Asmag Celebrates 29 Years of Illuminating the Evolving Security Industry

The security industry has undergone a monumental transformation over the past 29 years, and asmag has proudly been a part of that journey. To express our gratitude to our loyal readers, our intrepid editor embarked on a quest into the vault, hoping to unearth and scan our very first issue, dated January 8, 1997. Alas, the inaugural edition remained elusive, likely due to asmag – then a bimonthly print magazine – not yet being edited out of Messe Frankfurt’s Taiwan office.

Asmag #1 may be lost to time, a relic of a bygone era. However, our digital archives preserve a fascinating glimpse into our early days, dating back to our third-ever issue from May/June 1997. This artifact offers a compelling snapshot of the industry nearly three decades ago.

A Glimpse into the Past: Asmag’s Third Issue

The contents of that pivotal May/June 1997 issue reveal a vibrant and rapidly growing security landscape:

Special Features

• A Shortcut to the Southeast Asian Security Market
• Special Interviews in Security Asia 1997
• New Products in Security Asia 1997
• Market: CCTV Surveillance Equipment of Japan

**A Shortcut to the Southeast Asian Security Market:** This feature highlighted Security Asia 1997 as the premier security showcase in the Asia-Pacific region. Driven by a regional economic boom and surging demand for security solutions, exhibitors and visitors alike were witnessing an unprecedented vigor in the Southeast Asian market.

**Special Interviews in Security Asia 1997:** With increasing affluence across Asia, the need for personal and asset protection was rapidly escalating. This translated into astounding growth rates for security product manufacturers, both regional and international. A&S International (asmag’s former name) conducted extensive interviews with key exhibitors at Security Asia 1997, gathering their collective insights on the Southeast Asian security product market, its vast potential, distribution channels, emerging product trends, and sales performance.

**New Products in Security Asia 1997:** This section proudly presented a compilation of 48 cutting-edge security products from manufacturers worldwide. Offerings included visual alarm systems designed for seamless integration with existing CCTV setups, advanced 1/4” CCD digital signal processing cameras, innovative software-based fire alarm systems, robust razor-wire security barriers, intelligent lock systems, and groundbreaking vehicle identification tags, among a plethora of other innovations.

**CCTV Surveillance Equipment of Japan:** Japan’s robust demand for security products fueled an impressive turnover of 86 billion Japanese Yen. CCTV surveillance products were gaining widespread popularity, yet the focus was keenly set on developing cost-effective operational methods for these sophisticated facilities.

From Print to Pixels: Asmag’s Online Journey

While our early print issues provide historical context, our oldest article within the online archive dates to 2005:

Market in Korea: Waiting for a Boost

This article offers an equally fascinating read, capturing a moment when, as one quote reveals, “General end users in Korea do not consider security products as necessity.”

Indeed, the world of security has advanced dramatically since those nascent days, and asmag has been a consistent chronicler of its incredible evolution. We look forward to many more years of delivering insightful, engaging content to our global readership.