Milestone Systems, known for its pioneering role in open platform video management, has reinforced its collaboration with Hanwha Vision.
This partnership aims to deliver a comprehensive, reliable, and secure solution for users integrating Hanwha's cameras with Milestone’s video management software.
Sebastian Döllner, Vice President of Technology Partnerships & Open Platform at Milestone Systems, emphasises the importance of nurturing these technology partnerships.
Strengthening partnership with Hanwha Vision
The alliance between Milestone and Hanwha is centred on providing users with a seamless video management experience. The integration of Hanwha's cameras with Milestone’s software allows customers to manage video streams and data efficiently, regardless of the installation size.
This collaboration brings enterprise-level performance to smaller sites and offers scalability and openness for larger organisations. The partnership's global distribution ensures that the technology is easily deployable, delivering consistent results that enhance the value of video systems.
Advancements in video technology integration
Hanwha Vision’s object detection and AI analytics integrate into Milestone at launchNew capabilities from Hanwha Vision are integrated into Milestone systems upon launch, such as camera object detection for investigations and AI-driven video analytics. Döllner points out that the open platform approach adopted by Milestone presents users with significant advantages.
This strategy allows users the freedom to choose devices, analytics, and systems without being confined to a single vendor. It supports rapid innovation through collaborations with specialised technology partners, making the latest advancements accessible to users.
Potential sectors for video technology growth
Several sectors, such as critical infrastructure, government facilities, large event venues, and urban areas, stand to gain from advanced video technology. Enhanced video analytics automate routine tasks, allowing operators to concentrate on more crucial functions.
In high-traffic areas like city squares and stadiums, advanced analytics assist in detecting and responding to emergencies, crowd movements, and locating individuals in need.
Beyond security: Data-driven insights
Video analytics extend beyond security by providing actionable insights that support strategic planning and digital transformation. Analysing foot traffic and occupancy aids in managing bottlenecks and enhancing visitor experiences.
Tools like heatmapping guide promotional placements in venues, while data on peak times influence staffing and operational decisions. These applications highlight the versatility of video analytics in optimising organisational performance across various sectors.
Can you briefly introduce yourself, your role at Milestone, and what your responsibilities involve?
My name is Sebastian Döllner, I am Vice President of Technology Partnerships & Open Platform at Milestone Systems. A key part of my role is to strengthen and nurture Milestone’s collaborations with our tech partners.
Our long-standing partnership with Hanwha Vision is one of them – and a very important and valuable one.
Tell us about working with Hanwha Vision – where do you add value as a partnership.
Our collaboration with Hanwha Vision is built around a shared goal: delivering a complete, reliable, and secure solution for end users. Hanwha’s cameras and Milestone’s video management software complement each other naturally, allowing joint customers to connect and manage all video streams and data in a unified and dependable environment, no matter their installation size.
Smaller sites benefit from an enterprise-grade experience, with strong performance, advanced functionality, and solid cybersecurity, while larger organisations can rely on the scalability and openness that Milestone is known for.
The depth of integration between Hanwha Vision and Milestone products provides a powerful and flexible solution to the market, with partners who know how to deploy the combined technologies and strong global distribution. Installing a Hanwha Vision and Milestone solution is simplified, with consistent, proven results that help customers maximise the value of their video systems.
Moreover, new Hanwha Vision capabilities are usually supported in Milestone as soon as they launch, for example, the ability to use camera object detection data for smarter investigations or the AI Box solution which brings advanced video analytics to any cameras in a video system.
Milestone Systems is a pioneer of open platform video management technology - what benefits does the open platform approach bring to users?
Taking an open platform approach offers a level of freedom and flexibility that’s increasingly vital in today’s fast-evolving security landscape. Customers aren’t locked into a single vendor or ecosystem. Instead, they can choose the devices, analytics, and complementary systems that best suit their needs.
Futureproofing is improved as devices can be replaced or added as priorities change, without having to rebuild an entire security system. Innovation time is also boosted using an open platform model. Milestone works with a range of specialised technology partners to bring new capabilities to users much faster than a closed system could, for example, access control, advanced video analytics, drones, and so on. This ensures customers have access to the latest innovation.
Overall, the open platform provides choice, speed, and adaptability; three elements that are critical as security technologies advance and become more tightly connected to the rest of the business.
Are there any specific sectors you feel hold great potential for advanced video technology? Are there any particular sectors that would be relevant for the Hanwha-Milestone collab?
Several sectors are set to benefit from advances in video technology, especially industries where security and situational awareness have a direct impact on public safety such as critical infrastructure, government sites, large event spaces, and cities. Such complex environments need comprehensive oversight to avoid events from escalating and to detect threats early.
Advanced video analytics offers significant value by automating tasks (such as opening a car park barrier or detecting a person entering a restricted space) so operators can focus on added-value, higher-level activities. Within a busy city square or stadium, analytics can help operators rapidly detect and respond to people in distress, respond to abnormal crowd movements and overcrowding, and locate missing people.
Object detection has become extremely powerful, thanks to advances in AI, detecting everything from people wearing specific colour clothing or wearing a mask to tracking vehicles of a certain model, make, and colour. Hanwha’s Dynamic Privacy Masking is a standout feature, with personally identifiable information such as people’s faces, clothing, and bodies blurred out in operator footage. If an event were to occur that requires evidence, a supervisor or manager would be able to unlock the redacted video for investigation.
Beyond security, video analytics provides actionable data and insights that can inform planning, scheduling, digital transformation, and more. Analysing footfall and area occupancy can help prevent bottlenecks and improve the citizen/visitor experience in the future.
Heatmapping can help with promotional and digital signage locations in event spaces, shopping centres and more. Data on peak times and days can inform staffing schedules or how many routes and spaces to open for the public. There are many ways that video can improve organisational effectiveness across operations, sales, customer service, and marketing.
