Public sector security

Matrix is gearing up for participation in the 13th edition of The International Fire & Security Exhibition and Conference (IFSEC) India. The company will be demonstrating their latest Time-Attendance and Access Control device COSEC ARGO along with People Mobility Management and Video Surveillance solutions. At the event, Matrix will be showcasing COSEC ARGO, their performance, design and engineering wonder, equipped with an enhanced IPS LCD touchscreen for a visually splendid experience. The addition of Gorilla glass ensures enhanced toughness. This device has higher processing speed, wall and flush mounting options, and increased fingerprint and event storage capacity. It is specifically designed for serious Time-Attendance and Access Control applications. Standalone Access Control solution Their enterprise grade IP Cameras – NETRA will also be exhibited at the event. Furthermore, this device offers connectivity options like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, PoE, and USB. Last but not the least, IP65 and IK08 certifications make it suitable for challenging and outdoor installations. Our solution experts will be demonstrating the Standalone Access Control solution and exhibiting the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance system as well. They will also elaborate their cloud based Time-Attendance solution. Matrix Video Surveillance solution experts will be talking about the company’s Parking Management solution, which is known to easily solve parking woes faced by organisations. Their enterprise grade IP Cameras – NETRA will also be exhibited at the event. NVRX - PARAM, Matrix’s Network Video Recorders, and SAMAS - Video Management System will be highlighted at the event too. Advanced Security solutions “IFSEC is South Asia’s largest security, civil protection and fire safety show, which in turn provides us with a platform to expand our ties with industry experts and system integrators. The event also serves as a great stage for highlighting our well-engineered solutions. We aim to use this opportunity to expand our network and spread the word about our technologically advanced Security solutions,” commented Vihar Soni, Marketing Manager, Matrix Comsec.

Genetec Inc., a pioneer technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence announced strategic new initiatives to support its fast growth in Mexico. To spearhead these new initiatives, long time Genetec sales leader, Alain Bissada, who is currently Senior Director for Canada, is taking on a new expanded role to include Mexico as part of his responsibilities. In this new position, Alain Bissada will be responsible for supporting the company’s wide range of public safety, industrial, enterprise, retail and banking customers in Mexico, and put in place the necessary infrastructure to support its ambitious growth plans. Unified IP security solutions Genetec has been growing its market presence in Mexico at a very rapid pace Genetec is currently undertaking a recruitment campaign to support its growth in the region and is actively looking for a new country manager. The company will be moving to new, modern offices in the Polanco region of Mexico City, featuring a state-of-the-art experience center to showcase its entire range of unified IP security solutions, a sales engineering lab, training facilities, and additional space to accommodate new employees. As the vendor of video surveillance, access control and license plate recognition solutions, Genetec has been growing its market presence in Mexico at a very rapid pace. The company currently has public safety customers in 26 out of Mexico’s 32 states, and hundreds of private customers across a wide range of industries including, manufacturing, logistics, utilities, hospitality and more. Physical security infrastructure investment “Customers are looking for technology solutions that not only enable them to protect people and assets but also help them make the most of their video surveillance and physical security infrastructure investment to improve their operations,” said Alain Bissada, Senior Director, Canada and Mexico. “I look forward to working with our talented team and network of systems integrators in Mexico to support our ambitious plans in the region and to give our customers the support they need to meet their security and business operations needs.”

Genetec Inc., global technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, has announced its attendance at International Security Expo (ISE), taking place at Olympia, London from 3 - 4 December 2019. Genetec security solutions at ISE  Genetec, recognised as a renowned international vendor of Video Management Systems (VMS), will be demonstrating its wide array of tools that enable government, law enforcement, CNI, transportation providers and large enterprises to enhance their security and operations with resilient and connected systems. The stand will be interactive; including two demonstration stations, a video wall and a dedicated access control installation, ensuring end-users can get a true feel for the solution and their capabilities. Representatives from Genetec will be on hand to explain the potential to integrate best-of-breed cameras, readers, sensors and analytics to meet each user’s specific requirements. High level security solutions “High level security depends on effective collaboration between many different stakeholders across both the public and private sector,” said Paul Dodds, Genetec Country Manager for UK & Ireland. “International Security Expo is a fantastic platform that ensures we can get closer to these end-users and outline the role our technology plays in building these bridges and meeting their needs.”  Genetec will be exhibiting on Stand #H61 at the International Security Expo 2019 in London, United Kingdom.

BIRD Aerosystems, global developer of Airborne Missile Protection Systems (AMPS) and Airborne Surveillance, Information and Observation (ASIO) solutions, will present its MACS (NG) Sensor and the SPREOS DIRCM, at DSEI Japan. The systems will be presented for the first time in Japan together with NTK International in booth number B321. Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor   With an open architecture and an ability to connect to any missile warning system, passive or active, both the MACS (NG) Sensor and the SPREOS DIRCM can be supplied as an add-on solution for any existing airborne protection system and any platform. Easily installed, robust and with virtually zero false alarms, BIRD's MACS and SPREOS provide the most enhanced protection for military and civilian aircraft against the growing threat of MANPADS. MACS sensor performs confirmation of incoming missile threats detected by the main electro-optical passive sensors MACS (Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor) sensor performs unique confirmation of suspected incoming missile threats detected by the main electro-optical passive sensors, and ensures zero false alarms - hence only real missiles will be declared by the system and reacted upon. Self Protection Radar Electro-Optic System DIRCM SPREOS (Self Protection Radar Electro-Optic System) DIRCM combines a radar-based confirmation sensor and an active laser jammer to ensure optimal protection against different MANPADS threat types. Compact and Lightweight, SPREOS uniquely performs multiple functions, including threat detection and confirmation, tracking and jamming of advanced IR guided missiles. Ronen Factor, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Founder at BIRD Aerosystems, said "We are proud to present our innovative airborne missile protection solutions in Japan for the first time, and believe that both the MACS (NG) sensor and the SPREOS DIRCM are ideal for the Japanese – as they can be provided as an add-on solution for any existing MWS, and ensure enhanced protection against MANPADS, which are a growing threat. With an open architecture, simple installation and a compact size, BIRD's patented airborne missile protection solutions offer enhanced platform protection with practically zero false alarms."

Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), a popular technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, announced its plans for Smart City Expo World Congress 2019, taking place at Gran Via Venue, Barcelona, from 19-21 November 2019 (Stands 161, 211 and 567). Genetec will be exhibiting in three separate locations around the show floor, alongside its technology partners Axis Communications, Microsoft and Schréder. There will Genetec representatives on hand on both the Axis and Microsoft stands, to demonstrate the company’s technology and the role it can play in helping public representatives, corporate leaders and experts in urban planning to create safe cities - in which people want to work and live. Enabling smart urban revolution The Expo is a great opportunity for Genetec to display its technology effortlessly integrating" "The Smart City Expo is not only a great opportunity for Genetec to display how its technology effortlessly integrates with our partners’ - to promote the flow of information, commerce, transport and people across smart cities. It is also a fantastic platform that allows our team to get closer to the end-user,” said Bob Carter, Commercial Head, Genetec City Practice US. “Being in the same room as municipal decision-makers ensures we can all collaborate in enabling a smart urban revolution that creates urban spaces that citizens love to live in”. Cloud-based public safety solutions Axis Communications (Stand 211) – Genetec will demonstrate how its open architecture platform Security Center works in conjunction with Axis Communications’ innovative cameras and sensors to ensure smart mobility. Aiding people flow, safety and the citizen experience throughout a city. Microsoft (Stand 161) – Genetec will be exhibiting its broad portfolio of cloud-based public safety solutions that comprise part of the Microsoft CityNext programme. The two companies will outline how their combined solutions contribute to urban sustainability, safety and mobility. On display will be its full suite of public safety solutions, including its flagship city management system, CityNext, which has a wide-range of applications - like city sustainability, safety and mobility. Schréder (Stand 567) – The two companies will outline how smart lighting solutions, coupled with the vast array of sensors and analytics that be integrated through the Genetec platform can make use of real-time data to optimise energy consumption, bolster city safety and create thriving public spaces.

UVeye, global provider of top-tier solutions for automated external inspection of vehicles, has officially launched its UV Inspect threat detection technology. Developed to instantly detect threats – such as bombs, weapons, and drugs – stowed in the undercarriage of vehicles, UV Inspect is powered by deep learning computer vision technologies. UV Inspect threat detection UV Inspect meets the challenge of automating threat detection for new and unfamiliar vehicles. The pioneering UV Inspect algorithm analyses each vehicle part separately, using the deep learning computer vision to identify every element on the undercarriage of the vehicle and detect threats within seconds. This advancement in detection capabilities is built on UVeye’s extensive work in training its deep learning algorithms to truly understand what each part of a vehicle is supposed to look like, independent of make or model or the need for previous examples on record. Examples of the depth of this research become evident in the UV Inspect technology’s ability to identify items like an exhaust pipe without having previously scanned the vehicle. UVeye is addressing the needs of border control operators and other security professionals" Secure vehicle scanning “As the first to offer a true first pass solution, UVeye is addressing the needs of border control operators and other security professionals tasked with examining non-repeat traffic to securely scan vehicles passing through their checkpoints,” says Amir Hever, UVeye’s CEO and co-founder. He adds, “Our team has developed a reliable method of identifying anomalous objects without the need for earlier reference points, using only the information captured in our high resolution images at the time of the scan.” UVcompare deep learning-driven system With this launch, UV Inspect joins UVeye’s arsenal of detection technologies, which includes UVcompare, the deep learning-driven system that monitors trends of repeat traffic to identify changes which could indicate a threat or issue for concern. This technology works by identifying trends on a specific vehicle over time, without the need to compare the image to a model from the manufacturer. In the coming months, UVeye plans to expand the implementation of the UV Inspect technology to further support its global customers across the security market. UVeye’s technology is currently deployed all over the world at high security facilities such as banks, embassies, prisons, military bases, airports, and more.

The industry faces numerous challenges in the coming year. Physical and cyber security threats continue to become more complex, and organisations are struggling to manage both physical and digital credentials as well as a rapidly growing number of connected endpoints in the Internet of Things (IoT). We are witnessing the collision of the enterprise with the IoT, and organisations now must establish trust and validate the identity of people as well as ‘things’ in an environment of increasingly stringent safety and data privacy regulations. Meanwhile, demand grows for smarter and more data-driven workplaces, a risk-based approach to threat protection, improved productivity and seamless, more convenient access to the enterprise and its physical and digital assets and services. Using smartphone apps to open doors Cloud technologies give people access through their mobile phones and other devices to many new, high-value experiencesEnterprise customers increasingly want to create trusted environments within which they can deliver valuable new user experiences. A major driver is growing demand for the ‘digital cohesion’ of being able to use smartphone apps to open doors, authenticate to enterprise data resources or access a building’s applications and services. Cloud technologies are a key piece of the solution. They give people access through their mobile phones and other devices to many new, high-value experiences. At the same time, they help fuel smarter, more data-driven workplace environments. With the arrival of today’s identity- and location-aware building systems that recognise people and use deep learning analytics to customise their office environment, the workplace is undergoing dramatic change. Improved fingerprint solutions Cloud-based platforms and application programming interfaces (APIs) will help bridge biometrics and access control in the enterprise, overcoming previous integration hurdles while providing a trusted platform that meets the concerns of accessibility and data protection in a connected environment. At the same time, the next generation of fingerprint solutions will deliver higher matching speed, better image capture quality and improved performance. The next generation of fingerprint solutions will deliver higher matching speed, better image capture quality and improved performance Liveness detection will ensure that captured data is from a living person. Biometrics authentication will also gain traction beyond access control in immigration and border control, law enforcement, military, defence and other public section use cases where higher security is needed. Flexible subscription models Access control solutions based on cloud platforms will also change how solutions are deployed. Siloed security and workplace optimisation solutions will be replaced with mobile apps that can be downloaded anywhere across a global ecosystem of millions of compatible and connected physical access control system endpoints. These connections will also facilitate new, more flexible subscription models for access control services. As an example, users will be able to more easily replenish mobile IDs if their smartphones are lost or must be replaced. Generating valuable insights with machine learning Machine learning analytics will be used to generate valuable insights from today’s access control solutionsEducation, finance, healthcare, enterprise, and other niche markets such as commercial real-estate and enterprises focussed on co-working spaces will benefit from a cloud-connected access control hardware foundation. There will be a faster path from design to deployment since developers will no longer have to create an entire vertically integrated solution. They will simply add an app experience to the existing access control infrastructure. New players will be drawn to the market resulting in a richer, more vibrant development community and accelerated innovation. Data analytics will be a rapidly growing area of interest. Machine learning analytics will be used to generate valuable insights from today’s access control solutions. Devices, access control systems, IoT applications, digital certificates and location services solutions, which are all connected to the cloud, will collectively deliver robust data with which to apply advanced analytics and risk-based intelligence. As organisations incorporate this type of analytics engine into their access control systems, they will improve security and personalise the user experience while driving better business decisions. 

Public spaces in cities and suburbs are important places for community development and promoting outdoor recreation. These areas may include main streets, parks, promenades, band shells and fields. Such locations are often utilised by public event planners for community activities, including summer festivals, wintertime ice skating rink installations, music concerts and art fairs. As the year drew to a close, holiday and Christmas markets as well as major New Year’s Eve events, presented cities with constant public event security needs. The public nature of these events increases risks of incidents with high-speed vehicles that put attendees in danger. Fortunately, there are three ways for public space managers to prevent casualty-causing collisions and further promote the use of local public areas. Developing an effective action plan    When strategising how to react to an alert, think about what time of the year and time of day the event is occurring It is important to have a plan developed before an incident or accident occurs. Warning systems, utilising doppler radar and digital loop technologies, alert guards to abnormal vehicle velocity changes in the surrounding area. Managers of public areas should organise a meeting with public safety authorities and local agencies to discuss what must immediately occur when a high-speed vehicle is approaching a public event. When strategising how to react to an alert, think about what time of the year and time of day the event is occurring. Having such a reaction plan in place combines technology and strategic planning to ensure everyone is on the same page to effectively target a threat and promote overall event safety. Securing public areas  Ideally, there will be no need to implement a well-conceived action plan. After all, taking preventive measures to secure public areas where events take place is important to keep people safe from accidental vehicle collisions and intentional attacks. Protect attendees by clearly separating pedestrian and vehicle locations using security devices such as – Barricades Portable barriers Bollards Install guard booths  Avoid the risk of vandalism and theft, making sure people are safe when walking back to the cars at night by keeping parking areas illuminated with flood lights. Install guard booths with employees who monitor activity in the parking area and who are prepared to react if an alert is triggered. Furthermore, prevent accidental collisions by clearly marking the parking area with informative warning signs and using barricades to direct traffic. These three tips can be used by public area managers to promote security at the next community event. Additionally, the technologies used to secure an event can also be used as infrastructure for year-round security. Installing gates that shut when the public space is closed or using aesthetically pleasing bollards are steps any public area manager can take to promote community safety.

According to the reports of not-for-profit organisation Gun Violence Archive, the year 2018 has seen 323 mass shooting incidents as of November 28 in the United States. This number is 346 for the year 2017 and 382 for 2016 (more statistics are available here), with “mass shooting” defined as cases where four or more people are shot or killed in the same time period and location. While definitions of mass shooting vary with organisations in the US, the count of over 300 incidents per year, or about once per day on average, is simply alarming. It raises public safety concerns, ignites debates and protests, which in turn lead to public unrest and potentially more violence, and increases costs for governments from the regional to federal level. Most importantly, the loss of lives demands not only improvement in post-incident handling and investigation, but also new prevention technologies. Gunshot detection solutions AI weapon detection offers a more efficient alternative to prevent active shooting There are several gunshot detection solutions in the security market, commonly used by law enforcement agencies to detect and locate gun fires. These systems function based on acoustic recordings and analyses and often in combination with signals detected by sensors of the optical flash and shockwave when a gun is fired. However, gunshot detection by nature dictates that the law enforcement can only react to a shooting incident that has occurred. With fast action, law enforcement can prevent the incident from escalating, but lives that are lost cannot be recovered. With the development of artificial intelligence in object recognition, AI weapon detection offers a more efficient alternative to prevent active shooting: AI can visually detect guns based on their shapes before they are fired. The AI is trained to recognise firearms in different shapes, sizes, colours, and at different angles in videos, so that the AI weapon detector can be deployed with existing cameras systems, analyse the video feeds, and instantly notify security staff when a gun is spotted. Comparison of the advantages for law enforcement and public security agencies Legacy gunshot detection using sensors AI weapon detection Reactive measure: detect after guns have been fired Proactive measure: detect before guns are fired Time to action: within 1 second Time to action: within 1 second Unable to provide visual data about shooter(s) Can provide data about shooter(s) based on the camera recording: clothing, luggage (backpack, handbag, etc.), facial features, vehicle Unable to track the location of the shooter(s) before and after shooting because of the lack of sound Can track the shooter(s) using AI Person & Vehicle Tracking, AI Face Recognition, and AI License Plate Recognition False detection caused by similar sound such as fireworks and cars backfiring Minimal to no false detection, as AI can distinguish different types of handguns and rifles from normal objects (umbrella, cellphone, etc.) Require physical deployment of gunshot detection sensors Can be used with existing camera systems, do not require special hardware Complicated to deploy, require highly trained professional Easy to deploy as an add-on to existing video surveillance system - Can integrate with gun-shot detection to create a “double knock” audio and video active shooter alert system Gun-shot detection advantages In addition to advantages for law enforcement and public security agencies, this type of visual-based pre-incident detector has three-fold advantages for the public: Save lives by spotting the shooter before the shooting event. Minimise the chaos entailing an incident: panic and chaos caused by a shooting incident often adds to injury, as people run, fall, trample on others… With an AI weapon detector, when a gun is spotted, the system sends an alert to security staff, who can quickly control the situation in an organised manner and apprehend the intending shooter. Can be added as a SaaS (Security as a Service) component to small business and home surveillance systems, e.g., intrusion detection alerts (home invasion incidents with firearms number over 2500 per year nationwide). For a complete active shooter detection system, video-based AI detector can operate in conjunction with gunshot detectors for enhanced security. Traditional X-ray based weapon detection or metal detection entrance systems are complicated and expensive; with AI video technology, active shooter detection system can be cost-effective, and after all, what price tag can one put on a life? Written by Paul Sun and Mai Truong, IronYun

The UK Government has been working to reduce the risks associated with illegal drone use since a high-profile incident at UK’s Gatwick Airport in December 2018, when a drone sighting triggered a three-day shutdown of the UK’s second busiest airport, disrupting the travel plans of 140,000 people and affecting 1,000 flights. To address growing security threats by drones, the UK Government has released its ‘Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Strategy’. ‘Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Strategy’ This strategy sets out our approach to countering the threat the malicious or negligent use of drones can bring" “This strategy sets out our approach to countering the threat the malicious or negligent use of drones can bring,” says Brandon Lewis, the U.K. Minister of State for Security. “It will provide the security the public and drone users require to continue to enjoy the benefits of leisure and commercial drone use and facilitate the growth of the drone industry.” “Given the challenge posed by rapid advances in drone technology and the potential threat, the strategy will provide overarching direction to our efforts,” says Lewis. The strategy focuses on ‘small drones’, those weighing less than 20 kg (44 pounds). Countering malicious use of aerial drones The UK Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Strategy centres on mitigating the highest-harm domestic risks resulting from malicious use of aerial drones. They are: Facilitating terrorist attacks, such as modifying commercially-available drones to conduct reconnaissance or attacks. Facilitating crime, especially in prisons, where drones are currently used to deliver contraband. Disrupting critical national infrastructure, such as airports, where a malicious incursion using a drone can have serious safety, security and economic consequences. Potential use by hostile state actors. Maximising benefits of drone technology The initiative will also look to build strong relationships with industry to ensure high security standards Over the next three years, the strategy will seek to reduce the risks posed by the highest-harm use of drones while maximising the benefits of drone technology. It will develop a comprehensive understanding of evolving risks and take a “full spectrum” approach to deter, detect and disrupt the misuse of drones. The initiative will also look to build strong relationships with industry to ensure high security standards. Further, promoting access to counter-drone capabilities and effective legislation, training and guidance will empower the police and other operational responders. Tactical response to drone-based threats Because technology is rapidly evolving, the response needs to keep pace, according to the strategy document. Lewis adds, “We will therefore work to understand how drone-based threats might evolve in the future, both at the tactical and strategic levels.”  The strategy will be to build an end-to-end approach to tackling the highest-harm criminal use of drones. It will also work to make it easier to identify malicious drone use against a backdrop of increased legitimate use. Legal drone operators will be required to register with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and to pass an online competency test before flying a drone. Retailers who follow a specific set of safety guidelines when selling drones will be designated ‘DroneSafe’. Unmanned traffic management system The government is working toward future implementation of an unmanned traffic management (UTM) system, which provides a means of preventing collisions between unmanned aircraft and other manned or unmanned aircraft. The current strategy includes early planning for the system. An Industry Action Group will ensure a continuing relationship with the drone industry and help to improve existing counter-drone measures and identify new opportunities, such as use of ‘Geo-Fencing’ to restrict drones from flying in certain areas. Regulating commercial and domestic drones The UK Department of Transport is responsible for safe and lawful use of drones within the UK airspace The strategy will seek to communicate the UK’s security requirements to the counter-drone industry and to encourage a thriving sector that is aware of, and responsive to, the needs of government. Regulating drones is the responsibility of two UK government departments. The UK Department of Transport is responsible for safe and lawful use of drones within the UK airspace, while the Home Office has overall responsibility for domestic counter-drone activity. Fast-evolving drone and counter-drone technology Also, the Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) has been involved in reducing the vulnerability of sensitive sites, including airports. New performance measures will track the strategy’s success. Due to the fast-evolving nature of drone and counter-drone technology, the intent is to review and, if necessary, refresh the strategy in three years.

Many venues are using access control, video surveillance systems, sensors, and additional hardware solutions as part of a broader security strategy. By utilising so many disparate systems, corporate security teams are left with information “silos” that create inefficiencies and hamper communication. This abundance of hardware has left teams with too much data or too many tools, to manage effectively. Armored Things offers a software solution. The company’s “spatial intelligence platform” currently collects more data than other security intelligence solutions, utilising a broader range of sources and fusing data together rather than integrating it. The platform currently focuses on taking in data from WiFi, access control, and video surveillance systems and applying machine learning to deliver customers features such as real-time predictive analytics to prevent incidents like bottlenecks or overcrowding. Spatial Intelligence is an approach to physical security that enables users to collect, manage, and interpret data in a single platform. Combine machine learning with data The term can best be used to describe how digital transformation has affected physical security. Spatial Intelligence in its infancy looked like video surveillance data combined with machine learning to produce video analytics. The spatial intelligence solutions of today can combine machine learning with data of any source, type, and size to deliver value across a large organisation, not just the security team, says the company. Armored Things’ Spatial Intelligence platform unifies data from information silos to support data-driven decisions around operations and security. By fusing data from multiple sources, we can produce more consistent and useful insights for our customers” A suite of analytics, reporting and visualisation tools helps customers gain a real-time understanding of people and flow in their space. By removing the guesswork of everyday decisions, the product enables customers to make data-driven decisions at a moment’s notice, according to the company. Armored Things is more than a data management tool. “By fusing data from multiple sources (rather than only cameras or only WiFi), we can produce more consistent, accurate, and useful insights for our customers,” says Kevin Davis, Chief Security Officer at Armored Things. "Being able to collect the data is the first step, but turning it into actionable intelligence is where Armored Things excels.” IP cameras and other IoT-enabled devices The range of data sources includes IP cameras and other IoT-enabled devices and even outside data sources like bus schedules and weather reports. Armored Things has built a team of public safety and technical experts with the mission to keep people safe where they live, work, and play. By leveraging emerging technology to enhance physical security, the company built the software-centric Spatial Intelligence Platform for large organisations to enhance the safety and operations of their space. Schools and education facilities are among the customers that can benefit. The leadership at Armored Things cares deeply about school safety, so the recent epidemic of campus violence has definitely been a large topic of conversation, according to the company. “By delivering our products to a greater number of customers, Armored Things hopes to continue making schools a safe place to learn and gather,” says Davis. Recently, there was a significant bottleneck lasting nearly 30 minutes at the Syracuse-Clemson football game. Unifying data into one platform Digital transformation is disrupting the way our customers think about physical security,” Using Armored Things technology and providing real-time data to security and operations personnel could have identified the bottleneck as it began to form. This would have notified relevant personnel, who could have taken steps to mitigate the problem before it turned into a security risk. Keeping the security infrastructure simple is imperative to success. Integrating a software solution into the security strategy shouldn’t complicate existing operations, says the company. “Armored Things Spatial Intelligence Platform can bring your security and operations into focus by unifying all of your data into one platform for ease of use,” says Davis. For this reason, the team chose to integrate not only with customers’ existing security infrastructure but with non-traditional data sources (e.g. WiFi, event schedules, ticketing) as well. “By combining and analysing a more diverse dataset, Armored Things can help our customers make better decisions with deeper data-driven insights,” says Davis. "Digital transformation is disrupting the way our customers think about physical security,” says Davis. “As a team, our aim is to help our customers adapt to the digital age, as they transition from hardware to software-centric security solutions. Fostering organisational change is difficult, and our team hopes to make the transition process easier for our customers.”

During the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2018, the shooter was caught on a security camera pulling his rifle out of a duffle bag in the staircase 15 seconds before discharging the first round. However, the School Resource Officer didn’t enter the building because he wasn’t confident about the situation, and the Coral Springs Police Department had no idea what the shooter even looked like until 7 minutes and 30 seconds after the first round was fired. If the video system had included technology to recognise the gun threat in real time, alerts could have been sent to the security team. An announcement could have been made right away for all students and faculty in Building 12 to barricade their doors, and law enforcement could have responded a lot faster to a real-time feed of timely and accurate information. Automatically recognising gun threats The technology is centred around a CNN that aims to replicate how a human brain would process informationActuate offers such a technology, which the company says enables existing security cameras to automatically recognise gun threats and notify security in real-time. The technology is centred around a convolutional neural network (CNN) that aims to replicate how a human brain would process information. This neural network is trained to recognise what hands holding a firearm look like from hundreds of thousands of images in a proprietary data set. Over time, the system is able to mathematically calculate what a gun threat in a security camera feed looks like with a high degree of accuracy (well over 99% detection accuracy within the first 5 seconds), according to Actuate. “Active shooter situations are often marred by chaos and confusion,” says Sonny Tai, Chief Executive Officer of Actuate. “People are in fight-or-flight response and prioritise immediate survival instead of reaching for their phones and calling 911. When the 911 calls are made, callers often provide delayed, conflicting, and inaccurate information, inhibiting law enforcement’s ability to respond.” Enhances law enforcement response Tai says Actuate helps to clear up that chaos and confusion. “It provides visual intelligence of the location of the shooter, what they look like, what direction they’re heading, and what they’re armed with,” he says. “This real-time information enhances law enforcement response and enables building occupants to make critical decisions that maximise survivability." AI methods including deep learning enable high levels of accuracy in detecting weapons in real-time camera footage Tai is a Marine Corps veteran and a social entrepreneur who co-founded Actuate with the mission of addressing America’s gun violence epidemic. The start of the company stems from Tai’s upbringing in South Africa, where gun violence rates are some of the highest in the world. Growing up, several of his family friends were personally impacted, resulting in a lifelong passion for the issue of gun violence. In early 2018, Tai interviewed dozens of law enforcement leaders across the country and found that their biggest challenge in gun violence response was the lack of timely and accurate information. Actuate mitigates that challenge and enables both first responders and security staff to respond more rapidly, he says. More than 99% accuracy in detecting weapons Actuate is a software-only solution that plugs into security camera hardware and software, including VMSActuate's solution is completely AI-based, says Ben Ziomek, Chief Product Officer. AI methods including deep learning enable high levels of accuracy in detecting weapons in real-time camera footage. “Legacy, non-AI based solutions generally rely on older methods like motion detection, which is not reliable in differentiating between objects such as phones and firearms,” says Ziomek. “Our AI solution lets us achieve more than 99% accuracy in detecting weapons with an exceptionally low false-positive rate.” Ziomek runs engineering, data science, and operations for Actuate. Before joining the firm, he led teams of AI engineers and data scientists at Microsoft, leveraging AI to identify high-potential startups globally. Actuate is a software-only solution that plugs into existing security camera hardware and software, including video management systems (VMS). Existing capabilities of a customer’s VMS does initial, basic analysis and then routes the remaining video to Actuate’s processing units for AI analysis. Alerts can then be sent back however a customer wants, including through a VMS. Actuate can also feed information into a PSIM or command-and-control system if requested by a customer. Equipping customers with AI tools Our current focus for the company is to get our technology into the hands of as many customers as possible"As an early-stage company, Actuate is pursuing customers through multiple routes, including directly to end-users and via security integrators, distributors, and dealers. They are currently deployed at diverse customer sites including schools, office buildings, industrial facilities, and public buildings, says Ziomek. “Our current focus for the company is to get our technology into the hands of as many customers as possible,” says Ziomek. “We are working closely with customers across segments and industries to equip them with the tools they need to make their spaces safer. We’re currently working on educating the market on our offerings, as this technology is very new to many security organisations.” There are no privacy or compliance concerns because Actuate stores no customer data until a weapon is detected, and even then the data is not cross-indexed with any sensitive information, says Ziomek.

BI-City Tokyo is located in Nur-Sultan (Astana), the capital city of Kazakhstan. It is a high-end residential complex of BI Group – a construction holding company in the Kazakhstan real estate market. At present, three apartment buildings with public areas and more than 400 apartment units have been completed. Aiming to create modern high-end intelligent buildings and residential areas, the BI Group wanted to upgrade the existing analogue video intercom system of BI-City Tokyo. Analogue intercom system The original analogue intercom system in this community is outdated and cannot meet the diverse security requirements of high-end residential areas. First, the original analogue intercom does not support retaining images and leaving messages. Second, this system only supports access cards to open doors, which is inconvenient for residents in case they forgot their card. Third, the original system cannot add IP cameras to monitor public areas such as children's playground, fitness areas, etc. Fourth, the cold winter temperature in Nur-Sultan requires high-performance equipment capable of operating in extreme environments. Cold winter temperature requires high-performance equipment capable of operating in extreme environments Faced with the abovementioned challenges, BI Group was also looking for a trustworthy brand that can provide not only modern smart system but also technical support and reliable after-sales service. Meeting all the above requirements, Dahua smart residential solution was chosen to be the security solution provider of BI-City Tokyo. Access ANPR Camera The complete solution deployed more than 300 pieces of Dahua equipment, including Indoor Monitor, Apartment Outdoor Station, IP Camera, Access ANPR Camera, Video Recorder, etc. The solution supports two-way audio intercom, real-time video and messaging feature. In addition, a variety of door opening methods were also implemented: door opening via remote calling, door opening using access card, and remote door opening via APP. Additionally, all the equipment can be visualised and integrated in the Dahua DSS platform for centralised management, operation and maintenance. Moreover, the temperature in Nur-Sultan can reach up to negative 40 degrees in winter season. This requires high-performance outdoor devices featuring dust and water resistance, and explosion-roof capability. In response to this pressing challenge, Dahua apartment outdoor station VTO1210C-X-S1 and access ANPR camera ITC237-PW1B-IRZ that support wide working temperature were installed at the entrance of the apartment building for a more effective visitor and vehicle management. Built-in intelligent video analytics When a visitor arrives at the entrance of the apartment building and dials a resident’s room number through the Dahua apartment outdoor station, the camera installed at the entrance will synchronise the video with the visitor’s image captured in the resident’s indoor monitor. Once the visitor’s identity is confirmed, the resident just needs to press the button on the indoor monitor to open the door remotely. With Dahua app, users can even answer calls and open doors remotely when they are out for work or travelling. As for vehicles, Dahua access ANPR camera ITC237-PW1B-IRZ is designed for extreme temperature environments (temperature range of -40°C to +60°C). With built-in intelligent video analytics, the camera has the ability to detect and recognise moving vehicle's plate number within low speed. IR Mini-Bullet Network Camera The camera uses a set of optical features to balance light throughout the sceneFor both approaching and departing vehicles, the access ANPR camera takes a snapshot of the number plate and vehicle overview picture, as well as records corresponding surveillance videos. By setting a whitelist, the camera can automatically control the barrier or gate to open if a plate number recorded in the whitelist has been recognised. The public areas including children's playground, fitness areas, as well as the lobby are covered by 2MP IR Mini Dome Network Camera IPC-HDBW4231E-ASE, 2MP and 3MP IR Mini-Bullet Network Camera. The Starlight Ultra-low Light Technology of IPC-HDBW4231E-ASE offers light sensitivity, capturing colour details under low light condition up to 0.002lux. The camera uses a set of optical features to balance light throughout the scene, resulting in clear images in dark environments. Smart residential solution Dahua smart residential solution provides an integrated management platform for the management personnel of BI-City Tokyo. It assists in the remote and visual management of the property and improves the services and facilities they offer. Security guard at the entrance is not needed anymore to manage entering and exiting vehicles, which saves labour costs, reduces the waiting time of vehicles and improves traffic efficiency. In addition, the all-round monitoring of the public areas within BI-City Tokyo greatly improves the safety level of the entire community. The video intercom system of the building provides a variety of convenient door opening methods, enhancing the resident’s living experience. "We adopted analog solution in the first phase. From the second phase, we replaced all of analogue system with Dahua’s IP video intercom solution. We hope that Dahua will help us complete the solution planning of the three, four, five, and six phases”, said Arman, General Manager of BI Group.

Video walls installed in Bristol City Council’s “world class” security operations centre by visual display experts Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS) have completed 25,000 hours of continuous operation. The three video walls are each made up of 55-inch 24/7 grade LCD displays with narrow bezels and are part of a multi-purpose centre which brings together some of the city’s critical support services and acts as a control centre in the event of a major emergency. The Operations centre, which has been operating since February 2017, houses what used to be the council’s Emergency Control Centre, Traffic Control Centre and Community Safety (CCTV) Control Rooms together in a single space for the first time. Live CCTV images It also installed a conference/incident video wall made up of four display These teams provide essential public safety services that utilise around 700 CCTV cameras in the city. UVS installed a curved video wall made up of 12 displays for monitoring a wide range of data including mapping, traffic monitoring and live CCTV images. It also installed a conference/incident video wall made up of four display, with access to the same data, and a smaller police incident monitoring video wall. Peter Anderson, Head of Connected City Service at Bristol City Council, said, “Having a high-quality and resilient monitoring wall is essential in providing a world class service that’s help keep the city safe, moving  and healthy. The monitoring wall provides the technology and framework for effective public space surveillance which is an integral element to provide first class images which can be used to help bring offenders to justice.” Problem-free operation UVS Managing Director Steve Murphy said the ability to provide high quality displays which have operated problem-free was key. He said, “The control centre was hailed as world class when it opened and obviously seamless 24/7 operation is of paramount importance. We are delighted to have hit the 25,000 hours milestone and to be part of such an important project, helping to keep the people of Bristol safe.” As well as the video walls UVS also installed two video wall controllers and inputs to allow operational staff and visitors to display tablet and mobile device data on the displays. It also provides an annual maintenance contract. Synectics Synergy VMS platform All video wall control is fully integrated to the Synectics Synergy VMS platform" Steve Murphy added, “The project was won after very detailed technical and commercial evaluation by the end client and their consultants (IBI) including detailed demonstration of the required system functionality. All video wall control is fully integrated to the Synectics Synergy VMS platform. UVS have worked closely with Synectics during the past 12 years, which ensured the seamless integration.”  UVS, formerly eyevis UK, is based at Business First Burnley Business Centre and provides video wall displays and audio visual solutions to a range of clients across the UK. It is led by four senior colleagues who, between them, have more than 70 years’ combined Audio Visual, Control Room and Visual Solutions experience. Providing turnkey solutions It has also opened a new London demonstration venue at Woburn Place, a short walk from Euston Station, to cope with increased demand for its technology. eyevis UK changed its name to Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS) last September following the acquisition of eyevis GmbH by the Leyard group. The rebranding has allowed the company to offer an expanded range of products and services and remain at the forefront of providing turnkey solutions for all types of audio visual and visual display applications.

Everbridge, Inc., globally renowned provider of critical event management solutions, has announced that it has been selected by Peru’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) to power the nation’s Sistema de Mensajería de Alerta Temprana de Emergencia (Sismate), Peru’s Early Warning Emergency Messaging System. The news marks the completion of contract negotiations with the MTC that Everbridge had initially disclosed in September, without naming the country. The win reinforces Everbridge’s position as the global leader in population warning systems with contracts in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions. Critical messages to mobile phones After the Sismate is deployed, it will be activated once Peru’s National Institute of Civil Defense detects a major incident After the Sismate is deployed, it will be activated once Peru’s National Institute of Civil Defense detects a major incident. The system, powered by Everbridge Public Warning, will send critical messages to mobile phones before, during and after the emergency. Sismate alerts can also be used in drills and to provide support in search and rescue operations. The Sismate is designed to serve over 37 million people including Peru’s 33 million residents and 4 million annual visitors. “This technology marks a milestone in risk and disaster management at the national level, which will be consolidated by combining joint efforts between various institutions and citizens,” explained Deputy Minister of Communications, Virginia Nakagawa to El Economista. National warning system “Everbridge is honoured to support Peru with its national warning system,” said David Meredith, Chief Executive Officer at Everbridge. “Peru joins a growing number of countries that have chosen to partner with Everbridge to implement a nationwide system to protect their population and visitors amid an escalating threat environment.” The Everbridge Platform has been deployed by more local, state, and national governments across the globe than any other solution, offering the ability to reach over 500 million people in more than 200 countries. In addition to Peru, Everbridge Public Warning has been deployed to reach the mobile populations on a country-wide scale in Sweden, Iceland, the Netherlands, Singapore, Greece, and a number of the largest states in India, and is currently being implemented in Australia. Everbridge Public Warning system Everbridge is the first population alerting provider to support four EU countries in conjunction with the recent EU mandate requiring member countries to have a population-wide alerting system in place by June 2022.  Everbridge Public Warning represents the only multi-channel solution which allows countries to deploy their preferred combination of emergency communications methods. The Everbridge population warning system communicates across all phases of an incident, leverages location intelligence (static location, last known location, and expected location). It provides directed two-way communications, and enables countries to combine both speed of delivering alerts with the broadest reach to cover the full population and visitors.

Genetec Inc., globally renowned technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence has announced that the city of New Orleans (NOLA) is relying on Security Center, the company’s unified IP security platform, to improve public safety and enhance city-wide collaboration. With about 400,000 residents, New Orleans (NOLA) is the most populous city in the State of Louisiana. Like other big cities, NOLA is focused on enhancing public safety for its citizens and the 1.2 million visitors who flock to the city’s French Quarter for Mardi Gras celebrations. Using Security Center, the NOHSEP agency has saved police officers about 2000 hrs of investigative work in just a year Genetec Security Center As part of a Citywide Public Safety Improvement Plan that included the deployment of a new citywide public safety system and the construction of a Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC), the New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) chose the Genetec Security Center unified platform to support all city agencies.  Using Security Center, the NOHSEP agency has saved police officers about 2000 hours of on-foot investigative work in just one year. “It might take a police officer over an hour to visit business locations, speak with owners, look through video, find what they are looking for, get a copy of video onto USB keys, drive back to the precinct, and then submit that into evidence." said George Barlow Brown, IT Manager at the New Orleans Real Time Crime Center. Video and ALPR cameras He adds, “So, we have essentially saved the department over 2000 hours of manual labor in physically collecting and storing video evidence. That’s more time for officers to respond to calls of service and be present in our many neighborhoods, which helps build community confidence. The ROI is there for us in terms of the efficiency,” The team can now easily retrieve evidence from over 325 city-owned video cameras and 100 automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras (60 of which are Security Center AutoVu cameras)  from the Real-Time Crime Center. The new security platform is integrated with other public safety solutions such as a Briefcam analytics system and a computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) system. All this information gets routed through to a central command center, speeding up emergency response. Share video access with RTCC  “Our operators do the full investigative work right from within Security Center. It’s just one of the most intuitive solutions that I have ever seen. We can display up to six video tiles and hit ‘synchronise video’ to see various angles of the same scene playing at the same time. We can then select the segment of video we need and hit export. Each 10-minute segment from all the video tiles is then archived for viewing later on,” said Brown. NOLA is also leveraging Security Center to foster a true public-private partnership. The city launched a platinum version of the SafeCam project, which allows businesses to share access to external video cameras with the RTCC. Motion-detection alarms Using the Genetec Federation feature, the NOHSEP team can access video from participating companies’ systems Using the Genetec Federation feature, the NOHSEP team can access video from participating companies’ systems. Participating businesses can be identified by discrete signage at their front entrances. This tells on-the-ground officers that this business has shared their outdoor cameras with the RTCC, and there is no reason to disturb the establishment or their customers. The officer can simply call RTCC operators to get the evidence they need. Brown and his team also have motion-detection alarms set up on cameras facing some known illegal dumping sites. As soon as someone dumps refuge in these locations, the team can proactively notify the Sanitation Department so they can collect the debris. Mining video and data NOLA is making the most of its security investments to improve city life too. For one, the RTCC operates a backup emergency operations center for the city of New Orleans. The NOHSEP team has also shared video feeds with other city departments such as the Sewage and Water Board, so they can determine the rate at which an intersection floods. As plans continue to evolve, the RTCC team is taking full advantage of the new technology to keep NOLA safer. “As far as investigations and the ability to mine video and data, Security Center is hands-down the best product out there. With this platform, we’re extending greater efficiency to responding officers, and we’re also forging stronger partnerships with our community. Together, we’re all working smarter and faster to keep New Orleans safe,” concluded Brown.

Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) manages more than 26,000 properties on behalf of Newcastle City Council. They are piloting an innovative fire detection system in partnership with OpenView Security Solutions, the UK’s largest privately-owned independent security company and a national supplier of fire, electrical and mechanical services to the public and private housing sector. MOBOTIX thermal imaging cameras have been installed in 3 multi-storey blocks across the city to continually monitor temperatures in the buildings’ bin chute rooms. The thermal cameras will send an alarm to OpenView’s central control centre and the fire service immediately if an unexpected heat pattern is detected. The early detection system provided by the OpenView now means that residents can be reassured of much faster response times from the fire service in the event of an incident, minimising the potential impact on occupants and their properties, so that they and their homes are far safer as a result. Risks and Challenges Ensuring safety of residents through early detection and prevention of potential fires To be able to react quickly to verify a fire situation Alerting the fire service within seconds of a potential fire so they can respond rapidly Keeping residents safe and minimising damage to property in the event of a fire The risk to lives and property caused by rapid spread of a fire in high-density apartment blocks Solution provided by MOBOTIX and OpenView MOBOTIX M16 thermal cameras installed in bin chute rooms of 3 YHN multi-storey blocks Thermal technology continuously monitors temperature, triggering an alarm if an unexpected heat pattern is detected Operators in OpenView’s central control room assess and monitor the situation Fire service instantly alerted ready for rapid response MOBOTIX cameras integrated into existing infrastructure with no disruption to residents Potential risk to lives and property minimised through early fire detection Installation of thermal imaging cameras YHN has installed thermal imaging cameras in 3 of its 45 multi-storey blocks across the cityYour Homes Newcastle (YHN) manages community and public housing on behalf of Newcastle City Council. Set up in 2004, the organisation oversees more than 26,000 properties for the council. With fire safety in tower blocks having been in the spotlight since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, YHN took the decision to pilot an innovative fire detection system. In a trial partnership with OpenView Security Solutions, the UK’s largest privately-owned independent security company and a national supplier of fire, electrical and mechanical services to the public and private housing sectors, YHN has installed thermal imaging cameras in 3 of its 45 multi-storey blocks across the city. “The tragic events at Grenfell Tower have undoubtedly put fire safety in multi-storey blocks under a microscope, but we have been trialling new measures in our multi-storey properties for some time,” says David Langhorne, YHN’s Assets and Development Director. ONVIF compliant thermal cameras OpenView Security designed and installed an early fire detection system using MOBOTIX dual M16 thermal cameras, featuring one thermal and one optical sensor. MOBOTIX thermal sensors measure minute differences in mid-wavelength infrared radiation emitted from an object or body based on its temperature, allowing them to pick up temperature differences of 0.05 of a degree within a temperature range of -40 to +550 degrees Celsius. The ONVIF compliant MOBOTIX cameras contain a powerful CPU that can deliver up to 3 video streams simultaneously The ONVIF compliant MOBOTIX cameras contain a powerful CPU that can deliver up to 3 video streams simultaneously and fulfil the H.264/ONVIF standard, making it easy to combine them with other systems to create unique solutions to real-world problems. By integrating the cameras into YHN’s existing infrastructure, which uses OpenView installed equipment, it was possible to implement the new system without any disruption to residents. Alerts central control room in case of fire Operators are able to monitor images from the thermal lens to pinpoint the exact location of hotspotsThe MOBOTIX M16 cameras were installed in bin chute rooms, where they continually monitor the temperature, sending an alert to the OpenView’s central control room instantly if an unexpected heat pattern is detected. Operators are then able to monitor images from the thermal lens to pinpoint the exact location of hotspots, such as smouldering fires, as well verify the situation via a live feed from the optical lens. An alarm is also raised with the fire service within seconds of a potential fire, making them ready to respond rapidly to a potential emergency situation. According to Andy Ward, Sales Director of OpenView Security Solutions, the innovative fire protection solution enables housing providers to ensure a safer environment for residents and minimise the incidence of false alarms: “It now forms part of our expanding portfolio of fire and life safety solutions, which is one of the fastest growing areas of our business, and consolidates our leading position in the public and private housing sectors.” Faster response times from fire service The early detection system provided by the OpenView now means that residents can be reassured of much faster response times from the fire service in the event of an incident, minimising the potential impact on occupants and their properties, ensuring that they and their homes are far safer as a result. We have wet and dry risers, central alarm systems, smoke alarm activated bin chute fire dampers and bin room sprinklers"“This trial system is one of many fire safety measures currently in place in the blocks we manage across the city. We also have wet and dry risers, central alarm systems, smoke alarm activated bin chute fire dampers and bin room sprinklers,” Langhorne explains. “We pride ourselves on being innovative, so it was an easy decision for us to test something that had not yet been adopted elsewhere,” he adds. Meeting requirements of integrator and end-users Frank Graham, MOBOTIX Regional Sales Manager UK & Benelux, said of the partnership with YHN and OpenView: “We are very happy to be working so closely with both YHN and OpenView in the development and provision of an innovative solution for such a serious issue. “MOBOTIX cameras have inbuilt intelligence to meet all the requirements of integrator and end-users alike and we look forward to a longstanding and fruitful partnership with both organisations moving forward.”

BIRD Aerosystems, globally renowned developer of Airborne Missile Protection Systems (AMPS) and Special Mission Aircraft Solutions (ASIO), has received an order for additional AMPS systems from the UN Air Operations. Airborne Missile Protection Systems Under the contract, BIRD will provide its AMPS-MV solution, which includes the MACS sensor, and install it on the UN Mi-17 helicopters, that are operating in the most dangerous and complicated areas in Africa. The UN is already using BIRD's AMPS systems, and this is a follow-on order that will allow the UN to install the systems on additional helicopters. AMPS missile protection system provides enhanced protection for military and civilian aircraft against MANPADS BIRD's AMPS missile protection system provides the most enhanced protection for military and civilian aircraft against the growing threat of ground to air missiles (MANPADS). Directional Infrared Countermeasures The system is designed to automatically detect, verify, and foil SAM attacks through the effective use of countermeasure decoys (Flares and Chaff) and by Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) that jam the missile's IR seeker and protects the aircraft. The AMPS-MV includes BIRD Aerosystems' patented Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor (MACS) sensor, which performs unique confirmation of suspected incoming missile threats detected by the main electro-optical passive sensors, and practically eliminates any false alarms. MACS ensures that only real missiles will be declared by the system and reacted upon. Missile Approach Confirmation Sensor Ronen Factor, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Bird Aerosystems, "The UN Air Operations teams are operating in the most dangerous areas and conflict zones in Africa, and therefore have to make sure that their helicopters are safe and protected against the constantly growing threat of MANPADS. As caring for its soldiers is a primary goal for the UN, we are honored that once again, they choose to do so using BIRD's AMPS-MV, the most advanced and cost-effective solution that is available today."

Public spaces provide soft targets and are often the sites of terrorist or active shooter attacks. Public spaces, by definition, require easy accessibility and unrestricted movement. Given that openness, what security technologies can provide real results? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is technology innovation impacting the security of public spaces?

When security topics become a part of current events, it is usually in a negative light. Security generally only becomes news when it fails, sometimes in a dramatic, high profile and tragic way. However, security failures can also shed light on lessons learned and opportunities to improve. Working toward better security can translate into the purchase of more goods and equipment supplied by our market. For additional insights into the intersection of security and current events, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Good news or bad news? How do news reports and/or current events influence the general public’s opinion of physical security?

The concept of how security systems can contribute to the broader business goals of a company is not new. It seems we have been talking about benefits of security systems beyond “just” security for more than a decade. Given the expanding role of technologies in the market, including video and access control, at what point is the term “security” too restrictive to accurately describe what our industry does? We asked the Expert Panel Roundtable for their responses to this premise: Is the description “security technology” too narrow given the broader application possibilities of today’s systems? Why?