Human area network

A few friends from the security industry will gather this April to see, hear and touch the latest technologies to make the world a safer place. Actually, more than a few: there will be more than 30,000 security professionals gathering at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas April 11-13 for the International Security Conference and Exposition, usually known as ISC West. Many of the attendees will be returning to what has become a yearly ritual. The site, the players, the pace and even atmosphere of ISC West are as familiar to many as a family reunion. But the industry is changing, and those changes will be reflected in big ways at ISC West. Let’s consider a few themes we will be hearing about at the show.  The cybersecurity of physical security systems Cybersecurity has gone from being the “elephant in the room” to an existential crisis for the physical security industry: How can an industry promote security unless its own products and systems can operate securely? For a long time, no one talked about cybersecurity. Some attending ISC West may wonder if now we are talking about it too much, at the risk of too much talk and not enough action. Almost every contribution to our “review and forecast” articles for 2018 mentioned cybersecurity. Every industry event I have attended so far this year has put cybersecurity front and centre. It will certainly be a major topic at ISC West.Cybersecurity has gone from being the “elephant in the room” to an existential crisis for the physical security industry Here’s the challenge for attendees to ISC West: If every manufacturer talks earnestly about cybersecurity, how can potential customers tell who is really serious about the topic, and who is merely paying lip service to the latest industry buzzword? If we all agree that cybersecurity is “everyone’s problem” – not just manufacturers, but also integrators and users – does no one really take responsibility? As the industry becomes more educated about cybersecurity, we can expect more detailed and challenging questions on the subject to permeate the ISC West show floor. Some manufacturers have likened cybersecurity more broadly to the issue of trust. Do you trust a manufacturer to address cybersecurity issues? Or do you trust them in general? The cybersecurity discussions will begin even before the show floor opens, on Tuesday, April 10, in a session titled “Cybersecurity Tier Zero: A Guide to the First Steps of Cyber Hardening.” – just one of the many other education sessions on Tuesday. The emergence of video analytics 2.0 Deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI) have become more familiar to the physical security market, and some AI applications are driving new industry trends such as robotics and analysing Big Data. But the biggest potential impact of deep learning is in the field of video analytics, a decades-old technology that has perpetually overpromised and underdelivered. The video analytics systems are not programmed, they “learn,” using massive data sets and neural networks and GPU processors and all the rest The new wave of video analytics products claims to provide a higher level of accuracy because they operate more like the human brain. These new systems are not programmed, they “learn,” using massive data sets and neural networks and GPU processors and all the rest. But consider the bottom line: Do the new video analytics products really perform and eliminate excessive false alarms? Can they effectively search large amounts of stored video and find the few frames that can make the difference in an investigation? Months have lapsed since the first deep learning products were announced - or, at least, “teased”. It’s been sufficient time for manufacturers to develop products that are ready for market, but are they? ISC West attendees will be scouring the booths for the latest developments and asking tough questions about how well these newfangled systems will actually perform.It’s all happening in the smart home market – but how fast and what will be the impact on the traditional burglar alarm business The changing smart home market We all want Siri to set our thermostat or Cortana to arm the alarm system. We want to view video from our nanny-cams on our smart phones, and to turn on the lights from anywhere around the world. It’s all happening in the smart home market – but how fast and what will be the impact on the traditional burglar alarm business that is the bread-and-butter of many security companies? Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can make a lot of things happen in the smart home environment, but what about other networking standards such as ZigBee and Z-Wave? The stakes are huge, which is why the big tech companies – from Apple to Amazon to Google – are staking their claims in the home automation market. Just this year, Amazon has purchased Ring, a video doorbell and security camera company – which will also be exhibiting at ISC West. But it’s unclear what such moves in Silicon Valley will mean for traditional security companies. The growth of do-it-yourself (DIY) systems introduces even more variables, as do alarm companies with new business models and even cloud-based approaches. Many exhibitors at ISC West – from ADT to Z-Wave – are addressing the new smart home environment and can help those attending the show do the same. About 40 companies are exhibiting in the “Connected Home” arena.  The Unmanned Security and Safety Expo will return, including a dedicated complimentary education theatre for attendees Drones, robotics and education From robots to drones to counter-drone solutions, there other new technologies being displayed at ISC West. The Unmanned Security and Safety Expo will return, including a dedicated complimentary education theatre for attendees offering sessions on topics such as “Drones – Friends or Foes to the Security Industry?”  There is a level of novelty to these technologies, and attendees might be lured by the entertainment value of a subject that may fall outside their job description. But one education session addresses the nuts and bolts in the real world: “Selling the Value of Security Robots by Setting Realistic Expectations.” Could these new gadgets play a bigger role than we think in the future of the security market?  For all its familiarity, there is always something new for attendees at ISC West. It may be a startup company with an intriguing value proposition tucked into a tiny booth at the back of the hall. Or it could be a big surprise news announcement from a major player. For attendees, the best surprise of all is that valuable piece of information they can take home to make their business better. Here’s hoping you find it!

Located in Milpitas, California, Jang Su Jang restaurant offers high quality, authentic Korean cuisine offering an extensive menu to satisfy even the pickiest taste buds. Their main goal is to provide delicious meals served with great service in a clean, modern and upscale environment. Jang Su Jang prides themselves by only using the freshest produce for their side dishes and quality meats for their BBQ, providing an excellence to the Jang Su Jang brand. Highly committed to creating an exceptional dining experience not only with great food, but through superior service and an attractive atmosphere, Jang Su Jang employees will always do their best to provide the highest level of Korean cuisine and customer service.The primary objectives of a security overhaul are to monitor staff and provide overall coverage of dining areas as well as entrances and exits Management acknowledges that security plays a crucial role influencing sustainability of operations. The primary objective of a security overhaul including maintenance with camera additions and upgrades will allow management to monitor staff, provide overall coverage of dining areas as well as entrances and exits. Solution by VIVOTEK VIVOTEK’s camera deployment was crucial to assist management in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. Remotely monitoring employees, customer disputes, damage to customer property and car break-ins are all concerns upper management must address. Also, being able to monitor the main dining areas, assist hosts with seating and table occupancy and camera installations always provide security during non-business hours. Since 2015, management at Jang Su Jang restaurant have always wanted, at a security level, no blind spots left uncovered in the kitchen and dining areas. At the same time, it is critical to maintain the restaurant’s upscale design, making sure cameras are discrete but fully functional. The new video surveillance system features twelve VIVOTEK Network cameras including a 16-channel network video recorder, ND8401. A security overhaul will allow management to monitor staff, provide overall coverage of dining areas as well as entrances and exits Perfect fit for overall coverage FD816BA-HT 2 megapixel fixed dome network camera is equipped with a Full HD sensor enabling a viewing resolution of 1920x1080 at 30 fps. Featuring WDR Pro and Supreme Night Visibility technology, this camera can capture high quality and high visibility video in high contrast or low light environments.Armed with a removable IR-cut filter, VIVOTEK's solution can maintain optimal image quality around the clock As a professional day/night camera, the FD816BA-HT features a removable IR-cut filter as well as IR illuminators effective up to 30 meters for superior image quality around the clock making this camera a perfect fit for overall coverage of the main dining area. Following with the FE9191 H.265 fisheye network camera was used to cover the large banquet area. Covering 360° surrounding view, restaurant staff has no blind spots and can easily run the floor without having to constantly walk the area. The 12 megapixel camera guarantees superb image quality utilizing the latest in panomorph lens technology for 180°panoramic view (wall mount) or 360°surround view (ceiling/wall/floor mount). Armed with a removable IR-cut filter and WDR Enhancement technology, the camera can maintain optimal image quality around the clock for unparalleled visibility under high-contrast lighting environments. Jang Su Jang’s kitchen area was outfitted with FE8174V, VIVOTEK fisheye network camera featuring 5 megapixels.The restaurant uses VAST as the central management software designed to manage all surveillance products Finally, the FD8134 fixed dome network camera completed the deployment and was installed at various exits and entrances, hallways and the cash register area. Specifically designed for indoor applications with its compact and stylish exterior, FD8134 allows discrete surveillance by capturing high quality, high resolution video. In addition to completely outfitting the property in VIVOTEK cameras, the restaurant uses VAST as the central management software designed to manage all surveillance products. VAST allows owners to operate their business efficiently on premises or remotely. VIVOTEK's effective solution “When we originally started improving our security system, we chose VIVOTEK cameras and were continually impressed with the quality and reliability, we continued to do upgrades as new VIVOTEK equipment was released. Delicious, quality food is not our only priority; safety is also fundamental to our business. Our staff and customers well-being is of immense importance and helps our business operations run smoothly,” said Manager of Jang Su Jang restaurant Brian Chung.

In this ever-expanding era of artificial intelligence (AI), Deep Learning will soon become the foundational technology for the security industry. Technologies that “learn” will become more common and more powerful. This trend will strengthen critical security efforts in every sphere. Hikvision’s three camera models equipped with deep learning algorithms will be introduced in the smart retail industry. In the retail business, with the growing popularity of shopping online, the retail sector has felt the disruptive impact of Internet e-commerce more than most industries. Some have reacted to online competition by closing physical stores, but others are attempting to overcome challenges through technological transformation. Traditional retail lacks intelligent tools for accurate data collection and visualisation, making it unable to provide a basis for business decision-making at the shop. Hikvision smart retail solution Hikvision has developed a Smart Retail Solution that provides comprehensive CCTV security to protect staff and customers and assist loss prevention. Not only that, this smart retail solution features data collection and analytics for enhancing business value. Benefiting from deep learning technology, three intelligent functions for retail support include people-counting to track customer traffic and volume, heat mapping to know the popularity of goods in the shopping area, and queue detection to monitor the queuing situation in real-time.\ Hikvision’s Dual-Lens People-Counting Camera provides accurate customer counting and generates customer flow trends Dual-Lens People-Counting Camera There is an old saying in the trade industry: “small profits but quick turnover”. And footfall is a “KPI” – key profit indicator – that can help make that turnover. Compared to e-commerce, traditional offline retail stores lack the capabilities to accurately calculate customer flow. Hikvision’s Dual-Lens People-Counting Camera provides accurate customer counting and generates customer flow trends to evaluate performance and strategic initiatives. However, in a real-world scenario, shadows or other objects may easily cause miscounts. The Dual-Lens People-Counting Camera, equipped with two cameras and powered by a deep learning algorithm, easily overcomes such interferences to deliver highly accurate people-counting data. A key advantage of deep learning algorithms over surveillance cameras’ vision algorithms is that deep learning can be continuously trained and improved with better and more datasets. This means the longer it works for you, the smarter it gets. Human detection feature Featuring binocular stereo vision, 3D people detection, and height filtering technologies, the Dual-Lens People-Counting Camera is able to accurately distinguish human beings from non-human objects in the background. Hence, these cameras distinguish human beings from other objects and movements in the background. By analysing customer flow data, store management can optimise the allocation of the workforce to reach higher profits and ensure better customer service. Store managers can schedule staff strategically for peak and off-peak hours. Furthermore, they can also develop strategic marketing activities to attract customers by analysing the data of incoming rates (entering vs. passing by). Heat Mapping Hikvision’s Heat Mapping function allows retailers to determine the amount of time shoppers spend in specific areas of a store When customers enter the store, retailers are concerned about what merchandise customers are interested in. Before that, what's more important is how to get what route they walk and where they stop. With Hikvision’s Heat Mapping function, retailers can determine the amount of time shoppers spend in specific areas of a store, identify hot spots and dead zones, and measure the number of people who actually shop for specific products, rather than just casually walk by. Heat Mapping is used to monitor and measure the size of target traffic in a region. It is a graphical representation of data represented by colors, and it is usually used to analyse the visit times and dwell times of customers in a specified area. The Heat Map function is often used in shopping malls, supermarkets, museums, etc., and can find customers' preferences over time through heat maps, offering insight how to best place items and design the store layout. Fisheye cameras As a representative product, Hikvision’s Fisheye cameras, equipped with heat mapping function, not only capture a panoramic high-definition image but also learn about heat conditions in different regions within a store. In spacious areas, fewer cameras means reduced installation and labour fees. Hikvision’s fisheye cameras are ideal for these areas, maximising monitoring views and image quality insurance. Queue detection Hikvision Smart Retail Solution is designed to help retailers bring offline stores into a digital world In the retail industry, waiting time is one of the most important factors affecting the customer experience. Hikvision’s Queue Detection function can help retailers manage checkout lines. When too many customers enter a queue, it can notify management to open a new checkout line. More specifically, Hikvision’ queue detection cameras can monitor the queuing situation in real-time. Firstly, cameras count the number of people in each queue, and then track the dwell time of each customer. Once it is found that the number of people in queue is too many, or the average dwell time of customers is too long, an alarm will be triggered to prompt a response. Store management will be reminded to open checkout windows to reduce waiting times, improving transaction efficiency and the entire shopping experience. Hikvision Smart Retail Solution is designed to help retailers bring offline stores into a digital world, allowing data to support management and operations. And it will promote retailers’ technological transformation in response to increased industry competition through the use of innovative retail technology.

Milestone Systems’ open platform IP video management software (VMS) is the technology helping to give peace of mind to residents and visitors of Las Ramblas in Cayala City, Guatemala. Milestone Systems’ XProtect expert software, an open platform technology, was chosen for managing IP-networked video and maintaining continual surveillance over the city’s projects. Network video cameras from Axis Communications are also used, some with crossline detection video analytics. EMC Isilon servers provide the data storage. The open platform Milestone software is compatible with the previously installed security equipment unifying the interface between differences in brand, while featuring larger capacities (in its servers as well), which optimises resources. The combined solution also integrates easily with existing human resources and procedures, making the process of obtaining valuable information, taking action and preventing incidents more efficient. Designed by urban planner Leon Krier, Cayalá is located in Guatemala’s capital city Virtually independent city Highly rated and classified as a spotless city, Ciudad Cayalá features impressive colonial buildings, wide pedestrian areas, greenways and - most importantly - a sense of security throughout its streets. Designed by urban planner Leon Krier, Cayalá is located in Guatemala’s capital city. His objective was to create a virtually independent city within the capital, away from crime and the problems known commonly to affect it. The initial project began in the 1980s when the land was purchased. The first residential areas that were built stood out due to their signature white walls but this closed city model led to some criticism related to class division and isolation of the Guatemalan upper class. As a result, the city’s residential community, Las Ramblas, is an open zone that forms a part of the commercial area and the Cayalá offices. Open area security systems Las Ramblas and the project’s future residential phases do not have walls, but are instead open, connected areas. It was exactly this aspect of Las Ramblas that led to its security systems - specifically those designed for open areas - being put to the test. The goal was to maintain the same standard of existing security among the other phases of the Cayalá project. One of the clear and principal objectives was to offer a safe environment for visitors and residents In Cayalá there are more than 1,500 residences, over 400 offices and businesses, and over 50 lofts. At times, the area involves more than 20,000 visitors daily. Thus, one of the clear and principal objectives was to offer a safe environment for visitors and residents; as a result, Cayalá took on the idea of being a ‘Safe City’ from the beginning. Milestone Systems XProtect Expert software Luis Pedro Rodas is the business manager of Revolution Technologies REVTEC, S.A., the firm that worked with Cayalá to find a security solution. He explains: “In order to carry out a challenge of such magnitude, the city selected Milestone Systems XProtect Expert software as its technological platform. Working together with human resources and processes, it provides the necessary information to take action and prevent security incidents.” All of the Axis cameras are connected to the Milestone video management platform, which interconnects three surveillance centers. For video storage, Cayalá uses EMC Isilon, which holds up to 30 days’ worth of footage. Although there is no physical wall, there are technology systems, human resources and policies at work" “Several virtual security rings exist in Cayalá. Those who enter are being monitored, and although there is no physical wall, there are technology systems, human resources and policies at work,” says Rodas. Prevention of security breaches With an investment of over 2 million dollars in technology, Cayalá has been able to introduce the concept of a ‘Safe City’. The routes of its residents and visitors alike are monitored thanks to a combination of over 120 elements provided by human resources, processes and technologies, which together make it possible to obtain information, take action and prevent security breaches. Héctor Leal, engineer and Cayalá general manager, mentions that this security plan “made it possible to restore the trust, peace and quality of life that had been lost in other cities of the country.”