Round table discussions

In the United States, they are called licence plate recognition (LPR) systems. In Europe, the more common term is automated licence number-plate recognition (ANPR). In either case, the systems provide capabilities that can benefit a range of applications from schools to municipalities to parking lots. Newer technologies can even identify vehicle colour, type, make and model. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What's new with licence plate recognition (LPR) and/or automated numbe...

Video storage has come a long way since rooms full of VCRs stored video from an entire system of cameras. Video storage equates to data storage, and there are multiple options ranging from hard disk storage to the cloud to storage on each individual camera using SD cards. Increasingly, cloud-based storage is an attractive option to store video footage conveniently and safely. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is expansion of video storage capabilities impacting the security...

Headlines of violence in our schools are a reminder of the need to keep educational institutions safe. In fact, if there is a positive aspect to the constant bombardment of headlines, it is that it keeps our attention perpetually focused on how to improve school security. But what is the role of physical security systems? As the new school year begins, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Are schools safer because of physical security systems? Why or why not? 

As physical security technologies become more complex, it is incumbent on the dealer/integrator to have the skills and expertise needed to ensure that a system operates smoothly. The value of integrators increasingly rests on the skill sets they bring to bear when installing a system. If the skills are missing, there is a problem. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What missing skills among security integrators can cause problems for customers? 

Driving the smart homes market is the convenience of simple technology solutions. Almost every home now has a “smart speaker” that makes it easier than ever for homeowners to interface and control their technology. But where does security fit into the new landscape of smart home systems? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What’s new in smart homes and residential security systems?

Historically, the emphasis of security systems has been on reactivity, whether it’s providing video evidence of an incident or data to support a resulting investigation. Reactivity is core to impactful security, but increasingly, systems are also seeking to be more proactive. A proactive system seeks to prevent events from happening in the first place, thus mitigating the harm to an organisation, and making the need for a reactive response moot. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roun...

The role of the integrator/installer in the physical security marketplace is shifting as technologies evolve and applications expand. Integrators are being faced with a need to augment their expertise both in a wider range of systems and deeper into the specifics of each increasingly complex technology. At the end of the day, it falls to the integrator/installer to ensure a system performs as promised, however much a consultant or even a manufacturer might be involved in the process. We asked th...

Deployed across a wide range of devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) collects data to help business owners make decisions on a macro scale as well as at a granular level. The IoT is a network of physical devices embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity that allows them to collect and share data. We called on this week's Expert Panel Roundtable to comment on the intersection of the IoT and physical security. We asked: How is the Internet of Things (IoT) increasing the effectiven...

Analogue video cameras are still used in a variety of applications, primarily because yesterday’s robust and flexible technology is still functioning today, although it has been years, or even decades, since the initial installation. In many cases, this past generation of security cameras is still reliable and effective.  Embracing an installed base of analogue cameras is often the most cost-effective approach when updating or expanding a surveillance system. But what about the futur...

Sharing data between security and building management devices can provide a route to maximise building usage and minimise costs. In today's Internet of Things (IoT) environment, tying together a variety of systems is easier than ever. For an update, we asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the benefits of integrating security technology with building management systems (BMS)?

Time flies in the busy world of security, so it’s no surprise that the midpoint of 2023 comes before know it. Let’s pause after the first half of the year to look ahead at what can expect during the second half (Hint: It’s all about AI). We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What will likely be the most important technology development in the security marketplace in the second half of 2023?

As the first line of defence against unauthorised access to business premises, perimeter security can alert an enterprise of potential security threats while delaying or preventing any loss or damage due to criminal acts. Combining hardware and software, perimeter security addresses the outermost ring of a facility’s concentric circles of protection. Obviously, any threat addressed at the outermost edge of defence does not become a more immediate and urgent threat closer to a facility. We...

According to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to transform all sectors of society, including national security. The physical security marketplace is certainly feeling the impact of the new technology, which has quickly gained prominence as one of the industry’s most popular buzzwords. To assess the more practical aspects of the situation, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is artificial intelligence (...

Risk is a core concept in the practice of physical security. However, the risk is not always assessed effectively. Ideally, an organisation's appetite for risk guides its security strategy and action planning to the minutest detail, including buying decisions for security equipment and systems. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: How does the concept of risk influence buying decisions in the security market?  

A sad irony in the physical security industry has been the lax attention paid historically to the cybersecurity elements of our industry’s systems. However, the picture has improved starkly in recent years as manufacturers have stepped up to meet the cybersecurity challenges and awareness of the issue has become much higher. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What's new in cybersecurity for physical security systems?

Integrators and installers are on the front line of creating most security systems. They are also usually the first point of contact if there is a problem with the system. In general practice, many end users deal with integrators and seldom if ever speak to the manufacturer. Should it be that way? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Why does a manufacturer need a direct relationship with an end user?

Protecting video involves many of the same strategies and protocols as those used to protect any other type of data. In the world of IP cameras and systems, video can be transmitted anywhere in the world to anyone who needs to see it. But what about access by outsiders who are not authorised to view the video? Or what if heaven forbid, the video is accessed by an unauthorised user who later posts it to YouTube? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What safeguards are in place...

Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) standards in the broader marketplace reflect a growing recognition that business needs to lead the way in addressing a range of environmental and social issues. Environmental concerns, especially as they impact climate change, are a familiar facet of business life. In addition, social concerns include human rights and equity; basically, an organisation's relationships with people. Governance refers to the structure of rules, practices, and pr...

Every security system is unique, of course. Specific to each installation are the problems the customer and the integrator may experience along their journey. However, given the installation of hundreds of physical security systems, there are commonalities that occur. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the major pain points when installing a physical security system?

The return of trade shows has been an invigorating development for the security market. The morning-after reviews of this year's shows could not have been more positive. Everyone in the industry seemed to revel in the excitement and momentum as the shows decisively proclaimed: 'We're back.' Continuing that momentum into the future will depend on how well the shows adapt to changing industry trends and repeatedly reinvent themselves to be better every year. Adding feedback from GSX to our earlier...

Big Data is a persistent buzzword in the broader technology realm and in the physical security market. More every year, it seems we see a greater impact of the compilation of numerous data sources (Big Data) on our market. Smart leaders in the industry are looking at the vast opportunities that exist to leverage Big Data into greater intelligence and situational awareness. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the intersection of the security market and "big data?"

Faces captured by video cameras could be perceived as an invasion of privacy, as could images captured through residential windows or that involve private or proprietary information. Fortunately, modern video systems incorporate technological features that help avoid an inadvertent invasion of privacy, while preserving any data that may be needed by authorized persons. For the latest commentary, we turn to our Expert Panel Roundtable with this week’s question: What new features of video sy...

Challenges of the global supply chain have reverberated into the physical security marketplace in a big way in recent years. Dealers who historically could count on timely delivery of equipment have instead faced extended delays that in some cases have jeopardised their businesses. By most accounts, the situation is improving, so we turned to our Expert Panel Roundtable for an update. Our question this week: What is the current state of the physical security supply chain?

Biometrics is both a mature technology in the physical security world and an innovation perpetually on the cutting edge. Biometric technologies received a boost during the COVID pandemic when “touchless” became a buzzword with particular relevancy to the world of biometrics. Higher security needs, such as “two-factor authentication,” are also driving demand for biometric products. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the latest technology trends in...

The upcoming ISC West trade show in Las Vegas will offer innumerable networking and learning opportunities for attendees. Manufacturers will take the opportunity to promote their businesses and showcase products and services to a targeted audience. Best of all, the event will be "in person," an advantage we should never again take for granted. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What big announcements do you expect at ISC West 2023?

Some products may become obsolete faster than others, while some may have a longer life span due to ongoing innovation and demand. Technology and security threats are continuously evolving, and older security systems may no longer be effective in protecting against the latest threats. Additionally, older systems may have outdated technology, making them more vulnerable. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Given rapid technology development, are the lifecycles of security sy...

The economic outlook for the year ahead is uncertain at best. Multiple lingering issues are in play, such as inflation, supply chain challenges, global instability, and a changing workforce. But to what extent does a shaky economy equate to a slowdown in the security market? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How does the wider economic climate impact the market for security products and services?

Some systems and assets are so vital that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on security, economic security, public health or safety, or any combination of those factors. This so-called critical infrastructure has historically faced many complex threats. In 2023, we can add growing concerns about cybersecurity to the mix. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the largest risk to critical infrastructure in 2023? How can we address it?

There’s always more to talk about in our Expert Panel Roundtable discussions, and we appreciate the variety of opinionated responses offered throughout the year. Looking back at 2022, we found several random and uncategorised Expert Panel responses that were not previously published. We have rescued these responses from our cutting-room floor and present them here in the interest of generating even more discussion.

As much as we each seem to live in our own bubble, the reality is that everything is connected and we are all part of a greater whole. So it is with the security market, which can be both inward-focused and also play a role in the bigger societal picture. A couple of recent questions we posed to the Expert Panel Roundtable highlight how the security market can and should interact with society in general.