Intersec 2018 highlights solutions for retail, harsh environments

The Middle East security market provides a healthy opportunity for manufacturers who can capitalise on the region’s key verticals. Intersec’s 20th edition show focused more on solutions than on products, including solutions for the growing retail sector and an infrastructure market requiring ruggedised equipment to stand up to harsh environments.

Intersec hosted security, safety and fire protection exhibitors from over fifty countries at Dubai’s spacious International Convention and Exhibition Centre on 21st - 23rd January. For the security market, the show was an opportunity to demonstrate how the industry’s latest technologies can benefit end-users in the UAE and globally.

While the show hosted many impressively-sized stands from key security players, these tended to reflect the ongoing shift from a product-centric market to a focus on customer problems and solutions. Rather than filling the floorspace with an abundance of products, many brands chose to showcase how their flagship solutions could function in real-world applications.

Retail surveillance delivers ROI

Numerous companies opted to highlight their retail solutions – a key vertical for Dubai, which is known for its elaborate city shopping hubs. The Axis Communications stand allowed visitors to experience its network video offerings for the retail sector, including integrations with Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) and Point of Sale (POS) technologies.

Solutions on show reflected how security systems are increasingly expected to provide a tangible return on investment: With options for queue management and people counting, Axis video technology can be used to provide business intelligence and improve the customer experience, as well as enhancing safety.

IP video manufacturer Vivotek also showcased its latest retail offering, including fisheye cameras with built-in crowd detection and heatmap technology, which can help retail managers analyse customer traffic patterns and highly frequented areas. The panoramic nature of Vivotek’s IP cameras makes them ideal for collecting comprehensive data from retail stores.

MOBOTIX CEO Thomas Lausten demonstrates how the company’s dual modular camera delivers high-quality images in extreme weather conditions

IP video in extreme conditions

The MOBOTIX stand was also less product-driven than at past shows. Instead, the focus was on how the manufacturer combines intelligent IoT technology and robust materials to address real end-user needs. CEO Thomas Lausten, who joined the company in June 2017, was on-hand to demonstrate how the company’s dual modular camera continues to deliver high-quality images in extreme weather conditions including ice, rain and sand.

Rugged solutions were a big theme across the show floor. This is unsurprising given Intersec’s location in Dubai – the Middle East provides ample opportunity for the security market to capitalise on large outdoor projects, including the oil and gas industry. Video surveillance manufacturer Videotec showcased its latest HD PTZ cameras built to withstand harsh outdoor environments. The stand hosted an immersive ‘Experience Centre’, where the company’s flagship PTZ cameras moved in sync to a rolling video, demonstrating their use in vertical markets including oil and gas, marine surveillance, and critical infrastructure.

Video surveillance manufacturer Videotec showcased its latest HD PTZ cameras built to withstand harsh outdoor environments

MENA security market requirements

Storage provider Promise Technology showcased its latest portfolio of surveillance solutions, including a cloud-based infrastructure optimised for growing IP video requirements. The manufacturer also introduced its new Vess A700 network video recorder series. This latest NVR offering specifically targets medium- to large-scale applications such as banking and industry. Such a solution is ideal for the growing Dubai market, where strict legislation requires a video retention time of 180 days.

Intersec is set to return to Dubai from 20th - 22nd January 2019. Organisers expect over 1,300 exhibitors from across to globe to come together for a bigger, wider ranging and more innovative show.