End-to-End Solution Trend Takes Center Stage at ISC West

Increasingly vendors are striving to provide one-stop shop to become a single provider of video surveillance, access control and related cloud-based services. Read on for insights to the trend, plus much more from the show floor. .

LAS VEGAS – ISC West has built its reputation as North America’s leading security industry tradeshow based largely on its role as the premier launching pad for each year’s latest products, technologies and solutions. Notably, however, the 2015 installment was not about a deluge of new releases of the splashy, disruptive kind.

Instead, this year’s show and its 1,000+ exhibitors may have best served to reflect particular trends that are driving the types of products and systems currently being deployed in market niches of all types, from enterprise to small business to residential. As Milestone President and CEO Lars Thinggaard explained during a booth visit, “New inventions are more difficult as the market is maturing.” Thus, the speed of innovation throughout much of the security industry has slowed a great deal compared to recent years, he said.

Among major themes at the show, held here April 15-17, none may have ascended more than the end-to-end solution, which is helping fuel consolidation in the industry. The idea here is a single vendor can offer the channel a one-stop shop for video surveillance and access control needs, paving the way to sell additional mobile and cloud-based services. 

As an example, these platforms are helping integrators persuade customers in the small and midsized business (SMB) marketplace to embrace IP with either a hybrid migration or full network system. Installing security contractors can then sell managed services based on an end user’s individual equipment and software needs. End users realize return on investment (ROI) by gaining newfound business efficiencies while the installer leverages a recurring revenue business model based on a portfolio of services.

“Developing scalable platforms is the imperative,” said Hank Monaco, vice president of marketing for Tyco Integrated Security. The company touted its Mobile Security Management offering during the show, which provides users with real-time alerts, remote arm/disarm capabilities, access management and live video look-in.

A key ingredient driving recent consolidation is the video management system (VMS). A handful companies on the show floor arrived in Las Vegas ready to hype their newfound strategic capabilities following VMS buys. Included were deals such as Panasonic’s purchase of Video Insight, Canon snapping up Milestone, OnSSI’s play for Germany-based SeeTec, and Tyco’s transaction in 2013 for Exacq Technologies.

For its part, Pelco devoted considerable marketing efforts in its booth to formally launch its new VMS, VideoXpert. Kim Loy, vice president of marketing, said the platform was “100% engineered in-house” and developed concurrently based on the findings and input of a user experience team. The open platform supports ONVIF and allows users of the company’s Endura and Digital Sentry systems to repurpose hardware and reuse their video management infrastructures while gaining the benefits of VideoXpert, Loy told SSI.

Also trending, a collective marketing drumbeat for panoramic, multisensor cameras thumped continuously during the show. Arecont Vision, which once essentially owned the multisensor space, highlighted its SurroundVideo G5 and G5 Mini cameras. These series offer 5- to 20-megapixel models with four sensors that cover 180⁰ or 360⁰ with remote focus and the company’s STELLAR low-light architecture. Arecont is now joined by a handful of other major brands offering multisensor models, including Avigilon (HD Multisensor), Axis Communications (Q3709-PVE) and Digital Watchdog (DWC-PB2M4TIR).

The 4K bandwagon continues its considerable marketing momentum into the security industry, as was apparent at numerous vendor booths across the show floor. Sony exhibited its 4K flagship surveillance camera for the first time, although the company has been a 4K leader in the broadcast industry for some time. Introduced as a prototype last year, the SNC-VM772R boasts resolution that is four times higher than full HD (1080p).

With ever increasing data generated by ever sophisticated imagers comes the need for improved compression protocols. One such coding algorithm, H.265, is expected to one day be commonplace in the video surveillance industry, potentially within the next two years. At its booth, Hikvision exhibited its new 1080p H.265 “smart” camera next to an H.264 model, stating a nearly 50% reduction in bitrate. Hikvision was not alone in plugging H.265 on the show floor, while others in the industry say the H.264 descendant is not quite ready for primetime in the security industry.

“What we typically see is that the video surveillance industry trails the consumer electronics market anywhere from two to four years in the adoption of these types of technologies,” said James Marcella, director of technical services for Axis Communications. “H.264 was around for a very long time in iPhones and other consumer electronics before it ever made it into physical security.” (During ISC West, Axis officially launched its Zipstream compression technology, which it claims can lower bandwidth and storage requirements by as much as 50%.)

H.265 is facing the very same barriers to entry that its predecessor did, Marcella said. Specifically, when the industry moves to adopt a new encoding algorithm, VMS providers in turn will have to support it. That transition is not yet taking place among major VMS providers. 

“We will support it when it is ready,” Thinggaard told SSI.

On the residential front, the mushrooming smart-home phenomenon was on display across the exhibition floor, with home automation and remote monitoring capabilities highlighted by niche players to global providers. Following is just a sampling:

• BeON Home introduced its professional security and safety LED lighting system for installing security contractors and distributors. Read more about it here.

• Bosch Security Systems launched its Z-Wave Home Control Gateway, which gives installing security contractors to ability to connect Z-Wave devices to the company’s B Series and new G Series Control Panels. There’s more to learn about Bosch’s introduction of ZigBee, Z-Wave and cloud services for security and home automation here.

• Honeywell showcased the voice control for its Lyric family of connected home and security products. Check out an exclusive demonstration here.

• Nortek Security & Control, formerly branded as Linear, launched the first product in a new family of GoControl-branded communicating thermostats. Serving as a bridge between smart controllers and a home’s heating and cooling system, the device is said to provide wireless remote management of all thermostat functionality.

• NAPCO debuted its additions to the iBridge Connected Home line, including the iBridge Messenger SMS/MMS Text and Video Alert Notifications and a wireless carbon monoxide detector for the company’s Gemini and Commercial Systems lines. Get the lowdown on NAPCO’s iBridge Connected Home dealer program here.

• Following a major investment by Tyco Security Products, Qolsys developed an Android-based security/home automation panel for Tyco’s DSC brand, which debuted at the show.

In years past, ISC West has often been used as a platform to announce major news headlines for industry-related developments. There wasn’t much in the way of breaking news this year, although Phybridge, an IP transmission products provider, commanded attention with news it is acquiring PoE transmission products provider NVT.

Lots more show coverage – including photo galleries, videos and podcasts – is available here. In other goings on, SSI hosted its annual SAMMY Awards and the SSI Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony on the eve of ISC West. Check out the June issue to learn sales and marketing best practices from this year’s SAMMY winners, and the July issue for in-depth profiles of this year’s installer and installation award winners. The 2015 Industry Hall of Fame inductees are featured in the March issue and securitysales.com/hall-of-fame. SSI also presented its inaugural Most Valuable Product (MVP) Awards program, with the purpose to illuminate how important products and technologies are to the success of security integration companies. You can view the complete list of winners here.

ISC West will next be held April 6-8, 2016.

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About the Author

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Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.

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