Did you notice all the SecurityDreamer maps being carried around the show floor at ISC West in Vegas last week? Our Future of Video Surveillance map showed where to go for the best video surveillance technologies. It was a completely non-sponsored list of the companies that we at SecurityDreamer felt were pushing the industry forward video surveillance.
In hindsight, I don’t think I’d make any changes. Plenty of exhibitors had nice displays and good technologies, but lacked that technological or sales edge which might have gotten them on our list. If your favorite company didn’t make it on our list for ISC, don’t worry, we will be watching closely to see if it makes the cut for our ASIS map.
The ISC West 2008 Future of Video Surveillance companies listed on our virtual walking tour map included:
Agent VI www.agentvi.com
Avigilon www.avigilon.com
Axis www.axis.com
Cernium www.cernium.com
Cisco www.cisco.com
COHU www.cohu-cameras.com
Exacq Technologies www.exacq.com
Extreme CCTV International www.extremecctv.com
IQinVision www.iqeye.com
Firetide www.firetide.com
Genetec www.genetec.com/english
Hirsch Electronics http://www.hirschelectronics.com
Intransa www.intransa.com
Ioimage www.ioimage.com
Mango DSP www.mangodsp.com
MATE – Intelligent Video www.mate.co.il
Milestone Systems www.milestonesys.com
NICE www.nice.com
ObjectVideo www.objectvideo.com
Orsus www.orsus.com
Panasonic Security Systems www.panasonic.com/business/security
Pelco www.pelco.com
Proximex www.proximex.com
Sentry 360 www.sentry360.com
Steelbox www.steelbox.com
Verint & AirVisual www.verint.com and www.airvisual.com
VideoIQ www.videoiq.net
Vidsys www.vidsys.com
Virage Security & Surveillance www.virage.com
Vumii www.vumii.com
Waterfall Solutions www.waterfall-solutions.com
Well, I certainly noticed a fair number came around the two major Intransa booths carrying the maps! I think people definitely were using them as a way to navigate through the chaff of 1,100 exhibitors!
Jeff Whitney, VP Marketing, Intransa
Posted by: Jeff Whitney | April 08, 2008 at 10:20 AM
I'd like to hear more about why certain vendors made the list and why others didn't if possible.
For example, you don't have Bosch on there and I thought they "marketed" a good IP story....do they live up to the brand promise though and maybe that's why they didn't make the list?
Others on the list I'm not so sure about....
Avigilon -
Sexy product (but practical?), and in my opinion, their channel management went from bad to worse by hiring all the ex Covi guys and Avigilon is kind of *product* confused anyways. Are they a megapixel camera line or a DVR line? Think their VC $$ will run out before they make any impact.
CISCO -
In addition to losing two top people as you posted before, Cisco just merged two groups and cut the staff by 50% before ISC. Sounds like cooperate is losing some confidence.
CERNIUM / OBJECT VIDEO - They have the brand but Word on the street is they keep getting replaced by other analtyic lines. Not sure if that's true or not.
IOIMAGE -
Great product but have lost a lot of key (or all?) management staff in the US. Plus selling through SuperCircuits was a poor longterm descision in my opinion.
EXTREME -
Good product but with the Bosch sell hopefully they'll retain their product direction.
VUMII -
I thought they were more of an OEM than a manufacturer so that's one my reasons on hearing more of your expert opion.
Thanks for posting the list!!
Posted by: wondering | April 09, 2008 at 09:20 AM
Wondering makes great points. We see a lot of big vendors losing key people recently. People are the roots of any business, I don't care how good your technology is.
LENEL has lost just about everybody under the sun. What will UTC do to marginalize that company next? Cisco is losing people. When will they exit their bigtime focus on this business? I could go on.
I think this list also needs to be justified, and for one think it is way too long. Who are the top 3 in video, analytics, access control, cameras?
It's too hard to sort through all of these and they aren't all great companies we all know...
It is a great attempt though and I think it's a great discussion per usual! For all the belly-aching about the industry not having enough technology leaders that sure is a big list!
Thanks...
Posted by: Ringo | April 09, 2008 at 05:09 PM
Jeff, I saw your comment regarding “OEM” and “Manufacturer”. I’m not sure I understand your terminology. OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer. I’m happy to clarify anything. Over the past three+ years Vumii has developed the Discoverii platform based on custom electro-optics and image processing. Vumii has filed more than 44 patent claims on our hardware and software. We produce our systems in the United States. This is a day/night vision technology based on an innovative, near infra-red, continuous-wave laser illumination beam that is automatically synchronized to an integrated imager and associated optics. Unlike thermal IR-based technologies, Discoverii technology produces near-optical contrast imagery, in which markings can be read and people recognized from zero light to full daylight, high magnification via continuous zoom (up to 60x optical zoom), the ability to see through windows or windshields at night, high resolution court admissible video, minimal training, and low maintenance. With ranges in zero light from 100 meters to 3000+ meters, Discoverii’s three models are positioned as a 24/7 recognition and identification surveillance tool, uniquely providing far superior performance than high magnification thermal or intensified technologies at considerably less cost. Typically, Discoverii models are queued by a detection sensor such as ground/marine radar, proximity or fence sensors, or wide FOV thermal IR systems. Vumii can also deliver Discoverii’s laser vision with a secondary IR thermal channel for wide-area (10° – 30°) scene context viewing. Since these secondary thermal channels are low magnification, they add relatively low cost to the multi-sensor system. Core customer applications are outdoor perimeter and border surveillance at high risk commercial industrial sites (oil, gas, chemical, and utility), transportation facilities (seaports, airports, and rail), and government assets (military bases, borders, and critical infrastructure).
Posted by: Randall Foster | April 10, 2008 at 06:10 AM
Thanks for the great comments, guys. You are right, I did not give much detail about the criteria for making the list. On the map itself I said:What were our criteria? First of all, no money changed hands. We selected companies we've heard of and in most cases have first-hand experience with. In some cases we know the customers, in others we've spent time with the executive team. The products we chose all use computers, software and networking in creative and forward thinking ways. Every company has a product or a customer success story that stands out. Above all every company has a product or a service that the Hunt BI team feels creates a better future for the surveillance industry.
Bottom line, for any specific customer's need, I might recommend one product or another for very specific reasons. But when making a general list like this, I looked for companies with their eye clearly on evolving toward a brighter future. What's brighter about it? Hard to say in any breif way. I look for a variety of elements that demonstrate a best practices approach to computers software and netwrking as tools for more efficient and effective security solutions.
Posted by: Steve Hunt | April 10, 2008 at 07:11 AM
Steve,
I want to thank you for the pre-show event, I was lucky enough to be a guest of VideoIQ. I believe what you said about salespeople, the only way I have survived almost 30 years in this business is by solving problems not by just taking orders.
It was also great to see your list since I already had relationships active or underdevelopment with 16 of the group. I will be spending more time with the others once the dust settles.
Thanks again,
-J
Posted by: Jamie McDonald | April 10, 2008 at 09:06 PM
I'm also interested in the VideoIQ. After going to IIPSEC at the beginning of this year its clear that the famous "switch" to IP that everyone talks about is closing in upon us shortly.
Cheers,
Jack | cctv
Posted by: Truly said | July 28, 2009 at 07:42 AM