ISC West 2020 (Part 2): The Wide World of Video Surveillance

(This is the second of a three-part series that provides an executive summary of some of the Intel partners highlighted during ISC West 2020. In the series, I will provide short snapshots of the solutions that represented what I experienced as the show's most important highlights.)

From IP Video to a Brand-New Product Category!

The Axis Body Worn Surveillance system is a gamechanger for the pursuit of open standards and scalability in IoT vision solutions. This fresh approach to surveillance will indeed become popular with government and law enforcement organizations. It will also expand the solution category to include an ever-growing number of retailers, healthcare providers, and public venues that are outfitting security and other employees with body cameras.

Open standards ensure easy integration with video management systems and evidence management systems, whether on-premises or in the cloud. The system integrates with the Genetec Clearance cloud-based evidence management system. An application programming interface (API) will facilitate additional integrations over time.

 See - and Hear - The Potential of Audio Analytics

Humans strive to use all their senses in determining whether a situation is safe or not. What we see and what we hear always represent significant inputs to the process. That's why it's surprising that audio has not been a significant component of physical security plans.

Video surveillance is a needed and useful tool when used to keep people and assets safe. Today, however, audio analytics can be added to offer a more holistic security offering. This addition will give security personnel the ability to use video and audio to determine the proper response. Audio acts as a force multiplier when paired with video surveillance and can take safety, security, and business operations to a much higher level.

Hosted by Chris Wildfoerster, the business development manager for audio solutions at Axis Communications, this session dove into specific use cases of audio for multiple aspects of business and best practices for implementing audio analytics into an existing physical security strategy. Derek van der Vorst, founder, and owner of Sound Intelligence, expanded the conversation by explaining how audio improves security through aggression detection capabilities. Ian Pitts, President, and CEO of Syn-Apps, added some important insights by offering best practices for using audio analytics for safety, highlighting the benefit of mass communications. The presentation wrapped up with Francis LaChance, product group director of Genetec, who explained how organizations could use video and audio to maximize security value.

Title: Security on The Ledge: Transforming Willis Tower, an American Icon

The Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower) is a 110-story, 1,450-foot (442.1 m) skyscraper in downtown Chicago. At completion in 1973, it surpassed the World Trade Center in New York City to become the world's tallest building. Although it held that global title for nearly 25 years, it remained the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere for 41 years until the new One World Trade Center surpassed it in 2013. Impressive as that may be, how would you secure it?

That was the focus of this session. It explored the security at Willis Tower from the inside out. Right now, the skyscraper is undergoing an unprecedented $500M redevelopment that includes 300,000 square feet of dining, entertainment, and tenant amenities. As a DHS SAFETY Act designated-site, the security team needed to balance the demands of the building's distinctive nature with the competitive leasing market and trends toward open, collaborative workspaces. The session explained how the design team weaved physical security and technologies into the renovation. The case study also described the SAFETY Act designations, security trends in skyscraper environments, and strategies for mitigating security threats to modern workspaces.

Intel Corporation sponsored this article.