ROC Access Face1 wins SIA Best in Biometrics award

ROC Access Face1 has won the "Best in Biometrics" award at the Security Industry Association New Products and Solutions Awards at ISC West. The accolade places the product among the security industry's recognised new offerings.

ROC Access Face1 is a biometric access control reader that combines facial recognition with real-time threat detection and analytics at the point of entry. It is designed for both high-throughput and high-security settings.

Nasdaq-listed ROC develops biometric systems, video analytics and mission intelligence tools. The award highlights a product within its broader Vision AI business, which combines identity verification with monitoring and access functions.

The hardware uses a transparent-mode design and includes a field-upgradable sensor. It also features forged carbon fibre construction, which ROC describes as a first for the sector.

The recognition comes from the Security Industry Association's annual awards programme, which is closely followed by physical security suppliers and buyers. The awards are often seen as a marker of which products stand out in access control, surveillance and related security segments.

ROC linked the launch to its facial recognition technology, saying its algorithms ranked first in combined accuracy and efficiency in the National Institute of Standards and Technology Face Recognition Technology Evaluation. That benchmark is widely used in the biometrics market to compare system performance.

Access focus

ROC Access Face1 is intended to do more than verify a user requesting entry. It can also support integrated weapon detection, watch listing and other configurable analytics.

Those functions reflect a broader shift in physical security, as access devices are increasingly expected to provide continuous monitoring rather than serve only as door-entry tools. Suppliers across the market have sought to combine identity checks with video analysis and alerts to give security teams more information at entrances and other controlled spaces.

"An access control reader should provide value 24/7, not just for the brief moments when users request access," said Gary Jones, SVP of Commercial Security & Attendance Market at ROC.

"Integrated weapon detection, watch listing and a host of configurable analytic features set a new standard for the biometric terminals market," he said.

Jones also linked the award to customer response and product demand.

"We're honored to receive this prestigious award from SIA, which in combination with feedback received from our own customers, confirms the market readiness and need for this innovative solution," he said.

Broader market

Biometric access control has become a more competitive part of the security market as vendors try to address both convenience and risk management. Buyers across corporate sites, public facilities and government settings have shown interest in systems that reduce reliance on cards or codes while adding stronger identity checks.

At the same time, suppliers have been adding more analytics to access hardware, including alerts linked to watch lists, behavioural monitoring and threat detection. ROC's award-winning device appears aimed at this part of the market, where products are judged not only on recognition performance but also on how much intelligence can be built into a compact reader.

ROC said its wider Vision AI platform is used across defence, public safety and digital commerce. Its operations are based in Denver, with additional hubs in Grand Rapids and Morgantown.

For ROC, the award provides external recognition for a product intended to bring several security functions into one device at the entry point. It also reinforces the company's focus on combining biometric identity verification with video analytics in environments where quick, accurate decisions are required.