Securex 2005 - Poznan 25-28 January 2005

The International Exhibition of Security Products, Securex in Poznan, has taken place for the 15th time. 2 halls have gathered about 80 companies (including 25% of them that have offered monitoring systems).
Why isn't the real boom in the development of CCTV installations visible at Securex?
It seems that the organizers operate according to the formula to give some space to the exhibitors and round up as many visitors as possible. ''Budma'', which was taking place at the same time with Securex. Unfortunately such an "attendance" is very tiring to the Securex participant and it does not benefit them, for this reason many companies decided not to attend.


In the area of video recording only ''stand-alone'' digital recorders had been presented. It was difficult to find systems that would be based on PC cards. If there was such a system, it was enclosed in ''rack 19'' type of housing. Is the pioneering time already over?

There was no new manufacturers who would like to enter the Polish market. AVT, AVC M8509, DynaColor M8530, and YOKO dominated at the event. Each of these companies had shown a new model of their digital recorders.

In the category of simple recorders, Yoko 9809 may catch a buyer's eye - cheap 4-channel recorder with a removable hard disk and archive preview on PC's as well as the Compact Flash copy function.

The interest and offer of LCD monitors are also growing. They occupy much smaller space and produce a better quality of images, they are also much more ''friendlier'' for the eye than the regular CRT monitors. What is even more important, they are much cheaper than the year before. With built-in tuners and advanced audio solutions, they surely will sell even outside the CCTV market. The sample price of a 32 inch ''panorama'' of LCD monitor - is below 6000 PLN.

The mobile monitoring is growing in popularity. Specially equipped cars or vans, having monitoring equipment aboard may be utilized in the surveillance of all kinds of outdoors events, buses, trains... also for sewage inspection.

The German Videotronik presented a mobile video transmission system for application in rescue operations and extreme conditions.

Cash register monitoring is becoming more and more popular. The whole idea of such a system is to include into the video recording from a surveillance camera, monitoring a particular cashier station, data concerning receipt information and the contents of the shopping cart. The system creates a database of sold products. Later search for customers who bought, for instance, ''bananas'' brings almost instantaneous results. It is yet another system that integrates a few monitoring systems into one - all that just to protect our property.

Navigation system MIO168. For the price under 4000 PLN customers will receive a completely installed system thanks to which it is impossible to get lost. GPS System controls the location of the car while the monitor displays the map. Voice directions are produced to inform the driver of turns, intersections etc. Beyond that, the system also suggests taking more convenient routs. It can find various locations such as gas stations, hospitals, restaurants, etc. It would be impossible to list all its functions just in a few sentences. The system utilizes ''Automapa Polska XP'' program. For additional fee the customers can receive a map of Europe. DIPOL reps have personally tested the system - the map is really accurate. Additional advantage is its size and the fact that the device can be removed from the car anytime. It works both on land as well as on water - the database contains information on Polish lakes and rivers.

PIAP (Przemyslowy Instytut Automatyki i Pomiarow), a well-known maker of a mobile robot (SR-12 Inspektor) has demonstrated a very interesting concept. Camera installed on expandable arm and monitor with control panel attached to the vest. From the control panel the user can easily maneuver the camera, turn on the light, etc.

It is noticeable that the manufacturers are looking for new designs, to attract the visitors and prospective customers. The leader seems to be Panasonic.

The growing assortment of network cameras. In the picture - a camera from Sony.

More and more importance is being attached to programs whose purpose is to improve the work of security teams.

Armored vehicles aroused plenty of interest among the visitors. For comparison, the thickness of glass of such a vehicle and the size of a pen.

...and now the promised punch line. "Traditional" methods of protection have also been demonstrated at Securex just in case all this electronic wizardry have failed us.