Winsted Corporation - Experts & Thought Leaders

Milipol Qatar, the Middle East’s international event for homeland security and civil defence, which returns to the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) in October, has attracted an international exhibitor line-up with global sector heavyweights signing up. The exhibitor list for the biennial event shows confirmations from organisations across Scandinavia, Europe, the UK, Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Far East, and Indian Sub-continent. Homeland security and civil defence sectors “Many names from the homeland security and civil defence sectors are among the confirmations received and span a wide breadth of equipment, systems, product and consultancy offerings” explained Marie Lagrenée, Milipol Events Director. Confirmed exhibitors include: fire and protection infrastructure support product and engineering systems suppliers; services and safety training consultants; manufacturers of access control, personal protection equipment manufacturers; authentication and cyber-security systems; risk assessment and crisis management advisors; fibres and fabric suppliers; producers of measurement and analysis, mobility and optronic equipment; communications and transmission systems as well as weapons and ammunition suppliers. Confirmed international companies Major players in the confirmed line-up include: Huawei Technologies of China; Turkey’s Ares Shipyard; the UK’s control room systems provider Winsted Limited; French microwave security experts MC2 Technologies; Italian encryption technologists Boole Server; Belgian relief-aid supplier Alpinter SA; German dangerous goods transporter Lufracom GmbH and one of the country’s personal protective equipment manufacturers Haix Schuhe Produktions Und Vertriebs as well as Danish surveillance technology pioneer Covidence A/S. The staging of 13th Milipol Qatar is in line with the Government of Qatar’s overarching master plan for the gradual lifting of COVID-19 prevention restrictions which allows the staging of business gatherings, including exhibitions and conferences from September 1. The event, which is under the patronage of His Highness the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, is organised by Qatar’s Ministry of Interior in partnership with Paris-based international event organiser Comexposium, acting on behalf of the GIE Milipol headed by Civipol, the consulting and service company of the French ministry of the Interior. Middle East security market October’s Milipol Qatar is shaping up to be a window into a Middle East security market which is undergoing rapid transformation driven by technological advancements and by increased homeland health and safety requirements in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. “We can expect the release of a host of new cross-border health protection technology to provide heightened national health and safety and address concerns which have arisen as a result of COVID-19. These will be concerns which will need to be addressed if the Middle East is to realise its ambitions for the staging of major international events, such as the FIFA World Cup 2022,” explained Milipol Events Director Marie Lagrenée. “Milipol Qatar will be the first Post-pandemic homeland security event to be staged and the first forum to ably address these concerns.” Dialogues, case studies and debates A powerful Milipol Qatar knowledge-sharing program will feature dialogues, case studies and debates on the industry’s expanding challenges and opportunities. Milipol Qatar 2020 is expected to welcome over 200 exhibitors and close to 8,000 visitors. The event’s online registration platform for both exhibitors, and industry professional visitors, who enter free-of-charge, is open on the Milipol Qatar 2020 website.

AMAG Technology hosted its annual Security Engineering Symposium in Miami, Florida, February 15-18, 2019 at the Trump National Doral Miami. Eighty end users, consultants and integrators were in attendance. Guests were treated to two days of interactive presentations with thought leaders in compliance, AI, edge technology, insider threat, and open technologies and were taught how to apply what it means to them to understand how to utilise the right solutions to mitigate risks, ensure compliance and save money. AMAG Technology President, Kurt Takahashi and Director of Business Development, Kami Dukes opened the conference by welcoming attendees and introducing honoured guests and AMAG staff. Chief Operating Officer, Howard Johnson and Vice President of Products and Partner Programs, Jason Schimpf presented Your Voice, Our Vision, and discussed AMAG’s vision for the future which is based on customer feedback and the technology innovation needed to meet today’s threats. Discussing security trends Our goal this year was to change and improve the format to provide digestible, useable content that was valuable to our attendees"A Platinum panel based on the theme, Achieve More Together, discussed security trends, customer needs and how best to move forward together to be successful. Two TED style talks featured Open Ideas with Dukes and Senior Director of Global Sales, Justin Wilmas and People Within with Business Development Manager, Dan Bissmeyer. “Our goal this year was to change and improve the format to provide digestible, useable content that was valuable to our attendees, and I believe we met that goal,” said Dukes. “Our diverse audience inspired impactful discussions surrounding topics that affect vertical markets dealing with compliance challenges, and I am proud to announce that together we raised nearly $9,500.00 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.” Integrating access control with video “AMAG hosted a first-class event that provided the opportunity to network with AMAG, as well as many end users and vendors," said Salt Lake City Police Department Captain, Scott Teerlink. "The format allowed for much discussion not only about the Symmetry solution, but with how to better integrate access control with video, audio, and other innovative solutions to improve our site security while simplifying and reducing time needed to complete the critical tasks necessary to ensure our facilities are secure. “I left with a better understanding about AMAG, the Symmetry solution and what's new in the security industry. Most importantly, I met outstanding people that will be a tremendous asset as we work to adapt and evolve our systems to best meet our changing environment and needs." Building relationships with security professionals The Security Engineering Symposium provided a wonderful opportunity to network and build relationships with fellow security professionals"Ten certified technology partners worked together to deliver theme-based presentations to attendees. Platinum Level sponsors, ASSA ABLOY and Vingtor Stentofon presented Living on the Edge. Gold level sponsors Axis Communications and Salient Systems presented Take Tech to the Biz. Gold sponsors LifeSafety Power and Winsted presented Automation & Compliance. Silver sponsors shared a breakout session and included Idemia, IRIS ID, LiveSafe and Wavelynx. "The Security Engineering Symposium provided a wonderful opportunity to network and build relationships with fellow security professionals," said Jorge Gomez PE, RCDD, Managing Member/Project Engineer, J&A Engineering Consultants. "The event revitalized me and renewed my excitement about the security industry." During the closing banquet, a representative from St. Jude’s Research Hospital presented about the mission and advances St. Jude’s is making in paediatric cancer research. Our generous SES19 sponsors and attendees together raised $4,728.00, which was matched by AMAG for a record setting total of $9,456.00! “We are so thankful to our integrators, consultants, partners and end users for their generosity, and are thrilled to donate such a large sum to St. Jude,” said Dukes.

Control room furniture manufacturer Winsted is set to return to IFSEC 2018 unveiling their exciting and futuristic new console – The Prestige WAVE, on stand F202. Expanding capabilities Designed and constructed specifically for today’s control room technology, the sleek new console, ergonomically designed with its impressive appearance and aesthetic options, is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio and is a clear demonstration of the company’s on-going and expanding capabilities. Engineered as a modular system, it enables the configuration to be tailored specifically to meet precise operating or room requirements. A range of finishes and accessories are available including monitor mounts, CPU holders and storage to fully customise any workspace. Round-the-clock monitoring Terry Shough, Winsted’s General Manager, hails the new Wave console as an important and innovative addition to the company’s comprehensive line-up of control room furniture, Shough commented, “The smart modular solution is highly adaptable, designed to meet the rigorous demands of a 24/7 environment, but not at the expense of style or aesthetics.” Winsted representatives will be on-hand throughout the event to discuss customer-specific requirements and provide helpful information on the latest trends and developments in the industry in order to equip visitors with the best solution to meet their control-room requirements.

Security control rooms should be functional and durable, and their aesthetics should incorporate matching colours that are conducive to a 24/7 operating environment—not too much contrast and easy on the eyes. Another factor driving aesthetics is an enterprise’s desire to create a ‘showpiece’ to demonstrate a commitment to security for shareholders and other stakeholders. “Everyone wants to have a good-looking control room and a cost-effective design,” says Matko Papic, Chief Technology Officer of Evans Consoles. Role of lighting and aesthetics in control rooms “Lighting is a critical factor for operators,” adds Papic. Studies of control rooms have sought to address issues of circadian rhythms (physical, mental, and behavioural changes that a person undergoes over a 24-hour cycle, based on responses to light) and the impact of changing light colours throughout the day. Flexibility is key. Properly adjusted light can increase alertness at 2 a.m.; controlling the colour, tone and intensity of light can increase productivity any time of day. Evans Controls has experts who can do a lighting study of a room as part of construction services and consulting. Evans Controls has experts who can do a lighting study of a room as part of construction services and consulting Aesthetics, depending on the control room, can be very important, agrees Randy Smith, President of Winsted. His company accommodates aesthetics by using a variety of matching laminates, solid (Corian-type) surfaces, and sometimes real wood. They can put in a console with matching work surfaces, a credenza or other furnishings, or can even match existing décor in a facility. Customised tailored furnishing Security control rooms, often operating in glass enclosures, are often used to “make a statement” about the security of a facility, says Smith. Companies want the control rooms to be up-to-date, and have “cool designs.” Sometimes they want to add a company logo to a work surface or side panels, or they want to employ corporate colours in the design. Winsted can customise its offerings to meet any such requirements, says Smith. In too many instances, the control room is an afterthought: They just install furniture that fits with the monitors. How the furnishings are tailored to the operator is often not considered, says Papic. He offers several other considerations: Will the furniture last the lifetime of the control room? How adaptable is a design to possible future changes, whether larger monitors, managing cables, or ability to reconfigure the console? Furniture should not be viewed as a transactional item; there are more issues to address beyond physically housing the equipment, says Papic. Read part 5 of our Control Rooms series here

Technology is changing the look and function of today’s security control rooms. Old-school CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitors are giving way to the thinner, flat screen monitors in the control room environment, but the transition is gradual. Randy Smith of Winsted still sees many control rooms that need to make the conversion, which is a boon to his company’s business. Furniture today is designed differently to accommodate the thinner monitors, often with larger screens. Need for integrated rack systems With the increase of IP-based systems comes the need for integrated rack systems that include advanced functionality such as cable management, adds Jim Coleman, National Sales Manager, AFC Industries. Server rooms are environmentally controlled by cooling systems and power systems monitored on the IP network. Low-profile flat screens allow centres to utilise space vertically, thus creating a smaller footprint for the consoles. Additionally, with IP-based systems, workstations will have a smaller footprint because there is less cumbersome equipment. In most cases the servers are stored in a secured, climate controlled environment to eliminate overheating of the servers and maintain their security, says Coleman. This environment also helps with cable and power management. AFC builds technical furniture racks that adhere to the precise needs of computer network server room operators. The company designs and fabricates LAN workbenches with versatile functionalities, and server room workstation racks that are scalable. There is a complete line of IT workbenches, IT computer racks and computer server rack mounts with flexible mounting options. In most cases the servers are stored in a secured, climate controlled environment to eliminate overheating of the servers and maintain their security Flexible control room designs Matko Papic, Chief Technology Officer of Evans Consoles, says the transition from bulky CRT equipment to flat-screen (lower profile) monitors was a major disruption in control room design; it changed the whole dynamic. Another evolution is the use of IP video streaming, which allows more flexibility in manipulation of audio-video content, and requires more flexible control room designs. Another shift, driven by larger, higher-definition monitors, is a shift to fewer monitors that display more information. Instead of a smaller monitor for each information stream, larger monitors now consolidate that information into “dashboard” displays. Looking ahead, control rooms will need to be more flexible, both in the initial design and the ability to adapt to changing technology, says Papic. Legacy customers who are currently using PCs may be moving to more remote applications. Sit-stand equipment will continue to be increasingly prevalent. “There will be more emphasis on flexibility, technology integration, and the ability to change over the life of the system,” says Papic. Consolidation of multiple operations into a single system A trend in security is consolidation of multiple physical operations into a single system, says Papic. As a result, more customers are taking more interest in alarm management and situational awareness. How is the technology being used in terms of alarm triggers? How can the systems react rapidly and provide information to a larger audience in the control room? These questions impact how control rooms are designed, and Evans Consoles can adapt lessons learned from other markets to these trends in the security arena. Greater use of technology is inevitable, says Coleman of AFC Industries. “It is virtually impossible for humans to monitor all security data at the street level in our cities,” he says. “As computers become more powerful and their programs more all-encompassing, we will see a greater shift to robotic and technology uses that will provide enhanced monitoring capabilities and safety Read our Control Rooms series here

When people think of control rooms, images from James Bond movies or intense action stories come to mind. What they fail to realise is the incredible level of ergonomics, technology, precision and craftsmanship required to create a top-notch command and control room. “These are rooms of complex functionalities, where hundreds of elements must be integrated and function in sync,” says Jim Coleman, National Sales Manager, AFC Industries. Professional teams from several different industries must coordinate every single detail in order to ensure that functionality occurs each and every time. Reconfigurable furniture for control rooms AFC Industries is one company that specialises in equipping control rooms for security and other applications. AFC Industries was established in 1994 as a family-owned business that focuses on the design and construction of ergonomic products. Their height-adjustable units guarantee the right height for standing desks as well as traditional sitting levels. The company produces an array of Command and Control ergonomic security consoles and mounting solutions. Modular racking systems facilitate efficient storage of electronic and audio-visual equipment. As technology changes, older traditional consoles are no longer a necessity. Many organisations instead are choosing to use lighter, less costly, reconfigurable furniture that allows more flexibility. Command Centres need to be able to reconfigure the space at will. Because most systems are housed in secure data centres, users should be able to quickly move their positions by relocating their workstations, utilising different network connections. Simple control room features, like those addressing lighting or operator comfort, can make the difference in a correct or incorrect decision during a crisis Emergency operations centres A positive trend driving the market for control rooms is an increase in emergency operations centres (EOCs), says Randy Smith, President of Winsted. “Everybody is concerned about what happens in an emergency,” says Smith, and the centres are popping up as a tool for emergency preparedness. It’s another environment where sit-stand work stations are the rule. Winsted’s product lines include stock modular and customised elements in good-better-best categories – from basic to lots of “bells and whistles;” jobs can be configured from modular elements or customised as needed. Customised control rooms for seamless operation There is a lot at stake in control room design: Lives can depend on how effectively a control room functions in an emergency. Control rooms should seamlessly accommodate both everyday occurrences and crisis situations, says Matko Papic, Chief Technology Officer of Evans Consoles. Better-operating control rooms can increase efficiency and reduce and/or mitigate risk. Simple control room features, like those addressing lighting or operator comfort, can make the difference in a correct or incorrect decision during a crisis. Addressing operator comfort can reduce the possibility of workers’ compensation claims. End users are seeing multiple benefits of creating a better operating environment, better sightlines, more comfort and attention to ergonomics. As a fully integrated control room solutions provider, Evans Consoles approaches the needs of a control room environment beginning in the conceptual/operational planning stage. They consider broad issues such as how information will be processed, the interface between technology and operators, and the cognitive and physical interactions of operators – understanding that these factors drive the layout and function of control rooms. After analysing tasks to be performed in the environment, Evans lays out the consoles to meet those needs. Rather than a predesigned solution, each installation is tailored around a specific application. Read part 2 of our Control Rooms series here