The Intersec exhibition held in Dubai last month is fast becoming a must attend event for British security providers. Members of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) and its Export Council, who were there in force for the 17th year, report a high level of interest in the wide range of innovative UK security solutions, from integrated systems to access control, CCTV, perimeter protection, intruder alarm and power supply technology, on display. The scale of the British presence at Intersec 2015 was certainly impressive this time around, with the BSIA-organised UK Pavilion the focal point of the highest-ever turnout of UK companies.
The positive experience of Export Council member companies at Intersec 2015 was captured by a post-event survey, with 75% of respondents answering that the number of visitors coming to their stands had grown year-on-year, paralleling what the organisers themselves have been saying. Beyond this, half of the member companies surveyed pointed out that the quality of attendees had improved – a welcome trend. Reflecting on the bottom-line business benefits, three-quarters said that they expect to obtain more orders thanks to Intersec and, looking ahead to 2016, all of the companies who replied confirmed that they were planning to attend next year’s event.
So what were visitors to Intersec 2015 most interested in? Well, security integration seems have been the hot topic, with all respondents to the BSIA’s Export Council’s post-show survey selecting it as one of the standout technology areas. This mirrors the findings of the BSIA’s security and business trends research and underlines the increasing recognition amongst BSIA members’ customers of the enhanced security, and day-to-day management, benefits that can be unlocked when a number of elements from access control to video surveillance can be brought together in a seamless IP environment rather than remaining in their own discrete, and unconnected, silos.
Other technologies on the shopping list for Intersec 2015, according to the BSIA survey, included: HD (High Definition) CCTV and ultra HD in the form of 4K which continues to prove a popular choice thanks, undoubtedly, to the ability to provide additional detail in security critical applications such as banks and hotel lobbies and changing legislative requirements across the region. Beyond this video content analysis, biometrics for access control and ANPR were also in the frame.
Commenting on Intersec 2015, Tom Sharrard, Vice Chair of the Export Council at the BSIA, is delighted with how the exhibition turned out for member companies: “Intersec 2015 certainly surpassed our expectations. From our members’ survey it is clear that not only was the number of on-stand visits on an upward trajectory but, crucially, there was a corresponding uplift in the level and quality of enquiries. It will, of course, be interesting to see how this translates into physical orders in the months ahead. There is little doubt that Intersec remains a strong platform for our members targeting the region, an area which appreciates the benefits of working with British businesses which offer best practice solutions that comply with the latest industry standards.”
Member companies were asked for their thoughts regarding Intersec 2015:
Chris Williams, Director at VMS (Video Management Software) specialist Wavestore (www.wavestore.com) feels that the design of the UK Pavilion was particularly strong this year and was happy with the level of visitors: “The many visitors who attended on all three days delivered one of the best shows for some time.” A key focus for Wavestore was the energy saving capabilities of its V6 VMS which automates the spin down of hard drives not engaged in active read and write processes.
Paul King, Commercial Director at Elmdene (www.elmdene.co.uk) reports that switch mode power supplies delivering efficiency levels of up to 90% were a big draw at Intersec, with leads up by 20%: “There was a lot of attention being given to our EN54 STX power supplies, high specification CCTV power supplies and PoE solutions,” says King.
Natalie Simpson, Marketing Manager, Synectics (www.synecticsuk.com) says that the company’s team at Intersec saw significant interest in integrated solutions and the EX camera station range, including thermal imaging.
Another company whose solutions fitted-in with the market push for integration was TDSi (www.tdsi.co.uk), thanks to its powerful Exgarde access control software and VUgardeCCTV video management software. By the second day of the show, Managing Director John Davies was already pointing to an upward trend in attendees, a fact reflected in the company’s final figures which rose by a fifth.
Helen Williams, Marketing Executive at Remsdaq (www.remsdaq.com) says that the company secured record visitor numbers from across the Middle East and Africa: “We anticipate significant new business based on our multi-award winning EntroWatch and EntroStar access control products and the brand new EntroPad proximity reader with its unique Arabic keypad.”
Tony Smith, Major Accounts and Marketing Manager at Integrated Design Ltd (IDL), renowned for its Fastlane turnstile solutions (www.fastlaneturnstiles.com), is also upbeat after a steady increase in visitors over the past few years. He reckons that the show is a good way to move existing business forward: “People from projects in the Gulf were able to come to see us for technical training and to look at the products they had purchased.”
A member company using Intersec to show the shape of things to come was IndigoVision (www.indigovision.com) in the form of its FrontLine body worn video. Paul Murphy the company’s Head of Marketing feels there is tremendous potential for the technology: “It has come to the point where it is durable and lightweight enough, and can record for long enough, for deployment by front line staff.” Users could range from staff at airports to those who are public-facing in hotels.”
For more information about the work of the BSIA’s Export Council and the benefits of membership, visit: http://www.bsia.co.uk/Sections/ExportCouncil.
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