Mark Zayek, Chief Operating Office (COO) of Astrophysics tells SJA about the company’s ambitious plans for growth.

Tell me about your role as COO at Astrophysics and your experience in the X-ray industry

I was in Boston during the 2013 Boston bombing and in Paris during the 2015 attacks so have experienced firsthand the terror, hardships and role of security that follows.

Security has become my passion.

I have been in the X-ray security space for my entire 20-year career.

As COO, I have visited over 30 countries and have had the privilege of meeting with government leaders and global end users to discuss the challenges they face, and while the details may be different, the themes are the same.

My life experiences and meetings with security professionals have taught me the value of security and how our company and products have an impact.

When we talk about Astrophysics, we aren’t talking low cost or “me-too” products, we are talking true technology that can and does save lives.

What makes your company stand out from its competitors?

Astrophysics has always been at the forefront of X-ray technology; you can expect the best imaging from Astrophysics.

That hasn’t changed in 20 years and it won’t in the future.

We have evolved from being product focused, to also excelling at being security designers and integrators – designing site security, creating layered security infrastructures, identifying and mitigating risks, customizing products, utilizing AI and software, and completing multi-technology integrations with centralized command centers.

My advice is not to buy the product but buy the brand.

If you want the latest technology, customization and integration – you come to Astrophysics.

Astrophysics is exhibiting at GSX next month – what can our readers expect?

Astrophysics will be at GSX booth #2867 exhibiting our new ARGON Walk-Through and XIS-6040SE X-ray system with a touchscreen monitor and exclusive Astrophysics AI software.

The Astrophysics ARGON is a brand-new version of our walk-through metal detectors and is lightweight with an array of usability features like bi-directional scanning and multizone detection.

Our Astrophysics AI identifies guns, sharps, batteries and liquids with a red box.

Uniquely, our truly integrated AI stops the X-ray conveyor belt when a threat is detected.

Come chat with our experts and see a live demo.

We have over 10,000 of the XIS-6040 deployed worldwide and now more than 1,000 of the new XIS-6040SE deployed for a reason.

What are the company’s plans to grow over the next 12 months?

We are synonymous with X-ray technology and continues to grow with that mission and mindset.

Technology breakthroughs are done in combination with hardware and software.

We push the limits of the hardware, we harness increased processing power, but the future of the industry is in software solutions.

We work very closely with our customers on the application of our products, whether at our Astrophysics Research Center (ARC) in California or on-site with customers.

We are continuously testing new threats and contraband to adapt our AI, to customize and cater our software to varied security challenges and scenarios.

The benefit of having the best imaging in the industry is that the AI software works better on our systems.

Astrophysics continues to be second to none in imaging and detection.

This article was originally published in the August edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.