ISC West 2019, the year’s biggest security tech trade show, began with elevated excitement of large exhibitors in a new product introduction cycle, primarily in the Sands main exhibit hall, as well as increased traffic to the ISC Emerging Technology Expo. All the following new show exhibitors had booths packed with promising tech and visitors.
With “Day Zero’s” SIA Education sessions and 50th Year celebration behind us, the flurry of exciting electronic security, safety and mobility solutions on Wedndesday did not disappoint.
Here are a few companies I had chance to visit with on Day 1 of this year’s show:
Athena Security
Industry entrepreneur and a Fortune 40 under 40 alumni Lisa Falzone solidified her vision of real time violent crime prevention through affordable and fast deployable weapons detection. This cloud-based AI solution, as co-founder Chris Ciabarra stated, is a “very reasonable” $100 per camera per month on a wide range of cameras. Athena’s mission is to prevent threats through artificial intelligence with a focus on the most precious of lives – our children. Object recognition of firearms, slip-and-falls and incidents as sophisticated as child abduction are possible and were demonstrated via footage. Mobile device alerts may be shared with school safety officers and law enforcement agencies via an app or mobile web access. Check out the live video.
Verkada
While large exhibitors had dizzying rows of the returning partner program members, Verkada’s “plug ‘n play” simplicity attracted both small and large channel partners and the surprising visits of national system integrators. Verkada promises to solve the challenge and simplify the solution by installing the entire video management system on camera-embedded, protected, solid-state hardware with a ten year warranty. With 120 days of storage at high resolution and real time frame rate, no passwords or IP address to hack, the cameras are invisible to unauthorized users. The simple interface allows single or a grid of camera views in real time or forensic recording of a selected region.
Cameras can be added via the QR code on the product box and device to cloud authentication. Verkada estimates they are 20-30% lower in price than the majority of IP Camera vendors. Check out the live video.
Viisights
Viisights has introduced the “next generation” of video analytic software “understanding” what is going on in the frame, behavior and content-wise. The clear labels in the video demonstration illustrated clips of a wide range of behavior like people fighting in a mall, throwing objects, carrying weapons and, traffic incidents like a person getting out of a vehicle on a highway. The company also has several partnerships, including higher technology international conglomerates like MSI (Motorola Systems Inc) and NEC.
Zeroeyes
Navy veteran and Philadelphia native Mike Lahiff came onboard Zeroeyes in the spring of 2018 after a successful career with Comcast and with a vision and energy to fulfill the mission of advanced, AI-based recognition of weaponry in schools and public places. With a focus on the user interface being the “most significant” layer of security, Zeroeyes provides real-time display of site maps, camera assets, perimeter intruders bearing weapons, close up views of the weapon itself and reversed visual spectra of active assailants.
The Zeroeyes team brings a risk assessment, site survey, tiered recommendations and a design developed for each K-12, public facility or corporate facility having a popular, existing video management system or even just DVRs. As with Athena, the weapons database is continually updated.
About the Author:
Steve Surfaro is Chairman of the Public Safety Working Group for the Security Industry Association (SIA) and has more than 30 years of security industry experience. He is a subject matter expert in smart cities and buildings, cybersecurity, forensic video, data science, command center design and first responder technologies. Follow him on Twitter, @stevesurf.
