Cisco, San Jose, Calif., announced key additions
to its Cisco Connected Physical Security product portfolio, delivering new
capabilities in Internet Protocol (IP)-based video surveillance and electronic
access control that ease the convergence of information technology (IT) and
physical security.
The announcement, which came during ISC West, features new IP cameras and
Cisco’s first access control solution. Together, these offerings enhance
situational awareness for making appropriate decisions on security actions and
extend Cisco’s solution portfolio.
“This announcement is significant for physical security, but ultimately it is
important for security as a whole,” said Bill Stuntz, general manager of
Cisco’s Physical Security Business Unit.
“At Cisco, we know how to make technology operate on the IP network, and
the capabilities of IP systems will far outweigh what was ever available on the
traditional proprietary systems.”
These latest physical security offerings support Cisco’s vision of offering a
single unified security product suite that enables users to integrate all
security operations within the IP network.
“Physical security is becoming tightly woven into the fabric of the IP
network,” Stuntz said. “The network is the platform for connecting physical
security systems of all types with other enterprise systems. This development
helps bring the promise of converged security to life. Cisco can make this
happen because we have the expertise in both IT and physical security to lead
this charge.”
Cisco’s IP-based physical access control solution includes both hardware and
software and is built to work with existing door readers, locks and biometric
devices. It targets campus environments and office buildings.
“Cisco’s entrance into physical access control is very exciting,” said Jim
Mills, sales director for Benson, a systems integrator. “We can help customers
connect the physical and logical security within an organization and these
solutions will be much more cost effective and easy to deploy and manage.”
The new Cisco IP cameras are scheduled for availability this month. The new
Cisco Physical Access Control (PAC) system is scheduled for availability in
June 2008, with pricing varying by the number of doors deployed. Information
about Cisco can be found athttp://www.cisco.com.
