VIVOTEK CCTV Fiber Optic Transmitters & Telemetry

Video surveillance across the world is growing exponentially and its major application is in both public safety and law enforcement. Traditionally, it has been fixed surveillance where cameras provide live streams from fixed cameras situated in what is considered strategic locations. But they are limited in what they can see given by their very definition of being "fixed." The future of video surveillance includes the deployment of more mobile video surveillance with the benefits it offers. Instead of fixed cameras, this is the ability to live stream from mobile devices on the move such as body-worn cams, drones, motorbikes, cars, helicopters and in some cases, even dogs!Sending drones into the air, for example for missing people or rescue missions, is much more cost-effective than deploying helicopters Advantages of mobile surveillance The advantage of mobile surveillance is that the camera can go to where the action is, rather than relying on the action going to where the camera is. Also, sending drones into the air, for example for missing people or rescue missions, is much more cost-effective than deploying helicopters. The ability to live stream video from cars and helicopters in high-speed pursuits can be used to take some of the operational issues from the first responders on the ground and share that “life and death” responsibility with the operational team leaders back in the command centre. This allows the first responders in the pursuit vehicle to focus on minimising risk while staying in close proximity of the fleeing vehicle, with direction from a higher authority who can see for themselves in real time the issues that are being experienced, and direct accordingly. In addition to showing video live stream from a pursuit car or motorcycle, by using inbuilt GPS tracking, the video can be displayed on a map in real time, allowing a command chief to better utilise additional resource and where to deploy them, through the use of displaying mapping information with real time video feed. It allows police chiefs to make better informed decisions in highly-charged environments. The 4G phone network can now be used with compressed video to live stream cost effectively Application in emergency situations The same is true of first responders in many different emergency situations. Mobile surveillance opens up a new area of efficiencies that previously was impossible to achieve. For example, special operations can wear action body-worn cameras when doing raids, fire departments can live stream from emergency situations with both thermal and daylight cameras, and paramedics can send video streams back to hospitals allowing doctors to remotely diagnose and prepare themselves for when patients arrive at the hospital. How can special operations and emergency first responders live stream video from a mobile camera with the issues of weight, reliability and picture-quality being considered? H265 mobile video compression Law enforcement insists on secure transmissions, and it is possible to encrypt video to the highest level of security available in the public domain The 4G phone network can now be used with compressed video to live stream cost effectively. The issue of course is that 4G is not always reliable. Soliton Systems has mitigated this risk of low mobile quality in certain areas, by building an H265 mobile video compression device that can use multiple SIM cards from different cellular providers simultaneously. H265 is the latest compression technique for video, that is 50% more effective than conventional H264, and coupling this with using multiple “bonded” SIM cards provides a highly reliable connection for live-streaming high-quality HD video. The 400-gram device with an internal battery can be connected to a small action cam, and can live-stream simultaneously over at least three different cellular providers, back to a command centre. Latency is typically less than a second, and new advance improvements are looking to reduce that latency further. Encrypted video transmission What about security? Law enforcement insists on secure transmissions, and it is possible to encrypt video to the highest level of security available in the public domain, i.e. AES256.What about integration into existing video infrastructure at the command centre? It is not untypical for a police force to have an existing video management system (VMS) at their command centre such as Milestone System’s Xprotect. The Soliton range of products are ONVIF-compliant, a standard used by video surveillance cameras for interoperability, allowing cameras and video devices that are ONVIF-compliant to simply “plug&play” into existing video management systems. These mobile transmitters are deployed with law enforcement and first responders across the globe. Their ability to provide secure, full HD quality and highly-reliable video streaming within a small unit, and to enable it to be integrated into the current eco-system that is already installed at the receiving end, has made them a favourite choice with many companies and government agencies.

The term “smart city” gets thrown around a lot nowadays, but as different technologies that strive to be defined in this way are adopted by different countries globally, the meaning of this phrase gets lost in translation. The simplest way to define a “smart city” is that it is an urban area that uses different types of data collecting sensors to manage assets and resources efficiently. One of the most obvious types of “data collecting sensor” is the video camera, whether that camera is part of a city’s existing CCTV infrastructure, a camera in a shopping centre or even a police car’s dash camera. The information gathered by video cameras can be used with two purposes in mind, firstly: making people’s lives more efficient, for example by managing traffic, and secondly (and arguably more importantly): making people’s lives safer. Live streaming video all the time, everywhere In the smart and safe city, traditional record-only video cameras are of limited use. Yes, they can be used to collect video which can be used for evidence after a crime has taken place, but there is no way that this technology could help divert cars away from an accident to avoid traffic building up, or prevent a crime from taking place in the first place. However, streaming live video from a camera that isn’t connected to an infrastructure via costly fibre optic cabling has proven challenging for security professionals, law enforcement and city planners alike. This is because it isn’t viable to transmit video reliably over cellular networks, in contrast to simply receiving it. Video transmission challenges Transmitting video normally results in freezing and buffering issues which can hinder efforts to fight crime and enable flow within a city, as these services require real-time, zero latency video without delays. Therefore, special technology is required that copes with poor and varying bandwidths to allow a real-time view of any scene where cameras are present to support immediate decision making and smart city processes. The information gatheredby video cameras can beused to make people’s lives more efficient, and to make people’s lives safer There are many approaches to transmitting video over cellular. We’ve developed a specialist codec (encoding and decoding algorithm) that can provide secure and reliable video over ultra-low bandwidths and can therefore cope when networks become constrained. Another technique, which is particularly useful if streaming video from police body worn cameras or dash cams that move around, is to create a local wireless “bubble” at the scene, using Wi-Fi or mesh radio systems to provide local high-bandwidth communications that can communicate with a central location via cellular or even satellite communications. Enhanced city surveillance Live video streaming within the smart and safe city’s infrastructure means that video’s capabilities can go beyond simple evidence recording and evolve into a tool that allows operations teams to monitor and remediate against incidents as they are happening. This can be taken one step further with the deployment of facial recognition via live streaming video. Facial recognition technology can be added on to any video surveillance camera that is recording at a high enough quality to identify faces. The technology works by capturing video, streaming the live video back to a control centre and matching faces against any watch lists that the control centre owns. Importantly, the data of people who aren’t on watch lists is not stored by the technology. Identifying known criminals This technology can work to make the city safer in a number of ways. For example, facial recognition could spot a known drug dealer in a city centre where they weren’t supposed to be, or facial recognition could identify if a group of known terror suspects were visiting the same location at the same time, and this would send an alert to the police. Facial recognition technology captures and streams live back to a control centre, matching faces against any watch lists that the control centre owns In an ideal world where the police had an automated, electronic workflow, the police officer nearest to the location of the incident would be identified by GPS and would be told by the control room where to go and what to do. Most police forces aren’t quite at this technological level yet, and would probably rely on communicating via radio in order to send the nearest response team to the scene. As well as this, shopping centres could create a database from analogue records of known shoplifters to identify criminals as soon as they entered the building. This would be even more effective if run co-operatively between all shopping centres and local businesses in an area, and would not only catch any known shoplifters acting suspiciously, but would act as a deterrent from shoplifting in the first place. Live streaming for police As mentioned above, live streaming video from CCTV cameras can help the police fight crime more proactively rather than reactively. This can be enhanced even further if combined with live streaming video from police car dash cams and police body worn cameras. If video was streamed from all of these sources to a central HQ, such as a police operations centre, the force would be able to have full situational awareness throughout an incident. This would mean that, if need be, officers could be advised on the best course of action, and additional police or other emergency services could be deployed instantly if needed. Incorporated with facial recognition, this would also mean that police could instantly identify if they were dealing with known criminals or terrorists. Whilst they would still have to confirm the identity of the person with questioning or by checking their identification, this is still more streamlined than describing what a person looks like over a radio and then ops trying to manually identify if the person is on a watch list. The smart, safe city is possible today – for one, if live video streaming capabilities are deployed they can enable new levels of flow in the city. With the addition of facial recognition, cities will be safer than ever before and law enforcement and security teams will be able to proactively stop crime before it happens by deterring criminal activity from taking place at all.

In 2017, DITEK saw how power surges from the many natural disasters that took place damaged many businesses. In a natural disaster, or even everyday business operations, a facility’s entire investment in security, life safety and surveillance systems technology can be disabled or rendered useless in a few seconds. Surge protection solutions can mitigate those risks and protect security investments. Proactive approach to risk mitigation Throughout 2017, we also witnessed a change in how enterprises view surge protection, which included how investments are being made in surge protection to protect valuable security, life safety and surveillance systems, while also reducing downtime, manpower costs, liability vulnerabilities, and possibly compliance issues that can force businesses to actually cease operations. Effective security management is about mitigating risks. But risks cannot be mitigated without a proactive approach. Enterprises and integrators, who take the time to assess risk and to develop a strategy to incorporate effective detection, deter and response criteria to protect physical assets will be successful in 2018. 2018 and beyond That strategy includes designing surge protection into new security systems, while also adding surge protection to existing systems. Enterprises and security integrators who implement a surge protection strategy during security planning processes – or after – will be exercising prevention and mitigation, and they will be successful in 2018 and beyond.  Surge protection devices have an untapped potential for enterprise surveillance and security systems In 2017, Ditek continued to offer security end users a solid surge protection solution. We also successfully educated system integrators, who are seeking value-added products or services to incorporate into their portfolios, on the importance of surge protection devices. Educating security integrators We believe that surge protection devices have an untapped potential for enterprise video surveillance and security systems, because they can and do meet safety and security challenges that have been rarely identified in the past. We are looking forward to 2018, when we will continue to develop new surge protection products – including a new product engineered to protect up to twelve individual fuel dispensers, which is critical to the financial operation of convenience stores. We will also continue to educate security integrators about the importance of including surge protection in the design/build RFP, to not only secure an enterprise’s valuable security equipment, but also to help integrators to differentiate their capabilities and knowledge from the competition.

A long-term technical partner of CCTV manufacturer 360 Vision Technology, Envisage Technology Limited has earned itself a distinguished reputation as an expert in high-end projects, with a portfolio of unique products. For many years, the company has overseen the installation of many 360 Vision Technology camera products across a variety of applications. “Exploring beyond conventional CCTV and embracing the latest technologies allows us to stay at the very cutting edge of system solutions,” says Kevin Brown, Managing Director at Envisage Technology. “We employ a dedicated team of highly trained technical staff to support our customers across all areas; including hardware, software, networking, system integration, surveillance cameras and telemetry. This means that we are able to provide a complete solution for any application, and our close technical relationship with the sales and product development teams at 360 Vision Technology has been a key enabling factor.” Envisage Technology evaluated the 360 Vision Technology camera products with the Vivotek VAST 2 VMS platformVivotek VAST 2 VMS platform Illustrating the partnership between the two companies, Envisage Technology recently evaluated the latest 360 Vision Technology camera products with another of their industry leading partners’ product offerings, the Vivotek VAST 2 video management software (VMS) platform. “As a value-added reseller, we pride ourselves on the technical expertise and knowledge we are able to offer our security systems and networking installation customers across EMEA,” explains Kevin. “To further develop the compatibility and integration of the industry’s leading products we supply, we recently tested the 360 Vision Technology camera range with Vivotek’s VAST 2 VMS platform, to prove the viability of a total solution option perfect for a wide variety of installation applications.” Vivotek’s VAST 2 VMS features simple operation on single or multiple monitors, custom layout to fit corridor and panorama formats, rapid export of multi-channel video and acquiring VCA analytics with integrated cameras. Integrating cameras into VAST 2 VMS Predator and Invictus cameras are available with IR and white-light high intensity illumination“VAST 2 provides an easy and intuitive UI with rich functionality to meet the needs of any of our customers,” says Kevin. “Thanks to 360 Vision Technology’s ONVIF 2.4 Profile S compatibility, we were able to integrate their Predator and Invictus cameras into the VAST 2 VMS quickly and simply during our on-site integration evaluation.” Bridging the divide between analogue and IP systems, 360 Vision Technology Invictus and Predator cameras are equipped with Hybrid functionality, enabling installation in existing analogue systems and full 1080P HD IP video streaming networks. Economical, and simple to install, Predator and Invictus cameras are available with IR and white-light high intensity illumination, providing a ruggedized PTZ solution with an industry-leading (up to) 200 metres of illumination. “We are proud to support the integration of our camera range into an industry leading VMS such as Vivotek’s VAST 2,” says Mark Rees, Managing Director at 360 Vision Technology. “Not only does this ensure reduced installation time of 360 Vision cameras into a VAST 2 system, but also instant and full access to high-performance camera functionality.”

VIVOTEK, an IP surveillance provider, will be showcasing its latest comprehensive surveillance solutions at IFSEC 2019, taking place from June 18 to 20 at ExCel London. During IFSEC 2019, VIVOTEK will present Deep Learning Smart VCA, Cybersecurity Management Solution, and a brand new license plate recognition camera. As one of the founding members of the Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA), VIVOTEK, in its shared pursuit of a common standardised platform, will also reveal an innovative Android-based AI camera at its booth (#IF2324). Event highlights At IFSEC 2019, 4 highlights will be exhibited by VIVOTEK: Deep Learning Based People Detection: In the era of Artificial Intelligence, VIVOTEK aspires to bring more valuable analysis of human behaviour to its solutions. Based on its self-developed Deep Learning based People Detection technology, VIVOTEK has improved security with proactive detection and now focuses this technology on commercial opportunities. With accurate People Detection technology, only the activities of persons will trigger an event. It thus significantly reduces false alarms as well as enhances operational efficiency by making use of data insight reports. VIVOTEK will introduce the latest end-to-end Cybersecurity Management Solution Wide Coverage 180-Degree Solution and Cybersecurity Protection: VIVOTEK will demonstrate a series of 180-degree solutions offering panoramic supreme views for different applications. The 180-degree solution considerably reduces the total number of cameras required, and ultimately saves both cost and time spent on installation. In addition, VIVOTEK will introduce the latest end-to-end Cybersecurity Management Solution and display how it responds to a live cyber attack targeted on network cameras at its booth. New License Plate Recognition Solution: As the demand for License Plate Recognition (LPR) rises, VIVOTEK continues to develop more advanced solutions to meet user requests. In IFSEC 2019, VIVOTEK will reveal the latest H.265 bullet license plate recognition camera, the IB9387-LPR. Featuring edge-computing technology, the brand new IB9387-LPR is embedded with license plate recognition software capability and is able to identify license plates on a black list or white list. It allows users to receive real-time recognition without delay and effectively reduces loading of the backend server. All of these features are making this camera an ideal product for parking access control and STOP & GO toll applications. New Android-based AI Camera for OSSA: VIVOTEK is one of five founding members of OSSA, the alliance aiming to create a common standardised platform for security and safety solutions. To support its mission, VIVOTEK has dedicated itself to developing its very first camera prototype on the Android platform to be displayed at IFSEC 2019.  

Building on its ‘See More in Smarter Ways’ campaign, VIVOTEK, the global IP surveillance solution provider, has introduced two new H.265 Deep Learning fisheye cameras, the FE9191 and FE9391-EV. These two professional day-and-night 12-megapixel fisheye cameras provide 360-degree surround views with zero blind spots and come armed with VIVOTEK’s self-developed Deep Learning technology, Smart 360 VCA. This technology includes intrusion detection, crowd detection, and loitering detection. Such capability transforms these surveillance cameras from capturing devices to advanced notification instruments and in the process significantly reduces false alarms. Protecting area from unauthorised entry The Intrusion-Detection function is designed to protect any specific area against unauthorised entryPowered by VIVOTEK’s people tracking AI engine, the FE9191 and FE9391-EV are smart-fisheye cameras with Smart 360 VCA technology. The Intrusion-Detection function is designed to protect any specific area against unauthorised entry. The Crowd-Detection function can detect and calculate how many persons occupy a given space and triggers alarms when capacity is reached in that area. Finally, the Loitering-Detection function can detect a person or people remaining too long in any selected area. Further enhancing their functionality, both cameras are embedded with Trend Micro’s anti-intrusion software to provide users with higher levels of network protection. Working together, these advanced features ensure the new fisheye cameras are both highly intelligent and robustly secure.  Minimising false alarms “In the past, surveillance cameras were built to meet security demands. However, how one minimses false alarms remains a challenge in the industry,” said Shengfu Cheng, Director of Marketing and Product Development Division, VIVOTEK Inc. “Thanks to the development of AI, the FE9191 and FE9391-EV smart-fisheye cameras are programmed to learn to differentiate between the motion of people and objects. With the Smart 360 VCA technology, our fisheye cameras extend beyond purely for security applications, instead becoming intelligent devices to analyse how many and how long people stayed in a specific area. We are committed to helping retailers and users improve business management efficiency while securing their assets with accurate identification.”