Crowell to keynote at TechSec

January 27, 2005 SARASOTA, Fla. - The former deputy director of the National Security Agency will keynote the opening session of TechSec Solutions, a conference dedicated to IP-ready technology and the information needed by systems integrators to be part of this industry shift. Bill Crowell will speak on Monday, Feb. 27, on the first day of the two-day educational conference and tradeshow at the Ritz Carlton here. With much of Crowell's professional experience coming from working in the government market and serving on numerous corporate boards, including Broadware Technologies and ActivCard, he brings a unique perspective on the changes occurring in the security market. That includes security systems moving onto the network, the introduction of IP-based technology and how these new tools will be used in the future. "There's a period of about five years where the transition is going to occur rapidly and the adoption curve is going to be fairly rapid," said Crowell. "Those who know how to do this can serve as early adopters and will be ready for the large-scale adoption." As part of his presentation, Crowell will talk about how multiple technologies are converging and the opportunities this presents. For example, Crowell said one of the biggest challenges is the operation cost of security systems. When it comes to video surveillance, he said, either no one is watching the video or traditional methods require numerous people to constantly monitor video activity. "But with new technology, it's possible to distribute the task," said Crowell, about video analytics and how sensors can automatically identify when a person approaches a specific area or is holding a weapon. To be part of the evolution, Crowell said it’s important that systems integrators become as educated as possible. His advice for is to "go to some of the new security symposiums and trade shows where a lot of these technologies are being shown." For more information on TechSec Solutions, visit www.techsecsol.com .