Oncam News

Remarkable changes are happening in the video camera market for surveillance applications, including the emergence of lower-priced products that offer features that previously were only available at a much higher price point. Deflating prices of cameras are sometimes referred to as a “race to the bottom” – foreshadowing a market of low-cost cameras that all provide similar features. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable to comment on camera pricing trends and how c...

As the new school term begins, awareness of security at all levels of educational institutions is higher than ever. Technology plays an important role in protecting educational facilities and their students, faculty, staff and visitors. Specific security challenges drive which technologies and other measures are used, and those challenges are evolving, along with the dynamic institutions security is tasked with protecting. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security...

Oncam, a provider of 360-degree video capture and business intelligence technology, has announced the addition of John Haspel as the company's new Director of Technology Programs, bringing more than 30 years of industry experience to the Oncam team. Managing Oncam Technology Partner Program Haspel joins Oncam from Avigilon, where he oversaw the development of the company's global training initiatives. He will use that experience in his new role, which includes the development and execution of...

Oncam, a provider of 360-degree video capture and business intelligence technology, has announced that it has added two new functionalities to its website in an effort to enhance the user experience and drive interaction. The web-based 360-degree dewarping preview and the online visualization tool demonstrate Oncam's continued focus on innovation and individuality. Viewing Events In Real-Time The 360-degree dewarping capability is available through all browsers and enables visitors to use thei...

The obvious reason to buy security systems is to promote greater security. But in some cases, there are more specific and/or immediate motivators that lead to a security purchase. Everybody wants more security in the abstract, but how willing are we to pay for it? Security is sometimes seen as a “grudge purchase,” competing for tight corporate dollars with other investments that may seem more appealing or urgent. But other times an event occurs that moves security to the top of the l...

The world of politics, like the world of security, is an environment of constant change. But do changes in one have an impact on the other? Governments around the world are involved in buying a wide variety of physical security systems, so how those governments operate certainly affects how they spend money on security. But in a broader sense, governments (and the associated political forces at work) also impact how their citizens and those in the private sector view threats and, as a logical ex...

Big data is a buzzword, and data – presumably of all sizes – is a driving force in the physical security market. As systems become more sophisticated and expand their capabilities, the result is more data; in some cases, a lot more data. But a key question is: What do we do with the data? How do we use it to provide value? How do we interpret it, and transform it into useful information and/or intelligence? We presented the topic of data to our Expert Panel Roundtable and came away w...

March Networks, a global provider of intelligent IP video solutions, introduces the new mobile IP cameras to its complete transportation solution for bus, light rail, and passenger rail fleets. Designed to provide transit operators with improved and more comprehensive surveillance coverage, the megapixel cameras are purpose-built to withstand demanding mobile environments and capture consistently clear video in near darkness, bright daylight and the abrupt lighting transitions that occur when ve...

Hospitals and healthcare facilities are an important vertical sector in the physical security market. Protecting healthcare facilities is a rich opportunity to leverage the value of physical security systems that range from video to access control to newer location and asset protection systems. But understanding how technology can excel in the healthcare vertical requires that we first identify and understand what these institutions need. Therefore, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundt...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) describes standards as guidelines or characteristics for activities or for their results, aimed at achieving the optimum degree of order. They might include product standards, test methods, codes of practice, guideline standards, and management systems standards. In the security marketplace, there are many standards currently used, including those from organizations such as ONVIF, PSIA and ASIS International. Might the value of standardiza...

The newly formed Campus Security Coalition, a networking group focused on sharing ideas and spearheading discussion about security and safety at schools nationwide, today unveiled its 2017 School Security Grant Program. The initiative is designed to help schools better address threats, further strengthen security efforts and realize more proactive intelligence efforts. Faced with the growing threats of violence, vandalism and attacks, modern school systems are challenged with ensuring a safe, o...

As security industry buzzwords go, “convergence” is perhaps the best known and most pervasive. We have been hearing about convergence in our market for almost 20 years. We have heard it’s happening soon. We have heard it’s inevitable. And yet, for all the talk of convergence, it has sometimes seemed there has been more talk than action. We wanted to check in with our Expert Panel Roundtable and get their latest takes on this most enduring of industry buzzwords. We asked t...

The minutes are counting down to one of the biggest security industry trade shows of the 2017 calendar. Expectations are high going into ISC West 2017 in Las Vegas: Last year’s show was very well attended and highlighted lots of new technologies. Looking ahead to this year’s show, we wanted to get the Expert Panel Roundtable’s take on what news will dominate the show. So we asked our panel: What do you expect to be the big news at ISC West 2017?

Oncam recently added a number of industry professionals to address the growing demand for its video solutions Oncam, a provider of 360-degree video capture and business intelligence technology, has announced it continues to make strategic investments designed to further expand its market presence in the Americas. The company recently added a number of industry professionals to address the growing demand for Oncam's video solutions. Tom Sinciro, Jeff Oakie and John “...

March Networks®, a global provider of intelligent IP video solutions, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Oncam, a provider of 360-degree video capture and business intelligence technology, to add Evolution 12 and 05 Mini cameras to its comprehensive video portfolio. The 360-degree cameras provide exceptional surveillance coverage, clear high-definition video and are available in a wide range of models and mounts, making the devices an ideal complement to March Networks&rsqu...

Open systems are great at providing freedom for end user customers. But does the term “open system” mean the same thing throughout the industry? In the bad old days before the introduction and broad acceptance of open systems, security vendors produced proprietary systems that used only their own hardware and software. This locked in a customer to a specific vendor’s product line, and if another vendor offered a better product, the only way to get it was to switch to that vendo...

The coalition is made up of educational end users, administrators, consultants, architects and technology providers The Campus Security Coalition, a networking group focused on spearheading discussion about security and safety at educational facilities, has been launched to bring together school leaders and aligned stakeholders, and propel discussion about how to better address threats, further strengthen security efforts and achieve more proactive intelligence efforts. Prote...

Some Expert Panel Roundtable topics are more challenging than others. Occasionally a question will “stump” the panel – i.e., no one will choose to answer it. Other times, only one or two panelists will step forward to answer a question. One comment does not a “panel” make. Taken together, however, these varied comments offer their own range of insights into the evolving physical security market. Let’s look at some of these assorted Expert Panel comments over t...

SourceSecurity.com’s Expert Panel covered a lot of ground in 2016 about a variety of topics in our Roundtable discussions.   The very most-clicked-on Roundtable discussion in 2016 was about how to choose between a cloud-based system and a server-based system. Other hot topics that made the Top-10 list of Roundtable discussions included edge-based video storage, the challenges of commoditization, and mistakes customers make when buying and installing security systems. He...

Over the last year, we have continued to see the rise of manufacturers from China in the mid- to low-end market for video surveillance - a trend that currently shows no signs of tapering. Additionally, the shift from analog to IP systems has remained consistent, with end users increasingly looking to network-enabled devices to mitigate risk from both a physical and cyber perspective. Complex network attacks in 2016 demonstrated the need for increased network security for network-connected devic...

The end of the year is a great time to reflect on what the security industry has accomplished and to look ahead. We invited our Expert Panel Roundtable to weigh in on what they expect looking forward to the new year. Most industry-watchers are familiar with the major trends, but how will those trends play out in 2017? Specifically, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What will be the biggest headlines for the security marketplace in 2017?

In a fast-moving market like physical security, sharing information is an essential component of growth. However, there often seems to be more information available than an integrator or end user could ever digest and put to use. How does one go about finding the information he or she needs in an environment that can seem to be drowning in information (sometimes the wrong information). We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable to share their strategies and suggestions. Specifically, we...

A clear image is the desired end-result of video systems – or is it? In a growing number of applications, it’s not the image itself, but rather what information can be gained from the image, that is most important. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable to comment on some of the ways information from video is valuable to end users. Specifically, we asked: In what applications does information derived from video images provide more value than the images themselves?

Higher pixel count is better. It’s a basic tenet of the video surveillance market, or at least it is the implication as manufacturers continue to tout their latest products offering ever-higher pixel counts. But the reality is more nuanced, as our Expert Panel Roundtable panellists explain this week. Pixel count shouldn’t be seen as an end unto itself, but rather as a factor in determining what camera is applicable to which application. Pixel count is just one factor of several to co...

We in the physical security market tend to watch closely how the buying decision is made. If anything, the buying process has become more complex in recent years. We have seen the impact of security systems extending beyond the core security department, and with greater impact come more stakeholders. “Buying by committee” is more the rule than the exception, and the committee is getting rather large in some situations. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Who should be...

IP network dependability matters in physical security and safety applications, given that a company’s assets and people are at risk. There have been strides in the areas of network dependability, fault-tolerance, reliability, and survivability. However, networks (or affordable ones, at any rate) still cannot ensure near-100 percent uptime, which is why system designers acknowledge and plan for the possibility of a network outage. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can/...

OnCampus brings together educators, administrators, and thought leaders to address the state of security on campuses The upcoming OnCampus Educational Seminar in Chicago is pleased to announce that Jeff Bean, Senior Consultant at RETA Security and Founder of Act on Bullying, Inc., will be the event’s featured speaker, and will talk about how administrators can address today’s most complex school security challenges, mitigate risk and assess a school’s securit...

Sometimes you see it coming and want to scream out: “Don’t do that.” We all make mistakes, but it’s hard to sit and watch others as they go down the wrong path. It’s especially difficult when the errant party is a customer, and when their wrong move might somehow end up reflecting badly on you as a technology or security systems provider. Much better to anticipate the problem by expecting the possible mistake before it happens. We asked this week’s Expert Pane...

Software drives video solutions in the IP environment, but often that software is a pre-installed component of a purpose-built network video recorder (NVR). In other cases, software solutions are sold separately and then installed (usually by the integrator) on a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server. But how can an integrator or end user decide which approach is best for them? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a pre-configure...

The free webinar will discuss security threats faced by today’s educational institutions  Oncam, the provider of 360-degree video capture and business intelligence technology, is partnering with Pivot3, a developer of hyperconverged infrastructure solutions, to present a free webinar titled, “Video Surveillance Technology: The Building Blocks for Proactive Campus Safety,” at 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday, August 3, 2016. Agents Of Change Educational campuses...