Johnson Controls brings unified simplicity to ISC West 2025
At ISC East last year, the prevailing trend was apparent: security platforms are approaching a ‘singularity.’
Unified security systems, though different in scale and purpose, similarly combine multiple capabilities to grant security teams integrated toolsets to deal with threats, expand their reach, and promote return on investment (ROI). As breakthroughs like AI-powered analytics become foundational tools, it becomes increasingly clear that security systems can no longer be ‘just one thing.’
“People want simple, efficient, and easy-to-use systems,” says George Martinez, Johnson Control’s Director of Product Management for Cloud Solutions and the Exacq Brand. “We just don’t have the time for complexity anymore.”
This is the mindset that Johnson Controls brought to Las Vegas for this year’s ISC West. Whether it be through hybrid systems, edge AI, or easy integrations, simplicity has become key.
Smarter Buildings, Smarter Systems
“JCI’s mission today is about smarter buildings, but what does that mean?” asks Johnson Control’s President of Controls and Security Systems, Faisal Pandit. “Environmental gains, sustainability, energy efficiency—the days of access control being about closing and opening doors are over. It’s people management, it’s facility management, it’s efficiency management.”
Pandit credits the powerful combination of access control and video surveillance technologies as the primary driver of this shift.
“Access control alone is the core of any security platform, but the intersection of the access control and video surveillance dimensions is so, so powerful,” Pandit explains. “As video becomes stronger and AI-driven outcomes become more integral to operations, you need to bring them together.”
One way the company is accomplishing this is by utilizing AI at the edge. Edge AI, Martinez explains, places the heavy lifting on the camera rather than an NVR or other application. With edge analytics, cameras are able to generate and analyze information that would otherwise have required additional cloud analytics and storage costs. That data can then be used to supplement other capabilities, like visitor management. But that is just one capability.
“Getting recommendations is one thing, but how we translate that into an operator’s workload is ultimately where we’re heading,” Martinez comments. “Once we have that data, it’s time to start automating.”
Replacing the operator isn’t the end goal, he says—it’s simplifying the decision factor. Automating menial but time-consuming tasks frees up operators to reach decision points more quickly. As an organization’s AI gets to know its operator over time, it can also predict what their choices might be and offer strategic recommendations to further speed things along.
But what of the rest of a client's security ecosystem? While JCI's automation and security solutions are robust enough on their own, no single organization can cover infinite ground. Ensuring that a system plays as nicely and efficiently as it should requires cooperation.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
“We know what our core is, and we’re good at it,” says Martinez. “But a customer’s security domain is just much broader than what we can offer.”
Though Johnson Controls’ product profile includes foundational security solutions, ancillary technologies that the company does not offer—like gunshot or weapons detection—finish rounding out a customer’s security system.
Rather than expand its scope, the company focuses on strengthening its core competencies and inviting a new ecosystem of partners to fill out the rest via its Connected Partner Program. “I would love to own the entire ecosystem, but it isn’t realistic,” says Pandit. “To deliver the right outcomes for customers, we had to build an ecosystem as advanced and expansive as possible.”
The Connected Partner Program links over 200 companies with integrations ranging from visitor management to weapons detection. Most recently, Johnson Controls partnered with Threat Extinguisher to offer healthcare, education, and government facilities a non-lethal defense option to ward against threat actors.
Change is on the Horizon
According to Pandit, the security industry is not ready for the full extent of this shift. Most systems are still siloed, and while integrations with partners move the dial, there are still complex engineering challenges to be conquered. However, he is confident that this is a journey that more companies will embrace over time.
“Unification is what we’re headed toward,” concludes Pandit. “These technological intersections are creating some really powerful outcomes, and people are beginning to appreciate that value. Now that they’ve had a taste, they won’t go back.”
What's on Show?
True to its mission, Johnson Controls brought a slew of unified smart building and security solutions to the ISC West show floor this year.
The C •Cure IQ Security Client’s 3.10 update includes several additions. A fresh set of Security Intelligence dashboards helps teams focus on their security priorities, while video clip management and indoor/outdoor mapping capabilities help unify access control and video surveillance workflows while streamlining operations.
IQ Panel’s fifth iteration is designed to integrate with larger home automation ecosystems via upgraded PowerG+ wireless connectivity. The panel’s new, modular approach also enables simplified installation, limiting technicians’ SKUs and cutting costs.
Software House iSTAR G2 network door controllers also received a revamp to support an increased number of doors per panel. The G2 supports up to 32 readers, which can include access control modules (ACMs), IP-ACM Ethernet door modules, and wireless locksets. It is also now OSDP verified.
JCI’s final offering rolls four unique security systems into a single end-to-end solution. Kantech Access Control, Exacq Video Management, DSC Intrusion Detection, and Illustra Cameras fuse into a unified and scalable security ecosystem for both enterprise and commercial uses.
ISC West attendees can see all of JCI’s new solutions in action at booth #18033.
