City Surveillance

Qognify, the trusted advisor and technology solution provider for physical security and enterprise incident management, has announced that it will share its expertise of how metropolitan areas can make the shift from being safe and smart to fully cognitive cities, at the 5th National Summit on 100 Smart Cities India 2019. Qognify is the Presenting Partner of the Summit which takes place August 22, 2019 at The LaLiT in New Dehli. Safe & Smart City Solution Qognify, with its Safe & Smart City Solution, is one of the leaders in safe and smart cities in India. It is currently involved in more than 20 safe and smart city projects throughout the country that include high profile award-winning projects such as: Navi Mumbai - Qognify is used to monitor all critical points within the city including public transportation, schools, heavily traveled traffic junctions, city entrances and exits, open-air markets and utility infrastructure. Nanded City has an integrated command, control and communication center (C-Cube) that is powered by Qognify’s Safe City solution that includes Qognify’s Situator, video management and analytics solutions. Kohlapur is using Qognify’s video management and analytics to assist law enforcement and city management in coping with the influx of increased tourism. Regional VP, India at Qognify, Dilip Verma, will present at the Summit and he comments: “Many cities have taken steps to become safe cities, whilst a smaller but growing number are breaking ground as truly smart cities. At the Summit, we will use our experience, working on some of the most innovative projects in India and around the world, to look to the horizon, where we envisage urban environments becoming truly cognitive.” Safe, smart and cognitive cities Cognitive cities are much better positioned to thrive in the face of significant challenges" Verma makes the distinction between safe, smart and cognitive cities: “A safe city aims to ensure the safety and security of its residents, whilst smart initiatives go further, improving the operations of city. Cognitive cities take things to the next level by keeping citizens engaged and contributing to the gathering of the relevant data. The insights from which can be used not only to improve security, safety and city operations, but also the lives of residents.” He adds: “Cognitive cities are much better positioned to thrive in the face of significant challenges such as clean water scarcity, climate change, and providing functional and efficient mass transportation at mega-city scales. It is an ambitious goal that not only holds the promise of being more resilient, but at the same time promotes civic participation, sense of community and the health and wellbeing of citizens.” 5th National Summit on 100 Smart Cities India 2019 The 5th National Summit on 100 Smart Cities India 2019 will bring together global thought leaders to focus on aspects of a smart city including urban development, surveillance, power, energy, transport, technology, smart building, smart grid, smart health, network and communication technology.

Axis Communications, a provider of network video technology, has announced the release of its latest whitepaper, Smart Buildings & Smart Cities Security. Authored in association with Virtually Informed and Unified Security, the whitepaper is the third in a series looking at specific aspects of security and provides an in depth review of the topic, addresses key questions and, importantly, provides recommendations that must be considered if the smart promise is to become a reality. Against the global backdrop of population growth, the strain on limited resources and climate change, there is a growing demand for businesses and governments around the world to deliver significant improvements in the way our cities and the buildings within them are managed. The promise of future cities and buildings built around a smart vision to reduce waste, drive efficiencies and optimise resources is a prodigious one with many inherent challenges, not least, security. Access to important and sensitive data Smart technology enables the collection and analysis of data to create actionable and automated eventsSmart technology enables the collection and analysis of data to create actionable and automated events that will streamline operations. To deliver this at far greater scale means bringing together a large number of very different systems and empowering them to communicate freely with access to important and often sensitive data. Device interoperability will be a crucial component of its success but to have full confidence in the way that these diverse ecosystems operate together, and to ultimately cede important decision-making to them, stakeholders must be fully confident in the security of the systems. The proliferation of IoT devices has witnessed in parallel an exponential increase in the number of threat exposures and attack vectors, which put in jeopardy the systems that our smart cities and buildings will rely on. With an ever-increasing number of cyber breaches and a common acknowledgment that ‘you are only as strong as your weakest link’, it is important that cybersecurity is considered and evaluated throughout the whole supply chain to protect data, maintain privacy and keep risk associated with cyber threats to a minimum. This process should always start by looking at device security and the vendors’ cyber maturity. Identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating damage Managing cybersecurity in environments of this scale involves drawing up thorough risk assessments that go right back through the supply chain. Identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating the potential for damage that they could cause. Axis’ Smart Buildings & Smart Cities Security whitepaper topics include: Smart cities and why we need them - Smart cities are increasingly playing a significant role in meeting today’s resource and population challenges Smart and intelligent technology - Smart devices, systems, buildings and cities defined – questions and issues around existing definitions are addressed Roles and responsibilities - Review stakeholder roles and security risk management to better understand the security issues associated with smart building systems Security challenges - Threat vectors are vast and varied with increasing levels of sophistication; understand the vulnerabilities, technologies and standards to be applied Recommendations - Getting started; security standards and frameworks; product strategy, system and solution security; supply and purchasing; and converged operations. Damages due to cybersecurity breach The associated disruption as a result of a cybersecurity breach of a smart system could be catastrophic. At a minimum, it would cause system downtime and impact its ability to operate. The loss of personal data or IP may also damage reputation, impact a company’s share price or even cause actual physical harm. Ensuring that converged security becomes a vital component of this rapidly changing paradigm is of critical importance; safety and security must be at the heart of the shared ambitions for a smarter environment. At Axis, we are passionate about using technology to help create a smarter and safer world" Steven Kenny, Industry Liaison, Architecture and Engineering at Axis Communications commented: “At Axis, we are passionate about using technology to help create a smarter and safer world. We also believe that technology should be used in an ethical and responsible way. You might say that this whitepaper reflects the very values of our business in that, used responsibly and with security front and centre, smart technology will help us address the big challenges of our time. Increased safety and security for all “Increasing efficiencies is vital in meeting carbon reduction targets and avoiding climate catastrophe. The smart vision provides a strong basis for economic growth and improved quality of life. We greatly admire the work that Virtually Informed and Unified Security are doing to help ensure that the worlds of physical and cyber security are aligned and working together to achieve a common goal of increased safety and security for all.” The whitepaper’s two authors have impressive credentials. James Willison is the founder of Unified Security Ltd and one of IFSEC Global’s top 20 Security thought leaders in the world. Sarb Sembhi is the CTO and CISO at Virtually Informed and has contributed on security projects for the likes of the London Chamber of Commerce and the Internet of Things Security Foundation. Mr. Sembhi also sits on the editorial board of SC magazine.

According to Ms Regina Tsai, the Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd, the key for exhibitors is to tap into the diverse pool of trade visitors that will be filtering through the halls of the fair next month: “As Vietnam’s largest business platform for safety, security, fire and smart building products, the fair is able to attract the right mix of decision makers and purchasing managers from across the region’s growing vertical markets. From the standpoint of exhibitors, the fair is an ideal place to showcase new solutions.” She added: “We are delighted to be setting a new record for exhibitor participation and we are looking forward to hosting a productive three days of business at next month’s show.” Another strong turnout Last year, the fair achieved its highest ever visitor turnout as over 13,800 buyers journeyed to the show Last year, the fair achieved its highest ever visitor turnout as over 13,800 buyers (2017: 12,097) journeyed to the show. Thanks to this year’s uptick in exhibitor numbers, fair organisers are anticipating another strong turnout from channel players, including distributors, systems integrators and end users from factories, industrial zones, hotels and construction projects. Exhibitors will hail from 21 countries and regions, including industry pioneers in their respective fields such as Avigilon, Bosch, Hanwha Techwin, Hitron, KPS, LILIN, PHUC BINH, Nha An Toan (a distributor of Hikvision and ABB products), and ZKTeco. Strong distribution channels Algatec, a renowned brand name in the global security lock sector, after exhibiting consecutively at Secutech Vietnam for seven years, commented that, “Secutech Vietnam has always been an effective platform for us to network and interact with our local channel partners as well as industry players from surrounding countries. Through the show, we can showcase our products and develop our presence in this region. This will eventually enable us to build strong distribution channels,” said Ms Shirley Ng from the company’s sales and marketing division. Secutech Vietnam this year, held concurrently with SMAbuilding, will bring together best-in-industry systems and solutions, including product categories from surveillance cameras and video analytics software to access control and management platforms. For added value, and to meet demands from the smart factory and smart building sectors, the solutions not only focus on security, but also management efficiency and energy savings. Smart factory sectors Fire and Safety Vietnam will return at the fair for its 12th edition While the smart building and smart factory sectors are recurring themes at the show, the fair will also provide coverage to the smart city, smart transportation and smart hotel sectors. The Singapore Pavilion will accommodate leading-edge suppliers in the shape of Kedacom, Force21, Multron, Servo Dynamic, Worldtags, Ubergard and Teleradio, who will showcase a variety of network cameras, management platforms, RFID products, biometric solutions and more. With support from the Fire Department, Ministry of Public Security, Fire and Safety Vietnam will return at the fair for its 12th edition. A supplier of specialist rescue and fire fighting equipment, Pacific and Fire AEC, will be exhibiting at the event following a successful first participation in 2018. “At last year’s show, we gathered more than 100 relevant contacts from sectors such as public and industrial safety as well as fire rescue,” said Mr Dirk Bloxham, the Managing Director of the company. Firefighting equipment “This helped us to develop additional sales channels for our fire hoses, fire nozzles and firefighting equipment. We take a long-term approach to building relationships with dealers and end users from Southeast Asia. The relationship building process will begin again at the upcoming edition of Secutech Vietnam.” The company will be exhibiting alongside D&C Vina, Funayama, Himax, Masflow, Naffco, Nittan, Secom, Sffeco, Yun Yang, VT Plus, Quoc Nam and many more. Besides rescue and firefighting equipment, trade visitors will also be able to locate extinguishing systems, alarms, valves, personal protection equipment (masks, specialist clothing, and gloves), CPR solutions, and fire dust detection systems at the event. Making a welcome debut will be the NFES Japan Fire Pavilion, while the Korea Fire Institute will also be represented at a dedicated pavilion. There will also be a fire truck display from VT Plus, and a rescue boat showcased by local company Tan Vien Dong.

Senstar, a provider of video management systems (VMS) and perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDS), is pleased to announce its products were recently selected to protect five airports in various locations around the world. These sites join the list of hundreds of civilian and military airports currently using Senstar products. “Airport infrastructure and assets represent a vital economic engine for many cities and countries making them prime targets for vandals, thieves and terrorists,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Weese. “Senstar products help to keep operations, goods and people safe and moving.” Improve security monitoring Senstar’s VMS, video analytics, and associated hardware reduce operator workload and improve overall security monitoring by automatically detecting persons of interest, items left in public spaces, crowd formations, and wrong way movement between landside-airside egress points. These technologies also streamline operations and centralise IT management in the cloud, saving time and money. While Senstar VMS and PIDS are open platforms designed for integration with a wide variety of systems" Senstar’s PIDS provide early warning of unauthorised entry onto airport grounds, including into sensitive areas within the apron such as aircraft parking, fuel storage, electrical substations, and navigation/communication equipment areas. “While Senstar VMS and PIDS are open platforms designed for integration with a wide variety of systems, they work even better together,” said Mr. Weese. Perimeter intrusion attempt Built-in integration enables security personnel to monitor a wide range of sensors and cameras from a single workstation, with the end result being simplified operator interfaces and reduced response times. For a real world demonstration on the benefits of integrated VMS and PIDS solutions, watch Senstar’s surveillance video of a recent perimeter intrusion attempt. The new airport projects use the following Senstar products: Symphony VMS (manages 250 cameras), Enterprise Manager software (centralised cloud management), Thin Client network video display appliances, Face Recognition, Automatic License Plate Recognition, Left and Removed Item Detection, Outdoor People and Vehicle Tracker analytics, FiberPatrol® fiber optic fence-mounted intrusion detection system, and OmniTrax® buried cable intrusion detection system.

German manufacturer Dallmeier announces a development partnership with AnyVision, a pioneer in AI-based facial, body, and object recognition. The aim of the cooperation is to integrate AnyVision’s facial recognition technology into the Dallmeier ‘HEMISPHERE’. The HEMISPHERE software platform offers customers from various industries a wide variety of modular solutions for security applications and business process optimisation. From the optimisation of marketing activities to forensic evaluations – the use of facial recognition technologies is becoming increasingly important for customers of video technology solutions. The integration of AnyVision’s technology will enable Dallmeier customers to utilise facial recognition data within various modules of the Dallmeier HEMISPHERE software platform. Facial recognition solution This allows customers of the Dallmeier HEMISPHERE software platform to access and leverage the data In this way, security and business processes can be optimised, e.g. through blacklist/whitelist procedures, marketing optimisation through VIP-customer recognition, forensic evaluations in law enforcement procedures or the automation of access controls in office or manufacturing environments. This allows customers of the Dallmeier HEMISPHERE software platform to access and leverage the data within various solution suites. Specifically, AnyVision’s facial recognition solution will be integrated into the Dallmeier HEMISPHERE SeMSy® Video and Security Management Suite, as well as in other solution suites of the HEMISPHERE platform, such as the Situational Awareness / Incident Management or Data and Security Information Management. Video security technology “In today’s increasingly complex world, customers need solutions that can integrate powerful components from leading manufacturers within a single platform strategy. Partnerships like this with AnyVision ensure that our customers always have the optimal combination of leading technologies at their disposal,” said Dieter Dallmeier, Founder & CEO, Dallmeier. “Dallmeier’s solutions in sectors such as safe city, stadiums, airports, logistics, casinos but also in the processing industry cover more and more topics that go far beyond classic video security technology. This makes it all the more important to work together with the right partners for complementary technologies which, when combined, offer decisive added value.” The German manufacturer Dallmeier electronic has been manufacturing solutions for security applications and process optimisation for 35 years. The portfolio includes cameras, recording systems and software. Security and surveillance AnyVision currently develops technology for security and surveillance Dallmeier’s solutions are used worldwide by customers in areas such as safe city, stadiums, airports, logistics, casinos but also in the processing industry. The partnership is also part of AnyVision’s mission to make its innovative AI-powered technology available to more businesses and environments across the globe. Unlike other software solutions in the market, AnyVision’s software is plug-and-play for new and existing systems, and able to overcome challenges such as occlusions, different angles of view, and poor lighting conditions. AnyVision currently develops technology for security and surveillance, mobile authentication, access control, and real-world analytics. Boris Gokhman, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at AnyVision, commented: "Facial, body, and object recognition have real-world benefits right now. Collaborating with best-of-breed technology partners to help more organisations ‒ working across diverse sectors ‒ harness new capabilities and achieve those benefits is hugely important to us. We are delighted to be working with Dallmeier on this and look forward to expanding this partnership in the future.”

At IFSEC International 2019, Hikvision, the global supplier of innovative video surveillance products and solutions, will help launch the pioneering Secure by Default initiative, and unveil a host of its new product and technology developments. Secure by Default is a set of minimum requirements which for the first time will provide a guarantee for users that network video security products are as secure as possible in their default settings out of the box. Secure by Default will be launched by UK Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter as part of the first National Surveillance Camera day, the launch of which takes place on Thursday June 20 from 10am to 10:45am at the IFSEC Key Note arena. Porter’s address is followed immediately by a Hikvision interview panel further discussing Secure by Default and featuring Tony Porter, Detective Constable Patrick McBrearty, who is the Cyber Protect Officer within the Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands, Norbain’s Jeremy Hockham, and Hikvision’s Gary Harmer. Products and technology developments During IFSEC International 2019, Hikvision will be showcasing a host of its latest products and technology developments, including its: HikCentral Solution Deep Learning Series Panoramic Series Turbo HD Series Pro Series & Ultra Series PTZ Series Access Control & Intercom Series Smart Retail Solution Smart City Solution Smart Utilities Solution DarkFighterX Technology Technology Partner Program Portal Hikvision will also introduce its new Technology Partner Program Portal at the show. The TPP Portal is designed to bring together technology partners and systems integrators, in order to accelerate projects, enhance collaboration and drive the development of more innovative customer solutions. It will provide partner listings, easy engagement with Hikvision’s integration department, comprehensive technical documentation, management of Hikvision Embedded Open Program (HEOP) including license management, and regular updates and increased functionality. Pyronix will be launching a new addition to their all-round perimeter protection solution Intruder alarm specialist Pyronix, part of the Hikvision group of companies, will be present on the Hikvision stand during IFSEC International. Pyronix will be launching a new addition to their all-round perimeter protection solution, adding even greater functionality for additional peace of mind and greater upsell and retention advantages for installers. Hikvision partners on the stand Other Hikvision Technology Partners will also be present on the Hikvision stand, including: Manything Pro will be showcasing their offsite cloud video storage platform and showing how easy it is to add cloud to Hikvision camera installations. Manything Pro cloud storage plans start from £3.19/month, allowing installers and integrators to add margin and introduce a new recurring revenue stream to their businesses. IPS Intelligent Video Analytics will show five camera-based analytics modules for the HEOP. They enable indoor and outdoor real-time detection of motion, intrusion, sabotage and loitering. Seagate will be showcasing Seagate SkyHawk Health Management, with embedded drive monitoring software designed for prevention, intervention, and recovery. Now integrated with Hikvision NVR Plus receive notification alerts from the SkyHawk HDD directly to the Hik-Connect app. Visit Hikvision during IFSEC International 2019 at Stand IF1530. Stop by the stand for 15 minutes daily talks on hot industry topics: 12.00: Dive Into Deep Learning 13.00: HikCentral MasterClass 14:00: Pyronix Powering Business Growth

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

In my coverage of China Tariffs impacting the security industry over four recent articles, products on the tariff schedules routinely integrated into security solutions included burglar and fire alarm control and transmission panels, video surveillance lenses, HDTV cameras used for broadcast use cases and fiber optic media converters. The general ‘callout’ of ADP (Automatic Data Processing) devices and peripherals technically includes servers, workstations and microcomputers, all of which are commonly used to support security solutions. The underperformance, from June 15 to August 24, of U.S. stocks with high revenue-exposure to China, and that of Chinese stocks with high revenue-exposure to the United States was significant and almost identical at 3.2%, significant losses to some investors already involved in security industry M&A activity. Significant public safety Facial Recognition (FR) vendors leveraging AI expanded their market focus to retail and public safety While it was not apparent that practitioners’ security program budgets kept pace with the growth of the more popular solution providers like video surveillance and cyber security, the ICT industries supporting the security economy continued to expand, especially in wireless and wired infrastructure, including preparations for 5G wireless rollouts. These omnipresent technologies drove significant public safety, smart city and public venue projects in 2018. Facial Recognition (FR) vendors leveraging AI expanded their market focus to retail and public safety. In 2018, virtually every public presentation, webinar and published Q&A on social media monitoring and facial recognition technologies I worked on, involved significant pushback from privacy advocates, almost to the point of alarmism. Massive risk reduction Several solution providers in these areas have made significant strides on data protection, accuracy, powered by AI and documented crime reduction cases; however, this real news is quickly shadowed by privacy advocates, seemingly ignoring massive risk reduction, especially in the case of active assailants and gang-related crime. Will FR become mainstream? The cautious security industry may take a cue from the maverick retail industry, sports venue and VIP verification solution providers that grew in 2018. 2019 trends: presupposition or repudiation; winners and losers. Chinese tariffs have had a huge impact on the security industry, which can be seen from changes to U.S and Chinese stocks  Although technology adoption forecasting is inexact, there are definitive opportunities in the security industry born on necessity. With the widespread problem of false alarm transmission and inability for first responders to ‘be everywhere,’ developers of solutions that provide automated verification and alternative security incident detection are expected to become mainstream. Promising detection systems The use of AI, NLP, LiDAR, UAS (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles aka drones) with surveillance and thermal imaging will grow, mostly due to higher acceptance in other industries like autonomous vehicles, rail safety, terrain and post devastation mapping/rescue. However, legacy ‘listing’ or certification organisations will be forced to make an important decision for their own survival: work toward integrating these promising detection systems into acceptance by insurance, licensing and standards development organisations. 2019’s ‘true’ Industrial Philanthropists will be needed to fund early warning tech for firefighters and the presence of active assailants 2019’s ‘true’ industrial philanthropists will be needed to fund early warning tech for firefighters and the presence of active assailants. For these use cases, 5G infrastructure rollouts, FR acceptance, lower cost perimeter detection and long range object and fire recognition by LiDAR and Thermal imaging will all be watched closely by investors. Should public agencies and philanthropical solution providers in the security industry cross paths, we may just yet see a successful, lifesaving impact. Cyber risk profile The ‘Digital twin’ refers to a digital replica of physical assets (physical twin), processes, people, places, systems and devices that can be used for various purposes. Your ‘Security Digital Twin’ has a similar physical and cyber risk profile, either through common threats, similar assets or both. Good news: managing your risk, protecting assets and securing your facilities in 2019 will get easier as security digital twin profiles will grow in maturity, while keeping their data sources private. This will be accelerated by the maturity of AI-based, auto-generated visualisations and image recognition, that happens to also drive the FR solutions. The 5G wireless infrastructure market is emerging as far more of a quantum leap in connectivity, like ‘wireless fiber optics’ performance, than an upgrade to 4G LTE. The 5G infrastructure market will be worth $2.86 billion by 2020 and $33.72 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.9%. Intelligent applications The explosion of ingested voice, video, and meta-data, the interconnectivity of devices, people and places, and the integration of intelligent applications into expanding ecosystems all require faster communications. To be more accurate, 5G rollouts will accelerate in 2019; however, current project funding will include and be impacted by future enterprise security connectivity: 5G and FWA (Fixed Wireless Access). 5G rollouts will accelerate in 2019; however, current project funding will include and be impacted by future enterprise security connectivity Quite simply put, larger solution providers are gently coaxing practitioners into seemingly ‘open systems;’ the negative discovery during an M&A process, audit or integration with a smart city’s public/private partnerships will continue to be revealed, and related industries will force reform. Autonomous things will be enabled by AI and image recognition. With few affordable rollouts of security robots and outdoor unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) that leveraged platforms popular with research and even NASA, the autonomous security robot was mostly MIA from a security practitioner’s program in 2018. Perimeter intrusion detection One platform was even accused of intimidating homeless people in a public place, at a major city. Industries mutually beneficial are often unaware of each other; this will change gradually: one major domestic airport is currently evaluating a UGV platform performing perimeter intrusion detection, runway weather conditions and potential aircraft taxiing dangers. The platform is being used largely in transportation research, yet offers significant opportunities to the security industry. Research firm Gartner estimates that 70% of today’s technology products and services can be enhanced with ‘multi-experience’-based VR/AR/MR The ‘immersive experience’ of virtually any security or threat detection is a twist on virtual/augmented/mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) with additional sensory features. Although VR/AR/MR is well underway in other industries, there are several companies with solutions like VR-based active assailant training that could provide a fighting chance for practitioners, employees, visitors, faculty and children. Research firm Gartner estimates that 70% of today’s technology products and services can be enhanced with ‘multi-experience’-based VR/AR/MR. Security ecosystem members Not necessarily MIA, but of special mention is the need of security and safety practitioners to prioritise communications systems over ‘nice to have’ expansive video surveillance systems for mass casualty threats. This will eventually improve with 5G for Enterprise solution rollouts. At the past GSX and upcoming CES Technology trade shows, a new roundup of technologies is discovered: a wider diversity of protection promise to save ASIS members on their technical security program is realised. With each of the ‘winners,’ (5G, AI, NLP, LiDAR, UAS [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles aka drones], thermal imaging, digital security twins and smart-city-friendly technologies) it is both exciting and challenging work for both security practitioners and solution providers. All things equal and with the necessary technology acceptance testing processes, this is a truly great time for security ecosystem members.

It amazes me how in a few short years security systems have gone from simple, dumb cameras witnessing events to intelligent eyes, ears, speech and touch solutions that boost situational awareness far beyond human capabilities. It seems the only senses missing from the equation now are smell and taste. And who knows, someone might be working on those in a lab somewhere right now. But what’s really fascinating to me is how the Internet of Things (IoT) has opened a world of possibilities for transforming security technology into something new yet again. With IoT we’re able to push and pull nuggets of intelligence from sources we never considered before: environmental sensors, pressure plates, door lock timers and much more. It’s helped us break through the constraining mindset that security systems are strictly single-purpose. With interconnectivity at the core, we’re starting to imagine myriad ways to apply these tools to challenges outside the realm of security. Here are just a few examples. Flood management assistance Network camera adds another dimension and timeliness to flood management by helping responders investigate remotely As recent hurricanes and floods have shown, water damage can be devastating to a community. That’s why some municipalities are using their city surveillance cameras in conjunction with water sensor to proactively address the problem. Water sensors collect data from multiple sources such as rain gutters, sewer systems and pump stations, in order to monitor fluctuations in water levels and water quality. If an alert triggers, having a network camera in proximity to visually verify the situation helps responders determine the best course of action. For instance, if multiple water detection sensors trigger alerts simultaneously or sequentially over a large area it’s probably due to natural runoff from recent rainfall. But without eyes on the scene, how can you be sure? Network camera adds another dimension and timeliness to flood management by helping responders investigate and identify the cause of a trigger remotely. It might be a fire hydrant spewing water, a water main break or even a chemical spill. With video streaming live to the command center, staff can remotely inspect the area, determine the cause of the trigger and decide whether remediation is required, thus avoiding the expense of dispatching an investigative crew to a non-event. Some municipalities are using their city surveillance cameras in conjunction with water sensor to proactively address the problem Environmental control assistance Data centers house the lifeblood of a business so it’s no wonder why companies work hard to protect them. We’re all familiar with the integration of network cameras with access control systems to visually verify who is actually using the credentials. Network camera adds another dimension and timeliness to flood management by helping responders investigate and identify the cause of a trigger remotely But there’s another aspect to protecting data centers and that’s environment control. Data centers need to maintain optimum humidity and temperature for the racks of electronics. When environmental sensors in the facility detect out-of-norm ranges technicians can remotely command a network camera to zoom in on the gauges and help them determine whether remediation might be necessary.  Coupling network cameras with other sensors in the data center can provide visual confirmation of other conditions as well. For instance, every time a data rack door-open-close sensor detects an event it can trigger the camera to pan to the location and stream video to security. Some data centers employ weight sensors at the doorway to weigh personnel and equipment as they enter the room and when they exit to ensure no additional hardware is being taken out of the facility or left inside without permission. Any discrepancy would trigger the camera to zoom in for a close-up of the individual’s face and send a visual alert and ID information to security. Roadway management and parking assistance Network cameras have long played a part in city-wide traffic management. Adding video analytics and integration with network sensors, makes those cameras that much smarter and versatile. They can detect cars driving in bike lanes or driving in the wrong direction and capture license plates of offenders. Their ability to detect anomalous traffic flow patterns can be integrated with car counting sensors, networked electronic road signs and traffic light systems to automatically redirect vehicles to alternate routes. They make great, intelligent parking lot attendants, too. Working in conjunction with weight sensors network cameras can count vehicles coming into and leaving a lot or garage and verify when the facility has reached capacity. License plate recognition and video analytics can be used to ascertain that a vehicle entering a reserved parking space doesn’t match the credentials and vehicle attributes in the database. With the addition of noise sensors and audio analytics, network cameras can improve roadway and parking facility safety by detecting and identifying specific sounds – breaking glass, car alarms, gun shots, and aggressive speech – and triggering a visual alert to first responders. Network cameras can improve roadway and parking facility safety by detecting and identifying specific sounds and triggering a visual alert to first responders Shopper experience assistance In the early days of online shopping, e-tailers designed their sites to replicate the in-store customer experience. In an ironic turn of events, today brick-and-mortar stores are trying to mirror the online shopping experience. To do so, they’re turning their security systems into adjunct sales assistance. With network video and audio system automation they can recognise and acknowledge loyal customers with personal greetings. Retailers are applying people counting video analytics to checkout activity to create rules-based consistency in customer service With heatmapping analytics they can measure how much time a customer spends in a specific department or observe how they walk through the aisles of the store. They can track shopping behaviors such as items looked at that made it into the cart or didn’t, or whether a customer actually checked out or left the merchandise behind. By capturing these shopping patterns and trends retailers can shape a more positive, more profitable customer shopping experience. For instance, integrating video analytics with point of sale systems and RFID sensors on merchandise tags can result in timely alerts to sales associates to recommend additional merchandise. This is a case of emulating how e-tailers let the customer know that other customers who bought X often also purchased items Y and Z. Or to avoid disappointing customers due to stock outages, retailers are linking weight sensors and video analytics to make sure their shelves are well-stocked and if not, quickly alert associates to what items need to be restocked. Capturing business intelligence Retailers are also using video cameras to monitor checkout queues and trigger automated announcements over the public-address system, closed system such as smartphones or other wireless communications devices that checkers are needed rather wait for a person to call for backup. IoT laid the groundwork for network security solutions to seamlessly integrate with other IP-based technologies, sensors and programs They’re applying people counting video analytics to checkout activity to create rules-based consistency in customer service. While retailers will always use their surveillance camera for loss prevention, they’re finding that integrating traditional technology in new ways can yield even bigger returns. Linking network video surveillance, video analytics, network communications system and sensors with point-of-sale systems and customer loyalty databases, retailers are capturing the business intelligence they need to get back in the game and make brick-and-mortar a greater overall experience than online shopping. A natural cross-over technology This trend towards integration has forever changed how organisations view their investment in security technology. The intelligence and versatility of a tool that can see, verify and analyse what’s happening in real-time is spurring users to tap its cross-over potential for a host of other tasks that could benefit from more astute situational awareness – everything from manufacturing and equipment maintenance to logistics, inventory control and beyond. IoT laid the groundwork for network security solutions to seamlessly integrate with other IP-based technologies, sensors and programs. How we capitalise on that connection is only limited by our imagination.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding the capabilities of license plate readers and vehicle identification systems. Within a smart/safe city scenario, automatic license plate reader solutions are used to help analyse real-time video streams for site surveillance, inspection and public safety, and to offer actional information through a network of connected camera systems. Outside of law enforcement, this can include other public safety initiatives such as traffic tolls, car counting, and parking security. Vehicle recognition systems Rekor Systems is a provider of vehicle recognition systems in more than 60 countries Using AI to enable video cameras, Rekor Systems is a provider of vehicle recognition systems in more than 60 countries. Applications include security and surveillance, public safety, electronic toll collection, brand loyalty, parking operations, banking and insurance, logistics, and traffic management. AI allows Rekor’s products to recognise and read license plates, while also providing information about each vehicle, including colour, make, year, and model. Rekor’s products are powered by OpenALPR software, an AI-based solution that enables any IP (internet protocol) surveillance camera to scan license plates and provide vehicle data including tag number, make, model, and colour in real time with 99% accuracy, according to the company. Rekor’s products are powered by OpenALPR software Integrated solutions “Rekor's software started as an open source project, and we have done our best to keep the commercial software as open as possible,” says Rod Hillman, Chief Operating Officer, Rekor Systems. “One of the challenges we see with others in our space is a tendency to ‘close off’ and ‘silo’ their solutions. Our goal is to make it as simple as possible to deploy, integrate, and ultimately use.” Rekor has numerous application programming interfaces (APIs) and ways the solution can be integrated into partners' solutions with a software development kit (SDK). Rekor solutions can be purchased directly or through a worldwide partner network of integrators, wholesalers, and within integrated solutions such as Nokia's smart city platform. Electronic toll collection Rekor’s solutions have viable applications within multiple markets While many systems are hardware-based, Rekor’s software-as-a-solution offering can turn an IP camera into an automatic license plate reader. Rekor’s solutions have viable applications within multiple markets, including law enforcement, security and surveillance, electronic toll collection, parking operations, banking and insurance, logistics, traffic management, and customer experience. “Rekor offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional LPR systems with a much higher accuracy rate at 99% allowing more cameras to be present and active at any given time,” says Hillman. “Traditional LPRs need someone to go through hours of footage to find what they are looking for while Rekor’s technology will send alerts in real time, resulting in much quicker response times.” Move Over Camera mounts onto roadside worker’s vehicles to capture ‘Move Over’ violations Two-part authentication Rekor’s products include: NUMERUS, a cloud-based solution for high-volume vehicle recognition, designed to reduce costs and increase efficiencies for the electronic toll collecting industry. Two-part authentication instantly identifies the vehicle’s make, model, colour and body type along with the license plate read. Machine-learning-enabled software recognises license plates from all 50 U.S. states, in addition to plates from more than 70 countries on six continents. Edge, an all-in-one camera and vehicle recognition system that instantly reads vehicle license plates, along with the vehicle’s make, model, colour and body type. Move Over Camera, which mounts onto roadside worker’s vehicles (police, tow truck, etc.) to capture ‘Move Over’ violations. ‘Move Over’ laws state that vehicles must move over one lane and/or slow down if they cannot move over to avoid incident while roadside workers are in the shoulder lane. The camera can detect what lane vehicles are in and how fast they are moving. Violators are flagged in the system for law enforcement’s review.

An area of technology that is shifting how we interact with our cities is the Internet of Things (IoT). 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 critical. 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. Delivering exciting opportunities Much like the arrival of Uber and Airbnb, the Internet of Things will deliver exciting opportunities The search for an answer to the challenges of growing human urbanisation is believed to exist in the smarter application of new technologies. Where once, electricity and the arrival of the elevator gave us vertical cities, today, we have the promise of the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, micro-controllers (MEMS) and new materials to help manage a very crowded future. Data capture form to appear here! We are confronted with a perfect storm of risk factors and potential vulnerabilities as each of these connection points is potentially a source for a security breach. Much like the arrival of Uber and Airbnb, the Internet of Things will deliver exciting opportunities and new kinds of services, many of which we have yet to imagine. Priority control solutions However, there will be equally unimagined and unintended consequences, if only because, in highly complex systems with many connected and tightly linked elements, accidents are inevitable. “The journey to a smart city is incremental—you can’t flip a switch or force it. It requires complex integration and relentless innovation,” says Global Traffic Technologies (GTT) product manager Chad Mack. GTT provides priority control solutions that use analytics GTT provides priority control solutions that use analytics, cloud-based computing to link connected devices to improve mobility, public safety and transportation in cities around the world. GTT’s Opticom Priority Control mobility solution allows transit and public safety vehicles to request a green light at intersections, dramatically reducing the potential for intersection crashes and improving travel times and reliability. Increased connectivity “These intelligent priority management systems allow users to oversee and control the movement of vehicles that operate on a city’s streets,” Mack explained. The rise of urban centres and ‘Smart City’ initiatives enabled by big data, network of sensors and the Internet of Things bring a new set of challenges to future policing. There is now a growing consensus that technology transformation must be part of the overall solution While digital technologies have helped compress the reaction time of police all over the world, the increased connectivity can similarly be leveraged by criminals to carry out increasingly sophisticated crimes. There is now a growing consensus that technology transformation must be part of the overall solution. To keep cities and citizens safe, law enforcement must be armed with the right technology, tools, and processes to solve – or even prevent – the toughest crimes at faster rates. Proven criminal theories Many law enforcement agencies such as LAPD, Seattle and Florida Police Departments are using cutting-edge cloud-based crime prediction software to predict drug crime, gang crime, anti-social behaviour and gun violence. Such crime prediction software works by analysing data through a sophisticated algorithm that applies proven criminal theories to predict the top 10 to 20 spots where crime is most likely to occur over the next few hours. To do so, it leverages on a variety of factors, such as historical and recent crime data, real-time activity, weather forecasts, locations and other information. Once these ‘hot spots’ are identified, police officers can adapt their patrol schedule and frequency at these locations, making their presence felt in the area and thereby prevent crime from taking place.

The basic need for public safety is one of the biggest forces driving the adoption of smart city solutions: approaches that seek to solve urban challenges through technological means. The thinking behind these initiatives is that with enough internet connectivity and real-time data, surely environmental, social, economic, and public health issues should become more manageable. However, just adding more technology is not the whole answer. Although technology is necessary for an urban area to transition in to a safe and smart city, technology alone isn’t sufficient. Truly smart cities are savvy cities and that includes how they employ software, sensing, communications and other technologies to meet their needs. Cities need solutions that help find what you need and convert the ‘too much information’ into ‘actionable intelligence’ Some of those initiatives, however, like red light cameras or computerised flight passenger screening systems, have amounted to little more than ‘security theater’, which might waste limited resources and further delay the smart city transition due to over-hyped solutions and unrealistic projected return on investment. In other words, technology doesn’t necessarily result in more safety. But does this mean we are also more likely to quickly find what we need? Cities need solutions that help find what you need (e.g. a missing child or a suspect) and convert the ‘too much information’ into ‘actionable intelligence’. Data capture form to appear here! Better connectivity promotes safety There is a growing shift towards younger generations wanting to live in the city where they have access to public transportation, restaurants and entertainment. They also expect to live in a safer environment, and this is where the smart city approach comes into play with the introduction of WiFi in parks and public spaces, along with surveillance systems. These two solutions and services can now sit on the same network, thanks to better connectivity options and interference free solutions, such as mmWave wireless radios. Younger generations expect to live in a safer environment, and this is where the smart city approach comes into play with the introduction of WiFi in parks and public spaces, along with surveillance systems For example, Siklu Inc., a provider of mmWave wireless solutions, announces Smart City deployments based on Siklu’s broad E-band and V-band product portfolio previously reached, and now have likely surpassed, a milestone of 100 cities installed. Smart Cities, which were initially defined as municipalities connecting low data rate sensors for water, gas and more, have been evolving to demand high-capacity connectivity at gigabit-per-second speed. This high-bandwidth network infrastructure is needed to support new applications such as video security, public Wi-Fi backhaul, and private city network deployments. Linking AI and smart cities Dubai is an example of how artificial intelligence and smart city projects have become intrinsically linked. Under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, authorities in Dubai have set out to “make Dubai the happiest city on Earth” by adopting cutting-edge smart city initiatives. Dubai Police has launched a range of public safety initiatives including Smart Police iOS apps, traffic accident and location systems, and SOS apps for wearable devices. Dubai Police shows how artificial intelligence can power new Robocop prototypes – unarmed, life-sized patrolling robots carrying facial recognition software and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR). Authorities in Dubai have set out to “make Dubai the happiest city on Earth” by adopting cutting-edge smart city initiatives NVIDIA’s Metropolis™ intelligent video analytics platform is paving the way for the creation of AI cities. Metropolis Deep Learning makes cities safer and smarter by applying deep learning to video streams for applications such as public safety, traffic management and resource optimisation. More than 50 NVIDIA AI city partner companies are already providing products and applications that use deep learning on GPUs. “Deep learning is enabling powerful intelligent video analytics that turn anonymised video into real-time valuable insights, enhancing safety and improving lives,” said Deepu Talla, vice president and general manager of the Tegra business at NVIDIA. “The NVIDIA Metropolis platform enables customers to put AI behind every video stream to create smarter cities.” Smarter access control in cities Advanced software suites can provide access to all operations performed by users A smart city is one that uses information and communication technologies to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and resident welfare. Smart access control is an important step forward in providing technologically advanced security management and access solutions to support the ambitions of smart cities and their respectively smart industries. With high volumes of people entering and exiting different areas of the city, it is important to be able to trace who has been where, when and for how long. Advanced software suites can provide access to all operations performed by users, including a complete audit trail. This information is often used by business owners or managers for audits, improvements or compliance.

Abu Dhabi is a major cultural and commercial centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accounting for roughly two-thirds of the UAE’s economy. While oil and natural gas make up a large portion of its GDP, Abu Dhabi has positioned itself as a premiere tourist destination, with major investments in luxury resorts and business hotels. Consequently, public safety is a top priority — and FLIR Systems is playing a critical role in the city’s long-term safe city initiative. Recently, the Abu Dhabi Monitoring and Control Center (ADMCC) was tasked with integrating all public access cameras onto a single platform to provide fully uninterrupted coverage of the city. This is in compliance with the Safe City 2030 vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE. As part of this initiative, ADMCC launched the Falcon Eye project, where surveillance cameras and sensors would be installed across the city to enable real-time situational awareness, threat detection, data collection, data sharing among public safety organisations, and crime prevention. Updating video management system To manage such an extensive system under the Falcon Eye project, ADMCC needed to update its VMS softwareFalcon Eye expands Abu Dhabi’s existing surveillance system to thousands of license plate recognition cameras and surveillance cameras, with cameras equipped with video analytics and/or facial recognition capabilities. To manage such an extensive system under the Falcon Eye project, ADMCC needed to update its video management system (VMS) software. ADMCC sought a VMS that would provide enhanced image quality, as well as increased storage and integrity of streamed video. The VMS also needed to be able to incorporate current, emerging and future technologies, such as Big Data, cyber protection, smart cameras, analytics at the edge, and automated camera management. Additionally, ADMCC required a cost-effective VMS that would seamlessly integrate with the existing physical security management information (PSIM) without compromising any data or operations from subsystems. Reliable software solution for video surveillance Previously, ADMCC had a strong relationship with FLIR, having deployed an older FLIR United VMS version for several years. After careful research and evaluation, ADMCC chose to continue partnering with FLIR as the industry leader in advanced video solutions in the safe city sector. ADMCC selected the most recent FLIR United VMS release as its VMS for the Falcon Eye initiative. FLIR United VMS is a reliable, enterprise-level software solution for video surveillance supporting an unlimited number of cameras over IP networks. Complying with ONVIF Profile S, Latitude ensures greater compatibility between cameras and the VMS Part of FLIR’s award-winning United VMS platform, Latitude features enhanced cyber security protocols. Its distributed server architecture enables unlimited scalability, multi-site deployments and sophisticated network topologies. Latitude’s open platform functionality provides advanced edge device integration, bringing together hundreds of third-party technologies. Complying with ONVIF Profile S, Latitude ensures greater compatibility between cameras and the VMS. Integrating Latitude and PSIM solution ADMCC upgraded to the recent United VMS version in June 2017. With special support from the FLIR team, the integration of Latitude and ADMCC’s in-house PSIM solution was successfully completed without any data loss. Adding value to the integration was the presence of an in-house FLIR engineer, who provided insight and guidance throughout the process. “FLIR is considered one of ADMCC’s trusted vendors, delivering regular upgrades and specialist support to our operations when needed,” said His Excellency Saeed Al-Neyadi, Director General at ADMCC. “The on-site FLIR engineer provided an immeasurable value to ADMCC.” Ensures maximum integrity and reliability One of the defining characteristics of United VMS is its simplicity and easy user interface. United VMS offers simplified access in managing and controlling video operations for the support staff. For all safe city projects, the preservation and availability of data is paramount. United VMS ensures maximum integrity and reliability with exceptional failover, disaster recovery capabilities" “The use of actionable information through data collection is vital in running such a huge scale operation such as Safe City initiatives,” Mr. Khalfan Al Hassani (ICT Director) said. “United VMS ensures maximum integrity and reliability with exceptional failover, disaster recovery capabilities, and 24/7 redundant recording.” Day/night safety of city and residents ADMCC oversees one of the world’s leading safe city solutions that utilises license plate recognition, facial recognition, video analytics and video management from over 45,000 sensors spread across the Emirate. United VMS serves as the central operational platform for all data of this unified platform, providing an efficient combination of video software and server hardware. By utilising the state-of-the-art technologies and subsystems brought together by United VMS, ADMCC ensures the safety of the city and its residents at all hours of the day and night. “United VMS has given ADMCC a reliable, stable, robust and secure platform for the past six years,” said Al Hassani. “It underpins a custom PSIM solution that supports various government agencies in Abu Dhabi helping the city to be ranked the ‘Safest City in the World.’”

Wintec (The Waikato Institute of Technology), established in 1924 is a major New Zealand Government-funded tertiary institution, which has three Hamilton campuses; a city site overlooking the central business district, Avalon campus on the northern outskirts of the city, and a horticultural campus at Hamilton Gardens. In addition, it has regional operations at Te Kuiti and Thames and also an office in Beijing. The Avalon campus, a ten-minute drive from the city, is home to specialist trades training facilities, a state-of the-art sport and exercise complex and custom designed facilities for the School of International Tourism, Hospitality and Events. The third Hamilton campus, the Horticultural Education Centre, is situated amidst the 58 hectares of Hamilton Gardens. On-line distance education Wintec’s programmes and qualifications are nationally and internationally recognised Wintec is one of the largest institutes of technology in New Zealand, and has more than 35,000 full-time and part-time students, more than 500 full and part time staff and eleven schools within its academic faculty. International enrolments exceed 1000 from 47 countries. A range of student services provide its domestic and international students with a high level of support so they enjoy a positive, safe and secure study experience. Wintec’s programmes and qualifications are nationally and internationally recognised and its degrees have equal status to those from universities. The degree programmes include Media Arts, Midwifery, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Early Childhood Education, Business Studies, Engineering, Technology, Information Technology, and Sport and Exercise Science and a wide range of full and part time courses for those already in the workforce. Wintec is also recognised nationally in the delivery of on-line distance education for those unable to attend regular classes for reasons of geographical access or other constraints. Electronically controlled doors Wintec strives for a balance of unobtrusive yet robust control of site activity, essential for maintaining an open campus environment. Shane Goodall, Security Manager at Wintec, describes the approach to security as highly proactive and collaborative: “by focusing on preventing issues arising, we now have a minimal policing role and the crime resolution rate is high”. This environment is underpinned by Gallagher’s security system, a core access control, intruder alarms and integration platform. Wintec first installed the Gallagher system (formerly Cardax FT) in 1999 and has since migrated this legacy system to Gallagher’s latest security technology platform. Security for the entire organisation, including satellite sites, is managed and monitored centrally from Wintec’s single Gallagher security system. Since initial installation, Wintec’s Gallagher access control system has grown from 7 to 240 electronically controlled doors in 2009, with another 40 planned - testimony to the scalability and flexibility of the system. Network friendly system communications The organisation first installed 6 cameras in 2004 which has increased to 7 DVRs and 85 cameras Wintec has integrated its imaging system to the Gallagher system delivering a visual record which can be matched to the audit trail of events in Gallagher Command Centre software. The organisation first installed 6 cameras in 2004 which has increased to 7 DVRs and 85 cameras (both analogue and IP). Another compelling aspect of the system for Wintec is the scalability and TCP/IP network friendly system communications. As well as monitoring and controlling staff and student access, equipment including computers, TVs, printers, audio visual resources at Wintec are also monitored through the Gallagher system. The ‘Gallagher Hub’, a new computer laboratory offering comprehensive IT resources is open 24 hours. The Hub contains 125 workstations, and there are plans to extend that number. Active monitoring of equipment though the Gallagher system has significantly reduced theft. Students and staff have scheduled access to shared IT resources, classrooms and lecture theatres. Manage cardholder data ‘Cardholder Import’, an XML Interface, supports the importation of cardholder data including course enrolments from their student record system to Gallagher Command Centre. Shane comments, “Student card issuing is an automated process which is enrolment-driven – a student’s access privileges are assigned according to their enrolled courses.” “To implement this, we defined a rules-based allocation of access groups in the Gallagher system using the XML interface. The interface is ‘live’ so that changes in the student enrolments database are immediately reflected in the Gallagher system. The student’s updated access privileges come into effect without delay.” Staff that interact directly with students are now empowered to manage cardholder data enabling the security team to focus on security. Students and staff utilise Mifare SmartCard functionality extensively, embracing them as an integral multiapplication tool in their modern educational environment – SmartCards are used to issue resources from the library and as pre-stored value cards enabling prepaid printing and photocopying. In the near future they will also be used in Wintec’s Pay and Display car-park and potentially as passes onto city council buses. Electronic access control At Wintec, security is not viewed as a discrete functional activity relegated to security staff only Stewart Brougham, Director of Internationalisation at Wintec, says students have given very positive feedback about their ID cards. In particular, the ability to verify the identity of staff members from their ID access cards provides peace of mind for students. The end result is a people-friendly campus. Future enhancements of Wintec’s security may include the utilisation of the CommCard solution from Gallagher to manage and monitor access to student accommodation. CommCard is a unique high level integration between the Gallagher Command Centre software and Salto off-line readers, delivering offline, non-monitored electronic access control for lower security doors. An overriding philosophy of collaboration has seen Wintec take a lateral approach to security, the value of which many organisations have yet to realise. At Wintec, security is not viewed as a discrete functional activity relegated to security staff only. The ongoing management of security is a joint effort between the security services team and the information services team. Increasing operational security The security services team manages the Gallagher system while IT looks after back end functions such as installation on the network and backup. Wintec has leveraged the convergence of security (access control) and other operational business functions recognising the tremendous potential for reducing risk and increasing operational security, safety, performance and efficiency. Looking beyond simply controlling and monitoring who goes where and when on site, Wintec is harnessing the reporting capabilities of Gallagher Command Centre to meet regulatory requirements. The Gallagher system enables the institution to report on actual space utilisation (not just space booking). Decisions are made for best use, and also to substantiate funding, based on these reports. “The key to space utilisation reporting are the frequency of reporting and the integrity and reliability of information,” states Stewart Brougham. It’s a national issue for educational institutes in New Zealand. Extending external partnerships “For Wintec, reporting is about ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and is also a staff time management issue – reducing the administration load on lecturers, who would otherwise have to track student attendance manually.” Brian Fleming, Director of Gallagher Channel Partner, Concord Technologies, sites this lateral application of a security system as key to maximising the value of Gallagher to Wintec. Wintec has a strong relationship with Gallagher in the ongoing development of its technologies This collaborative philosophy extends to proactive external partnerships with their Gallagher Channel Partner, Concord Technologies, for the installation and maintenance of the Gallagher system, and with system designer and manufacturer, Gallagher. Having signed an agreement to continue in the capacity of a Gallagher field test site, Wintec has a strong relationship with Gallagher in the ongoing development of its technologies. Wintec’s success, in the last 5 years, as a test site reflects the competence of both its IT and security staff and the institute’s commitment to edge student services. Minimal training has been required. Software maintenance agreement There is open communication and information sharing between all internal and external parties involved, which means any issues that arise can be quickly addressed. Wintec has committed to a site maintenance plan with their security partner, Concord Technologies. The plan incorporates both software and hardware maintenance to ensure the system is maintained on the latest operating platforms within a known cost structure. A Software Maintenance Agreement also ensures enhanced ongoing system performance and reliability of the Gallagher system. Acknowledgements Gallagher would like to acknowledge the support of Wintec and security partner, Concord, with the development of this in-site study. Gallagher would also like to particularly acknowledge and thank Shane Goodall for the pivotal role he plays in championing the collaboration of these parties and for his outstanding support of the Northern Region Cardax User Group (NZ) in the capacity of Chairman of the group.

Percepto has announced that the company has launched its market-leading industrial on-site autonomous drone solution in Singapore, through partnership with Certis - the leading advanced integrated security services organisation. On-site autonomous drone solution In October 2018, Certis announced that it has expanded its industry-leading ops-tech capabilities to deliver Security Plus (Security+) solutions. Today, Certis’ Security+ combines advanced security, facilities management and customer service into a single holistic service, supported and underpinned by technology. Percepto, the provider of the most advanced global Drone-in-Box solution for industrial sites, is a recipient of the Frost & Sullivan Global Enabling Technology Leadership Awards. Percepto CEO, Dor Abuhasira comments on entering the Singaporean market: “Percepto is proud to be selected by Certis to be its premier Autonomous Drone solution partner.” Singapore is breaking new ground in the commercialisation of innovative drone solutions" Abuhasira continues: “Singapore is breaking new ground in the commercialisation of innovative drone solutions, aided by the clear published regulations on the drone activity permit application by the local authority.” Integrated security with Security+ “As a technology-driven company, Certis now provides an integrated approach to advanced security, facilities management and guest services through what we now call Security+. In partnership with Percepto, we are pleased to introduce this technological solution, that enables us to reimagine new concepts of operations for our customers,” said Ms Fong Ying Ching, Vice President, Certis Technology. Percepto drones are equipped with high-definition and thermal cameras to enable day and night operation and can perform in hostile weather conditions including rain, snow and dust. When deployed in-the-field they take-off on-demand or at scheduled times and navigate pre-defined routes. Percepto cloud management system Once the mission has been completed the drone returns to its base station - a highly secure enclosed weather-proof box - where automated post flight checks and fast battery charging are completed, ensuring the drone is primed for the next flight. The system is controlled through Percepto’s cloud management systemThe system is controlled through Percepto’s cloud management system and it is also the only drone-in-a-box solution that is powered by computer vision and AI and provides communications over LTE. As a result, these drones provide aerial security for total surveillance monitoring and response. Industrial drones The partnership between Percepto and Certis signifies a major development for the use of industrial drones in Singapore in areas of security, surveillance and safety, maintenance, inspection, mapping and operations.

Avigilon Corporation, a Motorola Solutions company, announces that the New Bedford Housing Authority (‘NBHA’) in Massachusetts, USA has selected Avigilon video security solutions to help improve safety and reduce crime within its community. With close to 1,750 federal public housing units and 748 state aided units, the NBHA services over 6,000 individuals by providing safe, well-maintained and affordable housing units. New Bedford has faced challenges related to crime, which prompted the NBHA to seek out a security system that delivers actionable results to increase public safety throughout its community.  Monitor critical areas The NBHA has deployed a complete Avigilon solution to monitor 13 of its properties throughout the city The NBHA has deployed a complete Avigilon solution to monitor 13 of its properties throughout the city. The system includes more than 125 Avigilon cameras and Avigilon Appearance Search™ technology, which is powered by AI to help enable security officers to quickly sort through hours of video with ease to locate a specific person or vehicle of interest across an entire site or multiple sites that are connected to the same Avigilon Control Center™ client software. “Our goal is to provide a safe environment for our residents and deploying an Avigilon system has allowed us to monitor critical areas more efficiently and respond more quickly,” said Steven Beauregard, executive director of NBHA. Video security solutions “So far, the results are tangible as we’ve made great strides in improving the safety and security of our communities.” “The NBHA is taking significant action to proactively address crime and other security concerns to help protect what matters most: its residents,” said Ryan Nolan, senior vice president, Commercial Operations of Avigilon. “By using our AI-powered video security solutions they are able to increase the effectiveness of their security system and provide a new level of public safety.”

Located in the buzzing heart of England’s capital city, University College London is one of the top ranking establishments for higher education in the world. Founded in 1826, London’s first university institution, the College now has an estimated 28,600 enrolled students and 14,600 members of staff. Including agency staff, academic associates, and other visitors, UCL currently has a system of over 48,000 valid cardholders. Based primarily in the Bloomsbury area, UCL’s main campus is situated on Gower Street and includes departments such as biology, chemistry, economics, engineering, geography, history, languages, mathematics, philosophy, politics, physics, architecture and the Slade School of Fine Art, as well as the preclinical facilities of the UCL Medical School and the London Centre for Nanotechnology. Electronic access control UCL has been used as a location for a number of high profile film and television productions While the UCL Cancer Institute and Faculty of Laws are also nearby, notable College buildings include the original Wilkins Building and Gower Street’s Cruciform Building, previously home to University College Hospital. The University has further sites based elsewhere in and around London, such as the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, the UCL Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, The Royal Free Hospital Medical School, and also the UK’s largest university-based space research group, the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, and UCL’s own astronomical observatory at Mill Hill. Due to its position within London and the historical nature of its buildings, UCL has been used as a location for a number of high profile film and television productions, including Gladiator, The Mummy Returns, The Dark Knight and Inception. The sheer scale of the University’s operations, with thousands of occupants fluctuating between its numerous facilities, has dictated the need for a comprehensive electronic access control security system – one which has evolved over many years. Physical locking controls UCL’s Security Systems Manager, Mike Dawe explains that while adhering to the University’s culture of ‘general openness’ on campus, Gallagher systems have been introduced as “a progressive response to the need for more security control on site.” Security throughout the University is managed by the Security Department of the Estates Division, which has responsibility for all the physical locking controls and electronic systems, as well as the provision of the security guarding service. By and large an open campus, a number of university buildings are free to visitors from the general public, while others are controlled by turnstiles accessible by valid cardholders only. Many other research areas are available only to those with specific security passes. Gallagher’s systems have been in place with the University since 1993 and were originally chosen for the Gallagher Commander Hardware’s ability to communicate effectively over long distances between buildings. Key industry challenges Following were the key industry challenges involved: Ensuring appropriate access to students/staff onsite Implementation of lockdown and evacuation procedures Controlling access to key University areas Protecting University property Providing unobtrusive but robust security Control and management of multiple systems Visitor time and access management Central records systems Full data integration was achieved in 2006 when the system was linked to UCL’s central HR Recognised by Mike as the ‘next important direction for the University’, the subsequent introduction of the Gallagher Access Control system (formally Cardax FT) in 2003 enabled Gallagher’s main security system to be integrated with UCL’s other data systems. Additionally, Mike highlights how “Gallagher’s ‘building blocks’ approach to programming the software also provided greater flexibility when using the system, while the network infrastructure enabled us to move away from our own discrete wiring.” Full data integration was achieved in 2006 when the system was linked to UCL’s central HR, student records and visitor records databases. Combining the regular ID card with a single access control card then followed, and validity is kept fully updated by the University’s central records systems. Currently the University has 101 buildings on the Gallagher system, which controls 939 doors, 32 turnstiles and 15 lifts. General perimeter control Typically, Gallagher security is used for the general perimeter control of the buildings, such as those with both turnstile access and a reception at the entrance, as well as additional control within College buildings to divide public and semi-public areas from departmental spaces. Gallagher systems also control UCL’s top security areas such as high risk research space and data centres. Describing UCL’s security operation, Mike explains how the Gallagher solution has been integrated with the inhouse HR, student and visitor records systems and filters duplications to ensure a single identity. This information is then fed through the Gallagher system to update cardholder records using an ‘import/export’ function. The Gallagher technology is also used to automatically send barcode information to the Library systems and update the student records system with student photos. Scheduled email notification reports are also sent regularly which, according to Mike, “has proved very useful for UCL’s high value areas.” Security operations team We routinely use reports and produce these in response to departmental concerns and requests" “We routinely use reports and produce these in response to departmental concerns and requests”, he explains. “Typically this is done by the security operations team, which analyses the information, along with CCTV data to investigate suspected crimes.” UCL is planning to integrate the Gallagher Security system with its existing CCTV system and will use this, in addition to the new Command Centre Premier client, to improve the provision of site information to the Security Control room staff. The University is also currently developing its import/ export process to automatically provide access levels based on person-type information, such as department, course etc. Gallagher would like to thank Mike Dawe, UCL’s Security Systems Manager, for his support with the production of this site profile. We would also like to acknowledge the support of our security partner, Reach Active Limited who has contributed significantly to the successful implementation of the Gallagher system at University College London.

Siklu, the pioneer in 5G mmWave wireless network solutions, announced that its radios have been deployed in the City of Cambridge, located roughly 100km West of Toronto in Ontario, to provide outdoor video security and support potential public Wi-Fi network services. The city has fibre connections connecting several municipal buildings and continues to deploy more where it makes economic sense. Fibre is used to connect fire stations to City Hall, for example. However, this particular application, outdoor video security, was one that needed more flexibility to accommodate the necessary camera locations. Most parking lots, Intersections and pedestrian walkways do not have a fibre POP (‘point of presence’) nearby. This meant the answer would almost certainly have to be a wireless solution. Need of flexible video security solution The wireless network would need to be able to backhaul gigabit per second public Wi-Fi APs with no additional truck rollsThe solution to be chosen had several additional requirements. It needed to be flexible when it came to expanding the video security coverage, it had to be secure and it also had to have enough capacity that it could support additional high bandwidth applications, such as the deployment of Public Wi-Fi. The wireless network would then need to be able to backhaul gigabit per second public Wi-Fi APs (‘access points’) with no additional truck rolls. The successful bidder on the project was Alliance Security Systems. Alliance investigated 5 GHz solutions as well as 60 GHz and determined that only 60 GHz products could meet current and future requirements. The ‘EtherHaul 600’ point-to-point 60 GHz solution from Siklu features plenty of capacity (from 100Mbps up to 1Gbps, software upgradeable), flexible deployment options (up to 1km “link” range), small size (mountable on street light poles) and immunity to radio interference (e.g., 5 GHz systems are subject to the ever increasing Wi-Fi noise floor).    Deployment of P3717 multi-lens cameras Phase 1 of the program supported ten multi-lens camera deployments, and the network design had six 1-Gbps Siklu V-Band radios collocated at the city Clock Tower. This dense colocation was a result of the very narrow 60GHz radio beams and the abundant spectrum (14GHz) available. Deployment of the Siklu radios was accomplished within a week and incorporated an Axis Communications P3717 multi-lens cameras managed by a Genetec Security Center unified security platform. Since the installation of the video security network, a car theft ring was apprehended and there has been a reduction in crimeTom Hackett, Alliance Security Systems stated: “By utilising the point to point technology in such a way where we co-locate the head end, we end up approaching a cumulative speed of over 10Gbps per second once Phase 2 is commissioned. That’s just an astounding wireless speed in today’s world. The network has been such a success that beyond expansion plans with Cambridge, we are in discussions with other municipalities.” Reduction in crimes The City also operates the Phase 1 network to provide access to police as requested for specific incidents or investigations. Since the installation of the video security network, a car theft ring was apprehended and there has been a noticeable reduction in crime. Beginning in June 2019 or as soon as light poles become available, Phase 2 will add seven new cameras and will be supported by Siklu’s V-Band ‘EtherHaul 600’ radios. The EtherHaul 600 units feature 1 Gbits of capacity and can accommodate future expansions of the system. “The network was installed and is delivering in all aspects – high up time and excellent video quality,” said Trevor McWilliams, Manager of Business Development for the City of Cambridge Ontario Economic Development. “We are confident that the network deployed will operate for many years and be able to support new applications as needed.”

There will be more artificial intelligence, more machine learning, video systems with more capabilities, and all of it will add greater value to our solutions. Those are among the expectations of our Expert Panel Roundtable as they collectively look ahead to the remainder of 2019. One unexpected prediction is that AI will not prove to be a game changer – at least not yet. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What will be the biggest surprise for security in the second half of 2019?

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

The new year 2019 is brimming with possibilities for the physical security industry, but will those possibilities prove to be good news or bad news for our market? Inevitably, it will be a combination of good and bad, but how much good and how bad? We wanted to check the temperature of the industry as it relates to expectations for the new year, so we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How optimistic is your outlook for the physical security industry in 2019? Why?