A panel of ID industry experts provided predictions for 2006. One of these glimpses into the future will appear here each day during December.

By Dave Ella, Vice President of Products, AMAG Technology

The security industry is seeing an increasing number of changes in what used to be the access control industry and is now security management. This is being driven almost entirely by technology – including smart cards, biometrics, the LAN / WAN and VPN (Virtual Private Network), digital video, and advanced video analytics among others.

The most important changes include the movement of almost all security systems to the LAN and WAN, and the new integration opportunities this has presented. Almost every access control system that AMAG sells incorporates some form of integration, whether it is with one of the leading digital video brands, intercom or intrusion panels.

Web technologies present a whole range of new opportunities. Many forward-thinking organizations are consolidating their security for all locations into a single integrated system across a VPN. AMAG allows customers to write their own integrations using secure XML web services.

Biometric technology is now mature, reliable and cost-effective. The major access control providers integrate biometric enrollment into their head-end software and smart card encoding. Customers do not want a completely separate database for biometrics.

Companies have to move very quickly to stay ahead of market expectations for new technology. Those who can stay ahead will prosper. Aggressive business models that are committed to the changing technologies will provide a road map for companies to follow. AMAG’s map for the next three years anticipates even greater changes.

Visit AMAG on the web at www.amag.com.