An example of this is the news of an imminent announcement from Honeywell and Novell about integrating their respective physical and logical access solutions. According to the Techworld website, the two companies plan to announce software updates and new products this month, based on a new version of Honeywell’s the ProWatch access control system and Smart Plus web interface, together with Novell’s Identity Assurance product.
The solution will enable physical access to buildings and rooms to be linked with logical access to computers and networks. An example of this would be employees having their network access activated only after they have entered a particular building or room.
Much of the development in this sector is driven by US government initiatives on security, including the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS 201) which requires government agencies to work towards converging their physical and data access control systems. For more information visit techworld.com
On the streets
Also being driven partly by wider Homeland Security considerations is the growth in video surveillance in cities around the US. Initially slow to get off the ground, there are now several cities using different solutions, which are primarily designed to deter and detect gun and drugs related crime and disorder. Indianapolis is the latest city to adopt the technology. Following a pilot project last year, the city will be installing 27 cameras, housed in bullet-proof boxes with blue lights on top! Police will have access to live and recorded footage, either from control rooms or in police vehicles. To read more on this and a previous installation in Baltimore go to Eyewitness News.
It seems as if consumers from both sides of the Atlantic are clamouring for more biometric security, at least according to a new survey conducted on behalf of networks provider Unisys. Fears about identity fraud and border security are prompting some 69% of consumers in the US (and 92% in the UK!) to favour widespread adoption of biometric security measures.
IBM were one of the first companies to recognise the potential of data storage for video surveillance systems. One of the latest installations using the company’s BladeCenter servers is at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, where images form 130 cameras can now be viewed across the network or via the Internet. click here to learn more about this installation at one of the Western World’s largest collection of Asian art.
Partnerships
Another sign that networked security is becoming more central to the thinking of security vendors in north America is new of a partnership between Securitas Video Corporation and Even Technologies Inc. Read how Securitas will be using Even’s core compression technology for multi-camera streaming in its remote video surveillance solutions by clicking here .
Finally, if you still have any doubt about the noise that IP and networked security is having in the US, market analysts Frost & Sullivan reckon that we’re about to witness a “paradigm shift”. Integrated systems that ride on a network are said ti reduce hardware and cabling costs as well as the total cost of ownership. As the market shifts, to the emphasis will switch more to the importance of service and design of systems, rather than products in themselves. More details on the US market and trends, including market analysis, revenue forecasts across verticals, and an analysis of competitive structure, are available by visiting Research and Markets