And then found. Among the cameras, servers, alarms, readers, smart cards and other dazzlers at last month’s ISC West in Las Vegas, the technology-centric security trade show, a reasonably new face appeared, seemingly out of thin air. Call it cloud computing or hosted services or remote managed services or software as a service or video as a service.
Amajor theme at this month’s ISC West in Las Vegas is the continued movement of security applications to the Internet, what some call “in the cloud” and others label Software as a Service or SaaS.
From Nordstrom and Macy’s to Johnny Rockets, Sacramento, Calif.’s Arden Fair Mall is a destination as well as a retail and dining community on its own.
Warning: This article does not contain talk of convergence, silos, fusion, tipping points, disruptive technologies, a place at the table and all the other new-age, highfalutin mumbo-jumbo that too often says more about the speaker than the concerns of the listener.
From the highest city buildings and sprawling office campuses to always-open gaming establishments and even on-the-water assets, security today is an intelligent mix of “welcome in” and “keep out.” Such assignments also blend people on duty in lobbies, walking corridors and patrolling parking areas with technology that ranges from traditional to unique.
When loss prevention directors first brought security video into their stores, an initial aim was to deter shoplifters or, if that failed, use the recorded video to make the shoplifter agree to restitution, or to fight slip and falls.
Dazzled by analytics, video, smart card, biometrics? For many enterprises, the best security systems turn out to be people, multi-tasking, open system, interoperable, scalable male and female security officers who are first responders, ambassadors, system operators, security eyes and ears. And, when it comes to their metrics, the bottom line is continuing value for the enterprises that employ officers or contract their service.
Beyond identity management, biometrics, integrated with access controls, now can more accurately and conveniently open a door, allow or block entrance to everything from a country to a port facility, permit admittance into a computer network or database, and even handle homeless individuals in a more caring manner.
