Axis Communications Intruder Alarm Warning Devices

The safeguarding of premises through the monitoring of entrance and exit points has traditionally been a very manual aspect of security. Human operators have been relied on to make decisions about who to admit and deny based on levels of authorization and the appropriate credentials. The access control business, like many industries before it, is undergoing its own digital transformation But the access control business, like many industries before it, is undergoing its own digital transformation; one where the protection of premises, assets and people is increasingly delivered by interconnected systems utilising IoT devices and cloud infrastructure to offer greater levels of security and protection. Modern access control solutions range from simple card readers to two factor authentication systems using video surveillance as a secondary means of identification, right through to complex networks of thermal cameras, audio speakers and sensors. These systems, connected through the cloud, can be customized and scaled to meet the precise requirements of today’s customer. And it’s the ease of cloud integration, combined with open technologies and platforms that is encouraging increasing collaboration and exciting developments while rendering legacy systems largely unfit for purpose. Remote management and advanced diagnostics Cloud technology and IoT connectivity means remote management and advanced diagnostics form an integral part of every security solution.Cloud technology and IoT connectivity means remote management and advanced diagnostics form an integral part of every security solution. For example, as the world faces an unprecedented challenge and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause disruption, the ability to monitor and manage access to sites remotely is a welcome advantage for security teams who might otherwise have to check premises in person and risk breaking social distancing regulations. The benefits of not physically having to be on site extend to the locations within which these technologies can be utilised. As an example, within a critical infrastructure energy project, access can be granted remotely for maintenance on hard to reach locations. Advanced diagnostics can also play a part in such a scenario. When access control is integrated with video surveillance and IP audio, real-time monitoring of access points can identify possible trespassers with automated audio messages used to deter illegal access and making any dangers clear. And with video surveillance in the mix, high quality footage can be provided to authorities with real-time evidence of a crime in progress. Comprehensive protection in retail The use of connected technologies for advanced protection extends to many forward-looking applications. Within the retail industry, autonomous, cashier-less stores are already growing in popularity. Customers are able to use mobile technology to self-scan their chosen products and make payments, all from using a dedicated app. From an access control and security perspective, connected doors can be controlled to protect staff and monitor shopper movement. Remote management includes tasks such as rolling out firmware updates or restarting door controllers, with push notifications sent immediately to security personnel in the event of a breach or a door left open. Remote monitoring access control in storage In the storage facility space, this too can now be entirely run through the cloud with remote monitoring of access control and surveillance providing a secure and streamlined service. There is much to gain from automating the customer journey, where storage lockers are selected online and, following payment, customers are granted access. Through an app the customer can share their access with others, check event logs, and activate notifications. With traditional padlocks the sharing of access is not as practical, and it’s not easy for managers to keep a record of storage locker access. Online doors and locks enable monitoring capabilities and heightened security for both operators and customers. The elimination of manual tasks, in both scenarios, represents cost savings. When doors are connected to the cloud, their geographical location is rendered largely irrelevant. Online doors and locks enable monitoring capabilities and heightened security for both operators and customers They become IoT devices which are fully integrated and remotely programmable from anywhere, at any time. This creates a powerful advantage for the managers of these environments, making it possible to report on the status of a whole chain of stores, or to monitor access to numerous storage facilities, using the intelligence that the technology provides from the data it collects. Open platforms powers continuous innovation All of these examples rely on open technology to make it possible, allowing developers and technology providers to avoid the pitfalls that come with the use of proprietary systems. The limitations of such systems have meant that the ideas, designs and concepts of the few have stifled the creativity and potential of the many, holding back innovation and letting the solutions become tired and their application predictable. Proprietary systems have meant that solution providers have been unable to meet their customers’ requirements until the latest upgrade becomes available or a new solution is rolled out. This use of open technology enables a system that allows for collaboration, the sharing of ideas and for the creation of partnerships to produce ground-breaking new applications of technology. Open systems demonstrate a confidence in a vendor’s own solutions and a willingness to share and encourage others to innovate and to facilitate joint learning. An example of the dynamic use of open technology is Axis’ physical access control hardware, which enables partners to develop their own cloud-based software for control and analysis of access points, all the while building and expanding on Axis’ technology platform. Modern access control solutions range from simple card readers to two factor authentication systems using video surveillance as a secondary means of identification Opportunities for growth Open hardware, systems and platforms create opportunities for smaller and younger companies to participate and compete, giving them a good starting point, and some leverage within the industry when building and improving upon existing, proven technologies. This is important for the evolution and continual relevance of the physical security industry in a digitally enabled world. Through increased collaboration across technology platforms, and utilising the full range of possibilities afforded by the cloud environment, the manufacturers, vendors and installers of today’s IP enabled access control systems can continue to create smart solutions to meet the ever-changing demands and requirements of their customers across industry.

Johnson Controls recently unveiled the findings of its 2018 Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey that examined the current and planned investments and key drivers to improve energy efficiency and building systems integration in facilities. Systems integration was identified as one of the top technologies expected to have the biggest impact on the implementation in smart buildings over the next five years, with respondents planning to invest in security, fire and life-safety integrations more so than any other systems integration in the next year. As advanced, connected technologies drive the evolution of smart buildings, security and safety technologies are at the center of more intelligent strategies as they attribute to overall building operations and efficiencies. SecurityInformed.com spoke with Johnson Controls, Building Solutions, North America, VP of Marketing, Hank Monaco, and Senior National Director of Municipal Infrastructure and Smart Cities, Lisa Brown, about the results of the study, smart technology investments and the benefits of a holistic building strategy that integrates security and fire and life-safety systems with core building systems. Q: What is the most striking result from the survey, and what does it mean in the context of a building’s safety and security systems? The results show an increased understanding about the value of integrating safety and security systems with other building systems Hank Monaco: Investment in building system integration increased 23 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, the largest increase of any measure in the survey. When respondents were asked more specifically what systems they we planning to invest in over the next year, fire and life safety integration (61%) and security system integration (58%) were the top two priorities for organizations. The results show an increased understanding about the value of integrating safety and security systems with other building systems to improve overall operations and bolster capabilities beyond the intended function of an individual system. Q: The survey covers integration of fire, life safety and security systems as part of "smart building" systems. How do smarter buildings increase the effectiveness of security and life safety systems? Hank Monaco: A true “smart building” integrates all building systems – security, fire and life-safety, HVAC, lighting etc. – to create a connected, digital infrastructure that enables individual technologies to be more intelligent and perform more advanced functions beyond what they can do on their own. For example, when sensors and video surveillance are integrated with lighting systems, if abnormal activity is detected on the building premise, key stakeholders can be automatically alerted to increase emergency response time. With integrated video surveillance, they also gain the ability to access surveillance footage remotely to assess the situation. When sensors and video surveillance are integrated with lighting systems abnormal activity on the premise can automatically be detected Q: How can integrated security and life safety systems contribute to greater energy efficiency in a smart building environment? Hank Monaco: Security, fire and life-safety systems can help to inform other building systems about how a facility is used, high-trafficked areas and the flow of occupants within a building. Integrated building solutions produce a myriad of data that can be leveraged to increase operational efficiencies. From an energy efficiency standpoint, actionable insights are particularly useful for areas that are not frequently occupied or off-peak hours as you wouldn’t want to heat or cool an entire building for just one person coming in on the weekend. When video surveillance is integrated with HVAC and lighting systems, it can monitor occupancy in a room or hallway. The video analytics can then control the dimming of lights and the temperature depending on occupant levels in a specific vicinity. Similarly, when access control systems are integrated with these same systems, once a card is presented to the reader, it can signal the lights or HVAC system to turn on. In this example, systems integration can ultimately help enable energy savings in the long run. Security and life safety systems contribute to help enable greater energy efficiency and energy savings in the long run Q: What other benefits of integration are there (beyond the core security and life safety functions)? Hank Monaco: Beyond increased security, fire and life-safety functions, the benefits of systems integration include: Increased data and analytics to garner a holistic, streamlined understanding of how systems function and how to improve productivity Ability to track usage to increase efficiency and reduce operational costs Enhanced occupant experience and comfort Increased productivity and workflow to support business objectives Smart-ready, connected environment that can support future technology advancements Q: What lesson or action point should a building owner/operator take from the survey? How can the owner of an existing building leverage the benefits of the smart building environment incrementally and absent a complete overhaul? Lisa Brown: Johnson Controls Energy Efficiency Indicator found that 77% of organizations plan to make investments in energy efficiency and smarter building technology this year. This percentage demonstrates an increased understanding of the benefits of smart buildings and highlights the proactive efforts building owners are taking to adopt advanced technologies. There is an increased understanding that buildings operate more effectively when different building systems are connected As smart buildings continue to evolve, more facilities are beginning to explore opportunities to advance their own spaces. A complete overhaul of legacy systems is not necessary as small investments today can help position a facility to more easily adopt technologies at scale in the future. As a first step, it’s important for building owners to conduct an assessment and establish a strategy that defines a comprehensive set of requirements and prioritizes use-cases and implementations. From there, incremental investments and updates can be made over a realistic timeline. Q: What is the ROI of smart buildings? Lisa Brown: As demonstrated by our survey, there is an increased understanding that buildings operate more effectively when different building systems are connected. The advanced analytics and more streamlined data that is gathered through systems integration can provide the building-performance metrics to help better understand the return on investment (ROI) of the building systems. This data is used to better understand the environment and make assessments and improvements overtime to increase efficiencies. Moreover, analytics and data provide valuable insights into where action is needed and what type of return can be expected from key investments.

According to the reports of not-for-profit organization Gun Violence Archive, the year 2018 has seen 323 mass shooting incidents as of November 28 in the United States. This number is 346 for the year 2017 and 382 for 2016 (more statistics are available here), with “mass shooting” defined as cases where four or more people are shot or killed in the same time period and location. While definitions of mass shooting vary with organizations in the US, the count of over 300 incidents per year, or about once per day on average, is simply alarming. It raises public safety concerns, ignites debates and protests, which in turn lead to public unrest and potentially more violence, and increases costs for governments from the regional to federal level. Most importantly, the loss of lives demands not only improvement in post-incident handling and investigation, but also new prevention technologies. Gunshot Detection Solutions AI weapon detection offers a more efficient alternative to prevent active shooting There are several gunshot detection solutions in the security market, commonly used by law enforcement agencies to detect and locate gun fires. These systems function based on acoustic recordings and analyses and often in combination with signals detected by sensors of the optical flash and shockwave when a gun is fired. However, gunshot detection by nature dictates that the law enforcement can only react to a shooting incident that has occurred. With fast action, law enforcement can prevent the incident from escalating, but lives that are lost cannot be recovered. With the development of artificial intelligence in object recognition, AI weapon detection offers a more efficient alternative to prevent active shooting: AI can visually detect guns based on their shapes before they are fired. The AI is trained to recognize firearms in different shapes, sizes, colors, and at different angles in videos, so that the AI weapon detector can be deployed with existing cameras systems, analyze the video feeds, and instantly notify security staff when a gun is spotted. Comparison of the advantages for law enforcement and public security agencies Legacy gunshot detection using sensors AI weapon detection Reactive measure: detect after guns have been fired Proactive measure: detect before guns are fired Time to action: within 1 second Time to action: within 1 second Unable to provide visual data about shooter(s) Can provide data about shooter(s) based on the camera recording: clothing, luggage (backpack, handbag, etc.), facial features, vehicle Unable to track the location of the shooter(s) before and after shooting because of the lack of sound Can track the shooter(s) using AI Person & Vehicle Tracking, AI Face Recognition, and AI License Plate Recognition False detection caused by similar sound such as fireworks and cars backfiring Minimal to no false detection, as AI can distinguish different types of handguns and rifles from normal objects (umbrella, cellphone, etc.) Require physical deployment of gunshot detection sensors Can be used with existing camera systems, do not require special hardware Complicated to deploy, require highly trained professional Easy to deploy as an add-on to existing video surveillance system - Can integrate with gun-shot detection to create a “double knock” audio and video active shooter alert system Gun-Shot Detection Advantages In addition to advantages for law enforcement and public security agencies, this type of visual-based pre-incident detector has three-fold advantages for the public: Save lives by spotting the shooter before the shooting event. Minimize the chaos entailing an incident: panic and chaos caused by a shooting incident often adds to injury, as people run, fall, trample on others… With an AI weapon detector, when a gun is spotted, the system sends an alert to security staff, who can quickly control the situation in an organized manner and apprehend the intending shooter. Can be added as a SaaS (Security as a Service) component to small business and home surveillance systems, e.g., intrusion detection alerts (home invasion incidents with firearms number over 2500 per year nationwide). For a complete active shooter detection system, video-based AI detector can operate in conjunction with gunshot detectors for enhanced security. Traditional X-ray based weapon detection or metal detection entrance systems are complicated and expensive; with AI video technology, active shooter detection system can be cost-effective, and after all, what price tag can one put on a life? Written by Paul Sun and Mai Truong, IronYun

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has selected 12 recipients for the inaugural SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship – a program developed by the SIA Women in Security Forum designed to further educational opportunities and promote advancement for a diverse security workforce. Through this new scholarship – open to SIA members and student members – each awardee will receive $6,650 to use toward continuing education and professional development courses, conferences or webinars, SIA program offerings, repayment of student loan debt and/or other academic or education programs. “The SIA Women in Security Forum continues to break new ground, inspire me and many others and provide unique opportunities for the widest spectrum of people possible to thrive in this field through initiatives like this new scholarship offering,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “We congratulate this talented and historic first class of SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship winners and look forward to celebrating their many accomplishments to come.” 2020 Scholarship winners The winners for the 2020 SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship are: Ryane Burke, Partner Marketing and Events Manager, Identiv Margurie Evans, SIA student member; Event Security Lead, Phoenix Suns Antoinette King, Key Account Manager – end-user, Axis Communications Kavya Madhusudhan, Senior Project Engineer, Allegion Erin Mann, Customer Experience and Strategy Marketing Manager, Multifamily, Allegion Canada Inc. Daphne Navarro, SIA student member Sheethal Rao, Mechanical Engineer, Allegion Jenna Rolfe, SIA student member; Junior Readiness and Security Policy Officer, Global Affairs Canada Joneka Russell, Security Offer, Allied Universal Holly Sanson, Marketing Manager, ADT Commercial Kerri Sutherland, Human Resources Business Partner, Axis Communications Rachel Wyatt-Swanson, Director of Business Development, Cherokee Nation Security & Defense These honorees were selected with the help of SIA’s Scholarship Selection Committee – a group comprised of volunteers from the SIA Women in Security Forum and SIA’s Human Resources Committee. SIA thanks the scholarship committee and its chairs for their work in evaluating the 2020 scholarship applications. The leadership of women SIA’s Women in Security Forum works to engage all security professionals to promote the leadership of women SIA’s Women in Security Forum works to engage all security professionals to promote, recruit and cultivate the leadership of women for a more inclusive and diversified industry. The forum’s key efforts and activities – in addition to the scholarship – include the SIA Progress Award, which celebrates individuals who advance opportunities and pave the way to success for women in the security industry. Activities also include a quarterly virtual education series; collaborative projects with other organizations that seek to empower women in the security and technology fields; sponsorship of the Women in Biometrics Awards. Biometric identity and security industry The initiative recognizes distinguished females in the biometric identity and security industry; thought leadership opportunities; and engaging networking and professional growth events. The SIA Women in Security Forum is open to all employees of SIA member companies. The 2020 SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship is generously supported by Diamond Level donor Axis Communications; Emerald Level donors Alarm.com, Allegion, Altronix and BCD International; Ruby Level donors Integrated Security Technologies, Brivo and Securitas. Donors Also, Sapphire Level donors Maureen Carlo, director of strategic alliances at BCD International, Ted Curtin, president of Repworks, Martha Entwistle, Women in Security Forum member, SIA CEO Don Erickson, John Gallagher, vice president of marketing at Viakoo, John Nemerofsky, chief operating officer at SAGE Integration, GSA Schedules Inc. Additionally, also supported by SAGE Integration, Security Specifiers, SoundSecure and Imperial Capital; and scholarship program affiliates SDM, SecurityInfoWatch, Security Matters, Security Sales & Integration and Security Systems News.

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has announced the 2020 winners of the SIA New Product Showcase Awards, the flagship awards program in partnership with ISC West recognizing innovative security products, services and solutions. Top among the winners – who were recognized July 9 during a virtual awards show – was Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, receiving the 2020 Best New Product Award. Since its inception in 1979, the SIA New Product Showcase has been the security industry’s premier product awards program. New products are reviewed by a panel of judges with extensive industry experience, and in 2020, following significant deliberations, the 30 judges presented awards for technologies covering 23 product and service categories. Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, received the Best New Product honor for its 3D Surveillance with Leica BLK247, submitted in the Emerging Technologies category. Building security The 3D Surveillance with Leica BLK247 is “a first-of-its-kind reality capture sensor for building security and operations,” said Leica Geosystems. “It is the latest product in the company’s BLK product line, a collection of reality capture, scanning and photogrammetry hardware and software. The BLK247 offers continuous, 24/7 LiDAR-based 3D monitoring and change detection within spaces. It does this using LiDAR, 3D digital fencing and continuous scanning to monitor buildings and spaces 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” The prestigious Judges’ Choice Award was presented to Suprema Inc. for the Airfob Patch product, submitted in the Access Control Devices & Peripherals Hardware – Wireless category. “Airfob Patch is the world’s first mobile-to-RF-card signal translator, enabling mobile phones to communicate with the existing RF card readers,” said Suprema Inc. “Wire, batteries nor construction is required for installation. Airfob Patch charges itself by using the existing RF field signals transmitted from the RF reader. It transforms the RF fields into its own power source.” New Product Showcase Merit Award SIA is proud to present John Spooner with the 2020 SIA New Product Showcase Merit Award" Additionally, John Spooner – executive vice president at Alarm Detection Systems and an active volunteer judge in the SIA New Product Showcase program. Spooner received the New Product Showcase Merit Award, which recognizes an individual or company who, through their support of the New Product Showcase, demonstrates a commitment to the vision and mission of the program, contributes to its success and promotes the advancement of SIA and the security industry overall. “SIA is proud to present John Spooner with the 2020 SIA New Product Showcase Merit Award; John has not missed a single SIA New Product Showcase event since he began as an active volunteer judge in the program 17 years ago,” said Chris Grniet, chair of the SIA New Product Showcase Committee. “He has always been a fair and honest participant and has never hesitated to jump in and help whenever we need him. He has been exemplary in his commitment, participation and ability to help the group reach consensus.” Services and contributions “Following hours of panel-driven judging and technology demonstrations, SIA is thrilled to recognize the 2020 winners of the SIA New Product Showcase Awards for their innovative products, services and contributions representing the best new offerings in the market,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “SIA applauds all the honourees who received awards in 2020 and particularly Leica Geosystems and Suprema Inc. for standing out in this highly competitive field of entrants to earn the Best New Product and Judges’ Choice distinctions. Additionally, we congratulate John Spooner on receiving the 2020 New Product Showcase Merit Award in recognition of his many valuable contributions to this premier program.” Award winners The 2020 SIA New Product Showcase winners are: Best New Product Award Winner – Leica Geosystems, Part of Hexagon: 3D Surveillance with Leica BLK247 Judges’ Choice Award Winner – Suprema Inc.: Airfob Patch New Product Showcase Merit Award Winner – John Spooner, executive vice president, Alarm Detection Systems Category Awards Access Control Devices & Peripherals Hardware – Wireless Winner – dormakaba: BEST Switch™ Tech Access Control Software, Hardware, Devices & Peripherals – Wired Winner – Swiftlane: Swiftlane Access Control Honorable Mention – Altronix Corporation: Tango Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection and Biometrics Winner – Gibraltar Perimeter Security: G-1441 Ultra-Shallow Bollard Winner – IDEMIA: VisionPass Commercial Monitoring Solutions Winner – IronYun Inc.: AI NVR Edge Analytics Communications and Networking Solutions Winner – Axis Communications, Inc.: AXIS C8210 Network Audio Amplifier Convergence and Integration Solutions Winner – Blue Light: Blue Fusion Design, Diagnostic and Installation Tools Winner – Alarm.com: On-Site Wrap Up Emergency Communication Systems Winner – Verint: NowForce Emerging Technologies Winner – BioConnect: BioConnect’s Unified Mobile Access Solution Winner – IPVideo Corporation: HALO IOT Smart Sensor 2.0 Fire/Life Safety Winner – Kidde: Kidde Optica Smoke Detectors Hosted Solutions/Managed Services Winner – SiteOwl: SiteOwl Intrusion Detection and Prevention Solutions (Physical) – Wireless Winner – Alula: Slimline Touchpad Honorable Mention – Cartell: CW-SYS Wireless Driveway System Lock and Key Solutions Winner –Medeco: All Weather Padlock Honorable Mention – Abloy Oy: ABLOY® BEAT Mobile Solutions (Connected) Winner – CloudScann: Visual Intelligence Control Center (VICC) With VisualC3 Mobile Honorable Mention: Rapid Response Monitoring: rapidSMS Smart Home Solutions Winner – Alarm.com/Building36: Smart Water Valve+Meter Threat/Risk Management Software Applications Winner – Splan Inc.: SIVI™ – Splan Intelligent Visitor Insights Video Surveillance Advanced Imaging Technologies Winner – Axis Communications, Inc.: AXIS Live Privacy Shield Video Surveillance Cameras (HD/Megapixel) Winner – Bosch Security and Safety Systems: MIC IP Ultra 7100i Honorable Mention – Hanwha Techwin: PNM-9085RQZ Video Surveillance Data Storage Winner – Dragonfruit AI: Dragonfruit LiveArchive Video Surveillance Hardware and Accessories Winner – EIZO Inc.: FDF2711W-IP Video Surveillance Management Systems Winner – Airship Industries, Inc.: Airship EMS v5.4.5 During the 2020 SIA New Product Showcase virtual awards ceremony, in addition to the presentation of the overall and category-specific awards, attendees enjoyed hearing insights from New Product Showcase judges into innovations driving product advancements in the security industry.

Systems consultants and end-users who want to use products from Axis Communications now have a choice of easy, off-the-shelf options, following a distribution agreement between Ingram Micro and Quanika. Quanika’s latest portfolio of software solutions, already being used in the NHS and at major distribution and manufacturing sites, is designed to make integration more straightforward. The company’s modular, ready-made approach means that it is now simple to deploy Axis Communications’ full range of network cameras, video management software, access control, and audio products into any system, of any size, from stand-alone sites to multi-location projects. Integration of third-party systems Quanika’s seamless technology range – which includes Quanika Compact, Quanika Enterprise, and Quanika VisitorPoint - also allows an extensive choice of third-party systems to be integrated. This can include everything from intruder alarms, fire, and building management systems to individual, operations-specific business management databases, systems, or devices. As well as providing new integration routes for security systems integrators, the distribution agreement with Quanika opens up extensive project options for Ingram Micro’s customer base of ICT systems integrators, allowing them to deliver modular, off-the-shelf security solutions using Axis Communications’ highly regarded security products for the first time. Security and safety management interface Welcoming the deal, Raj Pandya, Director Specialty Solutions, Ingram Micro, said that Quanika’s solutions would help customers with a wide range of applications, from small and medium scale projects up to enterprise-level, providing a single, intuitive, security and safety management interface. “This development is so important because it will unlock new opportunities for ICT integrators and consultants,” he said. “For the first time it allows Ingram Micro customers to bring together best-in-class video, access and security products from Axis Communications, as part of a complete integrated system, under the easy, off-the-shelf Quanika umbrella.” Operational efficiency This development is so important because it will unlock new opportunities for ICT integrators and consultants" Quanika Compact is a practical and affordable choice for small-to-medium applications in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, logistics and similar locations, giving users the ability to tie together and flexibly manage multiple sites. Quanika Enterprise is designed for larger-scale facilities and corporate enterprises, including multi-purpose buildings, hotels, transportation hubs, hospitals, and universities, giving organizations complete control and situational awareness across their entire estates globally. And the Quanika VisitorPoint visitor management solution streamlines and automates reception operations, and delivers significant operational efficiency by eliminating manual tasks. Integrated solutions “The ready availability of Quanika solutions from Ingram Micro will be welcome news for all those who want the choice to use Axis Communications’ highly regarded hardware as part of their integrated solutions,” says Quanika European sales director, Phil Campbell. “In short, this opens up exciting new options for systems consultants, integrators and their customers.”