It’s difficult to stand out in a crowd, especially when you’re among the 730 exhibitors that were trying to get the attention of the contractors, integrators and others who attended the 2004 International Security Conference (ISC) West in Las Vegas. It’s even tougher for the attendees themselves to weed through the jungle of products and interactive displays to discover what is truly the best of the best.
Among the shoulders attendees bumped into during the course of the March 30-April 2 event were those of Security Sales & Integration columnists Al Colombo (see “Fire Side Chat”) and Bob Dolph (see “Tech Talk”). Each were trolling the ISC waters, looking for what they felt were the products security contractors could benefit from the most in their toolboxes, trucks and portfolios.
Al and Bob have each found 15 products that stopped them in their tracks. Combined, they are SSI‘s 2004 ISC West Top 30.
Proof that two great minds do not think alike, neither Al nor Bob had any manufacturers repeat between their two lists. That shouldn’t be too surprising considering the vast array of different equipment attendees saw at this year’s ISC West.
The products on this year’s lists come from manufacturers as large as Honeywell and Bosch to smaller companies like GRI and Pacom, and range from panels to cables to racks to Web sites. While called the “Top 30,” they are listed in no particular order. As far as Al and Bob are concerned, the manufacturers that produced them can call the offerings seen through the following pages “top products.”
Read on to get a look at some of what ISC West 2004 had to offer, starting with Al Colombo’s picks.
Al’s Picks … | |
Software Catches Smoke and Flames on Video
The FSM-8 SigniFire is an enhanced, video-based software that security dealers and fire technicians can use for a variety of high-technology solutions related to fire detection. According to axonX, the Baltimore-based manufacturer, the FSM-8 product is a scalable machine vision-based software that can detect the traditional visual characteristics associated with smoke and open flames. It consists of a multiple eight-channel processing unit that is capable of faster detection than conventional means. When an alarm occurs, the operator is alerted in real-time and the associated video is then saved in digital form within a video server for future use. Reader Service Card Number 320 |
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Link Sends Resent Alarm Data Over Internet The IP-Link, formerly known as the IP-Link MK II, is a Web-based product that uses the Internet to carry AES-IntelliNet wireless information to a central station. Up until now, if the radio link between a central station’s central radio antenna and remote clusters of IntelliNet alarm transceivers could not be maintained in a reliable manner, retransmission was possible only via a dedicated telephone line, which can be expensive in the long term. The IP-Link, however, sends over the Internet. What this means is that security dealers for IntelliNet, of Peabody, Mass., can monitor any number of IntelliNet transceivers from a single location anywhere in the world. Reader Service Card Number 323 |
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Fire Panel Has Capacity for Up to 636 Devices
The MS-9600, Version 2 by Fire•Lite Alarms of Northford, Conn., is Each SLC supports up to 159 addressable detectors and 159 addressable modules. A digital alarm-communicator transmitter equipped with a 14Kbps modem can be added for central station reporting and on-site downloading into a local personal computer. The MS-9600 also supports two additional notification appliance circuits (NACs) and Form C relay modules for integration with a variety of facility subsystems. Reader Service Card Number 321 |
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Touchscreen Brings High-End Interface Home
The OmniTouch touchscreen, manufactured by Home Automation Inc. (HAI) of New With a single touch, homeowners can quickly and easily access the various control aspects associated with their home, such as lighting, heating/cooling, security and communications. Installation is easy because the OmniTouch will operate using the same four-conductor cable that now services HAI console/keypad units. Reader Service Card Number 324
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Synchronized System an Enticing Enhancement
Pacom of Sarasota, Fla.’s synchronized electronic security is a highly Using centralized command and control, the Pacom system makes it possible for end users to maximize the attributes of each individual subsystem – creating a cohesive, all-encompassing network that operates seamlessly. Whether the job involves video surveillance, life safety, burglar detection, environmental protection or integration, of the Pacom system is able to take on the task. Reader Service Card Number 322 |
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Multibender Gives New Life to Aged Cards
This data converter, Model CVX-1200, manufactured by Cypress Computer Systems Among other things, this makes it possibl Reader Service Card Number 325 |
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Surveillance System Goes Where Many Can’t
The ThreatStalker is a portable, GPS-based video su |