There are no shortage of superlatives one could apply to describe the energy surrounding the return of ISC West in a post pandemic world, but unconditional success may begin to illustrate the enthusiasm — if not exhilaration — displayed by the legions of security pros who flocked to the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas.
Presented March 28-31 in collaboration with premier sponsor Security Industry Association (SIA), attendance far surpassed last year’s event, which itself saw a strong bounce back from COVID-19 restrictions. Show producer Reed Exhibitions (RX) said the 2023 event experienced a 56% year-over-year gain in attendance, hosting more than 27,000 stakeholders from throughout the security industry ecosystem. (This article was updated to include official attendance.)
“This year’s ISC West was a tremendous success, as measured not only by the strong show attendance but also in the quality of the SIA Education@ISC programming that was delivered,” SIA CEO Don Erickson stated. “The value of this ISC West was seen also in the many meetings and special events that allowed the entire security ecosystem to come together on important topics like school security, standards development, cyber-physical security, protection of critical infrastructure and the growth of our industry’s workforce."
SDM Editor-in-Chief Karyn Hodgson and Senior Editor Rodney Bosch cruised the show floor and met with exhibitors throughout the conference. There were many evident trends that put on view an industry that is being accelerated by manufacturers and installing security contractors wanting to keep pace with disruptive technologies and fulfill newfound security and business efficiency goals for end customers.
These trends and advances included increasing collaboration among technology partners to create deeper integrations that support interoperability and scalable solutions. Cloud-based offerings that support hosted or managed access control and video applications — including the combination of the two — were well represented, attracting the attention of dealers and integrators in search of new recurring revenue streams. Robotics, cybersecurity, various analytics enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI), the rising presence in gunshot detection and more was also well represented.
For a closer look at these and other themes seen during the show, check out our image gallery below, chockablock with product and technology highlights, as well as ancillary goings-on. ISC West 2024 is scheduled to return to the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, April 9-12, 2024.
ADI President Rob Aarnes (right) and Director of Services David Walker discussed the new Capture Cloud VMS offering, a fully managed cloud solution that is said to deliver an end-to-end video management system that’s simple to deploy and easy to use. The Eagle Eye Bridge is installed on-site, connects to the user’s cameras, records video locally, and then securely synchronizes both video and metadata to the Capture Cloud Data center. What’s in it for security dealers and integrators? Recurring revenue opportunities that create stickier customers.
ADT’s EvoGuard Robot demonstration was a hit with ISC Attendees, who gathered to learn about it, high-five it and interact. Still in roll-out phase, the robot is part of ADT’s new suite of intelligent autonomous guarding solutions and services aimed at helping to cost-effectively enhance corporate security programs, while responding to high turnover rates and ongoing labor shortages in the guarding market. The integrator recently sold the Tando autonomous indoor drones to existing pilot partner, luxury Swiss watchmaker Movado to continue field-testing the solution in their distribution center.
Altronix President Alan Forman welcomed security industry guests on the eve of ISC West during a kick-off gala reception hosted way up high at the Stratosphere’s Observation Deck. During a touching observance, Forman recognized several Altronix employees for their dedication and labors, some of whom have served for more than 20 years.
Altronix arrived in Las Vegas to display new solutions for emergency communications and occupancy monitoring, which further expands the company’s portfolio power solutions for access control, video surveillance, intrusion and fire products. New additions include Altronix new OA2 Occupancy Alert System, and COMMBATT Power and Backup for Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems.
Of course, power solutions can oftentimes be an overlooked — if not fully understood — feature of security and life safety installations. To illustrate the many different types of power supply applications, the Altronix booth featured a unique, hand-crafted miniature cityscape featuring various vertical market use cases for power supplies. The faux city came complete with a model train winding through various neighborhoods and industrial sites.
Axis Communications hosted its 16th annual themed press breakfast, this year highlighting the latest release of the company’s annual sustainability report and its progress working toward sound business practices crucial for a sustainable future. Axis’ Fredrik Nilsson (left), vice president of the Americas, and Martin Gren (right), co-founder, were also joined by guests from Genetec and Microsoft to discuss new product and technology integrations.
Axis and Genetec partnered to introduce an industry-first, enterprise-level access control solution, which combines Axis network door controllers and Genetec access control software into an all-in-one offering. The solution is said to offer easy deployment, maintenance and scalability along with enhanced cybersecurity.
Also examined was how an integration with the Microsfot Azure Video Analyzer technology leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to improve security features such as live generated image interpretation and captioning.
HID showcased examples of how cloud-based access control and trusted mobile identities are accelerating the digital transformation and enabling seamless workplace experiences. One of those use cases is the employee badge in Apple Wallet, which leverages the HID Origo cloud-based access control platform for both standard and BLE/NFC reader/phone interactions. Matt Winn, senior director, public relations and corporate communications, told SDM the company is also in development with Google Wallet.
Among other conversation, the company directed attendees to its recently released “2023 State of Security and Identity” report, which you can review here. The report details trends that are transforming the industry, from supply chain issues and sustainability to digital ID adoption, contactless biometrics, and how hybrid work environments are pushing cloud-based access management further into the mainstream.
Rick Koscinski, general manager at Honeywell, provided an overview of key technologies from the company’s security and fire/life-safety product lines. He explained that Honeywell is integrating intelligence into its portfolio of wares, including smoke detectors, to support faster, more reliable alarm transmissions and dispatches. One example of providing the marketplace with improved operational efficiencies and faster data transmission tools is Honeywell’s Connect Life Safety Services (CLSS) Pathway. The dual-path cellular communicator (AT&T and Verizon) allows data transmission to central stations and provides access to the company’s secure cloud-based solutions to help businesses run more efficiently and improve building safety. The latest update integrates with the ES-50X and ES250X Fire-Lite addressable fire alarm control panels.
i-PRO Americas President Bill Brennan welcomed trade media members to highlight the company’s cybersecurity and AI prowess, along with introducing an expanded portfolio of dual-sensor camera models. With support for up to 2x 4K sensors, the S-series is said to offer the highest resolution in its class, as well as include a powerful edge AI chip with free pre-installed applications. Up to four different AI-based analytic apps can be used in varying combinations.
The press breakfast, titled “Egg-cryption and Hack-browns,” featured Will Knehr, a cyberwarfare officer for the U.S. Navy (and i-PRO Americas’ own Senior Manager of Information Security and Data Privacy), hacking into a popular and readily available security camera live during the event. Knehr demonstrated how Googling and purchasing the first camera you find from a big box retailer might not result in the most cyber secure security system for a business. He showed some of the common tools a hacker might use to gain access to a network including an Ethernet cable with an embedded Bluetooth chip. For details about the hack demonstration, go here.
Jeff Corrall, vice president of product management for March Networks, described the company’s new offering, Searchlight Cloud, as the next generation of its loss prevention and data analytics platform with enhanced reporting capabilities. Searchlight Cloud is built on open standards, allowing various analytics producing metadata, sensors and IoT devices to be integrated. The platform combines point-of-sale (POS) transaction data, IoT sensor data, and any other metadata with high-definition video surveillance and business analytics to give organizations a complete view of their business.
NAPCO unveiled a new trade show booth at ISC West 2023 to feature its vast portfolio of security product solutions (80% commercial), including electronic security devices, wireless recurring communication services for intrusion, commercial fire alarm, access control and locking applications, as well as school safety solutions. One featured section of the booth was dedicated to the company’s Prima Super Panel, an all-in-one 7-inch panel that controls security, fire, HD video and Z-Wave Plus automation. Prima also boasts a five-minute installation, including on-screen how-to tutorials and account creation, one-button video camera activation, and a “go-live” central station connect feature.
Visitors to the Rapid Response Monitoring booth saw copious marketing material that asked the question, “Where are your accounts monitored?” As Christopher Denniston, director of marketing & contract development, explained, while some competing central stations allowed monitoring personnel to work remotely during and after the COVID-19 disruption, Rapid chose to keep critical monitoring operations staff on-site. The company also touted a new partnership with eero, a Wi-Fi system that uses multiple access points to provide residences with fast, reliable coverage all on a single mesh network. Dealers can take advantage of diagnostic monitoring and support provided by Rapid at a low monthly cost they can then add margin and create continuous revenue streams.
Speco Technologies Marketing Manager Matt Mulham explained while using the new SecureGuard Dashboard remote management platform, dealers can proactively check the health status of their clients’ systems and always be aware in the event of a dropped connection. The feature allows dealers to oftentimes notify customers before they notice an offline camera or recorder. Another benefit of VMS dashboard is the ability to configure hardware and analytics remotely. Dealers can now charge and gain recurring monthly revenue (RMR) for the maintenance and monitoring of their locations.
Stone Security and Milestone personnel cut the ribbon to officially open the new Global Technology Center in Las Vegas prior to the ISC West show. The GTC will serve as the Las Vegas branch for the 2020 SDM Integrator of the Year, as well as a showcase for the latest technology from partners such as Milestone, Axis and more.
The Women in Security Forum Power 100 Breakfast was standing room only, quickly running out of both food and coffee. But attendees were happy to honor this year’s inductees, network and listen to a captivating if harrowing description of climbing Mount Everest — twice — by keynote speaker Alison Levine, who spoke on how these experiences tie in with high impact leadership.
