Surveillance systems

HGH showcases its new generation SPYNEL-U 360° panoramic thermal and visible camera surveillance system at ISC West. The optronic expert reinvented this maintenance-free, uncooled thermal imaging camera from design to performance to provide unrivalled situational awareness. The dual-channel SPYNEL-U when used in conjunction with CYCLOPE advanced image processing software provides multiple threat detection, day and night, even in adverse weather conditions. The SPYNEL range is world-renowned in the defence and security sectors. Spynel-U offers both a thermal and visible high resolution panoramic channel on the same sensor. While the high contrast thermal panoramic video is ideal for real-time long-distance detection and tracking, the high-resolution visible panorama enables the rapid identification of the detected threats. Protect critical infrastructure The new SPYNEL-U design utilizes the same base as SPYNEL-X and SPYNEL-S, supporting straightforward sensor interchangeability on platforms and tripods. Employ the SPYNEL-U to protect critical infrastructure such as ports, airports, nuclear plants and prisons, as well as at public events and demonstrations. Jeffrey Anderson, General Manager of HGH’s United States subsidiary said: ‘’At ISC West, attendees will discover the only sensor in the world providing both a thermal and visible panoramic video. SPYNEL-U is a reliable uncooled technology requiring no maintenance; we are very excited about the evolution of its performance and its impressive visible and thermal image quality.’’

The Nukleas Integrated Security Solutions (NISS) consortium, a one stop UK security industry solution for command and control/surveillance requirements, is exhibiting at Security and Policing 2020, Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Center between 3-5 March, on stand E49. The NISS consortium combines British industry excellence to provide complementary solutions for a coordinated approach on all types of security projects. This single integrated solution combines, command and control systems, robust camera surveillance solutions, secure wireless transmission and networking, integrated communication hubs, incident management, perimeter intrusion detection, mobile devices, live streaming of images, video analytics (including world leading facial recognition) and multiple other security and safety solutions which are scalable and tailored to each unique project requirement. Innovative and cost-effective solutions Richard Freeman, Director of Nukleas Limited said: “We are looking forward to exhibiting at Security and Policing and welcome UK and international visitors to stand E49, next to the UK Government zone, at the center of the event. Together, the NISS consortium has a track record of well over 140 years of providing UK manufactured products, software and services for complex site security designs and budget cycles." "NISS can offer turnkey solutions with innovative and cost-effective solutions, supported by excellent training and we are actively seeking to build joint venture partnerships”. Infrastructure protection and emergency services The UK’s critical national infrastructure protection and emergency services are considered amongst the best in the world and this reputation has been built by working in partnership with the UK security industry and includes the deployment of Nukleas solutions. NISS experience and expertise ensures the safety and security of people and infrastructure across the globe, providing assurance through UK standards including those set by the Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI). The consortium concept is also advocated by the UK Government’s Department for International Trade’s Security Export Strategy and is supported by UK export finance.

With the continued demand for IP Video Surveillance in Small and Medium-scale Enterprises, new solutions that produce better image quality in the most challenging conditions are needed. To meet the growing needs of SMBs, Matrix has strengthened its offerings by adding 5MP IP Cameras to its existing range of 2MP and 3MP IP Cameras. Equipped with Sony STARVIS sensor with Exmor technology the 5MP IP Camera delivers a true, 104-degree Horizontal field-of-view (FOV) and exceptional low light performance in light as low as 0.01 lux. With its H.265 compression, users can reduce storage consumption by up to 30%. Available in Dome and Bullet variants, Matrix 5MP IP Cameras are ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications. Exceptional quality low light images Key Features: Better Quality Images with 5 MP Resolution Sony Starvis series Sensor with Exmor Technology for Exceptional Low Light Performance Larger Field-of-View (FOV) – 104 degrees HFOV Color Images in Light as Low as 0.01 lux IP67 and IK10 Protection Latest H.265 Compression Technology True WDR – to Deliver Consistent Images in Varying Light Conditions “Higher resolution and detailed images enable 24*7 effective surveillance. Matrix’s existing range delivers exceptional quality low light images, and the new 5MP resolution takes it to a completely new level. Owing to the high resolution, these IP cameras provide sharper and brighter images with even more details.” said Vihar Soni, Marketing Manager, Matrix Comsec.

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has selected Janet Fenner as the 2020 recipient of the Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award, which recognizes SIA volunteers who have made tireless efforts to expand SIA’s programs and services. SIA will present Fenner with the award at The Advance, SIA’s annual membership meeting, during ISC West. Fenner is the chief marketing officer at Intelligent Security Systems (ISS), a developer of security surveillance and control systems for networked digital video and audio recording, video image pattern processing and digital data transmission. Prior to her time at ISS, she held marketing and leadership roles at Dahua Technology, Hanwha Techwin America and TemTec. SIA Women in Security Forum Fenner is a member of the SIA Board of Directors and serves as chair of SIA’s Membership and Marketing Committee, where she guides SIA in creating member value, especially for the purposes of increasing member retention, new member development and overall member engagement, and serves as a valued sounding board for validating the member benefits developed by SIA’s committees and staff. Janet Fenner truly embodies a spirit of volunteerism at SIA through her active involvement in SIA committees" She is also a member of the SIA Women in Security Forum steering committee, which engages all security professionals to promote, recruit and cultivate the leadership of women for a more inclusive and diversified industry. “Janet Fenner truly embodies a spirit of volunteerism at SIA through her active involvement in SIA committees, events and membership initiatives and by continually encouraging other members to grow their engagement with the association,” said SIA Chairman of the Board Scott Schafer. Collaboration between SIA and Mission 500 “SIA commends Janet for her exceptional contributions to SIA and the security industry and for partnering with SIA to provide top-quality programs, initiatives and services, and we look forward to recognizing her for these accomplishments at The Advance.” Fenner has been continually engaged with SIA’s programming, including promoting and speaking at events like the SIAThere! series of networking and professional growth events and Securing New Ground, the security industry’s executive conference. Fenner has played an instrumental role in fostering collaboration between SIA and Mission 500 Leveraging both her role with SIA and her role as an advisory board member of Mission 500, a not-for-profit organization focused on the professional security community’s efforts to assist families in need across the U.S., Fenner has played an instrumental role in fostering collaboration between SIA and Mission 500 on efforts like SIA Honours Night, a special event recognizing industry leaders’ contributions to the security industry which supports the work of Mission 500 through donations to the organization’s end-of-year campaign. The Advance at ISC West 2020 “I sincerely thank SIA for this acknowledgement and honor for which I am most grateful,” said Fenner. “This award represents the scores of friends, colleagues and family who help make the activities and events I’ve been involved with both possible and meaningful, and I extend my sincerest thanks to them as well.” The Advance will take place during ISC West 2020 on Tuesday, March 17, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to the presentation of the Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award, attendees will enjoy a high-impact presentation from William Wilkins, executive director of global security operations at Valero Energy Corporation, on the chief security officer framework and key lessons for security professionals. SIA will also review key association business, exchange market intelligence for the year ahead and present the SIA Chairman’s Award, Member of the Year Award and Committee Chair of the Year Award.

Quantum Corporation announced it has entered into an agreement with Western Digital Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Western Digital Corp., to acquire its ActiveScale object storage business. The addition of the ActiveScale product line and talent brings object storage software and erasure coding technology to Quantum’s portfolio, and enables the company to expand in the object storage market. The acquisition demonstrates Quantum’s commitment to innovation and growth, extending the company’s leadership role in storing and managing video and unstructured data using a software-defined approach. Quantum and Western Digital are committed to executing a smooth transition for customers and key stakeholders, with Quantum providing post-closing continued support for ActiveScale products and a strong commitment to invest in - and enhance - the ActiveScale product line. Key technologies for managing video Industries like advanced driver assistance systems are generating huge amounts of similar data The transaction is expected to close by March 31, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Quantum expects the initial financial impact of the transaction to be neutral to slightly accretive to current business operations and additional guidance will be provided with the release of the fiscal Q4 2020 financial results. Video and other forms of unstructured data are growing exponentially in every industry. IDC forecasts this type of data will represent over 80% of all the world’s data by 2022*. Examples of this unstructured data include video and images for entertainment, surveillance and security, marketing and training, and more. In addition, industries like genomics research, advanced driver assistance systems, geospatial exploration, and more are generating huge amounts of similar data. Hierarchical file system structure This content requires high-speed capture and processing (typically done with a file system like StorNext), then is generally retained for many years or decades. Object storage software has a number of attributes that make it particularly well-suited for a wide range of datasets: Massive Scalability: Store, manage and analyze billions of objects, and exabytes of capacity. Highly Durable and Available: ActiveScale object storage offers up to 19 nines of data durability using patented erasure coding protection technologies. Easy to Manage at Scale: Because object storage has a flat namespace (compared to a hierarchical file system structure) managing billions of objects and hundreds of petabytes o capacity is easier than using traditional network attached storage. This reduces operational expenses. Object storage software for active archives Quantum has a history of success delivering object storage and has been selling and supporting the ActiveScale product line for over five years. Object storage can be used as an active-archive tier of storage – where StorNext file storage is used for highest performance ingest and processing of data, object storage acts as lower cost online content repository, and tape acts as the lowest cost cold storage tier. In a diverse range of industries spanning media and entertainment, genomics and life sciences, autonomous vehicle research, and university research, ActiveScale can serve a number of use cases: Object storage in media production: Object storage is used as a long-term content repository for video content, in movie and TV production, in sports video, and even for large corporate video departments. Customers in movie and TV production require very high performance ingest, edit, processing, rendering of their video files, which typically is done with a file system like StorNext. Once content is finished, it is preserved in an object store, with StorNext data management handling the data movement between file and object tiers. Storage for video surveillance Object storage for enterprise archiving and long-term retention: As object storage has matured, all leading backup applications can now backup data to an object target, and enterprise IT departments are looking at object storage as a long-term content repository. Object storage for genomics and life sciences: Genomics sequencing and other life sciences research generates a massive amount of data, that must be processed and analyzed quickly (typically with a clustered file system like StorNext), then archived on object storage. Object storage for video surveillance: Object storage is also used as a tier for multi-petabyte surveillance infrastructure. Video is typically captured and recorded on higher-performance servers, then archived on object storage. Certified third-party object stores As Quantum returns to a growth path, we will be evaluating strategic acquisitions that bolster our technology portfolio" To serve the needs of these use cases and others, Quantum StorNext is certified with many leading public and private object stores today. With the addition of the ActiveScale product line, Quantum will remain committed to maintaining an open ecosystem of certified third-party object stores, with StorNext providing the ability to move data to these third-party object tiers. “As Quantum returns to a growth path, we will be evaluating strategic acquisitions that bolster our technology portfolio,” says Jamie Lerner, President and CEO, Quantum. "Object storage software is an obvious fit with our strategy, our go-to-market focus, and within our technology portfolio. We are committed to the product, and to making ActiveScale customers successful, and we look forward to engaging with them to solve their most pressing business challenges around storing and managing unstructured data. Erasure-coded object store software “With the addition of the engineers and scientists that developed the erasure-coded object store software, we can deliver on a robust technical roadmap, including new solutions like an object store built on a combination of disk and tape." "With Quantum’s resources, technical expertise and focus on solving customers’ challenges with managing video and other unstructured data, we believe ActiveScale will enable new value for customers,” said Phil Bullinger, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Western Digital’s Data Center business. “Western Digital and Quantum are each committed to continuity of support for existing ActiveScale customers.”

Dahua Technology, a world renowned video-centric smart IoT solution and service provider, unveils its 2020 core product launch in Intersec Dubai, enabling and accelerating the AIoT transformation. The launch includes the main over-coax technology advancement HDCVI 6.0, AI (WizSense/WizMind) as well as Full-color technology which enables outstanding performance under extreme low light conditions. Advanced AI capabilities A longtime pioneer in the realm of HDCVI that seeks to offer great convenience, best quality and least cost, Dahua Technology launches HDCVI 6.0, boasting industry's first 4K real-time and advanced AI capabilities. 4K Real-time While traditional 4K HD over-coax products only allow 15fps, Dahua Technology’s 4K real-time doubles it, making 30fps a reality in live view. 4K real-time provides a superior visual experience in which tiny details are captured in better clarity within a large monitoring coverage. Moreover, with the help of AI Coding, users won’t have to worry about the storage cost incurred from the clarity enhancement. AI Coding Dahua AI Coding takes video compression to a new level of content-awareness. It puts emphasis on human and vehicle while encoding, significantly improving the streaming quality compared with H.265. At the same time, AI Coding also reduces the bit rate when there is no real target in sight, allowing efficient handling of videos to save HDD storage cost. Two-way Talk In addition, HDCVI 6.0 supports Two-way Talk, which allows real-time communication between camera and recorder with a broadcast-quality audio. A breakthrough innovation in Audio-Over-Coax technology, the Two-way Talk feature does not just satisfy users' demand for auxiliary audio information, it also enables bi-directional audio intercom that can be used to warn off intruders and to verify the actual situation when an incident occurs. Enhanced AI Endowed with Enhanced AI (see section 3 below for more information), HDCVI 6.0 is bringing fresh ideas and new possibilities to the industry and will always provide more economical and convenient solutions to customers. Advanced low light functionality Dahua Technology provides two series of full-color cameras – LED series and Non IR series The demand for cameras to perform in low light environment is on the rise. According to the 2019 IHS video surveillance report regarding global low illumination trend, cameras with advanced low light functionality grows at 20.6% CAGR 2018-2023. In response to this increasing demand, Dahua Technology developed its Full-color Camera, which captures vivid colorful information even in low-light conditions. In places with high crime rate like a park at night or a dark alley, it effectively extracts the color features of the scenes, such as human, vehicle or other objects, providing great help to police officers during the evidence obtaining procedure. Dahua Technology provides two series of full-color cameras – LED series and Non IR series – both adopt large aperture lens that collect higher amount of absorbed light and present a more vivid and colorful image under dark environment. Low light conditions These cameras are capable of 24/7 colorful monitoring that can accurately identify people and objects in low light conditions. Cameras of LED series are equipped with LED that serves as a supplementary light in dark environment. The LED also serves another purpose – to deter intruders – that can significantly reduce crimes. Cameras of Non IR series have no complementary light device, which will not emit light like infrared camera at night. This means that this type of camera does not interfere with ongoing activities and does not contribute to light pollution in the environment. Also, it prevents reflections in rainy days and attraction of small insects, making it an ideal silent security guard in dim places like stores, parking lots and casinos. In addition, the full-color camera can work with AI functions to further enhance the probability and accuracy of target recognition and feature extraction. AI (WizSense/WizMind) WizSense, being easy to use and not pricy to own, is competent enough to meet the needs of most ordinary users To accelerate the AI adoption, Dahua Technology is proud to release WizSense, a series of AI products and complete end-to-end solutions based on deep learning that focus on human and vehicle, providing intelligence, simplicity and inclusivity to users. WizSense, being easy to use and not pricy to own, is competent enough to meet the needs of most ordinary users. Its benefits include: accurate prediction before an event; instant deterrence during an event; quick target search after an event; storage saving while ensuring target details, and privacy protection and defense against attacks. Accurate prediction can be realized through SMD Plus, which analyzes human and vehicle shapes based on motion detection that adopts deep-learning algorithm. It effectively filters out false alarms triggered by raindrops, leaves, pets, insects and light, allowing users to focus on real threats. Face Detection and Face Recognition WizSense also supports Perimeter Protection, which functions in a similar way as SMD Plus in terms of its accurate prediction capability. It allows users to set more flexible rules for different scenarios. While SMD Plus applies to the whole scene by default, Perimeter Protection could be applied to a specific area, especially where the direction of the movement needs to be detected. Aside from recognizing whether the target is a person or a vehicle, WizSense is also equipped with Face Detection and Face Recognition features to aid further identification of targets. By comparing face images with those recorded in the customized database, more business values can be generated through VIP recognition, Black List alarm, etc. Intelligent video analysis Real-time push notifications with trigger type of human or vehicle will be sent to users Moreover, based on intelligent video analysis, WizSense also provides instant deterrence functions. When intrusion has been detected, these features will enable the camera to flash and make alarm sound to warn off intruders and avoid possible crime. At the same time, real-time push notifications with trigger type of human or vehicle will be sent to users, alerting them to verify the situation using video. After an event, WizSense makes it easy for users to do quick and reliable search based on SMD Plus and Perimeter Protection. Features like face image search and face attribute search can effectively improve the efficiency of target searching. It is worth noting that the data storage is ensured with AI Coding as well, which intelligently saves data space while maintaining the image quality of key targets. System integrators and installers While offering abundant functionalities, WizSense also ensures high-level of cybersecurity using encryption algorithms that are certified by TÜV Rheinland, UL (Underwriters Laboratories), etc. Users can rest assured that their privacy will be properly protected using WizSense series products. Furthermore, WizMind is a high-end AI series to be released in Q1 of 2020. While supporting all functions of WizSense, WizMind is also capable of other intelligent functions such as people counting, video structure, ANPR, human face/body privacy protection, large scene monitoring, etc. Designed to create more commercial values for system integrators and installers, WizMind series offers users with end-to-end solutions that can be tailored case by case to satisfy demands of clients. The aforementioned three key technologies work in trinity, resulting in surveillance solutions that can be applied to many situations. Dahua smart solutions You can use this guard to verify a visitor’s identity and warn off intrudersFor example, these products are suitable in dark places where theft and other sorts of crimes are likely to occur, such as a dark street corner or a dimly lit bar. They are also useful in places where it is impossible for security guards to accurately remember various features of people and vehicle, such as crossroads, schools, or entrances of residential areas where people and vehicles frequently come and go. They are also applicable to any place where you want to set specific rules, such as vaults of banks or casinos, entrance of a luxury store, or fence of a zoo. In these situations, Dahua smart solutions serve not only as a sharp eye that diligently monitors 24/7 and clearly records every little colorful details regardless of light condition, but also as a smart guard that can recognize features of each and every people or vehicle in sight. Verify visitor’s identity You can create your own black/white list and your guard will treat the visitor accordingly, triggering the alarm, for example, in a spontaneous manner. You can use this guard to verify a visitor’s identity and warn off intruders. If you are looking for a particular person or plate number when collecting evidence, this guard will take care of it. Overall, Dahua Smart Solutions offers users comprehensive protection as well as personal options to satisfy more diversified needs. For 2020, Dahua Technology is fully loaded with cutting edge technologies and products to provide upgraded services to more users across the globe. With its mission of “Enabling a safer society and smarter living”, Dahua Technology will continue to focus on “Innovation, Quality and Service” to serve its partners and customers around the world.

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.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is improving everyday solutions, driving efficiency in ways we never imagined possible. From self-driving cars to intelligent analytics, the far-reaching impacts of Deep Learning-based technology empower human operators to achieve results more effectively while investing fewer resources and less time. By introducing AI, solutions are not merely powered by data, but they also generate valuable intelligence. Systems which were once leveraged for a narrow, dedicated purpose, can suddenly be engaged broadly across an organization, because the previously under-utilized data can be harnessed for enhancing productivity and performance. Video analytics software The video intelligence software processes and analyses video to detect all the people and objects that appear When it comes to physical security, for instance, video surveillance is a standard solution. Yet, by introducing AI-driven video analytics software, video data can be leveraged as intelligence in previously inaccessible ways. Here are some examples of how diverse organizations are using AI-based video intelligence solutions to enhance security and performance with searchable, actionable and quantifiable insights. Law enforcement relies on video surveillance infrastructure for extracting investigation evidence and monitoring people and spaces. Instead of manual video review and live surveillance – which is prone to human error and distraction – police can harness video content analysis to accelerate video investigations, enhance situational awareness, streamline real-time response, identify suspicious individuals and recognize patterns and anomalies in video. The video intelligence software processes and analyses video to detect all the people and objects that appear; identify, extract and classify them; and then index them as metadata that can be searched and referenced. Maintaining public safety For law enforcement, the ability to dynamically search video based on granular criteria is critical for filtering out irrelevant details and pinpointing objects of interest, such as suspicious persons or vehicles. Beyond accelerating video evidence review and extraction, police can leverage video analysis to configure sophisticated real-time alerts when people, vehicles or behaviors of interest are detected in video. Instead of actively monitoring video feeds, law enforcement can assess triggered alerts and decide how to respond. In this way, officers can also react faster to emergencies, threats and suspicious activity as it develops. Video analysis empowers cities to harness their video surveillance data as operational intelligence Empowering law enforcement to maintain public safety is important beyond the benefit of increasing security: A city with a reputation for effective, reliable law enforcement and enhanced safety is more likely to attract residents, visitors and new businesses, exponentially driving its economic development. Furthermore, in cities where law enforcement can work productively and quickly, time and human resources can be reallocated to fostering growth and building community. Video surveillance data Video analysis empowers cities to harness their video surveillance data as operational intelligence for optimizing city management and infrastructure. When video data is aggregated over time, it can be visualized into dashboards, heatmaps and reports, so operators can identify patterns and more seamlessly detect anomalous. A city could, for instance, analyze the most accident-prone local intersection and assess the traffic patterns to reveal details such as where cars are dwelling and pedestrians are walking; the directional flows of traffic; and the demographic segmentations of the objects detected: Are cars lingering in no-parking zones? Are pedestrians using designated crosswalks – is there a more logical location for the crosswalk or traffic light? Do vehicles tend to make illegal turns – should police proactively deter this behavior, or should the city plan new infrastructure that enables vehicles to safely perform these turns? Finally, does the rise in bike traffic warrant implementing dedicated biking lanes? With video intelligence, urban planners can answer these and other questions to facilitate local improvements and high quality of life. Video analysis empowers cities to harness their video surveillance data as operational intelligence Enhancing situational awareness Insight into traffic trends is also critical for transport companies, from public transit services to transportation hubs and airports. By leveraging the video insights about citywide traffic, public transit organizations can make data-driven decisions about scheduling and services. Analyzing video surveillance around bus stops, for instance, can help these companies understand the specific hours per day people tend to dwell around bus stops. Correlating this information with transactional data for each bus line, bus schedules can be optimized based on demand for individual bus lines, shortening waiting times for the most popular routes. Similarly, the traffic visualisations and activity heatmaps derived from the video of major transit hubs, such as international airports and central stations, can be beneficial for increasing security, enhancing situational awareness, identifying causes of congestion, improving throughput and efficiency and, ultimately, solving these inefficiencies to provide a streamlined customer experience for travellers. Large education campuses Campus law enforcement can leverage video data to increase situational awareness and public safety Much like a city, large education campuses have internal transportation services, residential facilities, businesses and law enforcement, and video content analysis can support the campus in intelligently managing each of those business units, while also providing video intelligence to these individual groups. Campus law enforcement can leverage video data to increase situational awareness and public safety, driving real-time responses with the ability to make informed assessments and accelerating post-event investigations with access to easily extractable video data. When campuses are expanding or developing additional infrastructure, they can plan new crosswalks, traffic lights, roads, buildings and entrances and exits based on comprehensive video intelligence. By understanding where pedestrians and vehicles dwell, walk, cross or even violate traffic laws, the campus can inform construction projects and traffic optimization. Countless business operations The campus can leverage video business intelligence to justify leasing pricing for different retailers across campusFinally, the campus can leverage video business intelligence to justify leasing pricing for different retailers across campus, demonstrating property values based on traffic trends that can be correlated with retailer point of sale data. Whether its empowering security, productivity or decision-making, the insights generated by AI-based technology can drive significant optimization – especially when data is fused and cross-referenced across smart sensors and systems for even deeper intelligence. In the case of AI-backed video analytics, diverse organizations can harness video surveillance impactfully and dynamically. Whereas once video technology investments could be justified for their security value – with the introduction of AI capabilities – procurement teams can evaluate these solutions for countless business operations, because they offer broadly valuable intelligence. And video surveillance and analytics is merely one example of AI-driven solutions’ potential to disrupt business as we know it.

Artificial intelligence allows machines to do jobs previously done by people. When it comes to security and surveillance, this technology allows cameras and control room equipment to identify a wide range of threats automatically and in real time across hundreds or even thousands of cameras – allowing security teams to take immediate action to protect people and assets. AI Technology And Surveillance Solutions Artificial Intelligence technology built into surveillance solutions help organizations optimize their security Video surveillance cameras are the electronic eyes of any security operation. In the past, human supervision was needed to make sense of the images captured, and to assess whether certain events posed a security risk or not. With some organizations using hundreds or even thousands of cameras to protect their people and assets, manual review of footage is simply impossible – potentially leaving them vulnerable to security breaches. Advanced Artificial Intelligence technology built into surveillance solutions can help organizations overcome this challenge and optimize their security. This means cameras, control-room equipment and back-end infrastructure can now ‘learn’ about potential threats for themselves by recognizing people, vehicles and even behaviors. Detection And Prevention The manual interventions needed with traditional security systems mean that teams were frequently reacting to breaches that had already happened. Artificial intelligence changes all this by recognizing potential threats before they impact company’s people or assets – allowing security teams to react immediately to neutralise any potential threat. Artificial intelligence solutions can automatically trigger alerts when a person appears in a restricted area For example, artificial Intelligence solutions can automatically trigger alerts when a person appears in a restricted area, or when a vehicle with a blacklisted number plate enters a site. With alerts delivered in real time, teams can identify and react to security threats and protect people and assets more effectively. And because alerts are automated, potential threats are hardly missed or overlooked. How Does Artificial Intelligence Work? Artificial intelligence systems become more intelligent over time, building databases of potential threats and reacting to new events accordingly. This allows systems to ‘think for themselves’ and to alert teams of any suspicious events or people who are caught on camera. Artificial intelligence technologies use advanced algorithms based on Deep Learning to distinguish between different kinds of security events and threats. Technologies incorporated into the Hikvision portfolio include: Facial recognition which allows law enforcement personnel to identify suspects and commercial teams to identify VIP customers in real time. Vehicle identification which can be used to identify vehicle number plates and recognize different types of vehicles (even down to make and model), or to trigger alerts when vehicles enter restricted areas. Perimeter protection which helps organizations to identify real threats by distinguishing people and vehicles from other moving objects and keeping false alarms to a minimum. Business intelligence which employs people counting, queue detection, and heat mapping technologies, so that organizations can enhance operational efficiency by making use of the data report. Increasing Commercial Success  Artificial intelligence isn’t just useful for identifying security threats – although this is a key strength of the technology. It can also help organizations increase their competitiveness and commercial success. For example, VIP customers who opt to participate in special marketing promotions or other incentives can be identified so staff can provide the right kind of service at the right time. This gives organizations the opportunity to personalize the service experience, foster loyalty and maximize customer lifetime revenues. Artificial Intelligence can help organizations to better understand customers and meet their needs more effectively In the same way, artificial Intelligence can help organizations to better understand customers and meet their needs more effectively – leading to more commercial opportunities. One feature – called People Counting – allows stores and commercial centers to map footfall at peak times, ensuring that staffing is optimized to meet demand. At the same time, stores can see which areas of the building customers visit most and adjust their merchandising and product positioning accordingly to maximize the sales opportunities. Artificial Intelligence At Hikvision Hikvision’s family of artificial intelligence products include the DeepinView network cameras and DeepinMind NVRs. The products help to tackle security with facial recognition; monitoring and counting of people; and recognition and detection of vehicles, to name a few. These features all depend on artificial intelligence technology to recognize, classify and respond to security threats. This article was written by Hikvision.

Most customers interface with their financial institutions using automated teller machines (ATMs), which have security issues. However, there are solutions available to combat all current security threats, and the cost of protection is coming down. The ATM industry is therefore in a position to minimize losses, while ensuring consumers continue to get the vital cash they need to lead their daily lives. It is important for the ATM industry to constantly innovate to meet new security challenges. So what innovations are we going to see in the next five years? Contactless technology Contactless technology will be a great help against ATM skimming, in which criminals steal personal information at ATM machines. Contactless is already being used in some European countries, and the number is increasing. Not having to insert a card into the ATM removes the opportunity to trap cards and also gets around the problem of “foreign” devices installed to read cards. So contactless technology, which some saw as the end of cash, can help make ATMs and cash more secure. Data capture form to appear here! Not having to insert a card into the ATM removes the opportunity to trap cards Biometrics are certain to be used increasingly to bolster ATM security. Finger, palm, vein, iris and facial recognition all have potential in this respect. Any of these may in the future be used with or without cards, PINs and one-time codes. Speed of operation in relation to biometrics could ultimately govern their use at ATMs. There may also be privacy issues that need to be addressed. The ATM vestibule environment must add security with proper security and surveillance equipment. ATM vestibules, or lobbies, are installed for many good reasons. For one, more convenient, 24/7 locations equals better customer retention for a bank, offering comfort and convenience. 24/7 access to ATMs, night drops, coin counters, online banking kiosks, and other self-service solutions are very much in demand. Second, ATM vestibules protect customers from inclement weather and provide a more comfortable banking environment (however, vagrancy can be an issue; therefore ATM vestibules should require card access). Security and surveillance solutions can’t just be for show. ATMs and crime A new crime wave is hitting automated teller machines (ATMs); the common banking appliances are being rigged to spit out their entire cash supplies into a criminal’s waiting hands. The common banking appliances are being rigged to spit out their entire cash supplies into a criminal’s waiting hands The crime is called “ATM jackpotting” and has targeted banking machines located in grocery shops, pharmacies and other locations in Taiwan, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Rough estimates place the total amount of global losses at up to $60 million. The protection of ATMs ATMs in supermarkets and pharmacies tend to be targeted because they may not be as well-protected, and store personnel likely would not know who is authorized to work on the ATM. In contrast, anyone approaching an ATM at a bank location would be more likely to be challenged. ATM jackpotting originated back in 2010 when Barnaby Jack, a New Zealand hacker and computer expert, demonstrated how he could exploit two ATMs and make them dispense cash on the stage at the Black Hat computer security conference in Las Vegas. Since then, malware has been created and made available on the “Dark Web” that can instruct an ATM to dispense all its cash on demand. ATM jackpotting ATM jackpotting is a combination of a physical crime and a cyberattack ATM jackpotting is a combination of a physical crime and a cyberattack. Typically, a criminal with a fake ID enters a grocery shop or pharmacy posing as an ATM technician, then uses a crowbar to open the top of the ATM – the “top hat” – to gain access to the personal computer that operates the machine. Once he or she has access to the PC, they remove the hard drive, disable any anti-virus software, install a malware program, replace the hard drive and then reboot the computer. The whole operation takes about 30 seconds. The malware then enables the thief to remotely control the ATM and direct it to dispense all its cash on command. If a legitimate customer approaches the machine in the meantime, it can operate as usual until activated otherwise by the malware. Catch up on part one and part two of our banking security mini series.

A video analytics system that provides ‘behavioral understanding’ can yield more meaningful and actionable data for a range of applications. In public safety and security, such a system can alert on violent or suspicious behaviors, such as people fighting, vandalism, people with weapons, etc. In advanced traffic surveillance and monitoring, it can provide alerts to vehicle collisions (accidents), traffic hazards or vehicle that aren’t using the road properly, such as a car that stops in the middle of the junction. For enterprise and campus security, it can provide advanced anti-tailgating and detect unauthorized activity. Video surveillance infrastructure viisights was founded by a group of entrepreneurs with track records in developing technology businesses These uses are among the benefits of viisights’ video analytics technology based on behavioral understanding of video content. “It means we can extract more meaningful data from the huge amount of video content that is captured, and we can transform that data to actionable insights that eventually justify the massive investment in video surveillance infrastructure,” says Asaf Birenzvieg, CEO of viisights. Their behavioral understanding systems for real-time video intelligence leverage artificial intelligence technology. viisights was founded by a group of serial entrepreneurs with track records in developing technology businesses. The Israeli company’s founders recognized a growing global need for intelligence to make physical and virtual public areas safer – and realized the role that smart video understanding technology can play. Developing artificial intelligence technologies viisights is committed to developing artificial intelligence technologies that facilitate human-like video understanding, which in turn serves as the basis for fully autonomous video intelligence systems powered by pattern prediction technology. “Behavioral recognition is the future of video analytics and the next generation of the object classification analytics systems that hold the majority of the market today,” says Birenzvieg. viisights has developed a video understanding technology for real-time video processing “To date most video analytics systems still base their product features on static analysis of objects from images using image recognition, even the ones that use ‘AI analytics.’ Products built using such object classification technology are extremely limited.” For example, object classification analytics cannot recognize behavioral events in a video such as people fighting or a car collision because such behaviors can’t accurately be concluded in large scale from analyzing a single static image/frame. Video understanding technology viisights has developed a video understanding technology for real-time video processing. The technology can process live video feeds. In addition to recognizing a particular object (e.g., person) and its attributes (e.g., red shirt), the system can understand an object’s actions, interactions with other objects (events), the scene being viewed (i.e., crowd is gathering, riots) and the context (a car is driving on the road or on the sidewalk). The main verticals are smart cities, enterprises and campuses, banks and ATM security“Basically, we are able to extract more meaningful data from a live video feed and therefore create actionable insights and greater ROI,” says Birenzvieg. The company focuses mostly on security and safety use-cases. The main verticals are smart cities, enterprises and campuses, banks and ATM security, security guard companies and transportation hubs. The company is working on a new product for in-vehicle monitoring mostly for security, safety, vehicle protection and proper vehicle use; it monitors passengers’ behavior inside a bus, train, or taxi. The product will come to market next year. Video management system viisights’ video analytics offering is currently optimized for server-side deployment, and the integration architecture is similar to most video analytics systems. From one side it is integrated with the video management system (VMS). They are a Milestone verified partner and soon will be part of Milestone's marketplace. From the other end, it is connected to a command-and-control system for processing the data and presenting the alerts to the end-user. The analytics company makes most sales through system integrators. They have partnerships with big system integrators like Motorola Solutions and NEC and are also working with smaller ones. They are looking to expand their system integrator network, mostly in the USA and Europe. Behaviors can have many variations and they can be very diverse Cloud video surveillance “We will continue to invest in performance and accuracy, meaning higher recall and lower false positive rate,” says Birenzvieg. “Since our major value proposition is in behavior recognition, behavior events many times are not clearly defined, which is very different from object classification. Behaviors can have many variations and they can be very diverse.” An example is a simple behavior like a person falling on the floor. A person can fall on the floor in many ways, but the challenge is to ignore similar behaviors that are not a person falling and that confuse the system, such as a person bending over to tie his shoelaces. With cloud video surveillance becoming a trend, viisights is also looking into offering some of their advanced functionalities in a video-analytics-as-a-service-model.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, present a range of threats, from the careless and clueless to the criminal. While many incidents may seem harmless, the threat to any location at any time depends on a range of factors. Drones are inexpensive for criminals to buy or make, and there are continuously improving battery, airspeed, and payload capabilities. UAVs can also fly without an RF signal to jam or hack. Fortunately, sensor technologies including radar are available for security agencies and personnel to protect assets and the public. Radio-Wave Signals Radar works as a deterrent by sending out a radio-wave signal using a transmitter antenna, and a small portion of that signal reflects off objects in its path and returns to a receiver antenna. The highest performing radars use an antenna technology called Active Electronically Scanning Array (AESA), which enables all-electronic reconfiguration of the antennas. When an AESA radar detects an object, it can ‘focus’ its antennas to track the object, in much the same way as the zoom on a camera does. Multiple objects can be tracked while continuing to scan. Kirkland, WA-based Echodyne offers a radar product that brings these ESA capabilities to non-military security applications at commercial price points. Combining proprietary hardware with intelligent software, Echodyne produces a compact, solid-state, electronically scanning array Echodyne’s ESA Radar Echodyne says they are reinventing radar price-performance for security applications in the ground (people, vehicles) or air (counter-UAS) domains. Combining proprietary hardware with intelligent software, Echodyne produces a compact, solid-state, electronically scanning array (ESA) radar that is affordable for commercial, law enforcement, and governmental customers. The company is backed by high profile investors, including Bill Gates, Madrona Venture Group, Vulcan Capital, NEA, and Lux Capital. “Radar is a sensor,” says Leo McCloskey, Echodyne VP Marketing. “It is most applicable when security professionals can both understand its capabilities and define risk assessment and deployment requirements that call for those capabilities. Our customers are primarily security system integrators and consultancies, which integrate the performance of radar into a sensor array that meets mission requirements.” Radar Technology For Border Surveillance Echodyne was selected by the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for its Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) to demonstrate the performance of its radar technology for border surveillance applications. The radar was deployed both in fixed remote surveillance towers and as a lightweight rapid deployment kit for field agents. Able to surveil ground and air domains, the radar combines versatility and commercial price with surveillance capabilities. “We set out to build the world’s best compact, solid-state ESA radar sensor, and we are demonstrating that we’ve reached that objective,” says McCloskey. “We’re excited to introduce these capabilities for other security applications.” Able to surveil ground and air domains, the radar combines versatility and commercial price with surveillance capabilities MESA Technology Echodyne’s proprietary technology provides a small true electronically scanning array (ESA) radar. Unlike expensive Active ESA (AESA) phased array radars, MESA requires no physical phase shifters, thus reducing the cost, size, weight, and power by several orders of magnitude while maintaining all the benefits of fast ESA radar. Echodyne combines its MESA technology with an intelligent software suite, Acuity, to produce a configurable, software-defined radar for commercial, law enforcement, and governmental security applications. The capability is also useful for temporary events such as rallies and marathons, and many other market applications “Technology seems to make everything more available to more people over time,” says McCloskey. “What is a retail product today will be a purchased self-assembly kit tomorrow and an improvised self-made drone the following day. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is diligently at work on creating rules for safe UAV operation, though any final rules remain some distance off. As drone volumes increase, delineating friend from foe in the airspace requires clear legal and regulatory frameworks, which are nascent but would help distinguish the threat of nuisance flyers from illegal overflight.” Radar Sensor For Security Applications “Detecting and tracking airspace objects of interest is imperative for airports, chemical plants, oil and gas installations, refineries, water and energy utilities, stadiums and other public spaces”, says McCloskey. The capability is also useful for temporary events such as rallies and marathons, and many other market applications. “As with any product, our applicability will depend on variables like location, terrain, risk assessment, and existing security technologies,” says McCloskey. “Our mission is to deliver the very best radar sensor for security applications.”

While HENSOLDT is a global pioneer of technologies that are designed for protecting armed forces, civilians, assets and borders, the company is also actively making a difference as a protector of endangered species.  South Africa is known for its iconic wildlife and is also home to one of HENSOLDT’s largest industrial sites. As a result, it came as a natural progression to protect the country’s wildlife using state-of-the-art defense and security technologies.   Rise in rhino poaching  In recent years, animals such as rhinos have been under increased pressure due to rising poaching levels, threatening the future of these animals. South Africa holds nearly 80% of the world’s rhinos and has been hit the hardest by poaching, with more than 1 000 rhinos killed each year between 2013 and 2017.  HENSOLDT celebrates three years of zero poaching on the world’s largest rhino conservancy HENSOLDT responded to this threat, and is now combining advanced intelligence, radar and optical surveillance systems with physical security for high-end wildlife protection.  This week, HENSOLDT celebrates three years of zero poaching on the world’s largest rhino conservancy, where HENSOLDT’s technologies have been keeping a large number of rhino safe. HENSOLDT South Africa designed and installed a surveillance and security system on the farm and since then, not one animal has been lost to poaching. “Before that, we had poaching every month, sometimes every week,” says John Hume, owner of Buffalo Dream Ranch.  Situational awareness  In 2017, Buffalo Dream Ranch, the world’s largest rhino farm, started a partnership with HENSOLDT to secure 8000 hectares of land, where some 1800 rhinos now live peacefully, protected by state-of-the-art HENSOLDT technology. The specially developed system combines a number of advanced sensors, including optical and radar sensors, to monitor the rhinos, farm and surrounding area.   Data from these sensors are fused using advanced analytics at a command and control center to provide complete situational awareness and early-warning of potential poachers approaching the area.  In combination with existing physical barriers and a team of security personnel, the system augments the total security approach to create a surveillance solution, with technology that is always on guard, never fatigues and which cannot be compromised. “We are for the first time in years feeling confident, with HENSOLDT, of perfecting the protection of our rhino,” says Hume.  Wildlife protection  The know-how acquired through these projects can be applied for protecting other wildlife “We are honored to be part of important initiatives such as the conservation of our wildlife and we aim to expand our efforts,” says Hennie Venter, Chief Executive of the HENSOLDT South Africa GEW business unit.   The know-how acquired through these projects can be applied for protecting other wildlife and national parks to safe-keep endangered species such as lions, elephants and even abalone.  HENSOLDT prides itself on its relationship with its clients. “For us it’s not putting down the equipment and getting the business, for us it’s rather a journey,” says Werner Muller, GEW’s Chief Executive of Spectrum Monitoring and Security.  Needs-based solutions  Because of this philosophy, and because each wildlife scenario is different, with its own unique set of challenges, HENSOLDT’s experts collaborate with each client to develop a solution that addresses their specific needs.  Through its business units, GEW and Optronics, HENSOLDT South Africa delivers solutions to clients across the world, and significantly contributes to South Africa’s export industry, while it is firmly grounded in its roots as a proudly South African company, operating in South Africa for South Africa. HENSOLDT is committed to continue innovating to protect the wildlife. 

Many organizations use hundreds and even thousands of surveillance cameras on their premises. They are used for crime or loss prevention, to have supporting evidence after the fact, to reduce liability, and to protect their reputation. The public generally expects that surveillance footage will be available after an incident and therefore it is almost a must to have a camera system. The US alone has over 200 million security cameras already installed with substantial growth anticipated over coming years. Most expensive camera A simple answer to this problem would just be to check every camera at least once a day, every day At any time and without warning, it is possible for problems to arise that affect the view of a camera. Examples include a branch of a tree growing in front of a camera’s view, bugs creating a nest inside a camera dome, condensation accumulating on and around the lens, wind knocking a camera off its axis, malicious tampering with the camera, dirt or mud sticking to the camera, among many others. When that happens, even the highest quality and most expensive camera will not capture the desired field of view and crucial evidence will be missing. Our survey effort of over 100,000 cameras indicates that at least 50% of cameras in a camera system will have a view problem each year. Theoretically at least, a simple answer to this problem would just be to check every camera at least once a day, every day. Artificial intelligence software But for an institution with hundreds or even thousands of cameras, this task is laborious and subject to human error. That’s where Ai-RGUS comes in. Named after the all-seeing giant from Greek mythology, Argus, Ai-RGUS is artificial intelligence software that monitors security cameras and makes sure that they are all working according to a reference image. The ‘i’ in Ai-RGUS is silent, and it indicates that the technology uses AI. Because the CIO of Duke couldn’t find any software on the market that would solve the problem It was designed by CEO Daniël Reichman, PhD, and is the continuation of a project that Duke University requested to be developed from Daniël’s lab at Duke while he was completing his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at Duke, in order to help the university keep its then-1,100 cameras in working order. They requested it from their own lab, because the CIO of Duke couldn’t find any software on the market that would solve the problem of verifying the camera views. Consistent level of verification Although Duke was conducting regular manual inspections of their cameras, this process was onerous, costly and time-consuming for the team members. Furthermore, it was very burdensome to verify and audit manual inspections to ensure that both a consistent level of verification and to be sure it was regularly done. The goal was to avoid the situation of finding out a camera was not aimed right or was not recording until they went to access the video for evidentiary purposes… exactly the time you don’t want to find that out! “It’s a huge investment to put up 1,100 cameras,” Daniël Reichman, Ph.D., said, “so they want to make sure that once they have them, they can actually count on having the images from the cameras.” Camera inspection results Thanks in part to Ai-RGUS, Duke was able to nearly double its camera system in 2 years Since 2017, the software is operating successfully at Duke University. Thanks in part to Ai-RGUS, Duke was able to nearly double its camera system in 2 years. Duke’s Office of Information Technology reports that “We spend on average 5 minutes a day to inspect 2,000+ cameras thanks to Ai-RGUS.” A company spun out of this effort, called Ai-RGUS, with the University as a stakeholder. Ai-RGUS comes with a web dashboard that will allow you to see camera inspection results as well as historical analytics about your cameras system. It has an easy and automated install process and is agnostic to camera system size. It also comes with an API to integrate with your ticketing system. Ai-RGUS keeps security cameras in check by first requiring users to take a reference image that the software will use as the basis for comparison to the current image it sees. Identifying faulty cameras Potential problems that Ai-RGUS could identify in an image are blur, tilt, tamper, obstruction, glare, low light and a blank/black screen or feed down. If Ai-RGUS identifies a problem in a camera it will mark it as ‘unwell,’ so its owner can fix it. Ai-RGUS also keeps track of when cameras are habitually ‘unwell’ to help owners to identify faulty cameras for potential replacement. For security camera owners, it was such a headache to install the cameras" “It’s the kind of thing where you can set it and forget it,” Daniël said. “Ai-RGUS sends you emails when it needs to, it also has an API that can connect to an already existing ticketing system. Otherwise, don’t bother looking at the camera views. The surveillance camera hardware and software space is so complicated and fractured, we’re trying to make it as simple as possible. For security camera owners, it was such a headache to install the cameras. Now we want to make sure the system works as intended.” Video management software Ai-RGUS started its commercial efforts in May 2019 and have gained much traction since. The headquarters are still located in Durham, NC, and commercialization efforts are done from Las Vegas, NV. Among the many partners who signed up and utilize Ai-RGUS are Duke University, the City of Las Vegas, Thomas and Mack, Green Valley Grocery, Temple Beth Sholom, among others; to show that Ai-RGUS is suitable for deployment in many vertical markets. Now, Ai-RGUS is focusing more on further discussing partnerships with system integrators, distributors, and camera installation services, along with Video Management Software companies, which can include Ai-RGUS at the time of installation or for legacy systems to existing clients as a bonus service.

Mines are unique operating environments with highly specific health and safety challenges. In particular, underground mining operations typically experience low-visibility conditions and light pollution from flashlights, vehicle lights and reflective strips on equipment and clothing, making traditional surveillance and safety monitoring difficult. These were some of the challenges facing Jiangzhuang Coal Mine in the Shangdong Province of China, which covers an underground area of 43 square kilometers, and produces more than 1.8 million tons of coal each year. The top priority for the mine’s management team is worker safety, and working practices and production are monitored 24 hours a day to minimize accident risks. Aging surveillance system Kong Qingwei, Director of the Jiangzhuang Coal Mine Dispatch Office, says, “We need to respond immediately to unsafe situations in the mine, whether they are caused by environmental factors, poorly performing machines, or employees not following authorized work procedures.” Its aging surveillance system made health and safety monitoring difficult in key areas of the mine Although the mine invests heavily in safety training and equipment for workers, its aging surveillance system made health and safety monitoring difficult in key areas of the mine. “Our previous surveillance system required us to monitor around 30 screens, 24 hours a day, often with sub-optimal image quality caused by low-light conditions or light pollution,” says Kong Qingwei. “This made our jobs extremely difficult and tiring, as well as impacting our ability to respond to safety issues quickly enough.” Maximizing worker safety To address its health and safety challenges, Jiangzhuang Coal Mine has implemented an intelligent video surveillance and control system from Hikvision. The Hikvision solution supports crystal-clear video imaging, even in low-light conditions, or where light pollution is created by lights or reflective strips. This quality and clarity of imaging ensures that hidden risks can be identified more quickly and easily, allowing the safety team to respond more quickly and to protect workers in all areas of the mine.   Improving worker health and safety In addition to the improved imaging capabilities, the Hikvision cameras incorporate deep learning technologies to identify and respond to health and safety risks in the mine automatically, and in real time. Specifically, the cameras can identify when employees deviate from approved work procedures and send alerts to the safety team to ensure staff can be deployed before accidents occur. The new Hikvision system increases worker safety by monitoring the areas around winches and other equipment" For example, it is prohibited for workers to come too close to winches when they are working due to safety risks, but this is hard to monitor with traditional video cameras. “The new Hikvision system increases worker safety by monitoring the areas around winches and other equipment, and by sending alerts if employees get too close,” says Kong Qingwei. Delivering continual improvement  In the first three months of operation, the new Hikvision system identified more than 30 deviations from safe operating procedures. Zhang Liu, Deputy Chief Engineer at Jiangzhuang Coal Mine, says, “In the past, many of these safety risks could have gone unnoticed. However, the Hikvision system has allowed us to identify every incident in real time and to take immediate action to protect our workers, which is a hugely satisfying outcome for us.” As well as alerting the team to potential security risks in real time, the Hikvision system also records the details of any safety incident for later analysis. “As well as accurately capturing deviations from safe working procedures, the Hikvision system supports playback and download functions,” says Zhang Liu. “We can use the insights we record to deliver continual improvement for safety procedures, and, ultimately, to support our vision for a ‘zero-accident’ mine,” he adds. Addressing mining-specific safety requirements The Hikvision solution is configured to support specific mining-safety applications, such as constant monitoring of surface water levels in different areas of the mine. With the Hikvision system, we can manage surface-water levels constantly" “Constant seepage from rock formations means that surface water can accumulate in different areas of the mine, which is a problem in terms of potential flooding, damage to infrastructure, and worker safety risks,” says Zhang Liu. “With the Hikvision system, we can manage surface-water levels constantly and take action to deal with any problems that arise before water levels exceed safe limits,” he adds. Increasing effectiveness for the safety team In addition to surface water management, the Hikvision solution supports improved safety in other potentially dangerous areas of the mine, including inclined tunnels that are used for transporting coal and other materials underground. “The Hikvision system is like an intelligent 'eye' for us in all areas of the mine, helping us to identify potential safety issues in a timely and accurate way and to protect our workers at all times,” says Kong Qingwei. With automated alerts for all manner of potential safety threats, the safety team can be far more effective, with no need to monitor video images constantly. “Instead of looking at grainy images on 30 screens, we can now spend more of our time responding to incidents, supporting workers, and keeping them safe,” says Zhang Liu. “This is a classic example of how automation can help to improve mine safety, while also reducing the tiring workloads associated with manual monitoring of screens.”

Danish Superliga Soccer Club Brøndby IF has enhanced fan safety by using Panasonic security solutions to prevent banned soccer hooligans from entering the stadium, while maintaining visitor privacy and complying with European Union General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Installing Panasonic’s FacePRO facial recognition system at the entrances to the stadium has helped to more effectively identify those on the banned list. The club had been aware that family attendance had fallen at some of the more high-profile games, such as the local derby with F.C. Copenhagen, due to concerns over hooliganism, illegal use of flares and safety. Family-friendly stadium With an average attendance of 14,000 people per game, and up to 100 registered persons on the stadium blacklist for causing trouble, the soccer club wanted to find a way to make genuine fans feel even safer at the family-friendly stadium by preventing any problems before they could occur. Up until this point, lists of banned people were distributed to security staff at the entrance gates. They would manually check each person coming into the stadium but the process was time consuming and not always effective. With the use of Panasonic’s security solution, blacklisted offenders can now be automatically identified in the crowd before they attempt to enter the stadium. System operators in the surveillance room double check matches made by the system before sending notification to the stewards at the gates to prevent them from entering. Panasonic FacePro solution Brøndby IF sought approval on its approach to GDPR compliance from the Danish Data Protection Agency The automated procedure at the stadium entrance also decreases congestion at the gates, so genuine fans can get into the stadium faster. As well as improving security outside, the system allows staff more time to focus their attention on creating a safe and entertaining environment for those inside the stadium. Another issue important to address in the implementation was compliance with European Union GDPR. The Panasonic FacePro solution is very flexible and can be configured to delete or store data as required. To meet Brøndby IF’s requirements, data from the camera is encrypted and the data and images of people not on the blacklist are never stored. In addition, the details of banned individuals are encrypted and only stored on a server blocked from the Internet and all other external systems. Brøndby IF sought permission and approval on its approach to GDPR compliance from the Danish Data Protection Agency. Facial recognition system Mickel Lauritsen, Head of Security at Brøndby IF, said: “We can see that we have decreased the amount of flares being used within the stadium during our matches. It has been a success and it’s an absolutely vital tool in order to maintain safety and security.” Gerard Figols, Head of the European security business at Panasonic, commented: “Panasonic’s facial recognition system contributes to a safer stadium environment by alleviating security pressure on the ground, while ensuring that all data is protected from unauthorized external access." "The accuracy and processing capacity of Panasonic FacePRO means that it is ideal for soccer, and other sporting stadiums around the world, as well as many other venues where security and high visitor numbers are a factor. Besides the pure security factor, our facial recognition system can also help to enhance the customer experience by providing quicker, more streamlined access or tailored services.”

Critical building management and security systems at one of the most advanced super-high-rise towers, the landmark Wasl Tower in Dubai, are to be integrated with Maxxess eFusion technology. The 302-meter multipurpose tower, which will be operated by the Mandarin Oriental Hospitality Group, incorporates offices, guest rooms, public areas and apartments, and is situated in a pivotal Dubai location. The Wasl Tower is designed with advanced sustainability features including natural shading and cooling, adaptive lighting, one of the world’s tallest natural ceramic facades, and a vertical boulevard. eFusion was selected for the project because of the flexibility it allows, enabling rapid integration, off-the-shelf, with a wide choice of security, safety and business-critical technologies. With a modular, building block approach, eFusion provides an umbrella management system and drives service efficiency by removing the need for operators to continually switch between systems. Visitor management system By keeping it simple and integrating with the widest choice of technologies, Maxxess removes the complexity A key use of the technology will be to integrate back-of-house operations at the Wasl guest apartments with front-of-house systems, for maximum ease of use and operational efficiency using the Maxxess unified platform. This eFusion solution comprises a 900-plus reader ASSA ABLOY VingCard access control system, a 1700 camera Hanwha surveillance system, and advanced key management with Deister ProxSafe, and it will use the BACnet protocol to integrate the building management system (BMS). The Tower will also benefit from Maxxess VisitorPoint visitor management system, a Zenitel intelligent communication system and disabled call-to-assist alarms. The VisitorPoint integration will improve the guest and resident experience, reduce administration and front-desk queuing, and ensure smooth running of functions from visitor and contractor management to collections and deliveries, and security. Streamline security, safety and facilities management “The challenge with projects of this scale is to find a simple, straightforward platform that communicates with everything and works with all the systems involved,” says Lee Copland, Managing Director EMEA, Maxxess. “By keeping it simple, and integrating with the widest choice of technologies, Maxxess removes the complexity.” The Wasl Tower project is the latest of a growing number of mixed-use developments, including hotels, retail, office and residential complexes to use eFusion to streamline security, safety and facilities management. Last year Maxxess won an Intersec Award for its major eFusion implementation at Bluewaters Island.

PACOM Systems, which designs, develops, and manufactures security platforms for enterprise multi-site and campus environments, announces that Hancock Whitney Corporation continues to roll out the PACOM GMS security management platform to their growing number of bank financial centers and ATMs. Hancock Whitney Corporation operates bank offices and financial centers in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, offering comprehensive financial products and services, including traditional and online banking; commercial and small business banking; private banking; trust and investment services; healthcare banking; certain insurance services; and mortgage services. Multi-Site security management platform GMS meets end-user demands for a multi-site security system with multiple integrations PACOM’s relationship began with Hancock Bank in Mississippi and, after Hancock’s acquisition of Louisiana-based Whitney Bank in 2011, blossomed further still. Currently, the PACOM GMS software platform manages card access and intrusion monitoring at 258 locations and growing. Hancock Whitney does all its own 24/7/365 alarm monitoring from a central location in Gulfport, Mississippi. There are also two company data centers monitored and protected by PACOM GMS. GMS is a robust multi-site security management platform, providing integration between access control, intrusion, video, intercom and virtually any building management or security solution. Designed to manage thousands of locations simultaneously through a single interface, while providing industry-leading availability and redundancy. GMS meets end-user demands for a multi-site security system with multiple integrations. Third-Party monitoring companies “One of the biggest advantages of the PACOM system,” commented Al Tapper, CPP, Manager, Bank Protective Services for Hancock Whitney Corporation, “is it’s all-inclusive with integrated card access and alarms. We have our entire company on a single, integrated platform. We do our own alarm monitoring, which is a big plus because we can immediately verify what is going on in any of our financial centers.” One of our banking acquisitions had two third-party monitoring companies" Tapper continued, “One of our banking acquisitions had two third-party monitoring companies. It was one false alarm after another. That’s dangerous, and it can be quite expensive. With PACOM and self-monitoring, we avoid that. The PACOM system also helps with disaster recovery. We can see what’s going on in our financial centers and know if our alarms are working.” Central monitoring station Hancock Whitney has launched another phase to their company-wide security platform: video integration. When an alarm goes off in any branch, the central monitoring station will automatically be able to see events associated with that alarm. Eventually, all branches and ATMs will have video monitoring with a number of integrated cameras at each location. The system currently provides access to more than 5,000 card holders with varying levels of access privileges. Alarm protocols are in place for each location, with Tapper and his team managing and monitoring the system. “PACOM helps us adapt the system to our changing needs; and when we provide feedback, PACOM listens and will consistently respond directly to that feedback, said Tapper.”

We live in an era of Big Data. Surrounded by a flood of information, more companies are looking for ways to analyze that information (data) and systematically extract intelligence that can help them operate more efficiently and profitably. The data obsession has extended to the physical security industry, too, where large amounts of data have historically been a little-used byproduct of our access control and even video systems. But the picture is changing. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What impact are data analytics having on the security market?

When it comes to security and to ensuring the integrity of gaming operations, today’s casino market is risk-averse. Regulations direct the required surveillance of table games and slot machines, while modern casinos are often sprawling complexes that have a variety of other risks to be addressed, too. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the challenges of the casino market relating to security and surveillance technology?

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?