Transportation security applications

Two giant video surveillance companies have responded to a United States government ban on use of their products included in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Both Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company and Dahua Technology Company are mentioned by name in a section buried in the giant military reauthorization bill. A ban on use of their products will take effect “not later than one year after” the law is enacted. Response From The Manufacturers Hikvision’s statement expresses disappointment with the version of the 2019 NDAA passed by both chambers of the U.S. Congress Hikvision’s statement expresses disappointment with the version of the 2019 NDAA passed by both chambers of the U.S. Congress. “This legislation was quickly drafted without sufficient evidence, review, or investigation to warrant the video surveillance technology restrictions outlined in section 889,” says Hikvision. “The process resulted in an ambiguous provision with potentially far-reaching implications for American business and represents a rejection of the U.S. government’s commitment to use a standards-based approach when evaluating security risks in federal procurement.”  Dahua was less direct and did not specifically mention the ban in its statement. “Although local laws and regulations may present challenges, we never lose sight of our goals — to provide top-tier products and services for the North American market,” says the statement from Zhejiang Dahua Technology Ltd. The rest of the statement centers on Dahua’s ongoing commitment to the video surveillance market and addresses possible motivations for the ban (see below). Impact On Contractor Business Dahua’s statement expressed its ongoing commitment to the video surveillance market Hikvision also cited a recent article published in The Hill that quoted Chris Nickelson, a Missouri-based contractor, who argued that a ban on Hikvision products would actually harm small American businesses like his. According to the article, Nickelson said allegations against Hikvision have hurt his business, and he decried a lack of evidence supporting the allegations. “Somebody still needs to show me that there’s any real meat and potatoes behind any accusations that have been made towards Hikvision,” Nickelson is quoted in The Hill. The rest of Hikvision’s statement: “Hikvision is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations and has made efforts to ensure the security of its products go beyond what is mandated by the U.S. government, including certification under the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 and opening our Source Code Transparency Center (SCTC), which makes the company’s source code available for review by law enforcement authorities and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.”We understand that in today’s security industry, cybersecurity is the biggest challenge" Company Statement On The NDAA Here is more of Dahua’s statement on the National Defense Authorization Act: “Dahua Technology is a global leading IoT video surveillance solution provider operating in 37 countries and dedicated to bringing our customers innovative solutions. Dahua Technology has been publicly traded on Shenzhen stock exchange market since 2008 and is not a government-owned entity. We understand that in today’s security industry, cybersecurity is the biggest challenge. We have provided remedies to correct those issues with our customers. We take cybersecurity very seriously by implementing a seven-module cybersecurity baseline into our product design. Meanwhile, we continue to work with 3rd party partners like DBAPP Security and Synopsys Technology, to rigorously test our products to combat against current cybersecurity vulnerabilities."To personalize our interaction with customers at this event, Hikvision will not have a booth on the GSX show floor" Dahua’s statement continues: “With over 6,000 R&D Dahua professionals, we strive to provide secure products and solutions to our valued customers to secure what they care about. Although local laws and regulations may present challenges, we never lose sight of our goals — to provide top-tier products and services for the North American market. We will continue to invest in resources and employees to ensure our customers and partners retain the highest quality of services to support future growth in this market. "We will continue to invest in resources and employees to ensure our customers and partners retain the highest quality of services to support future growth in this market.” Hikvision Comments On GSX Presence Hikvision has also issued a statement about its downsized presence at the upcoming GSX trade show (formerly ASIS) in Las Vegas. A Hikvision spokesperson confirmed that the decision to abandon Hikvision’s large booth presence was made earlier this summer and was not a result of the ban. Here is Hikvision’s statement about GSX: “As in previous years, Hikvision will be well represented at the GSX show in September in Las Vegas. To personalize our interaction with customers at this event, Hikvision will not have a booth on the GSX show floor. Instead, a contingency of Hikvision professionals will attend the conference and host partner meetings and product demonstrations in meeting facilities throughout the trade show. "As a total solution provider, Hikvision looks forward to meeting with end users, A&E consultants, integrators and other partners to discuss how Hikvision's full suite of products can help address the challenges facing security directors and the broader C-Suite.”

Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) are a pillar of today's Smart City concept. ITS integrates video communications into traffic infrastructure to advance driver safety, reduce traffic congestion, and lower fuel consumption. As governments strive to achieve these goals with ITS, the high-speed point-to-point serial communication standard CoaXPress (CXP) is playing a vital role, especially in the migration of older analog systems to networked digital video platforms. CXP allows for the ‘repurposing’ of the coaxial cables already installed in the majority of ITS infrastructures, eliminating the cost of expensive new cabling such as twisted pair or fiber. Best of all, CoaXPress eases the migration from analog to digital video without any compromise in performance. CoaXPress enables ITS integrators to simply replace low-performing analog cameras with digital megapixel models for monitoring, controlling and managing traffic" Monitoring Traffic With Digital Cameras Donal Waide is Director of Sales for BitFlow, Inc., a manufacturer of frame grabbers and an early leader in CXP. According to Waide, the advantages of CXP make it ideal for ITS in both public and commercial enterprises: "CoaXPress enables ITS integrators to simply replace low-performing analog cameras with today's digital megapixel models for monitoring, controlling and managing traffic and enhancing security." Advantages Of CoaXPress CXP's bandwidth is 6.25 Gbps per channel with a maximum transmission speed of 25 Gbps. A re-developed CoaXPress 12 standard will be available later this year with double that data rate, achieving higher values than 10 GigE Vision. In ITS applications, the five to seven metres restriction of USB cables is insufficient to transmit camera data long distances, as are Ethernet cables. CXP-6 speed, currently the highest speed and best quality, allows up to 40 meters (131 feet) between the frame grabber as the host, and the camera as the end device, without any loss in quality. Even cable distances up to 100 meters (328 feet) are possible within levels CXP-1 to CXP-3. This is an ample distance to get from an overview camera at 10 meters up, or a red light camera at 30 meters from the junction box. Transmission adapters allow longer connections to be implemented at all speeds. Precise Camera Synchronization CoaXPress uses a single coaxial cable for power supply, controls end data transmission to ensure a simple connection with minimal cable clutter. CoaXPress provides precise camera synchronization and very low latencies. Synchronization is performed only via the frame grabber and does not require an additional trigger signal as with both USB3 and GigE. For example, if a car moving quickly through an intersection is to be captured and evaluated from several perspectives, the precise triggering of all cameras and the synchronization between the devices are crucial for high-quality analysis. It is here that CXP excels. While a higher resolution analog camera may offer a solution, an interface is needed to bring the data back to the processing center without latency Useful In License Plate Recognition To better appreciate these advantages let's look at license plate readers, an essential function of ITS. In Europe, license plates are large enough that they can be easily read: 18- to 20-inches long, 4-inches tall with large bold, unhindered fonts. In contrast, a U.S. license plate is only 12-inches x 6-inches. Apart from up to seven alphanumeric characters, there is also a state name, sticker and an image on the plate. This leads to a lot of confusion when using low resolution analog cameras; for example, deciphering whether the plate of a car that drove through a toll booth without paying was ABC123 or A8CIZ3. The processing center would have to verify the car make and interaction with the registry, which in turn dramatically reduces efficiency. If the resolution and data delivery were at high speed, however, ABC123 or A8CIZ3 would be a simple read. While a higher resolution analog camera may offer a solution, an interface is needed to bring the data back to the processing center without latency. This distance is typically much further than twisted pair cable can handle even with repeaters. CoaXPress combines the simplicity of standard coaxial cable with state-of-the-art high speed serial data technology Crystal Clear Images The CoaXPress interface is a major benefit in this instance. Legacy analog traffic cameras still make up the majority of cameras on U.S. highways. Analog images are transmitted back at a dismal 11Mb/S over coaxial cables to the processing center’s computers. Now consider that same volume of data coming back on a CXP link (650MB/S) at 6.25 Gbps. This would enable images to be crystal clear and also allow for better information dissemination about traffic backlogs, accidents or breakdowns. Images would even be clear enough to be seen on a smartphone app. And because CXP offers Power-over-Coax, there would be no need for additional cabling work. CoaXPress combines the simplicity of standard coaxial cable with state-of-the-art high speed serial data technology. The CoaXPress standard meets the requirements of ITS for extended cable length, high speed, and ease of use.

To provide a practical solution to the monitoring of transportation infrastructure, where maximum situational awareness is paramount, Bosch Building Technologies have combined the innovation behind their video security cameras with the video management expertise of Intelligent Security Systems (ISS). ISS is a developer of video management and video intelligence solutions. Their video management platform, SecurOS, focuses on securing large mission-critical applications such as industrial and manufacturing sites, transportation systems, banks, sports arenas, retail locations, and campuses & office complexes. Transportation security provides surveillance challenges in varying degrees of situation and scale, so effective license plate recognition is crucial SecurOS AUTO License Plate Recognition ISS differentiating video intelligence and image analytics solutions, whether it is Face Capture & Recognition (SecurOS FACE), License Plate Recognition (SecurOS AUTO License Plate Recognition), or Container Character Recognition (SecurOS CARGO) provide effective monitoring solutions to the transportation sector. Transportation security provides surveillance challenges in varying degrees of situation and scale, so effective license plate recognition is crucial. From tunnels and bridges where a situation can change in seconds, to regulating traffic flow into a city and capturing a profile of each vehicle, Bosch and ISS can provide answers to the questions that matter. Has a particular vehicle been permitted access to a specific area? Has that vehicle been stolen? What’s the insurance or toll subscription status? Has that vehicle been authorized to operate as a taxi? The capabilities even stretch to large-scale entry and exit points such as ports, borders and airport car parks. The ISS certified Bosch cameras responsible for capturing this data are incredibly robust and built to produce usable images 24/7 in the harshest conditions Cameras With Built-in LPR Mode Monitoring which vehiclesd are entering an area, and checking their legitimacy to be there, has never been more critical. Having the capability to capture license plates of every vehicle moving in the designated area give users complete awareness of traffic flows and usage patterns, allowing them to configure and manage their monitoring preferences efficiently and permit secure data exchanges with other operational management systems and services for efficient infrastructure alignment. If driving conditions were perfect all-year round, the job of an operations manager, for example, would be quite straightforward. But the reality is quite the opposite. That is why the ISS certified Bosch cameras responsible for capturing this data are incredibly robust and built to produce usable images 24/7 in the harshest conditions, including after dark by employing a supplementary infrared light. The selected cameras have a special License Plate Recognition (LPR) mode which is developed in collaboration with ISS to deliver accurate information even when faced with the challenges of glaring headlights and fast-moving vehicles. Utilizing advanced algorithms results in a level of accuracy that can distinguish letters from numbers which is a crucial advantage, particularly in emergency situations Accurate Information In All Weather Conditions High standards are applied to the quality of the images captured. By incorporating the SecurOS AUTO License Plate Recognition (LPR/ANPR) solution Bosch and ISS can provide several unique benefits for users, including the ability to accurately capture license plate information at 210 km/h (130 mph) in all kinds of weather conditions, including light fog, rain, and snow. Furthermore, utilising advanced algorithms results in a level of accuracy that can distinguish letters from numbers (so an “8” is not mistaken for a “B”, for example) which is a crucial advantage, particularly in emergency situations. The partnership with ISS supports Bosch’s belief that the logical next-step for security is to enable customers to repurpose the vast amounts of video data that they now can capture. Interpreting video data directly at source helps to improve levels of security substantially and can also offer clear business advantages. 

At ISC West 2018, visitors to the Genetec Inc. booth #26065 will be able to learn about the company’s new range of market-specific solutions specifically developed to address the needs of airports, cities, educational institutions, retailers, and transportation customers. “By leveraging the growing availability of valuable yet untapped sources of data, these portfolios create a host of new opportunities for organisations to find synergies between their security, operations, and business intelligence needs,” comments Jimmy Palatsoukas, Director of Product Marketing at Genetec. Genetec Citigraf is a decision support system ideally suited for law enforcement, emergency services, and public safety agencies Genetec Airport Sense At ISC West, airport customers will be particularly interested in looking at Genetec Airport Sense, an advanced operational analytics solution that correlates data provided by existing security sensors to produce actionable intelligence about passenger flow, airport security, and overall operations. Attendees will also be able to see how Genetec Security Center, a unified security platform, Genetec Clearance, a digital evidence management system, and Genetec Mission Control, a collaborative decision management system, are helping leading airports around the world heighten security, improve operations, and grow retail revenue. Genetec Citigraf Already installed in several cities around the world, Genetec Citigraf is a decision support system ideally suited for law enforcement, emergency services, and public safety agencies. Citigraf was first introduced in the city of Chicago, where it is helping to improve collaboration, shorten the first-response time of reported incidents, and significantly reduce crime. Featuring a powerful correlation and analytics engine, as well as a unified view of public safety operations, Citigraf instantly detects and displays relevant information from disparate systems for inter-agency collaboration. The proliferation of new surveillance systems, body-worn cameras, in-car video and mobile phones has created more ways to gather evidence, while exponentially increasing the quantity of data collected. A digital evidence management system, Genetec Clearance allows cities, police officers, investigators, and security managers to collect, manage, and share digital evidence from a variety of sources. To help solve challenges such as traffic congestion, roadway accidents, and parking scarcity, Genetec recently introduced Genetec Traffic Sense Genetec Traffic Sense The efficient flow of people, vehicles, and goods throughout cities and communities is a fundamental aspect of everyday life and business activities. To help solve challenges such as traffic congestion, roadway accidents, and parking scarcity, Genetec recently introduced Genetec Traffic Sense. This unified traffic operations platform brings together traditional traffic operations systems with security and incident response platforms and uses advanced analytics to detect road incidents and slowdowns, automates response, and provides operators with a consolidated view of events. Genetec Security Center And Mission Control Teaching, research, and learning happen best when faculty, staff, and students feel safe. With thousands of students and staff to protect, sprawling campuses, and emerging threats, campus security is often left feeling overwhelmed. Working together, Genetec Security Center and Mission Control increase situational intelligence and enable security personnel to prepare for, and effectively respond to, common occurrences and emergency situations. By unifying all aspects of campus security, such as access control, video, ALPR (Automated License Plate Recognition), communications, and intrusion, Security Center enhances the efficiency of campus police. Not only do they benefit from a global view of all their buildings and campuses, but they are better equipped to centrally act on threats at a moment’s notice. Genetec Retail Sense Genetec Retail Sense enables brick and mortar retailers to increase operational intelligence to enhance customer service Retailers today are behooved to gather and rely on the same insightful customer analytics that online merchants can harvest automatically. Security Center offers retailers enterprise-wide visibility of sales floors, point-of-sale (POS) and cash-handling areas, distribution centers, and parking facilities so that they can efficiently safeguard staff, patrons, buildings and equipment. When used with Security Center, Genetec Retail Sense enables brick and mortar retailers to increase operational intelligence to enhance customer service by transforming existing video surveillance content into powerful consumer insights. Genetec solutions are designed to help public transit agencies develop and maintain the most efficient operations and processes to provide passengers with positive experiences in a secure environment. When transit and security personnel manage operations from a single, unified platform, such as Security Center, they have easy access to all the data being collected by their physical security system. With this bird’s-eye-view of their environment, they can respond quickly and knowledgeably to any incidents as they arise.

The widespread adoption of vehicle to intersection technology – known as V2I – can help to solve a range of mobility issues in communities of all sizes, enabling cities to make the vital first moves towards delivering smarter transportation systems. That’s the message that Global Traffic Technologies (GTT) – the trusted market leader in priority control solutions – will be giving at a special session on Automated and Connected Vehicle Technologies during the American Public Transport Association TransITech conference in Jacksonville, Florida. During the session, Josh Lehman, GTT’s pre-sales engineer, will discuss the ways in which cities and communities can take advantage of connected technologies to make an immediate improvement in their public transit operations and on-time efficiency, leveraging connected devices, cloud-based computing and the potential to extract insightful analytics from the resulting data. GTT’s industry-leading Opticom™ Transit Signal Priority (TSP) solution allows transit vehicles to request a green light at intersections, dramatically reducing the potential for intersection crashes Improving Travel Times And Reliability “Transit agencies and their partners can use data and technology to make smarter decisions about routes, timing and service levels,” Lehman said. “These improvements provide a better experience for riders and more efficient operations for the agencies. GTT’s industry-leading Opticom™ Transit Signal Priority (TSP) solution allows transit vehicles to request a green light at intersections, dramatically reducing the potential for intersection crashes and improving travel times and reliability. These intelligent priority management systems allow users to oversee and control the movement of vehicles that operate on a city's streets. With 50 years of priority control expertise under its belt, GTT is now pioneering innovative new approaches to the introduction of smart mobility solutions. Connected Vehicle Technologies Lehman’s presentation, during the Automated and Connected Vehicle (AV/CV) Technologies session from 2.45-4pm on Monday April 9, will explore three communities that worked to solve mobility issues by using connected vehicle technologies: New York City: Following a successful TSP pilot project on SBS-M15, NYC MTA has started deploying TSP on nearly 6,000 buses citywide. New York is leveraging existing infrastructure to create a centralized TSP solution. TSP is provided by a software application instead of typical purpose-driven hardware on the buses and at the intersections. Laval, Quebec: Laval recently implemented a number of preferential bus measures that aim to increase ridership. Advanced TSP is used to do more than just give a green light to buses – TSP in Laval takes into account passenger loads and lateness to determine what level of priority each bus should receive at each intersection. Bay Area, Calif.: Agencies in the Bay Area use advanced TSP applications to help manage schedules and maintain bus headway. The conditional priority measures help to ensure buses arrive at stops at posted times and help to avoid bus bunching. Data generated by the TSP system are used in analytics tools that drive performance and operational improvements. The 2018 TransITech Conference is focused on managing innovation in the best interests of public transportation operations and safety. The event attracts a wide range of public transportation information technology professionals, chief information officers, operations managers and staff, and software developers for transit agencies. TransITech is co-located with APTA’s Fare Collection/Revenue Management conference, at the Hyatt Regency in Jacksonville, Florida, and takes place from April 9-11.

Suprema access control is now integrated with Arteco Video Event Management Software (VEMS). The integration between Suprema’s BioStar 1 and 2 and Arteco adds real-time access control events into Arteco. BioStar solutions can now be managed from within the Arteco VEMS interface, streamlining usability and boosting event management. Efficient Door Surveillance Through the Arteco mapping interface, operators can check door status and manage locks, demonstrating the benefits of managing multiple connectors through the Arteco UI. The integration opens doors to new opportunities with customers in the logistics, healthcare, critical infrastructure, transportation and retail markets because it allows users to focus on critical events rather than non-useful data. Suprema solutions are optimized to meet a wide variety of access control needs and are built to ensure strong access protocols in various market applications.

Critical Infrastructure In Transportation Transportation is a complex world.  City streets, bridges, highways, tunnels, seaports, airports, and rail systems all offer different challenges to the security professional seeking to protect people, cargo, commodities, and critical infrastructure.  Customers around the world rely on Arecont Vision as a key part of that protection. Arecont Vision Megapixel Camera Benefits Made in USA quality, advanced technology, and field upgradable features/capabilities Deter and detect threats and document activities Maintain situational awareness and security with fewer cameras Improve staff productivity Low profile/discreet surveillance or high visibility camera choices Resolve security/staff and customer disputes Protect staff, travelers, customers, equipment, and goods Increased detail equals better forensics and reduced time from police, 1st responders and security professionals in immediate response and for post-event investigations Monitor daily business and document activities and patterns Forensic documentation Provide enhanced security, situational awareness, life safety Prevent or disprove fraudulent claims Tight integration beyond ONVIF certification with hundreds of security vendor applications jointly tested via the Arecont Vision MegaLab™ Arecont Vision's megapixel cameras have been deployed at highways and cruise ship terminals Transportation Applications Remote surveillance Live monitoring and forensic viewing Monitoring of airports, ports and harbors, railway stations, roads and railways, bridges and tunnels, vehicles Passenger, luggage, freight, storage, and cargo areas Open spaces, indoors and out Parking lots/structures/rail yards/runways Concourses and corridors People/vehicle counting/monitoring License plate/facial recognition What Arecont Vision’s Customers Say “We selected Arecont Vision cameras because of their proven performance for the last year and a half on another Malaysian highway application,” comments Norisham Abdul Majid, CQR Digital Solutions, integrator for the Malaysian Highway Tollgate System.  “Arecont Vision’s megapixel cameras fit perfectly into our technology-centric approach to the market, as demonstrated by their performance in our installation at the cruise ship terminal in Valletta,” adds Karim Cassar, Alberta Group, Malta. “Ease of installation, compatibility with our current VMS, and the new features [including] Wide Dynamic Range. Our experience has been great," states Safraz Samad, TPA Operations – Security Administration, Tampa International Airport. "Our organization requires high levels of security and with Arecont Vision’s updates to firmware we can maintain our internal network security policies.” Save Save Save Save

Customer Jebel Ali Port is the flagship port of DP World, a leader in international marine terminal operations and development, logistics and related services. The port is the world's largest man-made harbor and the largest container port between Rotterdam and Singapore. Located 35 kilometers to the southwest of Dubai on the United Arab Emirates Arabian Gulf coast, the port’s strategic geographic location has enabled it to act as a maritime link between the Middle East and the western hemisphere. It is a technologically advanced facility, employing state-of-the-art equipment and is a model for the industry and the region in everything from size to efficiency and security. Challenge The DP World marine control tower at Jebel Ali is an important facility for monitoring and controlling the movement of vessels in and out of the port. Physical security at the control tower was in need of upgrading and, in keeping with requirements mandated by Jebel Ali Port Security, DP World conducted a security risk assessment to determine how best to improve security at the site. Based on the assessment, DP World recommended an external video surveillance system. A basic design was developed that included 13 analog day/night box cameras and two outdoor pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras. Upon review, DP World concluded that the installation of this analog video surveillance system would also require the services of civil and electrical personnel for cabling and power needs. These additional services would add to the overall system costs as well as potentially increase the time frame for completion. DP World shelved the analog proposal and initiated a search for a more technically advanced video surveillance solution. They needed a camera system that would thoroughly cover the designated areas; require little or no external services or personnel for installation/maintenance; offer features and functionality that would enhance monitoring and operational control; be reasonably priced and ultimately provide greater detail and picture quality than would a typical analog system. Megapixel Solution DP World moved forward on the project with a new solution featuring megapixel cameras from Arecont Vision. When comparing the Arecont Vision megapixel system to the original analog system, it was evident that while the analog cameras were priced less than megapixel cameras on a per camera basis, they deliver less value when a total system cost was evaluated. The new design included two AV8185DN 180° day/night panoramic 8-megapixel dome cameras, two AV10005DN day/night 10-megapixel MegaVideo® Compact box cameras and four AV2105DN day/night 2- megapixel MegaVideo® Compact box cameras. Compared to the original design that included 13 analog cameras, the six-camera Arecont Vision megapixel system provided greater coverage with fewer cameras and significantly higher resolution images. The ability to digitally zoom into live scenes and recorded video while maintaining high resolution and wide area coverage also eliminated the need for PTZ cameras. And with Moonlight™ mode, the cameras automatically shift from color to black and white as ambient light diminishes. Megapixel Benefits Because the megapixel network cameras are PoE (Power over Ethernet) capable, the need for separate electrical cables to provide power was eliminated. Power and data is conveyed over a single network cable per camera. Using fewer cameras to effectively cover the same area also translated into infrastructure cost savings in containment works, cables and installations, which actually brought down the original cost of the system by nearly 20%, easily reflecting an improved return on investment (ROI). In addition to these advantages, the megapixel solution also contributed towards a greener environment because of fewer cables and less hardware that was needed. The Arecont Vision megapixel camera system provides superior performance and imaging capabilities than the analog system and most importantly, proved to deliver the most cost-effective video surveillance solution with tangible benefits and ROI.

"It is important that our security system fulfills our customers' extremely high safety requirements." - Jens C. Andersen, IT Manager, DAN'X DAN'X (Day And Night eXpress distribution) is a private transport and logistics company that specializes in night distribution of reserve parts for the IT industry. DAN'X provides 24-hour express delivery of components and accessories for a wide variety of businesses within the IT sector. With three large locations in Denmark, they can ensure that their customers get fast and professional service. The Challenge At DAN'X the customer is the central focus, and no two customers are alike. This presents tough demands for DAN'X on all fronts – also pertaining to security. The customers have strict security requirements to be fulfilled, and with the three widespread locations, DAN'X has more complex security issues to resolve. The Solution AC Sikring A/S has put together a solution that is totally network based, which provides DAN'X central management and coordination along with the option for eventual integration with other security devices and systems. For the solution, they chose the newest Milestone XProtect® Enterprise software, which is based on an open platform. The camera choices are a mix of different models relevant for where and what each individual camera has to monitor. The Advantages DAN'X has chosen a security solution that is future-safe and very flexible. The system has many development options, which make it possible to add new cameras anytime – quickly and easily. At the same time, the solution allows users to find evidence of any incidents through searching the images by date and time. The DAN'X customers themselves check that their high security demands are being upheld by regularly visiting the company locations. This naturally makes security a success criterion at DAN'X that has the highest priority. It is also the reason that DAN'X has chosen to build up their existing security system with a thorough upgrading to the newest technology and equipment. This dedication also shines through in the DAN'X choice of an IP video surveillance system for their security monitoring, designed to work now and in the future – only the best is good enough. The Partner Of Choice When it was decided at DAN'X to upgrade the old security system, there was no doubt for them that AC Sikring A/S would be their trusted supplier. They gathered offers from other installers, and received many good suggestions, but AC Sikring was chosen for the great flexibility and future-safe technology of their solution. "We were allowed to choose our own server, and this was one of the determining factors that settled our decision to use AC Sikring" says Jens C. Andersen, IT Manager at DAN'X. "AC Sikring uses solutions that are user friendly, which is a big plus for me, and they gave me the ability to put together the elements and take part in the installation and setup itself. I also knew AC Sikring well, as they were our previous security installer!" The New Solution "I knew about Milestone already, and was well aware that the software provides great flexibility, which means that we get things exactly as we want them." explains Jens C. Andersen, IT Manager, DAN'X The very high security requirements from the customer side made it especially important to choose the right solution from the start. "There has been no compromise – we have chosen the best of the best," states Jens C. Andersen. Every location had to be secured individually with an eye to building the system for a centralized management approach. An important feature for all the locations was that there should be the ability to monitor specific areas depending on each situation. In general, DAN'X demanded that the system perform with more images – in color – and more options for setting up the system. Flexibility was a critical parameter, which is exactly why Milestone XProtect Enterprise software was chosen. "I knew about Milestone already, and was well aware that the software provides great flexibility, which means that we get things exactly as we want them." explains Jens C. Andersen. "Furthermore, the system has many expansion possibilities that allow us to add new cameras whenever we want. It can also handle more than 1,000 images per second – fast and easy." Many Benefits The new software has given DAN'X the ability to work faster, more precisely and more effectively. They can find specific incidences by searching the archived image database by time and date. "This makes the daily work so much easier for me: I just search for a particular time or location, and can find the particular event quickly. With the help of megapixel cameras, I can now also see the smallest details, if necessary," adds Jens C. Andersen. "We had a really good dialog with AC Sikring, and they have been very flexible regarding all of our changes and customizations," reports Jens C. Andersen, who is looking forward to using the new security system as part of the company's daily procedures. Future Developments Since DAN'X is a company in constant growth, they already have plans for continual expansion of their surveillance system, including integration with their alarm system. In addition, there are plans in the near future to move the monitoring to a central video and guard service called Security Point from AC Sikring, in order to achieve an even higher level of security round the clock, 365 days a year, with visual verification. The result of their customers' high demands for security and their regular security checks at the locations is that DAN'X has put their security in the driver's seat, and established the best possible security system that can be found, installing a top professional surveillance system for today – and tomorrow!

Customer Malta's Grand Harbor into Valletta provides access to cruise ships. Passengers are greeted in this group of islands in the central Mediterranean with a view of ancient cream-colored buildings along twisting streets and hillsides, with limestone battlements, crenellated castles and ancient forts still guarding the harbor entrance, all reflecting 7,000 years of the islands' sometimes turbulent history. Today, the Valletta waterfront combines state-of-the-art sea passenger terminal facilities with shopping, dining and entertainment venues. It's a 24-hour destination that is consistently teeming with activity, and hundreds of thousands of cruise passengers from around the world visit every year. Challenge The complexity of the existing infrastructure, weather conditions and sheer scale of the overall installation were a significant challenge for securing the port and its surrounding areas. A facility big enough to accommodate large ocean liners obviously needs expansive video coverage, but the superior resolution provided by Arecont Vision cameras enables fewer cameras to cover very large areas. Surveillance operators at the cruise terminal can zoom in – live or even on archived video – and see the details of various areas in an image while still preserving the full image. Megapixel Solution A recent upgrade to the terminal's surveillance system included installation of 50 megapixel cameras from Arecont Vision, the first and largest installation of 5 Megapixel cameras in the Maltese Islands. The 3.0 megapixel cameras utilized in this installation send video along an information network providing greater resolution than images from conventional network cameras. In fact, the 3.0 megapixel cameras provide images with 10 times the resolution of standard VGA network cameras. Full-motion high-definition digital video combines superior image quality with manageable bandwidth and storage requirements. The system was installed by Alberta Group, Malta's leading provider of fire, safety and security systems. Alberta specializes in custom solutions to resolve their customers' specific problems and to decrease customers' exposure to risk. The Arecont Vision AV3100 provides image processing at billions of operations per second and can output multiple image formats to allow simultaneous viewing of the full resolution field of view and regions of interest Arecont Vision's MegaVideo technology enables coverage of large areas with extreme detail. The Arecont Vision AV3100 provides image processing at billions of operations per second and can output multiple image formats to allow simultaneous viewing of the full resolution field of view and regions of interest. The cameras provide four times the resolution of standard IP cameras with the ability to output full real-time frame rates. The 3 megapixel Arecont Vision AV3100 cameras used at the cruise ship terminal in Malta provide 2048x1536-pixel progressive scan images at 15 frames per second. "Alberta invests a great deal of money and resources into developing and evaluating the best technological advances to provide superior performance to our customers," said Karim Cassar, Alberta's Technical Research Executive. "Arecont Vision's megapixel cameras fit perfectly into our technology-centric approach to the market, as demonstrated by their performance in our installation at the cruise ship terminal in Valletta." Megapixel Benefits: The cruise ship at Valletta deployed the latest megapixel camera technology from Arecont Vision to secure its port and surrounding tourist areas. The system deployed delivers wide area video coverage with superior resolution and cost-efficiency. With the new system, surveillance operators can zoom in on live or recorded video to see detailed images of any scene."Arecont Vision cameras provide unparalleled image quality and resolution for applications world-wide, and their ability to boost image resolution without taxing bandwidth or storage resources is documented at the cruise terminal in Malta," said Steven Sarfati, Senior Vice President of International Sales at Arecont Vision. "As throngs of passengers travel through the terminal on their way to an historic experience in Malta, Arecont Vision cameras will be keeping a watchful eye with HD resolution."

With successful installations already in full operation on Shanghai Metro's Line 6 and Line 9, access control specialist TDSi, in partnership with its distribution partner in China, ZDX, has now begun work on the system installation for Line 7. Shanghai Metro is one of the newest and fastest growing rapid transit systems in the world, with 162 stations and over 225km of track running both above and underground. On average, well over two million passengers use the system everyday - with future expansion set to see that number increase to over three million.  The latest addition to the network, Line 7 is scheduled to be commissioned into service at the end of 2008, and will connect the Baoshan District with the city center and Pudong District. Significantly, it will also provide a vital link to the site of the World Expo, which is being hosted by Shanghai in 2010. Over the last three years, TDSi and ZDX have developed and supplied fully integrated access control solutions for Lines 6 and 9. Each Line is served by over 40 stations as well as its own Operational Control Centre (OCC), with around 2,000 doors secured and controlled by TDSi's systems on each line. Commenting on the programme, TDSi's Managing Director, John Davies, said: "The Shanghai Metro is a very significant and high profile infrastructure programme, representing one of the largest access control projects across the whole of China. With two lines having been in operation for over a year, we were delighted to be awarded the contract for Line 7 - a real demonstration of the performance and quality of our systems, in very demanding conditions." The access control solution for the project features TDSi's EXpert controllers, EXgarde Enterprise software platform and MIFARE® smart card readers. Specified for their proven performance in high capacity applications, EXpert delivers a fully featured and networkable system. Each controller has a capacity of up to 48,000 cards and provides fast and effective access control to projects such as the Shanghai Metro, which has consistently high volumes of users passing through multiple access points. The OCC and each station's controllers are programmed via EXgarde Enterprise, TDSi's latest advanced access management software application. Each station is capable of operating independently of the server in cases where communications are lost - a key requirement in the specification for this particular project. Featuring database replication for powerful disaster recovery capabilities and total peace of mind, EXgarde Enterprise allows all real-time events and system parameters to be stored both at the main server in the local OCC and at each individual station.  However should communications be lost between the center and any of the individual stations, changes and events are stored at the local stations until communications to the main server are re-established, at which point, the databases are re-synchronised. EXgarde Enterprise allows the system to be managed centrally, even where the Wide Area Network (WAN) may be of variable quality, effectively removing the risk of single point failure. TDSi MIFARE®smart card readers are employed throughout each Line. Providing true contactless technology, the readers provide an extremely cost efficient, highly reliable solution that also allows for straightforward expansion in the future - for example, allowing the same access control card to be used for cashless vending and car park management, offering users a true, one-card solution. Finally, the system provides both security and facilities managers with complete control and reporting capability for each line - both centrally and locally.

Metro São Paulo, consisting of five different lines, 55 stations and extending to over 60 kilometers of rail networks, was looking for a sophisticated electronic monitoring solution to increase the security of its passengers -in a city where violence rates are very high. In order to assure higher security levels, Metro SP decided to increase the number of cameras installed in a widely spread network of locations.In addition the customer wanted to introduce digital video recording technology which they had not been using before. In locations were human security is critical, Bosch solutions are the first choice for customers. Bosch monitoring solutions set new standards in performance, quality and state-of-the-art technology. Metro São Paulo’s new monitoring system is equipped with a Bosch CCTV system including 138 cameras, whereof 121 are fixed and 17 are dome cameras. The solution provides high levels of technology and system integration, offering an excellent monitoring solution for Metro São Paulo. They are managed by ten DiBOS Digital Video Recorders and a BIS Video Engine. Built-in scripting and application programmer's interface (APIs) allow easy enhancement with the existing monitoring system. The highly efficient video management system is monitored via the Security Control Center of the subway, which now serves as a model for transport monitoring in the region. The Control Center monitors almost 200 cameras, using a ring gigabyte network. Two control posts are constantly monitoring the five metro lines via six monitors and two plasma screens. Using state of the art digital recording and communication technology, Metro staff can now retrieve vital images and share information faster than ever before! They can better access critical situations and take appropriate actions immediately. The solution provides high levels of technology and system integration, offering an excellent monitoring solution for Metro São Paulo. The principal customer need - to increase the security of its passengers - has been fully met. The Metro Security Control Center now serves as a model for state-of-the-art transport monitoring solutions in Brazil.