Shawn Guan

Umbo Computer Vision, an artificial intelligence company that specialises in autonomous video security, announced that it raised an $8 million post-A round, bringing funding to a total of $17.6 million to date. This round was co-led by Translink Capital and Susquehanna International Group. Shin-Kong Capital and Shin-Kong Security, Asia’s security alarm companies, also joined as strategic investors, with continued participation by earlier investors. Cloud-based security management platform Umbo will use the investment to help accelerate its global sales expansion and improve its portfolio of AI-powered security products - Light, TruePlatform and Umbo AiCameras. Umbo Light is a fast learning AI that recognises human behaviours critical to security such as intrusion, tailgating, occupancy and wall scaling. Umbo’s products are changing the way people around the world think about video security" Customers often use Light together with Umbo TruePlatform, the company’s cloud-based security management platform, to further enhance their security capabilities. They can also choose to use Umbo’s AiCameras to process Light AI. on the edge or apply it to their existing IP cameras through TruePlatform’s integrations. Computer vision technology “Umbo’s products are changing the way people around the world think about video security. Businesses small and large come to us seeking a solution they can trust to keep them safe and secure from suspicious behaviours,” says Shawn Guan, CEO at Umbo. “Our vision is to bring our computer vision technology to new customers worldwide and provide simple, yet powerful protection that anyone can use." Jackie Yang, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Translink Capital, says, “We are excited to work with a company that is paving the way for AI. and surveillance technology. Combining AiCameras, TruePlatform and Light AI., Umbo is providing a working solution that the surveillance industry has been looking for over a decade.” Umbo’s products have been recognized by some of the largest global system integration partners in the security industry. System integrators love that Umbo AiCameras can be set up seamlessly and with little configuration. Integrated Solutions Engineer George Caballero of Johnson Controls says about Umbo AiCameras: “In all of my 23 years in the industry, Umbo was the easiest install I have ever done.” Improvements to CCTV detection/reliability Umbo recently opened a London office to tap the growing United Kingdom market, earning recognition from the country’s leading alarm monitoring centres. “Since 2017, Umbo and Southern Monitoring have collaborated to deliver substantial improvements to CCTV detection/reliability and to reduce operational costs,” says Christopher Jones, Director of Operations at Southern Monitoring. The company gained over two hundred enterprise and small business customers“Extensive tests with Umbo Light in real world conditions found a drastic reduction in the number of false positives that our operators have to review and handle -- with well over 95 percent suppression of false positives over our current configuration.” Pushing the limits of video security This past year, Umbo has continued to thrive. The company gained over two hundred enterprise and small business customers. Light AI. also received the prestigious Innovation Award at ESX 2019, adding to other honours previously won at the security industry’s biggest conferences including the NPS award at ISC West and the New Product of the Year award at GSX. Since beginning service, Light has processed over 21 billion images and users have logged into the service over 6 million times. With these new resources, Umbo intends to keep on pushing the limits of video security by building towards a safer future.

Managed services provided through the cloud offer multiple advantages for system integrators. These Include: Increased Recurring Monthly Revenue: Managed services are a new business model that generates more stable and predictable income streams for integrators. Stickier Customers: Managed services foster a more involved relationship between integrators and their customers, which can help boost customer retention.  High Gross Profit Margins: Cloud managed services create an opportunity for a service and technology to be purchased together, helping to generate a higher gross profit margin from the beginning of the customer relationship. They Are Easier To Provide: The cloud enables integrators to serve more sites without hiring additional technicians. Problems Can Be Fixed Proactively: When a problem occurs on a site that is managed by a cloud-based system, the integrator can receive a real-time notification regarding the issue - possibly before the customer even notices a disruption in service. Increased Valuation Of Business: According to a study by Dell, companies that utilize cloud, mobility, and security technologies are experiencing as much as 53 percent higher revenue growth rates compared to those who do not such technologies. Importance Of Cloud-Based Solutions The cloud also challenges integrators to educate customers on the value of the new approach The cloud also challenges integrators to educate customers on the value of the new approach. For example, the cloud changes the expense model of security systems. It allows customers to shift from a capital expenditure (CapEx) model, where large capital funding is required to purchase equipment, to an operational expenditure (OpEx) model, where the costs of the solution become an operating expense. Since the cameras, installation, storage, and software are packaged into the service, you don’t need a large capital outlay up front - you simply pay a predictable expense every month. Leveraging this difference opens new sales opportunities for integrators. The benefits of cloud services on how physical security equipment and software services can be monitored and maintained through a connected service is a particular benefit to integrators. Data Monitoring And Security “By having data describing the health of the system shared on the cloud, system integrators can observe data on demand and create proactive maintenance plans in coordination with the end user,” says Stuart Rawling, Director of Business Development, Pelco by Schneider Electri, and one of our Expert Panelists. A daily challenge for end users is balancing human resources used in the operation of a system “Such plans should result in increased system reliability and less downtime. If system performance data is aggregated and anonymized, it could also be used by manufacturers to analyze and form conclusions about maintenance schedules and system lifespan.” A benefit is happier customers. “A daily challenge for end users is balancing human resources used in the operation of a system and daily maintenance, with maintenance having shared responsibility with the system integrator,” says Rawling. The Cloud Software As A Service The SaaS model gives companies the resources to improve the deep learning model" The cloud also can help to make cutting edge technologies more affordable. Economies of scale provided by the Cloud (Software as a Service, or SaaS) are making the sophisticated capabilities of deep learning affordable to a wider audience. Meanwhile, deep learning augments cloud systems with capabilities that may not be available (or affordable) in on-premise systems, thus accelerating the broader move to cloud systems. “Having a SaaS model gives companies the resources to improve the deep learning model,” says Shawn Guan, CEO and co-founder of Umbo Computer Vision, a provider of deep learning video analytics. “We can make more accurate systems that scale better and faster. SaaS enables vendors to do something great with deep learning. You don’t have to redo it for everybody. One customer benefit from another customer and all the knowledge is aggregated together.”

Umbo Computer Vision, a provider of autonomous video security technology, has announced the release of Umbo SmartBullet. Umbo SmartBullet is the bullet-style variant of its learning cameras for businesses, integrators and governments looking for autonomous video security capabilities and a simple end-to-end user experience. Surge In Camera Deployments “Approximately 119 million professional video cameras were sold globally in 2017*,” said Jon Cropley, Principal Analyst in Video Surveillance and Security for IHS Markit, a business information provider. “This major surge in camera deployments has caused a significant increase in hours of footage to be monitored. As a result the need for faster processing and higher quality resolution has never been stronger.” With real-time video security capabilities and AI-based technology, SmartBullet enables facilities managers at businesses in high crime areas, critical infrastructure installations, school campuses, transportation systems and other public venues to record, track and receive more accurate notifications when intruders have entered a property, climbed a wall, crossed a border, etc. Solving A Market-Wide Problem This higher rate of accuracy means alerts that security managers will actually want to see and pay attention to, creating a safer environment for customers, employees, civilians, and students.SmartBullet takes video quality up a notch, delivering better resolutions and higher frame rates than the SmartDome “To date, the majority of security cameras on the market are lacking high video resolution, data processing capabilities or have weak exteriors. SmartBullet is the perfect solution to this market-wide problem,” said Shawn Guan, CEO at Umbo Computer Vision. “It is capable of processing more streams at better resolutions and adaptive, transformative design makes it right for all sorts of different environments. Additionally, SmartBullet seamlessly integrates with Umbo SmartCloud and Umbo Light services for the best user experience in the industry.” SmartBullet features and capabilities include: Full Metal Body Armor SmartBullet is built with distinctive full-metal armor displaying a powerful look that deters potential crime on sight. The stunning design is as tough as it looks, rated IK10 for high impact resistance. Users can also enjoy the design’s IP66 dust and water rating for protection from the elements. 3x More Powerful SmartBullet takes video quality up a notch, delivering better resolutions and higher frame rates than the SmartDome. Higher quality streams mean better results when Umbo Light, the company’s visual intelligence computer vision service, is active. SmartBullet will also have two-way audio and zooming capabilities to improve overall data capture. Adaptive Design Featuring an industry-first transformative design, SmartBullet can be configured for different customer needs. Available configurations at launch include an LED torch for floodlight illumination and infrared (IR) for visibility up to 160 feet. *Information based on IHS Markit, Technology Group, Video Surveillance Intelligence Database, August 2017.

  The cloud and deep learning are two technologies on the verge of transforming the video surveillance market. You often hear the two technologies mentioned as separate trends, but lately, I have been hearing about how interdependent they are. Economies of scale provided by the Cloud (Software as a Service, or SaaS) are making the sophisticated capabilities of deep learning affordable to a wider audience. Meanwhile, deep learning augments cloud systems with capabilities that may not be available (or affordable) in on-premise systems, thus accelerating the broader move to cloud systems. A New Era Of Autonomous Video One company that is combining the cloud and deep learning in an end-to-end system is Umbo Computer Vision, an “autonomous video security technology” company built on its founders’ expertise in deep learning and machine vision. The company’s cameras are equipped with basic video analytics, and they are tied into a cloud infrastructure that provides additional deep learning algorithms. The cameras provide computer vision pre-processing, with the bulk of detailed analysis happening in a neural network in the cloud.One customer benefits from another customer and all the knowledge is aggregated together" “Having a SaaS model gives companies like ours the resources to improve the deep learning model,” says Shawn Guan, CEO and co-founder of Umbo Computer Vision. “We can make more accurate systems that scale better and faster. SaaS enables vendors to do something great with deep learning. You don’t have to redo it for everybody. One customer benefits from another customer and all the knowledge is aggregated together.” Adapting To A Changing Landscape Umbo’s deep learning analytics provide higher accuracy, says Guan. For example, the system can provide accurate alerts on people climbing a wall, and it can accommodate for elements such as shadows and adverse weather conditions. The cameras can also provide occupancy information from a video view of a room; unlike people-counting applications, the camera does not need to be mounted above the door. The algorithms can detect loitering and can track a subject even if he or she disappears briefly from view (such as walking behind a building). Umbo developed the algorithms from scratch using the company’s deep roots in technology. Guan says the company was “built on data and using data.”    The company’s cameras are equipped with basic video analytics, and they are tied into a cloud infrastructure that provides additional deep learning algorithms The Cloud Serves As A Media Gateway “Cybersecurity is ensured,” says Guan. The cloud provides built-in authentication with the camera; user names and passwords are handled in the cloud, so there is no manual reset of the password at the device level. The cloud serves as a media gateway, and two-way communication between the camera and the cloud addresses how much data is streamed. Data in the camera has 256-bit encryption, and there is a secure “tunnel” through which data moves in the Internet. In the cloud, the host provider, such as Google, Microsoft or Amazon, protects the data to their own high standards. Each camera has industrial grade SD providing 30 days’ storage of full frame rate, 30fps video at 1080p, with backup in the cloud. In effect, the camera operates in-lieu of a network video recorder.The end-to-end system is designed to handle an essentially-unlimited number of cameras and can also be integrated with other products Handling Unlimited Cameras Customers interface with the system through the cloud’s software user experience. The end-to-end system is designed to handle an essentially-unlimited number of cameras and can also be integrated with other products. Umbo targets the enterprise market and has around two-hundred enterprise customers in the United States - their biggest market - as well as offices in London and Taipei, and customers around the world. The cost structure involves an annual payment per camera, between $280 and $600 depending on features/capabilities. Umbo is introducing a new bullet camera with a zoom lens for exterior applications, incorporating a higher-end Sony sensor for good low-light performance and wide dynamic range (WDR). The camera’s modular design enables the addition of features such as longer-range infrared – increased from 100 to 160 feet – white-light LED to provide a color image, and greater deterrence, at night, and a long-range microphone for audio. The company also offers a fixed-lens dome camera for indoor applications.

Umbo Computer Vision, an artificial intelligence startup and provider of autonomous video security products—Light, SmartCloud enterprise management portal and Learning Cameras—has announced it has raised a $6.8 million Series A round, bringing funding to date to $9.6M. This round was led by CDIB Venture Capital Corp, with continued participation by AppWorks Ventures and Mesh Ventures and new investor Substance Capital. The funding will be used for continued development of Light, expansion of the product portfolio, computer vision R&D, and talent acquisition. “Umbo’s new investment underscores the great potential of autonomous video security systems that are capable of deep learning and computing”, said Shawn Guan, CEO at Umbo. “We are well-positioned to contribute and lead the rising trend for AI to bolster traditional surveillance practices in the security industry.” Light New Features And Capabilities Umbo also announced new features and capabilities for its award-winning product, Light, an autonomous video security AI accessible from desktops and mobile phones. Now, in addition to scene-parsing, Light adds spatial-temporal information for detection of behavioral-related events, making it possible to identify suspicious activity and prevent crimes before they happen. Light can now identify and alert on behaviours such as unauthorized entry, physical violence, loitering, wall-scaling, and people and vehicle tally. Detection of other behavioral events is planned for the future. Light’s “AI events” system is a simple way to apply highly complex AI models to security systems at an enterprise scale. “The key differentiator for Light,” says Guan, “is that Light actually understands human behavior, not just lines or boxes on a screen. Unless someone is actually scaling a wall, you won’t hear about it.” ECS Award Light won the ECS award at NVIDIA GTC and major Security Industry Association awards at ISC West. Umbo was also invited to showcase at CVPR, one of the most prestigious computer vision conferences. Over the last year, Umbo has added several hundred enterprise customers. The company’s products are currently in use at schools, government facilities, and many commercial sites to protect critical infrastructure and safeguard the public. Umbo has processed over 2 billion images and users have accessed the service over 1.5 million times.