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PSA TEC 2017 | Technical Committee Session Summaries

Discovering Technologies Driving the Industry – A PSA Technical Committee Roundtable

This roundtable discussion presented by the PSA Technical Committee was designed to provide insight on multiple types of technologies driving the industry today, including media analytics, wireless/Bluetooth credentials, and robotics, and the potential impact these technologies will have on physical security in the future.  Session attendees participated in a facilitated discussion and evaluated the current capabilities of these technologies, then looked to the potential value or limitations of these technologies in the future.

With an increased understanding of where current and future products provide value, integrators can better invest in the appropriate competencies and have more valuable interactions with their customers. Attendees contributed their findings, were engaged in an interactive dialogue amongst industry peers, rating their perceived value of the technologies based on current use and intended future use.

The first area of discussion was based on media analytics. First, attendees discussed the detection accuracy of this technology today. The attendees felt that media analytics were only 80-85% accurate in detection and that this technology currently has too many false alarms, as well as fails to pick up important objects. In retail applications for people counting and directing movement, the analytics detection accuracy is far better than it was just two years ago, yet still has a long way to go. In terms of server/edge based analytics, most attendees are using server based that is supplied with the VMS (90%). The majority of attendees felt that some manufacturers did not have good support for the server/edge based analytics and that there is very little use outside of analytic boxes or stand-alone software (excluding a select few customer requests). Attendees felt the cost was too expensive as a standalone product and it does not add a lot of value as included in a VMS. Analytics can take a long time to properly install and deploy and can take multiple trips back to the customer, which can be costly.

The second area of discussion focused on wireless/Bluetooth credentials. Many attendees questioned what they are paying for, they felt there should be a free or low cost physical card to include with the technology. Also, attendees felt that they are not seeing a large demand for this technology at this time since the new generation are typically not the decision makers in organizations. A limited number of attendees said they were currently installing a small amount of Bluetooth readers for future upgrades. Credential management with this technology can prove to be a bit challenging as integrators have little involvement (move credentials to a new phone). Attendees felt that this was a new technology and do not really know yet the reliability since it is not yet deployed at very many sites. Some ran into challenges onsite with installation and deployment. Others mentioned the challenge of properly training the end users.

The last area of discussion focused on Robotics in the security industry today. Attendees did not feel this was applicable to many of them as their companies do not deploy robots at this time. Some challenges mentioned with robotics in the industry today include a child being run over by a robot in a mall and a YouTube video of a drunk tackling a robot. Attendees felt that these instances are creating more challenges than solving problems. Some mentioned that dependence on the manufacturer could be a problem.  Depending on the manufacturer, you may only be able to lease, while other robots are available for purchase, though most felt the cost was too high for their applications. Attendees of this session felt that drones had more of an application to their businesses than robots do, and in fact anti-drone products was a hot topic during this session. Companies deploying drones should consider current and future regulations that could impact their ability to be a solid solution for the security industry.

The discussion concluded with methods to come together and share our experiences with the technologies we are deploying today – PSA’s Technical Committee guided attendees to look and utilize the TKO Portal to facilitate user experiences and overcome challenges together.