ASIS 2011 Recap: Taking an Exhibit Hall Floor Tour
Anyone who has been in the industry any length of time knows the top two trade shows of the year are ISC West in Las Vegas in the spring and ASIS, which shifts locations each year, in the fall. They both typically draw about 20,000 security industry professionals. ISC has traditionally been a dealer-focused event while ASIS has been more about corporate, institutional and government end users, but these lines have blurred in recent years with large factions of both groups attending.
This year the ASIS event touched down in Orlando, Fla., and I have to say the floor traffic appeared to be noticeably thinner than in recent times. I would estimate there was a 10-percent decline and most exhibitors I spoke to were disappointed. However, most also said while their total leads from the show might be down, the quality was very high and the event remains an essential one for conducting security business.
As is usually the case for me, I had nonstop meetings scheduled all three days before, during and after exhibit hall hours. What follows are, in no particular order and by no means all-inclusive, some of those highlights …
At Tyco, Steve Carney, senior product manager for American Dynamics, told me how the company has been busy beefing up its video security offerings to meet market and customer demands for IP-based solutions.Its Illustra IP camera line includes tools that ease setting up IP addresses as well as smart hardware to simplify installation … When I visited with Daniel Swope of Johnson Controls’ Major Projects, Building Efficiency group, he told me about his “live building,” holistic approach to networked enterprise solutions and how security fits into that. He was particularly keen on a recent Louisiana corrections facility project in which a perimeter solution provided immediate ROI in the replacement of guard towers and required manpower …
… John Steen, executive vice president of sales for Next Level Security Systems, told me how the company’s single-box solution is a PSIM alternative offering 10 different types of video analytics and shared video streaming that lessens bandwidth demands. It’s impressive technology … I caught up with Steve Gorski, general manager for Mobotix, who told me the firm’s 6.2-megapixel camera and door station products are gaining healthy market traction … Sat down with Luis Orbegoso, president, and Paul DiPeso, vice president of sales, North America, both of Lenel, a UTC company. They shared how UTC continues to push innovation with 200 engineers and tripling its R&D investment this year. They also mentioned how they are moving toward a service-oriented architecture, and talked about what a high priority user feedback is and the many mechanisms they have in place to obtain it …
… Spent time at Honeywell‘s booth discussing the vision of JoAnna Sohovich, president of Honeywell Security & Communications for the Americas, to enhance dealers’ opportunities to leverage Total Connect to increase RMR and customer retention. She also sees emerging opportunties associated with smart grid technologies. John Kovach, marketing director sensors, got me up to speed on the manufacturer’s latest offerings, including a seismic sensor and innovative asset protection sensor … Courtney Jaret, marketing director for Verint Video Intelligence Solutions, and Debjit Das, vice president of marketing, filled me in on the firm’s success in video analytics for retail and banking applications. They also informed me about their enhanced channel partner program that includes new training initiatives …
… With the 15th anniversary of Axis Communications’ introduction of the network camera, I spoke with Founder/Director of the Board Martin Gren and General Manager Fredrik Nilsson. Gren reflected how back in 1996 when he helped invent the network camera the company was looking at how to connect whatever it could to a network. Based on its growth since then, he says the company is “600 times better.” Gren also sees the cloud, edge storage, thermal imaging and wireless technologies gaining a lot of market share during the coming years. Nilsson dazzled me with a demo of the firm’s new Lightfinder technology … Speaking of video technology, there was no shortage of it at ASIS and David Lee, marketing communications manager for FLIR, and his colleagues were upbeat about the thermal imaging leader’s just-announced partnership with VideoIQ for thermal-based analytics … Along similar lines, John Romanowich, president and CEO of SightLogix, demoed the firm’s Clear24 thermal camera, which uses powerful image processing to provide high detail even in rain, snow, fog, wind or humidity …
… A new player in the security field but a name well established in the IT and router world is D-Link, which exhibited for the first time with an end-to-end IP video offering. I spoke with IP Surveillance Director of Product Marketing Vance Kozlik, formerly of Stardot, and I think this is one to watch out for … Another newer name is that of DIGIOP, yet another supplier to surface out of the ashes of Integral Technologies. Company President Rich Mellott explained and showed me the company’s impressive video management and intelligence solution … Continuing with the Integral Technologies spinoff theme, Brad Chenoweth, vice president sales for Infinias, shed light on how its unusual access control module is being reintroduced to the market. Through acquisitions, it had for a time been part of Pelco and then Schneider Electric …
… Had a delightful time talking about all that’s going on with IQinVision as Wendi Burke, director of global marketing communications, ran down the megapixel camera providers recent introductions and conquests. The firm’s cameras have been finding their way into numerous highly unique applications, including being used for the reality TV show, “Ice Road Truckers” … I have always admired the innovative access control devices from across the pond’s Paxton. Former Pelco veteran Bob McKee, now Paxton’s vice president of sales & marketing, detailed how the firm is making inroads domestically with its head-turning blend of aesthetics and functionality … For new revenue opportunities, one of the most interesting folks I spent time with was Winland Electronics’ Paul Machacek, who showed me just how the company’s environmental monitoring systems could bring dealers and their customers tremendous value …
… For heavy-duty indu
strial perimeter applications, FutureSentry‘s lineup is well worth checking out. Company President/COO Rolland Trayte gave me the full tour of its industrial-strength video surveillance products, and showed off a new ASIS Accolades award to boot … Continuing the heavy-duty theme, Kevin Handerson, director of marketing communications for Middle Atlantic Products, demonstrated the many advantages of its new BGR Series racks that combine space efficiency and strength. He also showed me MAP’s industry-first: a hardwired rackmount UPS system …
… I finally found out what Protection1 has been up to since being acquired more than a year ago and appointing Tim Whall CEO: a top-to-bottom overhaul set to capture the attention of national accounts coast to coast. CMO Jamie Haenggi and Whall showed me the amazing customer care/service software that has been created to help manage operations as effectively and efficiently as possible, and how P1 is addressing the challenge of providing local service with a nationwide footprint by assigning accounts to “pods” that function more like small, independent dealers that act as management partners for those clients …
… Kim Rahfaldt public relations manager for AMAG, was pumped up about the access control specialist’s new Symmetry V7 security management system platform that incorporates an intrusion module … Network Video Technologies’ (NVT) Guy Apple, vice president of sales & marketing, told me how much activity the cabling infrastructure and transmission specialist is seeing from the ongoing migration of coax to UTP … Continuing in the area of cabling and transmission, Skip Haught, vice president of marketing for ComNet, and company President/COO Andrew Acquarulo told me how its CopperLine products bring to market expanded Ethernet over existing copper media transmission. The line includes multichannel Ethernet extenders, unmanaged switches and PoE midspan power injectors … Kathleen Phillips, head of desktop personalization systems for Datacard Group, walked me through the ID printer card providers’ efficient and convenient models, and kudos to the firm for donating a portion of proceeds from its new limited edition pink SD260 card printer to the Pink Ribbon Foundation in support of the fight against breast cancer …
… Those seeking a different path to migrate clients from analog video may want to look into Sony‘s five IPELA hybrid cameras. As Carl Lindemann, who is handling marketing for Sony, told me, these are the first network cameras capable of simultaneously transmitting analog SD and IP HD images over a single coaxial cable … Sticking with the surveillance flavor, Oliver Zhang, vice president of Hikvision, discussed several new models of DVRs the firm has recently introduced … And last but certainly not least, Bill Taylor, president of Panasonic System Networks Co. of America, highlighted a range of innovative systems providing affordability and lower total cost of ownership (TCO), including the i-PRO WV-ASM200 VMS and an assortment of new cameras.
If you made it through all that, I want to know what your take was on ASIS 2011. Please share.
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].
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