Transportation security applications

Booth number: 14039 Dahua Technology USA Inc. will display video surveillance solutions, access control and intercoms at ISC West. Q: What was the first year your company exhibited at ISC West? Please share your remembrances of that experience. The first year that we exhibited at ISC West was in 2012. That was before we had a local US operation. The market started to pick up our brand and was surprised that we offer extensive product portfolios. In 2014, we registered our US office and continued to participate in ISC West. Through our presence at the show, customers get to know us better and understand that we are not just a product manufacturer but can also support them from the service and operation standpoints. We are local here and help our customers to grow their business and increase their satisfaction with us. A trade show is not just for marketing; ensuring the best ROI requires work by several parties in an organisation Q: What strategies do you use to get the most out of exhibiting at ISC West? A trade show is definitely a lot of investment within a few days. Therefore, how we create the best ROI and meet the right customers are very important. A trade show is not just for marketing; ensuring the best ROI requires work by several parties in an organisation, including products and technical expertise as well as the sales team. We use an internal and highly coordinated plan with the team to get a better result. We make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of the products/technology we are going to present and have the people with the best knowledge to present to customers who visit our booth. Therefore, a highly coordinated team strategy is required. Q: How do you quantify your success at ISC West? What ROI do you receive from the show? Every company has their ways to follow up with the leads and evaluate the ROI from the show. The way we are using is to upload all our leads to our software and track all these leads afterwards. If they are not already buying from us, our goal is to convert them to become a registered dealer. Customers get to know us better and understand that we are not just a product manufacturer but can also support them from the service and operation standpoints If they are already our registered dealers, we seek to grow their business by using our latest technology solutions. In general, all marketing activities in business today require a clear ROI, and it has to tie into the sales numbers. From our experience, the ISC West show provides the best ROI among other shows in the North American market. Q: What company activities (outside the show floor) does your company organise each year? We have a partner event and invite our value-added dealers and partners. We’ve been hosting this event since 2015. Q: What sets ISC West apart from other trade shows on the calendar? As I mentioned, ISC West provides the highest ROI among other shows in the North America market. This show also brings many of our customers and partners to the city as well. I guess people value this opportunity to meet and discuss the technology, the industry trends, and the business to figure out how we can grow together. Other trade shows might be smaller than ISC West and targeted at different markets or address different scopes of the industry need. Every show we attend in 2019 plays a strategic role for us to communicate with the market and find the customers we are looking for.

Booth number: 8045 Costar Technologies, Inc. is a public company that designs, develops, manufactures and distributes a full range of products for the video surveillance and machine vision markets. Costar consists of five operating companies: Arecont Vision Costar, CohuHD Costar, Costar Video Systems, Innotech, and IVS Imaging. The combined product portfolio consists of surveillance cameras, video surveillance systems, recorders, monitors, lenses, cables, accessories, and cloud-enabled services. For more about their presence at ISC West, we contacted Jeff Whitney, Vice President of Marketing for Arecont Vision Costar, a Costar Technologies, Inc. business unit. In 2005, the technology was extremely new and unproven to the typically risk-adverse security industry Q: What was the first year your company exhibited at ISC West? Please share your remembrances of that experience. One of our companies, Arecont Vision, exhibited in ISC West booth 17147 in 2005, a tiny space on which the hopes of the company rested. At the time AV was focused on pioneering IP megapixel surveillance cameras, but today we are part of Costar Technologies, offering cameras, VMSs, and recorders. In 2005, the technology was extremely new and unproven to the typically risk-adverse security industry. Talking with those who were with the company at time, the enthusiasm of the booth team reached the security dealers and systems integrators who were attending, helping bring megapixel cameras to a much wider audience. Q: What strategies do you use to get the most out of exhibiting at ISC West? The Costar companies have a very deep portfolio of products for the security market, and we bring our latest products from each business unit to ISC West. Attendees come in part to see the latest tech, and we drive our development cycle to have exciting new products to unveil on the show floor. We also have meeting space in the booth to provide one-on-one time with our executives and sales team, while sponsoring free admission to the expo for all who want it. Q: How do you quantify your success at ISC West? What ROI do you receive from the show? Unveiling our latest products and solutions to existing customers and partners is key to a successful event, and ISC West’s large impact on the industry ensures that many will attend. Perhaps even more important is informing those attending of the strength of the Costar product portfolio, including many Made in USA products and services that others don’t deliver. Both help to drive leads for projects in which we can really benefit our partners and end user customers. Each of our companies will participate in meetings, dinners, and events with our customers and partners throughout the days of the show Q: What company activities (outside the show floor) does your company organise each year? A large show like ISC West brings many of the Costar business units together, providing an excellent opportunity to continue bonding as a team, as well as to participate in events beyond the show floor. Each of our companies will participate in meetings, dinners, and events with our customers and partners throughout the days of the show. Q: What sets ISC West apart from other trade shows on the calendar? ISC West brings a very large number of interested, security-focused systems integrators, dealers, consultants, and end user customers all to one place for a three-day expo. That audience and opportunity to share our message validates the investment any large show requires from Costar or others. While some industry events have struggled to find and maintain their audiences, ISC West continues to deliver quality, knowledgeable attendees from across the Americas and around the world.  The show differs from other events we do, which are typically regional in attendance or focused more on specific vertical markets.

Booth number: 12089 At this year's ISC West, VIVOTEK USA, Inc. will be showcasing their 180⁰/360⁰ product line plus other general form factors with new features and benefits, including a cybersecurity application embedded onto the cameras, crowd detection, smart motion detection, tailgating, and many more. In addition to IP cameras, VIVOTEK will display a comprehensive product line that also includes NVRs, video receivers, video servers, PoE switches, and video management software. Q: What was the first year your company exhibited at ISC West? Please share your remembrances of that experience. We have come a long way from a little-known surveillance manufacturer with a small booth size VIVOTEK has been an exhibitor at ISC West for many years now. Looking back, we have come a long way from a little-known surveillance manufacturer with a small booth size to one of the global providers in the security industry with a recognisable and trusted brand. Now, we are well-known in the industry and are proud of our accomplishments, but we feel greater things are still in front of us. Q: What strategies do you use to get the most out of exhibiting at ISC West? Each year, we want our booth to tell our stories – who we are, what we do and what we are capable of, and where we are heading. We do not want to just be another camera manufacturer who only promotes and displays products; we want to be the solution provider that customers are looking for. In addition, we have very knowledgeable sale managers who can assist visitors at our booth who are looking for surveillance, whether it’s an upgrade or a totally new solution. Q: How do you quantify your success at ISC West? What ROI do you receive from the show? Gain industry knowledge and perspective as to where surveillance security industry is heading Like any trade show, it is difficult to quantify success. We attend ISC West to promote the VIVOTEK brand, meet and discuss with customers and gain industry knowledge and perspective as to where surveillance security industry is heading. If we achieve these, then ISC West is a success for us. Q: What company activities (outside the show floor) does your company organise each year? Our main focus each year at ISC West has always been the interaction with customers and potential customers on the show floor. We pride ourselves in the products and technology we offer, and there aren’t any other trade shows in North America to showcase our capabilities than ISC West. Q: What sets ISC West apart from other trade shows on the calendar? ISC West is the industry standard of security trade shows in North America. Since we are a security surveillance manufacturer, ISC West is the one show that all manufacturers in this industry must attend.

Booth number: 26041 March Networks is a global provider of video surveillance and video-based business intelligence solutions. Their product portfolio is end-to-end, ensuring that customers can deploy comprehensive solutions designed to help them address real business challenges and improve performance. At ISC West this year, March Networks will be showcasing new hosted services, new PTZ cameras and additional offerings. Attendees will also be encouraged to discover their solutions for banking, retail, cannabis and transportation – all of which help organisations transform video into business intelligence through the integration of surveillance video, analytics, and data from business systems and IoT devices. For more about their presence at ISC West, we contacted Peter Strom, President and CEO, March Networks. And not surprisingly, the technology was a lot less sophisticated compared to what we see today Q: What was the first year your company exhibited at ISC West? Please share your remembrances of that experience. I believe March Networks first exhibited at ISC West in 2001. I did not join the company until 2003, however I had been working in the industry for several years already, and can recall that the exhibitions back then had a much different feel. For one thing, there weren’t the very large companies we see today dominating a lot of the landscape. And not surprisingly, the technology was a lot less sophisticated compared to what we see today. Anyone who has worked in physical security for a long time can attest to the remarkable shift we have seen over the years, first with the transition from analogue to IP video and all that entails, to security analytics, to today’s truly advanced business intelligence applications, hosted solutions, and artificial intelligence, computer vision and similar content analytics. Q: What strategies do you use to get the most out of exhibiting at ISC West? Our most effective strategy by far is scheduling our business meetings in advance of ISC West. Our sales team does a very good job of planning meetings with enterprise end users and channel partners ahead of time, so we’re hitting the ground running even before the doors open on Day 1 of the event. In addition, our channel partners are also very well organised, and know which organisations they are going to bring to our booth during ISC West. This pre-planning saves us a tremendous amount of time and ensures that we make the most of the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the many decision-makers who have travelled to the show. The quality and quantity of our planned business meetings is definitely how our company measures the success of our ISC West participation each year Q: How do you quantify your success at ISC West? What ROI do you receive from the show? The quality and quantity of our planned business meetings is definitely how our company measures the success of our ISC West participation each year. Of course we do track the number and quality of the leads we capture as well; however, our face-to-face meetings with end user organisations and channel partners are the primary measures of our ROI. Q: What company activities (outside the show floor) does your company organise each year? The activities we organise outside of the show floor vary from year to year. We have hosted customer appreciation events and roundtable events. We will typically organise an internal sales meeting as well to take advantage of the fact that many of our salespeople and product managers are in the same location. Q: What sets ISC West apart from other trade shows on the calendar? The timing of ISC West is good for most people, as it is still early enough in the budget cycle for most customers to leverage the show to help make decisions – particularly in our banking, retail, cannabis and transit target verticals. Holding the event consistently in Las Vegas is also beneficial, as it makes it easier for people and exhibitors to plan in advance. The city itself is well equipped to handle large exhibitions, offering everything from a central conference space at the Sands to the convenience of nearby accommodations, restaurants etc. Travel is typically convenient as well. In our opinion, ISC West is the premier industry show in North America and appears to be gaining momentum each year.

Booth number: 18037 Hikvision will showcase a wide-range of its video surveillance solutions and security products such as its DarkFighterX dual-sensor with patented bi-spectral fusion technology for low light color imaging; thermal technology for critical perimeter applications, as well as preventive maintenance through temperature alarming and fire detection; specialty solutions for vertical markets including retail, education, gaming and commercial real estate with tailored products and valuable business intelligence analytics; TurboHD (HD over coax) for high resolution video using existing cabling; PanoVu and multi-sensor cameras. We will also feature Hikvision’s central management system, HikCentral, which provides a highly-scalable, reliable, and efficient centralised system management. We bring the latest and greatest in technology and a knowledgeable workforce to meet our customers and partners Q: What was the first year your company exhibited at ISC West? Please share your remembrances of that experience?  Hikvision has exhibited at ISC West since 2006. Our presence has grown considerably since then. Each year we showcase Hikvision’s latest technologies and the evolution of the brand through ad campaigns: “Heartbeat of Security” (2016), “Art of Video Surveillance” (2017), and “Achieve Extraordinary” (2018). At ISC West, Hikvision enjoys re-connecting with existing customers and developing new partnerships. Over the years, Hikvision has demonstrated growth and strength within the industry and will continue to support its partners through the dedicated workforce that makes up Hikvision North America.  Q: What strategies do you use to get the most out of exhibiting at ISC West? The strategy is simple. We bring the latest and greatest in technology and a knowledgeable workforce to meet our customers and partners. With our latest products displayed at our booth and our team of product managers, vertical-market leaders, and other technical gurus readily available in one place, it’s a great opportunity to connect with our current and future partners. Of course, we also have one-on-one client meetings in our meeting rooms throughout the show. And, we also host interactive experiences including trivia games, product demonstrations, and other technical presentations at the Thought Theater in our booth.  Q: How do you quantify your success at ISC West? What ROI do you receive from the show? Hikvision quantifies its success with a variety of metrics including traffic throughout the booth, attendance at educational sessions we host, the number of meetings we conduct with customers, and responses from our sales team on the engagement with integrators and end users after the show. We also measure the feedback we receive from our advertising campaigns whether it’s through our signage at the show or coverage in publications.  Q: What company activities (outside the show floor) does your company organise each year? We host a Hikvision Partner Celebration @ ISC West, an invitation-only event to celebrate Hikvision Dealer Partners, distribution, technology and design partners We host a Hikvision Partner Celebration @ ISC West, an invitation-only event to celebrate Hikvision Dealer Partners, distribution, technology and design partners, and end users. We consider it a fun way for us to say thank you to our valued partners in a casual setting. We’re also an enthusiastic sponsor of the Mission 500 Security 5/2K. Hikvision is fielding a running team, and we’ve begun our fundraising in earnest. Corporate social responsibility is part of our DNA at Hikvision, and the Security 5/2K is a wonderful way to join with our security industry colleagues to make a difference in kids’ lives and give back. Q: What sets ISC West apart from other trade shows on the calendar? Hikvision attends a variety of important conferences and trade shows throughout the year, but ISC West is the big show that attracts international attendees that everyone looks forward to. We wouldn’t miss it.

Booth number: 20031 Pelco is highly invested in providing end-to-end video surveillance solutions for customers, so this priority will remain the same in 2019 and beyond Pelco’s priorities for 2019 at ISC West are informed by worldwide trends in the security industry. As a result, Pelco will be focusing on enhancing cloud connectivity and cybersecurity for their customers. In addition, VideoXpert is Pelco’s best-selling video management solution, so this system will be the primary solution focus moving forward. Pelco is also planning to build upon Pelco Professional Services, which will include VxCare, a three-tier service plan for VideoXpert owners available worldwide this May. Overall, Pelco is highly invested in providing end-to-end video surveillance solutions for customers, so this priority will remain the same in 2019 and beyond. Q: What was the first year your company exhibited at ISC West? Please share your remembrances of that experience. Pelco was established in its current form around the year 1987, we have been attending ISC West since at least then. One memory that stands out is having to make many coax cables connect with all the analogue cameras and switchers. Q: What strategies do you use to get the most out of exhibiting at ISC West? We truly value the media relationships we’ve nurtured over the years. The security trade media specifically have played a pivotal role in sharing the latest news as it relates to our industry and ISC West. In addition to media relations, e-mail blasts and blogs are also key tools to build buzz around our exhibit. Lastly, we utilise a playbook and training protocols developed for our sales department. This information ultimately benefits our customers because they will receive accurate and up-to-date information about our video surveillance solutions. One way we quantify our success at ISC West is to keep track of the number of people attending our booth Q: How do you quantify your success at ISC West? What ROI do you receive from the show? One way we quantify our success at ISC West is to keep track of the number of people attending our booth. The show is considered the premier event in North American security so a major way we measure our ROI is through initial or final meetings with customers and partners. These initial connections can happen on or near the show floor. In addition, our product managers and engineers create a dialogue with our customers so they can determine the transferrable value of a potential solution, which in turn influences our product world map. Q: What company activities (outside the show floor) does your company organise each year? We have participated in the Security 5K in support of Mission 500. Additionally, we sometimes host customers at local end user sites so they get to see the system in operation. Q: What sets ISC West apart from other trade shows on the calendar? It’s the best-attended security conference in North America by far, attracting both domestic and international visitors.

Artificial intelligence allows machines to do jobs previously done by people. When it comes to security and surveillance, this technology allows cameras and control room equipment to identify a wide range of threats automatically and in real time across hundreds or even thousands of cameras – allowing security teams to take immediate action to protect people and assets. AI technology and surveillance solutions Artificial Intelligence technology built into surveillance solutions help organisations optimise their security Video surveillance cameras are the electronic eyes of any security operation. In the past, human supervision was needed to make sense of the images captured, and to assess whether certain events posed a security risk or not. With some organisations using hundreds or even thousands of cameras to protect their people and assets, manual review of footage is simply impossible – potentially leaving them vulnerable to security breaches. Advanced Artificial Intelligence technology built into surveillance solutions can help organisations overcome this challenge and optimise their security. This means cameras, control-room equipment and back-end infrastructure can now ‘learn’ about potential threats for themselves by recognising people, vehicles and even behaviours. Detection and prevention The manual interventions needed with traditional security systems mean that teams were frequently reacting to breaches that had already happened. Artificial Intelligence changes all this by recognising potential threats before they impact company’s people or assets – allowing security teams to react immediately to neutralise any potential threat. Artificial intelligence solutions can automatically trigger alerts when a person appears in a restricted area For example, artificial Intelligence solutions can automatically trigger alerts when a person appears in a restricted area, or when a vehicle with a blacklisted number plate enters a site. With alerts delivered in real time, teams can identify and react to security threats and protect people and assets more effectively. And because alerts are automated, potential threats are hardly missed or overlooked. How does artificial intelligence work? Artificial Intelligence systems become more intelligent over time, building databases of potential threats and reacting to new events accordingly. This allows systems to ‘think for themselves’ and to alert teams of any suspicious events or people who are caught on camera. Artificial intelligence technologies use advanced algorithms based on Deep Learning to distinguish between different kinds of security events and threats. Technologies incorporated into the Hikvision portfolio include: Facial recognition which allows law enforcement personnel to identify suspects and commercial teams to identify VIP customers in real time. Vehicle identification which can be used to identify vehicle number plates and recognise different types of vehicles (even down to make and model), or to trigger alerts when vehicles enter restricted areas. Perimeter protection which helps organisations to identify real threats by distinguishing people and vehicles from other moving objects and keeping false alarms to a minimum. Business intelligence which employs people counting, queue detection, and heat mapping technologies, so that organisations can enhance operational efficiency by making use of the data report. Increasing commercial success  Artificial intelligence isn’t just useful for identifying security threats – although this is a key strength of the technology. It can also help organisations increase their competitiveness and commercial success. For example, VIP customers who opt to participate in special marketing promotions or other incentives can be identified so staff can provide the right kind of service at the right time. This gives organisations the opportunity to personalise the service experience, foster loyalty and maximise customer lifetime revenues. Artificial Intelligence can help organisations to better understand customers and meet their needs more effectively In the same way, artificial Intelligence can help organisations to better understand customers and meet their needs more effectively – leading to more commercial opportunities. One feature – called People Counting – allows stores and commercial centres to map footfall at peak times, ensuring that staffing is optimised to meet demand. At the same time, stores can see which areas of the building customers visit most and adjust their merchandising and product positioning accordingly to maximise the sales opportunities. Artificial intelligence at Hikvision Hikvision’s family of artificial intelligence products include the DeepinView network cameras and DeepinMind NVRs. The products help to tackle security with facial recognition; monitoring and counting of people; and recognition and detection of vehicles, to name a few. These features all depend on artificial intelligence technology to recognise, classify and respond to security threats. This article was written by Hikvision.

Where are video surveillance cameras headed? At the core of next-generation Internet Protocol (IP) cameras are advanced chips with artificial intelligence (AI) at the edge, enabling cameras to gather valuable information about an incident: scanning shoppers at a department store, monitoring city streets, or checking on an elderly loved one at home. Thanks to advanced chip technology, complex analytics operations are becoming more affordable across the full spectrum of surveillance cameras —professional to consumer — fueling the democratisation of AI in the IP camera market. Complex analytics operations are becoming more affordable across the full spectrum of surveillance cameras Expanding the global IP camera market  The video surveillance equipment market grew to $18.5 billion in 2018 and is expected to increase this year, according to IHS Markit. The latest research points to video everywhere, edge computing, and AI as the top technologies that will have a major impact in both commercial and consumer markets in 2019. Computing at the edge means that the processors inside the camera are powerful enough to run AI processing locally, while still encoding and streaming video, and are able to do it all at the low-power required to fit into the limited thermal budget of an IP camera. New SoC chips will be able to perform all of the processing on camera and provide accurate AI information, with no need to send data to a server or the cloud for processing. Instead, data can be analysed right in the camera itself, offering high performance, real-time video analytics, and lower latency — all critical aspects of video surveillance. This new AI paradigm is made possible by a new generation of SoCs, a key driver behind the market growth of IP cameras. Complex analytics operations are becoming more affordable across the full spectrum of surveillance cameras to fuel the advent of AI in the IP camera market Micro-processor-enabled video analytics Next-generation video cameras will be able to create heat maps of stores to see where people spend the most time Microprocessor-enabled analytics allow users to more easily extract valuable data from video streams. How about an insider’s view into retail customer behavior? Consider video cameras at a department store, monitoring shoppers’ behavior, traffic patterns, and areas of interest. Next-generation cameras will recognise how long a shopper stays in front of a specific display, if the shopper leaves and returns, and if the shopper ultimately makes a purchase. Next-generation video cameras will be able to create heat maps of stores to see where people spend the most time, so retailers will be able to adjust product placement accordingly. Analytics will also help identify busy/quiet times of the day, so retailers can staff accordingly. By understanding customers’ behavior, retailers can determine the best way to interact with them, target specific campaigns, and tailor ads for them. Cue the coupons while the shopper is still onsite! Analytics will also help identify busy/quiet times of the day, so retailers can staff accordingly Fast processing for rapid response at city level City surveillance and smart cities are depending on advanced video surveillance and intelligence to keep an eye on people and vehicles, identify criminals, flag suspicious behavior, and identify potentially dangerous situations such as loitering, big crowds forming, or cars driving the wrong way.Quick local decisions on the video cameras are also used to help analyse traffic situations Quick local decisions on the video cameras are also used to help analyse traffic situations, adjust traffic lights, identify license plates, automatically charge cars for parking, find a missing car across a city, or create live and accurate traffic maps. Real-time HD video monitoring and recording When it comes to home monitoring, what will next-generation video surveillance cameras offer? Real-time monitoring and notification can detect if a person is in the back yard or approaching the door, if there’s a suspicious vehicle in the driveway, or if a package is being delivered (or stolen). Advanced video cameras can determine when notifications are and aren’t required, since users don’t want to be notified for false alerts such as rain, tree branches moving, bugs, etc. Next-generation video camera capabilities can also help monitor a loved one, person or pet, helping put families at ease if they are at work or on vacation. For example, helpful analytics may be used to detect if someone has fallen, hasn’t moved for a while, or does not appear for breakfast according to their typical schedule. City surveillance and smart cities are depending on advanced video surveillance and intelligence to keep an eye on people and vehicles, identify criminals, flag suspicious behavior, and identify potentially dangerous situations Next-gen IP cameras When evaluating next-generation IP cameras (cameras on the edge), look at the brains. These cameras will likely be powered by next-generation SoCs chips. Here is what this means to you:       Save on network bandwidth, cloud computing and storage costs. There is no need to constantly upload videos to a server for analysis. Analysis can be performed locally on the camera, with only relevant videos being uploaded. Faster reaction time. Decisions are made locally, with no network latency. This is critical if you need to sound an alarm on a specific event. Privacy. In the most extreme cases, no video needs to leave the camera. Only metadata needs to be sent to the cloud or server. For example, the faces of people can be recognised in the camera and acted upon, but the video never reaches the cloud. The cameras can just stream a description of the scene to the server “suspicious person with a red sweater walking in front of the train station, has been loitering for the last 10 minutes, suggest sending an agent to check it out.” This could become a requirement in some EU countries with GDPR rules. Easier search. Instead of having to look through hours of video content, the server can just store/analyse the metadata, and easily perform searches such as “find all people with a red sweater who stayed more than five minutes in front of the train station today.” Flexibility/personalisation. Each camera at the edge can be personalised to work better for the specific scene it is looking at, compared to a generic server. For example, “run a heat map algorithm on camera A (retail) as I want to know which sections of my store get the most traffic; and run a license plate recogniser on camera B (parking lot) as I want to be able to track the cars going in/out of my parking lot.” No cloud computing required. For cameras in remote locations or with limited network bandwidth, users have the ability to perform all analytics locally, without relying on uploading video to a server/cloud. Higher resolution/quality. When AI processing is performed locally, the full resolution of the sensor can be used (up to 4K or more), while typically the video streamed to a server will be lower resolution, 1080p or less. This means more pixels are available locally for the AI engine so that you will be able to detect a face from a higher distance than when the video is streamed off camera. AI at the edge Professional-level IP cameras capable of performing AI at the edge are coming soon with early offerings making their debut at this year’s ISC West. As we enter 2020, we will begin to see the availability of consumer-level cameras enabling real-time video analytics at the edge for home use. With rapid technology advancement and increased customer demand, AI is on the verge of exploding. When it comes to image quality and video analytics, IP cameras now in development will create a next-generation impact at department stores, above city streets, and keeping an eye on our loved ones.

Across the country, law enforcement officers are finding it increasingly difficult to respond to the near overwhelming number of calls coming from security alarms. Police departments commonly define a false alarm as a call, which upon investigation, shows no evidence of criminal activity, such as broken windows, forced doors, items missing, or people injured. While false alarms bog down police, they can also negatively impact customers and integrators. End users can expect hefty fines for false alarm responses, and when these customers receive large bills from the city, many turn to installers, dealers, and even manufacturers expecting them to accept the responsibility and pay the bill. What first brought the issue of alarm verification to your attention? It is crucial to both see a situation and concurrently listen to any corresponding sounds to gain full insight I’ve been aware of the problem of false alarms for about 5 years. I believed audio capture, through microphone deployment, could be an active part of the solution when used as a second source for indicating ‘out of the norm’ activity and as an equal component with the video surveillance technology. In 2015, I found similarly minded security professionals when introduced to the Partnership for Priority Verified Alarm Response. After reading PPVAR’s paper on ‘Audio Verified Alarms Best Practices; [April 2015],’ I knew that the Partnership was on to something important. In our lives, two of the five senses we count on day-in and day-out are sight and sound. It is crucial to both see a situation and concurrently listen to any corresponding sounds to gain full insight. What is the false alarm rate? In 2016, the International Association of Chiefs of Police reported that over 98 percent of all alarm calls in the United States were false. This number is obviously staggering, and something we need to work towards correcting. Why did this issue resonate so strongly with you? When I first investigated this issue, I was sure that the security industry would have already recognised this and was acting to ensure improved alarm verification, preferably through a combination of audio and video technologies. However, I quickly saw that this was not the case, or even close to the norm. I have questioned the rationale behind the lack of adoption and found the deployment of audio is often hindered by the concern of privacy. I’ve spearheaded many initiatives to explain the monitoring policies surrounding audio As CEO of Louroe Electronics, I’ve spearheaded many initiatives to explain the monitoring policies surrounding audio. I’ve had to reassure many security personnel and customers how the law supports the use of audio in public places as long as there is no expectation of privacy. By dispelling fears with facts around deploying and implementing audio sensors, customers can confidently include audio in their surveillance systems and gain a more effective security solution. Who is affected by this? Truth be told, everyone from the end user to the manufacturer is affected by this issue. Not to mention the strain this puts on law enforcement who are tired of ‘wasting time’ and effort out in the field on these nuisance alerts. When an end user receives a bill for their false alarm, many of them will immediately blame the integrator and or the monitoring center for a faulty set up and management and expect the integrator to remedy the situation, including carry the burden of paying the fines. The integrator, on the other hand, will turn to the manufacturer, assuming faulty equipment and installation instructions; therefore, looking for reimbursement for the cost. What is the average false alarm fee? It depends on many factors, and especially your first responder assigned location for responseIt depends on many factors, and especially your first responder assigned location for response. According to the Urban Institute, fees generally range from $25-$100 for the first offense, rising as high as a few thousand dollars per false alarm if a location has a large number in a single year. What’s worse, in extreme cases, alarm systems may even be blacklisted by the police dispatch center if they have raised too many false alarms in the past. Why do you believe audio is the ideal technology for secondary source verification? Video surveillance has been the main option for security monitoring and alarm validation for decades, however industry professionals are realising that video alone is not enough. Video only tells half of the story, by adding audio capture, the responsible party gains a turnkey solution with the ability to gather additional evidence to verify alerts and expand overall awareness. In reality, audio’s range is greater than the field of view for a camera. Sound pickup is 360 degrees, capturing voices, gunshots, breaking glass, sirens, or other important details that a fixed camera many not see. How would a secondary source verification system work with audio? Using a video monitoring solution equipped with audio, the microphone will pick up the sounds at the time a visual alert or alarm is triggered. If embedded with classification analytics, the microphone will send alerts for specific detected sounds. The captured audio, and any notifications are immediately sent to the monitoring station, where trained personnel can listen to the sound clip, along with live audio and video from their station. When law enforcement receives a validated alarm, they can better prioritise the response From here, an informed decision can then be made about the validity of the alarm, along with what the current threat is at the location. If the alarm is in fact valid, the information is then passed along to the law enforcement within minutes. When law enforcement receives a validated alarm, they can better prioritise the response. It also provides more information in a forensic evaluation. Are there any additional resources you would suggest looking into? Yes, we would suggest looking into the following to see a few different perspectives on the matter: NSA Support For 2018 Model Ordinance For Alarm Management and False Alarm Reduction Partnership for Priority Verified Alarm Response Support for the Term “Verified Alarm” and Prioritising Verified Alarm Responses Urban Institute Opportunities for Police Cost Savings without Sacrificing Service Quality: Reducing False Alarms

Terrorism is amongst the more unyielding security threats worldwide, but a report on global terrorism from the Institute for Economics & Peace, Sydney, Australia, provides reason for optimism, especially outside the world’s terrorism hot spots such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Europe is the region with the biggest improvement from the impact of terrorism and has recorded a marked fall in terrorist activity. The number of deaths in Western Europe fell from 168 in 2016 to 81 in 2017. Turkey, France, Belgium, and Germany recorded the most significant falls, with only the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Finland, and Austria registering increases. As a whole, deaths from terrorism fell for a third consecutive year, after peaking in 2014. Bombings and armed assaults have been the most common form of terrorist attack every year for the past 20 years. Ranking countries based on impact of terrorism The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) was developed in consultation with the Global Peace Index Expert PanelThis article excerpts some of the insights from the Institute for Economics & Peace’s report Global Terrorism Index 2018: Measuring the Impact of Terrorism. The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank dedicated to shifting the world's focus to peace as a positive, achievable, and tangible measure of human well-being and progress. The report ranks individual countries based on their impact from terrorism. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) was developed in consultation with the Global Peace Index Expert Panel. The GTI scores each country on a scale from 0 to 10; where 0 represents no impact from terrorism and 10 represents the highest measurable impact of terrorism. Countries are ranked in descending order with the worst scores listed higher in the index. The United Kingdom scored 5.610 on the GTI scale, up seven spots in the ranking to No. 28. By comparison, the United States scored 6.066 (up 12 spots to rank No. 20), France scored 5.475 (ranked at No. 30) and China scored 5.108 (ranked at No. 36). Fall in deaths but rise in terrorist incidents Twenty-one countries in Europe recorded improvements on their GTI score in 2017, with 11 registering deteriorations in their scores. The impact of terrorism fell for the region on average. Europe recorded the largest percentage decrease in deaths from terrorism of any region in the world in 2017, with total deaths falling by 75 per cent. In Western Europe, deaths from terrorism fell by 52 percent, from 168 in 2016 to 81 in 2017 In Western Europe, deaths from terrorism fell by 52 per cent, from 168 in 2016 to 81 in 2017. From January until October 2018, fewer than 10 deaths were recorded in the region. Despite the fall in deaths, the number of terrorist incidents increased to 282 in Europe in 2017, up from 253 in the prior year. Furthermore, eight countries in Western Europe recorded at least one death from terrorism in 2017, the highest number in the past 20 years. 27% decrease in total number of deaths At the top of the global ranking, No. 1 is Iraq (which scored 9.746 and accounted for 25 percent of the deaths from terrorism) and Afghanistan is No. 2 (with score of 9.391 and representing 23 percent of deaths). The rest of the Top 5 countries are Nigeria, Syria and Pakistan. Iraq recorded over 5,000 fewer deaths from terrorism in 2017, while Syria recorded over 1,000 fewer deaths The total number of deaths from terrorism fell by 27 per cent between 2016 and 2017, with the largest decreases occurring in Iraq and Syria. Iraq recorded over 5,000 fewer deaths from terrorism in 2017, while Syria recorded over 1,000 fewer deaths. The fall in deaths was reflected in scores on the GTI, with 94 countries improving, compared to 46 that deteriorated. Extremism linked to ex-criminals There is a growing body of evidence that indicates people in Western Europe with a criminal background may be especially susceptible to alignment with extremist beliefs, radicalisation, and possible recruitment by terrorist groups, according to the report. Extremists groups provide a ‘redemption narrative’ for alienated young people with a criminal background, while also allowing them to use their illicit skills and networks. Most of the studies conducted in Western Europe find that more than 40 per cent of foreign fighters and those arrested for terrorist activity have some form of criminal background. This pattern of recruitment is of particular concern for countries in Western Europe, with the number of returning foreign fighters expected to grow in the years ahead as ISIL continues to crumble in Iraq and Syria, say the researchers. Increase in far-right political terrorism Elsewhere, the threat of far-right political terrorism is on the rise. There were 66 deaths from terrorism caused by far-right groups and individuals from 113 attacks for the years from 2013 to 2017. Of those, 17 deaths and 47 attacks occurred in 2017 alone. The majority of attacks were carried out by lone actors with far-right, white nationalist, or anti-Muslim beliefs In Western Europe, there were 12 attacks in the United Kingdom, six in Sweden, and two each in Greece and France. In the United States, there were 30 attacks in 2017 which resulted in 16 deaths. The majority of attacks were carried out by lone actors with far-right, white nationalist, or anti-Muslim beliefs. The GTI is based on the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) Global Terrorism Database (GTD), the most authoritative data source on terrorism today. The GTI produces a composite score so as to provide a ranking of countries on the impact of terrorism. The GTD consists of systematically and comprehensively coded data for 170,000 terrorist incidents.

Cybersecurity has become a major element – and a major source of discussion – in the physical security marketplace as a result of the rise in networked systems. And we may still not be talking enough about cybersecurity. Here is part one of our Cybersecurity series. “Cybersecurity requires everyone in the security industry to be playing offense and defense at the same time, every single day,” says Bill Bozeman, President and CEO of PSA Security Network. “It needs to just become part of the standard conversation when we are talking about physical security because they are so intertwined.” Creating new industry leaders Cybersecurity and physical security can be seen as two parts of a single entity, and increasingly the two will be combined at the enterprise level over the next several years. “This convergence of physical security and cybersecurity will create new industry leaders that will emerge to lead a new segment of the combined market through strong investment and leadership,” says Rob Lydic of ISONAS, now part of Allegion. Data capture form to appear here! Cybersecurity issues dominate almost every discussion in today’s physical security industry, and the clear message is that “manufacturers and integrators must continue to create robust and scalable cybersecurity offerings to protect customer data and facilities,” says Lydic. He contends that cloud services providers (such as ISONAS) are more cybersecure and reliable ‘by orders of magnitude’ than non-cloud solutions. Cybersecurity is linked to cloud-based systems and managed security service provider models Cloud-based services The Security Industry Association (SIA) has listed cybersecurity as one of 2019’s ‘Top Megatrends’ in the physical security market. SIA says it is important to prioritise cybersecurity among security businesses, for customers’ businesses, and for vendors. The trend calls for continual process improvement and investment. Bill Bozeman of PSA Security Network agrees: “Cybersecurity has definitely taken a strong foothold in the industry.” With the continued expansion of cloud-based services, cybersecurity will be more important than ever to integrators, manufacturers and end users alike, he says. Notably, cybersecurity is directly linked to two other important industry trends listed by Bozeman: cloud-based systems and the rise in recurring monthly revenue (RMR) and managed security service provider (MSSP) models, whose focus will include cybersecurity. Loss prevention executives The days when cybersecurity was exclusively the domain of the information technology (IT) department are gone. “Cybercrime is one of the biggest threats organisations of all sizes and types face today,” says Michael Malone, CEO of ADT Cybersecurity (formerly known as Datashield). “Considering the magnitude of these crimes, it now falls on the entire organisation, including the traditional security or loss prevention executives, to band together to combat these threats.” Cybercrime is one of the biggest threats organisations of all sizes and types face today Malone favours (and his company offers) a managed detection and response (MDR) service, which combines advanced technology and human analysis. Using packet capture on the network, an MDR analyst can ‘replay’ a cyber security event and dig deeper into the incident and determine remediation steps. It’s an approach that significantly cuts through false positive ‘noise’ so security teams can focus on what matters. Helping security officers Interestingly, cybersecurity is poised to benefit from another major trend in the physical security market – the rise of artificial intelligence. Specifically, machine learning applications for cybersecurity include: detecting malicious activity, helping security officers determine what tasks they need to complete in an investigation process, analysing mobile endpoints, decreasing the number of false positive threats, automating repetitive tasks like interrupting ransomware, and potentially closing some zero-day vulnerabilities. But AI in this case is not a panacea. Christopher McDaniels of Mosaic451 recommends pairing human intellect with machine technology to sort through data faster and catch hackers before they do much damage. Part two of our Cybersecurity series coming soon. 

The excitement of ISC West 2019 continued until the very end – almost. Exhilarated by the first two busy days of the show, attendees and exhibitors seemed to welcome a slower third day. There were no complaints about booth traffic, and still plenty of thoughtful conversations taking place, everyone determined to maximise the value of face time with customers until the last second. Building an IoT ecosystem in SAST At a show lacking in high-profile new technology announcements, the biggest news is perhaps the possible long-term impact of first-time exhibitor Security and Safety Things (SAST), a Bosch startup. SAST is building a new Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem for the security and safety industry, including an app store, an open and secure camera operating system, a software developer environment, and a portal for integrators. SOCs (system-on-chips inside cameras) are becoming much more capable" Their 1,800-square-foot booth was big for a first-time exhibitor, and the American football theme was well received, as was the substance of the company’s effort to drive innovation in a highly fragmented industry. Seeing actual cameras and apps on display at the ISC West booth is “more real than PowerPoint,” says Hartmut Schaper, CEO of Security and Safety Things (SAST). “For us, seeing is believing,” says Schaper. “It was important for us to show cameras and apps for the first time. People are surprised at how far down the road we are.” “This dynamic will change in the industry,” says Schaper. “SOCs (system-on-chips inside cameras) are becoming much more capable. Soon there will be more processing power on the edge. People will find a way to use the extra processing power.” “Seeing is believing” at the SAST booth at ISC West 2019, where CEO Hartmut Schaper showed several manufacturers’ cameras whose functionality can be expanded using Android apps Developing more apps Several large manufacturers are already involved in the initiative, but there are some holdouts. “We are having ongoing talks with everyone to convince them to join,” Schaper says. “Some of the bigger ones will come around. We are not a camera manufacturer, and not a threat. We are owned by Bosch but are managed completely separately. There will be more and more apps developed, and momentum will increase.” “A year from now we will have successful customers we can talk about, and more camera manufacturers on board,” he says. “This year we are taxiing on the runway, but next year we will have cleared the tarmac and be climbing.” If the approach succeeds, their first appearance at ISC West will be remembered as historic. Future of surveillance cameras Off the show floor, in a nearby meeting room, chip maker Ambarella demonstrated technologies that will be driving the future of video surveillance cameras, including more intelligence at the edge. “People have been using more traditional video analytics approaches, though most of them have been disappointing,” says Chris Day, Ambarella VP of Marketing and Business Development. “What is ground-breaking now is the use of neural networks and real artificial intelligence, which has increased capabilities 100x. "You will see camera products coming out over the next year that are massively better than before. It’s not just incrementally getting better. Cameras will be coming out later this year with analytics that are absolutely amazing based on [the new chips.]” Larry Anderson, editor-in-chief of SecurityInformed.com, talks about Ambarella HDR and Low Light Solutions with Jerome Gigot, Senior Director of Marketing for Ambarella. (Source: Ambarella) New systems-on-chips Ambarella has introduced four new systems-on-chips (SoCs) in the last year, with emphasis on computer vision (video analytics). The newest is the S6LM Camera SoC with 4K imaging technology, unveiled at ISC West. The S6LM includes Ambarella's latest high dynamic range (HDR) and low-light processing technology, highly efficient 4K H.264 and H.265 encoding, multi-streaming, on-chip 360-degree de-warping, cyber-security features, and a quad-core CPU. People shouldn’t forget what a good camera is, and there doesn’t have to be a tradeoff" “With so much focus on AI and computer vision, I’m concerned the industry has taken focus away from low light imaging, wide dynamic range and image quality,” says Day. “You have to see the details in an image. People shouldn’t forget what a good camera is, and there doesn’t have to be a tradeoff, it’s all included in one chip.” From products to systems With a new general manager on board (Daniel Gundlach, formerly of Bosch), FLIR Systems Security Division is continuing its transition from a product company to a solutions provider, removing internal silos to clear the path. FLIR offers a strong end-to-end portfolio for Smart Cities applications, including the TruWITNESS line of body worn cameras and newly acquired Aeryon drones. FLIR’s historical strength as the top thermal imaging provider continues, but today they are much more than a thermal imaging company, offering visible day/night cameras, infrared pan-tilt-zoom cameras, video management systems and other technologies to provide a broader platform. FLIR's Saros security cameras combine multiple security technologies, including thermal sensors, high-resolution visible imaging, IR and visible LED illuminators, onboard analytics and two-way audio and digital input/outputs. Products in critical infrastructure applications In addition to Safe Cities, FLIR installs a range of products in critical infrastructure applications, such as oil and gas and electric utilities. Ports also tend to combine traditional security with an emphasis on perimeter protection, a FLIR strength. Existing perimeter protection applications can open opportunities for the broader platform. For example, installing a complete system in an airport that already uses FLIR’s thermal technology represents “low-hanging fruit” for the company, says Fredrik Wallberg, FLIR Director of Marketing – Security and Intelligent Transportation Systems. Ambarella demonstrates its latest imaging technology for video security during ISC West 2019 (Source: Ambarella) Integrated solutions Bosch's focus At the Bosch booth, there was an emphasis on integrated solutions and the customer experience. A mock retail store setup demonstrated systems such as overhead cameras for people counting and alarm communication to provide an alert if a refrigerator door is left ajar. A wireless panic button generates a silent alarm, communicates with a 2-way radio, and triggers a camera to focus on the area. An AVIOTEK IP camera alarms if there is a fire, based on observing actual flames rather than smoke. A new Bosch fixed dome camera series offers wireless remote commissioning capabilities that reduce installation and set-up time by up to 75 percent. Set-up only takes three steps: install the mounting bracket, connect the cables, and attach the camera module. Commissioning can be done wirelessly or remotely with no need for ladders or lifts. Dahua marks five years in the U.S. An IR illuminator is attached to each lens module to ensure there is always illumination in the field of view Time flies in the security industry, and it has already been five years since the Dahua brand entered the U.S. market. Today the company offers products through ADI and some 20 distributors, and has more than 30 technical consultants and technical support employees and 50 or 60 sales people in the field (including independent rep firms). “We are growing,” says Tim Shen, Director of Marketing at Dahua Technology USA. “It’s exciting for the company.” At ISC West, Dahua introduced a line of Multi-Flex panoramic cameras with lens modules that can be repositioned along an internal track for 180-, 270- or 360-degree views, providing flexibility for integrators. An IR illuminator is attached to each lens module to ensure there is always illumination in the field of view. Cost savings come from ease of installation (one camera instead of four) and only one VMS license (instead of four). AI and night colour cameras  Dahua is also emphasising its Night Colour cameras that remain in full colour mode regardless of how dark it gets. There is no IR illumination or IR cut filter – the camera stays in color mode and displays any visible image in colour with as little as 1 lux of illumination. The 2 megapixel version is on display at ISC West, and a 4 megapixel version will come in the fall. A year ago at ISC West, Dahua emphasised its initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI) in order to position the company as a technology leader. This year, the message was more general – ‘Power Through Technology.’ The range of Dahua technologies includes AI, Night Colour, Starlight low-light imaging, fifth-generation HDCVI, and e-POE (Enhanced Power over Ethernet). Dahua USA's Director of Marketing says "the market itself likes AI", and expects more AI applications to follow (Source: Dahua USA's LinkedIn) “When we present AI to customers, they are happy, but when it comes to the budget they don’t have it,” says Shen. “The market itself likes AI, and it’s very much a buzzword. But we still need a proof of concept that it can do something good for end users. We need time to develop broader applications. The ‘smart retail’ market and education are good places to start.” he says. “AI is for project business,” adds Jennifer Hackenburg, Dahua’s Senior Product Marketing Manager. “Projects that are looking at AI haven’t come to fruition yet; they are still in the pipeline. It’s not for your everyday business. They are implementing it, but not as fast.” Access control beyond doors Access control should extend beyond doors. That’s the message I heard at the ASSA ABLOY booth, which displayed a variety of physical locks and intelligent access systems. An example is traffic cabinets, those metal boxes in public locations that could potentially be accessed to invade an internal network. ASSA ABLOY emphasises the need to secure the variety of enclosures, cabinets, drawers and small spaces ASSA ABLOY emphasises the need to secure the variety of enclosures, cabinets, drawers and small spaces throughout an enterprise. The company’s ‘security continuum’ message draws attention to the need for the right level of security for the right opening, using existing infrastructure as well as new electronic technologies. “Customers face a combination of non-traditional access control and questions on how they can secure things that are not doors,” says David Corbin, ASSA ABLOY Director of Access Control Accessories. The security message is resonating beyond the traditional security department to involve other stakeholders in an enterprise, including IT directors. There is new awareness of vulnerabilities that have been there forever, such as traffic cabinets that can be opened with a key purchased on eBay.

German supermarket REWE Group's new full-range national warehouse covers 53,000 square metres and is situated in the north of Berlin. About 350 employees ensure that more than 355 REWE, nahkauf, Karstadt and Coop supermarkets — along with Hit self-service stores — are supplied with around 10,000 different items. The building is protected by a CLIQ® locking system which was planned and installed by the specialist security company Guett-Dern GmbH, based in Cologne. The flexible locking system challenge Supermarkets between Sassnitz and Jüterborg will be supplied optimally with goods by the new logistics centre, in which REWE invested around €60 million. Six days a week approximately 100 trucks transport fruit and vegetables, frozen foods and fresh foods such as milk, as well as the entire range of dry goods. More than €600 million invested in optimising logistics, as part of a logistics offensive for the whole of Germany, made this expansion necessary.The goal is to make processes faster, more effective and more efficient and ecologically sustainable The goal is to make processes faster, more effective and more efficient and ecologically sustainable. The REWE Group was founded in 1927 and has built eleven new warehouses as part of this project, and has modernised three more. The Oranienburg location is viewed as the pilot project for all of REWE Group's logistics centres.  REWE Group’s specifications in terms of security were defined accordingly: Entrances to the logistics centre's buildings were to be equipped with electronic locks to enable them to be managed centrally and to integrate internal doors according to their requirements. A flexible locking system was to be incorporated to manage all access entitlements and locking hierarchies reliably according to individual responsibilities — meaning it must be tailored precisely to each individual.  The CLIQ® solution The choice was made in favour of the mechatronic locking system CLIQ®, which was installed by security specialists and ASSA ABLOY partner Guett-Dern. The CLIQ® system integrates advanced microelectronics into mechanical locking cylinders and their corresponding keys. Locking cylinders and keys can thus communicate with one another without the need for wiring or a network. This means that access and locking are doubly secured: via mechanical locking and electronic identity. The installation of the intelligent mechatronic CLIQ® locking system thus provides the building with an optimal level of protection.The programmable keys and cylinders of the CLIQ® locking system from ASSA ABLOY fulfil REWE's requirements The programmable keys and cylinders of the CLIQ® locking system from ASSA ABLOY not only fulfil REWE's requirements, but also win thanks to their price–performance ratio.  “CLIQ® is easy to use and program,” says Dirk Müller-Steinhausen, Head of Technology and Sales at Guett-Dern GmbH. “For instance, because system administrators do not have to visit each locking cylinder separately in order to change the batteries.” Power is supplied exclusively via a standard battery in the keys and programming keys. Encrypted communication with the cylinder also takes place in this way.  Each CLIQ® key has an integrated chip inside, making it unique. Keys can be programmed individually for each user. “This means that we have control of our keys. With CLIQ®, we have great flexibility in the event that a key is lost or if we want to make any changes. "We can revoke the key's access entitlements by reprogramming individually the approximately 400 locking cylinders in use,” explains Marc Haverkamp, Project Manager for the REWE Logistics Centre in Oranienburg. At the same time, access authorisations can be enabled temporarily, including for workmen, cleaners and external service providers.

Every day, 150,000 parcels are transported by the French DPD group, which makes nearly 55 million parcels per year. E-commerce is growing the parcel business and, consequently, the transportation volume of parcel service and logistics companies. Online shopping would be unthinkable for the consumers without the speedy delivery of the ordered goods - therefore it is self-evident to keep track of shipments on their way to the consignee, in order to guarantee a correct delivery.­ DPD France video systems DPD France is part of La Poste Groupe, the largest parcel service provider in the country. The company operates numerous logistics depots, in which the consignments are collected, sorted and reloaded according to their destination. The timely transport of the parcel volumes, which are handled in the depots day by day, requires a high level of organisation and a precise monitoring of all processes in order to be able to ascertain where a shipment is currently located. In order to cope with the high volume of shipments, the depots are equipped with state-of-the-art technology such as conveyor belt systems and scanner terminals, which allow the tracking of the route any shipment takes within the facility. On-schedule operations and reliable delivery are important quality criteria in the parcel logistics industry.DPD France has been using video systems for some time, which monitor the processes inside the depots For this reason, DPD France has been using video systems for some time, which monitor the processes inside the depots. However, these were mostly analogue systems, which should now be replaced by modern IP-based video solutions in order to document the sorting and transfer processes of the packages, too. Search for a more flexible system As part of the modernisation, DPD intended to replace the old technology with more open and ­ flexible systems providing extended search options in order to be able to track parcels as quickly as possible. The solution should be very reliable and, for the future, be simply expandable by additional camera channels to keep up with the growing volume of shipments. Furthermore, the software should be easy to use for employees, in order to avoid complex trainings and long learning times. The detailed and reliable dispatch tracking, as well as the surveillance of the depots to resolve cases of loss and to optimise the processes, were therefore set as project targets. The challenge of the project was also to secure the depots in compliance with TAPA - which mainly means monitoring all entrance and exit gates for at least 17 hours a day as well as motion-based image recording outside this period. The Qognify Cayuga software should be easy to use for employees, in order to avoid complex trainings and long learning times The solution: Qognify Cayuga With the Cayuga product line, Qognify offers a powerful and flexibly extendable video management software that has been supplemented by the Qognify BVI Logistics module with scanner interface for the DPD depots in France. In addition, I/O modules are used in both depots to enable the transmission and reception of control signals. Among other things, doors and gates can be opened directly by pushing a button in the Qognify user interface. The expandability of the Multi Solution Platform allows new components to be added at any time - for example, to automatically capture and analyse the number plates of incoming vehicles. The video management software Qognify Cayuga sets itself apart from competitors by the openness and flexibility of the system as well as by the support of a large number of different camera manufacturers and models.Qognify Cayuga sets itself apart from competitors by the openness and flexibility of the system as well as by the support of a large number of different camera manufactures and models Successful result in warehouse management system Based on Qognify Cayuga and Qognify BVI Logistics, all conveyor belts, entrance and exit doors as well as the entire interior zone are now being monitored with 280 HD cameras in Tours and 380 in Beaune. This means that the complete process of shipment processing from incoming parcels via sorting by destination through to handover to the delivery agent is seamlessly documented. The data from the video system is combined with the data from the various barcode scanners along the conveyor belts for detailed evaluation. It is therefore possible to determine at what time each individual parcel was located at which point in the distribution centre. The installation of a total of 61 scanners from the manufacturer Sick ensures the monitoring of the conveyor belts, and these scanners export the barcodes from five viewing angles. On this basis, each parcel is tracked in the warehouse management system, assigned to the correct destination and, via a selector switch, forwarded to the right conveyor belt, which transports it to the appropriate loading bay. In the Qognify user interface, a special research view can be used to search for parcels using different parameters such as barcode or tracking number. The software visualises the route of the shipment through the distribution centre on the basis of video recordings, so that the user can compare all available data and can localise error sources quickly. Thanks to these options the clarification of damage or loss can be significantly accelerated. Patrick Cavoue from DPD France is satis­fied with the result: “With the logistics solution from Qognify, we are able to track the route each parcel is taking in our depots without any gaps – right up to the handover to the delivery agent. The Qognify BVI client allows a targeted search without hours of searching through video footage and is therefore perfectly suited to quickly and efficiently identify loss or damage. This lowers our costs and ultimately leads to signi­ficantly increased customer satisfaction.”

Bialystok, a beautiful historic city of 300,000 in the northeast of Poland, is one of the nation’s major population centres. Devastated in World War II and languishing for a long period afterward, the city has seen a renaissance in recent years, with restoration of its beautiful architecture and modernisation of infrastructure as the Polish economy has boomed. One particular change that has come upon this serene city with unexpected rapidity is the increase in car ownership, which has more than tripled in Poland since 2005. Over the last decade, the growing need for an up-to-date, comprehensive traffic monitoring system has become increasingly apparent. Surveillance enhancement for traffic surges The growing need for an up-to-date, comprehensive traffic monitoring system has become increasingly apparent Cameras were the most costly item within the traditional traffic surveillance system originally deployed in Bialystok. To capture as many angles as possible, large numbers of cameras were required, often several at each intersection. As well as being an eyesore, this also meant that the cost of linking and synchronising the array of cameras to the central surveillance system was exorbitant. To avoid impacting traffic, which is heavy during the daylight hours, installation and construction work was usually carried out at night. The restricted hours for installation caused long delays in camera setups. Worse, the system itself no longer met the needs of the rapidly developing city. Despite the large numbers of cameras, the field of view of individual cameras was too narrow and when accidents happened it was difficult to try to piece together footage from several cameras in an attempt to reconstruct the incident. Often, there was no way to determine from the footage just who was at fault. A better solution was needed. Seamless collaboration to seamless implementation Zarzad Dróg Miejskich (ZDM), the municipal unit responsible for the road system in Bialystok needed to revamp, simplify, and upgrade their inefficient traffic camera system, so they worked with systems software manager Siemens and engaged VIVOTEK’s local distributor Suma Solutions to come up with an answer that would meet their needs. Siemens developed the system software around technology provided by VIVOTEK, a provider of IP surveillance solutions, offers dedicated traffic surveillance and management solutions, and has recently released its remarkable FE8174V H.264 5-megapixel fisheye network camera.The hemispherical images captured on camera can be automatically retooled to conventional projection specifications for easy viewing  The FE8174V is VIVOTEK’s fisheye network camera. This vandal-proof, WDR-enhanced, day/night camera features a detailed 5-megapixel resolution sensor with superior image quality. Its fisheye lens captures a 180° panoramic view when wall-mounted, and a stunning 360° surround view with no blind spots when mounted overhead. With its choice of display layouts—surround view, panoramic view, and regional view—it is the perfect solution for those who need coverage of wide, open areas as well as a high degree of flexibility. With the advanced image processing capabilities, the hemispherical images captured on camera can be automatically retooled to conventional projection specifications for easy viewing. As the camera’s primary application is outdoors and demands reliability in all conditions, a weather-proof IP66-rated and vandal-proof IK10-rated housing keeps the camera body clear of rain and dust and maintains functionality in all types of weather. The VIVOTEK FE8174V features a removable IR-cut filter, which is unquestionably the best choice for those who need a hardy, all-weather, 24/7 system with a full range of coverage. Enhanced resolution means better traffic safety ZDM installed 130 VIVOTEK FE8174V cameras at intersections throughout Bialystok. Now, with far fewer cameras, traffic controllers can get a clear, sharp overview of the whole field without any blind spots. VIVOTEK’s fisheye camera dewarping capabilities allow monitors to adopt different presentation modes A single VIVOTEK FE8174V provides the coverage of four outdoor bullet cameras in one image, and has resulted in cost savings at the same time as providing more complete coverage. Fewer cameras has also meant a decrease in costs associated with the backend management platform, network communications equipment, and storage equipment; it has also protected the aesthetic properties of the city by decluttering the skyline. Further, VIVOTEK’s fisheye camera dewarping capabilities allow monitors to adopt different presentation modes. Now, Management Center operators can easily monitor and verify traffic incidents and use the image recognition software to increase traffic control efficiency. The city of Bialystok has finally achieved a traffic management and surveillance system that can keep pace with its rapid growth while remaining in harmony with the local culture and architecture.

Levels of security inside the Aviation industry have never been higher; mainly due to increased terrorism threat levels across the globe, combined with a worldwide rise in smuggling activity. No airport is immune from these pressures and Ghana’s ‘Kotoka International’ can now claim to meet ACC3, the highest accreditation in the aviation industry, thanks to their recent investment in the latest generation of IP CCTV systems from Hikvision. Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport Established in 1994, Aviance Ghana Ltd provides a range of ground handling services at Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport, situated just outside the capital, Accra. The airport itself is Ghana’s premier international flight centre and is capable of accepting large aircrafts, such as the latest generation of Boeing 747.Aviance Ghana is one of eight companies making up the Aviance Alliance, which operates at more than 100 airport locations across 4 continents It occupies more than 650 hectares, with two large terminals for domestic/regional and international/long-haul operations that are connected by an internal walkway. Terminal 2 is the principal international departure terminal and includes restaurants, duty-free shops and two Executive lounges for First and Business Class travellers. There are also two smaller terminals dedicated solely to diplomatic flights and military operations. Aviance Ghana is one of eight companies making up the Aviance Alliance, which operates at more than 100 airport locations across 4 continents. At Kotoka, the ground services include managing all the passenger concourse facilities in Terminal 2, plus passenger check-in and baggage handling, the loading and unloading of cargo from freight flights and a cargo warehouse operation for all import and export needs. Overriding security objectives Given that today’s security concerns require the aviation industry to maintain very high levels of protection measures, close scrutiny of the 650 hectare site that the airport occupies and protecting passengers, aircraft and cargo were the twin key objectives for Aviance when deciding to upgrade the Airport’s CCTV system. The company also recognised that intelligently deploying the camera infrastructure would be necessary to maximise cost-effectiveness and efficiency. The new Skylink CCTV system design uses four different types of Hikvision IP camera Aviance Ghana turned to Skylinks Technical Services Ltd and tasked them with designing a solution that would enable it to meet the EU’s ACC3 accreditation, the highest accreditation in the aviation industry. In turn, Skylinks turned to Hikvision for the design of an all-IP CCTV system capable of not only meeting the current challenges facing Aviance in its operation at Kotoka International Airport, but also providing an expandable base that could rise to meet future developments. The new Skylink CCTV system design uses four different types of Hikvision IP cameras connected to a 32-channel, RAID 5 NVR over an entirely new Gigabit network infrastructure. According to Haim Atanelov, Skylinks General Manager, “The final brief for the CCTV upgrade included installation of new cameras in Aviance’s import and export cargo warehouses, both entry and exit vehicle gates, within the terminal public areas, at the biometric log-in area and associated turnstiles, and within the VIP lounge areas. “In all of these disparate areas, we were challenged by Aviance to deliver high resolution images at all times and in all lighting conditions. It is these pressures that helped us in choosing Hikvision components, with their robust build quality, excellent video quality, and quick and simple installation and operation due to the user-friendly software. It also helped that the products offer very competitive prices and are accompanied by after-sales service and technical support from a first-class team.” Clear images in poor lighting conditions Aviance is committed to phasing out the old system in favour of a totally Hikvision IP system as soon as possible" The CCTV system uses a combination of IP66-rated dome and bullet cameras with either 1.3 or 3MP resolution. A total of four DS-2CD2312-I 1.3MP Outdoor Network Mini Dome cameras were installed, two in the public areas of the terminal and two at the main gates where passengers complete the biometric log-in process and enter through the turnstiles. To complement the dome cameras, nine EXIR bullet cameras were used: five DS-2CD2212-I5 1.3 MP units for general surveillance in the warehouses together with a pair of DS-2CD2232-I5 3MP units where greater resolution was required, and two DS-2CD2632F-I 3MP Vari-focal EXIR cameras for the main vehicle entry and exit gates. “All of the cameras offer great resolution, with 3D DNR and Digital WDR as standard, together with a full complement of alarm triggers, including line crossing and motion and intrusion detection” says Haim Atanelov. “But, the true day/night capability of the EXIR infrared technology meant that they always delivered clear images, even in the warehouses where lighting conditions are not good. Both the 1.3MP and 3MP bullet cameras employed in the warehouses live up to the 50-metre IR range quoted. What’s more, the 30-metre EXIR range of the mini dome cameras deployed in the terminal building is also very useful during night time hours when the building lighting is partially shut down.The new system has already proved its worth, helping to completely seal the export warehouse in particular “We also paid particular attention to the vehicle entry and exit points, in each case choosing the 3MP Vari-focal bullet cameras for their IP66 environmental protection, high resolution, advanced night viewing capabilities and zoom.” Into the future The new system has already proved its worth, helping to completely seal the export warehouse in particular and enabling Kotoka to meet ACC3 accreditation. Together with securing the import warehouse, which serves global airline and cargo brands such as British Airways, South African Airways, Alitalia, KLM, Virgin, DHL, Cargolux, etc., it means that the airport is well-placed to continue to attract business. “Aviance is especially pleased with the smooth integration of the Hikvision IP system with the access control system at the 4 turnstiles,” says Haim Atanelov, “something which was also carefully noted by the EU ACC3 validators. Aviance was also pleased with the integration of the new system with the existing analogue CCTV system, although it did show up the difference in video quality immediately. "We have already agreed to add further IP cameras to the site and Aviance is committed to phasing out the old system in favour of a totally Hikvision IP system as soon as possible.”

A maritime nation since antiquity, today Greece is one of the centres of the world shipping industry. At over 250 billion euros annually, shipping accounts for more than six percent of the country’s GDP and employs nearly three-hundred thousand people. In an industry of this immense scale, onboard security is a primary concern. The challenge: to install a shipside surveillance system able to withstand all weather conditions at sea. Seaborne surveillance systems The demands on a seaborne surveillance system for today’s shipping industry are as complex as they are challenging. Technet Informatics needed a system that could help ensure crew safety and security, continuously monitor a vessel’s condition, ensure that proper procedures were being followed at all times, guarantee live monitoring of vessel alarm and loading procedures, and provide evidence in the event of emergencies, accidents, or piracy incidents. Of particular difficulty was the need for a camera to be installed above the main engine, where extreme heat and steam would destroy most camera systems. The Solution: VIVOTEK collaborates with Technet Informatics, Ltd. to develop a robust shipboard system. Shipboard safety and security A bulk vessel is a challenging environment in which to install a surveillance system. The construction of such vessels makes complete coverage difficult and working conditions can be severe. Any number of issues can impact system operations, whether onboard or due to salt air and weather conditions. Despite these challenges, shipboard safety and security are of paramount importance, and the utilisation of advanced technology is vital to ensure that correct procedures are being followed and that a safe working environment is maintained, as well as to provide evidence in the event of any accident or incident. The demands on a seaborne surveillance system for today’s shipping industry are as complex as they are challenging" Facing this challenge, a bulk vessel in Greece recently installed a complete shipboard system of IP-based security cameras in order to monitor the safety and adherence to procedure of onboard employees, as well as to secure the cargo. The security system had to be robust enough to work reliably over the course of months spent at sea. Technet Informatics has been working in information and communications technologies since 2010 in conjunction with software developers and hardware distributors from around the globe. For this job, completed in February 2017, they turned to VIVOTEK, a leader in surveillance solutions, to take advantage of VIVOTEK’s deep experience and broad range of camera types and to fulfil their need for specialised models to deal with a variety of shipboard conditions. VIVOTEK fisheye cameras Chief among these was VIVOTEK’s FE8181V fisheye camera with hard casing, installed above the main engine. Also included were two IP9171-HP and two IP8162 Full HD fixed network cameras for exterior views, an FE8181 on the bridge, and six high-performance, low-profile FE8180s to monitor the decks, all linked together by two ND8422P sixteen-channel embedded plug-and-play network video recorders in the ship’s office for easy monitoring. VIVOTEK’s FE8181V is the latest fisheye fixed dome network camera from VIVOTEK. It features a detailed 5-Megapixel resolution sensor which produces superb image quality. Equipped with a fisheye lens, this camera is ideal for placement above the main engine because it is encased in a weatherproof, IP66-rated housing, and is further strengthened by the adoption of a rugged, IK10-design housing, enabling it to handle a wide range of operating temperatures and rendering it both weather- and vandal-proof. The FE8181V true day/night camera features a removable IR-cut filter, maintains clear images 24 hours a day with built-in IR LEDs enabling the camera to provide uniform 360° surround illumination for clear and bright viewing at up to 10 metres, even in completely dark environments. A single FE8180 can easily do the job of three to four standard CCTV cameras" VIVOTEK’s FE8180, a tiny fisheye camera, is not only extremely low-profile, with a diameter of only 90mm, but is also able to be mounted directly on the wall to capture 180° panoramic views, or on the ceiling for a 360° surround view, with zero blind-spots. A single FE8180 can easily do the job of three to four standard CCTV cameras, dramatically reducing costs while blending in with any interior or exterior. It was an ideal solution for the wide-open spaces of a ship’s decks – seeing everything, but remaining unobtrusive. VIVOTEK ND8422P Network Video Recorder Because of the large number and wide variety of cameras used in and around the ship, two ND8422P sixteen-channel NVRs were installed. The plug-and-play functionality of these NVRs frees security staff to concentrate on their jobs, not installation or maintenance, and allows them to monitor ship conditions on-the-go via their EZConnect Mobile APP. With two NVRs installed for a total of seventeen cameras, the ship’s operators will be able to readily upgrade their system at any point in the future. In sum, the combination of simplicity of design, intelligent technology, and rugged protection from all elements makes VIVOTEK’s surveillance systems the only choice for the most demanding conditions on earth, or at sea.

Airports, harbours, ports, railways, pipelines, highways, and bridges make up much of the infrastructure and facilities the modern world relies upon for transportation. They are the entry and exit points for both domestic and international travel, and the infrastructure for the transshipment of people, freight, and cargo. Overall and targeted situational awareness These facilities require increasing levels of security and leverage Arecont Vision megapixel camera technology to deliver both overall and targeted situational awareness. Arecont video coverage is deployed for: Criminal activity and terrorist deterrence Roadways, parking lots/structures Licence plate recognition Crowd monitoring and facial recognition Facility and terminal entrances/exits Control towers, tarmacs, runways, fueling stations, harbors, greenspaces, perimeters, fencing, and piers Terminal gates, security checkpoints, retail areas, restaurants, ticket counters, luggage areas Arecont Vision SurroundVideo® superior coverage For example, in the check-in area for an airline, train station, or cruise ship terminal, three Arecont Vision SurroundVideo® IP megapixel panoramic cameras provide superior coverage and higher quality images than 11 analogue cameras. In passenger terminals, a single Arecont Vision SurroundVideo® IP megapixel panoramic camera provides outstanding situational awareness and 180 to 360 degrees of non-stop coverage. Any part of the scene can be digitally zoomed in as needed, without disrupting active recording of the entire scene. Arecont SurroundVideo panoramic cameras provide superior outdoor coverage and can even provide coverage of an airport runway at night. Arecont Vision megapixel cameras are part of the surveillance solutions customer use around the world, including: Hollywood Burbank Airport, Burbank, California Sky Harbor, Phoenix, Arizona Vancouver International Airport, Canada John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, California Long Beach Airport, California Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Texas Dulles International Airport, Washington DC Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington DC Tampa International Airport, Florida Orlando International Airport, Florida Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Canada Edmonton International Airport, Canada Port of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Abu Dhabi Customs, UAE Big 4 Bridge, Indiana Port of Malta Saudi Consulate, Yemen Port of Haifa Jebel Ali Port, UAE South African Airways Cargo Legardeere Airport, Australia Dubai Immigration, UAE Brisbane Airport, Australia Saudi Border Guard, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Maribor Airport, Slovenia Taipei Taiyuan International Airport, Taiwan Palembang Airport, Indonesia Beijing Airport, China Shanghai Pudong Airport, China Kunming International Airport, China Wuhan Tianhe International Airport

ISC West 2019 is in the industry’s rear-view mirror, and what a show it was! The busy three days in April offered a preview of exciting technologies and industry trends for the coming year. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What was the big news at ISC West 2019?

Our Expert Panel is an opinionated group on a wide variety of topics, and we are dedicated to providing a useful and flexible forum to share those opinions. This week, our panelists address a range of opinions about several self-selected topics, culled from the large number of Expert Panelist responses we have collected in the last year. In this Expert Panel Roundtable article, we will share these varied and insightful responses to ensure they are not lost to posterity!

Ethical hackers are familiar to the world of cybersecurity. As cybersecurity awareness increases in physical security, they are also playing a larger role to ensure the safety of networked and information technologies used in our market. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the role of ‘ethical hackers’ to ensure cybersecurity of networked products in the physical security market?