On The Editor's Desk

Safe to say that ISC West 2024 came up all 7s. Sorry, had to use some slot machine terminology as Las Vegas was the center of the security universe for the largest industry show of the year. It’s a good thing I’m not claustrophobic, and I’m sure my quartet of Security Systems News colleagues who joined me in Vegas – Ken Showers, Brad Durost, Acasia Gardner and Christina Throndson – would echo that sentiment. Boy, was that show floor packed to the gills or what? We...

As we all prepare for ISC West next week, one man who sadly will not be in Las Vegas will instead be honored for his years of dedication to his company and the security industry as a whole. Paul Ahern was the longtime CEO of Cypress Integration Solutions who passed away in January 2023 after a battle with liver and pancreatic cancer. Paul’s presence at industry shows - including ISC West and Security Systems News’ own SecurityNext conference - demonstrated his commitment to not...

I’m sure we’ve all done self-checkout at a grocery store to save time, rather than stand behind shoppers in line with literally a cartful of items. But how about self-checkout at an airport? You’re probably saying, “What? How is that possible?” Well, folks, a new technology was recently unveiled at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, featuring a screening system designed for travelers who do not want to wait on long lines at airport security checkpoints....

What do you get when you bring 40 journalists together to Washington, D.C.? If you said a presidential briefing or a congressional hearing, good guess, but for me, the answer is a one-of-a-kind experience learning about the inner workings of a physical security solutions provider. This week, myself and other security journalists from literally all around the world (yes, from as far as Singapore and Australia), have gathered for the Genetec Global Press Summit, a two-day event featuring a combination...

Yes, I am channeling the legendary Ramones for my first blog of 20, 20, 24 - wait, let me correct that - 2024. See where my mind is this week? I’m far from being sedated; as a matter of fact, I’m pretty pumped about what’s ahead for Security Systems News readers in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead. But before I get into 2024, I have to look back at the end of 2023, and the tremendous webcast we hosted in December, titled “State of the Industry - A Look Ahead...

I’m thinking big this week. Like really big. Like mega-big, if there’s such a word.   Why do I have “mega” on the brain this week? Well, the Security Industry Association (SIA) just revealed its 2024 Security Megatrends, an annual report that reveals the coming year’s top 10 factors “influencing both short- and long-term change in the global security industry,” as the association describes it. Speaking of reveals, the Megatrends report certainly...

Yes, I quoted New York’s own Billy Joel to come up with a title for this week’s blog, and why not? We really are in a New York state of mind this week as more than 5,000 security industry professionals are gathering in the Big Apple for ISC East 2023 at the Javits Center. As the Northeast’s leading security & public safety event, ISC East partners with Security Industry Association (SIA) and ASIS NYC each year to bring together those responsible for keeping our communities...

Well, Securing New Ground (SNG), the Security Industry Association’s (SIA’s) premier annual executive conference, has wrapped up here in NYC, and I have two letters that can’t get out of my head as I leave the hotel – AI. Yes, the two-day gathering of executives, entrepreneurs, luminaries – essentially a who’s who of security thought leaders, if you will - covered other relevant topics in the security industry today such as workforce development, biometrics,...

I’ve always been in awe of any athletic achievements that force you to push yourself to your absolute physical and mental limits. Why am I saying this in a security industry blog? Well, two industry pros reached new heights, literally, on Aug. 23 as Karl Radke, Midwest business area director at Axis, and Jason Johnston, OKR (objectives and key results) practice lead at Genetec, successfully braved the challenging 14,505-foot climb to the summit of Mount Whitney in California at approximately...

So how has everyone’s week been going? Has it been X-citing, X-hilarating, perhaps X-ceeded your X-pectations? I’m sure you could tell that I repeatedly used the letter X in my intro because that has been the most popular letter in the alphabet over the last several days, thanks to Twitter CEO and megalomaniac Elon Musk. Oh wait, I need to correct myself – X CEO Elon Musk. Yes, Musk continued his freewheeling ways since taking over the social media giant last year by dropping...