Security devices - Security beat

Companies at GSX 2023 emphasized new ways that technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud can address long-standing issues in the security market. Among the exhibitors at the event in Dallas were companies seeking creative ways to apply technology, lower costs, and make the world a safer place. Reflecting on the exhibition, here are some additional takeaways. Expanding AI at the edge  i-PRO is a company reflecting the continued expansion of edge AI capability in the...

GSX 2023 has its share of new product announcements, although many of the new products are enhancements to technologies shown at last spring’s ISC West show in Las Vegas. Booth traffic on the first day seemed busy at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, although one exhibitor complained that it takes some time for the traffic to make its way to the farthest areas of the show floor. Apparent throughout the GSX show is an expanding idea of what constitutes security. Incre...

A pioneer in the access control sector since 1971, AMAG Technology is looking to the future and the next generation of products that will expand its services to customers. “In our vision, we have advanced approaches that will not only provide our partners with advanced technologies but also ones that are easier to install with tools to expand their services,” says David Sullivan, who was appointed President of the venerable access control company in September 2022. New challenges a...

When it comes to security cameras, the end user always wants more—more resolution, more artificial intelligence (AI), and more sensors. However, the cameras themselves do not change much from generation to generation; that is, they have the same power budgets, form factors and price. To achieve “more,” the systems-on-chips (SoCs) inside the video cameras must pack more features and integrate systems that would have been separate components in the past.  For an update on t...

Acre is a company built on mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Since its founding in 2012, Acre acquired several familiar access control companies, from Vanderbilt to RS2 Technologies, Open Options to Feenics, and several others. Acre itself was acquired in 2021 by UK-based private equity firm Triton, thus launching a new chapter in the company's history. Don Joos was named the new CEO in 2022 and set about transforming Acre from a collection of acquired companies into a coherent whole (represe...

Well attended and generating levels of excitement not seen since before the pandemic, ISC West may provide just the shot of adrenaline we need to drive industry success through the uncertain economic times ahead. Buzzwords like artificial intelligence (AI) and the cloud were still prevalent at the conference and exhibition in Las Vegas, but the hype of yesteryear seemed more subdued. Rather than breakthroughs to be celebrated, AI and cloud were discussed more as ways systems can realize even g...

PKOC stands for Public Key Open Credential. It is a new standard that will meet a 30-year industry challenge and strip away much of the complexity and cost involved in protecting and administering credentials for access control. It could also accelerate the transition from cards to mobile access control. PKOC is a standards-based mobile credential that is essentially free, vendor-agnostic, and interoperable across multiple devices and systems. It is a highly secure access credential that can l...

Matter is a new open-source interoperability standard that will simplify the connectivity of smart home systems, including security.  The growing popularity of the Matter 1.0 standard was evident at the large Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January in Las Vegas, where the standard was heavily promoted by companies including Google, Amazon, and Samsung. A flood of Matter-connected products is on the horizon for ship dates in the second half of 2023. Evolve, and manage IoT standards Cr...

Collaboration among manufacturers in the physical security industry can result in systems that are easier to install for integrators and that provide a better customer experience for end users. Illustrating the point is the recent collaboration among a turnstile technology company, a supplier of short-range wireless readers/writers, and a biometric business focused on ‘frictionless’ access control.  “The more manufacturers collaborate with each other, the more benefits fo...

Clean, safe mass transit systems benefit everyone. Today’s transit operators face tremendous challenges, including declining revenue due to work-from-home policies, concerns about disease prevention, and high crime environments. Among these concerns, difficulty recruiting and retaining police resources has been exacerbated by the ongoing mental health crisis that disproportionately impacts public transportation networks. Mass transit systems Safe cities require an operational environme...

Milestone Systems wants to double its revenue in the next five years while also setting a new standard of how technology companies behave, spotlighting more responsible use of technology. In short, the open platform video management system (VMS) company seeks to revolutionize the industry, deploying data-driven video software in security and beyond. Milestone is also shifting the approach from tech-centric to emphasizing business outcomes; that is, focusing on solving problems that keep their...

The Global Security Exchange (GSX 2022) in Atlanta in September 2022 is the latest example of the energetic post-COVID resurgence of security trade shows. On the vibrant show flow, discussions centered on topics such as the security industry’s need for more employees and the lingering impact of a months-long supply chain crisis. Against a backdrop of continuing industry challenges, exhibitors and attendees were diverted by a wealth of new opportunities as the industry rebounded. Several m...

GSX 2022 this week in Atlanta highlights the changing role of security in the enterprise. The role of the security director increasingly will encompass facets of cybersecurity as well as physical security. Transitioning to an operation that incorporates both disciplines requires a workforce that embraces education and building new skills. Education and the opportunity to build new skills are evident everywhere at GSX, including in the hundreds of education sessions and also in the knowledge sha...

As new technologies incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and overall uses of AI continue to expand, what protections are in place to prevent its misuse? Artificial intelligence, like any technology or security measure, is not inherently bad. It can, however, be used for nefarious purposes and in ways that were never intended or thought of. ‘Responsible AI Policy’ to protect users Prosegur has created a ‘Responsible AI Policy’ to protect users from potential AI threa...

For an enterprise, addressing cyber security requires that stakeholders have immediate access to critical information compiled from multiple sources and presented where and how they need it. Various data sources monitor the cyber security status of a company’s computer systems to provide real-time visibility. Aggregating that data into visual dashboards and presenting it to operators enables any cyber security problems to be flagged quickly and resolved. Software system enhances cyber se...

Access control systems are plagued by problems, such as false alarms and tailgating. Hakimo is a new company that applies concepts of deep learning to reduce false alarms and tailgating, and to make access control more accurate. False or nuisance alarms from access control systems take a lot of time and attention for operators in global security operations centers (GSOCs). It’s wasted time they could use to perform more high-level duties. Hiring enough GSOC operators to monitor and resolv...

Technology is driving new opportunities in the security industry. Innovation trends include artificial intelligence (AI), edge-based systems, mobile systems, a greater focus on software, and efforts to simplify operation of security systems, even as capabilities become more complex. ISC West 2022 reflected these changing trends. “In addition to emphasizing technology innovation, ISC West also reflected an industry that is resilient, dedicated and passionate,” said Mary Beth Shaughne...

ISC West is back in a big way in 2022, taking Las Vegas by storm with a level of attendance and enthusiasm that makes it seem like 2019 all over again. There are few face masks to get in the way of long-overdue person-to-person communications; no social distancing as the crowd gathers for the show to open on the first day. The only remnants of the pandemic are Reed Exhibition’s stringent health and safety guidelines, evidenced by a more complex registration process and the wearing of wri...

Metaverse is a familiar buzzword today, but few people grasp what it really means. In the simplest terms, the metaverse is an online ‘place’ where physical, virtual and augmented realities are shared. The term, Metaverse, suggests a more immersive online environment that combines elements of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). metaverse Expectations of the metaverse today are largely built on hype. You hear more about future and eventual potential than about the curren...

Since 2018, an open platform has been developing to enable the security and safety industry to work together smoothly across brands and systems to improve user experience and solutions. Pioneering the effort has been the Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA®). Delivering video-sensing solutions such as cameras and AI boxes, the open ecosystem is a reality. We are turning to OSSA President Johan Jubbega and OSSA Strategy Committee Chair Steve Ma for a progress update. Why is now the pe...

Audio-video technologies have historically been a silo in the enterprise, separated from the larger network infrastructure by their use of analog, hard-wired and proprietary connections. Software-defined system However, AV devices such as video walls and corporate signage add more value to security and emergency response operations when they are connected to the larger IT network and can interface seamlessly with other systems. That’s the approach provided by Userful, which offers a sof...

Topics that dominated our website’s Expert Panel Roundtable articles in 2021 included the effects of COVID-19, the benefits of mobile access, the upcoming potential of deep learning, and the future of access control cards. Our website’s Expert Panel Roundtable discussions in 2021 reflected some of the most timely and important topics in the industry. The very most clicked-on Expert Panel Roundtable discussion in 2021 considered the positive and negative effects of COVID-19. The seco...

Our most popular articles in 2021 provide a good reflection of the state of the industry. Taken together, the Top 10 Articles of 2021, as measured by reader clicks, cover big subjects such as smart cities and cybersecurity. They address new innovations in video surveillance, including systems that are smarter and more connected, and a new generation of computer chips that improve capabilities at the edge. A recurring theme in 2021 is cybersecurity's impact on physical security, embodied by a hi...

Casinos offer several attractive applications for LiDAR, including security and business intelligence. Using laser sensors, the technology can replace the use of surveillance cameras. For casino security, LiDAR can track player movement and provides complete coverage and accuracy that have not been achievable by surveillance cameras. Massive coverage areas can save on costs of sensor deployment versus other technologies. LiDAR and its applications LiDAR is a method for determining ranges by t...

Newer facial recognition systems are scalable and provide more accurate results, and the end-user selects the parameters of system performance to suit their own application needs. “We have developed algorithms that can be optimized in various compute environments, whether in a small chip inside an edge device or on a large server device,” says Ido Amidi, Oosto’s Vice President of Products and Business Development. “It all depends on client needs. We can do it all withou...

It’s been almost exactly a decade since HID Global launched the world's first university pilot of smartphones carrying secure mobile IDs. A lot has changed in the following 10 years. Today’s technology has matured, advanced, and proliferated across a variety of high-value use cases. To catch up on the latest developments in mobile access, we contacted Luc Merredew, Product Marketing Director, Physical Access Control, at HID Global. Q: What has changed since the first pilot implem...

Video is an enormous wellspring of unstructured data in the enterprise environment. Finding new ways to use video data requires easy access for analysis. Gone are the days when video was recorded just to be played back later. New computer capabilities can analyze video to provide business intelligence and trends, all of which requires that a lot of unstructured data be captured, stored and kept immediately accessible. It's a driving force for companies specializing in video storage such as Quan...

The city of Baltimore has banned the use of facial recognition systems by residents, businesses and the city government (except for police). The criminalization in a major U.S. city of an important emerging technology in the physical security industry is an extreme example of the continuing backlash against facial recognition throughout the United States. Facial recognition technology ban Several localities – from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco, from Oakland, California, to Boston &n...

Imagine a world where video cameras are not just watching and reporting for security, but have an even wider positive impact on our lives. Imagine that cameras control street and building lights, as people come and go, that traffic jams are predicted and vehicles are automatically rerouted, and more tills are opened, just before a queue starts to form. Cameras with AI capabilities Cameras in stores can show us how we might look in the latest outfit as we browse. That’s the vision fr...

Growth is accelerating in the smart cities market, which will quadruple in the next four years based on 2020 numbers. Top priorities are resilient energy and infrastructure projects, followed by data-driven public safety and intelligent transportation. Innovation in smart cities will come from the continual maturation of relevant technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), fifth-generation telecommunications (5G) and edge-to-cloud networking. AI and computer...