ISC West is an enormous exhibition and conference event and 2016 was the biggest yet, with attendance up 1 per cent to 30,000 and a record 1072 exhibitors. There was plenty to see and the standout trends were not easy to miss.
KEY identifiable trends at ISC West included the ongoing importance of integration, with many integrated solutions and plenty of interest in them. Growing trends were evident in IoT, LPR and cloud services, which is building towards a breakthrough. Smart home technology was big, as was monitoring generally. There was cloud access control. The layered nature of the IP future was readily apparent, with loads of software-based solutions wherever you turned.
There was considerable focus on analytics and its ability to mine data more effectively to provide operational support for end users. IVA’s day is going to come, nothing surer. Cybersecurity of electronic security solutions was another building trend. Other trends included the appearance of huge numbers of new players in the IP space and the endless reinvention of existing players as quality networked solutions providers.
The most interesting product at ISC West may have been Umbo SmartDome – not for its own sake but for what it says about the future of electronic security hardware. Umbo SmartDome is a cloud-first smart camera that has its entire software and hardware architecture built on cloud. The idea is to do away with traditional onsite recorders and their single site or multiple-single-sites style of management. This approach is designed to significantly trim support and on-going maintenance overheads. The setup process involves plugging the camera in and seeing it online. Everything that installers and users have to deal with onsite is moved off-site with zero local or remote architectural burden. Will we see solutions like Umbo SmartDome in the access control and alarms space? Inevitably. Price is going to be the key thing here and that points to leveraging of this sort of technology by very large players.
Other interesting releases included Schneider’s cloud-based integrated security management system Access Xpert, Hikvision’s 4K PTZ dome, was key release. Axis had new cameras and software, there was Skybell HD Edition, Alarm.com also launched a new V521IR indoor infrared camera and a new eight channel SVR100 continuous in-home video recorder. Assa Abloy showed IN100 Aperio, keyfobs and an access control panel.
There was the Smoke Ring and GC3 Solution from 2GIG, Mobotix v25 vandal dome, Avigilon Access Manager, Honeywell AlarmNet 360 cloud solution, Axis Perimeter Defender, Bosch Dual Path Security and Fire Communicator, Bosch Chave PKI IP camera solution, Bosch IVA 6.30, Bosch Radion TriTech, DragonFly video intrusion system from Videofied, Allegion Engage, HID Mobile Access (wearable), REDSCAN mini RLS-2020i, Samsung SNV-8081R 5MP dome, Nightingale BrdsEye drone, Theia’s new 4K 12 megapixel lenses, Umbo SmartDome, VERA thermal camera and VESDA-E VEP smoke detector.
What were the Best New Products at ISC West 2016 as judged by the Security Industry Association? Access Control Devices & Peripherals went to Stanley for its Best Shelter, Access Control Devices & Peripherals Wireless was won by Cypress Integrated for AACTivate Mobile Reader and the Access Control Software and Controllers was taken out by Medeco for Medeco XT Data Analytics.
Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection went to Harsco Industrial IKG for GrateGuard, Cloud Solutions was awarded to BluSKY for BluBOX Security with an Honourable Mention to Umbo for UMBO Smart Drive. Commercial Monitoring Solutions was won by GeoFeedia for GeoFeedia and Convergence and Integrated Software and Solutions went to AlertEnterprise, Inc for Guardian Predict. Meanwhile, Emergency Communications/Mass Notification Systems was awarded to TextSpeak Design for TextSpeak EarBridge.
Fire/Life Safety went to Nortek Security & Control LLC 2GIG Smoke Ring Interconnected Smoke Detector Sensor/Transmitter with an Honourable Mention to CWSI/Tyco for the 520hz Low Frequency Sounder. Hosted Solutions/Managed Services was awarded to IC Realtime for IC Real Tech ALLie Home 360×360 Virtual Reality Video Surveillance Camera & ALLie VR Headset Package and Intrusion Detection and Prevention Solutions went to Ontech Security for Wardiam with an Honourable Mention going to OPTEX for its RLS-2020. Intrusion Detection and Prevention Solutions Wireless went to Universal Translator Resolution Products with an Honourable Mention to Bosch Security Systems for RADION TriTech ZB.
Law Enforcement/Guarding Systems was won by Shanghai OXi Technology for OXi 10-Print Fingerprint Scanner (G4000), Lock Systems and Secure Storage Containers was won by The USB Lock for The USB Lock, Mobile Apps was won by STANLEY’s STANLEY Guard with an Honourable Mention to HID Global for HID Mobile Access. Outdoor Perimeter Protection went to HySecurity for HydraWedge SM50, Residential and Monitoring Solutions went to Remocam Inc for Remocam, while Tools & Hardware was won by Train a Tech for Hands On Training.
User Authentication, Identification, Credentialing and Mgmt was awarded to Advanced Optical Systems for ANDI On The Go 3.0 with an Honorable Mention to Stone Lock Global for Stone Lock Pro. Video Analytics went to Axis Communications for AXIS Perimeter Defender and Video Surveillance Advanced Imaging Technologies went to 3xLogic for the VERA VX-VT-36 Thermal Camera. Video Surveillance Cameras HD (megapixel) was won by Hikvision with Ultra HD 4K Smart IR PTZ, Video Surveillance Cameras IP went to Axis Communications’AXIS Q61 PTZ Dome Network Camera Series, Video Surveillance Data Storage was awarded to Spectra Logic for Verde DPE (Digital Preservation for Enterprise) with an Honourable Mention to LTO Program for LTO Generation 7 Technology.
Video Surveillance Hardware and Accessories went to V5 Systems for V5 Systems Portable Security Unit with an Honourable Mention to Theia Technologies for Theia Compact 4K Lens, Video Surveillance Management Systems went to Qognify for Qognify VisionHub. Best New Product was awarded to Lynx TFG’s TIGER and the Judges' Choice went to TextSpeak Design Group for TextSpeak EarBridge-Text to Speech Announcement System. ♦