CCTV cameras News

Starlight camera technology is redefining low-light surveillance to new levels Starlight cameras are the latest products security companies are adding to their product line-ups, each camera boasting the most comprehensive ability to make darkness visible. While low-light surveillance capabilities have been around on the market for some time, starlight camera technology is redefining low-light surveillance to new levels. Sourcesecurity.com spoke to manufacturers to discuss this...

A major benefit of technology innovation is more application opportunities. As video cameras become better and more versatile, new uses are emerging that extend the benefits of video surveillance, often outside tried-and-true parameters. Sometimes security camera manufacturers are on the front lines to see new ways video is contributing value to integrators and end user customers. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable participants: What is the most unusual application of surveillanc...

2016 is shaping up to be the year of the billion-dollar merger in the security market. After last month's mammoth Tyco/Johnson Control merger, a second big merger has rocked the market, this one involving one of the most familiar names in the consumer market – ADT. The home and small business security company, which traces its history back to 1874, has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, and will merge with competitor Protection 1, a subsidiary of Apollo-...

Many security manufacturers are working towards ISO 14001, an internationally-recognised standard for the environmental management of businesses How green are security industry manufacturers? As innovation (much of it driven from home video and mobile phones) continues, it’s likely that our sector’s carbon footprint will decrease since compact products use up fewer raw materials. Even casual observers will note that integrators are falling over themselves to gain e...

Sports security combines manned guarding with access control devices, HD surveillance cameras & analytics in a command centre for a comprehensive security presence Providing security for sporting events and venues has long focused on personnel. Protection came in the form of guards and other personnel who controlled access to the venue and to restricted areas. With an increasing need to provide higher levels of protection in an age of terrorism, venues have turned to tradi...

Done right, a good metric programme will help tell the story of the security department Knights of medieval times are known for impossible quests and challenging missions seeking rare religious items. The quest for the Holy Grail is perhaps the most notable. Today’s security professionals are often on their own quest, seeking what sometimes feels like the impossible – the search for perfect security metrics! What are metrics and are they really that hard to find?...

Sports security has always played a crucial role in securing major sporting events around the world. Ensuring the safety of millions of spectators who throng the venues during such events is not an easy task. Apart from the usual surveillance cameras and barricades that are put into place, to prevent overcrowding and stampeding, other security measures are also implemented. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events of the year in the United States, so no wonder it’s also a huge event fo...

As the security industry continues to evolve and come up with innovative technologies, it has also thrown open the doors for competition among manufacturers of security systems and products. Price wars are emerging in the physical security market, while manufacturers and integrators are looking for new ways to offer greater value and better service. It’s one thing to fight it out for a new customer, but nobody wants to lose an existing customer based on price, or any other factor for that...

Trump’s border wall proposal reflects a rising demand forgreater border security When GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed building a wall along the length of the U.S.-Mexican border, some ridiculed the idea. Yet, it also struck a nerve among Americans deeply concerned about unchecked illegal immigration. "I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall o...

On event days, representatives of emergency response & security agenciesare together and running sports venues as a unified group In the world of sports security, alliances are bringing together personnel and agencies that once only talked to each other during an emergency. Consider the recently announced agreement between the Security Industry Association (SIA) and the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4). This memorandum of understanding (MOU)...

I suspect that many people – especially travellers – associate the idea of “security” with what they see at the airport screening line. If that’s the case, our market’s image suffers from the association. I’m not sure what that is, that happens at airport screening gates, but I don’t think it’s security. Rather than actual security, the practice seems aimed more at making the travelling public feel safer (if that’s possible even as th...

There are between 4 and 6.8 million lone workers in the UK, and many of us arelone workers at some point in our working lives The Suzy Lamplugh Trust was set up to highlight the risk faced by lone workers and to offer information and advice to reduce the risk of violence and aggression for everyone. It was established following the disappearance in 1986 of 25-year-old estate agent, Suzy Lamplugh, after she had gone to meet an unknown client. This article is based on a present...

Customers are looking for more than simple plug-and-play cameras. They wantgood, high-definition cameras to protect their driveways, garages & shops Surveillance and CCTV applications are poised for continued growth in 2016 and beyond as security dealers and their end-user customers turn to video technology for physical security, loss prevention and gathering data and intelligence to assist business management and operations. Overall, the CCTV industry is benefitting from...

The universe of biometric authentication applications is expanding rapidly invertical markets such as healthcare and retail Once used mostly to secure high-value government facilities, biometrics are now a basic tool used in a variety of vertical markets. This article will look at some of those opportunities. For healthcare organisations, for example, biometric authentication is being used for secure medical dispensing to streamline workflow and control drug diversion, and f...

Sports stadiums and leagues are constantly pushing for higher security standards & best practices to strengthen venues that may be perceived as "soft targets" Terrorism threats have focused the attention of sports security professionals like Paul Turner, Director of Event Operations & Security for AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on how to more effectively screen guests and ensure that fans and athletes are kept safe. It has made the sobering reality that stad...

As industry consolidation continues, we can expect a number of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the next several months, but the first M&A story of 2016 is a whopper. This week, Johnson Controls and Tyco have announced their merger into one company with annual revenue of $32 billion. The new Johnson Controls will be almost a direct reflection of one of the industry’s biggest trends – the move toward technology convergence and smart buildings. Johnson Controls has previousl...

NCS4’s research has mainly been on professional sports venues, but they alsodevelop best practices for all levels of sports – including high schools and colleges Some of the most profound changes in the way sporting events are secured have come about since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. A realisation that stadiums could be a target for terrorists has transformed sports security into a highly sophisticated profession that works closely with local and n...

Key control technology and guard tour systems provide a ready-made solution for healthcare organisations to enhance their security & asset management protocols Morse Watchmans, a leading provider of key management solutions explains how to provide top-notch security and manage asset with a combination of key control systems, asset lockers and guard tour systems. The shift from manpower resources to technology as a main line of defence is having a significant impact on...

Security is becoming increasingly business-like, with corporate security departments having to justify their budgets and support business operations Persistent crime — both physical and logical — and the rise of terrorism around the world have led more and more corporations to expand their focus on security. In that effort, C-suite executives have added significantly to the responsibilities of corporate security departments. Security functions have grown far b...

Access control and video systems have always yielded a lot of data, although historically much of it has been stored on hard disk drives and later overwritten and/or dumped. A new trend is to compile that data over time, organise it, analyse it and then use it to provide insights into how the enterprise operates. Analysing data from different sources and departments It’s part of a trend called Big Data, but so far its use in the physical security market has been limited. One company tha...

As the security industry continues to grow, recruiting must have more sophisticatedscreening and hiring processes, and a commitment to hiring quality personnel The physical security industry today is driving focus on finding the right talent. Deborah O’Mara, SourceSecurity.com's dealer/integrator correspondent, in an exclusive Q&A with Brent O’Bryan, Vice President of Training and Development for AlliedBarton Security Services, discuss the challenges that secur...

One of the benefits of newer IP systems is the ability to store video inside the camera or in a nearby digital video recorder (DVR) at the edge of the network. Edge-based storage is unlikely to take the place of centralised storage, but it is complementary and provides some interesting new options related to system design. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the value of edge-based storage and in what specific applications?

Stratus Technologies is a provider of “always-on” technology, which helps to ensurethe running of mission-critical access control and video surveillance applications Building security – especially high-security installations – requires technology that is reliable and minimises downtime. In some physical security installations, access control and video surveillance solutions are required to function uninterruptedly to ensure business continuity and maint...

An improving economy has resulted in additional spending on new and existing security initiatives in 2015, a solid year for the security industry. In addition, industry consolidation continued with the announcement of a few important mergers and acquisitions, which is further evidence of a vibrant and exciting time for our industry. As we move into 2016, we expect to see increased momentum for megapixel and 4K security products. The benefits of 4K are being realised by end users in outdoor cit...

In today’s connected world, our customers are focused on streamlining operations and garnering actionable insights to help drive success across the business. Modern security systems enable security integrators to offer remote access capabilities which in turn helps businesses to improve their performance. For example, security integrators continue to bring new value to customers through new capabilities enabled by the Internet of Things. By utilising connected technology and sensors, secu...

It is better to create new markets than to struggle to maintain a presence in the bitterly contested existing markets. The security market in 2015 has been faced with many ups and downs, and in such a scenario innovating new products gave companies the necessary boost to take on competitors and capture new markets. That’s the viewpoint of Dallmeier as an eventful year draws to a close; a year in which we won and completed many new projects all over the world. Despite, or perhaps because o...

The security environment is unsettling and continues to require focus and continuing vigilance to increase security measures. Sensors in active technology systems play an important role in situational awareness, which helps in identifying and responding to emergency situations.   As of October 2015, there were 45 school shootings in the United States. There continues to be grave concern about potential “lone wolf”-type events for individuals and businesses. Situati...

Politics will be dominating current events in 2016 in the United States, building up to the Presidential election in November. Given the Presidential primaries coming up soon, almost everything – including security – is being seen through a political prism. With the recent San Bernardino attacks, the focus has once again shifted to protection of citizens against terrorist attacks. Government surveillance, such as monitoring of suspected terrorists or individuals has always been a con...

Capital spending continues to open up in 2015, providing funding for security projects that may have been delayed from prior years. Overall, it was a solid year for the security industry. From a SightLogix perspective, we have seen an increased rate of repeat business as existing customers expand the number of assets they need to secure.      Smart thermal cameras provide ideal outdoor intrusion detection 2015 saw an accelerated adoption of thermal cameras with video analytics...

From my vantage point, it would appear that the acquisition of goods and services related to security controls and measures remains healthy at the end of 2015. Although the time associated with evaluations and overall procurement processes, I am told, has become a bit lengthier.   Mergers and acquisitions of both security industry providers and the merger of national and international companies are the biggest unexpected things to have an impact this year. Forbes reported that...