What was the big news at ISC West 2019?

In the busiest ISC West in recent memory, what stood out most was the industry’s positive trend toward diversity and inclusivity. In organising this year’s show, I believe Reed and the Security Industry Association took important strides forward in scheduling education sessions, panel events, and guest speakers to highlight how the industry can be more successful by including different thought processes than those traditionally found in security. Hearing Juliette Kayyem speak at the Women in Security breakfast on Friday offered a comprehensive view of how end-users look to minimise risk and establish response procedures that make the most of new security technologies.

At this year’s ISC West we noticed the rise in data privacy and cybersecurity concerns take center stage. Many end-users are now looking for devices that can yield results outside of simple security measures, overflowing into the operations and business efficiency market. These IoT devices that perform advanced functions are more interconnected than ever before. From intelligent video solutions for retail insights, to thermal IoT solutions aiding in predictive maintenance for critical infrastructure, interconnectivity is a common theme. While there is no doubt about the benefits they provide, many are not considering the vulnerabilities they bring. Unfortunately, many tend to underestimate the importance of reliability in a physical security solution and often end up paying for it. As more integrators and end-users begin to familiarise themselves with these devices, they can no longer ignore the obvious cybersecurity flaws. These days nothing is reliable without the right end-to-end cyber-protection.

A key theme at ISC West 2019 was leveraging artificial intelligence to improve business insights and operations. Facial recognition, object recognition and people-counting were some of the analytics showcased on the show floor. Smart City applications were a hot topic as well. At the Seagate booth, we highlighted this application with our Smart City replica and race car game. Attendees could race cars throughout the city and watch as cameras identified the moving objects in real time. The live-action display drew in substantial crowds and sparked great conversations about use cases in smart traffic management. The value of smart surveillance platforms in cities, powered by edge computing devices with specialise hard drives, is that they deliver information instantly so that decision makers can take immediate action to improve livelihoods. Demand for this kind of data is on the rise so solutions for Smart Cities will be a focus throughout 2019.

As always, ISC West 2019 was well-attended, though the show floor felt even more abuzz than previous years. A main focus at the conference was around security technologies that are helping to create smarter, safer environments by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and analytics. In fact, for the first time in Johnson Controls booth, we showcased platforms from our Digital Solutions business that utilise all three of these abilities to help increase efficiencies and deliver new business value for customers. For instance, our False Alarm Reduction Service was one solution on display that uses AI and ML capabilities to analyse and identify alarm patterns to deliver actionable insights to reduce false alarms up to 72 percent as well as the associated costs. This software is one example of how more advanced technologies are helping to mitigate age-old security issues that have cost billions of dollars over the years.

The big news we noticed at ISC West 2019 was the fact that the United States market is not quite sold on the use of Artificial Intelligence and other advanced analytics software. At this year’s show, we learned that many end users, and even integrators, feel uneasy about the widespread adoption of AI due to concerns about privacy and the collection of personally identifiable information. However, when adhering to proper regulations like GDPR, I see video solutions with analytics as powerful tools that deliver important information for crime prevention or anti-terror measures. Whether it’s a facial detection camera verifying the identity of a traveller at an airport or a number plate recognition camera tracking a stolen vehicle with a wanted person, video solutions with analytics are a force multiplier. Moving forward, education around best practices for deploying video with artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies will be needed.

One of the trends we observed at ISC West was how security companies are emphasising total solutions more so than individual products. Whether by displaying new technology integrations with partners in their booths or by introducing end-to-end solutions, security suppliers are focused on providing comprehensive platforms. At the FLIR booth, we showcased our Smart Cities solutions portfolio, which includes our new FLIR TruWITNESS wearable sensor as well as our thermal handhelds, intelligent traffic systems and drones. Another point of interest at ISC West was the increased number of thermal offerings. As FLIR was the first to pioneer the technology in the security industry, we’re glad to see continual demand for thermal and that the imaging market is healthy. Big news for the FLIR team: Our Saros DH-390 Dome Camera – which features thermal, optical imagers and other technologies – won the SIA New Product Showcase Award in the outdoor perimeter protection category.

One trend we noticed throughout this year's ISC West was the proliferation of cloud-based solutions and mobile identities. Smart phones are with us constantly, and end-users are looking for advanced mobile options for their security systems. We’ve noticed that the greater adoption of cloud technologies is driving this new opportunity for mobile applications. Whether it be for video surveillance systems, alarms, or access control the use of mobile-enabled technology was heavily represented at this year’s show. For end users this means enhanced flexibility and convenience for their solutions, allowing them to stay up to date even when they are away from the physical devices. Checking surveillance video feeds, locking and unlocking doors, and verifying visitor identify on a mobile device are important features. Mobile identities are also gaining in popularity with the rise of ‘mobile-only’ access-control systems, showcasing the benefits of integrating multiple applications into a single, user-friendly mobile experience.