Headlines

Biometric identity systems for border security

As we face 2016, identity management has become more critical to successful security operations. Recent acts of terrorism, border security issues, and the refugee crisis are just a few examples that remind us of the potential risks we face today. As a result, identity management is now firmly cemented into prospective security models across the public and private sectors.   In recent years, organisations and government bodies worldwide have begun to rely increasingly on biomet...

Efficient electronic access control on the rise

Strong electronic access control (EAC) investments by the healthcare and education verticals were a highlight of a very strong 2015 for Allegion. The company saw double-digit growth in multiple categories for its electronics as well as continued strong growth in commercial markets, with further expansion of software provider integration of Allegion-connected devices.   Mobile connectivity & system integration nurture positive trends Demand for mobile connectivity and inte...

Key & asset management vital to security strategy

2015 has been a huge success for key and asset management company Traka. The manufacturer is predicting growth between 20 and 30 percent. It attributes a large part of its success to the extensive work completed in previous years in the U.S. markets, as the foundations set are now coming to fruition.   However, Traka has also encountered a real culture shift within the industry. Where previously key management systems and intelligent lockers for asset management were seen as a...

Growing demand for mobile access control

With increased demand for high-security door locks in all the vertical markets we serve, the last year has been very good for Securitech. Looking forward, we expect this across-the-board growth to continue, as we continue to listen and respond to customer demands and closely monitor industry trends.   In recent years, the security industry has witnessed a growing trend towards development of user-friendly access control solutions that enable customers to have complete control...

Video analytics and 4K camera applications

An improving economy has resulted in additional spending on new and existing security initiatives in 2015, a solid year for the security industry. In addition, industry consolidation continued with the announcement of a few important mergers and acquisitions, which is further evidence of a vibrant and exciting time for our industry. As we move into 2016, we expect to see increased momentum for megapixel and 4K security products. The benefits of 4K are being realised by end users in outdoor cit...

Mobile ID and access management solutions

HID Global is looking forward to a long term investment in a complete range of secure identity solutions. Also, focusing on its global partnership program will be on the agenda. An increasingly global market for identity and access management is undergoing very rapid development due to technological advances, particularly in communications, where digital mobile solutions are experiencing strong demand. The year 2015 was a good one for HID Global, which has a strong global position and is invest...

Flawless video in dense network with mmWave

Siklu further expanded its presence in the video surveillance market in 2015. The company released the world’s smallest outdoor Gbps radio to address the issue of densified coverage, which results in the need for high capacity connectivity in surveillance networks – a trend that has snowballed in past years.  Growing video surveillance networks demand greater bandwidth capacity Developments in video analytics and resolutions, requiring high-quality video at the surveillance ne...

Security integrators offer better connectivity with IoT

In today’s connected world, our customers are focused on streamlining operations and garnering actionable insights to help drive success across the business. Modern security systems enable security integrators to offer remote access capabilities which in turn helps businesses to improve their performance. For example, security integrators continue to bring new value to customers through new capabilities enabled by the Internet of Things. By utilising connected technology and sensors, secu...

Long-range & contactless readers’ sales grow

Farpointe Data started 2015 in newly relocated offices featuring a larger, more proficient layout that added new manufacturing equipment and increased its production and inventory capabilities. Shortly into the year, Farpointe introduced new WRR-22 and WRR-44 433 MHz receivers that use either 2-button or 4-button transmitters to open two or four different doors from ranges up to 200 feet (61 m). Each button outputs transmitter data over separate Wiegand outputs, yet the receiver installs just...

Smart command softwares identify security threats

The role of today’s security leader continues to evolve as they are faced with an ever-expanding risk environment that includes active shooters, crime, natural disasters, liabilities and cyber threats. Most recently, the terrorist attacks in Paris and the active shooter violence in California once again served as reminders of the threats organisations face on a daily basis.   Intelligent technologies for proactive security management Over the past year, the increased fo...

Increased competition among security providers

Ups and downs tested the staying power of security system providers in 2015, which was a dynamic year for the security market. A key development in the security industry has been the acquisition of VMS leader Seetec by OnSSI, which has enabled it to serve customers globally. The security market in 2015 also witnessed a growing trend towards supporting diverse security systems from different manufacturers. Falling prices and increased competition On the bright side, while the economy has not ye...

Customer benefits more important than trends?

It is better to create new markets than to struggle to maintain a presence in the bitterly contested existing markets. The security market in 2015 has been faced with many ups and downs, and in such a scenario innovating new products gave companies the necessary boost to take on competitors and capture new markets. That’s the viewpoint of Dallmeier as an eventful year draws to a close; a year in which we won and completed many new projects all over the world. Despite, or perhaps because o...

ID cards - school security solution despite budget

Budget becomes a major constraint for any school and organisation while addressing safety of their students and staff. IDSecurityOnline, the leading provider of photo identification services will provide customers its innovative ID card solutions irrespective of their budget. The development of cloud-based services and mobile platforms has offered more options to organisations all around the United States in 2015. In the meantime, scare tactics have been the go-to marketing strategy for many se...

Predictive security with data analysis

2015 was a notable year for Quantum Secure, culminating with the company becoming part of HID Global. Growth was seen in several sectors for us, led by the adoption of our SAFE software solutions in the finance and aviation markets, among others. For the industry in general as it relates to Quantum Secure, predictive security became a more prevalent theme as organisations were tasked with not only providing more data but making sense of the data for use in improving security operations. Another...

Active sensor technology for emergency responders

The security environment is unsettling and continues to require focus and continuing vigilance to increase security measures. Sensors in active technology systems play an important role in situational awareness, which helps in identifying and responding to emergency situations.   As of October 2015, there were 45 school shootings in the United States. There continues to be grave concern about potential “lone wolf”-type events for individuals and businesses. Situati...

ASIS President predicts more IoT and M&As in 2016

From my vantage point, it would appear that the acquisition of goods and services related to security controls and measures remains healthy at the end of 2015. Although the time associated with evaluations and overall procurement processes, I am told, has become a bit lengthier.   Mergers and acquisitions of both security industry providers and the merger of national and international companies are the biggest unexpected things to have an impact this year. Forbes reported that...

Security projects capital spending grew in 2015

Capital spending continues to open up in 2015, providing funding for security projects that may have been delayed from prior years. Overall, it was a solid year for the security industry. From a SightLogix perspective, we have seen an increased rate of repeat business as existing customers expand the number of assets they need to secure.      Smart thermal cameras provide ideal outdoor intrusion detection 2015 saw an accelerated adoption of thermal cameras with video analytics...

Pure IP access control in 2016

In April of 1775, Paul Revere rode fearlessly through the streets of New England warning the town of Lexington that “The Red Coats are Coming!” It was both a warning and an announcement that a powerful force was upon them. If Paul Revere were alive today and in the security and access control world, he would probably be tweeting, posting, and blogging that “IP access control is coming, and it’s coming faster than you’d expect!” Just as in 1775, it is both a...

Key management systems with access control

Although 2015 seemed like the year of data breaches, it was also the year that the Internet of Things (IoT) achieved real traction. Key management systems and most other advanced security solutions can now be integrated with the networked security system (i.e. identity management, access control, IP video surveillance, intrusion and other systems) to strengthen risk management strategies. Specifically, Morse Watchmans’ KeyWatcher Touch can now be integrated with Lenel’s OnGuard Acce...

2016 networking and advanced integration trend

Overall, 2015 has yielded positive results across the professional security industry due to the global demand for enhanced and expanded security in response to greater risks and threats. Over the past year, Altronix has participated in the industry’s growth with new technology offerings and an expanded reseller channel. The need to effectively respond to system trouble and remotely manage devices has become increasingly important to maintain security around the clock. More large technolo...

Huge demand for 4K technology in 2016

2015 has been a mixed year. There’s been aggressive competition in the security industry and difficult market conditions in some parts of Europe. The market has slowed down, but at the same time there is still a huge demand for new solutions coming into the market. As a manufacturer, we continue to see strong demand for innovative products. Overall, the industry has matured this year. The full HD market is established now, and more security professionals are now looking beyond that. 4K an...

Video storage with longer retention time

How did the overall economy impact the security marketplace in 2015? In as much as security is more and more becoming a necessity, it would be difficult to gauge whether the economy had any direct effect other than at a budget level. With the introduction of 4K technology, video storage with longer retention time has become the need of the hour. Being a manufacturer of IP video storage solutions, BCDVideo has been able to work with security integrators and camera manufacturers from around the wo...

Extracting dark data for actionable information

2015 was one of the more stable of the last five years. We’re seeing a fundamental increase in confidence that is freeing up capital spend. There’s a good bit of pent-up demand, and larger projects are being funded. We’re seeing more M&A deals, not an explosive change, but a marked increase and more quality deals. These deals reflect an interest and demand for services and solutions. The commoditisation of cameras and NVR/DVRs is putting pressure on long-term players as we...

Security opportunities among global threats

As the world faces new threats and challenges at the end of 2015, the security market looks more and more attractive for companies and employees around the world. Digital technology increasingly is replacing a traditional physical security approach, upgrading old-school analogue alarms and CCTV. Attractive security projects From AxxonSoft’s point of view, security projects seem very attractive because they normally can bring up to 30% profit for a standard security system installation....

AMAG customer focus strategy drives growth

AMAG Technology provides an overview on its regional development and the current market trends in these regions. The integrated security solution provider speaks about the consolidation of the video market and the growing necessity to develop security solutions that address the needs of their customers. The overall economy positively impacted the North American security market in 2015 as AMAG Technology has experienced unprecedented growth as an organisation. On the international side, there ha...

Open software-based security systems' benefits

Many security solutions available today have the problem of being insufficiently open, offering very limited flexibility. Integrating third-party products is practically impossible. Customers therefore very often have to make a long-term bet on just one vendor. Upgrading or expanding security systems is often complex, expensive and time-consuming. But the industry is changing. Initiatives like open standards and cooperation between suppliers are emerging to help companies react faster to changin...

Rise of fingerprint solutions

The extraordinary global adoption of fingerprint based solutions, from mobile devices to credentials, will continue to expand and touch new markets in 2016. The trend to move away from passwords and PINs is really building momentum in logical and physical access. Widespread use of biometric security The security industry in 2015 continued to improve, along with the overall economy. Regulatory agencies are taking the lead as two-factor authentication is becoming a more mainstream concept. From...

Analogue HD on the rise amid IP innovation

IDIS was a new name in the security market in 2015, and we asked the company to comment on interesting trends in the market at year-end. Here is that discussion.    SourceSecurity.com: How did the economy affect the industry in 2015? Keith Drummond, Senior Director of Sales and Marketing, IDIS America: The surveillance market had been quite resilient as it relates to the overall economy over the 15 years I have been in the industry, and 2015 has been no different. It s...

Situational awareness: Next-gen security

The nature of risk has changed, and there is a blurring of lines between cyber, physical and online security. These changes are spurring organisational changes as well. Most recently, the unexpected attacks against Paris have escalated the importance of security worldwide – and there’s an even greater focus on leveraging even more sources of information in an effort to gain greater situational awareness to react faster, more efficiently and effectively.   Changing...

Mobile access control applications

While the access control market typically moves at a near glacial pace, 2015 brought quite a bit of news to the marketplace, including the rise in advanced biometrics, the development of more and more mobile applications for access control and important acquisitions that put smaller manufacturers on the map. For Vanderbilt, 2015 was a big year as we brought the Siemens Security Products business into the fold, building our global brand and awareness of our award-winning solutions that have been...

Surveillance needs for vertical markets

Hikvision USA enjoyed tremendous success in 2015, thanks in part to the continued growth of the security industry. As we see a broader variety of vertical markets showing an increasing need for video surveillance, security vendors must be versatile in their product offering. The products themselves must be highly scalable and must provide high performance at a competitive price. Hikvision has been able to accomplish all of these things with a product suite that includes high definition analogu...

Cybersecurity & risk management 2016

Cybersecurity is a fast-changing field and 2015 was no exception. The proliferation of cybersecurity issues continued to make headlines, including the very dramatic hacking of a vehicle to allow for remote control over steering, brakes, the transmission and other critical functions. There was also state-sponsored hacking that targeted government, defence and other strategic sectors of the marketplace. Staying on top of these breaches still remains a challenge.   Securing the I...

Business applications for security products

2015 was positive for the security industry. In spite of economic volatility in many regions, the industry grew robustly throughout the year. Although a few countries went into recession, it did not negatively impact key players. We knew cameras with multiple sensors would do well; however, the rate at which these devices increased in availability was somewhat unexpected. The Avigilon HD Multisensor brings increased value because it uses multiple independently adjustable sensors for wide covera...

Physical and IT security convergence

We in the industry have talked about IT’s growing influence in security technology decision-making for a number of years. This year, we have seen the trend accelerate rapidly. Significant changes are occurring in data centre infrastructure technology, creating major disruption to the large enterprise server and storage providers. This is fundamentally changing the way the security industry thinks about IT. 2015 trend – emergence of hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) One of the bi...

Driving global demand for vehicle access control

As terrorism continues to rear its ugly head, we at Delta Scientific have been upgrading high-profile embassy and consulate facilities for several major counties around the world. 2015 was a strong year for us. We saw an increase in manufacturing output on our complete line of vehicle barricades and guard booths. 2016 shows no signs of slowing down.    Increased global security measures for explosive-laden vehicles  The Middle East is a particular hotbed for increas...

Thermal imaging for perimeter security

The security market was affected by the economic situation in 2015. However, the penetration of thermal products for security applications continues, and FLIR is seeing strong growth. The company saw the use of thermal imaging cameras continue to develop in perimeter security. End users and integrators are experiencing excellent results by combining high-quality thermal cameras with video analytics. The take up of thermal cameras is increasing for security applications as the industry recognises...

Adopting new video surveillance technologies

Video surveillance technologies such as solar and wireless security which are cost-effective and sustainable have witnessed increased adoption. Innovative end-user focused security companies will flourish in the coming years as new market verticals are looking to address security issues.   Evolution of surveillance Looking back over the past year, it is easy to see how the security industry has continued to realise substantial gains. Some of these gains have been financial, s...

More accurate data from analytics in 2016

Overall, 2015 was an interesting year for the security industry and Panasonic. We’ve seen some exciting advancements in surveillance technology, including a strong uptick in body-worn cameras for law enforcement. The transition to IP cameras continues; but with economic ups and downs, we also saw customers hanging on to existing systems longer than expected, so providing support and helping them migrate at their own pace will continue to be a priority for us. From a global perspective, the...

Better perimeter security with integration

At 2015 year-end, we are continuing to see a trend toward hardening the perimeter for buildings and property. I believe we are approaching a tipping point with respect to C-suite awareness of the perils of unauthorised entry, often called “piggybacking” or “tailgating” in security vocabulary. Top executives are becoming more aware of the threat and the potential cost of such threats, and they’re motivating their organisations to take action. Role of trusted consult...

Interoperability in the security industry

In the past year, ONVIF prepared the release of two new profiles, Profiles Q and A, which are currently in Release Candidate status, being fine-tuned by developers from member organisations. They are ONVIF’s fourth and fifth profiles, with Profile Q addressing easy set-up and advanced security features and Profile A encompassing daily tasks for access control. ONVIF also hit major milestones in 2015, reaching the 5,000-conformant product mark and maintaining a membership of more than 500 m...

Siliconisation trend to drive need for innovation

The siliconisation of surveillance cameras has had a great impact on the security industry, especially this year. The cost of complex megapixel cameras has decreased dramatically as this functionality is now available on chips. The camera industry has gone from innovating on the camera’s performance and functionality to acting more like the PC OEM business, and this siliconisation is driving industry commoditisation. Commoditisation is levelling the competitive landscape as customers are...

Cybersecurity and mobile technology in 2016

The global economy presented some challenges to Tyco Security Products in several ways throughout 2015. Anyone in oil and gas or mining experienced an impact resulting from the market dynamics within those verticals. Also, the significant strength of the US dollar versus other currencies is impacting order value for companies with a global footprint. All in all, though, business remains strong and growing.   Measures to strengthen cybersecurity Looking ahead to 2016, cybersec...

How to build an empowered security team

An increasing trend, and one that will become even more pressing in 2016, is an expanded focus on personnel. This includes the recruitment, selection, training, engagement and recognition of the individuals who are assigned to help create and maintain safer and more secure environments.   The tightening labour market has propelled this pressing need to the forefront. With fewer candidates for security officer openings – and openings in most industries – the competi...

4K LST challenges and opportunities

We close a historic year for the video surveillance industry: HD security cameras dominate the market for the first time, while overall camera sales are growing even stronger than ever, as security customers are accelerating replacements, finally able to get HD CCTV. As of 2016, “4K” replaces “HD” as our industry’s code word for highest-resolution video. Trade show demos of 4K cameras are as common now as HD camera demos were in 2008.    4K technica...

Greater public spending boosts security industry

Overall 2015 has been a year of increased public sector spending (as the UK economy continues to emerge from the recession), which has been highly beneficial to the security industry. This trend has been particularly evident in the healthcare and education sectors, which are key markets for TDSi. Nobody could have predicted the significant number of international security and terrorism threats this year. Undoubtedly this will result in even closer ties among the security industry, police and se...

Video surveillance trends in 2015

Video surveillance technology continues to evolve at a strong pace with improvements in resolution, integration, intelligence and bandwidth utilisation – all of which contribute to better overall security and cost-efficiency. As the video surveillance category continues to grow, we spoke with Jeff Whitney, Arecont Vision’s Vice President of Marketing, about some of the factors driving the market.   Maturity of integrated systems There continues to be a great deal...

Security market consolidation trend in 2015

2015 was a year of consolidations: The spring of 2015 recorded the highest acquisition rate for a six-month period in 10 years. There were single-digit market growth rates reported in video surveillance due to price erosion affecting revenues. Video solution providers are expanding into access control, and both are slowly but steadily moving into the cloud. Users want the efficiency benefits of converging access control with video verification and unified operation. There are more cloud offering...

Physical & cyber security convergence

Physical and cyber security convergence, perimeter intrusion detection systems and fibre optic-based sensors were some of the security trends that picked up pace in 2015 and will continue to grow in the coming year as well. The beginning of 2015 started out slowly as the implementation of security projects by a number of organisations was postponed for various reasons. Mid-year picked up momentum, and the year is ending on a strong note. A significant trend was the gradual progression of conve...

Card-based identity falling to mobile credentials

Throughout 2015 the security industry saw the appearance of numerous mobile credential offerings, signalling the “beginning of the end” of card-based identity, and strengthening of mobile offerings in general. Overall, the security industry enjoyed healthy growth throughout 2015, as reflected in the better-than-index performance of most publicly traded security company stocks.  Cloud companies, in particular, saw the market turning their way, as a number of security vendors ha...

Higher MP cameras and IT security in 2016

The year 2015 has been notable in several ways. Industry changes include a rise in Chinese manufacturers in the mid- to low-end market, more mobile devices providing video surveillance, and the rise of omnidirectional and higher-megapixel cameras. Unexpectedly, the industry also saw an increase in popularity of do-it-yourself security systems and the speed with which Chinese companies saturated the marketplace with “good enough” products. Omni-directional cameras Oncam welcomes th...

Value and quality in security market

The security industry continued to grow in 2015, although it was a bit slower than expected. Most noticeably, we saw a lot of M&A activity throughout the industry, including our own new ownership under Canon. Business continues as usual, and we have and will maintain our separate brand. The industry also experienced more price pressure on hardware than in previous years. Axis U.S. expansion plans 2016, IP video, IoT The discussion of price versus value will be a common one in 2016. There...

Latest video surveillance technologies in 2016

As 2015 comes to a close, it’s a good time to look back at how our industry has changed this year and what we can expect for 2016. Specifically in the area of video surveillance, the trend toward higher resolutions continued this year. Whereas a few years ago, 720p was the most popular resolution for HD cameras, 1080p has now become the standard choice, and even higher resolutions, such as 4K ultra HD cameras, are seeing increased sales. Integrators are also using a broader mix of cameras...