of cybersecurity in our industry. All manufacturers will have to take this situation into account when brining new solutions to the marketplace. Protecting someone's assets is one thing, but protecting the security system is really that step above where we are today. We're going to take several looks at cybersecurity in the coming months of publishing Security Today.

Another industry term coming to light is deep learning. This is going to be exciting times for the industry as learning about all the possibilities with today's technology can and will do more than we can ever imagine. I guess it works that way with a smartphone. Unrelated, but a little something about today's technology … the other day my wife and I were shopping when she raised her wristwatch to the credit card swipe. All of a sudden, we were done shopping; everything paid.

Two products of note, keep an eye out for ReconaSense from Austin, Texas. This little gem of a software product will be able to learn by watching, then help you manage your security assets in a manner never before imagined.

Next, TextSpeak from Westport, Conn., is a cellular and Wi-Fi mass notification system. This can be a standalone product or it will enhance what you already have in place. It is an interesting solution that can be deployed in places where Lone Wolf terrorists have struck in the past couple of years.

I'm anxious to bring editorial support from our friends at Zebra Technologies, COPS Monitoring, Vicon and newly minted CrucialTrak. Keep an eye out for all these manufacturers in the pages of Security Today.