Charlie Erickson

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!

The residential/smart home market is undergoing revolutionary transformation, with a flood of new products and technologies helping to make our homes more connected, easier to manage and, yes, smarter. These massive steps forward provide challenges, and also opportunities, for the security industry, which has played a major role in protecting homes and residents for decades. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How are changes in the residential/smart home market impacting security?

It seems there are more “bad things” happening than ever before. We hear news every day of workplace shootings and terrorist attacks, of smash-and-grab thefts and child abductions. Beyond the possible human tragedy involved, such events pose a persistent question to anyone involved in the realm of security: Could we have prevented it? The first step toward prevention is to predict or foresee an event before it happens. Too often, technology enters the picture after the fact, most commonly the use of forensic video. Isn’t there more our industry can do before such events occur? We put the question to this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How can security systems be used to predict bad things before they happen?

Video systems today offer more capabilities than ever. Consequently, the systems can be used in new ways. For a variety of reasons, however, many customers don’t take full advantage of the capabilities of their video systems and therefore are leaving value on the table. Education and training are tools to alleviate the situation, but the first step is to identify the new ways that video can be used. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How do customers under-utilise their video systems, and what should they do differently?

Even the most effective technologies usually require some level of human involvement. What new technologies do, generally speaking, is change the nature of a human’s role. Most jobs in today’s world are vastly different than 50 years ago, in many cases because of the changing role of technology. In the physical security world, what specific impact does technology have on the human element of systems? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Have recent developments in security systems made manpower more, or less, important to the equation? Explain.

There are many benefits of security systems, and some may be more obvious than others. Certainly, when choosing security systems to be installed, end users have goals and expectations for the systems in mind. But are there other benefits or opportunities that customers may not have thought of? It’s an interesting question, so we asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: Considering security systems integration, what is the biggest (or most common) missed opportunity?

Higher pixel count is better. It’s a basic tenet of the video surveillance market, or at least it is the implication as manufacturers continue to tout their latest products offering ever-higher pixel counts. But the reality is more nuanced, as our Expert Panel Roundtable panelists explain this week. Pixel count shouldn’t be seen as an end unto itself, but rather as a factor in determining what camera is applicable to which application. Pixel count is just one factor of several to consider, and the needs of the application must rule all decisions. We asked this week’s panel: How many megapixels are enough? At what point does additional resolution not matter, or not make economic sense?

Sometimes you see it coming and want to scream out: “Don’t do that.” We all make mistakes, but it’s hard to sit and watch others as they go down the wrong path. It’s especially difficult when the errant party is a customer, and when their wrong move might somehow end up reflecting badly on you as a technology or security systems provider. Much better to anticipate the problem by expecting the possible mistake before it happens. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Round Table: What is the biggest mistake you see your customers make when it comes to buying or installing security or surveillance systems?

Sometimes customers expect more out of a security system. A brand new security system just doesn’t perform as the customer expected it would. In fact, one might argue that the many variables in today’s complex systems make it more likely than ever that some element of a system might not measure up to a customer’s expectations. What happens then? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What happens if a customer’s expectations of system performance are greater than what a physical security system can deliver?

Software drives video solutions in the IP environment, but often that software is a pre-installed component of a purpose-built network video recorder (NVR). In other cases, software solutions are sold separately and then installed (usually by the integrator) on a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server. But how can an integrator or end user decide which approach is best for them? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a pre-configured video appliance (such as a purpose-built NVR with preinstalled software) versus software running on an off-the-shelf server?

Big security trends are driving change in the physical security market. We see change happening around us every day, and much of it is disruptive to the status quo. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What has caused the greatest disruption to the physical security market in the last 12 months?

Here we are already at mid-year, and 2016 has been an eventful one for the security marketplace, dominated by mergers and acquisitions and lots of new products coming to the market. But what’s the outlook for technology in the second half of the year? What technologies will draw the most attention and drive the market into 2017? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What technology buzz will dominate the security industry in the second half of 2016?

It’s a challenging time for security integrators and installers. Equipment prices are going down (along with margins), and commoditisation is wiping away what used to be the advantage of exclusively offering a top product brand. Integrators can continue to succeed by finding a way to move ahead of the pack – but how? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How should integrators/installers differentiate themselves or make themselves stand out in today’s market?

How mobile telephones have transformed into “smartphones” is one of the great technology stories of our time. What once was a single-function device now can do almost anything – display video, pay for groceries, monitor our health. The smartphones we carry in our pockets today have more computing power than the “super computers” of yesteryear, and that power has found many uses in a seemingly endless array of “apps.” Some of them are directly related to our physical security systems. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What security applications are best suited to smartphone apps?  

One of the things all security systems have in common is that they depend on human operators, to one extent or another. But how often is the human factor overlooked in product design? Sometimes, more focus is aimed at increasing the functionality of a system, even at the expense of usability. That’s how we get systems that have more capabilities, although accessing that functionality may be hopelessly complex. Creating effective graphical user interfaces (GUIs) is an ongoing challenge for the security market, and the consumer market, with its iPads and smart phones, has raised the expectations bar. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What elements are required to make an effective video system user interface?

3xLOGIC, Inc., global provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, and a three-time Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, announced that the company has added to its growing North American sales network, along with other personnel moves at its umbrella company, Stanley Products and Solutions (SPS). The company added two new RSMs to further penetrate key markets in the Pacific NW as well as the Mid-Atlantic regions and appointed a new Marketing Manager for the PACOM brand of products. 3xLOGIC adds security expert  3xLOGIC welcomes Joel Dombovy as a Regional Sales Manager (RSM) in the Northwest 3xLOGIC welcomes Joel Dombovy as a Regional Sales Manager (RSM) in the Northwest. Joel comes to the company with 14 years of security industry experience, working with companies such as Interlogix, GE Security, and Honeywell. John Saxen will support Joel as the Inside Sales Account Manager for the region. Jake Franklin takes over as RSM for the Mid-Atlantic. He joins the company from RF Technologies, a safety solutions company in healthcare where he was RSM for the Northeast. Prior to that, he worked as Critical Infrastructure Account Manager & Sales Representative at a security integration company. Jake’s passion for technology and previous security experience make him an excellent addition to 3xLOGIC’s powerful sales team. Bill Hobbs, Global VP of Sales for SPS, announced that both Joel and Jake will report to Jason Bryan, Director of Sales. PACOM expands marketing team Jennifer Joyce is the new Marketing Manager for PACOM, sister company of 3xLOGIC, as the company continues to expand efforts in the North American to market the wide range of PACOM solutions that have found success all over the world. She brings more than 25 years of marketing and design experience to the team. Her global marketing experience began with Firestone Industrial Products and Jennifer most recently spent her time in digital marketing as Marketing Director for Orbis Education. She will report to Suzi Abell, Senior Director of Global Marketing, SPS. Gavin O’Keeffe has been promoted to Director of Product Management Elsewhere in the larger SPS organisation Charlie Erickson has a new title reflecting his growing responsibilities—Chief Technology Officer. He continues to oversee Product Management as his team continues to expand. Reporting directly to Charlie, Michael Poe has been promoted to Director of Product Management. He will be leading the Video, Blue, DIY, and TRENDS products lines. Rick Walker will be aligned under Poe’s leadership.  New PAC, PACOM, infinias head Also reporting to Charlie, Gavin O’Keeffe has been promoted to Director of Product Management, and he will be leading the PAC, PACOM, infinias, and Sonitrol product teams. We also welcome Darren Monroe, Product Manager for infinias to Gavin’s team. Darren will work in the 3xLOGIC office in Indianapolis and Gavin works out of the PACOM Australia office. Drew Alexander continues as Sr. Director of Program Management, and he will continue to add Program Managers to his team to facilitate a growing list of product launches and business initiatives.

PSA, a global security and systems integrator cooperative, has announced that 3xLOGIC will exhibit at PSA-TEC 2018. TEC, presented by PSA, is the premier education and networking event for all professional systems integrators in the security and audio-visual markets. For 2018, TEC gets 'Amplified' with a new location at the Sheraton Downtown in Denver, CO March 12-16, 2018. TEC will host more than 100 security and audio-visual manufacturers showcasing products and services during dedicated exhibit hours on March 14, 2018. Cloud access control in focus In addition to exhibiting at the show (booth #320), 3xLOGIC will be delivering a total of three presentations to attendees: The show kicks off at 8 am Monday, 12 March with Donny Shaffer, Director of Support Services, delivering 3xLOGIC infinias Certification Training. Unique to this event: this training is free to anyone who wishes to gain certification. On Tuesday morning at 10 am, Charlie Erickson, EVP Product Development, and Bill Hobbs, Senior National Sales Director, present a panel discussion entitled, 'Designing and Deploying Cloud Access Control Solutions'. Returning in the afternoon that same day at 3:30, Erickson and Hobbs will present another lively panel discussion, 'How to Position the Cloud Access Control Solution?' Enhancing networking possibilities “We look forward to this event every year,” said Matt Kushner, 3xLOGIC CEO. “This year we are bringing a strong team, we have a lot of new technology on display, and we’re presenting technical training as well as two highly topical presentations by two of our senior executives. We’re looking forward to a very successful show.” “With a new location we are excited to bring an innovative floorplan to the exhibit hall on Wednesday afternoon,” said Craig Patterson, Director of Vendor Management at PSA Security Network. “Exhibit booths will be set up to enhance the networking possibilities between everyone on the show floor. Education sessions will also break while the exhibit hall is open so that all attendees can visit the booths.”

3xLOGIC, Inc., a provider of integrated intelligent security solutions and a Microsoft Gold Partner, announced it is utilising Microsoft Azure to supercharge the performance of its cloud-based exception reporting platform, VIGIL Trends. Cost-effective solution data storage solution 3xLOGIC uses Azure to process over 50 million unique pieces of point of sale (POS) data each day with VIGIL Trends. Azure Table storage serves as the backbone for the entire 3xLOGIC Trends platform, offering a resilient big data storage solution due to its highly reliable, massively scalable, and easy-to-use storage capabilities. 3xLOGIC deploys many Azure Services that automatically scale up or down based on the amount of POS data waiting in queue to be processed, making Azure a cost-effective solution. 3xLOGIC also takes advantage of Azure SQL Database to manage all of its customers’ users and locations, Azure Blob storage (used to store about 20K video clips a day), and Azure Table storage to store all raw data from customers, including about 50 million pieces of POS data each day. 3xLOGIC’s end product is delivered through Azure as well, capitalising on continuous integration options for easy deployment to the web. Managing retailer data Any large retailer can benefit because VIGIL Trends better manages and searches immense amounts of data to minimise employee theft, while optimising store operations. In today’s retail environment, no one has a lot of extra time, and Trends delivers high-value benefits without requiring a lot of time invested. Given today’s demands on loss prevention (LP) personnel, Trends shows the LP professional where to look most effectively. Retailers can now remove dishonest employees much faster by finding them quicker and with little or no staff training needed. Trends is designed for an LP staff of any size, but it is especially beneficial to smaller LP departments that are stretched and looking for the highest ROI for time invested. “Ten years ago, you’d need a multi-million-dollar investment to realise what we can achieve now using Microsoft Azure: We are storing incredible amounts of data available at our fingertips for a very reasonable cost,” said Charlie Erickson, EVP Product Development, 3xLOGIC. “To illustrate, for just one of our customers, Murphy USA, we record 1.5 billion transactions at average of five items per transaction, so with Azure for this one end user we have the capability to instantly search 7.5 billion data points.” "Microsoft understands the critical role efficient data processing plays for retailers" Erickson continued, “Microsoft has empowered us to deliver impressive, measurable results for our customers, and what’s more, they are literally improving these tools on a daily basis. They have an incredible amount of resources working on continuous tool improvement, and we benefit from all of that now and well into the future.” Data security and privacy ShiSh Shridhar, Director of Retail Business Development, Microsoft Corp. said, “Microsoft understands the critical role efficient data processing plays for retailers. We are pleased to see 3XLOGIC benefit from Microsoft Azure’s broad portfolio of services as it helps meet the demands of the fast-changing retail industry.” If customers invest in a cloud service, they must be able to trust that their customers’ data is safe, that the privacy of their data is protected, and that they retain ownership of and control over their data—that it will only be used in a way that is consistent with their expectations. 3xLOGIC’s long experience running online services has involved extensive investment in foundational technology that builds security and privacy into the development process. Over time, the company has developed leading security measures and privacy policies, and participated in international compliance programs with independent verification of how they measure up.

The integration leverages all aspects of the ManitouNEO Video Control Center (VCC) and the 3xLOGIC VIGIL software and Multi-Sensor NVR solution 3xLOGIC, Inc., a provider of integrated intelligent security solutions, has announced that Bold Technologies, a provider of alarm monitoring and PSIM software, has recently completed the integration of its ManitouNEO with the 3xLOGIC VIGIL video platform. The integration leverages all aspects of the ManitouNEO Video Control Center (VCC) and the 3xLOGIC VIGIL software and Multi-Sensor NVR solution. Alarm handling and video monitoring integration ManitouNEO is the newest alarm monitoring software from Bold Technologies and was designed to meet the changing needs of the modern central station. The improved ManitouNEO VCC integrates alarm handling and video into one system for efficient monitoring. The integration with the 3xLOGIC video platform is full-featured and highly intuitive. Events triggered from 3xLOGIC devices are delivered to ManitouNEO as intrusion events. "Both 3xLOGIC and Bold have an ambition to satisfy the fast-growing demand for world-class verified video" Using ManitouNEO’s Enhanced Action Patterns, central station dispatchers are provided with clear instructions on how to handle the video alarm - saving time and ensuring operator consistency. The integration supports live and recorded video on the same screen, and offers full PTZ control. Other features of the integration include bi-directional audio, and the ability to save reference images and event images for end-users to view. The integration offers advanced features to Bold Technologies and 3xLOGIC’s shared customers, and helps central station dispatchers accurately gauge alarm situations and reduce false alarms. World-class verified video solution Charlie Erickson, SVP Product Marketing for 3xLOGIC, stated: “Both 3xLOGIC and Bold have an ambition to satisfy the fast-growing demand for world-class verified video. Bold is a major player with over six million subscribers, and we want our combined VIGIL software and Multi-Sensor NVR solution, integrated into Bold’s central station software, to be the preferred solution for those Bold customers who value verified alarms and priority law enforcement response.” The integration fully leverages 3xLOGIC’s cloud infrastructure, providing ease of installation and a simplified deployment. Customers have the added benefit of increased IT security as 3xLOGIC’s NVR and cameras do not require open inbound ports at the customer’s router. Rod Coles, President and CEO of Bold Technologies, commented, “This integration supports the growing demand for Cloud-managed video. The solution is easy to deploy and gives customers the opportunity to increase revenues through video monitoring and verification services. We are excited to have 3xLOGIC as one of Bold’s premier strategic partners.”

Lower-cost thermal cameras are becoming attractive for more applications every day. Thermal cameras have long been known for their ability to “see in the dark” by sensing temperatures of objects and displaying a video image of temperature variations, but previously their high costs limited their appeal to mostly high-end or military applications. Now lower costs are expanding the possibilities. In particular, combining thermal cameras with video analytics drastically lowers the number of false alarms, including alarms caused by shadows and shifting light, car headlights, trees blowing, and small objects that don’t affect thermal images. Thermal cameras also produce images without regard to fog or rain, so they’re perfect for outdoor applications. A new entry will step into the thermal camera fray at ISC West this year. 3xLOGIC, previously known for their cloud-based access control, video and business intelligence software, will be launching a low-cost IP thermal outdoor camera with features like built-in storage, easy setup using a QR code, and embedded analytics that automatically self-adjust to simplify the analytics setup process. (Analytics are provided by a partner in the United Kingdom.) VIGIL Server software compliant The camera also has embedded VIGIL Server software to allow it to be run as a stand-alone device recording video to an onboard memory card. It is therefore compatible with 3xLOGIC’s VIGIL software suite including VIGIL Client, VIGIL VCM (central management), VIGIL Mobile and VIGIL cloud applications. Plug-and-play installation allows access to video using a standard web browser, VIGIL Client or mobile device or tablet. The camera is also being integrated with other video management systems (VMS). “Our new camera moves thermal into markets where you would have never even thought of using a thermal camera, never used a thermal camera before,” says Charlie Erickson, Vice President of Product Management, 3xLOGIC. “New lower-cost thermal sensors integrate easily with camera systems, and it brings thermal into areas where it was previously just too expensive.” 3xLOGIC’s new thermal network camera The new Visix camera line is a departure for 3xLOGIC, which previously has focused on software and cloud-based systems rather than hardware. [The company has previously sold an OEMed line of visible light cameras.] The new camera was designed in the United States; the thermal sensor is manufactured in the U.S., and the camera is being assembled in Korea. A 206x156-pixel camera with a 36-degree angle of view will be introduced at ISC West, and additional cameras in the line are coming, including a narrower view (20 degrees) to achieve more distance and a wider view version for larger areas. Higher resolutions will also be added to extend the range. (Thermal cameras require less resolution to identify a target than visible cameras.) The first camera in the line will have an MSRP of $999 (with a 50 percent or more margin for dealers). 3xLOGIC will sell the camera through its existing 200 dealers, including national and regional integrators. Ideal for outdoor security applications The new camera can easily stand alone in many applications, says Erickson, and it will be helpful to central monitoring stations whose operators handling video verification are inundated with a crippling (and expensive) number of false alarms. (3xLOGIC has an agreement to provide technology to Sonitrol central stations.) Erickson estimates the company’s existing cloud video and business intelligence businesses represent only about 10 percent of where the camera can be used – the rest will be new uses outside the current 3xLOGIC customer base. Combined with 3xLOGIC’s VIGIL business intelligence software, a thermal camera works well with people-counting applications, for example. Another use case is electrical substations, where thermal capabilities provide an early alarm if a transformer is overheating, among other benefits. Mounted on the roof of a cell tower, a thermal camera can trigger a visible light source to flood the area if motion is sensed, thus discouraging intruders.

SourceSecurity.com’s Expert Panel had a lot to say in 2015 on a variety of topics in our Roundtable discussions.   Not surprisingly, the discussion topics that have generated the most interest (in terms of how much visitor traffic they generated) are the same hot topics we hear about every day in the industry. Our very most-clicked-on Roundtable discussion in 2015 was about the impact of video on privacy rights. Other hot topics that made the Top-10 list of Roundtable discussions included the Cloud (twice!), the impact of IT on physical security, and the outlook for 4K cameras. Additional well-read discussions centred on expanding the benefits of security to other departments and how to improve training. Readers also gravitated to Expert Panel Roundtable discussions of more technical topics such as the value of full-frame-rate video and the effectiveness of panoramic view cameras (compared to pan-tilt-zoom functionality). Rounding out the Top 10 is a discussion of the desirability (and legal implications) of using dummy cameras. Here is a listing of the Top 10 Expert Panel Roundtable discussions posted in 2015 at SourceSecurity.com, along with a “sound bite” from each discussion, and links back to the full articles. Thanks to everyone who contributed to Expert Panel Roundtable in 2015 (including the quotable panellists named below). 1. What are the limitations on where video cameras can be placed because of privacy? "Use of cameras in retail applications can easily be justified in general surveillance of sales floors and shopping aisles, but cameras should only be used in changing areas to address a particularly serious problem that cannot be addressed by less intrusive means.” [Mark Pritchard] 2. Are cloud-based security systems “safe?”  "If the authentication principles are insufficient and weak passwords are allowed, it doesn’t matter how strong the encryption is. Because cloud-based systems are exposed to the Internet, they demand strong authentication and increased operational procedures." [Per Björkdahl]   3. How does IT affect the physical security buying decision? "Of course, we all want good value, but we must invest as necessary. If you strip everything back, the integrator's job is to deliver data. If IT and security departments can keep this objective in mind, then 'value' redefines itself." [Larry Lummis] 4. Which non-security uses of video are catching on?  "While video can help with quality control across the supply chain, it will be especially useful in ensuring compliance with the international adulteration rule [for food manufacturers], the rule with the last court-ordered deadline on May 31, 2016." [Don Hsieh]   5. What is the value of "full-frame-rate" video? "I once took a client’s footage of a genuine street fight to check how many images per second were needed to prove who punched who – 25fps was fine but 12fps made the video evidence doubtful. Don’t forget, however many fps you choose, your shutter speed must be fast enough to prevent motion blur spoiling the details." [Simon Lambert]   6. When is it desirable to use 'dummy' cameras as a deterrent? "If cameras are present, there is a reasonable expectation of a secure environment in both public and private areas. If the public sees cameras and assumes they are real, they could argue that they were reliant on the protection provided by the cameras." [Dave Poulin] 7. Are megapixel or panoramic-view cameras an effective substitute for PTZs? "Panoramic cameras are usually static, so zooming into a scene’s details is done in software and limited by pixels in the sensor, lens quality and software such as de-warping, so clarity at the boundaries might disappoint. PTZ cameras zoom optically, magnifying long-range details significantly better." [Simon Lambert]   8. Is HD still the standard of resolution in the market? For how much longer?  "The 720p and 1080p HDTV remains dominant today and is expected to be for the foreseeable future. The next standards-based resolution will be 4K, which represents 8.3 megapixel, but first the industry will need to improve on bandwidth with better compression and better light sensitivity." [Fredrik Nilsson]   9. What are the current limitations of cloud-based systems? "The only remaining limitations of cloud-based systems are bandwidth and connectivity to the cloud. There is more than enough bandwidth for applications like Access Control and Visitor Management, but it will take a couple more years before all high-resolution video is cloud-based.” [Paul Bodell]   10. How can security training be improved among integrators and end users?  "Training should be sticky and persistent. Follow-up training such as on-line review and updated course material should be available to keep the knowledge fresh. Technology is constantly changing, as soon as training is complete the knowledge begins to go stale." [Charlie Erickson]   See the full coverage of 2015/2016 Review and Forecast articles here

3xLOGIC, Inc., a leading provider of integrated intelligent security solutions, recently announced the release of its new VIGIL™ V250 Series NVRs. VIGIL V250 Series NVRs come with either 4 or 8 port embedded PoE switches, are pre-configured with VIGIL VMS software and have 2TB and 4TB storage, respectively. These NVRs offer full integration with a wide variety of data sources including Point-of-sale (POS), ATM, access control, alarms and audio devices, and provide both audio and video verification of events and robust reporting with automated notifications. Designed for simplicity, the new 3xLOGIC NVRs offer a setup wizard, so that users with no IP video experience can quickly set up the NVR and start recording and remotely viewing video. The wizard also provides plug-and-play capability with 3xLOGIC VISIX and ONVIF-S cameras for easy deployment. Additional VIGIL V250 features and benefits include: Single Solution: The V250s configuration provides all the network components required to deploy a traditional VMS. The alarm, serial, and audio inputs are built-in, and this series includes 4 or 8 PoE ports for IP devices. Video Anytime, Anywhere: VIGIL’s exclusive MULTIVIEW engine and its revolutionary RapidStream™ compression technology enable users to remotely stream and view high-definition video with minimal impact on network bandwidth. Users can view video remotely without any advanced network configuration using the free communication service, VIGIL Connect. For mobile accessibility, download your free copy of View Lite II for iOS or Android.  Access Wide Variety of Data Sources: Monitor your business with an integration to a wide variety of data sources including Point-of-Sale, ATM, access control, alarms and audio devices. This data can be tied to video, made searchable, and generate alarms based on specific criteria. Easy Setup and Deployment: Designed for simple setup, the V250 Series includes a setup wizard to guide new users through initial setup. The wizard also provides plug-and-play capability with VISIX and ONVIF-S cameras for easy deployment, so no IP video experience is necessary to start recording video. Extensive Additional Features: VIGIL V250 Series NVRs feature many built-in capabilities. With two-way audio, easy-to-use Smart Search, and optional intelligent video analytics (including People Counting, Tripwire, and Loitering Alarms) critical information is easily available at all times. “From inception, the V250 Series has been designed to provide all of the power and features of our current hardware, in an economical, easy to use solution.  Including a Setup Wizard designed to let users with no experience set up the NVR, the V250 is the perfect solution for users who want all the power of integrated video and access control, without the stress of a complex system.” said Charlie Erickson, VP Product Management.

3xLOGIC, Inc., a leading provider of integrated intelligent security solutions, recently announced the expansion of its line of VISIX IP cameras. The enhanced offering includes the new VISIX V-Series standard dome, bullet, and mini-dome camera models. All-in-One cameras VISIX V-Series All-in-One, edge-based IP cameras are powerful, full-featured, VMS and advanced analytic capable. VISIX V-Series cameras provide a complete surveillance solution for the SMB market and for unique single-point applications. These new cameras’ embedded analytics use algorithms that automatically self-adjust, so the user can concentrate on the all-important detection rules. “This feature greatly simplifies the analytical process, requiring only a few mouse clicks to configure a detection rule. Such advanced analytics enable object classification, direction determination, people counting, and dwell times — that means the camera’s intelligence becomes valuable across the organisation, not just for security and LP,” commented Charlie Erickson, VP Product Management. Embedded VIGIL Server software When enabled, the embedded VIGIL Server software allows these cameras to be run as stand-alone devices, recording video to the onboard memory card. This makes these All-in-One cameras compatible with 3xLOGIC’s existing software suite including VIGIL Client, VIGIL VCM, VIGIL View Lite II, and VIGIL Cloud applications. Simple plug-and-play installation enables camera access using a standard web browser, VIGIL Client, or through a mobile device or tablet utilising the easy-to-use QR code quick setup. “The V-Series camera is our most powerful offering to date. They’re a camera, yes, but they’re also standalone servers with a vastly expanded capability to leverage all of 3xLOGIC’s advanced software applications,” said Erickson. “In addition to all these powerful features, the VISIX V-Series camera line simultaneously lays the foundation for our end users to harness the power of the cloud as well.”

VIGIL Server is the core component of the VIGIL System software, upon which all other 3xLOGIC applications are built. One of the industry’s easiest systems to deploy, VIGIL Server offers a convenient Installation Wizard to assist users in configuring their entire video recording and management system in just minutes. The Installation Wizard helps define the system network parameters, the system ID information, and camera profiles. A template is then created that can be saved, allowing users the ability to reproduce a complete system configuration in just minutes. These templates allow for standardisation across large roll-outs, in addition to streamlining the installation. VIGIL Client, also included as part of the System software package, offers unrivaled access to live and recorded video from any networked NVR. Advanced playback and intelligent SmartSearch™ functionality empowers the user to identify and review events of interest quickly and easily. The result is a more accurate and efficient investigation of incidents, coupled with the ability to export evidence material. Additional Application Modules are available and can be packaged with VIGIL System 8.0; such as, VIGIL POS, VIGIL Analytics, VIGIL Central Management (VCM) for centralised server management, and HD Viewer for public view monitors. Upgraded features Building off of VIGIL System software’s market success, the 3xLOGIC R&D team has added several upgraded features for the 8.0 release: RapidSeek uses RapidStream™ technology to allow for low resolution scrubbing of video. Thumbnail Searching utilises thumbnails for easy appear/disappear-searching, requiring minimal bandwidth. IP Camera Web Interface allows easy access to the web interface of an IP camera through VIGIL Client. Active Directory Integration uses existing Active Directory to control who can access video on a Server. Multi-View displays multiple cameras simultaneously through a single stream. VIGIL Connect is a cloud-based relay server which allows users to remotely connect to their NVR with plug-and-play setup. “By using the knowledge gained from thousands of installations, across multiple vertical market applications, we’ve enhanced VIGIL System 8.0 to respond to the market experiences of our end users;  the new features will deliver surveillance results faster and more effectively,” said Charlie Erickson, VP Product Management. “Overall, VIGIL 8.0 focuses on delivering more surveillance power and speed, without increasing bandwidth demand, while simultaneously laying the foundation for utilisation of the power of the cloud.”

The updated version features weighted KPI reports, web-based video player, user audit, manual video requests as well as standard POS 3xLOGIC, Inc., a leading provider of integrated intelligent security solutions, recently announced that it has significantly updated the company’s flagship business intelligence software, VIGIL Trends. VIGIL Trends business intelligence software VIGIL Trends provides a clean, simple visual snapshot of business. Leveraging unique icons, graphs, and intuitive colour-grouped images, Trends empowers the user to interpret vast amounts of disparate data more effectively and efficiently than ever thought possible. Trends reports are completely customisable, presenting information in the format and method most effective for you. The VIGIL Trends dashboard lets the user track and improves metrics that directly impact the success of their business with modules such as: Instant Video Clips Location-by-Location Comparison 30-Day Snapshot Event Reporting Traffic Counts Propped Doors Conversion Rates Line Queue Reports Weighted Exception Reports LP KPIs “Our first version of Trends was focused on creative ways to display the more traditional marketing data—people counting, conversion rates and customer service times. In this version, we have focused on POS Exception Reporting, user audit data, as well as processing data from other customer data feeds,” explained Charlie Erickson, 3xLOGIC SVP for Product Development. “Combining Trends’ big data engine with POS enabled us to create Exception Reporting KPI reports, where top offenders from thousands of employees doing millions of transactions daily bubble up to the top. Coupled with a YouTube-like video playback, these offenders can be quickly identified and removed from operations. By optimising LP investigators’ time and removing offenders from the system quickly, our users minimise their losses. Trends’ intuitive interface empowered one of our early adopters to catch his first offender within 5 minutes of using the system. End users will see rapid ROI with these many new features, the results are immediately visible.” What’s New? “Our first version of Trends was focused on creative ways to display the more traditional marketing data—people counting, conversion rates and customer service times" Weighted KPI Reports The KPI report is mainly used by Loss Prevention (LP) analysts and Regional Managers to identify employee theft. It is a report that clearly identifies the top 10 “most dangerous” employees in the organisation—the employees that are costing the business enormous amounts of money. How does it Work? 3xLOGIC starts by interviewing the head LP Analyst in the organisation to have them give a weight to each exception type they are interested in tracking. Then, each day as Trends processes millions of POS transactions across the entire organisation, we run our own algorithms against the data and pick out these exceptions. The exceptions are then grouped by cashier ID; we then multiply each data set by the weights the LP analyst provided. The end result is a colour-keyed grid showing who the top offenders are with regard to breaking the user’s exception rules. From there, an LP Analyst can drill down to view the video for each of the violating transactions that went into the cashier’s KPI score for that day or week. The raw report can be exported to Excel as well. Web-based Video Player 3xLOGIC’s new video player will sync the video with the line items of the receipt. As the video plays, the items are highlighted. Conversely, the user can click on an item in the receipt and the video cues to that point in time—simple and highly effective. A ribbon above the video indicates all the transactions the cashier has done in the 20 minutes before and after the current transaction. Red indicates suspect transactions. This is very useful since theft usually occurs during windows of opportunity when the store is empty or the storage manager has left for a period of time. "In this version, we have focused on POS Exception Reporting, user audit data, as well as processing data from other customer data feeds" User Audit Companies make large investments in digital recording systems but payback occurs only if they’re used. The enterprise-level report below shows Regional managers which of their Divisions and Districts are using the equipment on a daily basis. The Audit function provides an ability to drill down to the store level and see which day’s staff met their goals (green circle) for reviewing video and transactions and provide visibility on what they’ve actually done during their reviews. Manual Video Requests Frequently, customers want to download video clips for reviewing later and for sharing with others. Trends enables to select video clips and upload them in a batch method, so the user is not wasting time waiting for the video to get uploaded. A key feature here is that the video can be uploaded at a reduced frame rate and resolution. Video recorded at a high resolution can be uploaded at a lower resolution for review. It also can be uploaded at a very slow frame rate. For example, a store manager can upload video at one image a minute to see a day in the life of their store—when people came in were they wearing the proper clothing, when were the shelves stocked, and other such key information. A great deal of information becomes available in a very small video clip. Standard POS Trends can be used to run standard POS reports against any store’s POS transactions. The video and POS is played back in a synchronised fashion. 3xLOGIC at ISC West 2015 3xLOGIC will have the updated VIGIL Trends software, along with a host of other new products, on display at ISC West, 15-17 April, in Las Vegas, booth #30056

3xLOGIC, Inc. recently announced the availability of the SONIP FlexIP CPU Card. Supporting 16 Alarm Inputs, 16 Audio Sensor Inputs, and 4 Auxiliary Outputs, FlexIP represents a multi-communication protocol (IP, cell, and modem) plug-and-play upgrade path for legacy SONIP-Series FlexiBase Control Panel users. Developed at 3xLOGIC’s Innovation Center in Orlando, FL, the SONIP FlexIP Card represents the first of many deliverables resulting from the recently announced acquisition of Sonitrol-branded Product Development by 3xLOGIC from STANLEY Security. Designed to address the rising costs of traditional wireline telecommunication connections confronting the Sonitrol network of security dealers, FlexIP immediately expands the SONIP Control Panel’s capabilities while reducing their customer’s cost. FlexIP dramatically reduces the arming speed for IP panels versus traditional dial panels, while removing the need to share a dial line with a fax or credit card machine. Sonitrol dealers can order the SONIP FlexIP Card for immediate delivery from the Sonitrol Online Procurement Portal. “The Sonitrol Product Engineering resources that we acquired in June represent an incredibly rich pool of talent that has melded seamlessly with our Engineering Team,” emphasises Charlie Erickson, EVP Product Management, 3xLOGIC, Inc. “Their ability to solicit customer input, develop a product strategy and deliver the products as promised, distinguishes this Team and has earned them the accolades of the Sonitrol dealer network. FlexIP is a prime example of this commitment to enhance and innovate the products available to the Sonitrol network.”