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IFSEC Securex rides again

In every trade show there are always those who think the show was the best ever and those who feel the opposite and declare they will not be back next time. IFSEC South Africa Securex 2010 proved to be different in that it was a hive of activity and the exhibitors were overwhelmingly positive.

This year’s show was roundly applauded as a success by everyone in contact with the Hi-Tech Security Solutions’ team. Even our own stand was well attended and, well, sweet. Our fountain was overflowing with Belgian chocolate and marshmallows, which may have been a draw card.

Nevertheless, chocolate fountains were not the central point of the show, which boasted a presentation area, two conferences, a banquet, the exhibition itself, and the launch of ballistic underwear – which we are told is a first.

It is interesting to see how the Securex brand has become part of the fabric of South African security. Even though the show has been rebranded and run as IFSEC South Africa Securex, most industry players still refer to it as Securex. It will be a while before the organisers can remove Securex from the minds of the local industry.

Getting down to the nitty-gritty, Imperial Armour launched its own line of Victoria’s Security Secret undergarments, aimed at fashion conscious security personnel. The company manufactures the goods in KwaZulu-Natal, making it another local security success story. Unfortunately, we have no images of the models parading around in their new secure briefs – which may be just as well.

Conferences and presentations

The Security Industry Association (SIA) held its annual conference during the show, followed by its annual awards banquet in the evening. Numerous awards were handed out to deserving security personnel during the banquet. The calibre of attendees at the conference and the banquet served to confirm SIA’s place as the representative body for the security industry in South Africa.

Following the SIA conference was the annual SASA (Security Association of South Africa) conference, which was also well attended and covered various topics of crucial interest to today’s security operators.

The presentation area in Hall 2 was not as packed as one may have hoped for, but the presentations were generally well attended and covered everything from access control through to IP surveillance. For those in the surveillance market specifically, Frost & Sullivan delivered an interesting presentation on the growth of CCTV in the South African market.

Apparently, analogue still holds the lion’s share of the market, but IP is catching up. Even the economic downturn did not seem to impact IP sales too much. Of course, growth rates for IP systems were down, but even in the toughest times, the trend was up. There seems to be some disagreement as to when IP will outsell analogue cameras, with the most optimistic proposing 2012 as the year and the more conservative looking at 2015. Either way, IP sales are growing and we all need to be focused on this segment of the market.

What the exhibitors said

There is no better way to judge an exhibition than hearing what the exhibitors themselves have to say. Hi-Tech Security Solutions approached a few of this year’s exhibitors and asked them for their views.

HID Global’s John Lakin said IFSEC was good for the company this year. “Being a little later in the year than usual there has been an expectation leading up to it and with the slowdown before during and after the Soccer World Cup; it came at about the right time.

“We saw fewer visitors from east Africa and Nigeria than usual, but a big increase in interest and enquiries from Angola, Ivory Coast and such. There were also good enquiries from end users and businesses doing integration work, but less government visitors than before.”

He says this year’s show was “much more focused than in previous years. Our first impressions are good.”

Emergency Reaction Service’s Morris Maram says the company’s range of biometric solutions received "huge interest" at the show. The new range of GSM security communications equipment was also on display and his twin SIM card solution was a hit – two SIM cards means the signal will always get through to control centres even if one cellular provider is unavailable. Hi-Tech Security Solutions will cover this technology in the next issue.

“From a GIT perspective, Securex was an excellent exhibition this year,” adds Mark Chertkow, MD of Graphic Image Technologies (GIT). “We found an enormous amount of interest in our remote streaming capability on the Servision platform. I believe that the market has matured significantly in the past year with customers and resellers beginning to understand the relevance of low bitrate streaming and the benefit of being able to transmit video at 4 frames per second at 8 kilobits or 1 kilobyte per second.

“We found the quality of visitor to be good and certainly experienced a positive response to our offer with a large number of visitors to our stand providing us with contact details and requesting that we contact them to follow up.”

Securex distributors

The aim at IFSEC Securex 2010 for Elvey Security Technologies was to provide customers both new and old with a showcase of the company’s latest security products on offer and expert advice on how a complete security solution can be formed for various market sectors.

The products on display were divided into the following categories: integrated IP and network security solutions, access control, CCTV, intruder alarms, boundary protection and fire solutions.

Apart from the display area, Elvey incorporated a dedicated seminar theatre, which allowed interested customers to concentrate their attention on products of interest. These were presented by Elvey staff and international guests.

“The feedback received from visitors on the stand confirmed that we achieved our objectives and we are eager to further develop on this when IFSEC moves to Gallagher Estate in 2011,” explains Tasha Smith, Elvey’s marketing manager.

Andrew Stead, regional GM of ADI Global echoed these sentiments. Stead noted that the show was “the best it has been in the last three years with around 7000 visitors, and most of them good quality visitors.”

He says the Sandton venue is good, but he does have “a few concerns about the Gallagher next year.” One of these is the apparent lack of infrastructure to support the visitors. In Sandton there are plenty of hotels and restaurants around the corner, while Gallagher does not have this yet.

Communica’s Imtiaz Mulla describes IFSEC Securex 2010 as “three days of organised chaos.” The company hosted Shigesaku Atsumi, from Atsumi Electric Company in Japan, who came down to launch the Triwatcher, a new detector designed to eliminate false alarms.

Ideco displayed products on the stands of seven of its partners and dealers. The company itself had a more relaxed environment in which it could engage in effective discussion with visitors on the use of biometrics in all aspects of identity management within organisations over a cup of coffee.

“Our stand was busy, and the visitors were not just there for the coffee,” says Ideco Biometric Security Solutions sales manager, Linda Glieman. “They were truly interested in our biometric technology, and what was really good to hear was that they knew what kind of questions to ask, which makes me believe there is a much better understanding and acceptance of biometrics now than even a year ago. One of the benefits of a show like IFSEC Securex is that you get to see so many people – both partners and potential clients in our case – over the three days at a single venue. We got some very good leads which we are following up on.”

Local manufacturer Cathexis launched its new integrated access control/CCTV system at the show. This solution provides an access control system and CCTV solution on one platform. The product includes an integrated access controller with the software integrated into the Cathexis range of digital surveillance equipment. It provides local and remote user enrolment and data mining as well as the ability to track users and playback video across multiple access points.

The system makes use of the Impro IXP20 system controller, which is Ethernet-based and can accommodate up to 1000 tag-holders and 5000 buffered transactions. This solution is the result of a close collaboration between Cathexis and Impro Technologies.

Cathexis Africa MD, Gus Brecher was also positive about the visitors and contacts made at the show.

Products and more products

There was no shortage of products on show. There are obviously too many to include them all in a short review, but here are a few that caught our eye.

Sensis Technologies was showing off Security Smoke Screen. The company’s Shirley Hanson says, “showcasing ourselves at this, our first ever trade show, generated a wide variety of positive responses from both potential trade partners as well as the end user. All this affirmative feedback has made an immense impact on our business, not only from a sales point of view, but also on our business strategy.

“We realised that a trade show is a platform on which you can not only showcase your brand, but also gain a wealth of information about what people expect from your product and from the service that you provide to back it up. It is, in essence, more than a marketing tool, it is a tool for improving all aspects of your business.

“As a business owner, you know that establishing your footprint in the marketplace is never a cheap and easy task, but so far, exhibiting at IFSEC Securex has been the best money we have spent. This could also have something to do with the venue. The Sandton Convention Centre has a lot to offer from an exhibitor’s point of view: ample parking, ease of access for the public, centrally situated, great amenities and catering. In our opinion, moving it to Gallagher Estate in 2011 could have an adverse effect on what we have come to expect from a trade show.”

G4S also exhibited for the first time this year. Daphne du Preez, National sales and marketing manager says, “Having a new range of products and services to offer the market, we felt it was a good time to enter the exhibition arena in SA. We were pleased with the interest shown in our products and confident that our presence at Securex gained the G4S brand the exposure we desired. New products/services that were showcased included:

Retail loss-reduction software (Profitect) – a suite of software solutions that targets waste, margin-erosion and shrinkage, significantly increasing retailers’ profits through loss prevention, fraud detection and compliance assurance.

MultiMax Security Management System which integrates all security systems into one single platform.

State-of-the-art safety door (Hermetix) proven to be impenetrable and suited to many applications such as panic-rooms, vaults, casino’s etc.

Another happy customer is Added Security, which “had a great response". Director Anne Marx says, “We had the opportunity to launch our product and we had great exposure. We met with big companies as well as members of the public under one roof, all with one interest: security. This made contact very fluid. This was our first participation as an exhibitor and being able to mingle with other passionate exhibitors was much appreciated.”

Added Security launched Natural Pepper Spray on the South African market. It can be monitored and activated in a matter of minutes by security companies, reducing the risk of mistakes and wastage. It works in conjunction with all existing alarm systems, is natural, biodegradable, effective and a safe alternative way to protect premises. There is no residue left and no side effects to humans and animals.

IFSEC Securex 2010 also provided TOA Southern Africa an opportunity to showcase its latest products, the VM-3000 Emergency Voice Evacuation system, certified compliant to EN-54-16. Also on display were speakers compliant to EN-54-24, and the N-8000 IP based network intercom.

Another local company, Bloodhound Technologies was demonstrating Bloodhound Mobile, which monitors guard productivity in an unlimited area, setting up routes for patrolling and sending instructions, such as where and when to check areas. This system consists of active RFID location point tags, which are placed in strategic locations in the area to be monitored and a mobile reader, a handheld unit, which is carried by the guards as they do their patrolling.

Bloodhound Static is a similar technology that monitors and reports the real-time presence of personnel in a specific area. This system consists of active RFID identification cards, credit card size, which can be carried by a person and a static reader, which is installed in the centre of an area to be monitored. Both products include the Bloodhound Resource Management software, which provide real-time visual representation of personnel movements, provides management reports and allows the user to monitor multiple sites in real-time from anywhere in the world.

Integrated Design successfully launched the Fastlane range of entrance control solutions. The company planned to introduce the Fastlane range and find a partner in the region. It reports a healthy interest from prospective customers and partners viewing the products.

“We were very pleased with the response to our products in this expanding market and came away with plenty of new contacts and potential projects. An overall success,” says Tony Smith, major accounts manager.

The Crypta Key and Asset Management system (CKAM) was launched by Incomar Sensors. It is a secured computer controlled key/asset management system. The standalone unit authorises the client access to the key/asset through a computer controlled touch screen by identifying the client with a password and PIN number. This stand-alone unit can be linked via the Internet to a master controller (MC) system that can be placed at any place in the world. Biometric devices for another layer of protection can be added.

The company says IFSEC Securex was a great success and it experienced substantial interest in this new product, also developed in South Africa.

“The show this year for us was a success. It was great catching up with existing clients from all over Africa and meeting some new potential clients,” says Shaun Williamson from Stafix Electric Fence and Security Centres. “We were able to showcase some new product lines. In the JVA product range we displayed our new voltage displaying LCD Keypads, the JVA ZM1 monitor and the latest JVA Perimeter control software. The LCD Keypads are not only cost effective, but give the user the added visual confirmation of out and return voltages on the fence line.”

And finally, QD Group also experienced a very successful IFSEC Securex 2010. “With the company not exhibiting at Securex over the past few years, this was a great opportunity for us to re-connect with customers and introduce them to our new products. Interest was shown in our Guardnet product which is designed for local monitoring of alarm and panic signals and our secure patrol unit for the tracking of guards on patrol,” says Justin Fletcher, QD’s operations director. “The success of the Show for QD Group was however the launch of our Pi HSC 816 wireless/wired alarm control which generated a great deal of interest on our stand.”

Watching the watchers

The surveillance market is always a large part of security shows and IFSEC Securex was no different.

Newcomer Esquire Technologies introduced its 1984 video surveillance and recording software for network cameras that allow for live monitoring in various parameters, from industrial zones, offices, warehouses, hotels, banks, vacation apartments to home use.

The 1984 works on a hybrid system as it processes digital network cameras as well as analogue video sources. Through a smart change, users with existing analogue technologies are able to integrate and update to a digital network.

Dynamic Instrumentation introduced the TiCAM 750 from Thermoteknix. The TiCAM 750 operates on 4 NiMH AA rechargeable batteries for up to 8 hours continuous use. This lightweight high specification viewer IP67 rated device can human detect up to 1430 m and is designed and suitable for:

* Border control.

* Counter-drug operations.

* Anti poaching.

* Search and rescue.

* Police surveillance.

* Force protection.

Optional features include:

* GPS coordinates.

* Digital magnetic compass.

* Automatic face detection.

* Video recording facility for up to 4 hours.

According to Sasha Davidson, marketing manager at Axis Communications, the company had “a very positive experience at this year’s IFSEC Securex. We had a fair amount of traffic onto our stand and managed to secure more leads than we were initially aiming for. We found that the majority of integrators that visited the stand were very interested in network video and IP systems, moving away from the traditional analogue systems that they were originally focused on. The end users that visited our stand expressed interest in IP video and were impressed with Axis’s product offering and the benefits of moving to IP.”

This year, among other devices, Axis specifically displayed the Q1910 and the M1114 network cameras.

The AXIS M1114 with CS-mount, varifocal, DC-iris lens provides good image quality without motion blur using progressive scan at 30 frames per second in 1 megapixel/HDTV resolution. The cost-effective, compactly designed camera offers multiple H.264 and Motion JPEG streams that can be individually optimised for bandwidth and storage efficiency.

The AXIS Q1910 Thermal Network Camera uses thermal imaging to allow users to detect people, objects and incidents in complete darkness and difficult conditions such as smoke, haze, dust and light fog. The Q1910 supports H.264 video compression, which reduces bandwidth usage and storage needs by up to 80% compared to Motion JPEG.

Hi-Tech Security Solutions would like to assure readers that no person we know of on the Axis stand was using the thermal cameras to 'check out the talent'. It was all done purely for demonstration purposes.

Another first-timer was Remote Offsite Monitoring (ROM). The company’s Penny Gouws says its offering was well received by all sectors. She categorised the visitors to her stand as:

System integrators: Typical system integrators requirements were more fact finding, some were even considering starting their own control facility,

Guarding companies: They have endless human factor issues and are hungry to find solutions not only to assist their clients, but complement their core business.

End-users: They were curious to investigate the buzzword 'Remote Off Site Monitoring' and what solutions were available without incurring unnecessary and additional costs.

Gouws adds: “As ROM we are excited to venture into the new Gallagher experience, but as usual any change can be unnerving to many. Nothing ventured nothing gained, some of the pro’s to be noted is ample parking, the Gautrain link from the airport, halfway point between Pretoria and Johannesburg, and it is the original venue of Securex.”

Eavesdropping Detection Solutions introduced the ANG-2200 Acoustic Noise Generator. The acoustic noise generator protects your privacy and sensitive conversations against eavesdropping threats from perimeter contact microphones and reflected listening devices. The ANG is designed to help defend against listening devices that depends on acoustic energy being transferred through structural elements of your immediate environment such as windows, walls, ceilings, ductwork or plumbing. The ANG-2200 injects tuned masking noise into perimeter structures to mask structure bound sound. Acoustic spectrum analysis software ensures the masking noise is properly adjusted to provide adequate masking without being too loud or disruptive.

We will be back

The overarching feel is that IFSEC South Africa Securex 2010 was a great success. Exhibitors report they are satisfied with the show, and are generally more positive than they have been in the last two years. Visitors also reported being impressed with the show and the stands. The move to the Gallagher exhibition centre next year has more than a few detractors, but if the organisers can pull in the crowds of qualified visitors as it seemed to do this year, there will not be too many complaints on the day.

Going to IFSEC UK 2011?

For those interested in going to IFSEC UK in May next year – you can read the 2010 review on our Website (securitysa.com) – the SA Institute of Security (SAIS) is once again organising a group tour to the event.

According to the SAIS administrator, Rosemary Cowan, the price for 2011 will yet again remain unchanged from 2009, and it now includes basic travel insurance. Call +27 (0)11 455 3157 for more information.

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