By Rhianna Daniels, Editor of Security Director News - 02.17.2009
LAS VEGAS--Partners of Milestone Systems descended on the Red Rock Resort & Spa this past weekend for the company's annual Milestone Integration Platform Symposium. During the two-day event, most of the talk from attendees and speakers focused on the downtrodden economy and what challenges lie ahead for the industry.
Lars Thinnggard, president of Milestone, said this is a wait-and-see year, but the company hopes to continue to build off a strong 2008. In 2008, Milestone was named No. 1 in the video management systems category on a global scale by IMS Research, it secured $27 million in funding and celebrated 10 years of growth, which Eric Fullerton, chief sales and marketing officer for Milestone, said "far exceeds the industry average."
"We have the strongest balance sheet on the business side," Thinnggard said.
During his Friday morning presentation, Stan Schatt, vice president of ABI Research, said that the banking and finance verticals have been the most hard-hit by the recession. But he also pointed out what there is a "large base of old analog equipment" in these businesses and the turnover rate is still strong. He said "some verticals are poised for rapid growth," particularly the government market as the stimulus bill includes billions earmarked for new infrastructure. Schatt also pointed out that although retail is a "mixed bag" in terms of market opportunities, retailers are spending money enhancing existing and new stores and this includes video surveillance.
Over the two-day MIPS event, held Feb. 12-14, end users, system integrators, analysts, distributors and fellow manufacturers sat through sessions focused on the deployment of and the market for IP-based physical security products. Chris Gandy, a detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, outlined the city's design for a "flexible video surveillance deployment" in which it leveraged Milestone's open platform. The department is looking to deploy crime cameras across the city since its initial installation was successful in reducing crime at the corner of 15th and Fremont Street, and has been met with acclaim from area residents.
"We had a whole bunch of analog and some IP, and we needed to find out how all these different projects could come together to make a solid system," he said. "We have to be on the cutting edge of everything and we need to be able to add technologies as needed."
Donald Kreger, an investigator with the New York State University Police, talked about the University of Buffalo's transition to Milestone's platform. He said officials were looking to feed the university's cameras, which even included Web cams, into a single solution to cut down on crime, specifically theft.
"We didn't even know what was out there," he said. "There were no standards; people were putting up whatever they wanted. We were interested in finding a better solution to the problem."
When the educational sessions were in recess, Milestone partners including Axis Communications, IQinVision, Pivot3, Open Options and Intransa were part of an exhibit floor where attendees could view the latest in these companies technology offerings.
For more on presentations conducted at MIPS, see the April issue of Security Director News magazine.
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