The security week that was: 08/08/08

Looking forward at the market: Guards and high-tech vision

You're paying $4 a gallon for gas. Your customers (or your bosses, if you're a corporate head of security) aren't as willing to invest capital for infrastructure spending, and you're making your own business financially lean and mean. Well, just when the national media has filled our heads with very dire outlooks on the economy (not fully unfounded, mind you), there's a bit of good news for the industry.

First, a report from The Freedonia Group predicts continued growth for the security industry, especially in the guarding services sector. In a news report posted on SecurityInfoWatch this week, we looked at some of the factors contributing to this. Public perception of crime in a down economy and outsourcing of guard services seemed to be leading the pack. Security services firm Day & Zimmerman told our staff that they think the Freedonia report is accurately predicting growth for the next few years. Also, if guard services acquisitions are an indicator of a strong industry, then you can chalk up another vote for strong growth: Andrews International has just acquired Seventrees.

Another positive indication for any technical industry is when innovation occurs.

Case in point for innovation: A week ago, BRS Labs entered the U.S. video analytics market. According to John Frazzini, president of BRS Labs, the company's approach is markedly different from other competitors. "The [existing] vendors have been using a rules-based approach, such as a 'line trespass'," said Frazzini. The problem with that approach to video analytics, argues Frazzini, is that it can require extensive customization to work with changing scenes, lighting, distances, shadows and more. Frazzini says his firm, BRS Labs, approaches video analytics with an "adaptive learning system." The BRS system is designed to learn the scene over time to understand what is "normal" and what isn't. The system is sold as software (think centralized architecture for this solution) and it can connect with an existing system and existing cameras. Look for this company to really hit the market in mid- to late-September.

And finally, I feel good about our industry when I hear about new dealer programs launching. At the ESX 2008 tradeshow (the NBFAA/CSAA show in Nashville this past June), we reported on the Smith & Wesson alarm program. Today we tell you about a new one: The AT&T/Xanboo dealer program. When a brand like AT&T gets into our market, I take it as a very good sign, and the program is pretty neat because it has the ability to add home automation controls and remote video monitoring (via PDAs and phones or laptops) to existing alarm system installations.

More industry news
Door-to-door alarm sales; Vendor loses data sensitive to TSA; more