PSA-TEC 2009 in Chicago just ended on Friday.  The conference becomes more compelling every year, a week packed with educational sessions, product training sessions, networking events, hospitality events, and the large vendor exhibition.

The turnout for Tuesday evening’s opening mixer with keynote speaker Frank Abagnale was high, and we were able to meet up with many PSA resellers. Wednesday was the vendor expo where we showed the exacqVision VMS software and servers, including the new exacqVision EL embedded Linux hybrid appliance.  We also showed exacqVision on the Mac, and multiple live cameras streaming on the iPhone.

Exacq was given the Rising Star award at the Vendor Appreciation Awards Banquet, which may be the only awards ceremony in this industry where the integrators recognize the vendors.  We are most appreciative of the PSA membership for that recognition.

PSA President Bill Bozeman presenting Exacq with the Rising Star award at the Vendor Appreciation Banquet

On Thursday, Dan Rittman, Exacq’s Director of Engineering, conducted one of the educational seminars entitled “Migrating Your Customers to IP Video“, a review of the technology trends and advances, the benefits of IP video, and how to specify IP video installations of any size. The PowerPoint of that presentation is available to all PSA resellers.

The trade press was out in force at this event.  Security Systems News editor Sam Pfeifle was live-blogging the entire time, and his posts are here, here, here and here.  It was certainly gratifying to see this comment in Sam’s Day 2 blog post, regarding the awards banquet:

I don’t know how important the awards are, but I guess the ones that stood out for me were Samsung Techwin and Exacq winning the awards for new and rising vendors. That seems to jibe with my impression that the former is making a huge marketing push this year and the latter almost doesn’t have to because people really like their video management software and how open it is.

Our thanks to Bill Bozeman and the entire PSA staff and membership for having us as part of this event again this year.

PSA Security Network is holding their annual PSA-TEC conference next week in Chicago, May 4-8, 2009.  This event has evolved into one of the major security conferences in North America.  Five days of educational sessions and technical training, a full day of exhibits on Wednesday, May 6, with over 100 exhibitors, plenty of networking events, and a keynote presentation by Frank Abagnale, author of Catch Me If You Can.

Exacq will be at PSA-TEC again this year, booth #500. We’ll show our full line of exacqVision VMS software and servers, including our new exacqVision EL embedded Linux hybrid NVR appliance.

On Thursday, May 7, from 1:00 – 3:00, Dan Rittman, Director of Engineering for Exacq, will conduct an educational seminar (#2025-R2h) entitled Transitioning Your Customers to IP Video Surveillance. Course description:

Transitioning a client from their existing analog camera investment to IP cameras requires solid sales and technical knowledge. Learn the basics of implementing hybrid and IP video surveillance systems. Topics covered include:
– Defining the network requirements
– Determining file sizes and storage space needed
– Setting up IP cameras and associated motion detection
– Triggers
– Compression formats
– Quality settings

No longer just a member conference, the educational sessions and exhibits at this year’s PSA-TEC are now open to all resellers and customers.  Registration information is here. We’ll see you there.

It was just a little over a year ago that we joined the PSA Security Network as a PSA Vendor for our exacqVision IP Video Surveillance product line. We’ve enjoyed the working relationship we’ve developed with the PSA membership, which comprises the top-tier security integrators in North America.

We particularly appreciate the extent to which PSA values their vendor partners, providing numerous opportunities for vendors and members to work together, and culminating in the Vendor Appreciation Banquet, held each year the at PSA-TEC conference, which in itself is a key event for vendors and members to interact.

This week several security trade publications ran stories on the PSA Vendor Appreciation Banquet, where 15 of the 200 or so PSA vendors were recognized for "willingness to consistently go above and beyond for PSA members."  This article in SecurityInfoWatch.com from June 12 was a good wrap-up of the awards ceremony, and includes this paragraph:

PSA presented Exacq Technologies with the Outstanding New Vendor Award. This award is presented to a vendor who has been with PSA for less than one year and does not qualify for PSA’s Rising Star, Star, or Superstar awards. An Outstanding New Vendor exemplifies the qualities that define PSA Superstars: extraordinary support, quality products, and prompt, reliable customer service.

We were certainly in good company.  The other vendors recognized were CSC, Network Video Technologies, TransTech, Altronix, Dedicated Micros, deView, Middle Atlantic Products, Pelco, Aiphone, Bosch, HID, Security Lock Distributors, Stentofon, and Winsted. 

Other coverage we saw this week included articles in Security Sales & Integration here, and Security Products here.  PSA posted a number of pictures from the event here.

Our thanks again to the PSA Security Network and its members for this recognition. 

We’ve just returned from PSA-TEC, the annual technology conference and expo put on by the PSA Security Network for their members and vendors.  This is a week-long conference of extensive technical courses, networking sessions, and a vendor expo. 

We’ve had a great relationship with PSA and its members since we wereaccepted as a vendor member early last year.  A rapidly-growing number of PSA members are actively selling our exacqVision product line.  Over the last year we’ve been involved in many exacqVision IP and Hybrid video surveillance installations in schools, hospitals, sports arenas, manufacturing facilities, financial institutions, and more with several PSA integrator members.  At this year’s show, some of the latest features, such as the native Mac client and the mobile browser client attracted a great deal of attention. 

On Wednesday evening, at the PSA Vendor Appreciation Dinner, Exacq Technologies was presented with the "Outstanding New Vendor" award.  Dave Underwood, President of Exacq, accepted the award presented by PSA’s Jennifer Martin Anderson, VP of Vendor Technology & Education, and Bill Bozeman, President and CEO.

Our sincere thanks to Bill, Jennifer and the entire PSA organization and members for this award, for the enthusiastic reception to our product line, and for once again putting on a great member education conference.

Update 5-12-08: Our thanks to Greg McConnell, associate editor of Security Dealer & Integrator magazine, for the nice mention in his review of PSA-TEC:

Some vendors went above and beyond to answer questions for potential (or even current) customers. Exacq Technologies, for instance, had TJ Johnson, manager of software engineering, on hand at the booth to take tech questions (and suggestions) about their software. If a change were to be made to Exacq’s software, he’d be the one to do it.

Here are some pictures from this year’s PSA-TEC:

We’ve just returned from the PSA-TEC conference, put on by the PSA Security Network.  This annual event serves as a technology presentation and training gathering for PSA Integrator Members and Vendor Partners.  We were pleased to participate in our first PSA-TEC as one of the new PSA Vendors.

We had a booth in the exhibit hall, showing our exacqVision IP software and servers, connected to a variety of IP cameras, as well as a connection to remote servers.  We had a chance to talk to a large number of the PSA dealers over the course of the day, many of whom are already actively selling our products. 

Our thanks to Jennifer Martin and the whole gang at PSA Security Network for putting on a great technology and educational event for their members.

Update 5-12-07: Greg McConnell of Security Dealer was at the PSA-TEC show and posted this excellent review of the events.

We’re very pleased to announce that PSA Security Network has selected Exacq Technologies as its newest vendor partner, and the entire line of exacqVision IP video surveillance products are now available to all PSA members.

With a growing membership base of over 200 specialized systems integrators, the PSA Security Network is the world’s largest electronic security cooperative.  PSA member companies are responsible for over $1.4 billion annually in electronic security installations and specialize in the design, installation, integration and maintenance of access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, fire, and life safety systems.

We’re already working with many of the PSA systems integrators, and we look forward to working with even more.  In addition to other PSA-related activities, we’ll have a booth at the upcoming PSA-TEC Conference in Chicago in May showing our full line of innovative, easy-to-use and inexpensive IP video surveillance software and systems.