Some of you may have noticed that the weekly recap is running a bit late today. If it seems late, that's because it is. Besides rushing around to pack for ISC West, SIW was at the Atlanta airport this morning speaking with Richard Duncan, the director of security for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Duncan shared his thoughts on the changes in transportation security and gave insight into how he manages the airport's expansive security operations. We'll be sharing that interview in print in the May issue of Security Technology & Design, and online through SecurityInfoWatch.com during the same month.
The staff of SIW also stayed busy this week with lots of news on the homeland security front. The biggest news came straight from DHS, with the announcement that 500 more agents would be assigned to the Arizona border. Some buzz also surrounded the fact that a group calling itself the "Minutemen" would be volunteering their citizens-in-arms services to help secure the border, too. At the same time, some new research about illegal immigration was released, explaining that as we make our borders tighter, illegal immigrants are turning to professional immigrant smugglers, and are already able to get across the border on their first or second try. Of course, immigrant workers have always been a mainstay of the American economy, but if we're not careful, what had been a path for persons to enter our country to seek work may soon become a direct line in for terrorists.
Speaking of foreign visitors to the the United States, The US-VISIT program was launched on Thursday in Atlanta to a great deal of media attention. Currently, the exit system is totally voluntary during its pilot phase, but Lanii Thomas, public relations manager for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport said the stations have already started to attract some usage, mainly because visitors already provide registration information when they enter the U.S. The project "closes the loop," so to speak.
Finally, the acquisitions in our industry haven't slowed down. You've undoubtedly followed the news about the acquisition of Lenel by UTC and the finalization of GE's acusition of Edwards, so we weren't surprised to hear that Honeywell earned approval to acquire Novar, which is a building systems (fire and more) company in the UK. We're sure to hear about more partnerships and perhaps even rumors of future acquisitions while in Las Vegas next week for the ISC West show.
For those of you coming out to ISC West in Las Vegas, swing by the Cygnus Security Group booth (# 15141) and visit with the staff from SecurityInfoWatch.com, Security Technology & Design, Security Dealer and Locksmith Ledger magazines. We'd love to meet you and hear your input on how we can help provide you the information you need to succeed in your business. Be on the look-out for a show daily e-newsletter keeping you up-to-date on what's happening live at ISC West 2005.
And now, a look at our most read stories of the week -- check them out if you haven't already:
- Our Man in the Field: The Process of the IP Solution, Part IV
- Coast Guard to Beef up Surveillance, Firepower Capacities
- Group Calling Themselves "Minutemen" to Patrol Arizona Border
- Lockheed and Covenant to Offer Airport Security Screening
- Battling for the Future of Facial Biometrics
Regards,
Geoff Kohl
Editor, SecurityInfoWatch.com
[email protected]
