Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend the International Security Conference & Exposition (also known as ISC West) in Las Vegas.
ISC West is known to be the leading comprehensive & converged security trade event in the United States, always held at the Venetian Expo. Having done my research, I thought I knew what to expect— seeing the latest technologies in Access Control, Alarms & Monitoring, and Video Surveillance, fancy Drones & Robotics, IT & IoT Security, Smart Home Solutions, etc.
But in reality, I got so much more.
From my POV as Tech Lead at Nedap Security Management, having the combination of products, educational programming (particularly the session on cyber and physical security), and networking opportunities all in one place was like a Disneyland for my senses.
Apparently, the attendance at ISC West 2022 was double what it was at ISC West 2021, so I definitely chose the right year to attend my first event. So I’ve penned some of my impressions and learnings:
- Cloud-based access control is as present as on-premise solutions: Most of the cloud-based AC providers provide native cloud solutions, sometimes next to their on-premise solutions.
- Mobile access control is the norm: The provided solutions mainly use one or the combination of BLE/WiFi/Cellular.
- All physical access control systems included integrations: This is to facilitate or offer the whole product.
- Design and convenience of security products is becoming more important: I saw a lot of good looking readers and controllers. But also, the user interfaces are becoming simpler and cleaner which makes them easier to use.
- The convergence of cyber and physical security is more and more a critical conversation topic: As my colleague, Daniël, who was also at ISC West 2022 eloquently put it:
“In today’s phygital world you can no longer strictly distinguish between cyber and physical security risks because they blend. So it only makes sense that companies are increasingly moving away from siloed security teams and go with an integrated security strategy instead.”— Daniël Nijkamp, Business Development Manager, Nedap Security Management
Now, from my POV as an employee of Nedap Security Management, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to attend and to see my colleagues (from both Nedap Security Management and Nedap Identification Systems) outside our usual habitat.
We came and networked and worked and learned. And it was great to see security professionals from all over the world in real life as opposed to video calls.
The energy and the buzz at Venetian Expo hall was incredible. Truth be told, I was very much focused on learning more about what’s happening in the physical access control industry, but there were so many conversations from morning until night around topics that resonate with security tech professionals.
I believe Global Security Influencer Lee Odess put it perfectly in his recent LinkedIn post:
Considering my colleagues and I work together to protect and secure so many places that we might take for granted, it was inspiring to see ISC West 2022 so full of people and promise. I say “promise,” because I’m hoping that we’ve all learned and improved the way we do business (as people who are in the business of security) during the ups and downs of the pandemic.
As we all slowly return to some sense of normalcy (even in hybrid working), I have a new appreciation for face-to-face meetings and live events coming back in our industry. Thanks, ISC West, for an unforgettable experience!
Cheers, until next year!