Industry Outlook

Aug 1, 1998 12:00 PM, TINA D'AVERSA-WILLIAMS

Your company just completed a site survey and wants to upgrade the enterprise security system to accommodate additional buildings. How do you find the appropriate system? Why not start your search on the Internet? The Internet, and more specifically the World Wide Web, has become a tremendous resource for security professionals. According to a June 1998 survey conducted by PRIMEDIA Intertec, more than 76 percent of our readers use the Internet. Begun as a U.S. Defense Department project and adopted by academics, today the Internet is ubiquitous. It has created the largest (virtual) community in history, linking together individuals, businesses, research institutions and governments around the world. The Internet is an international network of computers and telecommunications networks. Accessible throughout the world, it makes geography irrelevant, and, by operating 24 hours a day, every day, it removes the limitations of time. The Internet has grown rapidly because it shares its cost among its many users, while delivering significant incremental benefit through access to thousands of information sources. Although the Internet is a public network, organizations, governments and companies are using Internet technologies internally to improve efficiency. These internal networks are called Intranets. Future developments will allow communities with common interests to be connected using Internet and Intranet technology, also known as Extranets. The Internet has captured the imagination of people around the world with its potential to change the way we work and live. It is changing traditional assumptions about the delivery of products and services. It is creating new freedom, new rules, new capabilities and new assets.

The place to be Forty million strong and adding a million new users a month, the Internet is the place to be. Furthermore, nearly all security-related entities have embraced the Internet by offering Web connections. Security businesses have discovered that the Web is an excellent technology for marketing and delivering products and services. Businesses are distributing information to customers in minutes instead of days. The development of the Internet has created two important opportunities. First, people working in different parts of the world and for different organizations can just as readily collaborate as two people in the same firm working in adjacent offices. Second, anyone with access to the Web can share his or her information with the world. The Internet has grown worldwide due to a combination of factors: the phenomenal growth in the enabling technology and the need for many-to-many communications to streamline jobs. The Internet has been successful because it is a network of computers that use the same rules or protocols for sending and receiving information. Computers can only communicate with each other when they speak a common language, or communication protocol. Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is the communication protocol used on the Internet. TCP/IP has two parts. TCP handles the transport of data, and IP performs routing and addressing. For more in-depth information about Internet technology, I suggest "A Guide to the World Wide Web and Electronic Commerce" by Patrick G. McKeown and Richard T. Watson.

Network use continues to rise - Electronic commerce, carrying out business transactions over computer networks, is a rising tide in the world of business. Security companies can take advantage of the trend. Many security suppliers allow you to order replacement components online. - Electronic mail allows you to communicate with one or many any time and virtually anywhere, request bids/proposals from numerous suppliers at one time, and share information with security colleagues across the globe. - Conducting research using search engines allows you to streamline information gathering. Most security manufacturers and suppliers provide easily downloadable or searchable copies of catalogs from their sites. - News services now have the capabilities to e-mail you pre-defined personalized news and information, delivered to your desktop daily. Push technology, also called webcasting, allows you to automatically receive your choice of organized news or Web sites from the Internet.

Finding information on the Web The most valuable information available for security professionals comes from manufacturers, associations and publications serving the industry. The amount of data on the Web is staggering, but the quantity is of little consequence without the ability to isolate data of real value from an exponentially rising tide of information. There are two main approaches to finding information on the Web: using a search engine or a directory. A simple analogy helps differentiate a directory and a search engine. Imagine you are in city you have never visited. You decide to go sight-seeing and have two choices, a cab or a rental car. Taking a cab is like using a search engine. You hop in the cab and give the driver an address or a general idea of the area you would like to visit. On the Web, you give the search engine some keywords that identify the pages of interest. If you are sufficiently precise, you will locate a small number of relevant pages. The computer, like the cab driver, handles navigation but with less risk of accident along the way. Renting a car is like using a directory. You use a map to find your way. With a directory, you follow a hierarchical structure of topics about sets of relevant pages. As with renting a car, you are responsible for navigation. Some site designers strive to make information gathering even more streamlined. For example, from the Access Control & Security Systems Integration Web site at www.securitysolutions.com, you can receive the latest security news from around the world, updated every five minutes. And you will find a comprehensive listing of manufacturers and other security-focused organizations. The online Buyers' Guide offers an easy-to-use directory of more than 10,000 products and 3,000 suppliers. The site also offers a search engine of security-related Web sites. All services are free of charge. The American Society for Industrial Security's (ASIS) site at www.asisonline. org has membership and Certified Protection Professional (CPP) information, and you can register for the upcoming ASIS Conference in Dallas in September. In addition, more information is available for society members. The Security Industry Association site at www.siaonline.org offers research reports on subjects such as CCTV for public safety and false alarms. At the site, you can review industry standards development, nominate a candidate for Security Business Leader of the Year, register for the 1999 Security Industry Forum and link to security publications and other industry associations. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) site at www.fbi.gov offers a barrage of information, including uniform crime reports, terrorism data, crime statistics and law enforcement bulletins. Manufacturer and distributor sites offer comprehensive product information, news, technical support and contact information. The Web site of ADI, a distributor of low-voltage and cabling products, offers product catalogs in English and Spanish featuring more than 10,000 products from more than 300 manufacturers. Orders may be placed from the site. An ADI Expo schedule is also available by visiting www.adilink.com. Simplex designs, manufactures, installs and services a comprehensive array of networked and integrated fire alarm, security communications and workforce solutions. The site, www.simplexnet.com, has company history, news and industry events, career opportunities, service and support. Year 2000 compliance information is also available. WSE, a manufacturer of security management systems for access control and integrated systems, offers an international site produced in many languages. A 25-year company history, a history of proximity cards, and a technical download center with design specifications are nice features of the www.wse. com site. Visit www.securitysolutions.com for links to these and many other security organizations. The Web enables firms to develop a site where their products and services are described and promoted in considerable detail. Tens of thousands of companies now have a Web presence, and in the foreseeable future nearly every company from Fortune 500 giants to small organizations will be on the Web because it is an inexpensive, yet effective, means of informing customers. Dr. Larry Smear, director of National Supercomputer Applications (NSCA), has predicted that by the year 2000, about 1 billion people will have personal computers and virtually all of these people will be on the Web. While Dr. Smear's prediction may be overly optimistic, undoubtedly we are moving into a true information age with the Web as the catalyst.

sidebar The top Internet sites Users in millions Yahoo.com 32.4 Netscape.com 23.4 Excite.com 19.3 Microsoft.com 18.0 AOL.com 17.7 Lycos.com 15.1 Geocities.com 14.4 MSN.com 14.4 Infoseek.com 13.5 Altavista.com 7.5

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The most comprehensive security industry news and information resource available on the Web premiered Aug. 1, 1998. Security News & Information provides daily global security news from the leading newspapers, research providers, magazines and newswires around the world. Security News & Information is a strategic alliance between PRIMEDIA Intertec and Dialog Corp. PRIMEDIA Intertec, publisher of Access Control & Security Systems Integration, Seguridad Latina and Seguran?a Latina magazines, is a leading business-to-business magazine publisher. Dialog, the world's largest online information company, supplies online intelligence solutions to professionals worldwide, offering more than 900 valuable databases from a range of disciplines. Contents include security-related information from: - more than 1,000 U.S. and Canadian newspapers and news sources; - worldwide mergers and acquisitions data; - company information and company statistics; - breaking and archived business news; - brokerage research, economic analysis and up-to-date stock market prices; - international trademarks and patents; - more than 20,000 scientific journals and conference proceedings; and - global consumer news. Information gathered by Security News & Information will be categorized under headings called Security Channels. Sponsorship opportunities are available for these Security Channels: - Electronic Access Control - Corporate Security CCTV/Surveillance - School & University Security - Fire Protection and Life Safety - Retail Security - Photo ID, Cards and Badges - Transportation Security (airports, etc.) - Biometric Security - Hospital and Health Care Security - Guard Services - Government Security - Perimeter Security - Systems Design and Integration - Information/Computer Security - Asset Protection

Offering analysis and commentary on the security industry at large, our goal is to keep readers informed of the market growth and forward move-ment within the industry. The column is written by Tina D'Aversa-Williams, publisher of Access Control & Security Systems Integration, whose background includes work in market research and analysis.

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