Heitel CCTV Software

A total of £1.6 billion worth of goods are reported as ‘lost’ to in-store theft in supermarkets each year, with figures increasing steadily. The presence of self-checkout systems have increased in supermarkets, as well as other industry retailers. By 2021, we’re globally on track to have 468,000 self-checkout machines in operation, nearly double the 240,000 in existence since 2016. While this increase comes with such benefits as reduced wait times for customers and staff costs, it also comes with a risk of retail theft at self-checkouts. With the circumstances the world now finds itself in i.e. mass unemployment, financial uncertainty, the retail industry has seen an influx in these types of petty crimes, hitting retailers during an already turbulent period. While retailers are taking precautions to protect themselves and their patrons in this new era of in-person shopping, it’s important to ensure the business itself is protected. A popular method to combat these fears is to employ on-site security personnel, however, as we continue to adapt to new operating guidelines, retailers must begin thinking past the immediate future, and begin implementing long-term security solutions to prepare for life after lockdown such as strong CCTV systems with remote access. How has the security industry adapted its services to a post-lockdown world? Technological innovations like thermal recognition are key to adapting security systems for a post-lockdown world. Businesses which previously relied on facial recognition now must update their methods to account for shoppers wearing masks on-site and in-store. By 2021, we’re globally on track to have 468,000 self-checkout machines in operation, nearly double the 240,000 in existence since 2016 Biometric systems are now able to identify people with face masks, and thermal recognition such ADT’s Thermi-Scan system which can track human body temperature without the need for contact. Implementing these safe protocol procedures protect both employees and customers against virus outbreaks such as COVID-19. The need for these advances in video surveillance will reportedly increase the biometric facial recognition market by 14 per cent by 2027. Artificial intelligence has been hailed recently as the way forward for remote security needs, and whilst business-owners continue to navigate procedures of returning to work post-lockdown, having remote access to real-time security monitoring is essential now more than ever. What are the main measures stores can take to prevent or reduce theft? Strategically placing a multi-camera surveillance system to ensure clarity, eliminate blind spots, and deter thieves should be top priority. It’s equally essential to invest in a system which has an efficient playback programme, particularly in situations where reviewing important footage efficiently can offer vital information to the police force. Advances in video surveillance will reportedly increase the biometric facial recognition market by 14 per cent by 2027 As business-owners continue operating at reduced hours and with limited on-site staff, being able to access camera footage quickly and remotely is a key factor to consider. Whether owners opt to receive an alert on a mobile device allowing them to review notifications, or if their system is monitored by a remote security centre, it’s important to be able to access footage quickly for added efficiency and ease. Facial recognition and AI have been popular points of discussion in relation to security cameras and CCTV. While careful considerations must be taken prior to utilising any sort of facial recognition technology, including conducting a Privacy Impact Assessment, the benefits include being provided with real-time tracking of repeat offenders which immensely helps the prevention of in-store theft. Here are some key points to consider when choosing in-store surveillance: Assess your needs – To get the best out of your security system, it is essential to analyse what your requirements are for your business as they might have changed to adapt to a post-lockdown world Camera setup – With store layouts shifting to accommodate social distancing guidelines, it’s important to re-evaluate the current set-up of any security cameras. Depending on any layout updates, it might be important to consider operating multiple cameras in one area to ensure a peripheral view and eliminate any blind spots Camera positioning – For optimal performance, check that light sources are not obstructing your view such as glare from the sun. It is also worth considering the height at which cameras are installed to maximise surveillance Check the focus – It is worth testing camera lenses bi-monthly to ensure that lighting or weather hasn’t affected the focus of the lens, resulting in a blurry visual Remote access – As guidelines continue to evolve, ensure you’re able to access any necessary camera footage quickly and safely in case of emergency Will we begin to see a reduction of theft as new technology is implemented? We’re beginning to see incidents of shoplifting and theft being taken more seriously by law enforcement. In the coming months, for the first time in Britain nearly twenty shoplifters who were either caught red-handed or identified on CCTV will be appearing before magistrates. While currently these court cases are being pursued by a private police force, these actions come after a Government plea to high-level police to prosecute shoplifters stealing under £200. Retailers have long voiced concerns that forces have abandoned low-level thefts and these steps are small but show that businesses are being heard. As innovations in surveillance security continue, we’ll be seeing a move away from human involvement which will create a more reliable and efficient system able to rely on machine learning and analytics. While there have been wider strides made in utilising AI for surveillance, these are largely being used currently by local governments to alert police forces to threats of criminal activity. It’s not unreasonable to think that in the near future, these types of smart technology will be employed by private businesses to analyse suspicious behaviour or possible theft. However, as we see an increase in the advancement of security technology, we anticipate that those inclined to commit in-store theft will adapt their methods, therefore retailers should look to regularly evaluate their security needs to keep risks at bay.

We all know that having CCTV around your home can help to protect you and your family. Without CCTV, you could end up in danger and an intruder could get away with breaking into your house, hurting your loved ones and stealing your possessions. Similarly, without CCTV in the office, you’ll be leaving yourself open to all kinds of damage and could lose a lot of equipment in the process. In short, making sure you have CCTV is important for both home and business security. However, it can be improved to become a more effective system so that you’re better protected, and can even deter a potential intruder without having to panic. In our world of ever-changing technology, we’re able to upgrade and enhance our CCTV systems so they can become a monitored system. Remote CCTV monitoring is an ideal way to protect everyone and everything whether you’re at home or at a workplace. What is remote CCTV monitoring? For a long time, CCTV was one of the best ways to keep your home, the office and people safe. But people started to notice that it would only deter people so much of the time and often the cameras were ignored by intruders. They would just cover their faces and hope for the best as they steal from a home, office or any other premises. Remote CCTV monitoring is a system that can loop into your existing CCTV, or come preinstalled with a new system. This technology sends a feed to a control room full of trained operators that are on call 24/7. Within this control room, operators are able to respond to any sort of distress call or unauthorised movement on the property line.  How does it work? Remote CCTV monitoring works by attaching to a live feed of your CCTV system, existing or new, so that the signal and images can be passed to a team of operators. These operators are on hand 24/7 so that if there is a problem, you know that you're safe in the hands of a specialist team. The specialist team has been trained to mitigate the chances of somebody breaking into your home when the system is triggered; similarly they call the local authorities instantly so that the potential intruder has less time to flee the scene. This is especially important if an intruder is already inside your property because they have less time to steal your items and leave. Without CCTV in the office, you’ll be leaving yourself open to all kinds of damage and could lose a lot of equipment in the process One of the biggest questions that revolve around remote CCTV monitoring is the idea of operators watching the CCTV at all times. Luckily most remote CCTV monitoring systems will incorporate a motion detection system to accompany your CCTV. Motion detection offers the ability to alert a control room if there is an unauthorised entry to the property line. These motion detection systems are state-of-the-art and so, depending on the system that you choose, they can watch over your property from a number of angles. Once the motion detection system has been triggered and the alert has been sent to the control room, then and only then will the operators get involved. This means that until the motion detection system has been triggered, nobody will watch your live CCTV feed. After one of the systems has been triggered, one of the specialist operators will instantly jump into action. This means that they can take different measures to deter any potential intruder and make sure that they do everything in their power to stop any damage or theft from the premises. In addition to the motion detection system and CCTV, you are able to opt for a public address (PA) system too. This means that an operator is able to shout commands through the PA system and potentially scare away any intruder. The intruder will also be warned about the fact that local authorities have already been called to the location.  Remote monitoring versus traditional CCTV Motion detection offers the ability to alert a control room if there is an unauthorised entry to the property line Having a monitored CCTV system means that you're able to better protect yourself, your business, employees and even your loved ones. Whether you're at home or in the office, having someone looking over your shoulder protecting your every move is something that can be appreciated by everybody. The biggest problem with just having traditional CCTV, is that it is a reactive system. This means that rather than stopping crime, a CCTV system just records it. While the thought is that having a CCTV camera visible can deter some intruders, there's no real evidence to suggest that it stops anybody; anyone can simply cover their face and carry on breaking into your home, office or even your car. As mentioned, remote CCTV monitoring is going to tackle that problem and make sure that someone is on hand to protect you at all times.

With the pandemic still in full swing and no certainty as to when exactly it will come to an end, the world has been battling anxiety for months now. And with each day, circumstances change quickly and almost make it impossible to predict what will happen next, how events will unfold, and what actions to take in light of a new situation. But one thing is certain: the world has been shut down and paralysed for way too long, and the eventual reopening is unavoidable – in fact, it’s well under way. In this situation, what is possible to control is how the world will continue reopening – and specifically, how to ensure the safest possible reopening that will ensure the return of some degree of normalcy to people’s lives and business operations, while also managing the risk of COVID’s spread in the most efficient way. Our highly digitised, technologically advanced world This is when the power of technology comes to rescue the day: what truly sets the global crisis we face today apart from other calamities that humanity has encountered over year is the fact that it has developed in a highly digitised, technologically advanced world where each day brings about innovations with a sole purpose to make daily life and operations easier and more streamlined. And among these, the star of the past decade has been artificial intelligence. The world has been shut down and paralysed for way too long, and the eventual reopening is unavoidable – in fact, it’s well under way While AI has many avenues of introducing efficiency and fast problem-solving, there is one specific application that will further fuel the reopening of the world and successfully keep the spread of the virus abate. This “collaborative security” application includes a synthesis of smart video analytics, facial recognition, object identification/detection, and thermal cameras that can support the reopening of businesses globally when installed within those facilities frequented by customers. With such a level of sophistication that can ensure uninterrupted monitoring and analysis of large public spaces, these AI technologies can ideally operate best as cloud solutions to ensure a collaborative network with maximum scalability and widespread implementation. As these technologies increase in ubiquity and find their way into daily operations of businesses globally, the cost of the smart solutions will decrease proportionally to the growth of their reach. There are some highly specific ways to create this collaborative network of interconnected safety tools in the current climate. Here are some applications that have been successful to date and will increase in usability in the foreseeable future, creating “smart cities” working together towards a safer, more secure world. Maintaining social distancing practices The most important step everyone around the world has taken to contribute to the effort of slowing the spread of the virus has been social distancing. A six-foot-distance has become a new social norm that has quickly been adopted globally and become a habit to people who are naturally used to being close to others and socialising without giving distance a second thought. The star of the past decade has been artificial intelligence So, it is natural that such distancing measures take time to get accustomed to – and it is also natural that individuals may forget about them from time to time. To help maintain the six-foot distance between people at all times and give them slight nudges to keep the rule top of their minds, AI video technology can be trained to estimate the distance between individuals in public and commercial areas and identify the cases in which people get too close to each other. By notifying local merchants or authorities about such cases, the system can help ensure the safety of everyone in the area at all times while positively reinforcing the public to gradually get more accustomed to maintaining the distance and thus helping stop the spread of the virus. Detecting the virus through facial recognition Perhaps the straightforward application of such high-level technology is using video surveillance to identify persons of interest who have tested positive for the virus. Modern AI has the ability to identify facial features and characteristics with a unique level of granularity, making it possible to identify individuals whose records show they have antibodies from those who can be potential carriers of the virus. After the initial differentiation and identification, the system can then notify the employers and employees of the facility about the results of the conducted analysis and the pursuant results, allowing them to be more vigilant and take action where necessary to ensure a safe experience for everyone. PPE reinforcement Wearing a mask or some sort of face coverage in public spaces and especially within facilities (such as stores, for instance) has been - and will continue to be - a requirement for maintaining a safe and healthy environment for people to continue with their day-to-day lives and businesses to resume regular operations. To this extent, the object detection and identification abilities of smart cameras can further reinforce this requirement and ensure that the absence of protective equipment doesn’t go unnoticed.  Essentially, these cameras can easily identify if an individual has coverage at any given point of time or not, notifying the local authorities about any risks immediately and helping them maintain necessary safety measures without having to interrupt their workflow or worry about missing a visitor without a mask. Detecting high temperature One of the key (and the most widespread) symptoms of COVID-19 is a high fever - a certain indicator of whether an individual may have been infected with the virus or not. While identifying fever with a regular human eye is nearly impossible, AI can do so at a fraction of time by quickly scanning body temperatures of any incoming individuals and determine whether it’s above CDC’s recommended temperature of 100.4F in order to determine the risk factor and notify the local authorities to take action. Modern AI has the ability to identify facial features and characteristics with a unique level of granularity This technology is a good tactic to objectively assess potential risks that come with elevated temperatures - and sometimes, the people themselves might not realise they might (unconsciously) be carriers of the virus and thus endanger the safety of others in their vicinity. The technology is yet another step towards ensuring a safer reopening of the global economy and a more streamlined way of getting back on track while minimising the risk of spreading the virus further. It’s not all about the theory  We have tested the described approaches in our own R&D campus in Europe. The latest release of the IREX cloud enables remote fever detection and monitoring of social isolation and mask policies with AI. We have integrated thermal cameras to detect people with elevated temperature and CCTV cameras for identification and notifying those who potentially ill. In case of any health threat, the venue manager gets an instant message with a picture and exact location. These preventive steps helped our employees return to the office months earlier than it's happening in other countries. Moreover, personnel coming back to the office by their own wish as now they feel a virus-free environment in the campus - even safer than in their own homes. Now we are launching a pilot project for a well-known pharmacy chain in Florida, USA. With the help of a Computer Vision platform, staff will be able to divide customer traffic into those with normal body temperature and those who come in with elevated temperatures, as well as effectively monitor social distance norms. The goal of our potential client is to maximise the safety of customers in the post-pandemic period. Also, IREX is already deployed across hundreds of locations in the UK and will add health monitoring capability soon.

The Škoda dealership had sufferedfrom a series of thefts and vandalismin their parking areas With over 25 years of experience, Rindt & Gaida has become a firmly established car dealership for the Škoda brand in the Hannover region. Customers have come to appreciate the good service, well-maintained used cars and the high-quality new Škoda vehicles offered by Rindt & Gaida. Unfortunately, this is true not only for honest customers, but also for criminals. Therefore, the Škoda dealership is now protecting its parking lot for new cars with a customized safety concept, in which FLIR thermal imaging cameras play an important role. "On our parking lot for new cars, we were having problems with some pretty audacious thieves, who were after the alloy rims on our brand-new vehicles." explains Stefan Butterbrodt, Service Manager at Rindt & Gaida. "This type of theft alone is bad enough in itself, but even more damage was incurred because they simply dropped the new vehicles on their door sills. You can't sell a vehicle like this as a new car. Of course this also causes a considerable effort in dealing with the insurance company and leads to higher insurance premiums on the long run." Sophisticated security concept Therefore in 2014 the dealership decided to actively combat this organised theft. The Škoda dealership contacted security specialist Tobias Vieth at the security technology company HDS Sicherheitstechnik. After analysing the requirements on site, it was clear to him: a standard solution would not be suitable in this case. "A fence had already been built to discourage burglars. Unfortunately, this did not have the desired effect. What we needed was a comprehensive concept, including a camera and video analysis system.” says Tobias Vieth. Mr. Vieth therefore developed a security concept together with Dirk Ostermann from the company DOI Video Security Business. It relies on detection by FLIR thermal imaging cameras. Originally, the site including the parking lot for new cars was to be monitored using three or four FLIR FC series S thermal imaging cameras, which have a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and different lenses for different fields of view. However, due to the fact that the parking lot for new cars is divided by a road, there would have been an area that would no longer be visible for the cameras. "Now we have set up two FLIR cameras on this space for new cars", explains Tobias Vieth. "The area measures 50 x 70 meters and the biggest challenge was that a road runs between the space and the mast." As a solution, Dirk Ostermann recommended using a FLIR FC 645 S with a high thermal image resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. With its field of view of 45 x 37 degrees, it is able to oversee the entire area. Massive mast for clear detection conditions The thermal imaging cameras have been installed at different heights and facing in different directions. Tobias Vieth designed a 16-meter mast and had a structural engineer calculate it specifically for this purpose. "We decided to make it extra sturdy to avoid vibration and fluctuations in the camera image and thus allow for crystal clear presentation and accurate detection." A megapixel speed dome camera has been installed on the mast. As soon as the FLIR thermal imaging cameras detect suspicious activity, the speed dome automatically targets the location in question. This helps ensure clear identification of possible thieves. FLIR cameras monitor different areasof the parking lot from a central mast,with an alarm triggering a high-speeddome camera to identify the perpetrator Minimising false alarms Dirk Ostermann, owner of DOI Video Security Business advised HDS Sicherheitstechnik advice on product selection and system design. "It was important for us that as few false alarms as possible were sent to the security control centre. That's why we used high-quality products from FLIR Systems, Norma Systems and Heitel. This combination had proven itself in other projects," explains Dirk Ostermann. "The video analysis method used here was specifically aligned with thermal imaging technology. This has to be extremely precise to ensure that as few false alarms as possible are sent from the Heitel system to the security control centre operated by the company Mebo Sicherheit GmbH in Bad Segeberg, Germany. The video analysis should detect people and not small animals such as cats or rabbits. For potential burglars, who enter the grounds at night, the security control centre has to be able to see what's going on immediately by using live images." Rapid response in the event of an emergency Torsten Ulmer from the company Xtralis provided the Heitel recording system with the Norma systems software, which sends live images directly to the security control centre whenever suspicious activity is detected. "In cases of emergency, intervention measures are immediately implemented: the police or security personnel takes action on site without delay. The control centre can then see exactly whether there is a single perpetrator or several. It can then provide the police with targeted information. This could include whether a robbery is actually in progress or whether vehicles or buildings are being vandalised. Instructions from the control centre like 'back up a few metres, the perpetrators are to your right' can be very helpful in these situations. It would also be conceivable to address the perpetrators directly over the loudspeakers to scare them away if it is more important to protect the property than to apprehend the intruders." Wide-range protection "So far, we have secured three areas, which include the parking lot for new vehicles, the area in front of the building and a back courtyard. Just three days after installing the system, it detected a theft on the parking lot for new cars," explains Tobias Vieth proudly. Dirk Ostermann is also impressed with the results: "Coordination between the system manufacturers worked really well. We not only did the planning, but provided the customer with support during startup together with experts from the individual manufacturers, who were on site and helped get the system up and running. This worked out really well." Škoda Service Manager Stefan Butterbrodt is also satisfied: "The pictures I've seen are sensational. Now that the final installations are finished, we have full camera surveillance and video analysis capabilities. I can confidently say that it was worth the investment. We are very satisfied and can only recommend it." Extending the secured area The parking lot for new vehicles, the area in front of the building and a back courtyard have been secured, but in September 2014 a new problem arose in the area reserved for used cars. "Unfortunately, a small section of our site is not yet covered, and that's exactly where an incident has now occurred. We had a graffiti attack on some vehicles in the used car area," says Stefan Butterbrodt. "At the moment we have between 5 and 10 vehicles in the sales area with graffiti on them, which of course have to be cleaned. Therefore we are now planning to extend the security to cover the entire site." It's a new challenge for Tobias Vieth's design team at HDS and security specialist Dirk Ostermann - and of course for FLIR's FC series S thermal imaging cameras.

Xtralis will unveil the new HeiTel Cam4mobile VG family atSecurity Essen Xtralis, the world’s leading provider of very early & reliable detection and remote visual verification safety and security solutions, will exhibit new capabilities for its HeiTel’s VideoGateway (VG) series including sophisticated, remotely-based software and CMS applications solutions for the web, smart phone, tablet, PC, and workstations at 2014 Security Essen tradeshow, held 23-26 September in Essen, Germany. The Xtralis booth will be located in Hall 2.0 at stand 309. All attendees are invited to stop by the Xtralis stand for live product demonstrations and presentations. Xtralis will unveil the new HeiTel Cam4mobile VG family, a 4-channel version of its popular compact digital security design for mobile applications. The Cam4Mobile delivers live transmission via embedded 3G/LTE connectivity with optional GPS tracking and geo-fencing in combination with real-time recording of up to 4/10 HD video streams. The HeiTel Cam4mobile VG is compatible with all major camera brands and includes camera-specific features such as a 360° view. It is fully integrated into the Xtralis Event Management System (EMS) platform with extended feature set such as HThealthcheck and HTdownload, tailor-made for any Security Remote Monitoring application, supporting an unlimited number of sites and ready to enable up to 50 security officers to instantly manage any kind of security threat. The HeiTel VG family for mobile applications is extremely popular with police, armoured vehicle services such as cash & transit, trucking, and any light rail application. The Cam4Mobile deliverslive transmission viaembedded 3G/LTEconnectivity Also on exhibit at Security Essen will be new capabilities available across the entire HeiTel VG family, not only for mobile but also stationary applications. Features demonstrated will be native integration with Xtralis’ award-winning ADPRO PRO-E PIR detectors, enhanced pre-alarm image viewing features, and pre-recorded audio tracks for automatic audio intervention in the event of a security threat. The new ADPRO PRO-E PIR detectors are specifically designed to make perimeter protection more cost-effective and reliable. At Security Essen Xtralis will introduce SmokeTrace, a video content analytic (VCA) currently available on the Xtralis ADPRO FastTrace 2/2E. SmokeTrace provides real-time, onsite visual verification of a fire threat; so that false alarms are virtually eliminated and situational awareness is delivered to first responders for a more efficient response. The next-generation HeiTel VG family will support SmokeTrace, in addition to IntrusionTrace & LoiterTrace. Xtralis will also exhibit the award-winning ADPRO FastTrace 2E, and demonstrate how Central Monitoring Stations (CMS) can quickly and efficiently offer additional security applications and services at the touch of a button.

Gemini delivers total control room management solution, handling alarms, events, CCTV, and other security systems in one The latest version of the Gemini monitoring platform will be on the Bold Communication’s stand E15 in Hall 4. Gemini delivers the total control room management solution - handling alarms, events, CCTV, lone worker and other security systems in one, simple to use common interface. The latest software release includes support for several additional CCTV systems, the innovative Bold Audio Gateway for management of incoming and outgoing voice traffic and enhanced Gemini Web deployment.              Gemini provides a holistic and strategic security solution, particularly where there is a mix of legacy products and new technology across multiple, dispersed sites. Whether product integration is implemented at the site level or within the management application, Gemini applies filtering, prioritisation and intelligence for a rapid and measured response. The MultiView multi-screen feature provides the operator with an overview of all monitored systems and handling processes which can be tailored to each individual site or globalised for consistency and ease of data input. Together with support for industry standard intruder and fire panels, and signaling formats, Gemini also offers high quality interfaces for Adpro FastTrace, Dedicated Micros, Heitel and many other CCTV monitoring systems.  Gemini provides a single point of control. The scope of each user’s access to the system is totally configurable, ensuring that the activities and efficiency of the operator are appropriately managed.  Advanced reporting, with a new Custom Report Designer and graphical reporting options, provide users with a complete security overview. The Gemini solution has a broad range of user types, accredited commercial ARCs and RVRCs. The Gemini solution has a broad range of user types - accredited commercial ARCs and RVRCs as well as private control rooms such as JD Sports and train operator Scotrail, and public sector organisations like Enfield council and the University of Aberdeen. Many of the original ideas for system enhancements have been generated by the diverse Bold customer base and the product continues to be developed in line with the changing needs of the monitoring sector. For example, users have driven improvements to usability and increased control room efficiency, and cost saving with the introduction of innovative new system activity management.     Where security requirements are complex and interoperate, it is even more important that functionality, usability, support and system management are delicately balanced. The Gemini reporting engine can generate data across all the diverse supported systems and account types. Gemini delivers management data in simple, easy to understand Microsoft Office formats.    An effective integrated security system is one which handles complexity intelligently, so that the escalation and decision making process for the operator is clearly defined and easy to follow. With a variety of client deployments available, the Gemini solution is accessible from any location and is totally scalable with unlimited users, connections and third party interfaces. All systems supplied are supported by our Bold Technical 24/7 support service so there is always help and advice when needed. Please pay us a visit on Stand E15 in Hall 4 at IFSEC 2013 and let us show you Bold can offer.