Central Monitoring

National Monitoring Center, NMC, a renowned brand in the alarm monitoring industry, and member of the Netwatch group, announced the appointment of industry veteran Norm Barton as Regional Sales Manager West, Proactive Video Monitoring services in NMC. The appointment supports the growing industry demand for Proactive Video Monitoring services. Proactive Video Monitoring services Norm has extensive industry experience as well as a passion for the market and will be responsible for executing sales strategies in the western United States region" Barton will report to Nicola Oakie, Director of National Sales. Oakie commented on the appointment, “We are delighted to welcome Norm as we continue to expand our team to support this important growth segment. Norm has extensive industry experience as well as a passion for the market and will be responsible for executing sales strategies in the western region of the United States.” Barton comes to NMC with over 28 years of increasingly responsible Team Leadership experience in management and operations including having been President and CEO of FDS Integration, Inc. for several years. Video monitoring services expert “Norm’s outstanding leadership skills, deep industry knowledge, and impressive record of building long-term customer partnerships make him a perfect fit for this pivotal role,” Oakie added. Barton is pleased to be joining the NMC team and has enthusiastically taken on this role. “It is a pleasure to be joining such a well-respected organisation, and one that builds its reputation on truly serving its dealers with forward-thinking services and support. This is an incredibly dynamic, focused, and competitive industry in which dealers can thrive. I am excited to be working with our current customers to support their growth and equally excited to cultivate new relationships throughout the western region.”

Ava Group (AVA), global provider of security risk management services and technology will be presenting its portfolio of security solutions at International Security Expo, stand E74. The expo also hosts a range of certified conferences and workshops covering every major sector of the security industry. Taking place over two days at London Olympia, the event focuses on the needs of government and CNI amongst other key sectors. Fibre optic intrusion detection Ava Group will be showcasing the latest solutions from its technology division - incorporating Future Fibre Technologies and BQT Solutions. The Ava Group is a market leader of risk management services and technologies, offering a portfolio of complementary solutions encompassing both fibre optic intrusion detection and high security access control and locking. Mark Horton, Global Sales & Marketing Director – Future Fibre Technologies commented, “Our brands have a strong pedigree in some of the expo’s key sectors including government and CNI, and we’re very much looking forward to discussing with visitors how Ava’s solutions can be applied to protect their organisations. Ava Group has had some major project wins in recent months including a major military closed data network, who have selected our data network infrastructure protection solution to secure its network against tapping and tampering. It is projects such as this that demonstrate Ava Group’s expertise in security risk management and protection of client’s assets and infrastructure.” Perimeter security technology New ultra-low noise optical detection electronics ensure a single controller can cover a distance up to 110 kilometres Ava Group’s CTO – Technology, Dr Jim Katsifolis will be presenting in the Perimeter Security & Intrusion Detection Technology Workshop on ‘Security within security in a converged perimeter intrusion detection solution’ on the first morning of the exhibition. An accomplished R&D professional, Jim will explore the latest generation of PIDS technologies, the convergence of intrusion detection and cybersecurity as well as addressing some common myths in this field. Featured on the stand will be the enhanced Aura Ai-2 controller from Future Fibre Technologies. This market-leading product offers unrivalled high-sensitivity detection, location accuracy, cut resilience capability and the industry’s longest linear range. New ultra-low noise optical detection electronics ensure a single controller can cover a distance up to 110 kilometres and can accurately detect, locate and report multiple disturbances to +/- 2 metres. Security management solution Ava Group is also previewing its Small Site Assurance range, which is designed to protect remote unmanned locations through a holistic security management solution. The solution incorporates intrusion detection, access control and locking as well as environmental monitoring - all controlled remotely from a simple graphical user interface. The Small Site Assurance range is particularly suited for utilities, telecoms, energy, oil & gas and data centres that are at risk from threats such as vandalism, opportunistic and targeted theft, terrorist attack, trespass, system failure, accident or injury. Orca locking security solution The Orca lock is a high-strength lock designed for securing gates, roller doors, shipping containers, and any other large door or entryway From BQT Solutions, Ava Group will be demonstrating the Orca lock. Building on the success of the award winning YG10, the Orca lock is a high-strength lock designed for securing gates, roller doors, shipping containers, and any other large door or entryway. Alongside the Orca’s impressive physical attributes, its ability to integrate into an access control system is what elevates it beyond anything available in the market. Fully monitored, weatherproof, and user configurable, the Orca is the perfect indoor and outdoor locking solution. BQT will also demonstrate the latest software integration between its miPASS Access TMS software and Paxton’s Net2 access control software. The integration enables the seamless addition of BQT biometric readers to new or existing Net2 systems, facilitating a smooth transition from less secure card technologies to more robust options like fingerprint biometrics and BQT’s own miPASS credentials.

Hikvision, global provider of innovative video surveillance solutions, has added an ultra HD 32 MP panoramic camera to its award-winning PanoVu camera range. Seamless panoramic image The new DS-2CD6984G0-IH(S)(AC) 32 MP PanoVu Series Panoramic Dome Camera uses four 1/2" Progressive Scan CMOS sensors to deliver a true 180-degree horizontal panorama, as well as a vertical field of view of 95 degrees. The four video images are stitched together by the camera itself, which intelligently outputs a single, seamless panoramic image. Frank Zhang, General Manager of the International Product Marketing Department at Hikvision says, “We are very excited to add this state-of-the-art high definition camera to the award-winning PanoVu family. Organisations with large outdoor areas are continually looking for innovative ways to monitor and protect their premises. Our 32 MP camera gives them some of the most remarkable panoramic and HD monitoring features they’ll find on the market.” HD panoramic video in low-light environmentsThe camera offers impressive HD, with a maximum resolution of 8160 × 3616 pixels The camera offers impressive HD, with a maximum resolution of 8160 × 3616 pixels. Its 32 MP image resolution at 30 fps ensures smooth video image preview and playback. Engineered with low illumination capability and four embedded infra-red LEDs, the DS-2CD6984G0-IH(S)(AC) can continue to deliver HD panoramic video in low-light environments and even under 0 lux conditions, up to a distance of 20 metres. Multiple display modes The camera also has a range of display modes to suit user needs. In addition to the standard 32 MP panorama view, users can choose to output the panoramic image in 8 MP resolution to fit into a corresponding network video recorder. The camera can also deliver four, 8 MP standalone images from each lens, or four images in divided panorama view. Thanks to its broad field of view, the DS-2CD6984G0-IH(S)(AC) is ideal for large, open areas such as stadiums, plazas, entertainment venues and industrial facilities. Just one camera can cover an area that previously required multiple cameras, reducing IP channels. This also makes installation and configuration much easier, faster and potentially more cost-effective.

AlgoSec, a provider of business-driven security policy management solutions, announced it has signed a technology collaboration agreement with Microsoft to offer interoperability between the AlgoSec Security Management Suite and Microsoft Azure Firewall to support central security management.  AlgoSec’s new solution will allow an intuitive and effective central management capability for Azure Firewall, Microsoft's new cloud-native, firewall-as-a-service. Azure Firewall customers will be able to consistently manage multiple instances of Azure Firewalls across different regions and multiple Azure accounts. Unified security policy management AlgoSec customers can already manage Azure security controls, enabling unified security policy managementAlgoSec customers can already manage Azure security controls, enabling unified security policy management. The collaboration will extend this capability to a fully integrated solution that offers central management of Azure Firewall alongside Network Security Groups and 3rd party security devices such as virtual firewalls deployed in Azure, security controls of other clouds, and on-premises firewalls and SDN solutions. “As enterprises accelerate their Microsoft Azure adoption strategies, they require a greater ability to manage all the security controls and devices that protect their deployments,” said Anner Kushnir, VP Technology at AlgoSec. “The collaboration will enable enterprises to accelerate their Azure deployments, safe in the knowledge that they have full visibility and control over the security devices that protect their cloud estates.” Monitoring security vulnerabilities The collaboration between AlgoSec and Microsoft will provide customers with end-to-end visibility into their cloud estatesThe collaboration between AlgoSec and Microsoft will provide customers with end-to-end visibility into their cloud estates, pinpointing security risks and misconfigurations while facilitating connectivity troubleshooting and comprehensive security policy management. Prasetha Warrier, Principal Product Manager, Azure Networking at Microsoft Corp. said, “Security, and how it is managed on a continual basis, is a key concern for migrating business applications to the cloud. We are pleased to work with Algosec to provide a central management experience for the Microsoft Azure Firewall alongside all other security controls in our customers’ environments. This enables them to confidently accelerate their Azure deployments and enforce and monitor security vulnerabilities.” The AlgoSec cloud security management solution for Azure Firewall will be available for select customers this quarter and will be publicly available in Q1 ‘19.

Pulse Secure, global provider of Secure Access solutions to both enterprises and service providers, has announced the launch of new packaging of its award-winning Pulse Access Suite for Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs). The solution offers service providers an accelerated, cost-effective means to differentiate and build out their service portfolio to meet the massive demand for protected connectivity to cloud applications and hybrid IT resources. Pulse Secure Pulse Secure offers a comprehensive, integrated and highly interoperable set of Secure Access solutions spanning remote, mobile and cloud access security; network visibility and access control; and application delivery. The suite allows service providers to extend lucrative access protection, endpoint compliance, threat response and availability services for the data center, hosted in the cloud or running as SaaS. The service provider packaging optimises capital expenditure through an on-demand, pay-per-use model. MSSPs can spin up or spin down virtual Secure Access instances and licenses at a cost based on the number of concurrent monthly users. On-demand provisioning and tiered, user-based pricing gives service providers needed flexibility for customer onboarding, growth spurts and business downturns. Managed Security Services (MSS) The Managed Security Services (MSS) market 'constitutes approximately 60 percent of the overall security outsourcing market' According to a recent Gartner report1, the Managed Security Services (MSS) market 'constitutes approximately 60 percent of the overall security outsourcing market , generating $18.7 billion in revenue in 2017 and growing at a CAGR of 11 percent through 2021. It is important to view MSS in the context of broader security outsourcing, because large enterprises are increasingly looking for hybrid engagements that include a mix of shared and dedicated service delivery components.' Key market trends in that report include: Moving beyond monitoring of only network-based security technologies, particularly the network perimeter, with increasing focus on the endpoint (e.g. managed EDR services) Increasing movement toward more customised outcomes for buyers Buyer demand for capabilities to monitor popular SaaS applications, and public cloud service providers and IaaS Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM) and Network Access Control (NAC) As enterprises are seeking more complete offerings from fewer managed security service providers, MSSPs in turn are seeking to expand service scope while reducing business risk and operational complexity. In comparison to working with point solutions that are limited due to custom integration, disparate management and licensing constraints, Pulse Secure uniquely offers MSSPs integrated Virtual Private Network (VPN), Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM), Network Access Control (NAC) and virtual Application Delivery Controller (ADC) solutions within a unified management framework for data center and hybrid IT implementation. Pulse Secure Access Suite for MSSPs MSSP packaging, including user-based licensing, will be available to authorised channel partners at the end of November through Pulse Secure’s global distributors MSSP packaging, including user-based licensing, will be available to authorised channel partners at the end of November through Pulse Secure’s global distributors. The Pulse Secure Access Suite for MSSPs’ list price starts at $6 USD MSRP per concurrent user per month for the first 500 users with higher discounts available for larger user counts. The solution includes a multi-tenant, centralised management system and licensing server that gives MSSPs operational oversight while also providing clients with dashboard visibility. The solution includes virtual appliance form factors for VMware, KVM and Hyper-V, and supports deployment in hosted cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS.  “Ensuring secure access is more challenging than ever given the dynamics of cyber threats, IT consumerisation and software-defined data centers. Enterprises of all sizes are overwhelmed and increasingly looking to MSSPs for expertise and capacity,” said Scott Gordon, chief marketing officer at Pulse Secure. “Pulse Secure gives MSSP leaders an easy, proven and no-risk path to extend services and increase revenues for hybrid IT secure access. More importantly, our new MSSP packaging enables our service provider partners and their customers to deliver ubiquitous access productivity while ensuring compliance.” Managed Access Services “Pulse Secure has been a key vendor for our managed access services. In my team’s experience, Pulse is the only one that has reliably delivered as-advertised stability, performance and manageability, as well as new feature sets that satisfy our highly demanding clients,” said Nicholas Klein, SOC supervisor at GTT Managed Secure Access Group. “With Pulse Secure, our services are backed by a rock-solid, flexible platform paired with a responsive support team, allowing us to focus on the value-add aspects of our managed service for our customers.” “As business, government and educational institutions are building out their cloud-enabled infrastructure, enterprises must consider how to enforce appropriate resource and data access while delivering high usability for their users. indevis offers enterprises the benefit of expertise, resources, and experience to design and implement an integrated data center and cloud access strategy,” said Wolfgang Kurz, founder and CTO at indevis. “We believe Pulse Secure offers a breadth of Secure Access capabilities and interoperability that give our customers greater freedom to optimize and defend their mobile and cloud computing initiatives. We appreciate the operational and licensing advantages that the Pulse Secure packaging provides our customers and us.” Internet of Enterprises Orange Business Services is a leader in the Internet of Enterprises, the emerging digital business ecosystem powered by data" “Orange Business Services is a leader in the Internet of Enterprises, the emerging digital business ecosystem powered by data. We are at the core of our customers’ data journey,” said Nicolas Drogou, head of Orange Cyberdefense APAC. “Ensuring the security of the data and its journey end to end is paramount to us being the trusted partner for their Digital Transformation. Pulse Secure is a cornerstone solution within our managed security services suite. The features and scalability of its Secure Access suite enable us to tackle the complex Secure Access challenges that organizations face in an increasingly volatile threat landscape.” “RKON’s customers are building out significant mobile and cloud investments where potential exposure to cyberattacks, compliance and visibility gaps are top of mind,” said Jeff Mullarkey, CEO of RKON, a leading-edge MSSP based in Chicago. He further added, “Ensuring always-on and protected access to resources is foundational to their businesses. We support enterprises across all verticals with a specific emphasis in the mergers and acquisitions space. Our Managed Secure Access practice leverages the Pulse Secure platform's reliability and broad capabilities.”

SentryNet, a wholesale central station monitoring service founded in 1987, is pleased to announce they will be expanding their monitoring footprint by adding a monitoring centre in Lacey, Washingtnton. Currently, SentryNet has two UL/FM/NISPOM listed hot redundant monitoring centres in Memphis, Tennessee and Pensacola, Florida, and provides monitoring for more than 650 independent alarm dealers, primarily based in the Southeast. Over the years, SentryNet has continued to expand their dealer footprint in the west and will be opening a monitoring facility in Lacey, Washington, to ensure they are able to provide the best service to dealers coast-to-coast. As part of the expansion, SentryNet will consolidate the Pensacola, Florida, monitoring centre to Memphis, Tennessee. A Pensacola, Florida, office will remain and act as the primary sales and dealer relations location.   Monitoring software platform “2018 has been a transformational year for SentryNet. We have made significant investments in upgrading our monitoring platform and now opening a new monitoring facility,” said Vice President of Dealer Sales Julie Beach. “In the coming months, we will also be launching a complete dealer program that will round out our vision of truly being a full business life cycle partner to security dealers across the nation.” In January 2018, SentryNet upgraded their monitoring software platform to MASterMind, a fully integrated, enterprise solution for monitored security service providers and proprietary central stations, to provide its dealers with best-in-class monitoring services and expanded integration opportunities. The Lacey, Washington, facility is expected to begin monitoring SentryNet dealers in late November 2018.

Governments and corporations face crisis events every day. An active shooter terrorises a campus. A cyber extortionist holds a city for ransom. A hurricane washes away a key manufacturing facility. Not all critical events rise to the level of these catastrophic emergencies, but a late or inadequate response to even a minor incident can put people, operations and reputations at risk. Effective response plan In 2015, for example, the City of Boston experienced several record-breaking snowstorms that forced the city to close the subway system for three days. The extreme decision cost the state $265 million per day and was largely attributed to a lack of preparation and an inadequate response plan by the transportation department. The reputation of the head of the transportation department was so damaged by the decision she was forced to resign. Being able to better predict how the storms would impact the subway system’s aging infrastructure – and having a more effective response plan in place – could have saved the state hundreds of millions of dollars (not to mention the transit chief’s job). A comprehensive critical event management strategy begins before the impact of an event is felt and continues after the immediate crisis has ended. This full lifecycle strategy can be broken into four distinct phases – Assess, Locate, Act and Analyse. Assessing threats for prevention Security teams might have complained about not having enough intelligence data to make accurate predictionsIdentifying a threat before it reaches critical mass and understanding how it might impact vital assets is the most difficult challenge facing security professionals. In the past, security teams might have complained about not having enough intelligence data to make accurate predictions. Today, the exact opposite might be true – there is too much data! With crime and incident data coming from law enforcement agencies, photos and videos coming from people on the front line, topics trending on social media and logistical information originating from internal systems it can be almost impossible to locate a real signal among all the noise and chatter. Being able to easily visualise all this intelligence data within the context of an organisation’s assets is vital to understand the relationship between threat data and the individuals or facilities in harm’s way. Social media monitoring Free tools like Google Maps or satellite imagery from organisations like AccuWeather, for example, can help understand how fast a storm is closing in on a manufacturing facility, or how close an active shooter is to a school. Their usefulness, however, is limited to a few event types and they provide only a very macro view of the crisis.Data from building access systems, wifi hotspots, corporate travel systems, among others, can be used to create a profile Critical event management (CEM) platforms, however, are designed specifically to manage critical events of all types and provide much greater visibility. Internal and external data sources (weather, local and national emergency management, social media monitoring software, security cameras, etc.) are integrated into these platforms and their data is visualised on a threat map. Security teams can quickly see if there are actual threats to the organisations or communities they are protecting and don’t lose time trying to make sense of intelligence reports. The more they can see on a ‘single pane of glass,’ the faster they can initiate the appropriate response. Locating a threat Once a threat has been deemed a critical event, the next step is to find the people who might be impacted – employees/residents in danger, first responders and key stakeholders (e.g., senior executives or elected officials who need status updates). Often, this requires someone on the security team to access an HR contact database and initiate a call tree to contact each person individually, in a specific hierarchical order. This can be a time-consuming and opaque process. There is no information on the proximity of that person to the critical event, or if a person has skills such as CPR that could aid in the response. Ensuring ahead of time that certifications, skill sets, or on-call availability is included with contact information can save valuable time in the middle of a crisis response. Going even further, data from building access systems, wifi hotspots, corporate travel systems, among others, can be used to create a profile of where a person just was and where he or she might be going in a CEM platform. This information can be visualised on the threat map and help determine who is actually in danger and who can respond the fastest. The emergency response then becomes targeted and more effective. Security teams can quickly see if there are actual threats to the organisations or communities they are protecting Acting and automating The third step is to act and automate processes. If there is a tornado closing in on a town, for example, residents should not have to wait for manual intervention before a siren is activated or a message sent out. Organisations can build and execute their standing operating procedures (SOPs) fully within a CEM platform. Sirens, alarms, digital signs and messages can all be automatically activated based on event type, severity and location. Using the tornado example, an integration with a weather forecasting service could trigger the command to issue a tornado warning for a specific community if it is in the path of the storm. Summon security guards Warning messages can be prepared in advance based on event type so there is no chance of issuing a misleading or unclear alert Warning messages can be prepared in advance based on event type so there is no chance of issuing a misleading or unclear alert. All communications with impacted individuals can be centralised within the platform and automated based on SOP protocols. This also includes inbound communications from first responders and impacted individuals. An employee confronted by an assailant in a parking garage could initiate an SOS alert from his or her mobile phone that would automatically summon security guards to the scene. Conference lines can also be instantly created to enable collaboration and speed response time. Additionally, escalation policies are automatically engaged if a protocol is broken. For example, during an IT outage, if the primary network engineer does not respond in two minutes, a designated backup is automatically summoned. Eliminating manual steps from SOPs reduces the chance for human error and increases the speed and effectiveness of critical event responses. Analysis of a threat Looking for ways to better prepare and respond to critical events will not only improve performance when similar events occur again It’s not uncommon for security and response teams to think that a critical event is over once the immediate crisis has ended. After all, they are often the ones pushing themselves to exhaustion and sometimes risking life and limb to protect their neighbours, colleagues, community reputations and company brands. They need and deserve a rest. In the aftermath of a critical event, however, it’s important to review the effectiveness of the response and look for ways to drive improvements. Which tasks took too long? What resources were missing? How many times did people respond quickly? With a CEM platform, team performance, operational response, benchmarking data and notification analysis are all captured within the system and are available in a configurable dashboard or in after-action reports for analysis. Continuously looking for ways to better prepare and respond to critical events will not only improve performance when similar events occur again, but it will also improve response effectiveness when unforeseen events strike. Coordinate emergency response Virtually every organisation has some form of response plan to triage a critical event and restore community order or business operations. While many of these plans are highly effective in providing a structure to command and coordinate emergency response, they are reactive in nature and don’t account for the full lifecycle of a critical event – Assess, Locate, Act and Analyse. Whether it’s a large-scale regional emergency or a daily operational issue such as an IT outage, a comprehensive critical event management strategy will minimise the impact by improving visibility, collaboration and response.

By 2020, video surveillance using fixed, body and mobile cameras is expected to capture an astounding 859 PB of video daily. Increasing retention regulations and higher resolution cameras, are forcing the video surveillance industry to reassess its approach to data storage. Large capacity primary storage tends to be expensive to procure and costly to implement – especially without a sound architecture that can balance storage performance levels with the speed of access needed to recall video footage. Active archive strategy These challenges are thrusting storage tiers to the forefront of system design. Storage tiers in video surveillance had previously meant simply using a separate archive or attaching add-on capacity directly to network video recorders. Many of the new storage options designed for video surveillance are pulling together different storage tiers into a single storage architecture Many of the new storage options designed for video surveillance are pulling together different storage tiers (and in some cases storage media) into a single storage architecture, such as an active archive solution. This balance can be achieved with an active archive strategy that automates migration of data between different storage types, to ensure the data is on the correct storage type at the correct time to meet performance and retention requirements without blowing the budget. This approach also ensures ease of access while automatically moving content from more expensive tiers of storage to more cost-effective long-term tiers of storage. This allows for greater efficiencies in how recorded footage is treated throughout its lifecycle. In some cases, it includes moving data from edge devices to centralised storage, and then to the public cloud. Scalable video storage solutions As storage demands have increased, video management vendors have turned to storage specialists for solutions that can accommodate large numbers of high-resolution video files, metadata associated with the footage for easy searching, along with much needed scalable solutions. In terms of video management software, this means the integration of video content from different storage types, tiers and physical locations is required, and which considers the performance profile of each storage type. With an active archive solution, video content is searchable and accessible directly by the end users regardless of where it is stored. Deploying an active archive solution enables surveillance users to reduce the complexity and costs of managing data for long term retention As seen in many product categories, camera and storage vendors continue to provide extremely competitive offerings. But, storage-specific solutions for video surveillance have lagged behind the roadmaps for video equipment and, as more and more cameras have entered the market, less attention has been placed on video storage capacities. Tiered storage strategy The surveillance industry has evolved considerably from the days of the 8mm video recorder; however, enterprise storage solutions will be forced to evolve further to cope with changing storage retention requirements. Video storage is quickly becoming one of the most expensive parts in a surveillance solution, but there is hope. Deploying an active archive solution will enable surveillance users to reduce the complexity and costs of managing from terabytes to petabytes of data for long term retention. By finding a storage solution that delivers the ability to implement a tiered storage strategy, users can adhere to regulation requirements to retain video footage and meet their safety and security objectives, while also significantly reducing storage costs and operational expenses.

The rise to prominence of smart cities should not go unnoticed. To the untrained eye, you might not realise just how connected your city is and how it’s helping your everyday life. From crossing the road to monitoring water levels, technology is allowing cities to think quicker and act smarter. Data-driven decisions A recent whitepaper by ABI Research has revealed that the total global cost-saving potential offered by smart cities stands at more than $5 trillion. This shows how technological improvements to the places we live offer a significant opportunity to not only improve our personal lives and wellbeing, but to also ensure our cities are able to continue contributing to the wider economy. One of the major areas of technology that is going to shift how we interact with our cities is the Internet of Things (IoT). One benefit will be the ability to use video surveillance to analyse data on large crowds at sporting events The IoT already accounts for swathes of technology and devices operating in the background. However, we’re increasingly seeing these come to the forefront of everyday life, as data becomes increasingly critical. In an IDC study sponsored by Seagate, Data Age 2025 estimates that by 2025, nearly 20% of data will be critical to our daily lives and nearly 10% of that will be hypercritical. Data is no longer just going to provide simple insights and recommendations, it is going to be making decisions that impact the fabric and quality of everyday life. Analysis and application The decisions that this critical data is attached to must be made quickly. A living, breathing city must constantly be monitoring, assessing and utilising data in order to ensure it keeps people safe and mobile. A prime example of this is in the Dutch city of Almere, where the local police force and parking management teams are using surveillance technology to improve congestion and manage traffic flow. This is hugely important when 20% of city traffic is caused by drivers circling around trying to find a parking space, according to Stuart Higgins, Strategic Lead - Cisco Impact. While older cities such as London may not be as equipped with new technology like modern cities, such as Dubai, an appreciation of the different ways individual cities can adopt technology is vital. For those that have the right infrastructure, one key benefit will be the ability to use video surveillance to analyse data on road congestion, or even large crowds at sporting events or national ceremonies. Using this data to spot patterns of behaviour will enable city planners to develop long term solutions to ensure city life runs smoothly. Instant access to connected devices By 2025, an average connected person anywhere in the world will interact with connected devices nearly 4,800 times per day — that’s one interaction approximately every 18 seconds.   As access to data becomes the central component to a functioning smart city, the way data is stored has become more important than ever It isn’t just new-paradigm services such as Uber that are causing this. Increasingly, the ability to instantly access data relevant to many aspects of our lives will drive our interactions with these devices, and industries around the world are undergoing a digital transformation motivated by these evolving requirements. The benefits of data access is best shown through Project Green Light in the US city of Detroit, where the police department has partnered with gas stations across the city and the community to improve the quality of life within the neighborhood. The result is a strengthened relationship between public services and private businesses operating in the area. As access to data becomes the central component to a functioning smart city, the way data is stored has become more important than ever. When it comes to surveillance in our cities, the need for not only the technology but the hardware to analyse this data is of imperative importance. Real time data storage availability The growth of real-time data will cause a shift in the type of storage needed in the future – with fast, uncompromised access to data being non-negotiable. Data Age 2025 predicts that by 2025 the global datasphere will grow to 163 zettabytes. The security of our data and how it is stored will be the foundation to any future smart city strategy That’s ten times the 16.1ZB of data generated in 2016. This increase in data will propel the need for data to be available in real-time to heighten the focus on low-latency responsiveness from enterprise edge storage, as well as from the endpoints themselves. The rise in edge computing exemplifies how this demand is already present. The stakes are rising and with them, the critical importance of our data’s veracity and timeliness. It is important to identify city-wide data partnerships, architecture, and standards for effective and safe data sharing when developing a data strategy. Securing stored data It’s important to note that the security of our data and how it is stored will be the foundation to any future smart city strategy, ensuring that safety, regulatory, speed and access requirements are all met. Securing the data that underpins life as we know it is circular, not linear. Every company that creates, uses or touches data has to have a role in keeping it secure and should be the backbone of any smart city. What’s evident however is that digital transformation is shaping the surveillance industry and in turn how our cities operate. As a result, data is the fuel that will ensure the impact is a positive one. People, government and businesses all contribute to the cities of today, so no one can afford to ignore the shift we are seeing. The cities that utilise surveillance data when considering any changes to their infrastructure will ultimately become the cities of tomorrow, not only future-proofing, but prospering in the data-driven age.

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted 351-61 to ban federal agencies from buying Chinese-made surveillance cameras. The measure was passed May 24 as an amendment to House Bill 5515, the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is the funding plan for the military that also maps out a variety of policy priorities. The bill is at least several months away from becoming law, and it must still be considered by the Senate and then by a House-Senate conference committee before final passage. Changes can be made at each stage. It would also have to be signed by President Trump. The amendment targeting video surveillance cameras was offered by Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, a Missouri Republican. “Video surveillance and security equipment sold by Chinese companies exposes the U.S. government to significant vulnerabilities and my amendment will ensure that China cannot create a video surveillance network within federal agencies,” says Hartzler in a press release. Companies affected by the ban The proposed ban appears to lump our industry’s familiar video surveillance players together with other companies that the U.S. government has targeted for security concerns. Also mentioned in the amendment are Hytera Communications, a Chinese digital mobile radio manufacturer previously charged with patent infringement; and ZTE Corp., a Chinese telecommunications company accused of violating trade-sanction agreements and posing a threat to U.S. national security. The bill also mentions Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., a Chinese telecommunications manufacturer previously investigated as a national security threat.The proposed ban appears to lump our industry’s familiar video surveillance players together with other companies that the U.S. government has targeted for security concerns Two familiar companies in our industry – Hikvision and Dahua – are mentioned in the bill by their full names, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. In addition to their branded video lines, the two companies also are the largest providers of OEM/'white label' cameras and video systems that are sold under other brand names, such as Honeywell, Stanley and UTC. The bill specifically mentions the inclusion of white label technology in the ban. Addressing concerns In the case of Hikvision, one concern is whether the company is owned by the Chinese government. Hikvision has previously addressed this issue, emphasising its ownership by “a diverse set of private and public entities” with the largest share belonging to a Chinese state-owned enterprise (SOE). Hikvision declined to comment for this article. However, the company has published a statement (“Special Bulletin”): “We are actively working to assure our North American stakeholders that Hikvision strictly abides by the laws and regulations of each country in which it operates. We also affirm the fact that we hold our products to the industry’s global cybersecurity standards, including North America.” The Hikvision statement continues: “As we continue to monitor and further deploy the necessary resources to address this matter over the coming weeks and months, please know that we will vigorously defend Hikvision from dangerous and unproven accusations about the cybersecurity of our products and solutions.” If SIA decides to take a position based on member feedback, it will occur during the normal legislative process" Commitment to compliance Dahua answered our requests for a comment with the following official response: “Dahua Technology is a commercial enterprise with a high level of business integrity. The international company [is] committed to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries in which it does business.” The company’s response continues: “Dahua Technology dedicates 10 percent of its revenue to research and development annually. Dahua has designated cybersecurity as a top priority and takes a comprehensive and systemic approach, with complementary and redundant safeguards built into its technology, services and organisational practices. Dahua Technology is positioning itself as a cybersecurity leader within the video surveillance industry.” The Security Industry Association (SIA) has submitted the House amendment to its government relations committee for review and consideration. “Any recommended position by the government relations committee will be referred to the SIA Executive Committee for their consideration and approval,” says Don Erickson, CEO of SIA. “If SIA decides to take a position based on member feedback, it will occur during the normal legislative process as the bill is considered by the Senate, and then ultimately by a House-Senate conference committee.” Impact on global video camera supply Congresswoman Hartzler’s amendment is aimed at “ensur[ing] federal agencies do not purchase Chinese-made surveillance cameras,” according to the press release from her office. Obviously, there are more than just the two mentioned companies manufacturing surveillance cameras in China, so the question becomes whether the intent is to ban all Chinese cameras from government use. Such a proposal would create an even larger issue, given that 60 to 65 percent of the global supply of commercial video cameras are manufactured in China, according to one industry source.60 to 65 percent of the global supply of commercial video cameras are manufactured in China, according to one industry source The bill does not address the possible use of Chinese-made components in cameras that are assembled elsewhere in the world (but technically are not 'made in China'). “Those types of issues are commonly explained in implementation guidelines that would be created afterwards if the proposed language becomes law,” says Erickson. The NDAA is unlikely to become law for several months. A version previously passed by the Senate Armed Services committee must be presented to the full Senate, where it can also be amended. Then the House and Senate bills must be reconciled.

Cybersecurity is a growing concern for manufacturers of life safety and security products, and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) wants to help solve the problem. Specifically, UL seeks to work with manufacturers to up their game on cybersecurity and to certify compliance to a minimum level of cybersecurity “hygiene.” UL cybersecurity certification UL is a familiar brand in consumer goods and in the security and life safety markets. UL certification is sought by manufacturers in a range of product lines, from electrical goods and smoke alarms to access control and central monitoring stations. Approximately 22 billion UL marks appeared on products in 2016. In the physical security industry alone, products are certified to around 20 different standards covering access control, intrusion detection, locks, safes and vaults, software and other categories. Now UL is working to increase the prominence of their brand in cybersecurity with the UL Cybersecurity Assurance Program (CAP). The UL 2900-1 standard, the standard that offers General Requirements for Software Cybersecurity for Network-Connectable Products, was published in 2016 and in July 2017 was published as an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard. The standard was developed with cooperation from end users such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. National Laboratories, and other industry stakeholders. UL 2900-2-3 – the standard that focuses on electronic physical security/Life Safety & Security industry, was published in September 2017. Testing for cybersecurity weaknesses The UL 2900 standard encompasses three main areas related to cybersecurity – software weaknesses, known vulnerabilities and risk control such as encryption, access control, passwords, remote communications, and software patches and updates. UL conducts structured penetration, fuzz testing and other tests to establish a reasonable level of confidence that a product or system has addressed cybersecurity concerns. “Certification to the standard means that a product or system has been evaluated to a minimum level of cyber hygiene,” says Neil Lakomiak, Director of Business Development and Innovation, Building and Life Safety Technologies, for UL LLC. “It covers the ‘blocking and tackling’ that you would expect manufacturers to do. It doesn’t provide absolute assurance, but rather a level of confidence that a product has been vetted.” The certification is good for one year, and changes in products require recertification. UL has written more than 1,600 standards defining safety, security, quality and sustainability Lakomiak says applying the standard will: “create an environment where companies are starting to incorporate cybersecurity into their development processes; creating security by design. It will elevate the industry to consider cybersecurity earlier in the development process.” An overall goal of UL is to “give people peace of mind around the products and systems they use.” Underwriters Laboratories at ASIS 2017 Companies that achieve certification can promote it as a point of differentiation in the market, although not a guarantee that a product is cybersecure. UL’s independent evaluations carry weight in the market, as reflected by the ubiquity of the UL brand, and Lakomiak contends the industry can benefit from applying the same level of testing and certification to the area of cybersecurity. He sees UL’s cybersecurity initiative as complementary to other cybersecurity measures, such as “white hat” hacking. From a standards perspective, UL’s efforts seek to complement industry efforts such as SIA, ASIS International, PSA and ONVIF. Lakomiak was at the ASIS 2017 show in Dallas, where he met with existing manufacturer customers and potential future clients – including large and small companies in the industry – to discuss cybersecurity and the road to certification. He says many manufacturers are not yet ready for certification, in which case UL provides consultancy and advisory services to help them get there. “A lot of companies just need help understanding what their current processes and cybersecurity posture are,” says Lakomiak. “They want help to create a roadmap to get certification. A variety of manufacturers are on the path to certification.” Underwriters Laboratories security mission The cybersecurity element is an extension of UL’s mission to help companies demonstrate safety, confirm compliance, deliver quality and performance, and build excellence. Lakomiak says many people mistakenly perceive UL as a quasi-governmental organisation, perhaps because UL standards are sometimes incorporated into regulations. However, the organisation is a business and wants to operate like one by serving the needs of its manufacturer customers. “We want to have the service we provide be market-driven. We understand the pain points of manufacturers, integrators and others as they interface with technology. We want to devise programmes to help them be successful in the market. Our focus is to make our customers succeed by providing objective certification.” To the extent that cybersecurity is a growing pain point for the physical security industry, there is a large potential role to be played by UL and many others.

The largest global event of 2016 – and the year’s biggest security challenge – will no doubt be the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Around 15,000 athletes from 206 countries are expected to compete at the Olympic games, August 5-21, 2016, and about 7.5 million tickets will be issued. In our age of terrorism, organisers of any event on the scale of the Rio Olympics must consider the possibility of an attack or other security breach during the more than two weeks of the event. Ever since the 1972 Munich massacre, in which 11 Israeli Olympic team members were taken hostage and eventually killed (along with a German police officer), organisers of Olympic games have been keenly aware of the possibility of violence. The threat of terrorism raises the stakes even more. Recent events aggravate concerns about the safety of the Olympics, including the deadly Paris terrorism attacks in November of 2015 and the Brussels bombings earlier in 2016. The big stage of the Olympics would provide a temptingly high profile to any group wishing to foment terror by attacking the game venues, facilities nearby, or the 500,000 tourists expected to attend. Devoted to avoiding such a catastrophe will be a huge security effort at the Rio Olympics, including more than 85,000 forces – 47,000 Brazilian security professionals and 38,000 members of the armed services. An Anti-Terrorism Centre will promote sharing of information, training and knowledge among police, law enforcement and intelligence. Officials from more than 90 countries will work together on the effort. It will be the largest security operation in Brazilian history. In contrast, only 40,000 agents were used at the London Olympics in 2012. Several additional factors could impact security in Rio in August. They include: Devoted to avoiding a catastrophewill be a huge security effort at theRio Olympics, including more than85,000 forces – In contrast, only40,000 agents were used at theLondon Olympics in 2012 Need for awareness/ preparedness. Brazil has a history as a peaceful country, has no declared enemies, and has previously faced little threat of terrorism. It also has little intelligence expertise. Only recently did Brazil legislate to make terrorism a crime punishable by up to 24 years in prison. Might the South American country therefore be complacent to the possibility of an attack? Border security. Geographically, Brazil has more than 14,000 miles (23,000 kilometres) of borders that are difficult to control, much of them through Amazon jungles. The largest country in South America, Brazil shares borders with 10 other countries, and lack of controls in unpopulated regions is one factor in Brazil’s historic struggles to combat drug and arms trafficking. A 90-day visa waiver during the games, approved by Brazil’s congress, will help to attract more tourists, but at what cost to security? (Waivers are limited to visitors from nations seen as low-risk, including the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan.) Securing areas surrounding Olympic venues. Just steps from some of the largest Olympic venues are areas of Rio de Janeiro plagued by poverty and crime. Slums, or “favelas,” are within half a mile (less than 800 metres) of Maracana stadium, where opening ceremonies will kick off the games. Slums are also located near popular beaches and expensive hotels. Other problems of poverty – open sewage, destroyed houses and violence – are also concerns. Slums are controlled by drug traffickers and armed gangs, and police are few and inadequately armed. Many places are unsafe to walk at night. Violent crime. Protecting the Olympics includes keeping the entire city safe. Brazil has about 52,000 murders a year, and there are around three per day in Rio. Crowd violence is often a problem at Brazilian soccer matches. Budget cuts. In March, the government in Brazil decreased its security budget by 30 percent (about 550 million US dollars), with much of it targeting future investment. However, concern is that the cuts might undermine plans such as creation of an Urban Pacification Police in slum areas near the airport. Brazil’s political climate. Brazil's president is facing possible impeachment, and the nation's economy is in a recession freefall; might additional security risks result from the crisis? The Zika virus. Brazil has been hardest hit of any nation by the Zika virus, which is spread by mosquitoes and has particular risks for pregnant women and their unborn children. If the outbreak persists, might it cast a negative shadow over the Olympic games (or add another risk factor)? To prepare to meet the security challenges of the Olympics, Rio officials have undertaken several initiatives, including: Applying lessons they learned from hosting other big events. Large international events are not new to Brazil, which hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2014 Va’a World Sprint Canoeing Championships, and the 2012 Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Brazil also has experience managing the large annual Carnival celebrations in Rio and elsewhere. Technology to secure the RioOlympics includes a largesecurity command and controlcenter in downtown Rio.Dozens of screens will displayviews from thousands ofcameras installed throughoutcity and in Olympic venues Surveying best practices by visiting other locales where large events were held. Brazilian officials will use past Olympics games as models. Officials have also visited other locations that sponsored big events, such as the Tour de France and the Boston Marathon, to see what they can learn. Hundreds of Brazilian police visited the Pan-Am Games in Toronto last summer to learn newer techniques. They are also implementing best practices from other international events such as the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the Baku 2015 European games. The Rio Olympics’ head of security traveled to Washington to increase cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security and other US agencies. Creating a huge command and control centre. Technology to secure the Rio Olympics includes a large security command and control centre in downtown Rio, featuring walls covered with dozens of screens displaying views from thousands of cameras installed throughout city and in Olympic venues. Soldiers will control access to stadiums, X-ray machines and metal detectors. Screening visitors as they arrive. Officials will receive real-time data about airport passengers as they check in from their country of origin. As the days count down to the Rio Olympics, officials appear to be leaving very little to chance. However, with all attention focused on Rio during the Olympics, might the event be too tempting for a terrorist to resist? Given global threats and general security vulnerabilities, organisers of the Rio Olympics may need more than preparation to protect the games. They might need some luck, too. 

PureTech Systems recently announces a delivery milestone for the next phase of the Border Patrol’s Mobile Video Surveillance Systems (MVSS) program. The latest deliveries, consisting of ruggedised Ford F-150 trucks outfitted with telescoping surveillance payloads, are being deployed in San Diego, CA and will support mobile video surveillance up to 6 miles away. Remote surveillance scenarios The event was followed by Fox 5 News and ABC 10 News in San Diego and highlighted the value to Border Patrol agents in the field, including rapid deployment and ease of use. The MVSS platform utilises PureTech Systems’ PureActiv software as its central command and control, providing video intelligence, user interface display and sensor collaboration logic for the surveillance suite which consists of visible and thermal cameras mounted on a telescoping mast which extends over 35 feet in the air. Mobile surveillance solution In the interview with ABC 10 News, Michael Scappechio, a supervisor with the Border Patrol, said, it’s their increased rate of arrests that landed the trucks here, “nearly a 90 percent increase is significant, that’s going to get attention, that’s going to get resources, that’s going to get man power, infrastructure and technology.” Border Patrol also furthered that these trucks won’t replace the border wall but instead, will go hand in hand with it. PureTech Systems is teamed with Benchmark Electronics to deliver the complete mobile surveillance with the mission to track and identify Items of Interest (IOI) along the U.S. southwest border and other remote surveillance scenarios where rapid mobile deployment is needed. The most recent delivery of the mobile video surveillance solution is not the first, with several systems already being deployed along the border in Texas.

Knightscope, Inc., a developer of advanced physical security technologies focussed on enhancing U.S. security operations, announced that it is has taken a major step in its commitment to help better secure schools across the country by selecting Clovis Unified School District in California as its beta testing location for a suite of new technologies under development. The Company had prior announced this effort earlier this year when it solicited students to get involved and submit essays on how Knightscope’s fully autonomous security robots could help in a school setting. Security robots to monitor school safety “With over 100,000 schools in the country, we need to develop a new set of tools and technologies as a critical part of our long-term mission to better secure the United States of America,” said William Santana Li, chairman and chief executive officer, Knightscope, Inc. Knightscope’s robots will provide the authoritative presence needed on a school campus and provide actual intelligence by filling in the blind spots"“Being able to utilise a real-world environment to test, sample, and iterate on new capabilities while inspiring students to pursue STEM careers is certainly a winning combination,” continued Li. “As a teacher of thirty years, my philosophy has always been to be proactive instead of reactive, and the idea of security robots monitoring a school is definitely a proactive approach to school safety. Knightscope’s robots will provide the authoritative presence needed on a school campus and provide actual intelligence by filling in the blind spots with their ‘eyes and ears,’” said Clifford A. Nitschke, Jr., AP United States Government and Politics Instructor, Clovis North High School. Trialling a new technology in school safety Mr. Nitschke’s class submitted the winning proposal to Knightscope. “We are honoured to be chosen by Knightscope and to be given the opportunity to pilot a new and exciting technology in the field of school safety.” The Clovis United Unified School District Governing Board is scheduled to meet on January 16, 2019 to formally accept the beta testing program by Knightscope. The meeting is planned to occur at 6:30pm at the Clovis Unified Professional Development Building, 1680 David E Cook Way, Clovis, CA 93611. Assuming an approval by the Board, the parties will determine implementation timing thereafter.

Globally-renowned Pay on Foot parking systems manufacturer, DESIGNA, has worked with the White Rose shopping centre in Rhyl, North Wales, to update its car parking system to the company’s advanced ABACUS software and equipment. Contactless card payment The installation included new state-of-the-art entrance and exit terminals accepting tap in/tap out contactless card payment technology After many successful installations abroad, the shopping centre is the first DESIGNA site in the UK to have installed its new tap in/tap out contactless credit card technology. The installation included new state-of-the-art entrance and exit terminals accepting tap in/tap out contactless card payment technology. There are also three full pay stations, a DBS server, manual pay station and intercom. All of this helps improve the efficiency and security of the car park, which is popular with shoppers due to its seafront location. As the first part of the shopping experience, the convenience and availability of a car park is crucial to the overall service and satisfaction of a customer. DESIGNA recognised this and developed ABACUS, an advanced car park access system that intelligently integrates various elements to create the ultimate system that is highly reliable and requires less maintenance. It can also cope with large volumes of traffic while providing the highest level of monitoring to ensure a secure parking environment. ABACUS car park access system The parking system is barrier controlled and makes use of DESIGNA barcode ticket technology. In addition to the standard ticket technology, the car park offers the facility to tap in/tap out using a contactless credit card. This operates with a unique identifier from the credit/debit card as a substitute for a ticket for the duration of the stay at the car park. When the customer presents a contactless card on entry, it recognises them and by tapping again at the exit it automatically calculates the tariff and allows payment to take place at the exit. The system has three pay on foot machines which accept coins, notes and credit cards. With more than 30 stores, White Rose shopping centre, Rhyl’s number one shopping destination, has a wide range of quality stores. Located in the centre of the town, White Rose is a short walk from Rhyl’s seafront, railway station and sea aquarium, and has direct access car parking for 300 vehicles. The centre previously had a chip coin solution installed on site. Advanced ticket machines The biggest advantage of having the DESIGNA system in place is the easy payment method" Sue Nash, Centre Manager at the White Rose commented, “The biggest advantage of having the DESIGNA system in place is the easy payment method. The advanced ticket machines make it possible to pay using several means, therefore reducing the problem of queuing at the pay machines and having to pay with change. Another payment option we now have is the facility to pay through mobile devices and via contactless cards.” She continued, “The majority of people move around with credit cards rather than cash and having a versatile payment option in the car park makes for a painless process. The maintenance of the system at our local level was extremely important to avoid costly and timely engineer callouts. Simple things like ticket and coin jams, system resets are now extremely easy to resolve as is the exchange of entry tickets when required. I would certainly recommend the DESIGNA system to others and we are extremely pleased with the results.” Car parking ease and convenience Specifier Andrew Bailey, of Parking Ideas, commented, “Parking Ideas is a complete car parking and transportation consultancy that helps institutions, property owners, landlords and managing agents develop and optimise their assets. I have worked with the White Rose shopping centre for a number of years and following a competitive tender found that DESIGNA’s systems best suited the client’s requirements.” He continued, “The ABACUS system is good value, commercially viable and ticked all the right boxes for the White Rose. It is very important to have the facility to pay by card, so the payment terminals having this feature are vital to the centre and have made all the difference to the running of the car park. Parking Ideas has been in the parking industry for more than 15 years, so we have worked with DESIGNA before and are very happy with the end result.”  DESIGNA ticket terminals The car park’s entrance and exit are installed with DESIGNA In+ and Out+ ticket terminals so that using the site is fast and easy The car park’s entrance and exit are installed with DESIGNA In+ and Out+ ticket terminals so that using the site is fast and easy. The advanced terminals operate on the lowest energy consumption of their class with the ability to hold more tickets than before, with the bin adapting itself to the fill quantity. Customers are greeted with excellent user-friendliness due to the simplicity of the equipment and illuminated display with clear instructions. The four-way barcode readers also ensure visitors can insert their ticket any way round into any of the pay stations around the site. DESIGNA Pay on Foot machines For payment, three of DESIGNA’s new Pay on Foot machines are in place in the car park. This allows customers to pay for their visit before returning to their car and exit the car park more quickly. The pay station is deliberately designed to allow disabled customers to pay freely without assistance. Each of the pay stations is installed with an interactive monitor that makes it easy to pay and offers several different languages. Shopping centre management has full control of the ABACUS system through the DBS server, with a manual pay station (MPS) to allow them to create or override payments. The control room also links with the ticket and payment terminals via a DESIGNA VoIP Intercom to assist customers if required. Global implementation DESIGNA has more than 15,000 systems installed globally across a wide range of car park situations DESIGNA’s parking systems are used in a number of impressive shopping centres around the world. These include the Dundrum shopping centre in Dublin, the Mid Valley Megamall in Malaysia and the Mall of Emirates in Dubai. In the UK the Belfry shopping centre in Redhill, the Woolshops shopping centre in Halifax and the Wellgate centre in Dundee have also benefited from the ABACUS system. Recognised worldwide for its high quality and intelligent systems, DESIGNA has more than 15,000 systems installed globally across a wide range of car park situations, including shopping centres, airports and hospitals. ABACUS is one of the company’s innovations and demonstrates the endless possibilities available to car park operators. The future-proof technology allows for expansions of premises or new property acquisitions by allowing additional systems to be added to the network. In its many global applications, ABACUS has proved to be an effortless system for both operators and users and is a great investment for companies looking to the future.

Immersive Display Solutions, Inc. (IDSI) announced that it has selected the Barco F70 for its advanced dome display project. Using thirteen F70-4K6 projectors per dome and featuring the powerful Barco Pulse electronics processing platform and unique Single Step Processing (SSP) pixel-shifting technology, the integrated solution from IDSI will support high-performance fast jet pilot training. This selection continues the successful relationship which has been built between IDSI and Barco over many years and has produced some of the highest quality display systems in the industry. Barco F70-4K6 display projector The F70-4K6 is a high performance, robust laser-phosphor projector with sealed optics and minimal number of moving components inside. This construction enables rugged performance that ensures stability and predictability over the 60,000-hour lifetime of the product. 4K resolution is achieved using the high bandwidth Barco Pulse electronics platform and the proprietary SSP technology. All this leads to the delivery of exceptionally sharp and detailed dynamic imagery allowing trainees to detect moving objects at long distances and totally immersing them into the perfect simulation experience. The team at IDSI is well-respected throughout the industry for their precision, quality, and low-risk approach to program requirements “Our relationship with Barco is built on performance, support, and trust,” says George Forbes, President and founder of IDSI. “When we decide on which projector to use for a project, we consider much more than the technical performance- which has to be there. We know we can rely on Barco, and that the entire Barco Simulation team from top-down is behind us, and that is a big factor in who we choose to partner with.” IDSI-Barco partnership “The team at IDSI is well-respected throughout the industry for their precision, quality, and low-risk approach to program requirements,” says Dave Fluegeman, VP, Simulation at Barco. “Our teams have always integrated very well, and when there is a seamless approach and singular focus to a project, the likelihood of success is always very high.” Recently IDSI won the ‘Small Business of the Year’ award after careful selection by the MS&T judging panel and votes by the simulation and training industry. The honor was awarded for their way of leveraging human capital, innovation and agility to grow and meet client needs, all while cultivating and growing technical and social influence in the community. The Barco F70-4K6 in turn received an honorable mention as an Outstanding Innovative Product that has positively impacted the client’s ‘way of doing business.’

Maxxess, the innovative security management and communications solutions, partnered with the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) to deploy a powerful new security and operations solution that leverages the power of smart mobile devices to maintain comprehensive communications and emergency management operations. Maxxess Ambit, which provides private, two-way, managed messaging and intel on a more personal and intuitive level, received its first wide-scale test during the SAUSD’s annual earthquake preparedness drill called the Great Southern California ShakeOut. SAUSD used Maxxess Ambit as their primary communications solution during the Great Southern California ShakeOut drill “The 2018 Great Shakeout drill was more realistic than in years past,” said Camille Boden, Executive Director or Risk Management for the Santa Ana Unified School District. She further added, “With Maxxess Ambit, our Emergency Operation Center (EOC) was able to receive simulated eyewitness accounts and requests for assistance from multiple staff members at schools across the District. The information with GPS locations provided by Maxxess Ambit came into the EOC rapidly, providing first responders with the specific details they would need if we really had experienced a disaster. The drill tempo was accelerated and provided real-world insight as to what the District could possibly experience in the event of a massive earthquake.” Maxxess Ambit’s “see it, say it”  SAUSD used Maxxess Ambit as their primary communications solution during the Great Southern California ShakeOut drill. Maxxess Ambit’s “see it, say it” application kept SAUSD’s EOC fully informed of missing people, dangerous situations, property damage and more during the emergency simulation. This allowed the EOC’s staff to instantly generate various reports and assign the appropriate personnel to respond. One report that came in during the drill was from a school needing to be evacuated, which was immediately assigned to SAUSD’s logistics personnel. Logistics then called the school transportation service and directed them to the correct pick-up spots. The EOC at SAUSD not only took action on reports that came in but was able to anticipate issues resulting from the information collected with Maxxess Ambit. All EOC’s actions were captured for reporting and future audits within Maxxess Ambit. Mass notification During an earthquake scenario, Maxxess Ambit can broadcast a mass notification that will be sent to all users of an organisation During an earthquake scenario, Maxxess Ambit can broadcast a mass notification that will be sent to all users of the organisation, by site, by department or even by selected user groups. This allows emergency personnel to quickly monitor staff status, communicate with staff members using an organised interface, and help first responders act efficiently. As end users respond to the mass alert broadcast, a geo-tag is placed on a map to correspond with each mobile user’s location. Unlike systems that handle only one aspect of communications like a mass texting tool, Maxxess Ambit also addresses longstanding security challenges by transforming the way organisations operate on a daily basis. In a school environment, for example, a staff member can activate a duress report via Maxxess Ambit in the event a meeting is becoming emotional or tense. Real-time chat session The report would appear on the mobile devices of the school’s security team, enabling a real-time chat session while continuously tracking the staff member’s location. This unique combination of features empowers total awareness by making administrators, teachers, staff and students an integral part of the security solution. Maxxess Ambit is a cloud-based solution that does not require a capital investment in any hardware or servers and is deployed like a mobile app with all information logged into the system for compliance and audit purposes.

Brazilian infrastructure company Companhia Energética de Pernambuco (CELPE) is the main supplier of electricity in the country’s Northeastern state of Pernambuco. Headquartered in the state capital Recife, one of the most important economic and urban hubs in the country, CELPE serves a population of more than 8.8 million inhabitants in the 184 municipalities of Pernambuco. As part of the Brazilian government’s commitment to clean energy, the CELPE grid also contains several hydropower plants at rivers across the state. Providing electricity to private customers and industrial clients in the expansive region requires a 136,762 kilometres distribution network and 4,386 kilometres of transmission lines. As critical parts of the power infrastructure, CELPE operates 240 substations across Pernambuco. But as most of these stations are located in remote areas, the last few years saw an alarming increase of vandalism and theft of expensive power cables. For video security, Bosch installed its AUTODOME IP starlight 7000 HD cameras, integrated via the Bosch Video Management SystemBosch’s Building Integration System Looking to safeguard its vital infrastructure, CELPE needed an integrated security solution that achieved three goals: firstly, keep out criminals and alert police upon security breaches. Secondly, provide seamless access control for the 300 maintenance teams in the field. And thirdly, connect fire alarm, communications, and voice evacuation on an integrated system that allows for remote management from CELPE headquarters. As a one-stop solutions provider, Bosch won the contract for equipping sixteen substations with video security systems, access control, communications, fire alarm and voice evacuation as well as intrusion alarm connected on the Building Integration System (BIS). For video security, Bosch installed its AUTODOME IP starlight 7000 HD cameras, integrated via the Bosch Video Management System (BVMS). The fire alarm revolves around smoke and heat detectors, while for voice alarm and evacuation, Plena Mixer Amplifiers are connected to driver loudspeakers. Cameras with built-in video analytics For added security, selected cameras feature built-in video analytics to automatically set off intruder alarms and alert authorities All systems and cameras are monitored by security personnel at the company’s control centre in Recife. For added security, selected cameras feature built-in video analytics to automatically set off intruder alarms and alert authorities. The system also fulfils the key customer requirement for remote management via the management system BIS (Building Integration System), including administration of user credentials and access rights for the 300 maintenance teams serving various substation sites. Successfully installed at sixteen stations in Pernambuco, the Bosch solution has proven to be an asset for CELPE and its personnel. Aside from safeguarding valuable infrastructure against criminals, the system has also streamlined communications among the service teams in the region by including elements such as conferencing and automatic alerts for fires and intrusions through a messenger system. The remote management of user access rights at the substations has enhanced the overall service level and prevented security breaches. Satisfied with the end-to-end solution, CELPE has now commissioned Bosch to equip approximately 240 electrical substations over the next years.