After getting some much needed rest from last week's ISC West 2009 in Las Vegas, I thought I would recap some of the noteworthy technologies and announcements that I wasn't able to get to because of time constraints in our live show coverage. Overall, just about all of the vendors I spoke with at the show felt that attendance was better than they expected, given the current economic climate.
Despite reports that security firms are still investing in new products and services, many acknowledged that they have been affected by the downturn. Though tough times may still lie ahead, the security industry can take solace in the fact that many people and organizations actually increase their security spending during lean times to protect what assets they do have. Indeed, if you look at most of the recent research reports posted on SIW regarding the forecasts for different technology segments, just about everyone of them, including surveillance, access controls and biometrics are expected to increase over the next three to four years.
That's about enough of my opining on the current state of the security industry, however, here's some news from a few companies I was able to catch up with at the show.
Canon
Placing an emphasis on image quality at this year's show, Canon rolled out their new VB-C500D fixed mini dome network camera. The new camera features an 82 degree horizontal field of view, Power over Ethernet and Smart Shade Control, which adjusts darker areas of an image, while maintaining the brightness of the brighter areas so the subject and background are visible. The VB-C500D is currently only available in an indoor model. The camera currently integrates with Milestone, OnSSI and Exacq Technologies VMS software.
Avocado Security
Kevin Shahbazi, CEO of Avocado Security, attended this year’s show to showcase his company’s software platform, which uses existing cameras to convert surveillance data into business intelligence. According to Shahbazi, the software can use a company’s existing security infrastructure to monitor what a business wants to quantify and then chart and distribute that information in daily reports tailored to fit the needs of various departments within an organization. This information can be saved for up to 10 years, giving a business the ability to research crucial data and compare it to information gathered over a long period of time.
Lantronix