Vidsys - Experts & Thought Leaders

Vidsys, a global developer of Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) and Converged Security and Information Management (CSIM) technology solutions, announces the release of the latest version of its security software platform – Vidsys Enterprise 2020 R1.0. Vidsys Enterprise 2020 R1.0 is the first release of the product’s 2020 iteration, which focuses on continuing to provide security and performance optimizations to better support the user’s experience. Mapping and visualization enhancements This release includes significant mapping and visualization enhancements, robust rules and streamlined RRP (Riskshield Rules) configuration, improved Arabic user interface for better support of users in the Middle Eastern market, and the introduction of automatic reporting in the Enterprise Business Intelligence (EBI) dashboard. Key new features include: Updated map viewing architecture including WMS overlay and Apple Maps support Camera map icon status overlays Camera viewer title bar custom buttons and design updates Situation policy updates for default severities and audio alerts Set maximum concurrent user sessions limit in non-SSO environments Automatically log off idle users Improved Action Plan automation and read-only fields Automatic reports email distribution and other new reports and enhancements

UBM EMEA is proud to announce yet another successful IFSEC International. 2018 marked the show’s inaugural year of change following an intensive customer-led insight project, which saw demands from the security industry steer the show towards a high level integrated security summit. As evidence of its success, IFSEC International 2018 welcomed 27,353 visitors and a 10% increase in visitor density. Gerry Dunphy, Brand Director of IFSEC International commented, “It’s a privilege to let to the global security industry guide the direction of the show. Ultimately, it’s created to provide solutions to the world’s most pressing problems – whether that solution is a new piece of technology, an expert answer to an anxiety about security or a tried and tested piece of physical equipment. IFSEC International held every answer under one roof.” The event attracted a higher quality of visitor and a far more exclusive array of experts than in previous years Thought-Provoking Panel Debates The show’s shift from advertiser to educator was palpable, with thought-provoking panel debates, training sessions and keynotes striking a new wave of interest from industry leaders. Attendance from some of the most senior security professionals was a testament to this, and overall, the event attracted a higher quality of visitor and a far more exclusive array of experts than in previous years. Jim Ludwig, Managing Director of Texecom echoed his views in 2017 by calling IFSEC International 2018 “3 days of adrenaline.” Jo Vause, Marcoms Manager UK & IRE, Honeywell Security Solutions explained, “We feel very positive about some of the leads we generated… We are looking at booking demonstrations with a couple of the visitors.” Series Of Masterclasses In today’s landscape, there is no conversation more critical than security. As a platform for this discussion, IFSEC International 2018 welcomed the brand new Keynote Arena, which hosted a catalog of world class speakers to drive and reflect on the most pressing questions today. Crowds watched Christian Horner, Team Principal of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, Frank Gardner, the only British journalist permanently assigned to cover the War on Terror, Michael Chertoff, the former U.S. Security of Homeland Security, Silvino Schlickmann, Director of Cyber Crime at INTERPOL and many more. Created in partnership with City Forum and London First, the Securing the Open Society of 2030 program also consisted of an unparalleled series of masterclasses and summits which set a new and critical standard for thought-leadership assemblies across the UK security industry. The show celebrated the newly exclusive partnership with Newbridge Events, who brought in biggest security buyers Personalized Schedule Of Meetings The show also celebrated the newly exclusive partnership with Newbridge Events, who brought in some of the biggest security buyers, with budgets of over £1 million to the show as part of the Hosted Buyers Program. David Woodbridge, Managing Director of Newbridge Events said “We are delighted to be working with IFSEC & FIREX International to deliver the VIP Hosted Buyer Program for IFSEC & FIREX." "This bespoke and high-level program offers carefully selected buyers a personalized schedule of meetings to allow them to maximize their time at the event and proactively enhances the process of meeting the right people. For exhibitors it brings highly relevant buyers onto their stands and delivers real lead generation where every meeting has a purpose.” Customer-Insight Project The Government Pavilion welcomed The Joint Security and Resilience Centre (JSaRC), Defense & Security Organization (DSO), the Department of International Trade (DiT) and The Department for Transport. Visitors had the exclusive chance to pose their burning questions to the governmental bodies orchestrating their legal guidelines. In turn, IFSEC successfully created a platform to achieve the answers keeping the security industry up at night. The continued presence of the Home Office added further gravitas to IFSEC’s criticality and credibility within the security industry. A vital part of the show’s change was the introduction of ‘Show Me How’ features across the show floor. The customer-insight project unanimously revealed that security professionals want to be shown how to make use of emerging technologies with the terms ‘Show me how to install the latest kit’, ‘Show me how my business can move into new areas’, ‘Show me the capabilities’ commonplace.  In addition to impartial Show Me How demonstrations on the show floor, IFSEC introduced Speakers Corner, which gave businesses the chance to pitch their products in 10 minute slots before Q&A sessions. Our teams are working closely with UBM to support their ambitions for growth and we are delighted that they had another successful event with us Jargon-Free Training Likewise, tailoring to the growing demands of installing security equipment, The Future of Security Training Theater, powered by Tavcom and sponsored by Panasonic UK, offered jargon-free training into cloud base platforms, cyber convergence, smart IoT enabled solutions and fully integrated building management systems. Also new to show’s educational program was The Converged Security Centre, brought to you Vidsys, whilst The Home Automation Theater sponsored by CEDIA and KNX returned for another successful year.  Jeremy Rees, Acting CEO, ExCeL London, commented “We were delighted to welcome IFSEC to ExCeL London. Our teams are working closely with UBM to support their ambitions for growth and we are delighted that they had another successful event with us. This event, together with the wider P&M series, is playing a vital role in maintaining and creating safe and secure environments, something that resonates strongly with us. We look forward to welcoming visitors and exhibitors again next year, when they will be able to travel to ExCeL more quickly than ever before via the Elizabeth line.” IFSEC 2019 takes place from 18 – 20 June 2019 at ExCeL London.

Siklu’s EH-600TX radios will be used to transmit video surveillance from the Super Bowl LIVE festivities Siklu Inc., a provider of millimeter-wave solutions, announced recently that it has been selected by the city of Houston to provide wireless connectivity for the video surveillance system to be used at Super Bowl LIVE, a 10-day outdoor event in Houston that is expected to draw more than one million visitors as part of the pre-game festivities. Video Surveillance At Super Bowl Siklu’s EH-600TX radios will be used to transmit video surveillance from the east side of downtown Houston, which will host the Super Bowl LIVE festivities from January 28 to February 5. The outdoor event will include entertainment, music and games and will be held over several city blocks near a 12-acre urban park. The high level of wireless activity that will take place is expected to create network congestion that Siklu’s radios will bypass by operating on the unoccupied, wide 60GHz spectrum, which is separate from traditional wireless consumer networks. Siklu’s millimeter wave radios use narrow beam technology, eliminating interference from outside networks. Interference-Free Video Surveillance Siklu's radios are part of a 36-megapixel camera deployment provided by Axis Communications, a PSIM system from VidSys, and a video management system from Genetec, all of which are being deployed by the Houston Police Department to monitor Super Bowl LIVE. Using a mix of fiber and millimeter wave wireless from Siklu, the city is taking a hybrid approach to its network infrastructure for the event to ensure continuous interference-free video surveillance; enabling the police department to monitor the area for issues. The system offers fiber-like quality with the flexibility, speed of deployment and affordable cost associated with a wireless network. “Given the size of this event, it was extremely important that we deployed a reliable security network that could provide continuous coverage over a large outdoor area,” said Jack Hanagriff, from the City of Houston’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security. “We are expecting the Siklu radios to bulldoze through any wireless interference in the area caused by thousands of members of the public as they use their phones to stream video and photos.” High-Level Network Access Security Siklu radios make it practically impossible to intercept or jam, making the network secure from hackers and fully survivable  Siklu radios also provide a high-level network access security by operating over millimeter wave. The narrow beams make it practically impossible to intercept or jam, making the network secure from hackers and fully survivable. “The City of Houston and Police Department were concerned about camera coverage and congestion from numerous wireless networks and cellphone devices,” said Shaun Castillo, President of Preferred Technologies, LLC, the lead integrator on this project. “Siklu radios provide the city with an extension of its fiber network by leveraging the interference free capabilities of millimeter wave technology.” “We’re pleased that Siklu’s millimeter wave radios are an integral part of the Super Bowl Live security measures,” said Zeev Farkash, VP Global Sales at Siklu. “As security needs continue to grow with large-scale events like these, it’s important to implement a reliable surveillance solution to ensure the safety of visitors. Siklu has exactly this experience and has provided wireless connectivity at many high-profile events, including the New York City Marathon and the Tour de France.”

Following its recent acquisition, Vidsys will continue to operate, now as an ‘An ARES Security Company’. The Vidsys brand is known worldwide for its PSIM (physical security information management) solution and the acquisition will accelerate the next generation of products that incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance their value to Vidsys clients and the overall market.  ARES Security Corporation has developed and deployed security and public safety software solutions for the past 20 years, solving complex physical security challenges. Their AVERT security software solution supports the full lifecycle of physical security operations: risk and technology assessment and design, training, and intelligent real-time incident response. AVERT security software AVERT security software helps clients by increasing security effectiveness and reducing cost AVERT security software helps clients by increasing security effectiveness and reducing cost. Clients are in many market segments including Corporate, Military, Government, Power, Data Centers, Transportation and Ports. Vidsys’ PSIM will immediately be improved by incorporating AVERT C2 (Command & Control), allowing clients access to expanded capabilities and an advanced technical roadmap. “Over time we will migrate the Vidsys technology to our state-of-the-art, multi-tenant SaaS architecture that includes secure, multi-site data sharing, an updated library of connectors, and integration to the AVERT digital twin, artificial intelligence/machine learning and automation capability,” said Ben Eazzetta, ARES Security Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Technical roadmap for upgrading to AI-PSIM platform “We are a client-centric company, and we will continue to support Vidsys clients,” stated Ben Eazzetta, adding “We will focus initial efforts towards closing any required and promised capability gaps and offer a significantly improved technical roadmap for the platform to be upgraded to AI-PSIM.” Additional AVERT products will be made available to Vidsys clients in a ‘cost-effective way’. They include technology for assessment and design, virtual tabletop and virtual reality training and enhanced AI and robotics capability surrounding the digital twin. A ‘digital twin’ is a digital representation of a physical object. Rapid incident response and robotic sentries interfaces ARES/Vidsys solution offers capabilities with extremely high levels of automation for rapid incident response ARES has a strong market position in several verticals that require a robust and automated next-generation AI-PSIM. The ARES/Vidsys solution offers capabilities with extremely high levels of automation that enable rapid incident response and incorporate advanced features, such as interfaces to robotic sentries. “These capabilities, along with a more automated deployment process, will allow Vidsys to scale their acquisition of customers across key verticals in which ARES is already active. This automated deployment process will also open new opportunities to work with system integrators who have shied away from PSIM projects in recent years,” stated Ben Eazzetta. Optimizing security operations ARES believes the physical security market is underserved by technology that optimizes operations. Ben Eazzetta adds, “All of our products are designed to optimize security operation, and the acquisition of Vidsys allows us to accelerate the development of the next generation PSIM that is adaptive and intelligent, powered by AVERT’s AI, and Modeling and Simulation system.” Vidsys pioneered PSIM in the security industry and created a robust library of connectors, providing an integrated real-time incident response system powered by a rules engine. Together, the AVERT/Vidsys solution seeks to transform the way security operations centers (SOCs) operate and respond to emergencies. Vidsys pioneered PSIM in the security industry and created a robust library of connectors Managing security at multiple sites Ben Eazzetta said, “There’s no denying that some in the security industry see PSIM as a four-letter word. But PSIM exists because it meets a need in the security operations center that cannot be met by either video management or incident management systems. It is critical that PSIM evolves to meet the rapidly changing demands of enterprise clients.” He adds, “Our clients need to manage security at multiple sites, each with different security plans and threats, they need adaptive rules engines to manage complex incidents and emergency responses, and they need automation to seamlessly command and control all security assets, including robotic assets.” Flexible and intelligent software Future of command-and-control will need to be flexible, intelligent software with extremely high levels of automation “The future of command-and-control will need to be flexible, intelligent software with extremely high levels of automation that enables very rapid incident response and incorporates advanced capabilities such as interfaces to robotic sentries,” said Ben Eazzetta. He adds, “To achieve this, we are replacing the brittle, difficult-to-configure rules engine of today’s PSIM with machine learning and AI capabilities that can produce automated/optimized responses or recommendations in near real time.” SaaS-enabled and remotely hosted system The systems will be SaaS-enabled, remotely hosted and easily configurable to reduce the cost and time of deployments for large enterprise implementations and easily supported by end-users, and system integrators. In a post-Covid-19 world, it is critical that enterprise security software solutions be adaptive, intelligent, automated and offer the ability for disparate teams to share information and collaborate in a meaningful way, while responding to incidents and emergencies in real-time. The ARES/Vidsys offering is a lifecycle solution that meets the needs of enterprise security operations. Next-generation of AI-PSIM “ARES has always pushed the needle of what is possible with our AVERT solution, ever since development of our digital twin technology began in 1999 to protect our nation’s nuclear stockpiles,” said Ben Eazzetta, adding “Today, we continue to innovate with the next generation of AI-PSIM.”     So what’s ahead for ARES and Vidsys in 2021? “A lot of Zoom calls!” laughs Eazzetta, adding “We are excited to leverage the decades of hard work that both teams have put into our solutions. We all realize the fantastic opportunity we have been given to create a next-generation AI-PSIM and to open new markets for all of our products and solutions.” He adds, “Combining the two companies will lead to improved development/support capability and significantly improved roadmaps for our clients. We will provide immediate ROI for clients by lowering deployment costs and leveraging the entire suite of products to provide more immediate value while continuing to deliver as promised, like ARES always does.”

We are all more aware than ever of the need for cybersecurity. The Internet of Things is a scary place when you think about all the potential for various cyber-attacks that can disrupt system operation and negatively impact a customer’s business. Because most physical security systems today are IP-based, the two formerly separate disciplines are more intertwined than ever. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can cybersecurity challenges impact the physical security of a company (and vice versa)?

Superior image quality has been the “holy grail” of the video surveillance business for several years. A transition to 4K images and a race to ever-higher pixel counts have dominated product development conversations for a while now. However, it’s now possible that the tide has turned. These days, data is sometimes more important than image quality, and increasing use of smaller-format mobile devices has helped to make image quality variations moot. As the industry changes, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What’s the next big thing in video image quality (beyond 4K and megapixel)?