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2012 Wrap-up

TechSec 2012 is behind us now. The event was a success. We had a great mix of integrators, vendors, consultants and end users attend this year. The level of conversation was impressive, as the majority of attendees were top players at their respective companies. I'm sure some the contacts made at this year's TechSec will blossom into future business dealings.

Edward Levy, VP and global head of security for Thomson Reuters, kicked off the conference with a keynote address about how the role of security has evolved over the years, and where he sees it going.

Then came the educational panels. We had a host of experts—integrators, end users, consultants, vendor representatives—discussing everything from the future of security-related mobile apps to what kind of ROI end users can expect from moving services to the cloud. An integrator and consultant working on the new World Trade Center discussed best practices when it comes to integrating cutting-edge technology in long-term projects. A panel of experts debated whether video analytics is ready to go "mainstream." Other panelists explained to the audience what a security system at the sports stadium of the future will look like. You can read about some of these sessions, and more, on Security Systems News and Security Director News.

My favorite part of the conference was being able to welcome nine members of SDN's 20 Under 40 list, which I published in January. It was great to give these young security professionals an opportunity to network with their peers, integrators and consultants, in a more intimate setting than if they were one of thousands at a conference like ASIS International's.

During the last session of the last day of the conference, I moderated a panel that included four of the 20 Under 40 honorees entitled "Technology through the eyes of security's next leaders." Though it was the conference's last session, the attendees in the room were not nodding off to sleep or busy on their BlackBerries. When I looked out at the audience from the podium, people were sitting up and paying attention. They wanted to hear what Whit Chaiyabhat, Georgetown University's director of emergency management and operational continuity, had to say about the future implications of security-related mobile apps on a university campus, or what Chris Chapeta, a physical security specialist at Chevron, had to say about the latest technology the energy sector is using to protect its critical infrastructure, or what Chris Cromer, director of security at Alamance Regional Medical Center, wanted to see in terms of technology for the healthcare sector, or what Siomary Melendez, manager of plans, training and operations at Thomson Reuters, had to say about the security technology needs of a global company.

The value this session provided was made clear at the following reception, which we held in honor of the 20 Under 40 honorees. Many people told me how much they enjoyed that last panel. Frank Potempa, a senior project manager at Siemens, told me that after all he's heard about mobile technology, he has never been more convinced of the huge impact it will have on the security space than after the last session and hearing about the technology from the future leaders of the security profession.

Another moment I will remember from the reception was looking around the crowd and seeing a small group gathered around a table, drinks in hand, chatting away. They were Jim Henry, executive vice president of Henry Brothers Electronics, a division of Kratos Security and Defense Solutions; Ray Coulombe, founder of SecuritySpecifiers.com; and two of SDN's 20 Under 40s, Whit Chaiyabhat and Chris Chapeta. That sight really brought into relief what we are trying to do with TechSec, and what I'd like to continue to do with SDN's 20 Under 40 list. That is: Bringing together some of the security industry's MVPs to spur high-level conversation and facilitate relationships that will propel the industry into the future.