ASIS 2010 Day 1

    We all know that security is a technology driven business. Everyone is striving to be the best and offer the best. Just take a look around you on the ASIS show floor. March Networks announced seven new IP solutions, including their Hybrid 7532 NVR, which supports HD, IP and analog cameras. Ocularis 1.1, OnSSI’s newest version of the platform, presents two new features for the user: an embedded option viewer for video synopsis powered by Briefcam; and OpenSight, which enables disparate Ocularis systems to be monitored within a single interface and allows a remote user to view an entire installation without having to log out of their own Ocularis system. The NSR-510 NVR 4ch model from Sony comes equipped with Realshot manager, designed for smaller applications. Panasonic continues its focus on offering total security solutions with their: IP PBX Communication System; HD Visual Communications Systems; and i-PRO SmartHD WV-SC385 HD network dome camera, which will be available in November 2010.
    But it takes more than just handing the solutions over to the customer. The security industry today requires these technology developers and manufacturers to wear a number of different hats to present a holistic solution to these end-users. Everyone has experienced this scenario at one point or another, even those larger technology developers and integrators that are leading the way right now. It’s easy for the larger manufacturer to have a product manager that is trained on the technology and to have them step in when questions arise from the end-user, but that’s not enough. The whole team, from the marketing representative to the sales person, needs to be invested in understanding the technology as well. The smaller companies know this all too well, and for Aigis Mechtronics, who announced their official merger with Linear just yesterday, the concept of wearing ‘multiple hats’ is not unbeknownst to them.
   Aigis Mechtronics, running as a separate unit of Linear since 2007, now adds its suite of commercial security and access control solutions to the Linear brand, who provides access control and security products to the industry, including single door solutions to systems that monitor hundreds of entry points. The transition for the two companies also means merging the Aigis security product line, which includes housing and mounts for cameras as well as wide dynamic range cameras, indoor/outdoor domes and more, with the Linear brand.
   “With Linear, we can educate customers on how the products work,” explained Keith Todd, president and chief executive officer, Aigis Mechtronics. With offices worldwide, Linear brings more advantages for Aigis on a global scale. “Aigis was already using Linear’s camera warehousing—now we can offer the camera line as well. Our goal is to educate everyone about the merging of our two companies for the next year. Aigis will continue to focus on imaging products and on our three main markets—retail, banking and government,” Todd continued. And with more intuitive and network solutions continually being developed in the market, customers are also seeing the need for IP solutions from Aigis.
    “90 percent of our customers are still using analog but the ones that have started talking to us about IP, that stemmed from ONVIF,” Todd explained. The company plans on developing IP cameras for release in the first quarter of 2011.