Top 20 Technology Trends to Experience at ASIS 2015

5. Heads in the Cloud ― Less infrastructure costs, centralized storage and anywhere access of security data are attractive drivers for end users to adopt cloud services, which offer integrators plenty of new recurring revenue stream opportunities. Several manufacturers are offering devices with cloud connectivity, some of them also offering the datacenter services to support it all.

6. Rampant RMR ― Suppliers are well aware of the imperative to arm resellers with products, and in some cases entire business models, that if not geared toward generating recurring monthly revenue (RMR) at least include it as a component of the offering. Those compelling propositions abound for those on the prowl.

7. Internet of Things (IoT) ― The quest to build everything with more intelligence and the ability to connect to the Internet as well as other devices will be a major theme at ASIS this year. The possibilities, including interconnecting building automation (BAS) with security, are endless.

8. Technology Lovefests ― Many vendors, once all about propriety and playing everything close to the vest, will continue to throw their arms open to embrace collaborative product/system partnerships and branding opportunities. 

9. Hardware-Centric Vendors Get Soft ― Looking to move beyond commoditized boxes and ways to make their products more relevant moving forward, many traditionally component-based suppliers are either creating their own integrated software, OEMing it from someone else or openly partnering with a specialist to expand feature sets.

10. Software-Centric Vendors Get Harder ― The corollary to the above is vendors well known for programming expertise expanding into selling hardware components. Besides the additional revenue it can allow a more unified solution.

11. Wowed by Wireless ― Better WiFi reliability, Bluetooth integrations and adoption of Near-Field Communications (NFC) are among the drivers fueling ever-expanding products and applications here. And why not? The cost savings and flexibility can be substantial.

12. Energy Efficiency ― Long scoffed at as not having much relevancy for security, some vendors are now keenly focusing on reducing the carbon footprints of their devices and systems. What a great way to justify ROI to an end user.

13. 4K Is A-OK ― With four times the resolution of 1080p, this has generated the most tech “buzz” the past year, especially for commercial/industrial security. Several of the leading video surveillance suppliers will show off more real-world applications of 4K cameras and components, while others are already showing off even higher resolutions.

There’s been a big push for users to be able to remotely control their security systems from their phones.

14. Mobile Marvels ― Whether integrators looking to do remote diagnostics, company owners wanting to remotely manage their facilities, security personnel needing connectivity on the go or end users desiring heightened convenience, app-based access and control of security systems anywhere, anytime continues to be a huge movement.

15. Cyber Becomes Central ― Running physical security systems on enterprise networks with LAN/WAN connected devices has elevated concern about hacking vulnerabilities. This year we will see a continued recognition of both the threats and opportunities that brings.

16. Simpler Interfaces That Do More ― Vendors will continue to move away from engineering-fulfillment bells and whistles to concentrate on more intuitive interfaces that are easier for end users to learn and use, as well as emphasize useful functionalities in real-world scenarios.

17. Analytics & Business Intelligence ― The advancement and proliferation of security devices and systems, particularly video, is creating almost limitless opportunities to pull together what had been disparate data to analyze and make smarter decisions for security as well as operations. We will see continued pushes for security to be both more of a proactive preventative as well as a predictive tool.

18. Easier Design & Installation ― An integrator’s best friend is the vendor who truly knows installation pain points and comes up with innovative solutions to hardships and hassles. More modular designs, easily-hung devices and self-finding network components will continue to show how manufacturers are listening to their customers.

19. Reimaging Video Imaging ― With megapixel and higher imaging prevalent, manuf
acturers are continuing to introduce technologies that produce greater clarity and usability. At the forefront of this movement are wider dynamic camera sensors and IR/thermal technologies that can capture images in little or no light.

20. Smarter at the Edge ― To lessen the burden on the network with continuous streams of video data choking the pipelines, many suppliers are concentrating on cameras that are more self-contained and only communicate with a centralized network as needed. This is really taking off now that flash media is becoming more robust and cost effective.

BONUS WILD CARD – That other 10% I alluded to at the outset could be something just around the corner of the next aisle that does not neatly fit into one of these categories. It could be something relatively minor or simple that scratches you where you itch, or a startup that may become an industry disruptor down the line (I remember visiting with Axis some 16 years ago when it exhibited in security for the first time with a single IP camera).

Have a blast and let me know the coolest products or technologies you encounter. You can reach out to me on Twitter @SSIEditor.

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