People and technology drive the security industry. Within the security industry, life safety professionals utilize ever-increasingly technological tools to safeguard end users’ lives and property. One aspect of protecting lives and property is access control—allowing the right people in while keeping the wrong people out. Access control—with simple roots exemplified by guards and tumbler locks with matched keys—is, according to some, on the cusp of change with the advance of biometric technology. Is biometrics-based technology—which has traditionally been more associated with industrial and governmental settings—ready to move into other verticals like the multi-unit residential market?

SSN readers still feel recession’s sting According to most, times remain tough despite bigger trade shows By Daniel Gelinas YARMOUTH, Maine—A recent poll conducted by Security Systems News asked readers to comment on the economic downturn of the last few years and to speculate as to whether the much-touted improved state of industry trade shows [...]

Central station evolving to ‘hub’ and ‘information-processing center’ By Daniel Gelinas The security industry is a technology-driven ecosystem. This year’s ISC West show in Las Vegas is proof enough of that. There were new technologies on display and talk everywhere about new technologies that integrate the information from disparate technologies into a single interface (physical [...]

By Daniel Gelinas YARMOUTH, Maine—A recent poll conducted by Security Systems News shows many are pleased with ISC West’s announcement that booth space for the upcoming Las Vegas-based trade show was nearly sold out, and ABI Research has said the bigger show means great things for the industry. Security Systems News, in a Jan. 26-Feb.3 [...]

Ask any security company about “door-knocking done right” and the first thing they mention is ethics.

What were your impressions of this year’s ISC West? Where is the industry headed? How did products stack up? Will you return next year? Please leave your comments and contact information so that we can follow up with you for the May issue.

YARMOUTH, Maine—In an IP world, where advances in technology lead to more frequent improvements in the cloud and better hosted services, it’s getting easier for dealers to differentiate and make more RMR through offering video surveillance and monitoring. As video becomes less of a rare specialty or self-contained CCTV system and more of a de rigueur, a la carte offering, is there any push for a category for standards listing? Is there a real need for such a category, or will IP-based video monitoring remain an unregulated niche of a few high-tech, specialized, video-monitoring firms?