30 That Set 2013’s Technology Course

SSI’s 2013 Top Technology Innovations picks the 30 standout products from the past year not only notable for their technology but also their practicality.

ISD Edge Surveillance Cameras

The edge of the network is where processing of security data and decisions are headed for lots of very good reasons. Setting on the network edge with some serious processing and storage horsepower at a reasonable price … now you get people’s attention. Oh but wait, there is more. Let’s do this with a compact Windows 7 operating system on that IP megapixel camera.

The netSeries cameras from Innovative Security Designs (ISD) are truly innovative in their functionality, purpose and design. Couple this with mainstream acceptance and certification by Milestone, and you have a significant new player in the market. Other features include: 128GB edge storage capacity with dual microSDXC card slots; IP66 vandal-resistant enclosure with three-axis multiposition; simultaneous full-time analog and IP digital multistreaming; integrated motorized 3-10mm lens; remote IR configuration interface; multistreaming individually configurable video streams; and WDR option available.

Iveda In-Vehicle Surveillance

Iveda Solutions helped pioneer cloud-based “assisted” hosting of video. The company has done it internationally, which always adds complexity and bodes well for the strong solution it beings to the market. The VEMO product is a fully integrated in-vehicle surveillance solution hosted in the cloud. The trend to gain and distribute video and audio information in law enforcement more dynamically will continue and needs products to support that growth. Vehicle video monitoring, now coupled with GPS location data, provides a better situational awareness picture for a wide variety of public and private customers.

Coupled with IvedaOnBoard mobile streaming video hosting service, VEMO provides law enforcement both live and stored video to enable faster response times, improved officer safety and improved response capabilities. When time is of the essence, having critical vehicle data can make the difference between life and death.

Pivot3 Edge Video Appliance

The vSTAC Edge R2 appliance is an example of what has set Pivot3 apart in the serverless and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) video surveillance market since the company’s founding. The demand for high availability, distributed storage, energy efficiency and video management system (VMS)-certified performance reaches across retail, banking, and government sectors. The cost-effectiveness and manageability of virtual infrastructure management is no longer a plus for IT professionals, it is a requirement. Self- diagnostic and healing network platforms contribute to the mission-critical video data assets many companies depend on for managing their business.

Genetec has tested and certified the vSTAC edge product for its Security Center software. With up to 8TB of iSCSI SANS storage, the solution can be configured to deliver 32TB and four virtual servers. When an IP video application demands performance fail over planning and energy savings without complex wiring schemes, additional application software and dedicated hardware, then look to Pivot3’s new product line.

Prism Skylabs Retail Solution

I do love a great technology approach to solve retail challenges. Having personally developed retail store analytic solutions 16 years ago, I believe this company’s approach to delivering usable information to retailers has elevated its solution set to an art form. Silicon Valley brings interesting perspectives to old problems. Blending technology “what if”
questions with “can it be commercialized?” is answered with this new product category. It uses your existing customers’ camera infrastructure and the Internet to capture relevant store traffic data without significant video bandwidth issues. It also stores the data forever in the cloud and thusly changes the rules of how the game has been played in the past.

So Prism Skylabs provides global visualization of merchandising, store traffic patterns, POS conversion ratios, and linger times of customers at specific products. That would be Big Data in anyone’s book. They provide an elegantly simple user experience that transcends global barriers delivering an exceptional customer experience.

TOTUS Security Platforms

When you design and implement outdoor IP video solutions, you have many variable elements to consider in delivering a successful end product. Analog solutions were often less complex than new IP megapixel solutions. TOTUS Solutions has combined the discreet elements needed in an easy-to-install, operate and maintain package. The right lighting using refined and reliable LED technology selected to optimize IP video performance, multiday onboard video storage capabilities if the communication link fails, wireless communication technology and a 360° megapixel IP video imager are now combined in a single integrated package.

Additional interesting features include a two-way audio communication option and edge-based video analytics (motion detection) that can trigger strobe lighting as well as E-mail alerts to different security personnel. The design has optimized power consumption making it a pretty “green” solution, and thus attractive to government buyers. This is a clean, edge-based, outdoor IP video solution with a lot of punch while reducing your risk of installations

Vunetrix Video Management App

Delivering large IP video solutions is complex and efficient operation is even more complex for system integrators. Vunetrix delivers IP video-specific security as a service (SaaS) in a unique business model to build RMR opportunities for integrators by remotely monitoring the status of important IP video performance metrics across networks. Often, “estimated” IP video performance vs. actual performance in the field can be significantly different in bandwidth, storage and predicting failure points.

It is wise to maintain good relationships with a customer’s IT department. This means not loading them up with additional work and respect their rules of the road. Security professionals can now monitor SNMP data as it is translated to non-techie, browser-based formats without plug-ins or additional software, enabling wider platform options to monitor from iOS and Droid devices. Vunetrix makes management of IP video systems proactive and less complex for security managers.

ZKAccess Elevator Control

Access control can be tricky on a good day, but add in elevator control functionality and most systems integrators get a little queasy, with good reason. The EC-10 EX16 elevator control product makes elevator control relatively simple, scalable and a lot more cost-effective to propose and install. The manufacturer takes a simple building-block approach to floor management and control with expandability in 16-floor increments, up to 58 floors. This unique product approach can work with existing RFID cards and readers, or if you want to deliver significantly improved security to your customer, add the ZKAccess biometric fingerprint reader in the elevator. This validates access to the “highway” in a high-rise and to one of the weakest links in high-rise security.

The EC-10 offers simple integration and choices with communication connectivity standards, including WLAN, which is important for simplicity of installations. ZKAccess’ impressive value vs. price business strategy will be a game-changer in the security industry, especially in the biometric market.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

About the Author

Contact:

Paul C. Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is Security Sales & Integration’s “Business Fitness” columnist. A principal of Matterhorn Consulting, he has more than 30 years of diverse security and safety industry experience including UL central station operations, risk-vulnerability assessments, strategic security program design and management of industry convergence challenges. Boucherle has successfully guided top-tier companies in achieving enhanced ROI resulting from improved sales and operational management techniques. He is a charismatic speaker and educator on a wide range of critical topics relating to the security industry of today and an accomplished corporate strategist and marketer whose vision and expertise in business performance have driven notable enterprise growth in the security industry sector.

Security Is Our Business, Too

For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.

A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.

Subscribe Today!

Get Our Newsletters