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Security researchers at Check Point have unraveled a six-year, ongoing surveillance operation apparently run by Iran-based threat actors against regime dissidents. Going back as far as 2014, the attackers used multiple attack vectors to spy on their victims, including hijacking victims’ Telegram accounts, extracting two-factor authentication codes from SMS messages, recording a phone's audio surroundings, accessing KeePass password manager account information, and distributing malicious Telegram phishing pages using fake accounts. Malware-Laced documents The victims appear to have been hand-picked from anti-regime organizations and resistance movements such as Mujahedin-e Khalq, the Azerbaijan National Resistance Organization, which advocate the liberation of Iranian people and minorities within Iran, and Balochistan citizens. The attackers used malware-laced documents to lure victims into infecting their devices. The core functionality of the malware is to steal as much information as it can from the target device. The payload targets two main applications: Telegram Desktop and KeePass, the famous password storage manager. The main features of the malware include: Information Stealer Uploads relevant Telegram files from victim's computer. These files allow the attackers to make full usage of the victim's Telegram account Steals information from KeePass application Uploads any file it could find which ends with pre-defined extensions Logs clipboard data and takes desktop screenshots Unique Persistence Implements a persistence mechanism based on Telegram’s internal update procedure Two-Factor authentication During their investigation, Check Point researchers also uncovered a malicious Android application tied to the same threat actors. The application masquerades as a service to help Persian speakers in Sweden get their driver's license. This Android backdoor contains the following features: Steals existing SMS messages Forwards two-factor authentication SMS messages to a phone number provided by the attacker-controlled C&C server Retrieves personal information like contacts and accounts details Initiates a voice recording of the phone's surroundings Performs Google account phishing Retrieves device information such as installed applications and running processes Setting up an account Some of the websites related to the malicious activity also hosted phishing pages impersonating Telegram. Surprisingly, several Iranian Telegram channels issued warnings against the phishing websites, claiming that the Iranian regime is behind them. According to the channels, the phishing messages were sent by a Telegram bot. Some of the websites related to the malicious activity also hosted phishing pages impersonating Telegram The messages warned their recipient that they were making an improper use of Telegram's services, and that their account will be blocked if they do not enter the phishing link. Another Telegram channel provided screenshots of the phishing attempt showing that the attackers set up an account impersonating the official Telegram one. At first, the attackers sent a message about the features in a new Telegram update to appear legitimate. The phishing message was sent only five days later, and pointed to a malicious domain. Cyber-Security expert A removed blog entry from 2018 accused a cyber-security expert of plagiarism, when he was interviewed by AlArabiya news to discuss Iranian cyber-attacks. Researchers believe this page was created as part of a targeted attack against this person or his associates. The blog included a link to download a password-protected archive containing evidence of the plagiarism from `endupload[.]com`. It appears that `endupload[.]com` has been controlled by the attackers for years, as some of the malicious samples related to this attack dating to 2014 communicated with this website. Monitoring different geographies Lotem Finkelsteen, Manager of Threat Intelligence at Check Point said: “After conducting our research, several things stood out. First, there is a striking focus on instant messaging surveillance. Although Telegram is un-decryptable, it is clearly hijackable. Instant messaging surveillance, especially on Telegram, is something everyone should be cautious and aware of.” “Second, the mobile, PC and web phishing attacks were all connected to the same operation. These operations are managed according to intelligence and national interests, as opposed to technological challenges. We will continue to monitor different geographies across the world to better inform the public around cyber security.”

Senstar, a pioneer in video management and perimeter intrusion detection solutions, is pleased to announce the release of Senstar Symphony 7.4.1 featuring support for PostgreSQL high availability. The award-winning Senstar Symphony delivers an all-in-one solution for video, security, and information management. Senstar Symphony works with cameras from all major manufacturers, scales to deployments of any size, and is easy to use and configure. Video management software With built-in support for video analytics, perimeter intrusion detection sensors, and access control, Senstar Symphony is a highly versatile and cost-effective video surveillance platform. Senstar Symphony now enables enterprise-grade high availability without the need for expensive Microsoft Clustering" "By supporting the latest Postgres database, Senstar Symphony now enables enterprise-grade high availability without the need for expensive and complex Microsoft Clustering,” said Symphony Product Manager Tom Hofer. “With Senstar Symphony 7.4.1, we continue to advance the capabilities, offer a complete high availability solution, and improve the user experience of one of the industry’s most trusted and reliable video management software platforms." Valid maintenance agreement Key highlights of Senstar Symphony 7.4.1 are as follows: Aggregated people counting – Merge cameras with people counting lines to aggregate, display and alarm on Privacy mask on export – At export, create a privacy mask if not already existing in the configuration Export into multi-view – Automatically create a multi-view of exported cameras using a3u file extension Device commands in context menus – Right clicking in the device tree produces a list of applicable commands that can be sent to the device New rule extension – set an event and combine it with and not for more complex scenarios Camera field of view displays alarms – Flash camera’s field of view on map when camera triggers an alarm. Availability Senstar Symphony 7.4.1 is available worldwide in several languages. Every Senstar Symphony installation and Senstar hardware appliances, such as the R-Series Network Video Recorder, can be upgraded to the latest version with a valid maintenance agreement.

Luxand has released a new FaceSDK 7.2 version with numerous improvements, including a major Thermal Face Detection feature that helps small-, medium- and enterprise-level companies fight the spread of COVID-19. Thermal face detection is a major feature that makes it possible to detect faces on streams and images from thermal cameras for anti-spoofing or fever-screening needs. Detecting high temperatures Combined with a thermal camera, this new feature detects high temperatures in humans, meaning potential coronavirus cases. Thermal Face Detection sample images showing single face detection, multiple face detection and mask-on face detection. A temperature of over 100.4°F (38°C) indicates a fever - a key symptom of COVID-19 The fever-screening process can be technically described as follows: the thermal camera is connected to a computer, tablet or phone; images taken by the thermal camera are passed to the Luxand FaceSDK, which detects the coordinates of faces in images; after that, the maximum temperature is measured inside the detected rectangles, and temperature readings of each person are collected. A temperature of over 100.4°F (38°C) indicates a fever - a key symptom of COVID-19. Thermal face detection Face detection models can now be loaded from files in the new FaceSDK version 7.2, which is an important improvement for sophisticated and niche companies and industries, allowing them to request custom face detection mechanics and adjustments based on their business needs. Besides the thermal face detection feature, FaceSDK version 7.2 has the following face detection and recognition improvements: full support of Python has been added, the face enrolment speed has increased by two times on Linux and autorotation of loaded JPEG photos using EXIF has been added. In addition, FaceSDK 7.2 now allows for the detection of even smaller faces on larger images and high-resolution video streams.

Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd., a provider of cyber security solutions globally, announces the acquisition of a new cloud-based technology that delivers secure remote access created by Odo Security. This technology will integrate with Check Point´s Infinity architecture, and become the easiest and most secure solution for enterprises need to enable employees´ secure remote access to any application. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven enterprise adoption of mass remote working for their global workforces, from 30% before the pandemic to 81%. Threat prevention services Seventy-four percent plan to enable large-scale remote working permanently. However, many organizations overlooked critical aspects of security in the race to enable remote working, which significantly increased their exposure to cyber-attacks. Now more than ever, organizations need to secure remote connectivity anytime, anywhere to any resource. Many organizations find themselves compromising security in order to deliver the connectivity required" “Many organizations find themselves compromising security in order to deliver the connectivity required by their business needs,” said Dr. Dorit Dor, VP of Products, Check Point Software Technologies. “By incorporating Odo Security’s unique clientless, cloud-delivered secure remote access to our portfolio of threat prevention services, we help organizations overcome this dilemma. Check Point delivers a consolidated solution to help organizations to securely connect any number of remote employees to everything, from any location, making working from home easier and safer than ever.” Secure access service edge technology Odo Security, an Israeli start-up founded in 2017, developed a cloud-based, clientless secure access service edge (SASE) technology that delivers secure remote access. Unlike traditional secure remote access solutions, this technology enables: Users to easily connect through a unified portal to a wide range of applications, such as remote desktops, web applications, database servers, cloud and corporate servers, with no client or software installation. Security administrators to easily deploy the solution in less than five minutes from the cloud. They also gain enhanced visibility including full audit trail of user activity. Zero Trust Architecture to define granular access policy to give the right people in the right context, the least privileged access to applications and reduce the attack surface. Check Point will integrate Odo Security’s technology into its Infinity architecture and SASE vision. This consolidated solution will deliver the easiest secure remote access with unmatched security, based on NSS top-rated threat prevention security services. The transaction is expected to be closed within a week.

Check Point Research, the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd, a provider of cyber security solutions globally, publishes its latest Global Threat Index for August 2020. Researchers found that the Qbot trojan, also known as Qakbot and Pinkslipbot, has entered the top ten malware index for the first time, ranking as the 10th most prevalent malware in August, while the Emotet trojan remains in 1st place for a second month, impacting 14% of organizations globally. Ransomware installation techniques First seen in 2008, Qbot has been continually developed and now uses sophisticated credentials theft and ransomware installation techniques, making it the malware equivalent of a Swiss Army knife according to researchers. Qbot now also has a dangerous new feature: a specialized email collector module which extracts email threads from the victim’s Outlook client and uploads them to an external remote server. This enables Qbot to hijack legitimate email conversations from infected users This enables Qbot to hijack legitimate email conversations from infected users, and then spam itself out using those hijacked emails to increase its chances of tricking other users into getting infected. Qbot can also enable unauthorized banking transactions, by allowing its controller to connect to the victim's computer. Active malspam campaigns Check Point’s researchers found several campaigns using Qbot’s new strain between March and August 2020, which included Qbot being distributed by the Emotet trojan. This campaign impacted 5% of organizations globally in July 2020. “Threat actors are always looking at ways to update existing, proven forms of malware and they have clearly been investing heavily in Qbot’s development to enable data theft on a massive scale from organizations and individuals. We have seen active malspam campaigns distributing Qbot directly, as well as the use of third-party infection infrastructures like Emotet's to spread the threat even further.” Anti-Malware solutions This month Emotet remains the most popular malware with a global impact of 14% of organizations “Businesses should look at deploying anti-malware solutions that can prevent such content reaching end-users and advise employees to be cautious when opening emails, even when they appear to be from a trusted source,” said Maya Horowitz, Director, Threat Intelligence & Research, Products at Check Point. The research team also warns that ‘Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure’ is the most common exploited vulnerability, impacting 47% of organizations globally, followed by ‘MVPower DVR Remote Code Execution’ which impacted 43% of organizations worldwide. ‘Dasan GPON Router Authentication Bypass (CVE-2018-10561)’ is in third place, with a global impact of 37%. This month Emotet remains the most popular malware with a global impact of 14% of organizations, closely followed by Agent Tesla and Formbook affecting 3% of organizations each. Maintaining persistence and evasion techniques ↔ Emotet – Emotet is an advanced, self-propagating and modular Trojan. Emotet was originally a banking Trojan, but recently is used as a distributor of other malware or malicious campaigns. It uses multiple methods for maintaining persistence and evasion techniques to avoid detection. In addition, it can be spread through phishing spam emails containing malicious attachments or links. ↑ Agent Tesla - Agent Tesla is an advanced RAT functioning as a key logger and information stealer, capable of monitoring and collecting the victim's keyboard input, system clipboard, taking screenshots, and exfiltrating credentials belonging to of a variety of software installed on a victim's machine (including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Outlook email client). ↑ Formbook - Formbook is an Info Stealer that harvests credentials from various web browsers, collects screenshots, monitors and logs keystrokes, and can download and execute files according to its C&C orders. Information disclosure vulnerability A remote attacker can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code in the affected router via a crafted request This month ‘Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure’ is the most common exploited vulnerability, impacting 47% of organizations globally, followed by ‘MVPower DVR Remote Code Execution’ which impacted 43% of organizations worldwide. ‘Dasan GPON Router Authentication Bypass (CVE-2018-10561)’ is in third place, with a global impact of 37%. ↑ Web Server Exposed Git Repository Information Disclosure – An information disclosure vulnerability that has been reported in Git Repository. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an unintentional disclosure of account information. ↓MVPower DVR Remote Code Execution - A remote code execution vulnerability that exists in MVPower DVR devices. A remote attacker can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code in the affected router via a crafted request. ↑ Dasan GPON Router Authentication Bypass (CVE-2018-10561) – An authentication bypass vulnerability that exists in Dasan GPON routers. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information and gain unauthorized access into the affected system. Popular mobile malware This month xHelper is the most popular mobile malware, followed by Necro and Hiddad. xHelper – A malicious application seen in the wild since March 2019, used for downloading other malicious apps and display advertisements. The application can hide itself from the user, and reinstall itself in case it was uninstalled. Necro – Necro is an Android Trojan Dropper. It can download other malware, showing intrusive ads and stealing money by charging paid subscriptions. Hiddad - Hiddad is an Android malware which repackages legitimate apps and then releases them to a third-party store. Its main function is to display ads, but it can also gain access to key security details built into the OS. Check Point’s Global Threat Impact Index and its ThreatCloud Map is powered by Check Point’s ThreatCloud intelligence, the largest collaborative network to fight cybercrime which delivers threat data and attack trends from a global network of threat sensors. The ThreatCloud database inspects over 2.5 billion websites and 500 million files daily, and identifies more than 250 million malware activities every day.

IDEMIA, the globally renowned provider of Augmented Identity and Identity Management solutions, has announced the appointment of Andrew Boyd to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for IDEMIA National Security Solutions. Andrew Boyd will be responsible for the over-all strategic growth and leadership of the team, delivering state-of-the-art technology solutions that support national defense, national security, and the classified missions’ space. Security and Intelligence expert Boyd joins IDEMIA with more than twenty-five years of military and industry experience Boyd joins IDEMIA with more than twenty-five years of military and industry experience in the creation of mission critical solutions within the United States Federal Government and commercial markets. Most recently, Boyd was Senior Vice President (SVP) of Defense and Intelligence for SAIC, where he led growth strategies for its IT modernization and digital transformation business unit. Prior to SAIC, Andrew served in leadership roles in the United States Air Force, Unisys Federal, Engility, Northrop Grumman and a number of other innovative small businesses. He was responsible for creating a wide range of IT Service and Product offerings across Intelligence, Defense and Federal Civilian Agencies. Extensive experience in Federal and Defense space “Andrew brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to IDEMIA with a proven track-record of generating significant growth and profit throughout his career,” said Edward Casey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at IDEMIA Identity & Security North America. Edward adds, “His unique experience working in both the Federal and Defense space make him an ideal candidate to lead this critical area of our business. Andrew will be a valuable addition to the IDEMIA team, and I look forward to supporting Andrew as he takes on this new role.”

The security industry knows the value of recurring revenue, as it’s the foundation of the residential security monitoring market. Commercial systems integrators have traditionally taken a different approach, focused on one-time commodity-based sales that lack the financial benefits provided through long-term serviced-based agreements. Cash flow is one of the biggest challenges faced by security systems integrators. And the truth is,  during economic uncertainty, businesses will find that companies that have adopted and implemented a sales model that incorporates a monthly-based service program will be more financially secure. Technology solutions TAMCO  was founded in 1994 by Jack Thompson who had a unique background that included technology integration, finance, and sales. With this knowledge, he set out to build a company that would introduce a finance offering and business model that addressed the pitfalls within cash and traditional lease procurement methods. The design of this finance offering was under the premise that most technology solutions are non-revenue generating assets. Most technology solutions are non-revenue generating assets The goal was to give the end-user customer a better way to pay with more control and flexibility as they entered in and out of technology lifecycles. At the same time, this new offering would give integrators easier ways to sell services with those technologies while shortening the selling cycle. With changes in telecommunication solutions several years ago, we noticed typical voice integrator partners attempting to diversify their technology solution offerings. We explored providing payment options for these additional technologies and found several areas with significant interest in our approach. About two years ago we saw increasing interest from within the security industry and this is now one of our top growth sectors today. Being in control Historically integrators have done a great job of getting customers accustomed to cash purchase transactions. While owning technology solutions may have felt like a way to be in control, customers have begun to realize that ownership is really not a necessity. It is the use of the technology and what they can do with the use of the technology that is truly meaningful. Now add to that the fact that technology continues to change more quickly than ever and I think it makes sense that customers are looking for better ways to pay for and manage their technology needs. Integrators have begun to express an overwhelming interest in creating recurring revenue At the same time, integrators have begun to express an overwhelming interest in creating recurring revenue. They are looking for ways to complement their one-time project-based revenue business or shift to a model that is focused on a regular stream of revenue. However, many integrators are not sure how to implement this new approach. As-a-service is just another way of saying a subscription service.  At the consumer level, we are all very familiar with subscription services, such as Netflix or Birchbox. Small to medium-size businesses and enterprise-level commercial customers are also familiar with equivalent type technology services from their hosted phone service subscriptions or software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions. As-a-service security  If an integrator can package their technology solution in the form of an as-a-service solution, they will have a much better chance of developing recurring revenue. A majority of as-a-service models involve the customer paying for hardware equipment upfront and then having a monthly payment only for monitoring or support services. Or, to avoid a large upfront capital outlay, the integrator may arrange for a traditional lease payment that gives the illusion of as-a-service but still results in the customer owning dated equipment at the end of the term. TAMCO takes a different approach because we help integrators create a very comprehensive and logical solution under a single, use-based monthly payment. The integrator still designs, configures, and recommends the technology solution appropriate for the customer. But TAMCO will take the cash sale price of hardware, software, installation, manufacturer warranty, multi-year maintenance and support, and convert all of that to a single all-inclusive monthly payment which the integrator can present to their customer. In addition, this as-a-service monthly payment also provides the customer with exclusive protection against technology obsolescence. Integrators have really been excited to learn of this approach and to convert to selling this way. Integrators can remove themselves from being a commodity sale and thereby maintain margins Integrators can remove themselves from being a commodity sale and thereby maintain margins. They  become much more successful at selling multi-year maintenance and support agreements, thereby building recurring revenue which is valuable to help weather slow periods of sales activities and economic downturns.  And following the market currents of subscription-based solutions helps create long term customer relationships. Whether an organization works with TAMCO or not, there are certain foundational elements they need to embrace in order to build and adopt a successful as-a-service sales model. Some form of payment alternative like we discussed is certainly one of those elements, but it is not necessarily the most important. The technical expertise to deliver on support has to be there for the customer.  While sales training, mindset shift, and supporting marketing materials are all critical as well. 

ISC West, the world's largest security industry trade show, is just around the corner. This in-person show gathered more than 1,000 manufacturers and over 30,000 visitors from all over the world in 2019. On top of that, more than 200 brands exhibited at ISC West for the first time. This year's event promises to be just as exciting, if not more so. Let’s overview some leading security trends in video management systems development, and what's worth your time and attention at ISC West 2020. AI analytics Emerging two or three years ago, the AI-based video analytics market is experiencing a boom in growth. The prototypes and ideas displayed at ISC West 2019 could This year's event promises to be just as exciting, if not more soalready be part of a functioning system today. There's a lot of hype around this new trend. So, if you're looking for solutions for your needs, it is important to be able to tell the difference between technologies that work and marketing bluster. To do that, you have to understand what today's AI-based analytics (also often referred to as a neural network, deep learning, or machine learning) can and can't do. Let's start with what AI can't do in video surveillance. It can't analyze the sequence in which events occur or understand the 'logic' of what's happening in the scene. In other words, there's no such thing as a 'suspicious behavior detection tool'. Nevertheless, neural networks are really good at recognizing and classifying objects. For instance, they can distinguish humans from vehicles, vehicles from other moving objects, and cyclists from pedestrians. Neural network trackers This technology is primarily used as a neural network tracker or object tracker that can identify and track objects of a specific type. Usually, it's applied to complex scenes with a large amount of non-relevant details where a classic tracker would drown in false alarms. The neural tracker can be used to detect people in dangerous areas at production facilities, cyclists riding on pedestrian lanes, or poachers trying to sneak into a nature preserve. Neural networks are really good at recognizing and classifying objectsObject identification function can be used for other site-specific tasks, such as detecting people without a helmet or a high-visibility vest at facilities where those are required by safety regulations. It can also be used to detect fire and smoke in open spaces, or at big premises with high ceilings or active air circulation, where common fire alarm systems can't be used or may go off too late. Behavior analytics  Behavior analytics is another field of analytics based on artificial neural networks. Even if recognizing suspicious or inappropriate behavior is nearly impossible, it can detect risky situations based on human postures, such as an active shooter pose, raised arms, crouching, or man down. In addition to that, AI has been successfully used to perform facial and license plate recognition for quite some time now. Although these systems aren't new, their recognition quality improves each year. Looking for solutions? You'll definitely find some interesting and new options from developers specializing in VMS and modular AI analytics at ISC West 2020. Even if recognizing suspicious or inappropriate behavior is nearly impossible, AI can detect risky situations based on human postures Smart search The ability to perform a quick, flexible search in a video archive is one of the most important features of a video surveillance system. In many ways, it's even more AI has been successfully used to perform facial and licence plate recognition for quite some time nowimportant than real-time monitoring itself. Constantly keeping an eye out for what's happening onsite is the security service's job. Medium- to large-sized companies usually have that kind of department. Meanwhile, lots of small businesses and households use video footage to investigate accidents, resolve conflicts, or analyze employee's work. They generally don't need real-time monitoring, but video search is a crucial element. The most basic search tools offer an interface that enables easy access to recorded video and event-based search (from video analytics, detectors, etc.). Smart systems with forensic search features that allow the user to set criteria enhance the system's search capabilities even more. How it works  VMS analyzes the video as it is recorded and saves the resulting metadata to a database. In the most basic case, the metadata contains information about motion in the scene as well as the moving object's coordinates. When searching, you can select an area of interest within the frame and take a quick look at all video segments containing motion in this area. More advanced systems save the parameters of moving objects, such as their size, color, motion speed and direction. TThe ability to perform a quick, flexible search in a video archive is one of the most important features of a video surveillance systemYou'll quickly find what you're looking for by setting more precise criteria. The first VMS with forensic search features appeared in the early 2010s. Since then, a growing number of users and VMS developers have recognized the importance of these tools. More and more manufacturers enrich their products with forensic search features, starting from basic search by motion detection. Integrating search functions with AI Recently, search technologies have gone even further by integrating search functions with AI analytics. Some systems are capable to recognize all faces and number plates captured by cameras and save them to the database. You can quickly find all videos containing an image of a person or a car just by searching a photo or a number plate across multiple camera archives at a time. One usage scenario for these systems can be seen in law enforcement deploying them to find suspects using CCTV cameras around the city. Another option for integrating smart search and AI is searching by criteria based on a neural network tracker. When you use it, you can set object's size, color, motion speed and direction in the scene, as well as object's type (such as a human or a vehicle). So, if you need to find out when a red car appeared in the surveillance area, the system will show you only red cars while ignoring other objects like people in red clothes. This technology lets you find what you're looking for even faster. If you or your clients use VMS primarily to record video, be sure to ask the manufacturers you'll talk to at the show what search capabilities they offer. More advanced systems save the parameters of moving objects, such as their size, color, motion speed and direction Hardware AI acceleration High CPU resource consumption is one of the hardest challenges that stem from implementing a neural network–based video analytics system. This significantly decreases the number of cameras that can be connected to a server that hosts AI analytics. It also makes the system much more expensive. AI technology lets you find what you're looking for even fasterThe solution is to use AI accelerators. GPUs and dedicated accelerator cards are used on servers to provide hardware acceleration for the neural networks' workload. These devices are mostly manufactured by Intel and NVIDIA. Intel also offers the OpenVINO™ toolkit, a software package for developers that helps distribute workload between CPU, GPU, and accelerators as effectively as possible using all available resources. New solutions Due to AI's growing popularity, lots of minor microchip manufacturers became interested in developing neural accelerator chips. The healthy competition will work in the market's favor, serving to stimulate tech development and cut prices. New solutions in the field were on display at ISC West 2019; they'll definitely be present at ISC West again in 2020. Developers specializing in VMS and modular AI video analytics should absolutely check these out. But users should understand that it's impossible to build a cost-effective video surveillance system with significant number (10–20 and more) of AI analytics channels without using neural accelerators. That said, various accelerator models may significantly differ in price and power consumption. So, when you talk to developers specializing in VMS and AI analytics modules, ask what accelerator makes and models they support. In conclusion Whether you're an integrator looking for interesting VMS offers for clients or an end-user searching for solutions to your own tasks, check out what AI analytics can do. This sector is developing very fast and is continuously introducing new features that may be just what you're looking for. Incorporating forensic search in recorded video footage is key to building an effective video surveillance system for users, and important to creating a unique product offering for integrators. Needless to say, you can't build a cost-effective video surveillance system without using CPU resources wisely. If a system's functionality completely aligns with what you're looking for, ask what neural accelerator hardware it supports to correctly estimate the cost of your video servers.

Two of the most familiar names in the physical security market – Pelco and Panasonic – underwent ownership changes during 2019. Consolidation continued on multiple other fronts. Security service companies, video companies and access control companies were all among the entities involved in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity during the last 12 months. In short, the industry landscape continues to transform in response to a changing market. Here's a look at the Top 10 M&A stories in 2019: 1. Pelco Acquired by Private Equity Firm Transom Capital Pelco Inc. was acquired in May by Transom Capital Group, a private equity firm, from Schneider Electric. Since the acquisition, Transom Capital has been working with Pelco’s management and employees to define and direct the next chapter of the iconic company. Pelco maintains its headquarters in Fresno, Calif., and has a presence in Fort Collins, Colo., near Denver, and a sales office in the New York area, not to mention many global employees who work remotely. 2. Panasonic Spins Off Security Business Electronics giant Panasonic sold off 80% of its video surveillance business to a private equity firm but is retaining 20%, and the new company will continue to use the well-known Panasonic brand. The move is aimed at reinvigorating a business challenged by competition from Chinese companies and lower video prices. Polaris Capital Group Co. acquired 80% of the outstanding shares of the new security systems business. 3. Qognify Acquires OnSSI and SeeTec 2019 began with the acquisition of IP video management software (VMS) company On-Net Surveillance Systems (OnSSI), including SeeTec in Europe. Backed by the global investment firm Battery Ventures, Qognify completed the acquisition in the final days of 2018. With Qognify, OnSSI and SeeTec operating under one umbrella, the company provides VMS, video analytics, PSIM and critical incident management for mid-market and enterprise organizations. 4. Busy Year for Acquisitions at Allied Universal Security services company Allied Universal had an active year in acquisitions, beginning in April with the acquisition of integration company Securadyne Systems in Dallas. There was an additional acquisition announced in each of the next four months: Point 2 Point Global Security, Dallas, in May; security services company Cypress Private Security in June, services company Shetler Security Services in July , and Midstate Security in August. Allied Universal announced two more acquisitions in November – low-voltage integrator Advent Systems Inc. in Chicago and Vinson Guard Service in Louisiana. Also in November, Allied announced a transformational merger with SOS Security. In December, Allied Universal acquired APG Security, South Amboy, N.J. 5. Motorola Continues Video Push with VaaS Acquisition Following its acquisition of Avigilon in 2018, Motorola Solutions continued to build its presence in the security market in 2019 with the acquisition of VaaS International Holdings, Inc. (VaaS), a data and image analytics company. Motorola Solutions paid $445 million in a combination of cash and equity for the company, which includes fixed and mobile license plate reader cameras driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence. 6. ACRE Acquires Access Control Companies Open Options and RS2 Open Options is an open architecture access control company headquartered in Addison, Texas; and RS2 is an open systems access control provider in Munster, Ind. ACRE, global provider of security systems, wrapped up acquisition of both firms in 2019, after announcing the Open Options deal in the waning days of 2018 and following it up with the RS2 announcement in the spring. ACRE’s portfolio now consists of Vanderbilt, Open Options, RS2 and ComNet. 7. Assa Abloy Expands Capabilities with LifeSafety Power Lock and access control giant ASSA ABLOY acquired LifeSafety Power in September, providing a complement to the access control portfolio. The plan is to incorporate LifeSafety Power’s knowledge of power supply and consumption throughout the ASSA ABLOY access control line. LifeSafety Power was established in 2009 and has some 65 employees. The main office is located in Libertyville, Illinois. 8. Distributor Anixter Going Private and Selling to CD&R Anixter International Inc., a distributor of network and security solutions, electrical and electronic solutions and utility power solutions, entered into a definitive agreement with an affiliate of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) to be acquired in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $3.8 billion. The transaction will result in Anixter becoming a private company and is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2020. Under the terms of the merger agreement, CD&R-managed funds will acquire all the outstanding shares of Anixter common stock for $81.00 per share in cash. (It has been reported that a new bidder has also emerged, although Anixter is resisting – stay tuned.) 9. Alarm.com Expands Commercial Offering with OpenEye Acquisition Alarm.com has announced a majority-stake acquisition of OpenEye, a provider of cloud-managed video surveillance solutions for the commercial market. OpenEye is optimized for enterprise-level commercial customers requiring expansive video recording capabilities, in addition to remote viewing, administration and diagnostic reporting. Combined with the Alarm.com for Business offering, service providers partnered with Alarm.com now have solutions to accommodate commercial accounts of any size. 10. ADT Makes Multiple Acquisitions, Sells Canadian Operation Another North American security giant, ADT Inc., also had a busy year in mergers and acquisitions. In February, ADT acquired LifeShield, a pioneer in advanced wireless home security systems. In June ADT continued expanding capabilities and geographic reach via Red Hawk Fire & Security, ADT Commercial with the asset purchase agreement of Security Corporation, a commercial security integrator headquartered in Detroit, Mich. In November, ADT Commercial purchased Critical Systems, which specializes in enterprise-class fire alarm, fire suppression, life safety and integrated building security solutions for high-rise properties, healthcare campuses and data, manufacturing and distribution facilities in Atlanta.  In October, ADT announced an agreement to sell its Canadian operations to TELUS Corp.  

At a major music festival, a fan in the crowd aggressively leapt over a barricade to approach a famous artist. Personnel from Force Protection Agency immediately implemented extrication protocol to shield the artist from physical harm, quickly reversed course and calmly led the client away from the threat. Force Protection Agency (FPA) personnel intentionally did not engage the threatening fan in any way, as local venue security personnel were present and tasked with apprehending the rogue fan. FPA’s efforts were directed expressly toward the protection of the client, avoiding unnecessary escalation or complications and minimizing physical, visual, and legal exposure. Dedicated to the safety of clients Force Protection Agency is a unique, elite-level agency inspired by a vision for excellence and innovation Specializing in protecting celebrities and high-net-worth individuals, Force Protection Agency is a unique, elite-level agency inspired by a vision for excellence and innovation, and dedicated to the safety and success of clients. The agency was formed in 2017 by Russell Stuart, a California State Guard officer and security and entertainment industry veteran. The agency is the culmination of 20 years of experience in the fields of security, military, emergency management, logistics and technology, media and entertainment, and celebrity management. We interviewed Russell Stuart, Founder and CEO of Force Protection Agency (FPA), which has been called “the Secret Service of Hollywood,” for his insights into providing security for celebrities. Q: What unique need in the marketplace do you seek to serve, and how are you qualified to serve it? Stuart: The needs of celebrity and high-net-worth clients are complex and constantly changing. When dealing with a high-profile individual, discretion is paramount, extensive communication is required, and adaptation is ongoing. A critical objective is anticipating and planning for all types of potential negative scenarios and preventing them from even starting, all while not disrupting the normal course of operation of the client's day or their business. Force Protection Agency is poised to serve these needs by innovating and intelligently managing the planning, procedures, and personnel used in every facet of protecting the client’s interests and achieving their objectives. Q: What is the typical level of "professionalism" among bodyguards and security professionals that protect celebrities? Why does professionalism matter, and how do you differentiate yourself on this point? Stuart: Professionalism is an overall way of approaching everything to do with the business, from recruiting, to training, to making sure the right agent is with the right client. Nothing matters more; polish and precision are not only critical to mission success, but also support the comprehensive best interest of the client while preventing costly collateral damage and additional negative consequences. True “professional protective services" is intelligent strength and proper execution, not emotional or reactionary violence. Unfortunately, the latter is frequent among many celebrity bodyguards, and often incurs extremely expensive and even dangerous repercussions. Q: Your company has been described as "the Secret Service of Hollywood." How true is that comparison, and how does your work differ from (e.g.) protecting the President? Force Protection Agency prides itself on providing its services with discretion, precision, and poise Stuart: Totally true, and for this reason: the keys to success in protection are prioritization, and planning. Most people fail to even recognize the first, negating any level of effort given to the second. Establishing the true needs and the correct priority of objectives for each individual client and situation, and firmly committing to these without deviation, are what distinguishes both government secret services and Force Protection Agency from the vast majority of general security firms. Also, the term “secret service” implies an inconspicuous yet professional approach, and Force Protection Agency prides itself on providing its services with discretion, precision, and poise. Q: What is the biggest challenge of protecting celebrities? Stuart: The very nature of celebrity is visibility and access, which always increases risk. The challenge of protecting a high-profile individual is facilitating that accessibility in a strategic and controlled manner while mitigating risk factors. A client’s personal desires and preferences can often conflict with a lowest risk scenario, so careful consideration and thorough preparation are essential, along with continual communication. Q: How does the approach to protection change from one celebrity (client) to another? What variables impact how you do your job? Stuart: The approach is largely determined by the client’s specific needs, requests and objectives. The circumstances of a client's activities, location, and other associated entities can vastly disrupt operation activities. A client may prefer a more or less obvious security presence, which can impact the quantity and proximity of personnel. Force Protection Agency coordinates extensively with numerous federal, state, and municipal government agencies, which also have a variety of influence depending on the particular locations involved and the specific client activities being engaged in.  Q: Are all your clients celebrities or what other types of "executives" do you protect – and, if so, how are those jobs different? Stuart: Force Protection Agency provides protective services for a wide range of clients, from the world’s most notable superstars to corporate executives and government representatives. We also provide private investigation services for a vast variety of clientele. Force Protection Agency creates customized solutions that surpass each individual client’s needs and circumstances. The differences between protecting a major celebrity or top business executive can be quite different or exactly the same. Although potentially not as well known in popular culture, some top CEOs have a net worth well above many famous celebrities and their security needs must reflect their success. Q: What is the role of technology in protecting famous people (including drones)? Technology is crucial to the success of security operations Stuart: Technology is crucial to the success of security operations and brings a tremendous advantage to those equipped with the best technological resources and the skills required to maximize their capabilities. It affects equipment such as communication and surveillance devices like drones, cameras, radios, detection/tracking devices, GPS, defensive weapons, protective equipment, and more. Technology also brings immense capabilities to strategic planning and logistical operations through the power of data management and is another aspect of Force Protection Agency operation that sets us apart from the competition. Q: What additional technology tools would be helpful in your work (i.e., a “technology wish list”)? Stuart: The rapidly growing and evolving realm of social media is a massive digital battlefield littered with current and potential future threats and adversaries. Most mass shooters as of late have left a trail of disturbing posts and comments across social media platforms and chat rooms that telegraphed their disturbing mindset and future attacks. A tool that could manage an intelligent search for such threats and generate additional intel through a continuous scan of all available relevant data from social media sources would be extremely useful and could potentially save many lives. Q: Anything you wish to add? Stuart: Delivering consistent excellence in protection and security is both a vital need and a tremendous responsibility. Force Protection Agency is proud of their unwavering commitment to “Defend, Enforce, Assist” and stands ready to secure and satisfy each and every client, and to preserve the life and liberty of our nation and the world.

Nigel Waterton recently joined cloud video company Arcules to lead the sales and marketing efforts as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). He brings to the task the benefit of 22 years of experience building and managing large, high-growth technology organizations. Waterton joins Arcules from Aronson Security Group, an ADT Commercial Company, where he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development. We caught up with the new CRO to discuss his position and to reflect on how industry changes are impacting integrators and manufacturers. Q: What fresh insights do you bring to Arcules from your previous positions? Waterton: Generally, most manufacturers don’t understand the business model of the integrator. And if they do, their programs don’t necessarily help achieve their goals. Since most manufacturers use integrators to get to the end user, they are often disconnected from truly understanding the customer, their organization’s business and its impact on the value of the security program. In my previous role, I spent most of my time bridging the gap between these two worlds. It gives me a great platform for understanding how to achieve that with Arcules. Q: How is ‘Chief Revenue Officer’ different from your previous jobs? I have the responsibility of driving innovation for the companyWaterton: While the title is different, the ultimate role I’m in isn’t too different from previous roles that I’ve held in my career. I have the responsibility of driving innovation and strategy for the company, as well as serving as a leader for the sales and marketing team and developing a sales and marketing strategy for the company. This position allows me to build on what I’ve learned throughout my career from an end-user and integrator partner perspective and brings that expertise into the fold of this young, fresh, innovative company that’s paving the way for cloud-based innovation in the marketplace. Q: Is there an industry-wide ‘culture clash’ between the IT-centric nature of cloud systems and the physical security market? How can it be managed? Waterton: Adopters from the IT and physical security worlds are a little at odds over the software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings as a result of a disconnect with how the cloud is defined in both spaces. A lot of people and companies are creating their own notion of what cloud and SaaS mean. And without a common nomenclature in place, there is a lot of confusion among all users. Similarly, there is a clash among integrators around how to monetize the SaaS offering. This gap can be closed through increased awareness, education and the reiteration of how ubiquitous the cloud already is in our everyday lives. Q: From the integrator perspective, what is the impact of a transition to a cloud/SaaS model on how revenue is managed in the increasingly service-oriented security market? Waterton: Transitioning to a cloud/SaaS model shifts the mindset of the integrator significantly, as the focus changes from project-centric to more customer service-based impact. Becoming more service-minded creates a greater awareness of what the client’s needs are on a day-to-day basis and how that can be improved over time. When operating with a per-project focus, it can be difficult to create a more long-term impact on an organization. With a cloud-based, service-oriented model, integrators now have the ability to manage client expectations in real-time, which greatly increases their value proposition. Q: What about from the end user perspective? Waterton: There are so many benefits from the end user perspective, including the ability to remove the process of a large investment in capital expenditures (CapEx) and shift to a more manageable, predictable operational expenditure (OpEx). Not only does this allow organizations to adjust as needs change; it also prevents being locked into a long-term solution that might not be able to move with the speed of the company as it scales. That being said, the main benefit is the ability of SaaS/Cloud services to drive innovation and introduce new features as they’re introduced without additional investment from the end user. Q: What impact does the recurring monthly revenue (RMR) model have on the operations/management/cashflow of a supplier/manufacturer company? Waterton: Traditional manufacturers struggle with the introduction of a SaaS modelTraditional manufacturers struggle with the introduction of a SaaS model for many of the same reasons integrators struggle. They must sell the board and possibly their investors on a new valuation model as well as revenue recognition model. That is constraining their innovation in the market. Oddly enough RMR from a manufacturer’s perspective is very similar to the integrator model in that cash flow is more predictable in nature. An RMR model allows a company to grow strategically and innovate constantly, expanding and adjusting to cater to client needs on a daily basis while also providing the ability to look ahead and ensure we’re meeting the needs communicated to us in the market now and into the future. Q: What will be the biggest challenge of your new position at Arcules (and how will you meet the challenge)? Waterton: One of the biggest challenges we’re seeing — and one that will have a significant impact on my role — is the challenge of market adoption of SaaS/cloud services, as well as the awareness about why cloud is a significant part of the future of the industry. There’s also an opportunity to shift the conversation within Arcules from tech-focused outcomes to becoming practitioners of risk-based outcomes. We have to focus on the risk model for organizations, not technology. If we truly understand the risks to the organization, the tool will become apparent. Answering the questions: Why does a retailer lose product? Why does a facility experience vandalism? We have to understand the sociology of it because that’s how we can address what the service does in the marketplace. Q: Taking the various elements into consideration, what will the ‘physical security industry’ look like five years from now? Waterton: In sum, wildly different. It’s much different than what it was five or even 10 years ago, and with each leap, the industry has moved forward. Products are maturing, bandwidth is improving and the knowledge that we have is exponentially more advanced. There is increasing use of outside perspectives aimed at shaking up the ‘this is how it has always been done’ mentality that many organizations have suffered from. It’s going to look very different five years from now, and cloud-based initiatives will be the key to the success of many organizations.

The success of smart homes began with professional security providers offering bundled packages, focused mostly on security monitoring. However, due to the cost of professional contracts, consumers began to embrace the do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. Despite the challenges and opportunities that come with professional and DIY approaches, the momentum of smart home growth depends on these two approaches working symbiotically. Smart home systems In 2017, there were about 122 million smart home devices shipped globally, according to IHS Markit. The retail channel represented about 62 percent of all device shipments in 2017 and will represent about 70 percent in 2021. Despite the increased demand for professional installation, the “do-it-for-me” approach, most the volume remains with ad-hoc purchases. This includes a consumer video camera or a smart thermostat purchase from a retailer. Data capture form to appear here! When a consumer wants to add devices to an existing professionally installed system, they often will buy products from retail. Flexible service offerings and pricing are already taking shape across smart home offerings. DIY installed smart home systems such as Scout Alarm already offer no contract monitoring. Professional monitoring companies are already offering no contract pricing, and providers such as Comcast are looking to pilot programs for just video monitoring, bundled with Internet for a low monthly fee. Home automation system Connected smart locks can actually act as an extension of a smart hub or controller Options for financing are also going to become commonplace. Smart home equipment is expensive, even when attempting to outfit a modest size home (2,500 square feet). Immediate access to services is becoming more critical. This means consumers should be able to access on-demand service options directly from a mobile device to activate or deactivate professional monitoring. Lastly, pricing still needs to come down for many smart home devices, but there is a threshold. For example, the sale of wireless, connected smart locks (viewed by some consumers as DIY) can lead to opportunities for further home automation product sales and professional installations. Connected smart locks can actually act as an extension of a smart hub or controller. They can be used to communicate wirelessly with and control all the devices that make up a home automation system, including lighting, entertainment, thermostats, air, alarms, shades and more. Residential security According to a 2018 Residential Security Market Report prepared by Parks Associates, “More than 60% of installing dealers now report that DIY systems are biting into demand for their services.” But the rise in DIY is not entirely bad news for security and home automation installers and dealers. There are a number of ways to view this glass as half-full. For example, with their lower cost and perceived ease of installation, DIY products have broken down barriers for additional purchases. There are reasons for dealers and installers to be cheerful about the rise of DIY. For one thing, according to that same Residential Security Market Report from Parks Associates, residential security dealers are doing quite well. The report states, “In 2017, revenues were up an average 7.72% for security dealers.” Full-time monitoring DIY products have broken down barriers for additional purchase and installation of professionally installed systems What about installations? The report goes on to say, “For 2017, the average number of installs per dealer was 22 per month, compared to 17 per month in 2016.” So, revenues are up for security dealers, and at least part of the reason can be attributed to the fact that DIY products can raise overall awareness of and spur interest in other home automation and security products. With their lower cost and perceived ease of installation, DIY products have actually broken down barriers for the additional purchase, and installation, of complete, professionally installed systems. Instead of paying for monthly monitoring, homeowners can install a web cam, access from a smartphone or tablet and essentially do their own security monitoring. The downside of this approach is readily apparent. Without full-time monitoring, homeowners can easily miss the break-in or the aged parent who falls and can’t get up. Near-field communication Until they log on and take a look, there’s no central station to send medical aid or call the police. Connecting door locks and other devices to the Internet can also open a door to hackers, if the infrastructure isn’t properly protected. The areas of consumer electronics and security are closely intertwined. For example, Apple recently expanded near-field communication (NFC) support to include the NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format), which will likely accelerate the adoption of smartphones for access control credentialing. In another recent development, Amazon acquired Blink, a home security camera startup that offers wireless home security systems. The acquisition aligns with Amazon’s effort to offer more home devices. A common theme among professional monitoring providers is that a homeowner who is aware of events happening in the home does not necessarily have a secure and protected household Traditional security features For example, a Nest camera, a DIY product, notifies a consumer via smartphone about events in the home when it detects motion, but only when the notification is opened and identified will a consumer be able to act on the related event. Self-installable smart home devices may resonate with a segment of the market that want security but are unwilling to adopt professional monitoring; however, providers can leverage these devices to enhance traditional security features and communicate the value of professional monitoring. Missed part one of our smart home mini series? Read it here.

Dahua Technology – one of the pioneer video technology companies – has entered into a six-figure sponsorship deal with Celtic FC, supplying the club with state of the art video-based technology and equipment. Under the sponsorship deal, Dahua is supplying video walls for locations such as the Celtic Store and Media Center at Celtic Park, high-tech quad-rotor drones to help with player training and development, and electronic whiteboards to be used for staff training, as well as meetings and presentations for staff and visitors. Highly visible aspects As part of the new partnership, Dahua will be appearing across a range of Club assets, on LED pitch-side banners, and on the club’s website and match programs. The deal represents the first ever major sponsorship by Dahua Technology in the UK and Ireland. The deal represents the first ever major sponsorship by Dahua Technology in the UK and Ireland “We are thrilled about our sponsorship of Celtic FC,” said Michael Lawrence, Marketing Director at Dahua Technology UK & Ireland. “As well as the highly visible aspects of the sponsorship, this deal represents a real partnership between Celtic FC and Dahua, and is an example of our engagement with communities across the UK and Ireland.” High quality technology Commenting on the deal, Cheng Zeng, Business Development Manager for China and Asia at Celtic FC said: “We are delighted to launch this partnership today with Dahua Technology. Their expertise and high quality technology will enhance both fan experience in our stores and business operations as a whole. We hope to work with Dahua long into the future.” As well as the equipment supplied to Celtic FC, Dahua Technology manufactures a range of innovative and technically advanced video equipment. These include TiOC, a three-in-one camera that integrates 24/7 full-color monitoring, active deterrence and Artificial Intelligence into one smart unit; WizSense, a series of products and solutions that utilize Artificial Intelligence and deep learning algorithms; and its Starlight range of low-light video technology.

La Maison Royale, Nairobi, is a 4-star superior boutique business hotel with a ‘French taste’, State-of-the-art facility and close to the entertainment in the Westland neighborhood, La Maison Royale is a unique experience. La Maison Royale prides itself with friendly staff and the practical touches that make being away from home easier, whether a person books their rooms by the day, week or longer. Traveling for business, looking for temporary or corporate housing, needing short-term housing during relocation, or planning a weekend getaway? La Maison Royale has a solution that will fit everyone’s budget. Unified communication server La Maison Royale has their prominent presence across several locations in Nairobi. Considering this, they required seamless connectivity within sites. A system for call accounting, budgeting and routing with hospitality features was their primary requirement. Furthermore, a comprehensive and scalable solution that does not need a transformation in the coming years was their main challenge. Matrix addressed these challenges by proposing SARVAM UCS The hotel infrastructure required a centralized communication management of all business communication. Besides, they were looking for a multi-site connectivity with call accounting and call budgeting. Matrix addressed these challenges by proposing SARVAM UCS, which is a unified communication server for modern enterprises that manages all business communications from one place. SARVAM UCS is an enterprise-grade Unified Communications solution that offers La Maison Royale the much needed collaboration, communication, messaging and mobility between multi-locational sites. Unifying all the communication networks and devices provides users with the flexibility of accessing the calls, messaging and voicemails from any of the devices irrespective of their location. Better customer responsiveness Unified communication for workforce collaboration and better customer responsiveness Call Management and the ability to connect from anywhere, anytime and with anyone Simple administration and management due to web-based configuration Enhanced customer responsiveness to customer/clients Scalability to expand their business footprints in the future Leverages existing infrastructure and connect on a common communication platform IP-solution at core and application upgradation paths that renews and extends investment Efficient call management SPARSH Series of IP extensions are elegantly designed to offer reliable performance SARVAM UCS SME is a server software which runs on ETERNITY GENX– The next-generation hardware platform. The next-generation platform supports up to 99 VOIP (SIP) trunks, 40 GSM ports, 8 T1/E1 ISDN PRI ports, and 64 analog trunks with up to 999 UC users, 96 digital users and 240 analog users. Both AC and DC power supply options are available. SPARSH Series of IP extensions are elegantly designed to offer reliable performance, quality of business communication and efficient call management. It provides high quality speakerphone, programmable feature and DSS keys, corporate directory, message wait lamp, voice mail and intuitive user interface. Hotel management software Matrix offered complete hotel management software with built-in hospitality features like: web-based front desk management, check-in/check-out, guest-in/guest-out, room shift, wake-up calls and reminders, mini-bar, built-in call cost calculation, emergency call detection and more. Matrix VARTA application essentially shifts all of the desk phone functionalities to the smartphone or desktop computer which makes the desks wire-free and clutter-free. Place or receive calls through the extended communication endpoints and give a chance to effective communication without the mess. Furthermore, softphone offers additional features using smartphone or desktop computer hardware that adds to staff productivity and easy call management.

Installation company Nessence recently integrated Vanderbilt’s ACT365 cloud-based access control and video management system with Mobile BankID in Sweden. Mobile BankID is a citizen identification solution that allows companies, banks, and government agencies to authenticate and conclude agreements with individuals over the internet. The integration with ACT365 comes together to solve a brief put forward by the supermarket chain, ICA Sweden. Web API for integration Tobias Olofsson, Project Sales Manager at Vanderbilt, explains that ICA Sweden is a retailer with a focus on food and health, and they wanted to be open earlier in the morning and later in the evening. “It would be too expensive to hire staff to stay open during these times in smaller locations. This is because the number of customers shopping early in the morning or late at night is minimal. But the store wants to be able to provide its customers with this value-added service,” says Olofsson. ACT365 was the perfect solution for this project due to its easy deployment, easy operation To solve this, the supermarket wanted to open unmanned and needed a solution to allow customers to enter the store in a functioning and approved manner by the insurance company. In Olofsson’s opinion, ACT365 was the perfect solution for this project due to its easy deployment, easy operation, and a smooth web API for integration. Increased accessibility and convenience “The success of this project means it is now possible for shoppers to open the supermarket’s entrance door by digitally signing into the Mobile BankID on their phone and presenting it to the ACT365 reader located on the outside of the door,” states Olofsson. Moreover, good accessibility is maintained as all customers do not need to have specific cards or tags for the access system to be able to enter the supermarket. “A new modern solution has been developed to facilitate trade for private individuals, especially in smaller towns where food stores do not tend to stay open for as long as in the big cities. This project has resulted in increased profits for the supermarket, as well as increased accessibility and convenience for its customers,” concludes Olofsson.

RCP21, a pioneering Community Interest Company (CIC), has used SmartTask to help set up and manage an in-house security operation at Langthwaite Business Park in South Kirkby, West Yorkshire. The workforce management software was adopted to coordinate a full-time team of officers, tasked with protecting 120 businesses located at the site, without the need to increase management and administrative resource within the organization. SmartTask has since enabled RCP21 to deliver a superior security service in the most reliable and efficient manner. Workforce management solution “As managing agents of Langthwaite Business Park, we had previously outsourced the security requirements, but we took the decision to bring the service in-house,” explains Nicola Parker, Operations Manager at RCP21. “We recognized the need for a proven workforce management solution that would underpin our security solution moving forward. SmartTask has given us the visibility and control needed to deliver our service and provide customers with complete peace of mind.” SmartTask is used to manage RCP21’s full-time team at Langthwaite Business Park that provides a range of security services including CCTV monitoring, mobile patrols and keyholding and alarm response. SmartTask-enabled smartphones are used to scan 32 checkpoint tags around the site, so RCP21 has full visibility of mobile patrols that take place. Submit incident reports SmartTask has proved to be a hugely useful tool that is delivering value across our security operation" The software’s SmartForm functionality also enables security officers to electronically view their daily tasks; complete vehicle safety checks; and submit incident reports. In particular, the incident reporting tool allows a security officers on patrol or responding to an alarm response to capture all essential information, including any photo evidence, via a smartphone. This means RCP21 has an electronic record of any incident in real-time, so it can take immediate and appropriate action as well as share relevant details to the customer. Monthly performance reports can be taken from SmartTask, while incident data is included within the business park’s newsletter to provide information in relation to crimes and incidents on the park. Mobile workforce management  “SmartTask has proved to be a hugely useful tool that is delivering value across our security operation. The software is simple and easy to use by all staff involved and is effective in enabling us to monitor and deliver our security services to a very high standard,” concludes Parker. Paul Ridden, CEO of SmartTask: “Our cloud-based employee scheduling and mobile workforce management software is highly configurable and scalable, making it an ideal solution for any security operation. Whether you are a top 30 security company or a small in-house team, it is possible to take advantage of SmartTask’s user-friendly, feature-rich functionality to better plan, manage, deliver and report on your security services.”

Based in High Wycombe, Lata Lata opened in 2018, with the express purpose of combining the best produce The Chilterns have to offer, together in one neighborhood restaurant. Like many businesses especially in the hospitality sector, Lata Lata suffered from the impact of COVID-19, with lockdown preventing restaurants from opening as usual. However, determined to stay open they concentrated all efforts on their takeaway service, with support from the likes of Wycombe Wanderers, which helped keep the restaurant running during this critical time. Temperature monitoring terminal Now that the government has given the green light for restaurants to open fully, Lata Lata has been meticulously planning re-opening and taking every step to ensure staff and customer safety. Along with social distancing measures, seating, booking systems and hand sanitizers, Lata Lata has gone a step further than many by deploying a temperature monitoring terminal at the entrance of their premises. Staff and all customers are using this device to check their temperature before entering. The temperature monitoring terminal deployed by ANT Telecom is very accurate, reliable and contactless. The solution is also discreet to ensure minimal disruption to the restaurant’s service and atmosphere – meeting, or even exceeding, guidelines for COVID-secure premises. As guests arrive their temperature is automatically checked and confirmed by the camera and terminal. Customers are also advised to sanitize their hands, keep to social distancing measures and use card payment only. Extra layer of security They understood what we were after from the very beginning and made the perfect solution for us" Customers so far have embraced the technology and are pleased with the additional assurance this provides, with customers commenting on how the restaurant felt safe with COVID precautions that were easy to follow. Ross Hunt, Co-Owner, Lata Lata, comments: “We found working with ANT Telecom really easy. They understood what we were after from the very beginning and made the perfect solution for us. An unobtrusive instrument that adds an extra layer of security making our customers feel safe and ready to come back.” Temperature monitoring solution Klaus Allion, MD, ANT Telecom, adds: “It’s been great to work with Lata Lata to implement a solution to get the restaurant up and running with a COVID-secure environment.” “Although the measures put in place to keep everyone safe may seem like dining out has fundamentally changed, the temperature monitoring solution is designed to cause as little impact on the experience as possible. And with the knowledge that risk-reducing initiatives are in place, customers can enjoy their meals with peace of mind that they are within a safe environment.”

Protecting commercial properties is complicated and goes beyond safeguarding people and property. Security professionals respond to the needs of the business, staff, contractors, and visitors and deal with the realities of property damage, theft, and disgruntled employees. Ava helps the team react to anomalies and policy enforcement in real-time. Instead of merely investigating incidents, organizations can take the necessary steps to prevent them. Spotlight brings relevant feeds to the operator’s attention and triggers real-time alerts to address threats before they escalate. Leverage integrated video and audio analytics to give an enhanced understanding of the camera feeds. Respond to loitering challenges, access anomalies, theft incidents, fires, and more. Identifying suspicious people Smart Search allows operators to search by appearance, events, objects, similarity, or image. Recovering lost or stolen objects, identifying suspicious people like unescorted visitors, investigating health incidents or damage to the property, performing cleaning crew inspections now take minutes instead of hours. Combine with access control to identify tailgating or fire or active shooter scenarios To gain occupancy insights, operators can leverage Ava Aware’s unique Map view with Smart Presence. By adding floor plans and maps of premises, people and vehicles appear as dots in their precise on-site locations. Operators can see live footage as they move on the cameras’ fields of view. Combine with access control to identify tailgating or fire or active shooter scenarios. Connect Ava Aware to the cloud to achieve easy and simple deployment and access from anywhere in the world. Share links of recorded video with team members, claim investigators, and law enforcement, regardless of whether they have admin access to Aware or not. Get a secure download of video files in a standard mp4 format with digital watermarking for authenticity. Key benefits delivered are as follows: Integrate with existing cameras Hundreds of hours saved in forensic searches Add access control to extend capabilities Video & metadata storage remain on-premises Full site survivability and local access Increase operational productivity and reduce facility costs Distribute heat and cooling efficiently, optimize cleaning and workplace productivity through hot-desking insights Use people flow insights to manage people and vehicle queues efficiently Automatically decrease storage demands from all the recordings Reduce bandwidth consumption on critical links with AI-based optimization Pay for what is needed, when it is needed, without the hassle of complicated licensing Up to 200 cameras per Ava appliance— small footprint support for larger facilities One-click Ava Dome and Ava 360 camera configuration Encrypted media at rest and in transit Automatic firmware updates Digital watermarking to prevent tampering Simple subscription model without hidden costs or analytics add-ons With a simple licensing model, Vaion always includes services and software upgrades. They no longer have to worry about integration charges, operator charges, API fees, or the complexity between small, medium, large, and enterprise services.

The ability to treat patients in a secure environment is a base requirement of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Whether facilities are large or small, security challenges abound, including perimeter security, access control of sensitive areas, video surveillance, and even a long list of cyber-risks. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security challenges of hospitals and the healthcare industry?

Technology advancements often come with new terms and definitions. The language of our marketplace evolves to include new words that describe innovations in the industry. In the skilled hands of marketers, terms intended to be descriptive can also take a new element of ‘buzz,’ often presaging exciting developments that will drive the future. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable:  What new buzzword have you heard, and what does it mean for the industry?

The new year 2019 is brimming with possibilities for the physical security industry, but will those possibilities prove to be good news or bad news for our market? Inevitably, it will be a combination of good and bad, but how much good and how bad? We wanted to check the temperature of the industry as it relates to expectations for the new year, so we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How optimistic is your outlook for the physical security industry in 2019? Why?