Surveillance systems

Amthal has been working closely with UK, secure cloud CCTV specialists Cloudview, to upgrade legacy network surveillance systems into smart cloud based, compliant solutions for the benefit of staff and residents at Notting Hill Genesis. Notting Hill Genesis is one of the largest housing associations in London and the south-east. With head offices in Kings Cross, and five further site locations requiring high quality protection for more than 1,500 office based staff, Amthal has worked closely with Cloudview to take responsibility for security maintenance across the office portfolio, alongside ensuring the safety and security of residents in new and existing housing stock. Secure remote access Cloudview is supplying its specialist systems for Amthal to install across the office and development network To ensure efficiency savings, compliance and smart capability when it comes to CCTV, Notting Hill Genesis’ visual data partner Cloudview, is supplying its specialist systems for Amthal to install across the office and development network. The new system removes the need for digital video recorders and allow authorized personnel instant and secure remote access for management or evidential footage stored as required in case of a threat or emergency. Says Suki Kahlon, Office Services Manager, Central Services for Notting Hill Genesis: “The need to update CCTV systems to ensure compliance with latest GDPR regulations was of paramount importance, both for the Notting Hill Genesis team, and also our residents and their safety. Partnering with Cloudview and later with Amthal who understand our working environment, is of great assurance. Both operated to enable a scalable upgrade program of works across our office base and housing developments." Visual data infrastructure "Essentially our ambition is that wherever we have CCTV systems in place, we want to upgrade to the cloud and bring our networks together in a centrally managed, visual data infrastructure. The Cloudview solution has been well received by building managers and authorized personnel, and being simple to install with Amthal minimizing downtime, provides remote access across our housing portfolio as and when required for all our safety and security.” In total, to date Notting Hill Genesis, together with Amthal’s installation and maintenance teams has completed the install at its head office in Kings Cross and West London office in Hammersmith, alongside new housing development connections, forming part of its pledge that everyone has a safe and secure environment.  Smart surveillance technology The new surveillance technology is created to offer alerts when instant action is required, based on what is identified as a threat. Visual data can be accessed anywhere at any time on any device and shared immediately and saved for up to 12 months if required, with 30 day delete options as standard to comply with GDPR. It is only accessible by authorized personnel all with audit control capability, for full compliance. Notting Hill Genesis is committed to providing safe and secure communities for residents to thrive" Stephen Bates, CEO of Cloudview added: “Notting Hill Genesis is committed to providing safe and secure communities for residents to thrive. And equally it is very clear on its responsibilities to its team, who are at the heart of these communities. The need for smart surveillance technology, that can be centrally managed is integral, and we were delighted to offer a solution that could bring these requirements together." Seamless installation process "With the help of Amthal, we could enable a seamless installation process between all Notting Hill Genesis’ offices and housing developments.” Phil Bryant, Manager, Strategic Accounts Team of Amthal Fire & Security added: “At the heart of social enterprise is the need to create homes and communities in which residents want to live, managed by dedicated, local teams as Notting Hill Genesis employ, who now have smart systems in place to ensure ongoing safety and security." Advanced electronic solutions "The Cloudview system installed by Amthal, with both of us operating in constant collaboration, has proven to offer best value and significant efficiency savings, that can be maintained to ensure ongoing compliance and simple maintenance plans. It also allows Notting Hill Genesis staff to have a much more reactive and instant approach to any threat identified, creating total peace of mind all round.” Independently owned, Amthal Fire & Security is dedicated to satisfying end user needs for security safety and convenience offering design, installation, maintenance and monitoring of advanced electronic fire and security solutions; including intruder, fire, access and CCTV solutions. Amthal Fire & Security is accredited by the Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (SSAIB) United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) and British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE).

Teleste Corporation will supply onboard Public Address, Passenger Information display and CCTV solutions to Alstom’s Coradia trains for the Luxembourg state railways, CFL (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois). With the deliveries taking place in 2020–2024, the agreement covers system deployment for 34 EMU trains and includes an option for an additional 20 trains. “As more than 9.6 billion passengers travel on national railroad networks in the EU annually, meeting the demands for safe and smart mobility requires a high availability of services for both passengers and operators — especially when it comes to the reliable flow of information across the transport networks." Rapid transit flow We look forward to working with Alstom in providing the passengers of CFL with an excellent travel experience" "Teleste’s onboard solution addresses these needs in an easy and effective way by ensuring, for example, the delivery of passenger information between the moving trains and ground systems in real-time,” told Jörn Grasse, Vice President of Rail Information Solutions at Teleste. “We look forward to working with Alstom in providing the passengers of CFL with an excellent travel experience, based on our proven, industry leading onboard technologies.” The Alstom Coradia platform represents more than 30 years of experience in offering high-performance, regional public transport services. Today, more than 2,300 Coradia trains operate in Europe as well as in Canada, providing passengers with easy access to rapid transit flow and safe travel. Video surveillance system The new trains for CFL combine the proven platform with the latest onboard technologies, anticipating the future increase in the number of passengers as well as their expectations for a high-quality travel experience. Teleste’s solution will furnish the trains with a modern passenger information system, enabling easy delivery and management of real-time travel data in moving trains, reinforced by seamlessly connected intercommunication and public address systems as well as TFT and LED displays. In addition, the deployment includes an onboard video surveillance system that will provide safe and secure travel for passengers through easy and effective security control features.

With Hub 2, a user will no longer need to live under round-the-clock camera surveillance to know why an alarm has gone off. Like the first generation of hubs, Hub 2 protects the user’s property against burglars, fire, and flood. But unlike its predecessors, it sends not only alarm notifications but also animated series of images from MotionCam motion detectors.  Thanks to the optional Wings radio protocol, a built-in battery, and two SIM card slots, Hub 2 is independent of the guarded facility infrastructure. It will continue protecting the user’s family and property, even if the building has lost power and Internet connection. Hub 2 is a control tool for safe homes, offices, shops, or even industrial facilities. The control panel can manage up to a 100 of Ajax detectors and devices on a distance of up to 2000 meters. Protection of any scale And this is not the limit - the ReX radio signal range extender boosts the hub’s coverage area to up to 16 km². The new hub has three channels to communicate with the users and security companies: Ethernet and two slots for SIM cards. The second slot allows users to improve stability by choosing two different GSM operators. And thanks to the instantaneous switching between communication channels, Hub 2 is guaranteed to transmit photos and alarms even with an unstable Internet connection. The list of features of the Ajax hubs expands every year with the regular updates of the OS Malevich operating system. To ensure the future development of the Hub 2, Ajax Systems has increased the amount of ROM and RAM and equipped it with a fast processor.

Connected Technologies, maker of the award-winning and patented Connect ONE cloud-hosted management platform, has unveiled a new Application Programming Interface (API) integration with the HALO IoT Smart Sensor from IPVideo Corp., Bay Shore, New York.  Now dealers can offer their customers a complete package of services, intrusion, access control, video surveillance and HALO detection, all controlled and managed with the Connect ONE user interface. “We’re excited about putting this together in one bundled package,” said Dan Simon, Connected Technologies Co-Founder and Managing Partner. Simon, who developed the HALO integration capability, said customers receive instant notifications onscreen through the Connect ONE interface or via email, text message or other push notification. Initiate unlimited notifications “In addition, we can take snapshots from video cameras in the areas where alerts occurred, trigger other events, such as locking and unlocking doors and initiate unlimited notifications with the Connect ONE cloud service.” With HALO, dealers can easily expand their range of services to monitor and detect vaping, sounds and gunshot, air quality and chemicals, notifying personnel of out-of-normal ranges or levels. Users control, manage and remotely support their HALO sensors centrally on one screen with the Connect ONE user interface. Innovative detection technology HALO can be deployed in areas previously off-limits to surveillance or other detection because of privacy concerns HALO, which has garnered widespread industry attention and accolades for its innovative detection technology, originally targeted youth vaping in schools and campuses with air quality detection, expanding into audio analytics, chemical and environmental monitoring for other vertical markets. In addition, HALO can be deployed in areas previously off-limits to surveillance or other detection because of privacy concerns, such as rest rooms, locker rooms and other locations – expanding the possibility for security detection and protection. With Connect ONE, there’s no need for a separate alarm panel to control installed HALO sensors, only internet connectivity. Privacy area security device Detection capabilities include: Audio Analytics – Abnormal noise level, gunshot detection and spoken keyword alerting Air Quality – Vaping, THC, smoke, formaldehyde, benzene, particulates Chemical – Ammonia, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen Light – Occupancy, sensitivity Environmental – Temperature, humidity, tamper, pressure “Our customers benefit from strategic partnerships like we have with Connected Technologies and all the possibilities it brings for loT connectivity,” said Rick Cadiz, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, IPVideo Corp. “This integration is a value proposition that allows dealers to pull in security for privacy areas, in addition to all the other alerts. We are in thousands of schools and expanding with new features like keyword alerting, turning HALO into a privacy area security device across markets like hotels, hospitals, universities and commercial buildings.”

Moxa, an internationally-renowned provider of industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions, has extended its connectivity portfolio with the new EDS-2000 series of unmanaged Ethernet switches featuring up to 16 Ethernet ports and two Gigabit combo ports to meet increasing needs for additional nodes and bandwidth. Slim enough to fit into crowded control cabinets and machines, these plug-and-play switches allow for easier deployment and upgrading of existing devices without configuration hassles. Moxa EDS-2000 switches are inexpensive solutions for implementing industrial control and data acquisition over a LAN and require virtually no IT skills. Serving as a network's backbone, the switches connect a wide variety of data devices, such as meters, sensors and cameras, so that organizations can gain greater visibility into core processes. Critical industrial protocol data Moxa is making its EDS-2000 Series available in five unique designs within two families Long distance fiber uplinks of over 100 meters are made possible by the two Gigabit combo ports available on several EDS-2000 models. The Moxa EDS-2000 Series is designed to push IIoT innovation beyond the performance limitations of current switch technology. For example, network operators can simply flip the DIP switches on the top panel to enable Quality of Service (QoS) and Broadcast Storm Protection (BSP) and help achieve more efficient data streams by reducing delays and failures. QoS guarantees high priority for critical industrial protocol data, while a relay alarm keeps field workers alerted of power disruptions or port disconnections. Moxa is making its EDS-2000 Series available in five unique designs within two families: the EDS-2000-EL and the EDS-2000-ML. Mission-critical automation The EDS-2000-EL Series is an entry-level model ideal for general automation, while the EDS-200-ML is a mainstream switch for mission-critical automation that complies with industry standards in hazardous locations, including process automation, oil and gas, transportation and marine applications. Both feature high EMC resistance and an IP40-rated housing to withstand harsh environments, extreme temperatures (-40 to +75° C), vibrations, and shocks. By raising innovation to the next level, Moxa can now provide its customers with a more agile means to keep pace with growing bandwidth requirements in industrial networks.

Panasonic i-PRO U.S. Intelligent Surveillance, a division of the recently formed Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Co., Ltd., has recently entered into a technology partnership with Wireless CCTV LLC (WCCTV) to offer high performance wireless transmission solutions over state-of-the-art 4G LTE networks. The reciprocal agreement enables authorized Panasonic i-PRO systems integrators and reseller partners to integrate WCCTV wireless solutions for delivery to their customers, and for WCCTV to offer their customers wireless surveillance solutions that integrate Panasonic i-PRO cameras. Rapidly deployable surveillance solutions The combination of imaging and surveillance solutions from Panasonic i-PRO with WCCTV’s proven 4G LTE Wireless Network technology fulfills users’ growing demand for rapidly deployable surveillance solutions that feature the ability to be easily relocated to areas of immediate interest. “WCCTV’s innovative approach to wireless transmission employing 4G LTE technology delivers the performance or integrity our customers demand for professional applications,” said Bill Brennan, President of Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Corporation of America. Wireless transmission technology “We believe the addition of WCCTV’s wireless transmission technology to our growing portfolio of solutions further enhances our position as an end-to-end supplier of comprehensive surveillance and access control system solutions and strengthens our mid-size municipality vertical focus.” “The marriage of WCCTV’s wireless solutions with the globally renowned performance of Panasonic i-PRO’s imaging and surveillance solutions is a win-win for both our companies, our reseller partners and the customers we all serve,” said Adam Haworth, Executive Vice President at WCCTV. “We look forward to working with Panasonic i-PRO and their integration partners to help existing and new potential users resolve longstanding surveillance issues related to traditional wired network connectively.”

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about an unprecedented crisis for businesses and individuals. It has also created a new normal, notwithstanding the disruption to our lives, ultimately changing life as we knew it. However, our resilience as humans will ensure that we survive and become better, stronger, and more determined than ever before. As I mentioned, both businesses and individuals have struggled significantly to balance the need for safety versus survival. But at AxxonSoft, we remain committed to keeping our people safe, while ensuring that our support and commitment to our clients are not compromised. Ensuring business continuity At AxxonSoft, our vision has always been to ensure business continuity through enhanced safety and video surveillance offerings. Adhering to the COVID-19 regulations, we are prescribing to social distancing to slow the spread of the virus. As such, we are utilising this time to ensure that our service offering is optimized to afford our clients the ability to repurpose and extend their remote working viabilities. As an essential service provider, we have ensured that we are providing the right tools to our clients to comply with regulations. Our video analytics and face recognition services have no reliance on on-site control rooms and, therefore, clients’ security solutions and personal safety are not compromised. Innovation reimagined During these precarious times, our focus remains on support and service. Our development team continues to work tirelessly to ensure that you can use our software during the lockdown and have accelerated innovation to this end. While we must maintain social distancing, we can and will still be of service to our community Therefore, we are proud to present version 4.11 of the Intellect PSIM, which offers our clients a neural network-based analytical tracker which recognises specific types of objects, such as humans and vehicles. We have also equipped this version with video wall management interface, automatic object tracking and a web reporting subsystem. Behavioral analytics generates data by detecting specific postures, like crouching, shooting or any potentially dangerous scenario. Our surveillance software operates on a three-pronged approach: calibration, detection and measurement, offering a comprehensive bird’s-eye view to clients. This upgrade also upholds mandated social distancing measures and keeps any face-to-face meetings to a minimal. The silver lining is that you can even use this technology when the pandemic is over. Now that’s what I call experiencing the next with AxxonSoft! Finding solutions to the challenges Our specialist technology and frontline technical support staff will ensure that your business is protected during and post-lockdown. We will continue to ensure that we provide solutions to the new challenges that the coronavirus brings, ensuring that our clients can emerge stronger and more responsive to any changes in the future. Our surveillance software operates on a three-pronged approach: calibration, detection and measurement While we must maintain social distancing, we can and will still be of service to our community. After all, change is not just about technology but about mastering mindsets. The COVID-19 disaster has demanded that businesses embrace tech disruptions as early as possible and apply technology in imaginative ways to define the new world of work. Until next time, stay safe!

Today’s environment has evolved into something that according to some may seem unexplainable. But in the context of video surveillance, this is something that we understand. Allow me to shed some light and understanding in terms of security and why it truly is a necessity. Security is not a luxury, it is a necessity. An essential practice now peaking the interests of all businesses small and large. A video surveillance system is a cost effective option that does not require monitoring fees. As business slows, temporarily shuts down or closes, an increase in vacant properties is inevitable. This pandemic will continue to put severe pressure on many businesses around the country. With so many considered non-essential, it is really sad to see how many must shutter their doors and lay off employees. Keeping an eye out for suspicious activity using a commercial grade surveillance system that supports advanced analytics, may end up saving your potential customers thousands of dollars down the road. Demand for video surveillance and security products We can certainly draw on the conclusion that security is a “need” more so than a “want”. Times like this just further cement that thought process. In today’s economic spiral, people aren’t actively looking for lighting controls or home theaters. What they look for is a way to keep their loved ones safe, protect their homes, businesses and property. Video surveillance technology provides added security for you, your family and your business In my opinion, you will see video surveillance and security product sales skyrocket in the coming months and years. It has been reported that response times for first responders may be impacted as a result of COVID-19, leaving those with bad intent more time to ransack a property knowing that law enforcement may be slow to respond. Criminals will always take advantage of the situation. All we can do as a community is use common sense, stay vigilant through these odd times and watch out for one another. For some of us that may mean mitigating risks with technology. Affordable video monitoring solutions Having a solution that can quickly and securely share video footage may be the difference between identifying a perpetrator and becoming a victim. Ella, a video search platform developed by IC Realtime, makes every second of video instantly searchable and shareable, either with the authorities or your neighborhood social apps. Plus it is compatible with any RTSP streaming device. To wrap this up, it’s not about pointing out the obvious, it’s really about bringing awareness as to how technologies can be implemented to provide peace of mind without breaking the bank. Video surveillance technology is a way to do that and provide added security for you, your family and your business.

Artificial Intelligence. You’ve heard the words in just about every facet of our lives, just two words, and they’re quite possibly the most moving, life-changing words employed in everyday conversations. So what exactly is AI, who currently uses it and should be using it? What is AI? AI is a powerful way of collecting, qualifying and quantifying data toward a meaningful conclusion to help us reach decisions more quickly or automate processes which could be considered mundane or repetitive. AI in its previous state was known as “machine learning” or “machine processing” which has evolved into “deep learning” or, here in the present, Artificial Intelligence. AI as it applies to the security and surveillance industry provides us the ability to discover and process meaningful information more quickly than at any other time in modern history. Flashback - VCR tapes, blurred images, fast-forward, rewind and repeat. This process became digital, though continued to be very time-consuming. Today’s surveillance video management systems have automated many of these processes with features like “museum search” seeking an object removed from a camera view or “motion detection” to create alerts when objects move through a selected viewpoint. These features are often confused with AI, and are really supportive analytics of the Artificial Intelligence, not AI themselves. Machine Learning Fully appreciating AI means employment of a machine or series of machines to collect, process and produce information obtained from basic video features or analytics. What the machines learn depends on what is asked of them. The truth is, the only way the AI can become meaningful is if there is enough information learned to provide the results desired. If there isn’t enough info, then we must dig deeper for information or learn more, properly described as “deep-learning” AI. Translated, this means that we need to learn more on a deeper level in order to obtain the collaborative combined information necessary to produce the desired result. Deep learning AI Deep learning AI can afford us the ability to understand more about person characteristic traits & behaviors. Applying this information can then further be applied to understand how to interpret patterns of behavior with the end goal of predictable behavior. This prediction requires some degree of human interpretation so that we are able to position ourselves to disrupt patterns of negative behavior or simply look for persons of interest based on these patterns of behavior. These same patterns evolve into intelligence which over time increases the machine’s ability to more accurately predict patterns that could allow for actions to be taken as a result. This intelligence which is now actionable could translate to life safety such as stopping a production manufacturing process, if a person were to move into an area where they shouldn’t be which might put them in danger. Useful applications of intelligence  Informative knowledge or intelligence gathered could be useful in retail applications as well by simply collecting traffic patterns as patrons enter a showroom. This is often displayed in the form of heat mapping of the most commonly traveled paths or determining choke points that detract from a shopper’s experience within the retail establishment. It could also mean relocating signage to more heavily traveled foot-paths to gain the highest possible exposure to communicating a sale or similar notice, perhaps lending itself to driving higher interest to a sale or product capability. Some of this signage or direction could even translate to increased revenues by realigning the customer engagement and purchasing points. Actionable Intelligence From a surveillance perspective, AI could be retranslated to actionable intelligence by providing behavioral data to allow law enforcement to engage individuals with malicious intent earlier, thus preventing crimes in whole or in part based on previously learned data. The data collection points now begin to depart from a more benign, passive role into an actionable role. As a result, new questions are being asked regarding the cameras intended purpose or role of its viewpoint such as detection, observation, recognition or identification. Detecting human presence By way of example, a camera or data collector may need to detect human presence, as well as positively identify who the person is. So the analytic trip line is crossed or motion box activated or counter-flow is detected which then creates an alert for a guard or observer to take action. Further up the food chain, a supervisor is also notified and the facial characteristics are captured. These remain camera analytics, but now we feed this collected facial information to a graphic processing unit (GPU) which could be employed to compare captured characteristics with pre-loaded facial characteristics. When the two sources are compared and a match produced, an alert could be generated which results in an intervention or other similar action with the effort of preventing a further action. This process- detect, disrupt, deter or detain could be considered life-saving by predictably displaying possible outcomes in advance of the intended actions. The next level is deep-learning AI which employs the same characteristics to determine where else within the CCTV ecosystem the individual may have been previously by comparatively analyzing other collected video data. This becomes deep-learning AI when the GPU machine is able to learn from user-tagged positive identification, which the machine learns and begins to further reprocess its own data to further understand where else the person of interest (POI) may have existed on the ecosystem and more correctly improve its own predictive capabilities, thus becoming faster at displaying alerts and better at the discovery of previously archived video data. The future In conclusion, the future of these “predictables” wholly rests in the hands of the purchasing end-user. Our job is to help everyone understand the capabilities and theirs is to continue to make the investment so that the research perpetuates upon itself. Just think where we’d be if purchasers didn’t invest in the smartphone?    

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.”

Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) is a company in Indonesia for the transportation and distribution of natural gas. The total length of distribution pipelines of this company is 3,187 km, serving around 84 million customers. As the owner and operator of four transmission pipelines, PGN is responsible for guaranteeing security along the entire chain of conservation and distribution of gas and for delivering products and services in accordance with the needs of consumers. Securing gas supply lines During the transport phase, the gas is pushed through the pipelines at very high pressure. When it reaches the end-users, however, its delivery pressure must be adjusted so that it falls within an acceptable range (as detailed in the contractual delivery specifications). This is to prevent consumers from being exposed to the full transport pressure reached within the pipeline. A meter and regulator station is used to regulate the Natural Gas outlet pressure, and reduce it to an acceptable value. To this end, PGN has developed a meter and regulator station (the Master Control Station) that works via remote control, directed from the control room. This project plays an active role in the PGN's commitment to achieving Operational Excellence in process management, with the focus on optimizing safety, improving efficiency and on maximizing reliability throughout the gas supply chain operations. PTZ cameras and remote monitoring To guarantee reliability and security of the control function, it is necessary to monitor the process using specialized CCTV equipment for hazardous zones. 10 PTZ units from the MPXHD series have been chosen for the realization of this surveillance system, because of their reliability in providing perfect video footage and their compliance with the security standards for operation in hazardous areas. The PTZ units are used to directly monitor the metering and regulating operations remotely from the master control room.

Renowned consultants have specified OPTEX's REDSCAN laser detector as their choice for securing medical marijuana Grow Op facilities. U.S. retail cannabis sales will rise more than five-fold over the next five years, from an estimated $2.2-$2.6 billion in 2014 to $7.4-8.2 billion in 2018, according to new financial data released in the 2014 edition of the Marijuana Business Factbook.  Because of this growth, local governments are setting strict regulations including detailed security specifications to prevent theft or diversion of medical marijuana at “Grow Op” facilities. In addition, security specifications outline how companies communicate, assist and alert local law enforcement of unlawful activities. Part of this specification outline focuses on perimeter intrusion and surveillance systems. Video Management Software REDSCAN’s state-of-the-art motion detection technology meets state-by-state security specifications To meet perimeter intrusion and surveillance system requirements, the renowned consultants have specified OPTEX’s REDSCAN Laser Detectors as their choice for securing medical marijuana Grow Op facilities. With large deployments across North America, REDSCAN has proven to be highly effective due to its flexible motion detection capabilities, IP integration into leading Video Management Software (VMS) and its ability to be deployed across multiple perimeter applications utilizing indoor and outdoor functions. REDSCAN’s state-of-the-art motion detection technology meets state-by-state security specifications and is both UL and FDA approved. Effective IP intrusion REDSCAN can detect an object's size, speed and distance with precision accuracy. It provides a number of flexible detection applications within the Grow Op's perimeter. It can be mounted horizontally to actively detect and track objects or vertically mounted to create invisible laser walls triggering cameras to preset positions. Because all remotely monitored security systems rely on a motion trigger, REDSCAN works seamlessly with surveillance cameras preventing and/or recording theft and diversion of medical marijuana. Because Redscan is integrated with all the popular video management software, its users now have highly effective IP intrusion, surveillance and security event management options.

A used car lot owner had re-occurring issues with intruders cutting holes in the perimeter fence during night-time hours and vandalizing or burglarizing the area. The intruders would not enter the small office building, so the security system was never triggered. The customer did own a video surveillance system and it would record criminal activity but it did not prevent or deter crime. Integrating motion detectors Using the existing intrusion alarm panel (Interlogix NX8-v2 panel) and the existing video system, the system integrator introduced two OPTEX Visual Verification Bridges and four OPTEX Redwall SIP-3020 Outdoor PIR motion detectors. The motion detectors were installed over the two main perimeter light poles pointing into the lot with IP cameras located directly above each of the motion detectors. Access to camera visual With the two Visual Verification Bridges installed, the integrator can provide operators immediate access to eight live cameras during every alarm event. The Redwall SIP-3020 provided up to 30m of distance coverage and 20m width, complete with anti-masking and vandal tampers. With this simple but effective solution, the integrator was able to provide their customer with immediate visual verification of alarm sensors, only when the alarm panel is armed. Wireless key fobs were provided so the dealer can arm and disarm the system from outside the gate helping to eliminate false alarms during arming and disarming. Reduced false alarms Since the completion of this installation, there have been several nuisance alarms caused by cats that were immediately disregarded. Due to the visual verification solution there was no intrusion and the client has not had any vandalism or crime since. Per the customer’s request, the OPTEX Bridge has been installed on three additional car lots.

Teleste Corporation has been selected as a vendor of on-board video surveillance and public announcement systems to Stadler’s FLIRT trains for Wales & Borders in the UK. The end-customer in the project is Transport for Wales Rail Services. Teleste’s deliveries to Stadler will take place in 2020–2023. The on-board video security and surveillance system will include internal, external and pantograph front-facing cameras, video recorders and user interfaces. Additionally, IP amplifiers, passenger intercommunication systems, and driver microphones will be delivered to the trainsets as part of the public announcement system. “We are delighted to continue our cooperation with Stadler as a supplier on modern, state-of-the-art on-board systems to the FLIRT Electric Multiple Unit platform. Our solutions have been designed and tested for consistent high quality over the course of many years, and we are confident that they will provide Stadler with the right tools for building these innovative high-speed regional trains for safe and enjoyable travel,” said Jörn Grasse, Vice President of Rail Information Solutions at Teleste.

When Broome County, in the US State of New York, took the decision to upgrade its public safety radio network, it required the highest quality video surveillance system to safeguard its US$ 23 million investment in critical infrastructure. New radio network Working with Integrated Systems, a solution combining networked Axis cameras, illuminators and radar motion detectors, with Qognify’s Ocularis video management system (VMS) was installed, to deter, detect and respond to unauthorized activity, at each of its nine new radio towers. The new radio network replaces a system that was in place since the 1970’s and improves communications for police, fire, along with other emergency services and public works departments for the municipalities across the county. 24/7 security monitoring Each of the radio tower sites required a combination of networked PTZ and fixed cameras" Such mission critical infrastructure requires reliable round-the-clock security monitoring, so Integrated Systems was approached, for its reputation in the delivery of technology solutions to government and industry, to specify and install a new video surveillance system. President of Integrated Systems, Mark Hamilton, explains, “Each of the radio tower sites required a combination of networked PTZ and fixed cameras, as well as radar motion detection to provide comprehensive coverage that would ensure any unauthorized activity would be swiftly detected, automatically recorded and alerts triggered, to initiate a timely and appropriate response.”  Axis camera and radar detection technology Axis camera and radar detection technology was chosen for interior and exterior use at each radio tower site and the award-winning Ocularis to provide the all-important integration. Hamilton adds, “Early in our engagement with Broome County we urged them to migrate from their disparate video surveillance architecture, whereby VMS, NVR and DVR systems were all being managed individually across the county.” He further said, “Our recommended solution was a single unified, IP-based system that was county-wide sanctioned. To achieve this, we specified the Ocularis VMS from Qognify.” Ocularis video management system Ocluaris is a VMS that is ideal for large-scale projects such as Broome County, with an emphasis on tactical real-time operations and live visualization, it is supported by full system redundancy and 24/7 availability. Integrated Systems were impressed by Ocluaris’s rich feature set, intuitive user interface (including visually mapping of the entire camera estate) and impressive scalability. What’s more with Axis as a Qognify Technology Partner it instilled the confidence Broome County needed to switch to a more unified approach to video surveillance. PTZ and fixed cameras installed All surveillance camera footage is recorded and centrally archived at the County Data Center Using Ocularis, authorized personnel at the Central Security Building and Emergency Management Services Center have 24/7, 365-days access to live and archived footage from every camera at each of the nine sites. The PTZ cameras installed give a 360-degree view of each radio tower site, while fixed cameras monitor the tower yards main gates and shelter doors. Meanwhile, the radar motion detection system guards the perimeter. All surveillance camera footage is recorded and centrally archived at the County Data Center via the county’s microwave data network. “If any suspicious activity is detected an operator can rapidly view, review and replay all relevant footage through Ocularis,” explains Hamilton. Use of video analytics and visual maps To aid the speed of response, the operator also benefits from the use of visual maps to rapidly determine what cameras are available across each site, as well as video analytics to minimize time required to trawl through footage to identify activities of interest. Broome County has been impressed with the Axis and Qognify solution, which has also been integrated with its existing county-wide video network that includes street cameras, buildings and mobile video command systems. The success of the project has been recognized with a prestigious Security Solutions Award. Hamilton concludes by saying, “Qognify’s Ocularis is now the lead VMS that Integrated Systems specifies whenever embarking on a new video surveillance project.”

The New Athos Cave (also known as Novoafonskaya, Novy Afon Cave, and New Afon Cave) is a karst cave in the Iverian Mountain located in Abkhazia, Georgia. It is one of the largest caves in the world with the volume of its void of about 1,000,000 m³. As a well-known tourist attraction, one of the most important factors that keep tourists from visiting this cave is its security. To achieve this, the management of the cave deployed a surveillance solution from Dahua Technology to provide visitors with comprehensive security throughout their cave exploration. Dahua Technology's Vari-focal Bullet Camera Due to the harsh environment with high humidity and low-light conditions in the cave, the customer needed a high-quality monitoring system to ensure the safety of tourists, avoid accidents, as well as achieve remote management. For the low brightness and high humidity condition in the cave, a group of highly reliable infrared cameras were installed. The main function of the cameras is to prevent visitors from crossing the installed fence which might pose danger to them. The IR Megapixel Vari-focal Bullet Camera presents a 2MP resolution with a motorized 2.7mm - 12mm vari-focal lens. With IR illumination, the camera can capture detailed images in low light or total darkness condition, making it suitable for the environment of the cave. IP video surveillance applications Smart IR technology prevents IR LEDS from whiting out images as they come closer to the camera The camera's Smart IR technology adjusts to the intensity of the camera's infrared LEDs to compensate the distance of an object. Smart IR technology prevents IR LEDS from whiting out images as they come closer to the camera. The camera's integrated infrared illumination of up to 60m (197ft) provides high performance lighting under extreme low-light environments. As for back-end equipment, Dahua's NVR5216-16P-4KS2 network video recorder was selected. It offers excellent performance and high recording quality for IP video surveillance applications. For applications where details are critical for identification, this professional NVR provides a powerful processor with up to 4K resolution. It also features a mouse shortcut operation menu, remote management and control, central storage, edge storage, and back up storage. Access camera remotely In addition, the NVR's Heat Map option highlights the areas with the highest concentration of people. This information can then be exported into a customized report to assist in business or forensic analysis. Security is one of the keys to sustainable tourism. These high-quality and reliable surveillance devices provide a convenient way for the customer to access the camera remotely, allowing the security personnel to monitor the situation in the cave 24/7 and respond quickly in case of an accident. The Dahua solution reinforces the security of this popular tourist destination, creating a safe and enjoyable cave exploration experience for visitors all over the world.

A standard is a document that establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes, and/or practices. Standards surround every aspect of our business. For example, the physical security marketplace is impacted by industry standards, national and international standards, quality standards, building codes and even environmental standards, to name just a few. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How have standards changed the security market as we know it?

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?