Dahua Smart Retail Solution at Palmetto Plaza

The Palmetto Plaza Shopping Mall, an iconic shopping center located in Cali, Colombia, opened its doors in 2004 thanks to the support of a group of entrepreneurs from the region who dreamed of a place where local residents and tourists can find a wide range of commercial services and entertainment offerings.

Need for a video surveillance solution 

To ensure a safe environment in the shopping center, mall officials sought a comprehensive video surveillance solution that can monitor the areas in and around the mall, including its square, corridors, parking lots, and the surrounding roads.

Dahua Technology, in cooperation with its partner in Colombia - Fortox Security Group - a security consultant with a nationwide presence, jointly designed an AI-enabled Smart Retail Solution that replaced the shopping mall’s old CCTV analog system.

Addressing the challenges 

The migration project from the analog CCTV to a networked system began with the design and implementation of structured cabling – using both fiber optics and copper – until the right and suitable CCTV solution is determined. 

The Palmetto Plaza Shopping Mall entrusted Fortox as its security consultant tasked to search for a technology that can facilitate the important steps toward the optimization and operation of the mall in the service of the city.

Dahua’s AI-based portfolio  

Dahua offers AI applications within its portfolio, which allowed to transcend to a  system dedicated to security & control "

"When conducting the evaluation of the solutions offered in the market, we decided to work with Dahua because the company offers artificial intelligence applications within its portfolio, which allowed us to transcend from a system dedicated solely to security and control, to a system which will also contribute to other areas of the shopping center, integrating the Smart Retail solution into the circuit, and offering BI statistics to the mall for further analysis.” 

“In addition, we integrated the temperature monitoring solution and visualisation control into the system using a Dahua video wall,” explains Mr. Efren Mauricio Matabanchoy Romo, Project Engineer at Fortox Security Group.

IP, dome, and PTZ cameras 

Dahua Technology provided 111 pcs of high-resolution IP cameras, panoramic cameras, dome cameras, and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras with 30x optical zoom capability for the project. 

The Dahua cameras were installed in strategic locations to provide comprehensive security for employees and customers.

The video feed, which is transmitted to the central monitoring stations inside the mall through a private network, can assist the security personnel in identifying emergencies, vandalism, and other situations where a quick response from the security team is necessary.

Real-time monitoring solution 

The video surveillance system was designed to capture high-quality HD images, combined with advanced technologies to support embedded intelligence functions, such as sending an alert to the monitoring center when it detects abandoned or missing objects, unauthorised entry into a prohibited area, as well as facial recognition and other defined activities. 

The cameras support multi-streaming that allows images to be recorded and monitored with real-time high resolution

The cameras also support multi-streaming that allows images to be recorded and monitored with real-time high resolution so that operators can have a clear and well-defined view of both live and recorded footage.

IP video surveillance system 

Dahua Technology and its dedicated engineering team carried out the construction of this design by utilising its high-quality hardware and software products, with a great focus on solving the pain points of the shopping center and generating an added value to its visitors and internal customers. 

Mr. Chao Wu, General Manager of Dahua Technology Colombia, said, "As a result of excellent teamwork, we were able to implement more than an IP video surveillance system. We designed a solution with the latest technology and artificial intelligence unique in the city of Cali, which allows the Palmetto Plaza to provide greater security to its visitors and trade merchants.”

24/7 monitoring features 

In terms of security, through the Dahua equipment installed by Fortox, the Palmetto Plaza is now able to perform 24/7 monitoring and intelligent data analysis. 

"Likewise, through the Dahua Smart Retail Solution unique in the city of Cali, we generate added value to the merchants who have placed their trust in Palmetto Plaza. Smart Retail is not only a solution that guarantees maximum security for customers in the shopping centre.” 

“It is also a revolutionary new tool for Big Data statistics that is suitable for the mall´s management, allowing them to make efficient and correct decisions depending on the situation”, Mr. Wu added.

Security management 

The Dahua Smart Retail Solution has significantly improved the security management of the Palmetto Plaza Shopping Mall. By increasing the resolution of the cameras, the visual records of the CCTV system are now optimised and strengthened. 

By increasing the resolution of the cameras, the visual records of the CCTV system are optimised & strengthened

The updated network system provides video recordings with HD resolution, allowing operators to better control and manage the entire system.

It also offers artificial intelligence analytics such as face recognition focused on security, business intelligence focused on real-time statistics of the number of shoppers in the mall, and monitoring of behavior within its facilities.

CCTV network system

In addition to its video surveillance products, Dahua Technology also contributed to the system migration project of the Palmetto Plaza, transforming its analog CCTV system to a CCTV network system with higher resolution cameras, 360-degree views, and artificial intelligence analytics. 

Dahua Technology also provided complete technical support and commercial services that include training operators and managing configuration settings. 

“We had devices that already completed their useful life. These devices did not meet our security needs due to their low resolution and constant failures,” says Mr. Juan Diego Guzman, Security Director of Palmetto Plaza Shopping Mall.

Surveillance capability 

For Sandra M. Navas P, General Manager of the Palmetto Plaza Shopping Mall, this technology has generated more confidence among visitors and merchants. 

"The beginning of this system implementation has put us at the forefront of Colombian retail in terms of video surveillance capability, and has also allowed us to achieve a level of satisfaction in terms of security higher than 92%."

Furthermore, this system has allowed Fortox as a security company to integrate into a single technology the requirements requested by the client, successfully delivering the required services needed in the shopping centre.