News Poll: ISC West significance, popularity rising

YARMOUTH, Maine— With ISC West 2019 wrapping up in Las Vegas in April after another highly successful event, including packed aisles on the trade show floor and in the educational sessions, this month's News Poll gauges SSN readers' experiences at this year's conference and expo.

In terms of how this year's show compared to prior years, nearly half (47 percent) of respondents felt that this year's ISC West was the “best ever,” with another 37 percent saying the show “seemed slightly up” and the remaining 16 percent saying it was on par with past years.

When asked what the most exciting technologies and products were at this year's show, respondents said “AI, machine learning and deep learning,” at 53 percent, and “cloud and biometric access solutions,” at 42 percent, stole the show, while the remaining 5 percent said “video/cameras and VMS platforms and solutions” grabbed their attention most.

“From the perspective of a vendor offering a cloud based toolset for Security Integrators and operating within the world of IP Cameras and VMS, I felt this years ISC show had more knowledgeable buyers that were scanning for solutions with more intentionality,” ABPTech CEO Robert Messer told SSN. “The integration of IP technology, IT and Physical security now is a fact and those who don't see it will soon become part of history. AI applications are still somewhat fuzzy, but solutions are becoming real and will be a big part of this industry in the future.”

Zeroing in on the top themes at this year's ISC West, “The convergence of physical security and IT,” at 47 percent, and “cybersecurity,” at 35 percent, took the top two spots, with the remaining 18 percent saying “partnering and open architectures” was the top theme.

“I noticed a heavy concentration on Cybersecurity and Deep Learning applications to video surveillance,” noted one respondent. “Traffic seemed about the same as last year, possibly up a little. Overall, a good show.”