Education security applications

Booth number: 14039 Dahua Technology USA Inc. will display video surveillance solutions, access control and intercoms at ISC West. Q: What was the first year your company exhibited at ISC West? Please share your remembrances of that experience. The first year that we exhibited at ISC West was in 2012. That was before we had a local US operation. The market started to pick up our brand and was surprised that we offer extensive product portfolios. In 2014, we registered our US office and continued to participate in ISC West. Through our presence at the show, customers get to know us better and understand that we are not just a product manufacturer but can also support them from the service and operation standpoints. We are local here and help our customers to grow their business and increase their satisfaction with us. A trade show is not just for marketing; ensuring the best ROI requires work by several parties in an organization Q: What strategies do you use to get the most out of exhibiting at ISC West? A trade show is definitely a lot of investment within a few days. Therefore, how we create the best ROI and meet the right customers are very important. A trade show is not just for marketing; ensuring the best ROI requires work by several parties in an organization, including products and technical expertise as well as the sales team. We use an internal and highly coordinated plan with the team to get a better result. We make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of the products/technology we are going to present and have the people with the best knowledge to present to customers who visit our booth. Therefore, a highly coordinated team strategy is required. Q: How do you quantify your success at ISC West? What ROI do you receive from the show? Every company has their ways to follow up with the leads and evaluate the ROI from the show. The way we are using is to upload all our leads to our software and track all these leads afterwards. If they are not already buying from us, our goal is to convert them to become a registered dealer. Customers get to know us better and understand that we are not just a product manufacturer but can also support them from the service and operation standpoints If they are already our registered dealers, we seek to grow their business by using our latest technology solutions. In general, all marketing activities in business today require a clear ROI, and it has to tie into the sales numbers. From our experience, the ISC West show provides the best ROI among other shows in the North American market. Q: What company activities (outside the show floor) does your company organize each year? We have a partner event and invite our value-added dealers and partners. We’ve been hosting this event since 2015. Q: What sets ISC West apart from other trade shows on the calendar? As I mentioned, ISC West provides the highest ROI among other shows in the North America market. This show also brings many of our customers and partners to the city as well. I guess people value this opportunity to meet and discuss the technology, the industry trends, and the business to figure out how we can grow together. Other trade shows might be smaller than ISC West and targeted at different markets or address different scopes of the industry need. Every show we attend in 2019 plays a strategic role for us to communicate with the market and find the customers we are looking for.

Booth number: 8045 Costar Technologies, Inc. is a public company that designs, develops, manufactures and distributes a full range of products for the video surveillance and machine vision markets. Costar consists of five operating companies: Arecont Vision Costar, CohuHD Costar, Costar Video Systems, Innotech, and IVS Imaging. The combined product portfolio consists of surveillance cameras, video surveillance systems, recorders, monitors, lenses, cables, accessories, and cloud-enabled services. For more about their presence at ISC West, we contacted Jeff Whitney, Vice President of Marketing for Arecont Vision Costar, a Costar Technologies, Inc. business unit. In 2005, the technology was extremely new and unproven to the typically risk-adverse security industry Q: What Was The First Year Your Company Exhibited At ISC West? Please Share Your Remembrances Of That Experience. One of our companies, Arecont Vision, exhibited in ISC West booth 17147 in 2005, a tiny space on which the hopes of the company rested. At the time AV was focused on pioneering IP megapixel surveillance cameras, but today we are part of Costar Technologies, offering cameras, VMSs, and recorders. In 2005, the technology was extremely new and unproven to the typically risk-adverse security industry. Talking with those who were with the company at time, the enthusiasm of the booth team reached the security dealers and systems integrators who were attending, helping bring megapixel cameras to a much wider audience. Q: What Strategies Do You Use To Get The Most Out Of Exhibiting At ISC West? The Costar companies have a very deep portfolio of products for the security market, and we bring our latest products from each business unit to ISC West. Attendees come in part to see the latest tech, and we drive our development cycle to have exciting new products to unveil on the show floor. We also have meeting space in the booth to provide one-on-one time with our executives and sales team, while sponsoring free admission to the expo for all who want it. Q: How Do You Quantify Your Success At ISC West? What ROI Do You Receive From The Show? Unveiling our latest products and solutions to existing customers and partners is key to a successful event, and ISC West’s large impact on the industry ensures that many will attend. Perhaps even more important is informing those attending of the strength of the Costar product portfolio, including many Made in USA products and services that others don’t deliver. Both help to drive leads for projects in which we can really benefit our partners and end user customers. Each of our companies will participate in meetings, dinners, and events with our customers and partners throughout the days of the show Q: What Company Activities (Outside The Show Floor) Does Your Company Organize Each Year? A large show like ISC West brings many of the Costar business units together, providing an excellent opportunity to continue bonding as a team, as well as to participate in events beyond the show floor. Each of our companies will participate in meetings, dinners, and events with our customers and partners throughout the days of the show. Q: What Sets ISC West Apart From Other Trade Shows On The Calendar? ISC West brings a very large number of interested, security-focused systems integrators, dealers, consultants, and end user customers all to one place for a three-day expo. That audience and opportunity to share our message validates the investment any large show requires from Costar or others. While some industry events have struggled to find and maintain their audiences, ISC West continues to deliver quality, knowledgeable attendees from across the Americas and around the world.  The show differs from other events we do, which are typically regional in attendance or focused more on specific vertical markets.

Booth number: 12089 At this year's ISC West, VIVOTEK USA, Inc. will be showcasing their 180⁰/360⁰ product line plus other general form factors with new features and benefits, including a cybersecurity application embedded onto the cameras, crowd detection, smart motion detection, tailgating, and many more. In addition to IP cameras, VIVOTEK will display a comprehensive product line that also includes NVRs, video receivers, video servers, PoE switches, and video management software. Q: What Was The First Year Your Company Exhibited At ISC West? Please Share Your Remembrances Of That Experience. We have come a long way from a little-known surveillance manufacturer with a small booth size VIVOTEK has been an exhibitor at ISC West for many years now. Looking back, we have come a long way from a little-known surveillance manufacturer with a small booth size to one of the global providers in the security industry with a recognizable and trusted brand. Now, we are well-known in the industry and are proud of our accomplishments, but we feel greater things are still in front of us. Q: What Strategies Do You Use To Get The Most Out Of Exhibiting At ISC West? Each year, we want our booth to tell our stories – who we are, what we do and what we are capable of, and where we are heading. We do not want to just be another camera manufacturer who only promotes and displays products; we want to be the solution provider that customers are looking for. In addition, we have very knowledgeable sale managers who can assist visitors at our booth who are looking for surveillance, whether it’s an upgrade or a totally new solution. Q: How Do You Quantify Your Success At ISC West? What ROI Do You Receive From The Show? Gain industry knowledge and perspective as to where surveillance security industry is heading Like any trade show, it is difficult to quantify success. We attend ISC West to promote the VIVOTEK brand, meet and discuss with customers and gain industry knowledge and perspective as to where surveillance security industry is heading. If we achieve these, then ISC West is a success for us. Q: What Company Activities (Outside The Show Floor) Does Your Company Organize Each Year? Our main focus each year at ISC West has always been the interaction with customers and potential customers on the show floor. We pride ourselves in the products and technology we offer, and there aren’t any other trade shows in North America to showcase our capabilities than ISC West. Q: What Sets ISC West Apart From Other Trade Shows On The Calendar? ISC West is the industry standard of security trade shows in North America. Since we are a security surveillance manufacturer, ISC West is the one show that all manufacturers in this industry must attend.

Booth number: 26041 March Networks is a global provider of video surveillance and video-based business intelligence solutions. Their product portfolio is end-to-end, ensuring that customers can deploy comprehensive solutions designed to help them address real business challenges and improve performance. At ISC West this year, March Networks will be showcasing new hosted services, new PTZ cameras and additional offerings. Attendees will also be encouraged to discover their solutions for banking, retail, cannabis and transportation – all of which help organizations transform video into business intelligence through the integration of surveillance video, analytics, and data from business systems and IoT devices. For more about their presence at ISC West, we contacted Peter Strom, President and CEO, March Networks. And not surprisingly, the technology was a lot less sophisticated compared to what we see today Q: What was the first year your company exhibited at ISC West? Please share your remembrances of that experience. I believe March Networks first exhibited at ISC West in 2001. I did not join the company until 2003, however I had been working in the industry for several years already, and can recall that the exhibitions back then had a much different feel. For one thing, there weren’t the very large companies we see today dominating a lot of the landscape. And not surprisingly, the technology was a lot less sophisticated compared to what we see today. Anyone who has worked in physical security for a long time can attest to the remarkable shift we have seen over the years, first with the transition from analog to IP video and all that entails, to security analytics, to today’s truly advanced business intelligence applications, hosted solutions, and artificial intelligence, computer vision and similar content analytics. Q: What strategies do you use to get the most out of exhibiting at ISC West? Our most effective strategy by far is scheduling our business meetings in advance of ISC West. Our sales team does a very good job of planning meetings with enterprise end users and channel partners ahead of time, so we’re hitting the ground running even before the doors open on Day 1 of the event. In addition, our channel partners are also very well organized, and know which organizations they are going to bring to our booth during ISC West. This pre-planning saves us a tremendous amount of time and ensures that we make the most of the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the many decision-makers who have traveled to the show. The quality and quantity of our planned business meetings is definitely how our company measures the success of our ISC West participation each year Q: How do you quantify your success at ISC West? What ROI do you receive from the show? The quality and quantity of our planned business meetings is definitely how our company measures the success of our ISC West participation each year. Of course we do track the number and quality of the leads we capture as well; however, our face-to-face meetings with end user organizations and channel partners are the primary measures of our ROI. Q: What company activities (outside the show floor) does your company organize each year? The activities we organize outside of the show floor vary from year to year. We have hosted customer appreciation events and roundtable events. We will typically organize an internal sales meeting as well to take advantage of the fact that many of our salespeople and product managers are in the same location. Q: What sets ISC West apart from other trade shows on the calendar? The timing of ISC West is good for most people, as it is still early enough in the budget cycle for most customers to leverage the show to help make decisions – particularly in our banking, retail, cannabis and transit target verticals. Holding the event consistently in Las Vegas is also beneficial, as it makes it easier for people and exhibitors to plan in advance. The city itself is well equipped to handle large exhibitions, offering everything from a central conference space at the Sands to the convenience of nearby accommodations, restaurants etc. Travel is typically convenient as well. In our opinion, ISC West is the premier industry show in North America and appears to be gaining momentum each year.

Booth number: 34103 Oncam offers industry-leading 360 and 180-degree video technology. The company has the largest range of wide-angle cameras that are open platform and easy to integrate. Unique dewarping technology allows the creation of award-winning video solutions for stakeholders from the C-suite to the security officer in wide range of industry segments. Oncam’s products greatly enhance situational awareness. Oncam recently introduced two specialty cameras to the market: the Evolution ExD camera line for use in potentially explosive atmospheres, harsh and hazardous environments; and the new Evolution 05 and 12 Stainless Steel Camera line, for resilient protection in hazardous environments where resistance to the elements and compliance to stringent regulations are paramount. Q: What Was The First Year Your Company Exhibited At ISC West? Please Share Your Remembrances Of That Experience. We were able to meet a number of new technology partners, integrators and end users in the booth and on the show floorWhile Oncam personnel have been attending the show for a few years, last year was the first year we decided to invest in a booth. It was a great decision given the large number of attendees, leads and valuable conversations we were able to have on the show floor. We were able to meet a number of new technology partners, integrators and end users in the booth and on the show floor. The opportunity to highlight our technology and discuss its potential with new and existing partners was exponentially valuable for our overall business goals. Q: What Strategies Do You Use To Get The Most Out Of Exhibiting At ISC West? For us, relationships are critical to our success. In an effort to maximize our presence on the show floor, we work with strategic alliance and technology partners, to demonstrate our solutions in their booths. Essentially, we are able to highlight not only demo areas within our own space, but across the exhibit hall. Our team is also empowered to talk to our valued partners, engage in conversations with passersby who might not know about our technology, and offer insight to the media on the initiatives we're working on.  Q: How Do You Quantify Your Success At ISC West? What ROI Do You Receive From The Show? Building our brand is all about the relationships we nurture, whether it's with our technology partners, integrator partners or end-user customersBuilding our brand is all about the relationships we nurture, whether it's with our technology partners, integrator partners or end-user customers. As a result, a successful show is one where we're able to have meaningful conversations about the challenges they face, how our solutions can and will meet those needs, and discuss ways we can add more value to projects and partnerships as a whole. We're also focused on meeting end-user customers and educating them on the advantages that wide-angle, single-sensor video solutions can bring to their business.  Q: What Sets ISC West Apart From Other Trade Shows On The Calendar? ISC West has increasingly become the ‘must do’ show for the security industry, which offers companies like ours the advantage of planning and promoting our products before, during and after the show. It also presents an opportunity to meet a variety of end user companies from a number of markets who attend to not only see the latest and greatest products, but attend educational sessions aimed at maximizing their time during the show. Finally, it's always a place where we can talk about and introduce some of the latest advancements in technology, including AI-driven tools, robotics, cameras with higher resolutions — the list goes on and on.

Booth number: 18037 Hikvision will showcase a wide-range of its video surveillance solutions and security products such as its DarkFighterX dual-sensor with patented bi-spectral fusion technology for low light color imaging; thermal technology for critical perimeter applications, as well as preventive maintenance through temperature alarming and fire detection; specialty solutions for vertical markets including retail, education, gaming and commercial real estate with tailored products and valuable business intelligence analytics; TurboHD (HD over coax) for high resolution video using existing cabling; PanoVu and multi-sensor cameras. We will also feature Hikvision’s central management system, HikCentral, which provides a highly-scalable, reliable, and efficient centralized system management. We bring the latest and greatest in technology and a knowledgeable workforce to meet our customers and partners Q: What Was The First Year Your Company Exhibited At ISC West? Please Share Your Remembrances Of That Experience? Hikvision has exhibited at ISC West since 2006. Our presence has grown considerably since then. Each year we showcase Hikvision’s latest technologies and the evolution of the brand through ad campaigns: “Heartbeat of Security” (2016), “Art of Video Surveillance” (2017), and “Achieve Extraordinary” (2018). At ISC West, Hikvision enjoys re-connecting with existing customers and developing new partnerships. Over the years, Hikvision has demonstrated growth and strength within the industry and will continue to support its partners through the dedicated workforce that makes up Hikvision North America.  Q: What Strategies Do You Use To Get The Most Out Of Exhibiting At ISC West? The strategy is simple. We bring the latest and greatest in technology and a knowledgeable workforce to meet our customers and partners. With our latest products displayed at our booth and our team of product managers, vertical-market leaders, and other technical gurus readily available in one place, it’s a great opportunity to connect with our current and future partners. Of course, we also have one-on-one client meetings in our meeting rooms throughout the show. And, we also host interactive experiences including trivia games, product demonstrations, and other technical presentations at the Thought Theater in our booth.  Q: How Do You Quantify Your Success At ISC West? What ROI Do You Receive From The Show? Hikvision quantifies its success with a variety of metrics including traffic throughout the booth, attendance at educational sessions we host, the number of meetings we conduct with customers, and responses from our sales team on the engagement with integrators and end users after the show. We also measure the feedback we receive from our advertising campaigns whether it’s through our signage at the show or coverage in publications.  Q: What Company Activities (Outside The Show Floor) Does Your Company Organize Each Year? We host a Hikvision Partner Celebration @ ISC West, an invitation-only event to celebrate Hikvision Dealer Partners, distribution, technology and design partners We host a Hikvision Partner Celebration @ ISC West, an invitation-only event to celebrate Hikvision Dealer Partners, distribution, technology and design partners, and end users. We consider it a fun way for us to say thank you to our valued partners in a casual setting. We’re also an enthusiastic sponsor of the Mission 500 Security 5/2K. Hikvision is fielding a running team, and we’ve begun our fundraising in earnest. Corporate social responsibility is part of our DNA at Hikvision, and the Security 5/2K is a wonderful way to join with our security industry colleagues to make a difference in kids’ lives and give back. Q: What Sets ISC West Apart From Other Trade Shows On The Calendar? Hikvision attends a variety of important conferences and trade shows throughout the year, but ISC West is the big show that attracts international attendees that everyone looks forward to. We wouldn’t miss it.

Las Vegas is a city that bombards you with choices: dozens of glitzy hotels and casinos, a plethora of restaurants and eateries to satisfy any craving and an endless variety of entertainment guaranteed to delight and amuse. With so many options, it’s hard to decide where to spend your time. The same goes for ISC West. Like the city in which it’s being hosted, ISC West 2019 is going to bombard you with more options than ever before. Dozens of new technologies and vendors as well as old familiar faces will be vying for your attention. With only three days, it’s nearly impossible to explore every booth and every vendor. Ultimately, you’ll want to focus your limited time on companies whose partnership can lead to your organization’s long-term success. In that context, I’d like to suggest a few things to think about as you wend your way through this year’s tradeshow. The Next Wave In IP Technology  The fact that the whole world is going IP is nothing new. The network-based connectivity trend has been ongoing for more than 25 years. What’s changed is the nomenclature. Today it’s all about the Internet of Things (IoT).  What was once exclusively an analog-based video surveillance market has shifted predominantly over to IP For the security industry, the concept of IoT really began with connecting DVRs through a network. Then in 1996, IP cameras – the first true IoT devices – hit the market. Since then, what was once exclusively an analog-based video surveillance market has shifted predominantly over to IP, providing exceptional growth opportunity for any company wanting to be on the leading edge. Today, however, that market is relatively saturated and growing at a much slower rate. In response, consolidation of the market has started to accelerate. Many vendors are disappearing while a select few are becoming stronger. Though the IP video revolution is now a fait accompli, there are still a few ancillary security technologies that are just beginning to jump on the IP convergence bandwagon. I’m referring to two in particular: IP audio systems and IP intercom solutions.  Like their IP video cousins, these relatively new IP systems are built on open platform standards and provide the same benefits for convergence as happened in the camera space: better scalability and ROI, more functionality, and easy integration with third party systems. The technology is a great complement to a customer’s existing IP surveillance system or an ideal replacement for an antiquated analog audio system. So I’d recommend spending time at booths showcasing this technology. Listen to the crystal clear sound quality. Learn from the various vendors how easy IP audio systems are to custom configure, remotely manage and scale. And discover the different ways the IP technology can be used, from paging, public address and broadcasting background music to augmenting security systems and perimeter protection solutions. The potential markets that can benefit from this latest IP technology are wide and varied, everything from hotels, hospitals and transportation hubs to educational institutions and retail chains. So it’s well worth your time to take a look at this growing opportunity. AI has proven to dramatically improving the accuracy of Traffic Incident Detection analytics. But it’s too early in the game to assume that AI can be applied across the board Artificial Intelligence: Hype Vs. Reality Video intelligence or video analytics was the big trend a decade ago. But it quickly fizzled out when hype crashed into reality. In the ensuing years algorithms have greatly improved, leading to more reliable analytic performance. Now it’s commonplace for video surveillance solutions to include a wide range of analytics from motion detection and people counting to dwell time analysis, object left behind and license plate recognition.    The latest hype to capture the imagination is self-learning systems, often referred to as Deep Learning and Artificial intelligence (AI) With analytics gradually becoming mainstream, the latest hype to capture the imagination is self-learning systems, often referred to as Deep Learning and Artificial intelligence (AI). These self-learning applications parse event data and use what they’ve learned from the experience to make determinations or predictions that can increase the accuracy of future alerts. Before you get swept up in all the big promises that have yet to prove deliverable, take time at ISC West to educate yourself about the current state of the technology. AI works well in some areas.  For instance, AI has proven to dramatically improving the accuracy of Traffic Incident Detection analytics. But it’s too early in the game to assume that AI can be applied across the board. Talk to some of the AI vendors at ISC West to learn when and if AI might be right for your organization’s analytic applications. See who has actual, field-proven solutions and who is just offering ideas that might take many years to prove useful in real applications. Connecting With The Right Partner Think of ISC West as the ultimate meet-and-greet. Look around the tradeshow floor and see who might by likely partners Choosing the right partner is as important in business as it is life. Think of ISC West as the ultimate meet-and-greet. Look around the tradeshow floor and see who might by likely partners. You’re sure to find a number of new companies entering the field this year. Also be sure to notice which companies are absent. Have they left the surveillance industry? Are they struggling financially and can no longer afford to show up? If you partnered with them in the past, where does that leave your business today?  As you explore potential vendor relationships, make sure you not only look at the arc of their technology development, but also their long-term financial stability and the kind of support services they offer. Cybersecurity should be front and center on your radar, along with timely updates, product integration with your existing technology and ongoing training to gain the most benefit from your investment. Look into how eco-friendly the vendor’s products are, what they’re doing to recycle, minimize waste and lower their carbon footprint Think of ISC West as the ultimate meet-and-greet - look around the tradeshow floor and see who might by likely partners Another important thing to find out is whether their business ethics align with yours. Is sustainability important to your company? How about corporate social responsibility, diversity and inclusion? Ultimately you want to do business with healthy, innovative companies that share your core values.   If being green is a fundamental principal of your company, look into how eco-friendly the vendor’s products are, what they’re doing to recycle, minimize waste and lower their carbon footprint. If striving for better global citizenship is your corporate mantra, you need to know how the vendor is assuring their operation complies with environmental laws and regulations. In terms of maintaining social and ethical standards, it’s important to know where the vendor stands on issues such as human rights violations, compulsory child labor, fair wages and sourcing minerals from countries in armed conflict.  Go In With A Plan There’s so much to discover at ISC West this year that four days isn’t nearly enough time to see it all. So you’ll have to strategically pick and choose which booths and vendors to visit. I’d advise that you plan out your days in advance so that you can get the most value from the choices you make.

ISC West continues to innovate and adapt to the changing needs of the security marketplace. In 2019, there will be 200 new exhibitors, 100 new speakers and an expanding mix of attendees that includes more end users and international attendees. The International Security Conference & Exposition (ISC West) will be held April 10-12 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. Among the more than 200 new exhibitors on the show floor will be Dell Technologies, Resideo, SAST (a Bosch IoT startup), Belkin International, NetApp, Lenovo, Kingston Technology and many others. The event continues to see more and more solutions in the area of IoT/connected security, a surge in barrier/bollards exhibitors, an increased number of start-up companies, and an emphasis this year on stadium/major events security. Plus, the new exhibit area of ISC West, Venetian Ballroom, will include a mix of solutions from mid-sized domestic and international companies, and is the home of the Emerging Technology Zone – back for its second year with 50-plus start-up companies expected.  The International Security Conference & Exposition (ISC West) will be held April 10-12 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas “ISC West is no longer just about video cameras, access control systems and alarms,” says Will Wise, Group Vice President, Security Portfolio for Reed Exhibitions, which produces and manages ISC West. Embracing and stimulating the market dynamic of comprehensive security for a safer, connected world, solutions on display at the show reflect convergence across physical security, IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology). The ISC West expo floor includes specialized featured areas such Connected Home, Public Safety & Security, Connected Security, Unmanned Security Expo and the Emerging Technology Zone. Plus, complimentary education sessions in the Unmanned Security Expo theatre will include topics such as drones, counter-drone solutions, ground robotics and regulations/policies that support autonomous technology. This year’s event will feature more than 1,000 products and brands covering everything from video surveillance, access control and alarms/alerts, to IoT, IT/cybersecurity convergence, AI, embedded systems, drones and robotics, smart homes, smart cities, public safety and more. The ISC West expo floor includes specialized featured areas such Connected Home and the Emerging Technology Zone  Elevating the Keynote Series  Over the past few years, ISC West has elevated its Keynote Series (open to all attendee types) to include more speakers and dynamic content covering relevant topics. Attendees should be sure to head to the Keynote room Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 8:30 a.m. before the expo floor opens at 10 a.m.  Relating to attendance, ISC West continues to diversify and grow the attendee universe by attracting additional enterprise government end-users across physical and IT/OT responsibilities. The show also continues to attract and grow the channel audience, and there will be an increasing number of International attendees.  “Years ago, ISC West was known exclusively as a dealer/integrator/installer show, but not anymore,” says Wise. “Today, the demographic mix continues to evolve as the event diversifies its product and educational offerings, embracing the current market reality of collaboration among integrators/dealers/installers, end-user decision-makers, and public safety and security professionals.”  When planning for the show, be sure to view the list of special events and take advantage of the additional connection-making opportunities Within the SIA Education@ISC West conference program, there are over 100 new speakers. Through ISC West’s strong partnership with the Security Industry Association (SIA, the Premier Sponsor of ISC), the SIA Education@ISC West program has expanded and become increasingly dynamic and diverse over the last three years. In addition, ISC West and SIA are hosting a Women in Security breakfast on Friday morning April 12th.  Women in Security is a new track for the education program.    “Our attendance data reflects the demand for a mix of physical security integrator and end-user content, a balance of technical and management/strategic topics, and diverse topics incorporating IoT and cybersecurity/physical security convergence, and analytics expertise,” says Wise. “Last year was a record year for conference program attendance, and 2019 will yet again set new benchmarks.” Mobile apps, information desks and ease of registration ISC West is also focusing on the attendee experience. Need advice on what exhibitors are a fit for your business needs and interests? The Information Desk adjacent to the main expo entrance will provide customized recommendations based on the information attendees provided during the registration process.  Attendees can download the official ISC West mobile app and create a MyShow account through the ISC West website Attendees can download the official ISC West mobile app and create a MyShow account through the ISC West website to research exhibitors and product categories, receive exhibitor recommendations that best fit business needs, review complimentary educational opportunities as well as 85-plus sessions from the paid SIA Education@ISC program.  There are many networking opportunities being offered at the show this year. When planning for the show, be sure to view the list of special events and take advantage of the additional connection-making opportunities.  Whether attendees want to network with peers or customers at an awards ceremony (Sammy Awards, Fast 50, New Product Showcase Awards), Charity event (AIREF Golf Classic, Mission 500 Security 5K-2K Run/Walk), or an industry party (SIA Market Leaders Reception, ISC West Customer Appreciation Party at Tao), there are a variety of special events offered, all designed to help you make new connections. Make sure to check out the ISC West website for all the Special Events taking place at ISC West.

The industry faces numerous challenges in the coming year. Physical and cyber security threats continue to become more complex, and organizations are struggling to manage both physical and digital credentials as well as a rapidly growing number of connected endpoints in the Internet of Things (IoT). We are witnessing the collision of the enterprise with the IoT, and organizations now must establish trust and validate the identity of people as well as ‘things’ in an environment of increasingly stringent safety and data privacy regulations. Meanwhile, demand grows for smarter and more data-driven workplaces, a risk-based approach to threat protection, improved productivity and seamless, more convenient access to the enterprise and its physical and digital assets and services. Using Smartphone Apps To Open Doors Cloud technologies give people access through their mobile phones and other devices to many new, high-value experiencesEnterprise customers increasingly want to create trusted environments within which they can deliver valuable new user experiences. A major driver is growing demand for the ‘digital cohesion’ of being able to use smartphone apps to open doors, authenticate to enterprise data resources or access a building’s applications and services. Cloud technologies are a key piece of the solution. They give people access through their mobile phones and other devices to many new, high-value experiences. At the same time, they help fuel smarter, more data-driven workplace environments. With the arrival of today’s identity- and location-aware building systems that recognize people and use deep learning analytics to customize their office environment, the workplace is undergoing dramatic change. Improved Fingerprint Solutions Cloud-based platforms and application programming interfaces (APIs) will help bridge biometrics and access control in the enterprise, overcoming previous integration hurdles while providing a trusted platform that meets the concerns of accessibility and data protection in a connected environment. At the same time, the next generation of fingerprint solutions will deliver higher matching speed, better image capture quality and improved performance. The next generation of fingerprint solutions will deliver higher matching speed, better image capture quality and improved performance Liveness detection will ensure that captured data is from a living person. Biometrics authentication will also gain traction beyond access control in immigration and border control, law enforcement, military, defense and other public section use cases where higher security is needed. Flexible Subscription Models Access control solutions based on cloud platforms will also change how solutions are deployed. Siloed security and workplace optimization solutions will be replaced with mobile apps that can be downloaded anywhere across a global ecosystem of millions of compatible and connected physical access control system endpoints. These connections will also facilitate new, more flexible subscription models for access control services. As an example, users will be able to more easily replenish mobile IDs if their smartphones are lost or must be replaced. Generating Valuable Insights With Machine Learning Machine learning analytics will be used to generate valuable insights from today’s access control solutionsEducation, finance, healthcare, enterprise, and other niche markets such as commercial real-estate and enterprises focused on co-working spaces will benefit from a cloud-connected access control hardware foundation. There will be a faster path from design to deployment since developers will no longer have to create an entire vertically integrated solution. They will simply add an app experience to the existing access control infrastructure. New players will be drawn to the market resulting in a richer, more vibrant development community and accelerated innovation. Data analytics will be a rapidly growing area of interest. Machine learning analytics will be used to generate valuable insights from today’s access control solutions. Devices, access control systems, IoT applications, digital certificates and location services solutions, which are all connected to the cloud, will collectively deliver robust data with which to apply advanced analytics and risk-based intelligence. As organizations incorporate this type of analytics engine into their access control systems, they will improve security and personalize the user experience while driving better business decisions. 

If you’re heading to ISC West in Las Vegas this year, it’s helpful to acknowledge immediately that there’s no way you can experience all aspects of the show. Just not enough time and too many options. Once you give up on seeing everything, you can immediately lower stress. But you also raise the stakes in terms of picking and choosing exactly what you have time for – or want to make time for. Hoping to help out as we all set our ISC West priorities, here are some ways to make the most of ISC West. Get There Early If you think the show starts on Wednesday (April 10), you have already missed the boat. Wednesday is the first day of the ISC West Exhibition, but there is a whole day of conference programming the day before – on Tuesday, the 9th. So plan to arrive early for conference sessions such as the End User Physical Security and Strategic Management tracks, a whole day of presentations by the PSA Security Network, and many other conference sessions. Learn From The Best You can also learn about Body-Worn Cameras for Government Personnel, School Safety and Private SecurityWant to hear about Taming the Surveillance Data Monster? There’s a session on Thursday. Want to learn about Establishing a Corporate Drone Program? That session is on Wednesday the 10th. They’re among the wealth of information-sharing sessions at ISC West. You can also learn about Body-Worn Cameras for Government Personnel, School Safety and Private Security; 3D Virtualization for Physical Security; and Using Enterprise Security Risk Management to Define Security's Value. Plan For The Future So much at ISC West is geared toward the future – new opportunities, tomorrow’s hot new product, and the start of business ventures that will be profitable for years to come. Some of the conference sessions are especially forward-looking, too, including a session on Thursday about the Stadium of the Future. A session called Getting Smarter and Safer: The Campuses of Tomorrow is on Wednesday, April 10. Another Wednesday session is Meet the Jetsons: Understanding the Promise and Challenges of Smart Cities. The Vision of the Future of the ISOC (Intelligent Security Operations Center) is on Thursday, as is the Smart Home of the Future session. All in all, ISC West can help you focus on the future in a big way.  Meet Someone New Programs like SIA’s New Product Showcase can help, by recognizing innovation in a variety of product categoriesISC West sometimes emits the vibe of a yearly reunion of friends (who happen to be in business together). It’s great to see old friends again, but we shouldn’t miss the chance to meet new people, too. There is a multitude of networking events related to the industry’s big spring gathering, so the opportunities to expand one’s network and meet new people are abundant. Making the most of them takes effort, and some level of strategy. And there are also other, not-so-obvious moments to make new friends and acquaintances – whether it’s sharing a taxi or waiting for the next session to start. Bring a lot of business cards Find Something New The chance to view industry innovation is a huge draw of ISC West, but it can take discipline to separate the wheat from the chaff. The latest-and-greatest could literally be anywhere on that big trade show floor. Programs like SIA’s New Product Showcase can help, by recognizing innovation in a variety of product categories. The announcements of winners will be made on April 10, and, historically, these awards have gone to some of the newest and most innovative products at ISC West. A What’s New at ISC West session on Wednesday can provide additional guidance. Do Good In Addition To Doing Well A 10-year tradition at ISC West is the Security 5K/2k Run/Walk, a charity event benefiting Mission 500’s fundraising efforts to assist children in crisisISC West is all about business, but there’s also a specific opportunity to help make the world a better place. A 10-year tradition at ISC West is the Security 5K/2k Run/Walk, a charity event benefiting Mission 500’s fundraising efforts to assist children in crisis around the world. Why not avoid a late night on April 10th and rise early on the 11th to be a part of a remarkable event that has united the security industry to provide aid for children in need? Say Thank You Showing gratitude is an under-emphasized opportunity at ISC West, where the promise of new fortunes can eclipse our successes of the past. We will all see colleagues and friends we have been doing business with for years, so what better time to express a simple ‘thank you’, buy them a drink, propose a toast, celebrate? Helping to set a tone of gratitude is the ‘Official ISC West Customer Appreciation Party’ on Thursday. Parties are one way to say thanks, and a heartfelt verbal expression is another. ISC West will provide plenty of both – and they’re not to be missed.

From robots to drones to counter-drone solutions, a range of new technologies will be displayed at ISC West 2019. The Unmanned Security Expo will return, including a dedicated complimentary education theater for attendees offering sessions on a range of topics. UAVs, UGVs And Autonomous Systems Also included will be demos of the best UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), UGVs (unmanned ground robotics and vehicles) and autonomous systems on the market. The market growth for unmanned technologies being used for security and safety benefits is progressing at a rapid pace. Let’s look at some of the exhibitors in the 2019 Unmanned Security Expo: Cobalt Robotics' robots are purpose-built for a specific use case, providing after-hours support and security for corporate locations Cobalt Robotics' robots are purpose-built for a specific use case, providing after-hours support and security for corporate locations. Indoor environments, which are confined and controlled, present fewer navigation challenges for robots, which can quickly become familiar with the surroundings and navigate easily through an office space. Indoor robots can provide benefits beyond security, too, such as facility management, promoting employee health and safety, and emergency response Compact Surveillance Radar (CSR) System SpotterRF provides the world’s most advanced compact surveillance radar (CSR) system for affordable wide-area, all-weather perimeter security and small force protection. Incorporated in 2009, the company attained profitability quickly and is ahead of forecasts. Dedrone has remained at the front of the issue of drone threats, integrating installations to military bases, stadiums, public events, and private individuals. The company has expanded its operations to include a new office in Washington, D.C, and has continued to upgrade its DroneTracker software. DroneTracker is the industry’s first airspace security solution that includes automated summary reporting for instant diagnosis of drone airspace activity. Airspace Security And Drone Tracker Magos Systems is a state-of-the-art radar technology and perimeter protection solutions provider Magos Systems is a state-of-the-art radar technology and perimeter protection solutions provider. Founded in 2007 in Israel, Magos first specialized in advanced radar solutions for the military and defense markets. In 2015, Magos’ technology was declassified, allowing the company to focus on developing best-in-class systems for the commercial security market. Today, Magos radars are used in over 30 countries in critical infrastructure, data centers, electric utility sub stations, and oil refineries as well as in other commercial verticals like vineyards and car lots. Now, Magos is positioned to see increased adoption of its solutions in the U.S. Patriot One Technologies Inc. develops solutions to detect concealed weapons, utilizing novel radar technologies. Their innovative radar technology provides first responders and security personnel valuable time in active threat scenarios. The technology offers stand-off detection of concealed threats typically employed in public locations. These are just a few of the exhibitors in the Unmanned Security Expo. They represent technologies that will help to shape the future of the security marketplace.

Application of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning in the physical security market runs a gamut from cloud computing to edge computing. A variety of hardware solutions enable AI to be deployed at any level of a system from the cloud to edge devices such as security cameras. Smarter AI-Powered Applications A distributed structure can incorporate cloud computing and edge computing. It extends the Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm from the cloud, to an edge network of on-premises video recorders and servers, and further to edge devices like the security cameras. The three-layer architecture all supports the goal to build a new class of AI-powered applications, being even smarter and faster. A combination of in-camera video analytics and deep learning capabilities in the cloud can improve video analyticsA combination of in-camera video analytics and deep learning capabilities in the cloud can improve video analytics. Cameras can be equipped with basic video analytics, and they are tied into a cloud infrastructure that provides additional deep learning algorithms. The cameras provide computer vision pre-processing, with the bulk of detailed analysis happening in a neural network in the cloud. Data capture form to appear here! The software-as-a-service (SaaS, or cloud) model gives companies the resources to improve deep learning. Systems are more accurate and can scale better and faster, using a larger data set from multiple customers accessing the cloud-based system. One customer benefits from another customer, and all the knowledge is aggregated together. Distribution Of Data From Edge To Cloud Cloud computing allows users with various computing capabilities to store and process data either in a privately-owned cloud or on a third-party server located in a data center. However, with the computing business becoming more and more versatile and complicated, the demand for data processing performance is even higher. In the process of data transition to the cloud, cloud computing consumes tremendous network resources and time, which all result in network congestion and low reliability. Distribution of data throughout a system, from the edge to the cloud, relieves pressure at any one point Distribution of data throughout a system, from the edge to the cloud, relieves pressure at any one point. With AI algorithms woven into edge devices, only selected information such as an individual or a vehicle in a video image will be extracted and sent which significantly enhances the transition efficiency and reduces the network bandwidth, while still sustaining high quality and accuracy. The Cloud Adds AI Capabilities The cloud provides additional data computing capabilities required for AI and deep learning applications. A single Amazon Web Services data center has between 50,000 and 80,000 servers. All told, observers estimate Amazon Web Services may have between 3 million and 5 million servers. The other major cloud services — Google, Microsoft, VMware, Citrix and others — add additional millions of servers. Amazon Web Services offers a broad and deep set of machine learning and AI services for a business AWS (Amazon Web Services) offers a broad and deep set of machine learning and AI services for a business. In effect, the service puts machine learning in the hands of any developer, enabling them to build, train and deploy machine learning models. On behalf of customers, AWS is focused on solving some of the toughest challenges that hold back machine learning from being in the hands of every developer. Capabilities are built on a comprehensive cloud platform optimized for machine learning with high-performance and no compromises on security and analytics. Advantages Of Edge Systems Deep learning and neural network computing are everywhere. They are now widely available in on-premises computers, in systems embedded in edge devices, and even in the cloud. The edge is particularly important in the video surveillance market, enabling systems to function despite any bandwidth or latency issues that would limit the effectiveness of a central server-based system. Edge-based functionality also limits concerns about the privacy of information and eliminates dependence on the availability of 3G connectivity. Edge computing makes it possible to ensure data is more private, rather than having it reside in a private or public cloud Artificial intelligence (AI) is a very computational-intensive process, and doing that processing at the edge avoids the need to do it centrally, whether in the cloud or in an on-premises computer. In the case of video cameras, in particular, there isn’t enough bandwidth to transfer video data across a network infrastructure to be processed. Half the populated world has Internet speeds of less than 8 mbps, which can’t possibly handle the level of data required for new intelligence applications. Latency is another advantage of intelligence residing at the edge. Applications increasingly require little to no latency (less than 200 milliseconds), and transferring data to be processed elsewhere takes time. Edge computing also makes it possible to ensure data is more private, rather than having it reside in a private or public cloud or on premises. Higher computing ability and efficiency of embedded systems at the edge are paving the way for physical security devices with intelligence far beyond what the industry now has to work with.

  The Dahl Auto Plaza in Winona, Minnesota is part of an auto dynasty that first began in 1911, when Andrew H. Dahl began selling Ford Model T’s out of his general store in Westby, Wisconsin. The company is in its fifth generation of Dahl family ownership with over a century of growth behind it. Today Dahl operates three dealership campuses throughout the Midwestern United States that are home to Subaru, Hyundai, Mazda, Toyota, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Ford, and Lincoln automobile franchises. During construction of the new Dahl Auto Plaza in Winona, the installation of a video surveillance system was a required part of the planning. Arecont Vision became the go-to manufacturer for all the dealership’s surveillance cameras. Video Surveillance System Challenge Winona’s Dahl is home to three different dealerships on a single campus — Chevy, Toyota, and the Dahl Used Car Express Service Center. The company needed a comprehensive video surveillance system to monitor its parking lots and service bays for traffic, customer flow, vehicle flow, vandalism, and theft. With a desired 15-16 camera limit to cover such a large amount of space, cameras with high image quality and flexibility were essential to the new surveillance system’s success. No other camera manufacturer could compete with the price and performance of the Arecont Vision Omni series Arecont Vision Try-and-Buy Program The implementation of Arecont Vision megapixel cameras at Dahl Winona began with the use of Arecont Vision’s Try-and-Buy program at the recommendation of Russ Neitzke, President and Founder of systems integrator Digicom, Inc. Cameras selected for a Try-and-Buy trial can be returned by the systems integrator for a full refund of the purchase price if the customer is unsatisfied. The only cameras considered for the Dahl video surveillance system were Arecont Vision SurroundVideo Omni models after they were tested. “No other camera manufacturer could compete with the price and performance of the Arecont Vision Omni series,” Mr. Neitzke said. “As a result, no other surveillance camera manufacturers were recommended by Digicom, Inc. or would be able to so effectively cover the 15 acres of new and used vehicle display, public access, and vehicle service areas at the new Dahl Auto Plaza.” SurroundVideo Omni Unique Design The SurroundVideo Omni series features a unique, patented 360o track design. Each camera includes four individual megapixel (MP) sensors mounted in multi-axis gimbals that can be independently placed and aimed in nearly any configuration, allowing coverage to be highly customized to specific project requirements. With features like remote focus in the SurroundVideo Omni G2, interchangeable lenses and high-resolution capabilities (12 and 20MP) in both G1 and G2 series models, the versatility of this camera family is unmatched. For large open spaces such as those found at the new Dahl campus, the SurroundVideo Omni series provides high resolution, omni-directional video in a rugged, low profile enclosure suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The cameras are IK-10 impact resistant and IP66 environmental rated against dust and water, making them ideal for Dahl’s requirements. Reduced Need For Multiple Cameras Most critical for Dahl were the SurroundVideo Omni series benefits of low maintenance, high video resolution, and the ability to reduce the number of cameras required for full situational awareness throughout the campus. The SurroundVideo Omni 12MP models selected include Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology, which aids in producing high quality, clear images even in challenging light situations. The SurroundVideo Omni reduces the need for multiple cameras to cover open spaces, saving the customer money With Digicom Inc. designing the surveillance and installation plans, Dahl was in good hands. Dahl selected the SurroundVideo Omni series, reaping the significant benefit of reduced installation time. Each sensor gimbal in a SurroundVideo Omni is magnetically set in place around the 70+ placement-point omnidirectional track and then quickly locked down during installation. The SurroundVideo Omni reduces the need for multiple cameras to cover open spaces, saving the customer money on both camera cost and installation requirements. Without the need for the constantly moving parts of a legacy Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera, there are no parts, gears, belts, or motors to wear out and to require maintenance in the SurroundVideo Omni series. This reduces ongoing operational costs. This makes it easy for the installer to arrange an ideal coverage layout. Another significant selling point for Dahl was that each SurroundVideo Omni camera requires only a single IP category 5 PoE (Power over Ethernet) cable, which reduces both complexity and installation cost. ExacqVision VMS Dahl can monitor the surveillance system locally, corporate-wide, and on various smartphones and tablets. Arecont Vision Technology Partner Program member ExacqVision is utilised for the video management system (VMS). A single ExacqVision VMS license is required for each SurroundVideo Omni camera, while providing four high-definition video views. Arecont Vision cameras are certified with ExacqVision and the VMS is installed in the Arecont Vision MegaLab™ to enable ongoing collaboration between the two companies and to ensure the best possible integration and support for customers. Dahl can monitor the surveillance system locally, corporate-wide, and on various smartphones and tablets Arecont Success At Dahl The Arecont Vision SurroundVideo Omni cameras at Dahl have been a great success, with high customer satisfaction. “Basically,” Mr. Neitzke stated, “The coverage that you get with the SurroundVideo Omni is really like buying four cameras in one.” Being able to effectively cover Dahl’s range of campus requirements with fewer cameras and lower purchase, installation, and operational costs meant that Arecont Vision has hit all the required marks for this project, according to Mr. Neitzke. The system has performed incredibly well, with few issues from the end-user. On the rare occasion when an issue has popped up, the Arecont Vision team has been responsive to the customer’s needs, providing technical support, advanced replacements, or any other kind of assistance Dahl has needed for the surveillance system. Future Projects Arecont Vision and Dahl are now planning a second, even larger project at Dahl’s campus in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin. Dahl plans on upgrading this campus with a new surveillance system for indoor and outdoor spaces with Arecont Vision cameras. Digicom, Inc. and the Arecont Vision Field Application Engineering groups are developing a campus-wide plan for this next project. SurroundVideo Omni will be ready to be deployed yet again whenever Dahl needs it.

Located within 10 miles of the U.S.A. - Mexico border on the southern tip of Texas, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) serves most of the cities of Harlingen and Palm Valley, the towns of Combes and Primera, and portions of unincorporated Cameron County, including the communities of Las Palmas-Juarez and Lasana. Over 18,000 students are enrolled in 29 schools across these communities. The school system has seventeen elementary schools, five middle schools, a ninth grade academy, two comprehensive high schools, a medical high school, an early college high school, and two alternative high schools. Four-Year IP Surveillance Migration Plan High-quality video is required to identify and prevent incidents, as well as to provide detailed information to law enforcement and first responders in case of an emergency. Harlingen CISD’s analog system was unable to deliver high resolution images, leaving district schools with un-actionable video. Other deficiencies of the system included image instability, limited network accessibility across the district, and inadequate storage capacity to support additional cameras for increased coverage. Recognizing the shortcomings of its analog system, Harlingen CISD developed a four-year migration plan to replace it with an IP surveillance system. Arecont Vision Megapixel Solution After an extensive RFP (Request for Proposals) process, Harlingen CISD contracted with Calence Physical Security Solutions, LLC, headquartered in Austin, Texas. A local Calence branch in nearby McAllen, Texas delivered the video system upgrade project. Harlingen CISD selected Arecont Vision®, which provided the best combination of high-quality video and a competitive price point for megapixel cameras. Exacq Technologies was selected as the video management system (VMS) software, network video recorder and system health monitoring provider. The first phase of the upgrade was for two high schools, one middle school, and the ninth-grade academy. Included as well was the district’s new 15-acre agricultural farm, where students have the opportunity to learn to work with and care for animals. “We’ve been very impressed with the quality of the video provided by the Arecont Vision® cameras, which is a significant upgrade" Over 180 Arecont Vision® MegaDome® 2, MegaView®, and SurroundVideo® IP megapixel cameras were installed in these five locations. Local security officers monitor video from the cameras using the exacqVision Enterprise VMS software and exacqVision Enterprise System Manager (ESM). From ESM, school security officers can easily monitor the server and system health including camera connections. exacqVision ESM ensures video is properly recording from each Arecont Vision® camera. The high-quality video and expanded coverage area provided by the Arecont Vision® cameras allows the district security personnel to zoom in on live and recorded images. This enables the security personnel to identify individuals involved in an incident and to review what may have precipitated the incident. These benefits can be achieved without affecting overall coverage and without sacrifices in image quality. Remote Network Access The Arecont Vision® cameras installed at Harlingen CISD can be accessed district-wide via the network. Instead of having to physically travel to a location to view video following an event, security personnel can access any Arecont Vision® camera and exacqVision Z-Series recorder on the network remotely through the exacqVision client or mobile app. The increased storage capacity of the new system accommodates larger video archives. This allows security personnel to retrieve and view forensic video recorded by the Arecont Vision® cameras from the period before an event occurs to aid in investigations. “We’ve been very impressed with the quality of the video provided by the Arecont Vision® cameras, which is a significant upgrade over the previous system. Their stability and ease of use further contribute to our overall satisfaction with this new system,” says Ken Lee, Administrator for District Operations, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District.

The Customer Located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) is one of the largest and most diverse community colleges in the state, serving more than 10,000 students enrolled in 60 degree and certificate programmes. With a rich tradition of excellence in teaching and learning, NHCC offers an exceptional student experience at one of the safest campuses in the country. NHCC’s all-inclusive public safety program includes regular foot and vehicle patrol, set building alarms, access control and a campus-wide surveillance system. To further enhance student safety, NHCC has also installed MicroPower Technologies’ solar-powered, wireless MicroPower Surveillance Platform in its main parking lot for powerful, cost-effective and reliable 24x7 coverage. The Challenge Campus safety is a top priority for college administrators, who are constantly looking for new ways to provide an open academic environment while ensuring student safety. With a far-reaching security plan already in place, North Hennepin Community College was left with one area that needed better coverage: the school’s parking lots. “We see a large amount of activity in our parking lots, ranging from vehicle break-ins and tampering to hit and run accidents, which we have not been able to effectively monitor with our existing cameras,” explained Erik Pakieser, Director of Public Safety at NHCC. “Staff, students and parents have asked for more coverage in these areas and we are committed to meeting their needs.” However, limited by budget, the college simply could not afford to install a surveillance system that would require trenching concrete to install electrical and network cables. In addition, the building that would have to support any additional hardwired cameras in the parking lots did not have an adequate power supply. “Every time we discussed parking lot surveillance, the conversation was over before it began because of the extraordinarily high costs of hardwiring,” added Pakieser. On the recommendation of Paragon, a single-source provider of converged IP/IT security solutions, NHCC selected the MicroPower Surveillance Platform to monitor activity across the South West Parking Lot, the campus’ main parking area. “We didn’t look at any other solutions,” asserted Pakieser. “MicroPower was the only wireless solution available that would allow us the cover such a large area without running network or power cables, and deliver video we required.” MicroPower Solution NHCC installed 10 MicroPower video surveillance cameras mounted on 40-foot light poles throughout the parking lot . As an open-platform system, MicroPower is managed using the existing Milestone Video Management System for easy, central monitoring. “We couldn’t afford to invest in a separate client, so it was imperative that the new platform integrate seamlessly with the Milestone VMS,” noted Pakieser. “If not, it would’ve been a deal-breaker.” Public safety, human resource and maintenance personnel have access to the MicroPower platform, which is monitored in real-time by Public Safety officers. “Our officers like the MicroPower surveillance platform because they can see so much more than before and it is easy to manage using the familiar Milestone software,” said Pakieser. The MicroPower Surveillance Platform is used primarily for public safety reasons, but human sauces sometimes leverages footage to resolve employee issues or liability claims. “All feedback on the new systems has been very positive.” NHCC installed 10 MicroPower camerasthroughout the parking lot, which aremanaged using the existingMilestone Video Management System Paragon installed the MicroPower platform without difficulty, and all users were up and running with minimal training. “We upgraded the CMS to gain enhanced functionality with the MicroPower platform,” added Pakieser. “Now, we have access to more search and playback featured that let us better leverage the excellent surveillance footage we have of the parking lot.” Results According to Pakieser, the top selling feature of the MicroPower Surveillance Platform is the dramatic cost-savings it delivers. Its unique zero-cable design minimizes deployment time, reduces installation complexity and does not require trenching. “There was simply no way we could’ve moved forward if we had to trench, so having a wireless option was a very, very big deal," stated Pakieser. A hardwired surveillance system would’ve cost thousands more, making it unfeasible. “A wireless solution was the difference between having parking lot surveillance and not.” The college has also seen a reduction in operational expenses since deploying the solar-powered MicroPower Surveillance Platform, which operates on only ¾ Watts and supplies a minimum of five days of back-up power on a single charge of its battery packs. “We can cut our electricity costs because we aren’t powering the cameras,” said Pakieser, who added that the college doesn’t have to worry about overloading its existing power supply either. “MicroPower helps with our budget and allows us to reduce our environmental footprint – a fact that has been well-received by the campus community.” Maintenance costs have also been lowered, due in part to the durability of the cameras. In fact, the college has experienced no downtime since they were installed. “The cameras also hold up well under the extreme weather conditions here in Minnesota,” said Pakieser. In fact, the system has required little to no maintenance so far. Public Service officers also save time because they no longer have to patrol the area on foot. “We can use the system in lieu of foot patrol, and quickly and easily review high-quality video to expedite investigations.” Pakieser also likes that MicroPower incorporates security features and a robust wireless network protocol to ensure that video data is protected and highly available, even in the event of network disruptions. “The IT team had no problem getting the platform running on the network and can easily support the system to ensure optimal uptime”. The MicroPower solution has changed the face of security at NHCC, providing remote, wireless surveillance where it was once impossible. “From a security standpoint, the MicroPower platform has been a huge help in our daily monitoring and investigating of parking lot incidents and a proactive step towards complete, campus-wide security,” concluded Pakieser. By providing high-quality video footage of the parking lot, the new system will also help reduce the potentially high costs of liability claims. “We are very happy with the performance, reliability and cost-effectiveness of the MicroPower Surveillance Platform and plan to install it across our other two working parking in the very near future”.

Customer Butler University is a liberal arts school situated in a residential area, five miles from downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The University has an enrollment of approximately 4,500 students and offers over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges. Butler University’s 300 acre campus includes more than 30 buildings as well as a 20 acre garden, an observatory, and water areas. Challenge All universities today are looking for ways to improve physical security in order to provide a safer, more secure environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. At Butler University, the administration believed that upgrading their existing video surveillance to a fully digital IP system with high resolution video surveillance cameras would help accomplish this goal. The immediate need was to make improvements to the University’s outdoor coverage, and longer term to increase indoor surveillance. Accomplishing these objectives required the assistance of a knowledgeable system integrator – a partner who was experienced in providing IP megapixel solutions and a firm who could work hand-in-hand with multiple University stakeholders. For this, the University chose KST Security of Indianapolis. Megapixel Solution Butler University started the surveillance improvement project by evaluating various cameras and their capabilities to provide high quality images in an outdoor environment. The conclusion was that Arecont Vision® panoramic megapixel cameras delivered the best image details and, because of their 180° and 360° capability, would be the most cost effective solution. The many additional features standard in the Arecont Vision® megapixel cameras, such as motion detection, true day/night functionality, wide dynamic range, vandal-resistant housings, and remote focus/remote zoom, made the decision even easier. Working with KST, school administrators next set out to develop and implement a deployment plan for the outdoor phase of the upgrade. As the project integrator, KST worked closely with Butler University’s police and IT department personnel to ensure effective camera placements and integration with the existing exacqVision video management system (VMS) software. Megapixel Benefit The decision to implement Arecont Vision® panoramic megapixel cameras provided immediate system improvements for the university. Not only did the cameras provide outstanding picture quality of high traffic areas such as parking lots and student housing areas, but the cameras performed equally as well in the heavily wooded areas where walkways connect the main campus to the school’s athletic facilities. The 180- and 360-degree cameras continuously capture a much wider field of view than other camera choices and the school receives complete coverage with fewer cameras overall. The Arecont Vision® cameras feature H.264 compression technology to dramatically reduce bandwidth over the school’s fiber and copper transmission system. Video is captured at full motion and full resolution without compromising image quality at any point in the process. The open standards-based cameras easily integrate with the exacqVision VMS software. “The improvement in the quality and performance of our video surveillance system with the Arecont Vision® megapixel cameras is incredible,” said Bill Weber, Assistant Chief of Police, Butler University. “The 360 degree views have made a tremendous difference in providing a safer and more secure campus.” Based on the success of the outdoor camera installation, the school also installed Arecont Vision® panoramic megapixel cameras for indoor use. Arecont Vision® megapixel cameras selected by Butler University were the AV12186DN and AV20185DN SurroundVideo® panoramic cameras and the AV12176DN SurroundVideo® Omni IP panoramic camera series.

In summer 2013, The University of Colorado at Boulder, commonly referred to as CU-Boulder, completed its project to install 5,700 SALTO RFID locks, replacing their previous magnetic stripe locks throughout all of the University’s residence halls. SALTO Systems’ use of RFID technology (Mifare, NFC, Desfire EV1), its robust architecture, and its ease of use all combined to make SALTO the clear choice for the future of CU-Boulder’s residence halls. Increased security awareness, aging infrastructure and pressure to cut operating costs are just some of the many reasons why schools, colleges and universities look to find new ways to enhance campus security. Multi-purpose access control system Student housing in particular is often a key area for upgrade. While each campus housing program is tailored to its individual location, many of the tasks it is required to perform are common across the country. These include assigning rooms, distributing keys, retrieving old keys and issuing new ones, and this can be a time consuming task that can involve large numbers of staff and lengthy waits for students. Then, there is the matter of lost keys and their associated costs which only adds to the workload. Add to this, that older systems used a card that was just a standard key. Today that same card is now almost certainly going to be a student ID card as well as a room key, campus key, and be used for managing in-room energy usage, purchasing food, study supplies, bookstore supplies and riding the bus to class. Being required to handle all this, plus providing facility management (remote lock/unlock, scheduling, access rights) requires a more modern approach to security. It needs an increasingly multi-layered approach that can maximize overall security now, while providing flexible future proof technology that will deliver lasting dollar value for the years ahead. An example of such a multi-purpose access control system installation can now be seen at the University of Colorado Boulder, which has just completed installation of some 3,900 SALTO RFID XS4 keypad locks and 1,800 non- keypad locks. Time to upgrade technology CU-Boulder is the flagship of the four-campus University of Colorado System, which also includes the University of Colorado Denver, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and University of Colorado Springs. Situated on one of the most spectacular campuses in the country, it offers approximately 3,600 courses in 150 fields of study in arts and sciences, business, education, engineering, environmental design, journalism, law and music. There are currently 26 residence halls on campus at CU- Boulder. The residence hall room types range from singles to four person rooms and others with apartment style amenities. Along with that, there are some rooms that have more amenities than others, including a full bathroom and/or a kitchen. The majority of the students living in the residence halls are freshmen, but any year student can live on campus. There are several communities of residence halls located throughout the campus and in a separate area called Williams Village, which is connected to the main campus via the local bus transit service. SALTO Systems were selected for its use of RFID technology, robust architecture, and ease of use With this in mind, CU-Boulder’s existing magnetic stripe door access system used in the student residence halls was aging and the university wanted to move their locking systems to newer, more secure RFID card technology. A program was initiated by HDS Information Technology Department to evaluate alternative solutions that could offer them both the higher levels of security that they wanted as well as the encrypted RFID technology that could be leveraged for their transit system and other uses on campus. Challenges Larry Drees, Assistant Director HDS Information Technology at CU-Boulder says, “Having used a mix of magnetic stripe door access systems as well as keypad and PIN enabled locks as a part of our residence room standard for many years; we wanted to upgrade our technology, but still have something that was easy to manage.   “Our residence halls are busy places with high traffic areas, so any replacement locking system would have to be robust. Encrypted RFID technology was an important requirement for us, but we also wanted something that was reliable and easy to install. Also, we wanted our new system to be capable of integration with our Ecopass transit system and our campus Software House's C-Cure 9000 access control system within the next 12-24 months. In addition, we were impressed with the variety of locking hardware options giving us additional levels of security on a case by case basis while still being capable of management within a single system. After many months of reviewing the options currently on the market, we settled on SALTO’s XS4 solution as the locking system that could give us the functionality and technology options we wanted, at a standalone off-line locking system price point. The ability to transfer information to and from the lock via an RFID card is also something we think will be helpful in managing these locks over the long term.” Planning and installation “Ensuring the safety of students and their assets in residence accommodation is always a high priority,” confirms Tim Moreno, Western Region Sales Manager for SALTO Systems. “Looking at the layout of the campus and the position of the various residence halls, we assessed usage and the level of security required and then worked with Larry and his team to design and subsequently install a highly secure and flexible networked access control system to meet all the needs of the university.” The solution chosen was the SALTO XS4 keypad lock which is designed to provide increased levels of security and control for doors where extra security may be required. It offers users a choice of multiple security authentication methods to control access including RFID smart cards (DESFire EV1 smart cards at CU-Boulder), combined use of a PIN (Personal Identification Number) code + smart card or a separate keypad code. The lock can be operated in 3 modes; smart card only, pin code + smart card or keypad code only. With standard smart card mode, the lock is locked at all times until opened with the student’s key card that has access rights to that room. "Controlling access and securing our residence buildings is crucial. We now have 26 residence halls and 3 administrative support buildings using SALTO locks", says Larry Drees, Assistant Director HDS Information Technology at CU-Boulder When using pin code + card mode, each student has their own personal code. Typically, this is used where extra security and dual authentication (presenting both a card and typing in the pin code) are needed, and students can have up to an 8-digit pin code. In keypad code only mode, the lock itself has an access code that is used for student authentication. Every student that goes through that door knows the keypad code. When two students share the same residence room, they are the only ones that know the keypad code of that room, and again, students can have up to an 8-digit keypad code. “The university also plans to install the SALTO solution into the lobbies controlling the private secure areas of the halls,” Moreno says, “and from a management point of view the XS4 keypad locks can handle up to 64,000 doors and 4,000,000 users on a single system, with each individual lock recording the last 1,000 audit trail events at that door in its memory.” Benefits Larry Drees summarizes, “Controlling access and securing our residence buildings is crucial. We now have 26 residence halls and 3 administrative support buildings using SALTO locks. At this point, we are keeping our system setup pretty simple. Most doors are student rooms which are locked 24/7, and we do not use the calendar features of the system to any great extent at this time. We also plan to work with SALTO to improve the user interface so we can restrict functionality at a more granular level. Now that the system has been implemented, we’re pretty satisfied with the quality and efficiency of the product. Besides helping us move closer to the university’s vision for utilizing RFID technology, the new system also leverages this technology while helping us meet our goal to provide a safe and secure environment for our students.”

Customer: George Mason University is one of Virginia's fastest growing higher education institutions with four campuses and 35,000 students. Located in the heart of Northern Virginia's technology corridor near Washington, D.C., George Mason University offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering, information technology, biotechnology and health care. The George Mason University School of Law has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 40 law schools in the United States. Challenge: The previous video system at George Mason University suffered from poor video quality and a lack of standardization. The legacy system could not provide the needed levels of video surveillance, either related to the area being viewed or the quality of images needed to identify events and/or individuals. A new construction project included the required funds for an initial investment in an IP-based surveillance system. The University needed a system that could provide better video quality to capture facial recognition and to offer a wider range of options. Megapixel Solution: A need for better image quality led George Mason University directly to IP-based megapixel camera technology. The University evaluated several well-known camera suppliers before deciding on Arecont Vision, which leads competitors related to processing power, breadth of the product line, and use of H.264 compression technology to minimize bandwidth and storage needs. "We have installed almost every variety of megapixel camera made by Arecont Vision, from the 1.3 megapixel MegaDome® to the 8 megapixel 360-degree SurroundVideo® panoramic camera," said James L. McCarthy Jr., Director of Physical Security, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia. The capabilities of various cameras are matched to the areas they need to cover. Cameras have been installed in athletic facilities, including an Olympic-sized pool; in academic buildings; and in parking garages, according to Brian Piccolo, Senior Account Executive, S3 Integration, Baltimore, Maryland. The system was designed jointly by George Mason University and S3 Integration. Future installations will include the University's residence halls. Two panoramic 360-degree cameras are positioned over a broad plaza area to enable surveillance of activity on the plaza while also covering doors leading into an adjacent building. Each camera's 8 megapixel images (from four 2 megapixel sensors) provide 360-degree coverage from inside a 6-inch dome. The camera is used to view large areas while capturing megapixel detail. Each camera provides up to 6400 x 1200-pixel images at 5.5 frames per second (fps), or can be set for lower resolutions at higher frame speeds, such as 1600x1200-pixel images at 22 fps. The cameras use Arecont Vision's MegaVideo® image processing at billions of operations per second. The cameras also provide image cropping and up to four regions of interest. Several 180-degree cameras cover the pools and gym floors in George Mason's athletic facilities. The 8 megapixel, 180-degree panoramic camera also incorporates four 2 megapixel CMOS image sensors to provide 6400 x 1200-pixel panoramic images at 5.5 fps. Covering long and narrow runs (such as hallways and drives) are 3 and 5 megapixel cameras from Arecont Vision. Arecont Vision's 5 megapixel camera uses a 1/2-in. CMOS sensor to provide 2,592 x 1,944-pixel images at 9 frames-per-second. Light sensitivity is 0.3 lux at F1.4. The camera can output multiple image formats, allowing the simultaneous viewing of the full-resolution field-of-view and regions of interest for high-definition forensic zooming. Arecont Vision's 3 megapixel camera provides 2048 x 1536-pixel images at 15 frames per second. Light sensitivity is 0.2 lux at F1.4. The images from Arecont Vision's IP megapixel cameras are fed to a local ExacqVision network video recorder, which is monitored by a Central Security Operations Centre The images from Arecont Vision's IP megapixel cameras are fed to a local ExacqVision network video recorder, which is monitored by a Central Security Operations Center. Signals from some of the cameras are also fed to a central server that have been downloaded with Exacq software. All video data is transmitted over a secured, firewalled, standalone security network within the George Mason University intranet system. The majority of the Arecont Vision cameras are placed in areas where there is sufficient light at all times. Parking garages are currently monitored with Arecont Vision day/night cameras, which use a motorized infrared (IR) cut filter. These cameras can monitor license plate numbers and increase the productivity of garage personnel by monitoring daily tasks like: credit card transactions, remotely. Now, any George Mason University department that wants to add video surveillance can call on S3 Integration to upgrade and expand the system using funds provided through departmental budgets. Megapixel Benefits: "Advantages of Arecont Vision cameras over competitive products include performance, versatility, price and ease-of-use," said Mr. Piccolo. The end-user customer especially likes the ease-of-use and the sharp pictures available from the various Arecont Vision models. "The price point was better and [the cameras] helped eliminate some costs," said Mr. Piccolo. "We now have better forensic capabilities and more flexibility in the recovery of data," added Mr. McCarthy. The main attribute of the Arecont Vision camera line is the ability to install fewer cameras while capturing video from a larger area. Fixed megapixel cameras providing virtual pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) within captured images translates into fewer moving parts than traditional PTZ systems, which reduces overall maintenance cost and the potential for system failure. The picture quality and digital zoom capabilities of Arecont Vision cameras far exceed analog technology and allow George Mason University to retrieve usable video. Combined with recent cost reductions in NVR storage and network switches, the use of fewer cameras allows George Mason University to transition to higher-quality video at a minimum increase in cost. Megapixel imaging represents a significant upgrade in system functionality compared to standard-resolution cameras. In addition to lower bandwidth and storage requirements, using fewer megapixel cameras to cover larger areas can dramatically decrease costs related to other elements of a system, such as fewer software licenses, fewer lenses, and a decrease in man-hours needed to install the system.

The security industry is full of individuals who call themselves consultants. It’s a term that is thrown around rather loosely, and in some situations the term can be roughly translated as “between jobs.” But “real” consultants provide real value to their clients in a variety of subject matter specialties. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What role should consultants play in the security technology buying decision?

A basic tenet of sales is ABC – always be closing. But it's a principle that most professional salespeople would say oversimplifies the process. Especially in a sophisticated, high-tech market such as physical security, the required sales skills are much more involved and nuanced. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What unique characteristics are required of salespeople in the arena of physical security systems?

The year ahead holds endless promise for the physical security industry, and much of that future will be determined by which technologies the industry embraces. The menu of possibilities is long – from artificial intelligence to the Internet of Things to the cloud and much more – and each technology trend has the potential to transform the market in its own way. We tapped into the collective expertise of our Expert Panel Roundtable to answer this question: What technology trend will have the biggest impact on the security market in 2019?