Jana Rankin

The new year presents new opportunities for the physical security marketplace. In many ways, 2018 will undoubtedly see further development of trends we saw in 2017. In fact, some of the trends determining the future of the physical security industry have been in place for many years. However, not every event in 2018 can be foreseen or easily predicted. To be sure, it is sometimes the surprises that keep life interesting! We asked this week Expert Panel Roundtable: What will be the security market’s biggest surprise in 2018?

It seems there are more “bad things” happening than ever before. We hear news every day of workplace shootings and terrorist attacks, of smash-and-grab thefts and child abductions. Beyond the possible human tragedy involved, such events pose a persistent question to anyone involved in the realm of security: Could we have prevented it? The first step toward prevention is to predict or foresee an event before it happens. Too often, technology enters the picture after the fact, most commonly the use of forensic video. Isn’t there more our industry can do before such events occur? We put the question to this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can security systems be used to predict bad things before they happen?

We have been hearing about smart buildings for more than a decade, but the increasing profile of the Internet of Things (IoT) expands the possibilities for intelligent building systems and makes them even more attainable. Security is often among the “smart” functions of a building, and the capabilities of many physical security systems can contribute in new ways to building intelligence. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the impact of “smart buildings” on the physical security marketplace?

Big data is a buzzword, and data – presumably of all sizes – is a driving force in the physical security market. As systems become more sophisticated and expand their capabilities, the result is more data; in some cases, a lot more data. But a key question is: What do we do with the data? How do we use it to provide value? How do we interpret it, and transform it into useful information and/or intelligence? We presented the topic of data to our Expert Panel Roundtable and came away with a range of thoughts on its changing – and expanding – role in the physical security market (and beyond). We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is a greater emphasis on data changing the physical security market?

A busy trade show abounds with new products and expanded features, colorful signage and blinking video screens, all competing for attention from busy attendees. It’s a microcosm of how the security marketplace – or any market, for that matter – sells its products. But what happens if the reality turns out different to the sales pitch? What happens when product or system performance doesn’t quite live up to the claims? Some would call that hype, and it can lead to disillusioned and frustrated customers. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the negative impact of hype in the security marketplace?

Hospitals and healthcare facilities are an important vertical sector in the physical security market. Protecting healthcare facilities is a rich opportunity to leverage the value of physical security systems that range from video to access control to newer location and asset protection systems. But understanding how technology can excel in the healthcare vertical requires that we first identify and understand what these institutions need. Therefore, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the physical security challenges of hospitals and healthcare?

Technology is changing at a break-neck pace, and the security marketplace is currently being bombarded by a wealth of new capabilities and innovations. But what will be the impact? Which of the currently-hyped new innovations will have a major impact, and which will fade over time? And even acknowledging the long-term significance of various technologies, what can we expect to be the more immediate effect? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What new security technology is poised to have the greatest impact in the second half of 2017?

  2017 was an incredible year for VuTeur and the industry as a whole, as security has become a primary focus for stakeholders, now more than ever. VuTeur introduced its proprietary IRIS (Internal Real-time Intelligence Software) technology this year, which is part of its emergency management and asset protection solution. IRIS leverages real-time location services (RTLS) technology and utilises the existing WiFi infrastructure in a building to create a personal, mobile safety device built to save lives — all while reducing infrastructure and cost. Tragedy informing the industry The tragic and unfortunate events that occurred in 2017 and in the years prior, such as mass shootings and natural disasters, have made adding layers of security a prominent trend in 2017. Soft targets have unexpectedly become the focus of many attacks, placing an even more significant emphasis on determining how to protect individuals within a campus. Visitor management was a key trend VuTeur focused on this year and will continue to concentrate on, as many security issues tend to stem from an uncertainty of who is in a building at any given time. Securing all types of campuses will continue to be crucial into 2018. Schools, healthcare facilities, stadiums and arenas, and other organisations face the challenge of maintaining a welcoming and friendly environment, while understanding and monitoring who is in the facility and properly safeguarding the area.   Stadiums and arenas face the challenge of maintaining a welcoming and friendly environment, while properly safeguarding the area The security industry will continue to trend upward, which will help push new technologies, such as VuTeur's, that augment perimeter and building safety in every vertical. What’s to come Next year, VuTeur's technology portfolio will expand, and we plan to establish deployments in a variety of applications, such as on educational campuses, hospitals, arenas, corporate campuses and government facilities. Communication will remain critically important in the event of an emergency, making RTLS technology extremely valuable for conveying routine- and threat-based messages. Integration will also be a significant trend in 2018, as it is vital for security systems to "talk" to each other, such as RTLS talking to access control and mobile devices, to create a more holistic approach to protecting assets and people.

Today's threat landscape is bigger and more broad than ever before, with an increasing number of emerging risks falling on the shoulders of security professionals in a variety of markets. Many of these leaders face the growing concerns of finding efficient, integrated solutions that provide protection from threats, but also can be used in everyday communications to streamline operations, provide access control, and automate workflow. One way today's enterprise organisations, cities and campuses tackle the pressures of being prepared at any moment is by implementing solutions that utilise real-time location systems (RTLS). RTLS is used to automatically identify and track the location of objects or people in real time, usually within a building or other areas; like GPS but indoors. While GPS is able to track vehicles as they move across the globe, it is unable to track hundreds, or even thousands of devices in a fixed space, especially indoors. This is where RTLS comes in. RTLS has the ability to read wireless devices automatically and continuously, making it a more ideal fit for security purposes. Protecting assets and people The technology is increasingly used in a number of sectors, including supply chain management, healthcare, the military and government sectors, retail, recreation and many more. However, the adoption of such solutions is gaining significant ground within the security industry, where the information gathered can be critical to the safety and protection of assets and people.  RTLS has long been used in several other industries to help business managers protect critical assets. Fleet tracking is one such use, and this is often utilised by rental car companies, automotive dealers, postal and courier services, supply chain and trucking companies. For example, manufacturers that display the latest automotive technology during the Detroit Auto Show use RTLS to track valuable assets to ensure safe and timely arrival. The technology also can be used on delivery trucks to track packages in the event the truck is stolen or unexpectedly goes off course. The system allows stakeholders to gather real-time information on the last-known whereabouts of the assets. RTLS can be used to quickly and automatically account for all staff after or during an emergency event or evacuation Sending alerts during emergency events RTLS also can be used to locate and manage assets within a facility, such as finding a misplaced tool cart in a warehouse or medical equipment within a healthcare facility. In a correctional facility, RTLS can be used to maintain proper staffing levels in operational areas, which ensures the health and safety of the officers by alerting officials to too few guards. Additionally, users can track and time stamp the progress of people or assets within a facility using this technology. It is especially useful in the healthcare market where wait times can become long and many patients need to be seen in an expedited manner. In terms of security, RTLS has a significant—and emerging—place in the market. Using smart phones and mobile devices that send a signal to a central monitoring platform, security officials know where people are located within a specific area, and can alert them in the event of an emergency using their devices without having to install an application. All location data is stored for forensic purposes to verify information; for example, how many times an assailant may have visited a location previously, or to provide a “bread crumb” visual of his/her path through the campus during the event. Incident management This is an effective method, as the majority of people now have smartphones in regular use. In fact, Morgan Stanley recently reported that 91 percent of adults keep their smartphones within arm's reach. In another study by Pew Research, 74 percent of cell phone owners have utilised their phones to get help in an emergency. For many of us, a mobile device remains a constant in today's business landscape.  Campus administrators can communicate an upcoming event or reminder for students and staff to alert them to potential closures RTLS can be used to quickly and automatically account for all staff after or during an emergency event or evacuation by using the location-enabled mobile devices already in place without requiring a mobile application. Additionally, this technology can be used to communicate instructions to staff during an incident. For example, in the event of an active shooter or intruder within a school, administrators can send a message to all staff quickly and easily that communicates the importance of locking their doors and taking precautions to move students away from doors and windows. This tactic can easily be carried to a number of markets to communicate critical information in the event of an emergency. Communicating using a single platform Not only does RTLS offer organisations the chance to communicate with visitors, employees, and staff in the event of an emergency, it also allows for routine communication. An integrated communication network that uses RTLS offers unified messaging through in-app and text messaging, e-mail and voice – and can be used even for routine communications within an organisation. For instance, campus administrators can communicate an upcoming event or reminder for students and staff to alert them to potential closures. Continual communications, even without being tied to a threat-based message, is integral to an organisation, allowing stakeholders to realise new levels of collaboration and communication using a single platform. Comprehensive security posture This also sparks discussion on the usage for multiple departments. Since the physical infrastructure for RTLS is normally already in place, capital investment associated with a platform that offers RTLS is minimal, allowing multiple departments to subscribe for their own needs. This benefits the additional use cases for utilising a routine and threat-based communications network can bring multiple departments together, such as marketing or event management, to invest in the technology as it applies to their own individual work. Additionally, implementing an RTLS platform in an enterprise organisation will also require the assistance and buy-in from the IT department This kind of collaboration between departments is becoming a critical component of a holistic, comprehensive security posture, leading many organisations to gather the input from a number of departments before investing in solutions that address the safety and wellbeing of the company. {##Poll34 - How do you locate people within your facility in an emergency?##}

VuTeur, an innovator in emergency management and business intelligence platforms, announced a new strategic partnership with Vistacom, Inc., a provider of integrated control room solutions. The companies will collaborate on the delivery of unified, intelligent communications platforms designed to help organisations respond more efficiently to an emergency. Vistacom, Inc., will bring VuTeur's emergency management and asset protection software into its robust solutions portfolio to offer more options for customers looking to integrate advanced communications tools within their organisation. Incident management Vistacom, Inc., incorporates technologies together that assimilate independent and critical data across video walls, control rooms, war rooms, training rooms and other command center locales. The addition of VuTeur's software platform will help provide the situational awareness necessary for improved response time, reliability and decision-making in mission-critical applications. The two companies will work together to deliver more options to Vistacom's current customer base within the security, utility, transportation, healthcare, government, entertainment, and other markets. The VuTeur platform is ideally suited for use in control rooms to assess and manage emerging incidents and is designed to provide the location and status on all individuals inside a building. It uses real-time location system (RTLS) technology embedded within modern mobile and smart devices to power two-way communication between individuals during an incident or event. VuTeur uses existing Wi-Fi connectivity to communicate directly with mobile users within a facility, allowing a user's location to be visualised on a map of the facility and reported to operators and responders. Unified communications and emergency response solution “Our goal is to provide customers with solutions that help unify communications across platforms to deliver comprehensive security coverage when and where it's needed most,” said Dan Gundry, National Control Room Sales Manager, Vistacom, Inc. “Incorporating VuTeur's incident management and asset protection technology into our product offering allows us to offer customers a more robust emergency response solution for a variety of applications.” “With Vistacom, we gain a strong partner in the control room and unified communications industry that will provide more incident response options to a growing market,” said Jana Rankin, CEO, VuTeur. “As we continue to expand VuTeur’s capabilities and integrate our technology, partners like Vistacom that share our passion for helping customers enhance safety measures are critical to our continued success.”

PinPoint features a modular system that has the flexibility to configure to an organisation's unique needs PinPoint Initiative, creator of the market's first emergency management and asset protection solution built on real-time location system (RTLS) technology, announced today it will debut its situation management solution during the 2017 ISC West Conference and Expo, April 5th-7th, in Las Vegas. PinPoint will host two open demonstrations at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 5th, in Bassano Room #2806 to showcase its comprehensive and effective situational management platform. Inside-out security management PinPoint is designed to locate, identify and interact with all stakeholders within an organisation for both routine, everyday communications and emergency notifications in the event of an incident. The platform takes an inside-out approach to security management, focusing first on open space monitoring of the individuals and assets within a location, then coordinating with the physical security infrastructure to provide a more comprehensive and effective situational management solution. PinPoint features a modular system that has the flexibility to configure to an organisation's unique needs. “PinPoint maximises investment by easily integrating with existing security systems to improve situational awareness" “PinPoint is easily adopted, highly adaptable and simple to use, allowing today's enterprise organisations and educational campuses - and many others in between - to realise the benefits of connectivity and communication,” said Jana Rankin, CEO and Founder, PinPoint Initiative. “PinPoint maximises investment by easily integrating with existing security systems to improve situational awareness and response. We are excited to join our colleagues at ISC West this year, and hope to introduce a number of stakeholders to the PinPoint platform.” RTLS technology and visitor management Through an organisation's in-house Wi-Fi, PinPoint utilises real-time location system (RTLS) technology for tracking and visitor management services so that organisations instantly know where every person is within a global footprint and can engage with all stakeholders using two-way communication. The system uses standardised communication protocols allowing devices to exchange messages, define incidents and manage the flow of users throughout a physical environment. PinPoint is ideal for a number of markets, including education, government, hospitals, transportation and entertainment venues to streamline communication and optimise business processes.