This year at CES, the security industry was well represented. 

 

The Consumer Electronics Show has been a place to see the latest innovations and technologies in electronics for more than 40 years, but recently, security companies are becoming more and more a staple.

 

Going back just 10 years or so, only a handful of security companies were represented at CES; this year, however, more than 30 security companies exhibited at the show.

 

While the product and technology releases surrounding the show are numerous, some that stand out are in the areas of the Internet of Things; home and business cyber security, including IP address protection and personal cloud storage; and home automation platforms. 

 

The following is a roundup of some of the notable news, products and announcements from security companies who exhibited at CES 2016.

 

 

 

Vivint Smart Home announced the Vivint Ping camera, a two-way talk camera with one-touch callout. 

 

The camera has the ability to both call in and call out so families can easily connect and communicate. By pressing a button on the camera, anyone in the home can reach any user connected to the home. When remote users receive a notification on their smartphone or tablet, they can see the person in the room and begin a two-way conversation.

 

Vivint Smart Home also announced its integration with the Nest Learning Thermostat, developed through the Works with Nest program. With the integration, Vivint customers can now connect a Nest Thermostat to their smart home, and control it from their Vivint mobile app or the Vivint SkyControl panel inside their home. 

 

Vivint also announced it has integrated Amazon Echo into its smart home platform. Now customers can control their entire home — including the Nest Thermostat — using their voice. By integrating with both Amazon and Nest, Vivint offers an easy way for Nest Thermostat users to change the temperature from anywhere in their home.

 

Current Nest Thermostat users can integrate with a Vivint smart home today. The Nest Learning Thermostat will also be available nationwide as part of all Vivint smart home packages beginning spring 2016. 

 

 

Tyco Security Products, part of Tyco, showcased its wireless smart home solution, the IQ panel, which when coupled with Alarm.com’s interactive service, enables homeowners to remotely arm and disarm their security systems, view camera feeds and receive event notifications and system status updates. They can also use the solution to control lights, locks, thermostats and other home digital devices. 

 

Tyco also featured a wide range of sensors and other peripherals which integrate with the IQ panel. Additionally, Tyco presented a full portfolio of security-grade home automation/smart home sensors which work across the broad portfolios of smart home ecosystems and allow smart home providers to offer to their end customers. 

 

 

 

TRACE Intelligent Systems, developer of The TRACEr1 — a camera capable of following its owner almost anywhere and live-streaming captured footage to the Internet — announced a partnership with ImmerVision.

 

TRACE will integrate 360-deg. panomorph optics and ImmerVision Enables 2.0 fully immersive content navigation functionalities and cross-platform compatibility into a selection of its visually intelligent auto-follow FLYr drones.

  

TRACE will also integrate ImmerVision Enables technology with its commercial Draganflyer quadcopters. In addition, panomorph lens technology will be offered on Draganflyer quadcopters

 

 

Nortek Security & Control LLC announced its next generation 2GIG GC3 home security and automation panel. 

 

The 2GIG GC3 is a 7-in. all-in-one security and home control touchscreen panel that provides home security and manages up to 232 smart home devices.

 

Nortek also expanded the GoControl line of smart home devices with three new water control and monitoring products: the GoControl smart irrigation controller, GoControl smart flow detector, and the GoControl smart flood detector.

 

The company showcased a technology demonstration using Z-Wave smart home standard running on top of Thread, an IP-based networking protocol. The demo features Z-Wave running on top of Thread to wirelessly command and control the GoControl garage door controller connected to a Resolution Products Helix gateway.

 

Nortek added three new home safety products to the GoControl portfolio of devices: The new GoControl glass break sensor, GoControl smart micro motion detector and GoControl smart micro 4-in-1 sensor. 

 

Finally, Nortek announced the addition of health measurement data-capturing capabilities via wireless connection to its Numera Libris mPERS solution. 

 

Health device integration and insights provided by the Numera Libris and accompanying Web-based platform Numera EverThere are designed to enable effective detection of risks with quick intervention. Libris now also connects wirelessly with common medical devices such as pulse oximeters, blood pressure gauges, scales and thermometers. Data from these devices is then automatically uploaded to the EverThere platform. 

 

 

Middle Atlantic Products announced the launch of the UTB Series Universal TechBox, a low-profile, unique solution for discreetly mounting A/V equipment underneath a table surface within meeting spaces. It is ideal for mounting equipment such as the Crestron 3-Series 4K DigitalMedia Presentation System 150 and other streaming solutions, as well as small devices, switchers, and interface accessories for audio, video, and/or HDMI.

 

 

The Caséta Wireless smart home system from Lutron Electronics provides control of lights, shades and temperature anytime, anywhere. The company announced the ability to control Lutron shades using its HomeKit-enabled Caséta Wireless Smart Bridge, providing users with control of some of the most frequently used products in their homes. 

  

The HomeKit-enabled Caséta Wireless Smart Bridge (a DIY solution) supports Serena battery-powered shades, while the Smart Bridge PRO (a professionally-installed solution) supports Lutron Sivoia QS Triathlon wireless shades (both roller and fashion honeycomb styles), plus Sivoia QS drapery tracks, the Kirbé vertical drapery system, tensioned shades, pleated shades and Roman shades.

 

 

Colorado based LockState’s Wi-Fi enabled door locks and peripheral devices allow property owners and managers to remotely monitor and control their properties from anywhere. 

 

The company’s smart lock technologies are designed to eliminate many of the hassles of managing a short-term rental property, including: managing guest keys, lost keys, early or late check ins/outs, guest lockouts and service company access. No additional apps are needed to download to use the lock.

 

 

Legrand introduced its newest addition to the Wiremold product line — the Evolution Series 10-in. poke-thru device. The device offers eight individual gangs of communication, A/V, and power capacity, and eliminates the need for junction boxes because of industry-first internally wired connections. Users can mix and match devices, ports and receptacles to configure each of the eight gangs to suit their individual requirements.

 

The device is UL-listed and UL-fire-classified for up to two hours, and it meets all scrub water requirements. 

 

 

 

Kwikset showcased its new line of Signature Series deadbolt locks with Home Connect technology. The motorized deadbolts utilize the Z-Wave wireless protocol to enable true remote locking and unlocking, allowing homeowners to remotely access and control the lock from anywhere using a smartphone, tablet or Internet connected device. 

 

Users of this lock can also attain valuable information through their smartphone, such as knowing whether a door is locked or unlocked.

            

The Signature Series deadbolt with Home Connect features BHMA Grade 2 Certification, ensuring top quality durability; UL Certification with a 20-min. fire rating; and full 128-bit encryption security. 

 

Kwikset also demonstrated its SmartCode 916 touchscreen deadbolt with Home Connect technology. The SmartCode 916 is a touchscreen version of the company’s SmartCode 914 deadbolt lock. The SmartCode 916 provides all features of SmartCode — including keyless entry — combined with the added convenience and enhanced aesthetics of a capacitive touchscreen. 

 

A dedicated lock button provides the user with one-touch locking. The Home Connect technology incorporated into the SmartCode 916 (both Z-Wave and Zigbee versions) allows the lock to communicate with other wireless products in the home such as security systems and home entertainment systems. 

 

 

Nashville, Tenn.-based KJB Security Products has been named North American distributor for LawMate International Co. Ltd., a supplier of professional grade covert video, countermeasures and audio products for law enforcement, military, government and investigative companies.

 

In addition to having complete access to all LawMate products, KJB will be involved in new product development, and sales and marketing programs. 

 

KJB Security Products also showcased new lines of Wi-Fi enabled covert and overt devices and previewed SleuthGear Cloud at CES.

 

SleuthGear Cloud allows users to view live steaming video footage using the app for iOS and Android devices or on a PC. 

 

 

Icontrol announced six new members to the Icontrol Developer Program: Honeywell, LG Electronics, SkyBell, Vinli, bttn and Earth Networks WeatherBug. 

 

Specific devices include:

The Icontrol Developer Program is a community for application and device makers to partner on a common platform. Program members include device makers, app developers and service creators that provide best-of-breed products to help make the connected home a reality. Once certified, these products can be part of Icontrol-powered smart home solutions offered by leading home security companies and service providers worldwide. 

 

 

 

ALLie Cam by IC Real Tech unveiled several company firsts, namely the ALLie Go portable 360x360 action video camera and ALLie VR and ALLie Cardboard VR headsets. 

 

The ALLie Go is a high-resolution portable action video camera that leverages the company’s 360x360 technology to stream live to display devices via Wi-Fi. About the size of a baseball, ALLie Go easily mounts to the body or sporting equipment for use in action sports, adventures and entertainment settings. 

 

The ALLie VR headset is compatible with smartphones ranging from 3.5 to 5.7-in. screen sizes. The ALLie VR app and built-in optics come together to display immersive video streaming from the ALLie cameras, as well as 3D movies, gaming and personal videos.

 

ALLie Cam’s first virtual reality headset is the ALLie Cardboard VR. The headsets can be used with the ALLie cameras as well as other compatible virtual reality video sources available today.

 

 

Honeywell showcased the Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector, with the same aesthetics as the Lyric thermostat for a DIY installation or via a Honeywell-certified contractor. 

 

Similarly, Honeywell’s Life Care Solutions products and services are able to extend the reach of healthcare right into the home. Honeywell’s product line demonstrated how consumers can take an active part in managing their own health comfortably and easily. The home-based Seymour self-care solution helps guide consumers who prefer to manage their own care daily, but who have connected access to their providers when needed. Genesis Touch wireless remote patient monitor and LifeStream provider software enable remote daily monitoring, such as blood pressure and weight, as well as proactive intervention by healthcare professionals when problems are detected. 

 

 

CyberLock Inc. announced the release of a new product, FlashLock, which uses serial optical communications technology combined with any hand-held device with a Web browser to give and gain access to any lock retrofitted with the FlashLock system. 

 

The user can grant one-time access or multi-day access via permissions sent by text or email. If the homeowner wants to change or remove permissions, there is a user-friendly, Web-based interface to make those changes at any time.

 

 

Control4 Corporation showcased its 10-source, 10-zone 4K UHD video distribution switch featuring HDCP 2.2 compliance.

 

The new line of Control4 4K UHD Matrix Switches provides the ability to distribute 4K content, including copy-protected content, to every room in the Control4 smart home without the need for additional hardware or software. 

 

 

CentraLite Systems helped create the next generation of Iris by Lowe’s, which offers new functionality and faster performance and includes updated software and hardware, the company described.

 

The new Iris line now works with more than 75 devices. With a sleeker, smaller design and improved performance, the smart hub and seven of the core devices were designed and manufactured by CentraLite, including the door contact sensor, smart plug, motion sensor, help pendant, smart button, smart fob and smart keypad.

 

 

The Z-Wave Alliance announced year-end milestones. Since the beginning of 2015, the Z-Wave ecosystem has seen almost 100 new member companies, the addition of 250 certified devices and another 15 million smart home devices shipped into the marketplace, the alliance reported.