Technology & Trends - CCTV observation systems & accessories

The number-one cause of most power outages in the U.S. is bad weather What does the industry consider to be its most severe threats the U.S. electric grid? There is no shortage of nightmare scenarios. According to the Department of Energy, the number-one cause of most power outages in the U.S. is bad weather, which costs the economy between $18 billion and $33 billion every year in lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, delayed production and damage to grid infrastructure....

Check out the research available from the ASIS Foundation. It is proving to be right on the button.When the Guardians of Peace hacked Sony Pictures Entertainment late in 2014, they crashed the studio’s email, leaked films and scattered personnel data across the Internet.  By mid-December, four class-action lawsuits had hit Sony, claiming that the company had not taken adequate cyber-security precautions. How about your company? Are you prepared to withstand a cyber-att...

Think of crisis management and emergency planning as a  customer service Do you have a written emergency management plan? Where is it? When was the last time you updated it?Developing and writing a corporate or organisational emergency management plan can take a long time. Once completed, however, the plan is there for you to access when you need it. In fact, that’s wrong. According to crisis management authority Michael J. Fagel, emergency planning is suppos...

AlliedBarton actively seeks out and hires family members of veterans through employer assistance groups  AlliedBarton Security Services implemented its program to hire retired service veterans five years ago. “Our CEO Bill (William C.) Whitmore announced one day that ‘we’re going to have a lot of American heroes coming home soon, and I want to give them jobs,’” said Jerold Ramos, Director, Strategic Recruiting and Military Liaison with Alli...

Orwell’s 1984 depicts a post-apocalyptic dystopia in which camera surveillance is used to oppress the individual The phrase “Big Brother” has been in our vocabulary for eight decades now. Its use is linked exclusively with negative images of a surveillance state (and, of course, a bad reality television show). But would George Orwell, a non-religious democrat, be happy with the way the anti-CCTV lobby has appropriated the phrase? The fact is, Orwell would app...

If a security or video surveillance / CCTV system isn’t working, who’s to blame? Or more to the point, what’s to blame? Is the problem the malfunction of a specific device on the edge of the IP network, or is it a network or other system failure? How can an end user or dealer / installer know what the problem is? How can a camera manufacturer know if a call to their overworked tech support department is really about the manufacturer’s camera or cau...

When comparing specifications among a range of similarly featured video surveillance cameras, NVRs or monitors, it can be difficult to ascertain which of the devices truly has the best performance and/or quality. John Grabowski, National Sales and Marketing Manager of JVC Security Division, poses some questions for consideration: Can the human eye actually see a difference in image quality between one camera that offers 700 lines of resolution and another that offers 600...

Significant technological advancements have created endless possibilities in how security is not only deployed, but also leveraged by the end user – the customer. For example, customers can now view surveillance at eight different offices in eight different states from a single, central location. A security director can manage an enterprise-wide access control system, including revoking or granting access control privileges, for 10,000 global employees from a company’s...

Acquiring emergency phones is an effective way to improve security and safety How to maximise security capabilities of call boxes and emergency phonesFrom embedding a security camera to adding video surveillance capabilities to a call box to using emergency phone towers to provide enhanced perimeter security, some simple tips can significantly improve the utility of an emergency phone system for security applications. Here, Sam Shanes, Chairman at Talk-A-Phone, enumerat...

The usability revolution that took place several years ago on the consumer market is breaking into the field of security management. Wouter Kersteman, Interaction Designer at Nedap, explains in this article that intuitive user interfaces with attractive apps and widgets - similar to those found on modern mobile phones and tablets - are the standard of the future; usability is the latest buzzword and may even be a pre-requisite for security management systems.   Rec...

  Acquiring a true open platform surveillance software requires an informed decision Research reports pertaining to the IP video surveillance market repeatedly talk up the trend of "Open Platform". Keeping with that trend, it seems that every manufacturer is claiming its offerings to be IP-based and Open Platform. In the security industry these days, it has become almost embarrassing for a company to admit having a proprietary (single vendor) solution - there seems to be a...

  Migrate to a better system by adopting an all-IP video surveillance solution With declining prices for IP cameras and advancements in video compression technology such as the latest H.264 compression standard, IP video surveillance is increasingly becoming the preferred security solution. The convergence of voice, video and data in the world of surveillance has truly  arrived, a fact amply highlighted by the projected growth of the network video market to over $2.6...

  Taking time to evaluate some do's and don'ts before buying an IP network camera IP network-based surveillance cameras offer enticing possibilities. However, you need to evaluate several factors before deciding on the type of IP camera installation you'd like to go for.  For example, do you want full or partial IP? How much bandwidth? Simon Nash, Senior Marketing Manager at Sony Europe explains the entire process. Transition to IP surveillance Network cameras f...

Environmental implications are important considerations in surveillance system designs Rising energy costs are compelling many organisations to optimise their computing environments. In fact, energy costs have quickly become the fastest growing operating cost, propelling many corporations to embark on new conservation and "green" initiatives. Marc Holtenhoff, CEO of Aimetis, explores ways to reduce energy consumption within video surveillance applications, that could pave the...

   Are we about to see the first truebreakthrough for video analytics? Daniel Wan, Channel Marketing Leader UK at Honeywell Security Group, assesses the development of video analytics from a perceived premium add-on to a cost-effective and key component in video surveillance and several other security applications. Its proven benefits in perimeter protection, increasing the efficiency of manned guarding services and the ROI it delivers, particularly in preventive...

Thermal surveillance cameras have numerous security benefits All network cameras have a basic physical limitation: they need light to work. Phil Doyle, Regional Director, Northern Europe at Axis Communications examines the key benefits of thermal imaging cameras in surveillance.  Some network cameras have night and day vision capability that allows them to operate in very poor lighting conditions, down to fractions of a lux. And of course, if natural light is not availab...

Image quality is affected by more than just zoom Surveillance cameras are only as useful as the quality of images they produce.  Therefore when selecting cameras for a security system, it is imperative to select one with features that will provide the best results possible.  It is often thought that the higher the zoom, the better the quality of the images produced.  However, this is not always necessarily the case. Phil Doyle, Regional Director, Northern Europe...

  Poorly maintained environments send messages that undesirable behaviour will be tolerated Crime prevention is not solely the job of locks on doors or security cameras scanning entranceways. The makeup of a physical environment can influence where crimes are committed. That's why Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) should be an essential component to the crime prevention strategy of any building or area.  In this article ASSA ABLOY Future Labs ...

  Cutting costs on security investments puts small businesses at the risk of criminal activity During tough economic times, many small businesses can be found guilty of neglecting investment in their on-going security protection.  Naturally, this can prove to be problematic as the impact of break-ins and criminal activity greatly affect the accounts and day-to-day running of the business. Luke Martyn, SMB specialist at ADT Fire and Security provides practical, cost-ef...

High Definition technology - leading the way for new video security innovations With new technological developments and innovations constantly being made, consumers are able to enjoy the benefits of higher quality products. Better technology means better gadgets and appliances for entertainment such as televisions but more importantly, it also means better security.  Simon Nash, Senior European Marketing Manager, Video Security for Sony Professional presents the case for...

  Resolution quality must be considered when assessing surveillance effectiveness Surveillance cameras are becoming more and more commonplace, especially in busy metropolitan locales. Police and detectives hope to reduce crime rates by keeping a watchful eye on civilians but CCTV has only been helpful in solving a small percentage of crimes. Mike Lewis, Country Manager UK for CCTV manufacturer MOBOTIX AG, highlights key considerations for improving the efficiency of ex...

  Bandwidth is an important consideration for CCTV systems to reach their full potential Most surveillance systems today transmit data over IP networks. As manufacturers continue to improve the capabilities of CCTV systems, the amount of traffic travelling on a network becomes increasingly large. Bandwidth is a key consideration in managing surveillance systems and ensuring their full potential is reached. In this article, Bosch discusses the importance of bandwidth and ho...

   XML, API and web server offer the ability for interoperability between proprietary software Today's facility executive wants to purchase systems and components from various manufacturers and have those components work together as one system. They want "open systems" that allow the manufacturers to offer new features and add value without locking the owner into a single vendor's proprietary protocols. In short, they want Interoperability.Hirsch Electronics...

  To obtain complete security on sites night time surveillance must factor as high priority Today, the challenge to video surveillance professionals is to make sure that the CCTV video footage is effective on a 24/7 basis throughout the year. Securing an area during the daytime is one thing. But what happens during the night? And in weather conditions like fog, rain and snow? What can be detected if the sun blinds CCTV cameras? Flir Systems explains.As CCTV systems be...

  Security threats keep the demand for advanced security measures high in different industries Terrorism and other security threats around the world are generating high demand for advanced video security solutions that can help detect threats, and protect lives and assets. Elan Moriah President of Verint Video Intelligence Solutions and Verint Witness Actionable Solutions, explores some of the key technologies and trends that are helping reshape the security industry....

Integrated systems solution - The future proof option Does the key to a successful long-term investment in security systems reside in integration? Patric Meyer, SDK support manager, Geutebruck answers 'yes'.If you are only interested in a stand-alone CCTV system for screening and recording video - full stop - then this article is probably not for you. However, most CCTV users these days want much more for their money. Many want their video surveillance system to communicate wi...

Can intelligent technology really deliver a high return on investment and what can it offer government and local authorities today? Yvonne Pritchard of Sony Professional Security details the advantages of intelligent solutions within security installations. Surveillance has long been an essential focus for governments and local authorities at all levels, from traffic and hospital  IP security - the intelligent choice monitoring to large-scale security operations for one-off e...