R.I.P. COVID-19

INDUSTRY FOCUS

R.I.P. COVID-19

By my estimation, that crazy pandemic might have slowed things down a bit for the past two years. Working from home, tele-calls and other means to keep a personal distance of at least 6 feet. COVID-19 and all its variations are still hanging around but it hasn’t stopped technology innovations.

A memory from the 2021 ISC West was a reminder of a tradeshow on life support. Things changed for the better. What’s new in security products took a huge leap forward in March during ISC West.

Above all else, it was amazing to see friends, face-to-face. So, where did this year’s tradeshow land in terms of attendance, exhibitors and overall buzz? Is the security industry resilient?

“It truly was amazing to see all our attendees, exhibitors and partners in person again! Clearly the security and public safety industry is ready to get back to face-to-face meetings, as the Show Floor was packed and the electrifying energy consistently included positive messages throughout the week such as ‘exceeded our expectations,’” said Mary Beth Shaughnessy, event director of ISC Security Events.

People in the security industry are passionate about their calling of providing security systems and solutions. Attendance only proved to me that providing security will never be on life support. One thing I have noticed, and was mentioned several times during ISC West conversations, the pandemic provided a means by which engineers and product managers could concentrate more on new product development.

From my travels on the show floor, I noticed several new products and amazing iterations of products that had been launched previously. Technology is ever changing, and advancing so quickly. Back on track, ISC West is soaring once again.

“SIA was inspired by the outstanding growth seen at ISC West 2022 and by seeing the energy and dedication on the show floor, in the conference sessions and at events taking place throughout the week,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson.

Perhaps as many as 20,000 attendees and exhibitors attended. I’m not naïve enough to think the pandemic is over but hoping it can now rest in peace.

This article originally appeared in the May / June 2022 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”