Genea - Experts & Thought Leaders

Milestone XPerience Days in Las Vegas are packed with inspiration. Technology partners like NVIDIA and Dell bring their vision for what becomes possible when the right infrastructure meets the right intelligent video platform. Ten Milestone customers will show what this looks like in the real world – from law enforcement and healthcare to smart cities and transportation. And not least, Milestone’s product and technology leaders will share the future of the platform. “Milestone is bringing forward a future-proof video management platform built for the AI era, with analytics that help move security operations from reactive to more predictive. Combined with the strength of our open platform, this creates new and powerful possibilities for customers and partners alike,” says Andrew Burnett, Chief Technology Officer at Milestone Systems. Expanded product portfolio With the two-day event in Las Vegas and a brand-new Experience Center for partners and customers at its regional headquarters in Portland, Oregon, Milestone is sharpening its focus on the US market. “We are transforming into one unified Milestone with an expanded product portfolio of XProtect Video Management Software, BriefCam AI-driven analytics and Arcules cloud-native VSaaS, all working together to help our customers capture everything and with the tools to understand what matters most,” says Tim Palmquist, Vice President for North America at Milestone Systems. Accelerated pace of change The opportunities are bigger than ever, but with innovation happening at an accelerated pace of change, organisations, enterprises, end users, integrators and resellers also face more choices than ever. “The pace of change and innovation means that the open platform approach matters more than ever. No single vendor can deliver everything or fully envision the technology of tomorrow. The most future-proof approach is an open ecosystem, where you can integrate new technology and adapt quickly,” says Tim Palmquist. AI that works for humans The real opportunity AI offers in security is to make operators and users more capable, help them cut through noise, surface what matters, and free human judgment for the moments that require it. For the channel, this shift creates entirely new service and solution categories, and a customer base hungry for guidance on how to get there. "False alarms aren't just an annoyance. They're a trust problem. When operators learn to ignore alerts because most of them don't mean anything, the system stops working. That's the real cost of poor detection," says Tim Palmquist. The physical AI frontier Day two opens with a keynote from NVIDIA's Adam Scraba, Global Business Development, on the frontier of Physical AI, followed by a fireside chat with Milestone’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Burnett. Physical AI marks a fundamental shift in how video intelligence operates, moving from data centers into the physical world itself. Where traditional AI analyses footage after the fact, Physical AI enables systems to perceive, reason, and act in real environments in real time. For security operators this means a new frontier of capability: systems that don't just record what happens but understand it as it unfolds – and respond within the boundaries, that humans define. Major international airport Scraba and Burnett will discuss how and where NVIDIA and Milestone see the biggest opportunities for users over the next three to five years. "Physical AI is the new frontier, where the next decade of video intelligence gets built, and we move from systems that record the world to systems that understand it and act on it intelligently,” says Burnett. At the event, there will also be a close look into Las Vegas as one of the most complex security and operations environments on earth with millions of visitors, a major international airport, miles of public infrastructure, and police department responsible for keeping all of it safe, around the clock. Leaders from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Harry Reid International Airport, and Clark County School District will pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to run intelligent security at the scale of Vegas. That is one of the many inspirational panels and talks addressing the +400 attendees, sponsors and partners. Innovation on display at MXD The open platform ecosystem is on display throughout the exhibit hall. The technology partners at MXD USA 2026 were selected because what they have built on the Milestone platform is innovative, useful, and worth your time. The Platinum sponsors of MXD this year are Axis Communications, Hanwha Vision, O-insights, Wasabi and LenelS2. The Gold sponsors are Dell Technologies, i-PRO, Swear, IQSight, Tiger Surveillance, Genea and the Boring Lab. The Silver sponsors at the event are Acre, BCD, Commend, Eye QT Monitor, Gallagher Security, Optex, Pelco, SecuriThings, Tablet Media, FLIR, Vaidio, Vega, Vivotek and Zenitel. Other partners sponsoring the event include ADI, ScanSource and TD Synnex.

Ambient.ai, the pioneer in Agentic Physical Security, announces major new capabilities for Ambient Access Intelligence, its platform module for agentic access control operations. Building on its proven PACS Correlation Engine, the platform is now expanding with two new capabilities, Doors with Issues and Doors Unsecured. These new capabilities allow customers to diagnose chronic infrastructure problems at the source and deliver real-time visibility into physically unsecured doors, providing a comprehensive picture for PACS alarm management. Together, these capabilities extend Ambient Access Intelligence beyond faster alarm handling into a new operating model for access control, one that eliminates the work that should not exist, prevents the events that should not happen, and focuses operator attention on what actually matters. Resources handling alarms Where legacy access control systems generate overwhelming noise that leads operators to either waste time and resources handling alarms or “snooze” them altogether, exposing the organisation to risk, Ambient Access Intelligence generates real, actionable signal. It reduces PACS alarm volume by 95% by resolving false positives before they ever reach operators, ensuring they stay focused on verified events. “Alarms without intelligence are just noise,” said Vikesh Khanna, CTO and Co-Founder of Ambient.ai. “Our Reasoning AI platform has already turned millions of PACS alarms into verified signals for our customers. With the addition of Doors with Issues and Doors Unsecured, Ambient Access Intelligence is now entering its next phase: not only clearing alarms, but deciding which events deserve a response, preventing the issues that generate noise in the first place, and verifying that every door is physically secure. This is access control as an operating model, not a workflow.” AI-driven visual analysis Ambient Access Intelligence comprises three capabilities that work together as a unified agentic layer: Alarm Auto Clearing — The core capability fuses every PACS alarm with video in real time using the PACS Correlation Engine. Common false positives such as a person exiting, someone interacting with the inside of the door, wind, sensor faults, or doors that restore themselves are automatically resolved. Only verified incidents surface as contextualised alerts with GIF previews, live video, and floor plan context. Result: 95%+ of alarms are cleared without human intervention. Doors with Issues (new) — A diagnostic view for security administrators that applies AI-driven visual analysis to identify access points generating chronic noise due to infrastructure problems. It surfaces prioritised, categorised issues across three areas: Door & Alarm Behaviour, Camera Health, and Camera-Reader Mapping. Each diagnosis includes specific root causes and visual evidence, ready to route directly to facilities and maintenance teams, replacing slow, unreliable manual assessments. Doors Unsecured (new) — Real-time operational awareness for SOC operators and security managers. The capability listens for the door-restored PACS signal to confirm physical closure rather than relying on alarm state alone. It delivers a live video wall of every physically unsecured door across all sites, enabling coordinated guard sweeps instead of chasing isolated incidents. On average, access-controlled doors are physically unsecured 14.5 hours per week; this gap is now visible and actionable. Self-validating perimeter Together, the three capabilities mark a shift in how access control operates: from a reactive workflow that consumes operator time to a self-validating perimeter that focuses every minute of human attention on the events that actually warrant it. At ServiceNow, Ambient Access Intelligence has already processed more than 240,000 alarms, auto-clearing 94% and saving over 15,000 labour hours and $500K+ in avoided costs. Ambient Access Intelligence integrates natively with leading PACS platforms including LenelS2, Honeywell Pro-Watch, Genetec, Milestone, Allegion, Software House C-CURE 9000, Avigilon, Brivo, Kastle, Genea, and others. It requires only Ambient Foundation as the base platform layer and deploys on existing cameras and infrastructure, requiring no rip-and-replace.

The PSA Network (PSA), the world’s largest consortium of professional systems integrators, announced the lineup of speakers and sponsors for PSA TEC 2025 (TEC) in Aurora, Colorado, March 9-12, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Centre. “PSA TEC 2025 is shaping up to be an amazing event from the industry-pioneering education and certifications to access to the top manufacturers in the industry,” said Matt Barnette, president and CEO of the PSA Network. “The power of PSA truly lies in the relationships we foster and cultivate, and TEC is another extension of this.” TEC’s Industry Unplugged sessions This year’s educational lineup is led by keynote speaker, Ryan Estis. Estis will deliver the presentation: Sell for Impact-Delivering Value and Winning Customers in the New Economy.  Lee Odess, the voice of the global access control industry, will host TEC’s Industry Unplugged sessions interviewing executives like Tom Cook from Hanwha Vision and Michael Wong of Genea. Multiple other breakout sessions, certifications and mainstage sessions will also take place.  Latest innovations and relationships TEC 2025 is exclusive to PSA owners, members and sponsors providing premier educational content TEC 2025 is exclusive to PSA owners, members and sponsors providing premier educational content and networking opportunities between integrators and technology partners.  Over the four days, integrators will have ample opportunities to meet with technology partners, learn about their latest innovations and solidify business relationships. Sponsors This year’s sponsors are industry-pioneering manufacturers and solutions providers, including: Summit Altronix Corporation High Country AMAG Technology Hanwha Vision HID Johnson Controls Milestone Zenitel Front Range 3millID Acre Security Aiphone Alvarado ASSA ABLOY BCD Bosch Digital Watchdog Farpointe Data LenelS2 LifeSafety Power March Networks OpenEye SECLOCK Solutions360 Velasea Vicon Wavelynx Windy City Wire Western Slope Ai-RGUS AMG Security Genea Hirsch IML Security Supply NETGEAR ProdataKey Tabletop ALConsulting D-Tools GSA Schedules Jetbuilt NSCA Plante Moran Snellings Walters Insurance Agency SPRX Swell Zitko First Time Session Sponsor Vector Firm Access to networking events “PSA TEC 2025 would not be possible with our amazing sponsors,” said Brittany Board, director of technology partners at the PSA Network. “We are thankful for their support and looking forward to another opportunity to drive connections and business opportunities.” Registration for TEC is open and provides access to all networking events, meals and conference courses.

You’re no psychic. You probably don’t have the power of clairvoyance. But guess what? When it comes to your security, none of that matters. You can still create future-proof security by properly equipping yourself. Here’s how. Understanding access control Security is changing faster than ever before. With new threats inside the workplace and smaller security teams taking on more tasks, IT and security personnel must automate their processes using new technology. One difficult aspect, however, is choosing the right technology. By analysing technological trends and assessing your current and future needs, you can preemptively find solutions. Ultimately, in the long run, these solutions will save you time and expense. Ultimately, in the long run, these solutions will save you time and expense But how do you distinguish a momentary trend from a long-term solution? Do you really need to pay extra money for that feature, or will you stop using it in a year? To properly invest in future-proof access control, IT and security teams must look at three different aspects of technology: Flexibility, Scalability, and Efficiency. Access control system Flexibility: Hardware It’s not the sexiest thing to talk about, but hardware is crucial to any security system. Readers, locks and controllers are the backbone of any access control system, and choosing the right hardware is essential when it comes to planning for the future. Broadly speaking, hardware falls into two categories: proprietary and non-proprietary. For those teams considering a new installation, choosing between proprietary access control and non-proprietary access control is a decision that will affect your organisation over the long term. Long-term unseen expenses Proprietary Hardware Pros: Upfront costs can be less expensive; One vendor for hardware and software. Cons: Locked into one vendor; Long-term unseen expenses. Imagine buying a microwave that only cooked foods produced by the microwave manufacturer Imagine buying a microwave that only cooked foods produced by the microwave manufacturer. In a booming economy, the manufacturer produces all sorts of tasty treats—popcorn, lasagna, pies. But when the economy takes a dip, the manufacturer scales back its production and announces it will only sell liver and onions. Now maybe you’re a liver and onions fan, but on the off chance you like variety in your diet, this would be a problem. Your microwave has been rendered useless and has essentially become a liver and onions cooking machine. Potential system vulnerabilities Like the microwave example, proprietary hardware leaves companies at the mercy of the manufacturer. If the manufacturer goes out of business, the system will cease to function, and customer support will be non-existent. Consequently, your security team will likely have to install an entirely new hardware system. Costly, right? Let’s consider a less dramatic scenario. What if a manufacturer, instead of closing, decides to scale back its operations? It provides less frequent updates and fewer new feature releases. Without these updates, your security becomes more vulnerable and outdated. In the long run, choosing proprietary hardware can end up costing teams a lot more than they are saving and expose potential system vulnerabilities. Non-proprietary hardware Pros: Free to switch software vendors; Long-term system flexibility. Cons: Upfront costs can be more expensive. Non-proprietary hardware gives teams the power to switch software providers at any point Where proprietary hardware fails, non-proprietary thrives. The most important aspect of a non-proprietary system is the flexibility it grants. Non-proprietary hardware gives teams the power to switch software providers at any point, without replacing the hardware. In the aforementioned microwave scenario, the customer was relegated to a life of liver and onions because of their proprietary microwave. However, had they chosen a non-proprietary microwave, then they could have eaten any meal. They wouldn’t be limited to the food options sold by the manufacturer. Non-proprietary hardware also accounts for much of the current marketplace. If your team currently uses non-proprietary hardware—Mercury Security, HID, Wavelynx, or STid-- but is considering switching to a cloud-based provider, then something called a software takeover could be useful. A software takeover is a process by which a new software provider replaces a former one, though no new hardware is installed. Scalability: on-prem or the cloud? Whether working for an enterprise, hospital or school district there is always potential for expansion. As an organisation grows or shrinks, so must its access control. At your latest ‘all-hands’ meeting, the CEO announces that you will be aggressively expanding At your latest ‘all-hands’ meeting, the CEO announces that you will be aggressively expanding. They want security to be up and running in three new countries by the end of the quarter. Luckily, you have just finished migrating from on-premises access control to the cloud. You handle scaling the operation with relative ease. IT and security teams must choose between cloud access control and legacy on-premises equipment. The greatest determination of scalability lies with the server. Cloud-based access control Pros: Easily scalable; Less regular maintenance; More secure; Integrations; Centralised storage. Cons: On-going subscription costs; Migrating from on-premises access control. When asked about the trends shaping the near future of access control, 38% of respondents said cloud hosting would be an important feature. Though this was a lower percentage compared to the responses at the beginning of Covid-19 (50% mentioned cloud), cloud security is poised to grow by as much as 13.7% each year. Connecting software stacks Here are some facts about cloud-based access control: Security: In the past, what held the cloud back were concerns about cyber security. But advances in security, including 256-bit encryption for data at rest and data in transit, have significantly improved the cloud. Integrations: Talk to any IT director who has already made the migration from on-prem to cloud, and they’ll mention ‘integrations.’ The cloud gives administrators the ability to more quickly connect their software stacks. Some popular integrations include visitor, video, identity, and notification management. Though integrating on-premises access control is possible, it takes significantly longer and is more costly than integrating with the cloud. Remote Access: Since COVID-19, IT and security professionals have been searching for remote ways to work. However, remotely connecting to an on-premises access control system often requires a VPN. The cloud allows teams to work remotely and access any of the buildings in their portfolio while off site. Physical access control Efficiency: Software Features Another important aspect of physical access control is its software features Another important aspect of physical access control is its software features. While the needs vary from industry to industry, some overlap exists. For instance, a global dashboard can give oversight across buildings on college campuses or offices of a national enterprise. A security team in New York can monitor the access events or provision a new employee in Tokyo. Broadly speaking, IT and security teams are looking for software that boosts day-to-day efficiency and is customisable. These features include: Custom Reports- Spreadsheets or PDFs that give you an aggregated view of access events that have occurred over a given period. Custom Roles- Administrators the ability to create an organisational framework by access permissions. Badges- Create branded physical or digital badges according to permission level. Emergency Add-ons- Custom door plans and Muster reporting can help in crisis situations. For example, if there is an active shooter, certain doors can be left open or locked automatically to prevent the shooter from gaining access to certain areas. Cloud access control has made it easier to implement new features. Ultimately, the cloud gives IT and security administrators more power to quickly request and deploy the features they find most worthwhile. Final thoughts on security With the rapid technological transformation brought about by cloud and mobile access control, it’s important that IT and security teams stay ahead of the curve. In order to decide which system is the right choice for you, it’s important to evaluate not only your current but also future needs. Creating a checklist of the most important features and deciding whether to host all the server yourself are two important steps to pinpointing the perfect access control system. For more information, ask access control providers for a free demo.