Winsted Corporation - Experts & Thought Leaders

AMAG Technology hosted its annual Security Engineering Symposium in Miami, Florida, February 15-18, 2019 at the Trump National Doral Miami. Eighty end users, consultants and integrators were in attendance. Guests were treated to two days of interactive presentations with thought leaders in compliance, AI, edge technology, insider threat, and open technologies and were taught how to apply what it means to them to understand how to utilize the right solutions to mitigate risks, ensure compliance and save money. AMAG Technology President, Kurt Takahashi and Director of Business Development, Kami Dukes opened the conference by welcoming attendees and introducing honored guests and AMAG staff. Chief Operating Officer, Howard Johnson and Vice President of Products and Partner Programs, Jason Schimpf presented Your Voice, Our Vision, and discussed AMAG’s vision for the future which is based on customer feedback and the technology innovation needed to meet today’s threats. Discussing Security Trends Our goal this year was to change and improve the format to provide digestible, useable content that was valuable to our attendees"A Platinum panel based on the theme, Achieve More Together, discussed security trends, customer needs and how best to move forward together to be successful. Two TED style talks featured Open Ideas with Dukes and Senior Director of Global Sales, Justin Wilmas and People Within with Business Development Manager, Dan Bissmeyer. “Our goal this year was to change and improve the format to provide digestible, useable content that was valuable to our attendees, and I believe we met that goal,” said Dukes. “Our diverse audience inspired impactful discussions surrounding topics that affect vertical markets dealing with compliance challenges, and I am proud to announce that together we raised nearly $9,500.00 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.” Integrating Access Control With Video “AMAG hosted a first-class event that provided the opportunity to network with AMAG, as well as many end users and vendors," said Salt Lake City Police Department Captain, Scott Teerlink. "The format allowed for much discussion not only about the Symmetry solution, but with how to better integrate access control with video, audio, and other innovative solutions to improve our site security while simplifying and reducing time needed to complete the critical tasks necessary to ensure our facilities are secure. “I left with a better understanding about AMAG, the Symmetry solution and what's new in the security industry. Most importantly, I met outstanding people that will be a tremendous asset as we work to adapt and evolve our systems to best meet our changing environment and needs." Building Relationships With Security Professionals The Security Engineering Symposium provided a wonderful opportunity to network and build relationships with fellow security professionals"Ten certified technology partners worked together to deliver theme-based presentations to attendees. Platinum Level sponsors, ASSA ABLOY and Vingtor Stentofon presented Living on the Edge. Gold level sponsors Axis Communications and Salient Systems presented Take Tech to the Biz. Gold sponsors LifeSafety Power and Winsted presented Automation & Compliance. Silver sponsors shared a breakout session and included Idemia, IRIS ID, LiveSafe and Wavelynx. "The Security Engineering Symposium provided a wonderful opportunity to network and build relationships with fellow security professionals," said Jorge Gomez PE, RCDD, Managing Member/Project Engineer, J&A Engineering Consultants. "The event revitalized me and renewed my excitement about the security industry." During the closing banquet, a representative from St. Jude’s Research Hospital presented about the mission and advances St. Jude’s is making in pediatric cancer research. Our generous SES19 sponsors and attendees together raised $4,728.00, which was matched by AMAG for a record setting total of $9,456.00! “We are so thankful to our integrators, consultants, partners and end users for their generosity, and are thrilled to donate such a large sum to St. Jude,” said Dukes.

AMAG Technology hosted its annual Security Engineering Symposium in Newport Beach, California, February 23-26, 2018 at the Balboa Bay Resort. Nearly 70 end users, integrators and consultants attended the highly interactive networking event. Threat Analysis AMAG Technology President, Kurt Takahashi and Vice President-Global Sales and Business Development, Jody Ross kicked off the conference with opening remarks and introductions of honored guests and AMAG staff. Chief Operating Officer, Howard Johnson presented Threat Analysis Through Machine Learning, and updated attendees on AMAG’s product roadmap and vision for the future. Breakout sessions educated attendees about Symmetry GUEST Visitor Management, Symmetry CONNECT Identity Management, the Symmetry Solution and RISK360 Incident management. Keynote speaker, Michael Gelles, managing director and security expert, Deloitte, LLP, presented Challenges to Building an Insider Threat Program where he outlined the program pillars to prevent, detect and respond, and how creating a program is a team sport. Every year I am amazed at the collaboration and networking that occurs at the Security Engineering Symposium" Security Energy Symposium “Every year I am amazed at the collaboration and networking that occurs at the Security Engineering Symposium and this year it was fantastic to see end users, integrators and consultants sharing ideas and interacting with the technology partners to learn about the latest technologies,” said AMAG Technology, Director of Business Development, Kami Dukes. “We had a record number of technology partners attend, which speaks for itself. The cutting-edge technologies demonstrated were on target with the trends we are seeing in the industry. Seeing those technologies close up and having the opportunity to ask questions was invaluable.” “This is my first SES and I was very impressed with the setup,” said Craig Vollman, a computer expert who works for a large health care insurance company. “As an end user, I especially enjoyed the break-out sessions being paired with integrators, manufacturers and consultants. It was a great experience to hear everybody’s perspective on deployment strategies and to learn about the new software and technologies being developed and implemented.” Seventeen certified technology partners demonstrated their products and solutions throughout the weekend Multiple Technology Partners Seventeen certified technology partners demonstrated their products and solutions throughout the weekend. Platinum and Gold level sponsors presented small breakout sessions. Silver sponsors shared a breakout session and associate sponsors setup booths. The impressive list of sponsors includes: ASSA ABLOY, Zenitel, Arrow, FST Biometrics with Gunnebo, HID Global, Hoverfly, NEC, Winsted, Flir, Idemia, SMI, Ticto, Arecont Vision, Barco, Life Safety Power and Wavelynx. “This is the first time I’ve participated in an event where you have so much interaction with the guests,” said Ticto Chief Marketing Officer, Bart Vansevenant. “The formula of combining end users, integrators, consultants and AMAG Technology partners is so powerful, and when combined with the small interactive breakout sessions, it is just wonderful.” The SES brings everyone to the same forum and creates an open dialog where the end users get to voice what they want to do in their business" End-Users and Integrators “The SES brings everyone to the same forum and creates an open dialog where the end users get to voice what they want to do in their business. The integrator exposes himself to what the consultants can bring to the table, and the consultants can see what the integrators are capable of,” said Automation Integrated, Director of Engineering, Ron Free. “It’s a great gathering of the minds that provides input and guidance for attendees to take back to their companies and make decisions about the direction they want to go in the market.” During the closing banquet, a representative from St. Jude’s Research Hospital presented about the mission and advances St. Jude’s is making in pediatric cancer research. Thanks to the generosity of the attendees and AMAG’s matching program, over $2000.00 was raised to support St. Jude’s. “I couldn’t be prouder,” said Dukes.

Winsted Corporation, a provider of control room console solutions, announces the promotion of Rusty Hellen into the role of southeast regional sales manager. Rusty previously worked for Winsted in the role of sales manager for the Winsted Custom Division, which he held for the past eight years. In his new position, Rusty will be responsible for managing Winsted’s dealer network in the southeast region of the U.S. Rusty will be based in Atlanta and work with dealers that service the security, broadcast, and presentation markets within a six-state area. In addition, Rusty will be responsible for direct sales to integrators who are involved in the process control and distributed control systems markets. With his promotion, Rusty will continue his efforts managing projects for the Winsted Custom Division and serve an instrumental role in new product design. “Rusty’s past experience gives him great insight into the requirements needed to design control room environments that meet our customer’s needs,” said Wayne Cook, vice president of sales at Winsted. A graduate from Auburn University, Rusty previously worked as an industrial designer.

Security control rooms should be functional and durable, and their aesthetics should incorporate matching colors that are conducive to a 24/7 operating environment—not too much contrast and easy on the eyes. Another factor driving aesthetics is an enterprise’s desire to create a ‘showpiece’ to demonstrate a commitment to security for shareholders and other stakeholders. “Everyone wants to have a good-looking control room and a cost-effective design,” says Matko Papic, Chief Technology Officer of Evans Consoles. Critical Role Of Lighting And Aesthetics “Lighting is a critical factor for operators,” adds Papic. Studies of control rooms have sought to address issues of circadian rhythms (physical, mental, and behavioral changes that a person undergoes over a 24-hour cycle, based on responses to light) and the impact of changing light colors throughout the day. Flexibility is key. Properly adjusted light can increase alertness at 2 a.m.; controlling the color, tone and intensity of light can increase productivity any time of day. Evans Controls has experts who can do a lighting study of a room as part of construction services and consulting. Evans Controls has experts who can do a lighting study of a room as part of construction services and consulting Aesthetics, depending on the control room, can be very important, agrees Randy Smith, President of Winsted. His company accommodates aesthetics by using a variety of matching laminates, solid (Corian-type) surfaces, and sometimes real wood. They can put in a console with matching work surfaces, a credenza or other furnishings, or can even match existing décor in a facility. Customized Tailored Furnishing Security control rooms, often operating in glass enclosures, are often used to “make a statement” about the security of a facility, says Smith. Companies want the control rooms to be up-to-date, and have “cool designs.” Sometimes they want to add a company logo to a work surface or side panels, or they want to employ corporate colors in the design. Winsted can customize its offerings to meet any such requirements, says Smith. In too many instances, the control room is an afterthought: They just install furniture that fits with the monitors. How the furnishings are tailored to the operator is often not considered, says Papic. He offers several other considerations: Will the furniture last the lifetime of the control room? How adaptable is a design to possible future changes, whether larger monitors, managing cables, or ability to reconfigure the console? Furniture should not be viewed as a transactional item; there are more issues to address beyond physically housing the equipment, says Papic. Read part 5 of our Control Rooms series here

Technology is changing the look and function of today’s security control rooms. Old-school CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitors are giving way to the thinner, flat screen monitors in the control room environment, but the transition is gradual. Randy Smith of Winsted still sees many control rooms that need to make the conversion, which is a boon to his company’s business. Furniture today is designed differently to accommodate the thinner monitors, often with larger screens. Need For Integrated Rack Systems With the increase of IP-based systems comes the need for integrated rack systems that include advanced functionality such as cable management, adds Jim Coleman, National Sales Manager, AFC Industries. Server rooms are environmentally controlled by cooling systems and power systems monitored on the IP network. Low-profile flat screens allow centers to utilize space vertically, thus creating a smaller footprint for the consoles. Additionally, with IP-based systems, workstations will have a smaller footprint because there is less cumbersome equipment. In most cases the servers are stored in a secured, climate controlled environment to eliminate overheating of the servers and maintain their security, says Coleman. This environment also helps with cable and power management. AFC builds technical furniture racks that adhere to the precise needs of computer network server room operators. The company designs and fabricates LAN workbenches with versatile functionalities, and server room workstation racks that are scalable. There is a complete line of IT workbenches, IT computer racks and computer server rack mounts with flexible mounting options. In most cases the servers are stored in a secured, climate controlled environment to eliminate overheating of the servers and maintain their security Flexible Control Room Designs Matko Papic, Chief Technology Officer of Evans Consoles, says the transition from bulky CRT equipment to flat-screen (lower profile) monitors was a major disruption in control room design; it changed the whole dynamic. Another evolution is the use of IP video streaming, which allows more flexibility in manipulation of audio-video content, and requires more flexible control room designs. Another shift, driven by larger, higher-definition monitors, is a shift to fewer monitors that display more information. Instead of a smaller monitor for each information stream, larger monitors now consolidate that information into “dashboard” displays. Looking ahead, control rooms will need to be more flexible, both in the initial design and the ability to adapt to changing technology, says Papic. Legacy customers who are currently using PCs may be moving to more remote applications. Sit-stand equipment will continue to be increasingly prevalent. “There will be more emphasis on flexibility, technology integration, and the ability to change over the life of the system,” says Papic. Consolidation Of Multiple Operations Into A Single System A trend in security is consolidation of multiple physical operations into a single system, says Papic. As a result, more customers are taking more interest in alarm management and situational awareness. How is the technology being used in terms of alarm triggers? How can the systems react rapidly and provide information to a larger audience in the control room? These questions impact how control rooms are designed, and Evans Consoles can adapt lessons learned from other markets to these trends in the security arena. Greater use of technology is inevitable, says Coleman of AFC Industries. “It is virtually impossible for humans to monitor all security data at the street level in our cities,” he says. “As computers become more powerful and their programs more all-encompassing, we will see a greater shift to robotic and technology uses that will provide enhanced monitoring capabilities and safety reactions.” Read our Control Rooms series here

When people think of control rooms, images from James Bond movies or intense action stories come to mind. What they fail to realise is the incredible level of ergonomics, technology, precision and craftsmanship required to create a top-notch command and control room. “These are rooms of complex functionalities, where hundreds of elements must be integrated and function in sync,” says Jim Coleman, National Sales Manager, AFC Industries. Professional teams from several different industries must coordinate every single detail in order to ensure that functionality occurs each and every time. Reconfigurable Furniture For Control Rooms AFC Industries is one company that specialises in equipping control rooms for security and other applications. AFC Industries was established in 1994 as a family-owned business that focuses on the design and construction of ergonomic products. Their height-adjustable units guarantee the right height for standing desks as well as traditional sitting levels. The company produces an array of Command and Control ergonomic security consoles and mounting solutions. Modular racking systems facilitate efficient storage of electronic and audio-visual equipment. As technology changes, older traditional consoles are no longer a necessity. Many organizations instead are choosing to use lighter, less costly, reconfigurable furniture that allows more flexibility. Command Centers need to be able to reconfigure the space at will. Because most systems are housed in secure data centers, users should be able to quickly move their positions by relocating their workstations, utilising different network connections. Simple control room features, like those addressing lighting or operator comfort, can make the difference in a correct or incorrect decision during a crisis Emergency Operations Centers A positive trend driving the market for control rooms is an increase in emergency operations centers (EOCs), says Randy Smith, President of Winsted. “Everybody is concerned about what happens in an emergency,” says Smith, and the centers are popping up as a tool for emergency preparedness. It’s another environment where sit-stand work stations are the rule. Winsted’s product lines include stock modular and customized elements in good-better-best categories – from basic to lots of “bells and whistles;” jobs can be configured from modular elements or customized as needed. Customized Control Rooms For Seamless Operation There is a lot at stake in control room design: Lives can depend on how effectively a control room functions in an emergency. Control rooms should seamlessly accommodate both everyday occurrences and crisis situations, says Matko Papic, Chief Technology Officer of Evans Consoles. Better-operating control rooms can increase efficiency and reduce and/or mitigate risk. Simple control room features, like those addressing lighting or operator comfort, can make the difference in a correct or incorrect decision during a crisis. Addressing operator comfort can reduce the possibility of workers’ compensation claims. End users are seeing multiple benefits of creating a better operating environment, better sightlines, more comfort and attention to ergonomics. As a fully integrated control room solutions provider, Evans Consoles approaches the needs of a control room environment beginning in the conceptual/operational planning stage. They consider broad issues such as how information will be processed, the interface between technology and operators, and the cognitive and physical interactions of operators – understanding that these factors drive the layout and function of control rooms. After analyzing tasks to be performed in the environment, Evans lays out the consoles to meet those needs. Rather than a predesigned solution, each installation is tailored around a specific application. Read part 2 of our Control Rooms series here