Surveillance gadgets

On October 30th, Seagate Technology LLC and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. held a ceremony to commemorate ten years’ partnership at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center of China. Dahua Technology VP and General Manager of the Domestic Business, Mr. Zhang Wei, and Seagate Technology Global VP and President of China Region, Ms. Sun Dan, were present at the ceremony to celebrate their ten years’ partnership and join hands in riding the new wave of artificial intelligence in the development of the security industry. Seagate and Dahua During the event, Seagate awarded Dahua the title of “Seagate Global Security Strategic Partner”, further strengthening its cooperation between the industry leaders and continuing to jointly develop market opportunities and drive the development of the security industry. Seagate is a global leader in the field of data storage solutions. Ten years ago, Seagate established a specialised sales and technical team and started partnering with surveillance equipment manufacturers. Seagate Technology Global VP and President of China Region, Ms. Sun Dan, noted that during the ten years of cooperation between Seagate and Dahua, a strategic relationship was formed and many high-performance, large-volume, and high-reliability storage products had been released to provide stronger support to video surveillance storage. Higher performance products and solutions “In addition to the procurement and deployment of products, the partnership between Dahua and Seagate also involved all-rounded and in-depth joint effort in the hard disk technological evolution, customised research and development, and market promotion”, stated by Mr. Zhang Wei, Dahua VP and general manager of Dahua Domestic Business. “Dahua and Seagate have long been more than just a simple customer and supplier relationship – we are strategic partners whose mutual cooperation is based upon a high degree of trust and interdependency.” After the event, Mr. Shi Dong, channel business director of the Domestic Business, and Mr. Feng Li, senior product marketing engineer, stated that Dahua will launch in-depth cooperation with Seagate and introduce higher performance products and solutions to meet higher customer requirements. Integrated cloud and edge computing As a part of its “Cloud Ecosystem, Smart Future” strategy, Dahua articulates “end-to-end computing” which integrates cloud and edge computing. Dahua actively expands into fields such as smart cities, intelligent transportation, and smart homes, offering professional and differentiated services, which in turn raises the bar for the product technologies and project services of both parties. During the ceremony, the two sides unanimously expressed that they would make full use of their own technologies, talents, resources, and other advantages to form cohesion and continue innovation, jointly building a more thorough new ecosystem within the video IoT industry.

Dedrone, a provider of airspace security and developers of the first drone detection software platform, announced their next generation software upgrade, DroneTracker 3. DroneTracker is the industry’s first airspace security solution that includes automated summary reporting for instant diagnosis of drone airspace activity. DroneTracker 3 enhancements Automated summary reporting, enabling security personnel to instantaneously assess and analyse drone threats Enterprise-grade security and management, allowing for multi-user management and seamless integration into existing security programs Increased simplification of platform set up, creating an intuitive and quick-to-deploy system Together, these updates and improvements make the Dedrone solution the most reliable and accurate platform for drone detection and classification.   “Dedrone is constantly innovating ahead of the market to provide customers with the most accurate and timely drone detection reporting. This is why they have been able to maintain a wide margin as the leader in airspace security providers,” shares John Chambers, Dedrone investor and Executive Chairman of Cisco. “The release of Drone Tracker 3 is a testament to the incredible pace at which Dedrone is advancing the industry.” Machine learning network software Dedrone’s software is a machine learning network using information from a proprietary database, DroneDNA. DroneTracker gathers intelligence from various sensors, including radio frequency and Wi-Fi scanners, microphones, and cameras, DroneTracker 3 can detect drones over a mile away from a protected site and determines the communications protocol of the drone, its flight path and the location of the pilot. Once a drone is detected, the software alerts security personnel and can be integrated to deploy a passive security measure or defeat technology. "Our global customer base is growing every day, as are drone threats across every industry we work with" “Ultimately, DroneTracker 3 identifies how many drones are in an organisation’s airspace, a question which was nearly impossible to answer prior to the launch of DroneTracker,” shares Joerg Lamprecht, CEO and co-founder of Dedrone. “Our global customer base is growing every day, as are drone threats across every industry we work with. With this in mind, we’ve added significant enhancements to make DroneTracker an even better fit for enterprise environments, to ensure they understand the risks to their airspace and prevent drone interruptions and threats.” Additional highlights of DroneTracker 3: Automated summary reporting: DroneTracker is the industry’s first airspace security solution that includes automated summary reporting right out of the box. Improved detection and reliability: Drone detection accuracy and reliability have been significantly improved for Dedrone RF Sensors and 3rd-party video cameras. New and upgraded algorithms deliver: Improved drone detection accuracy compared to previous versions Reduction of false positive detections by over 99% Increased drone tracking range for video cameras Improved tracking and re-detection of hovering, fast, and small drones Enterprise-grade security and management: Enterprise customers require solutions that meet security standards, integrate with existing procedures, and enable multi-user management at scale. DroneTracker 3 provides the following: End-to-end encryption of communication between sensors and software Role-based access control and administration Complete change log with audit trail Visibility into licence information and inventory Enhanced ease-of-use: Keeping the user in mind, the Dedrone team has put considerable effort into making the platform as intuitive and user-friendly as possible. In this release Dedrone has added: Flexible map modes including static, fixed-coordinate, or live, with support for street, satellite, and hybrid modes New alert organisation, including alert filtering, improved page navigation, and configuration of notifications A new RF Sensor recording view New, simplified software installation and upgrade procedures

Perfect Display Technology Co. Ltd. has announced the factory has passed its recent ISO9001:2015 audit, improving on the previous ISO9001:2000 standard, showing the company is still the best place to get your commercial grade monitors. Improving processes and products The company spokesperson, Sales Director Liam McShane said, “We are constantly striving to improve our processes and ultimately our products. We can only do this by implementing the proper processes and by listening to and acting on customer feedback. As well as spending a lot of time and money on product development, we also understand the need to constantly improve our internal systems to improve not only quality but productivity too. We have introduced a very strict QC process, right from the goods in to the goods out. This includes a new heat and humidity testing room and various other processes, giving my department, and our partners and their customers, much greater confidence in the quality of the products we provide.” Benefits to business and customers General Manager David He added, “We are very proud that our hard work over the past few months is showing benefits to our business and to our partners and customers. I’m very happy with the Production and QC teams for showing their ability and commitment to our mission to become one of the top suppliers in the industry. I would also like to thank our R&D team of engineers for the constant development of our existing and future products. I can confidently say that we produce the best PVMs in the world because of their hard work and dedication. It takes effort from everyone to build a successful business. As someone wiser than me once said, “It takes many years to become an overnight success!”” Perfect Display Technology Co Ltd have been a supplier of LCD and LED displays since 2006, and proudly provide OEM services to many household names and companies around the world.

iluminar Inc., the specialist manufacturer and supplier of infrared and white light illuminators, announced that it will join Ameristar Perimeter Security’s Perimeter InSite partnership initiative as the expert in perimeter lighting technology. Spearheaded by Ameristar, Perimeter InSite is a strategic initiative that aims to bring together industry leaders from several technology sectors to offer customers integrated perimeter security solutions that address and mitigate a variety of threats. Perimeter InSite technology partners are the top manufacturers in intrusion detection, sensors, seismic-acoustic sensors, gunshot detection, assessment cameras, thermal cameras, engineered gates, automation and perimeter lighting. Improving perimeter security “We are pleased to have iluminar join our partnership initiative,” said Benjamin Shirley, director of marketing for Ameristar Perimeter Security. “Integration of these types of technologies within our fence systems allow our customers to take advantage of a single platform, enhancing the overall effectiveness of their perimeter.  We understand that no single technology can provide a turnkey perimeter security solution, but by bringing together each of these technology partners under Perimeter InSite, we are able to provide our clients with unique solutions that deliver a level of project insight unseen in the perimeter security industry.” “We are excited to work with Ameristar and join the Perimeter InSite technology partnership,” said Eddie Reynolds, CEO of iluminar. “Lighting plays a strategic role in perimeter security, whether by acting as a deterrent for trespassers or by providing illumination that enhances video capture and image clarity. Through this initiative, we’ll be able to educate a broader customer base on the advantages of effective lighting and how to deploy it with other solutions for maximum impact.” iluminar’s WL 643-2 Series display Characterised by its impressive LED technology, low power consumption and white light illumination coverage of more than 640 feet, iluminar’s WL 643-2 Series will be showcased in the Perimeter InSite showroom at Ameristar’s headquarters in Tulsa, Okla. Modeled to imitate security situations from various industries, the showroom will feature iluminar’s lighting solutions alongside other technologies– such as barriers, bollards, gate automation and access controls– so that customers can see the advantages of deploying an integrated perimeter solution first-hand.

Altronix, the recognised leader in power and transmission solutions for the professional security industry, is showcasing the latest additions to the company’s innovative Fiber Solutions here at ASIS 2017 (booth #2823). NetWay Spectrum Series hardened PoE switches and Ethernet-to-fibre media converters accommodate single or multi-mode fibre, as well as composite cable, which combine fiber with copper to simultaneously deliver low-voltage power and data at distances beyond a mile. New additions include the single port NetWay SP1P Media Converter/Injector and the NetWay SP8A/16A 8 and 16-port Media Converters. “NetWay Spectrum capitalises on the inherent long-distance transmission capabilities of fibre.” said Alan Forman, President, Altronix Corporation. “These new additions to the NetWay Spectrum Series reaffirm our commitment to deliver power and transmission solutions that meet the needs of the market.” Remote monitoring, control and reporting NetWay Spectrum includes rack mount media converters for head-end installation, as well as a wide range of indoor and outdoor models with single or multiple SFP Ports for remote deployment. All NetWay Spectrum PoE Switches feature Altronix LINQ Network Communications Technology for remote monitoring, control and reporting. The latest models added to the growing family of NetWay Spectrum solutions include: NetWay SP1P Single Port Media Converter/Injector which converts Ethernet to Fibre and provides PoE. NetWay SP8A/16A Media Converters provide 8 or 16 ports (respectively) in a compact 1U rack mount configuration for head-end installation that converts Ethernet to Fibre. To complete the fibre solution line of products, Altronix now offers Single-Mode SFP modules – P1SM10 and Multi-Mode SFP modules – P1MM. All NetWay Spectrum Series products carry a lifetime warranty and are made in the U.S.A.

DITEK’s Outdoor Surge Protector for Ethernet Cabling provides a highly effective and cost-efficient solution to protect surveillance and security devices and systems. Featured this week at ASIS 2017 (booth #701), the hardened unit model DTK-MRJPOEX features a NEMA 4X rated enclosure with weatherproof connectors for installation in harsh or outdoor environments. “When an organisation experiences a multi-million-dollar loss after a lighting strike because they didn’t have the proper surge protection precautions in place, the benefits of surge protection are quite apparent,” said Jason Klein, National Sales Manager, DITEK. “The addition of our new outdoor Ethernet surge protector should be a no-brainer for organisations with external surveillance and security systems to protect their investment and ensure these critical systems stay up and running.” Multi-stage technology and hybrid design When used with STP cabling, the DTK-MRJPOEX requires no earth ground and has a field replaceable surge module. Its multi-stage technology and hybrid design provides superior protection for Ethernet devices. It is compatible with CAT5e, CAT6 and CAT6A cabling infrastructure and exceeds the IEEE Standards for PoE. Design features include shielded RJ45 connectors and liquid-tight cord grips. Other specifications include a surge current rating of 20kA/pair; and gigabit data speed with no signal degradation. At ASIS 2017, DITEK will be highlighting the vital importance of protecting security, fire and other building systems from power surges and spikes that can damage or destroy equipment and data. “Loss of security, surveillance and life/safety system operations is costly on many levels,” continued Mr. Klein. “The simple implementation of surge protectors, regardless of the source location, can ensure the continued operation of life/safety and security devices as intended.”

Utility security staff have a responsibility to ensure they can identify risks associated with security threats Protecting North America’s power grid is a thankless job. Day in and day out, the good citizens of the United States and Canada wake up with the assumption that when they get out of bed each morning and flip on the lights, the room will illuminate, the coffee pot will come to life and their mobile phone will have been fully charged. After all, we live in a modern First World society, where we have come to depend on timely and efficient power at our fingertips. In reality, that reliable electricity that we all enjoy has many people working around the clock to ensure its reliability, resiliency and security. Today’s grid operators are inundated with natural and man-made threats. As utilities tackle the monster of the moment, which is the evolving cybersecurity threat, we must not take our eyes off the more primitive threat.   Security threats to US grid Electricity is perhaps the most vital of the critical infrastructures and key resources that support our society. The mission of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is to ensure the reliability of the North American bulk power system (BPS). While electric utility companies are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the electric grid, regulators such as NERC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) are charged with the overall responsibility of ensuring reliability and security. NERC develops and enforces Reliability Standards, annually assesses seasonal and long?term reliability, monitors the bulk power system through system awareness, operates the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) and educates, trains and certifies industry personnel. Normal everyday operations of the system are the responsibility of utility owners and operators. Currently, the most significant reliability threat to the U.S. grid is associated with squirrels and balloons, and not religiously inspired terrorists During emergencies, NERC supports industry actions to respond, mitigate and restore the BPS to normal operation by facilitating effective information sharing and communication with and between NERC registered entities, government agencies and the media. This information is not focused on operational decision making; but instead provides utilities data, best practices and mitigation strategies to help recover from crisis. Obviously as a regulatory body, NERC must stay out of emergency response until the utility has best mitigated the threat or reliability issue. Currently, the most significant reliability threat to the U.S. grid is associated with squirrels and balloons, and not religiously inspired terrorists. However – and more applicable to grid operators – we have recently seen noteworthy interest in disabling or destroying critical infrastructure. Coordinated attacks specifically targeting the grid are rare, but an attack by a disgruntled former employee, ideologically motivated activist, or a criminal stumbling across a “soft target”, could inflict significant damage. With an interconnected grid of over 450,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines (100 kV and higher) and over 55,000 substations (100 kV and larger), the targets of opportunity are endless. An attack by a disgruntled former employee, ideologically motivated activist, or a criminal stumbling across a “soft target”, could inflict significant damage Critical infrastructure protection Critical infrastructure protection is a cyclical process incorporating prevention, detection, mitigation, response and recovery. The key to this protection is the identification of credible threats, which will assist energy companies in assessing risks and potential vulnerabilities (weaknesses) of their facilities. Once a threat has been thoroughly analysed, it is then possible to institute preventative measures to deter, detect and delay an attack. Of course, critical infrastructure protection planning must always include mitigation, response and recovery actions in the event an attacker is successful. While the security of the grid is a shared responsibility between the government and the private sector, the primary responsibility rests with utility owners and operators. Utility security staff have a responsibility to ensure they are able to receive and act upon criminal intelligence and be prepared to identify risks and vulnerabilities associated with security threats. Any protection programme that is developed must be as efficient and cost-effective as possible, as budgets are limited and ratepayers are sensitive to wasteful spending. Effective security programmes rely on risk management principles and associated tools to establish priorities, allocate budget dollars and harden infrastructure sites. Physical security protection encompasses defensive mechanisms to prevent, deter and detect physical threats of various kinds. Specifically, these measures are undertaken to protect personnel, equipment and property against anticipated threats. Properly conceived and implemented security policies, programmes and technologies are essential to ensure a facility’s resistance to threats while meeting demand, reliability and performance objectives. Unfortunately, many do not realise the amount of reports, guidelines, standards and assessments that have been developed for use Electricity industry physical security standards Significant progress has been made in the electricity industry surrounding the issue of security. Unfortunately, many do not realise the amount of reports, guidelines, standards and assessments that have been developed for use. The industry has gone through multiple iterations of mandatory Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Standards that focus on security protections. The CIP Standards, while not perfect, may be an example for other sectors to immolate. These standards are a minimum baseline for compliance and utilities should not assume that because they have a good compliance programme they are somehow immune from attack. In addition, many electric utilities undergo a sector-wide Grid Security Exercise (GridEx) every two years to hone their skills and provide updates to their security practices and policies. This is in addition to annual exercises mandated by the cyber standards. It is fair to say that the industry has been very responsive to the evolving security threat and the mandatory requirements found within CIP compliance. As a result of the 2013 California substation attack that destroyed $15 million dollars in infrastructure, industry now has a physical security standard. This standard was created to protect the most critical transmission substations and control centres in North America. While protections vary, many utilities have upgraded their security measures to include concrete or non-scalable perimeters, robust access control, cameras, lighting and armed guards. It is highly likely that we will one day see similar standards put in place to better protect non-nuclear generation facilities, but only time will tell. Many utilities have upgraded security measures to include concrete perimeters, robust access control, cameras, lighting and armed guards The piece that the industry continues to struggle with is information sharing and the ability to quickly obtain actionable threat intelligence; an issue which has been combatted head-on through the sharing of security information amongst utility partners. Large utilities with the manpower and resources to address this initiative are changing the security model from reactive to proactive. If you understand your adversary’s tactics, intent, and capabilities, you can develop strategies to combat their attacks and better plan for future threats. Better, more proactive security, can be achieved through information sharing agreements and partnerships with other utilities, regulatory agencies and intelligence partners. Many utilities do not have the dedicated resources to dissect and aggregate this data and are thus unable to react appropriately, or wind up drawing inaccurate conclusions. As a result, the electricity sector is demanding more access to actionable intelligence and threat streams. With this added intelligence, utilities can better pinpoint threats to specific systems and focus efforts on system recovery and restoration. This will undoubtedly drive better, more informed responses to security incidents. The FBI, DHS and the DOE have made considerable strides in improving information sharing, and giving classified access to intelligence products Improving information sharing Over the past few years, the FBI, DHS and the DOE have made considerable strides in improving information sharing and giving classified access to intelligence products such as bulletins, alerts and secret level briefings. These products have been used to mitigate threats, reduce risk and update internal security policies. Additionally, this data flow has enhanced communications between security teams, management and board members by providing authoritative threat warnings. This ultimately drives better investment strategies by more directly connecting security priorities with business risk management priorities. Unfortunately, utilities still see risks in sharing information with federal partners. Recently, the Washington Post released an article with a salacious headline falsely suggesting that the grid was hacked via Russian malware. Even after correcting the story, the question remains: who leaked the information to the Washington Post? Utilities all over the country were witnessing an information sharing failure. We must assume that at some point in the future a North American utility will suffer from a planned and coordinated attack against electrical infrastructure. Have we looked at credible threats closely enough and did we prepare our people to respond, recover and communicate? As an industry, we will be judged and hard questions will be asked about how seriously we considered the threats and what we did to mitigate future attacks. Success will be determined by how quickly we are able to respond and the swiftness of system recovery. There is no doubt that security is an “all hands” approach by everyone involved.

The future will produce cost-effective solutions that can provide meaningful coverage of wide expansive areas The greatest trend in history will continue to change the world, and the physical security market. It’s called Moore’s Law. In accordance with Moore’s Law, our electronics have consistently doubled in speed, halved in size, or halved in price every two years for decades already. This trend means that our electronics, communications networks, data networks, and digital world evolve at a faster pace than anything else in the world, making a huge impact on the security market as well as hundreds of others. To put the power of the law into perspective, just imagine if Moore’s Law applied to our world beyond electronics and networks. Imagine the year 2025 – just 10 years from today. Imagine flying to China in less than 30 minutes. Imagine driving all the way across Texas on a single gallon of gasoline. Imagine paying just $3 for nearly $100 worth of groceries. What a wonderful world that would be! Future technology But to achieve these outcomes, flight speeds would need to double every two years, fuel efficiency would need to double every two years, and food prices would need to be cut in half every two years. These are aggressive trends to pursue. Ten more years at those rates, and in 2035 you would be flying to China in less than 60 seconds, driving around the entire planet on a single gallon of gasoline, and paying just about 10 cents for the groceries that cost you $100 today. But now let’s snap back to reality, because those trends are ridiculous. Nothing can improve that quickly (except our electronics and computer networks). Security devices have shifted from analogue to digital, and are therefore poised to accelerate in their evolution as well. Do we truly realise where this trend can take us and how fast it can take us there? Are we ready to embrace these changes? Does upper management see them coming? I’m reminded of a scene from the classic comedy The Blues Brothers in which Jake and Elwood (a.k.a. the Blues Brothers) return to Elwood’s apartment. A loud train rolls past the window. Security devices have shifted from analogue to digital, and are therefore poised to accelerate in their evolution as well Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often that you won't even notice it. Trains continue to noisily whiz past Elwood’s tiny apartment. The sound of the trains is overbearing at first. However, about one minute later and we – the viewers – have grown accustomed to the sound. Jake apparently does as well, because he falls asleep even as the trains continue to roar past. Perhaps Elwood is onto something… Personal experience Can the greatest trend in history go under-appreciated simply because it is so consistent? Back in the mid 1990’s, my parents bought a big beige family computer. That beige box was an exciting part of my childhood, and was a large part of why I went on to study electrical engineering. The computer had a whopping 8 GB of storage and cost thousands of dollars. It is now 20 years later, and I’m walking around with a much more powerful computer in my pocket. My smartphone cost me a small fraction of what my parents paid for that big beige box, it has much better software, it has a much faster internet connection, and I can take it anywhere with ease. Truly miraculous if you think about it, and even more miraculous if you think about where we might be in another 20 years. While I don’t expect to be flying to China in less than 60 seconds by 2035, I absolutely do expect our computers to be over 1000 times as powerful, 1000 times as small, 1/1000th the cost, or some combination thereof. Some bold predictions Now that you are hopefully in the proper mindset, here are three bold predictions for the future of surveillance: Ultra high definition: Despite all of the wonderful surveillance technology we have today, surveillance systems are very limited when viewing wide open areas at a long range. Their resolution and analytics don’t come close to the capabilities of the human eye and the human mind, respectively. This will change as digital camera resolutions skyrocket alongside computing power. The future will produce cost-effective solutions that can provide meaningful coverage of wide expansive areas at resolutions hundreds of times greater than modern cameras. Our borders, waterways, parks, streets, and so many other areas will become visible 24x7x365. Sensors everywhere: 8 GB of storage used to fill up a big beige desktop box. Now we can get 128 GB in something the size of a fingernail. Sensors are getting smaller too. Police officers are being outfitted with body cameras, most people carry one with them in their smartphone, and most storefronts have cameras. GoPro is creating a culture of documenting our most interesting moments, or just documenting everything. Meanwhile, electronic sensors are being placed all over our cars, houses, industrial facilities, motors, pumps, ships, and seemingly anywhere and everywhere else. Size reductions may someday enable micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) to power devices purely from vibrations and temperature gradients. Smaller and more affordable sensors may mean faster refresh cycles in security deployments. The screen: Perhaps you’ve noticed the children at restaurants fixated on their smartphones and tablets. Teenagers often sit in groups at their tables in silence, eyes aimed at their devices. I’ve even gathered with my friends to watch a sports game, only to look up at some point and realise that everyone is staring at their phone screen. Adults walk the streets and hallways buried in their devices. We are so often connected to our screen, checking the latest updates, reading an article, or communicating with someone far away. We work at our computer monitors during the day and then go home to watch TV or read on our tablets, or both. At some point we will collectively spend more time looking at “the screen” that we do looking at the real world around us. What does this mean for security? Simply that the integrated software interface is the centerpiece of a security system’s success. The integrator must work hard behind the scenes to bring a streamlined and unified software interface to their client, because any other solution will obsolete. Smart phones, smart watches, smart cars, smart buildings, smart drones, smart everything – all becoming internetworked These are just predictions. I do not have a crystal ball, and something even more disruptive may very well come along and derail all of them; but right now these seem to be inevitable trends that will occur over the next 10 to 20 years. Reshaping the world Moore’s Law has reshaped the world, and it will continue to reshape the world. Smart phones, smart watches, smart cars, smart buildings, smart drones, smart everything – all becoming internetworked. Digital currency is taking hold, artificial intelligence is taking off, and data usage rates are skyrocketing. All of this combined has tremendous implications from both a physical security and a cybersecurity standpoint. There will be new creative tools to safeguard the world, and new creative tools to disrupt the world. As security professionals, it is our job to ensure that the client’s business can be conducted safely, reliably, and conveniently. Technology will continue to accelerate into the future, and this will likely bring about radical socioeconomic changes. There will always be challenges, but we are fortunate to live in these modern times. I encourage us all to take some time to look forward and wonder what is coming up on the horizon. Some will see amazing opportunities. Some may shrug this whole article off and ask, “How often does meaningful innovation really happen?” My response to those people: So often that you won’t even notice it. Or will you?

The fundamental value of data is widely apparent in modern society, and its loss may have significant consequences Video data is critical to today’s enterprise. The latest video storage systems must offer dependable operation that doesn’t risk loss of that critical data. DDN - When performance matters “Not only is bandwidth very important, but functionality cannot be lost when a storage system is having a bad day,” says Jeff Adams, director of sales, surveillance solutions, for DDN (DataDirects Network) Storage solutions. That importance is reflected in DDN’s motto: “When performance matters.” “If you pull a drive out of a running DDN system, the system monitoring tools will show you that the video data destined for those particular drives is actually being captured or journaled – not lost forever as with competing storage solutions,” says Adams. “When the drives come back online, the journaled data is written in a partial rebuild state as normal operations continue. This dramatically increases overall system performance, reliability and dependability in comparison to competing storage solutions that need to perform full rebuilds from parity each time a drive fails.” DDN systems are architected to continue delivering maximum performance even in adverse conditions, Adams adds. With DDN, entire drive enclosures can go offline while remaining operational with zero data loss. Importance of data recovery service A critical area that can be overlooked in video storage relates to the reliability and rescue capability of storage drives, according to Seagate Technology. The fundamental value of data is widely apparent in modern society, and its loss may have significant consequences; this is particularly true in an area where the maintenance of data is often strictly regulated. “It is crucial, then, that end-users take steps to ensure that the storage solution in their surveillance system is covered by a data recovery service,” says Henk Van Den Berg, Seagate’s European sales director. To ensure that such opportunities are exploited, the storage industry must work to communicate the available options in a way that clearly demonstrates how they fulfil the vast and specific needs of surveillance storage, he says. The storage industry must work to communicate the available options in a way that clearly demonstrates how they fulfil the vast and specific needs of surveillance storage Intelligent video recorders Dependability relates not only at the system level, but at the internal component level as well, says Jeff Burgess, president and CEO of BCDVideo. The integrator should not only expect, but demand, a scalable, stable solution that can be remotely managed, comes pre-imaged, ready-to-rack, and fully covered, he says – “and a manufacturer who’s got his back.” The technology capabilities of today’s intelligent Video Recorders (IVR) have turned the storage unit from a JBOD (just a Box of Disks) to a complete management and notification centre. In addition to capturing and redirecting the video streams, the system can alert the administrator on system fluctuations based on thresholds set by the administrator. This includes both those within the system – CPU temperature, cooling fans, and memory usage – as well as active peripherals attached to the network, such as network switch ports, camera activity, client viewing stations and video streams.  “We relate to all those insurance commercials promising a lower rate within 15 minutes,” says Burgess. “Notice how they never tout the quality of their service, just the fact that they can save you money in 15 minutes. But is that why you buy insurance? Don’t you really want it for if/when something happens? In that regard, what do you do when something catastrophic happens and you need to find that frame sequence, or restore and view the video from a certain date, yet you can’t because the data is corrupt or simply not there? Bet you wish you had those 15 minutes back.”

We don’t usually report on financial news here, but a recent financial move by up-and-coming industry leader Hikvision warrants attention. Specifically, Hikvision in Hangzhou, China, has secured a $3.1 billion line of credit from the government-owned China Development Bank. Companies use a variety of financing tools to provide the currency they need to fuel growth, so in that regard, Hikvision’s move is to be expected. Given their ambitious growth timeline, both in China and throughout the world, it’s no surprise that they would be creating mechanisms to finance that growth. The surprise here is the size of the move. To put $3.1 billion into perspective, consider that Canon paid $2.8 billion when they bought Axis, and that transaction generated tons of interest in the industry and, arguably, shook up the whole market. Obviously, with $3.1 billion of credit at their disposal, Hikvision is well equipped to shake up the industry, too. For fast-growing Hikvision, $3.1 billion is an amount greater than its reported sales revenue of $2.78 billion in 2014. “The company is focused on global growth,” says Alex Asnovich, Head of Marketing at Hikvision USA. “Talking about North America, we are opening our new Hikvision USA headquarters in the Los Angeles area in the summer of 2016. We have our new logistics facilities in Miami to support North and South Americas. We recently opened our Hikvision Canada headquarters office in Montreal and started our own bilingual English and French Canadian tech support center on the East Coast.” Hikvision’s R&D operations R&D is also a big part of the picture. I saw the scale of Hikvision’s R&D operations first-hand on my China visit earlier this year. The company has more than 5,400 engineers, including more than 2,000 software engineers. I also saw the construction site for a new 28-floor facility, adjacent to Hikvision’s other two high-rises in Hangzhou. When the new tower opens in 2018, a large part of it will be devoted to research and development. Hikvision has said its research focuses on such topics as perceptive technology, intelligent analysis, Big Data and cloud storage. “We also plan to build up our R&D resources in North America,” says Asnovich. “Globally, our new European facilities are opening in 2016 in a new building the company owns, and we are also opening new branches and facilities on other continents.” Hikvision is looking to expand into other market segments such as drones Growing a business costs money, and growing a large business this much takes a lot of money. Hikvision reportedly plans to use $1.6 billion of the credit line inside China, and $1.5 billion outside China, including the important U.S. market.  Expansion into different markets Hikvision is looking beyond security, too, and the line of credit will help to finance expansion into market segments such as robotics, industrial machine vision, and drones. There was a hint of what’s to come at the China Public Security Expo in October in Shenzhen, where attendees crowded around a demonstration of a Hikvision drone (available now in the Chinese market). Could an acquisition be in Hikvision’s future? “The line of credit we recently received could prepare us in advance of an M&A opportunity, if and when a good prospect arises,” Asnovich comments. Possible Hikvision acquisitions in the United States have long been a topic of cocktail hour rumors and speculation in the security market. “It is certainly a large amount of money for the security environment,” says Asnovich. “However, it’s not atypical for many other industries. This is not the first time for Hikvision to receive a substantial line of credit.” For example, the company recently was also extended lines of credit for 5 billion Chinese Yuan (around $0.77 billion USD) from international financial organisations such as Deutsche Bank, Citibank, HSBC, and others.  Needless to say, Hikvision’s future ambitions in the security market, and others, are well financed. If the amount of available funds reflects the scope and nature of that expansion, we might expect some dramatic moves from Hikvision in 2016.

I love Wikipedia, not just because I use it every day, but also because it reflects the value that can be created when a large community works together. When each member of a community contributes a small part, the result is monumental. I saw an estimate somewhere that it would take a million pages to print out Wikipedia. Is there an opportunity to leverage video in the same way; that is, to tie together the capabilities of millions to create a central repository that could be useful? Consider the proliferation we’re seeing of smart phones that – we keep getting reminded – have higher resolution than many of the professional video surveillance cameras our industry provides. Consider that these smart phones can provide better quality video every day because of new features that accommodate low light and other challenges. The Boston bombing investigation highlighted the value of smart phone video when police filtered through video captured by bystanders in search of the bombers. But why should we leave crowdsourcing the capture of video to mere chance? Why can’t we create a system that can provide access to smart phone video of a specified area in an emergency? As the saying goes, there should be an app for that. Smart phone users who voluntarily download the app would be able to provide video instantly to a centralised repository whenever they are prompted to do so (via the app). Because of GPS systems in phones, the system could know who is in a specific area at a given time and could send a “need video coverage” message to any smart phone users in the area. The user would then know to deploy the powerful video camera in his or her pocket (and could even be directed what to view.) Citizens could be encouraged to download the app in the interest of good citizenship and Homeland security. Access to instant video of hundreds of smart phone cameras in an area where an event is under way would be immensely valuable to police and emergency responders Access to instant video of hundreds of smart phone cameras in an area where an event is under way would be immensely valuable to police and emergency responders in assessing the situation and directing limited resources in a timely manner. After an event, video recorded (automatically?) at the central repository would provide a forensic tool. The smart phone users would merely be fulfilling their role as good citizens. Like Neighbourhood Watch to the millionth power. (All participation and capture of video would be voluntary, so privacy wouldn’t generally be a concern.) It’s not that far-fetched an idea, is it? The benefits of apps that encourage citizens to do good deeds have already been demonstrated. For example, the city of Boston has a map-based Web app that allows individuals, businesses and community organizations to “Adopt-a-Hydrant,” in effect to volunteer on an ongoing basis to shovel the snow away from a specific fire hydrant to avoid delaying fire fighters who would need the hydrants in an emergency. It’s the same idea – calling on community volunteers to fulfil a service that would be time- and resource-consuming if handled centrally, but is perfectly manageable if everyone does a part. As good as our professional video systems are getting, and even considering how many are being deployed, a big drawback will always be camera coverage. Having a powerful video camera in the hands of almost every ordinary citizen it too good a resource to ignore, and technology exists to enable that value to be harnessed. In our industry, IP video systems could provide the ability to tie into the centralised source of smart phone video, and could even prompt users to deploy their cameras as needed, in effect expanding the camera count of their systems exponentially. There was a news story out of San Jose last week about the creation of a video surveillance camera registry that would provide voluntary access to the city’s private surveillance cameras as an additional tool in crime prevention. Same idea, but there are many more smart phone cameras than private surveillance cameras. And Wikipedia shows us how the Internet can combine a vast number of individual data points into a useful whole. Could a similar approach work for smart phone video feeds?

You can depend on the National Rifle Association (NRA) to enter the conversation after almost any high-profile violent incident, and such was the case recently after a 22-year-old college student went on a deadly rampage outside the main campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Thirteen were injured and six young adults lost their lives, including the perpetrator. After the tragedy, “NRA News Commentator” Dom Raso took issue with what he called “inaccuracy of the media, especially regarding their reports of mass shootings.”  Specifically, Raso objects to the media’s use of the word “shooting,” rather than the more general term “murderer.” His contention is that “shooter” focuses excessive attention on how a crime was committed, rather than the crime itself. “All of a sudden, instead of focusing on the real common link between all acts of evil, the evil person who did it, we are subconsciously told to think about the tool they used instead,” he says. “Evil is the problem, the tool is irrelevant and stories designed to make you think anything other than the truth are propaganda.” I thought his argument was a little thin until I realized that the University of California perpetrator used both a gun and a knife in his crime – he stabbed three victims before shooting the others. However, he was almost universally referred to as a “shooter” but not as a “stabber” or “knife-wielding maniac,” or whatever the equivalent knife-related noun would be.  It’s not that any of the reports were incorrect, just a matter of emphasis. How many marketers avoid the term “video analytics” because of bad connotations from early failures of the technology? I wouldn’t exactly call it propaganda, but it reminds us of the importance of how we use words in our market as well as in the world at large. Something as simple as using the term “security officer” instead of “security guard” can suggest a higher stature or greater importance of the job being done.  Why do retailers use a polite euphemism like “shrinkage” to mean “theft” (in its various forms)? Terms like “surveillance” can absorb negative connotations, suggesting “Big Brother” or the NSA. You see word choice reflecting market trends, too. How many marketers avoid the term “video analytics” because of bad connotations from early failures of the technology? Some apparently think the term “PSIM” carries an implication of being expensive or two specialized. That’s how you come up with companies saying things like, “It does everything a PSIM does, but it isn’t a PSIM.” (PSIM is an acronym for physical security information management.) As an editor, I am aware of the power of words. I take Mr. Raso’s point, although I disagree that the intent is propaganda. Most journalists would choose “shooter” over “murderer” or “perpetrator” simply because it is more specific. Sadly, most of us hear the words so often nowadays we hardly stop to think about them. Maybe we should. Bottom line: Our words can reveal our biases, so we should choose them carefully.

Traditionally, many stores have used an assortment of tags and labels on a diverse range of merchandise, most of which were designed for an entirely different set of products. As a result, many apparel retailers have recognised that in some instances merchandise and textiles are being damaged. Checkpoint Systems, renowned supplier of source-to-shopper solutions, has therefore developed an innovative new anti-theft solution to meet their specific requirements – Mini NeedleLok. Mini NeedleLok anti-theft solution Designed to protect all types of garments, including very thin fabric, the one-piece solution deters thieves while preventing damage that would usually occur on application of pinned security tags. Whilst other products on the market feature a hinged mechanism which can snag and rip textiles, Mini NeedleLok uses a needle in place of a separate pin, which separates the fibres rather than breaking through them. This allows store assistants to gently spread fabric threads on application to avoid leaving a visible hole after removal. In order to reduce time spent on in-store tagging labour, the Mini NeedleLok mechanical design allows quick and easy application, whilst the solution’s wide opening also allows freedom of placement anywhere on the garment. Minimum product damage risk The Mini NeedleLok speeds up the self-checkout process The Mini NeedleLok also speeds up the self-checkout process. It can be removed quickly and efficiently at the point-of-sale, thanks to its single-piece design and wide opening, enabling store associates to assist with other enquiries, improving the in-store customer experience. It also eliminates the risk of damage to the merchandise, or injury to the customer, as the needle is never exposed. Not only that, with 70% of purchase decisions made at the shelf, Mini NeedleLok has been designed with display in mind. Its sleek look and smart black colour ensures it doesn’t impede on the garment’s aesthetics in order to help turn a browser to a buyer. For those retailers wishing to take their visual merchandising a step further, the solution can also be customised, from adding a logo to a bespoke colourway that matches the company’s branding. Anti-theft retail solution Irene Fernandez, Product Management Europe at Checkpoint Systems, commented:  “We’re more customer focused than we have ever been in our history, which is demonstrated through the diverse range of solutions that we now offer retailers across a variety of markets. With the Mini NeedleLok, we took our existing technologies and created a product that fits our apparel customers’ requirements - an effective anti-theft solution that protects merchandise, with the added benefit of being customisable. This is ideal for fashion brands where aesthetic is crucial to their identity.”

Shrewsbury Town Football Club have defied the odds at the start of the 2017-18 football campaign by being well and truly amongst the pace setters with a quarter of the season already gone. No doubt there many reasons for the turnaround in fortunes from what was a dramatic end to last season with the Town finishing near the bottom to being on the crest of a wave this season. One of them could be down to the complete refurbishment of the Club’s Sundorne training facility on the outskirts of the town. The Football Club have invested heavily in ensuring that the quality of the training pitches is equal to the match day playing surface at the Montgomery Waters Meadow stadium. The players, coaching and fitness staff are also benefiting from the computer-based analysing equipment and on-site catering facilities within the complex. Security system installation Needless to say the new training complex required a security system to protect the Club’s investment. One level of security was to install a CCTV system to monitor the site. Shrewsbury Town’s chief executive Brian Caldwell approached one of the Club’s main sponsors Pro-Vision Distribution for assistance. Being a national distributor of CCTV, Access Control and Public Address equipment, Pro-Vision were ideally placed to advise the Club. Following a site visit from local installation company K.J Electronics Systems Ltd, who specialise in CCTV, perimeter protection and intruder alarms the new surveillance equipment was installed. Based on the Samsung Wisenet brand, the agreed specification included 4 x vandal-resistant, true day/night dome cameras, a high definition external bullet camera and a pan/tilt/zoom camera with all recorded data stored on a network video recorder. New training facility secured The true day/night specification ensures that all cameras are able to view images 24/7 irrespective of the amount of natural daylight present and the recorder can accommodate any additional cameras that may be required in due course. Any alarm activation event is sent to a central monitoring station via a secured connection. The Town’s latest asset – their new training facility - now has awarding-winning security equipment to protect the Club’s investment.

Raytec VARIO2 illuminators have been installed in the greater Kruger National Park in South Africa to capture amazing footage of some rather large and wild animals. Raytec illuminators have been used in some of the most challenging and exciting environments globally, everywhere from the Arctic Circle to the jungles of Borneo, and when specialist wildlife film makers WildEarth were looking for a solution for their live night time filming needs they turned to Raytec for support. In the film and TV industry where picture quality is everything, outstanding illumination was essential for producing the best images. WildEarth deployed state of the art 4K cameras to capture high definition images of elephants, lions and leopards. But when it comes to filming at night, ethics plays the most important role in how the images are captured. Using visible white-light would disturb or temporarily blind the animals, or even affect the outcome of their hunts. Therefore, powerful infra-red lighting was chosen which would have no negative effect on the wildlife, but would help the cameras perform over long distances in the dead of night. Choosing VARIO2 i8-3 Highly recommended by other wildlife journalists, WildEarth looked to Raytec infra-red lighting as a powerful yet invisible solution which would allow the cameras to generate outstanding black and white images at night. They chose the ‘VARIO2 i8-3’ which delivers distances up to 600m+ with 5 different angle options that can be changed on site – giving them the flexibility to adapt the illumination at each location. With VARIO holographic lensing, the illuminators produce a highly even spread of light, which allowed WildEarth to capture consistent images of the animals anywhere in the scene with no bright or dark spots. “We’ve been so impressed by the Raytec IR lighting” comments Jeandre Gerding, Head of Camera Operations for WildEarth. “Not only have the illuminators allowed us to film incredible footage in zero light conditions, but the fact that they are low voltage means that we can conveniently power them via battery from our mobile camera vehicles”. Guaranteed lighting power The IR needed to guarantee exactly how much light it would deliver on scene because higher megapixel cameras generally require more light to generate the resolutions they are capable of, and the film crew wanted to guarantee perfect pictures of the animals. Raytec scientifically measure the performance of all their illuminators, and guarantee a recommended 0.35 μW/cm2 of lighting power at the maximum distance of all of their infra-red illuminators – reassuring WildEarth that they would achieve suitably high-quality images every time. All Raytec illuminators are highly robust and can withstand the most extreme temperatures and humidity. IP66 rated, they require zero maintenance and deliver a reliable 10-year life out in the field – perfect for any demanding environment.

The CrimeEye-RD-2 is lightweight, providing easy portability, installation, and superior imaging Total Recall Corporation, a Convergint Technologies Company, has been chosen to work with the City of Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Police Department to make their city a safer place. Total Recall will provide them with a citywide safety solution that includes 15 of its outdoor CrimeEye-RD-2 rapid deployment portable video systems, the latest in its CrimeEye line of digital video solutions. Creating a secure environment “Total Recall Corporation and Convergint Technologies are very pleased that the Chattanooga Police Department has selected CrimeEye as the platform for their citywide safety solution,” said Jordan Heilweil, President of Total Recall Corporation. “CrimeEye will allow CPD to respect the privacy of its citizens while also creating a more secure environment.” The Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) has begun installing CrimeEye-RD-2 video units on 15 power poles throughout Chattanooga. The CrimeEye-RD-2 uses Axis Communications dome network cameras—managed by Genetec Omnicast, an IP video management system—to stream HD-quality video within just minutes of installation. All of this video data will be viewed live at CPD’s new Real-Time Intelligence Centre. The CrimeEye-RD-2 is lightweight and self-contained, and it provides easy portability, simplified installation, superior imaging, and intelligent electronics. The unit requires virtually no tools to set up and can be deployed by one person on almost any type of pole with the included mounting hardware. Chattanooga, which is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee and has more than 175,000 residents, is one of several municipalities throughout the United States to choose Total Recall Corporation’s CrimeEye solutions. “The Chattanooga Police Department is now part of an exclusive group of CrimeEye users that includes the Department of Homeland Security, the Statue of Liberty, and some of the biggest police departments in the United States,” said Rebecca Law, Business Development Manager, Convergint Technologies. “We are honoured to be working with Chief Fletcher and the men and women of the Chattanooga Police Department. "CrimeEye promotes crime reduction, community safety and continues building relationships with our community" Promoting crime prevention “CrimeEye promotes crime reduction, community safety, continues building relationships with our community, assists in solving all types of crimes, and aids prosecutors in putting criminals in jail,” said Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher. AXIS Communications and Genetec Inc. are long-time Total Recall Corporation technology partners that have successfully collaborated on many CrimeEye deployments, including providing video coverage for the Statue of Liberty, the national Concert for Valor, and for the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the United States. “Safety is one of the key responsibilities of every city around the globe. We’re pleased that our cameras are part of the CrimeEye deployment in Chattanooga” said Mark McCormack, National Sales Manager, National Accounts, Axis Communications, Inc. “The collaboration between Axis Communications, Total Recall, and the Chattanooga Police Department has been successful in making Chattanooga a smarter and safer city for all.”, said Bob Carter, Business Development Manager for Smarter and Safer Cities, Genetec Inc. “We look forward to serving the City of Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Police Department through our partnership with Convergint Technologies, coupling our industry-leading video software solutions for law enforcement with Total Recall’s innovative CrimeEye outdoor video solutions,” added Carter. 

IDIS’ integrated surveillance infrastructure provides comprehensive cover at the school’s estate Situated on a World Heritage site within the Precincts of Canterbury Cathedral, The King’s School, Canterbury is England’s oldest school, dating from 597AD. As a co-educational independent school, it offers a 21st-century education within an illustrious historic setting to more than 820 students aged 13-18, including boarders and day pupils. The school estate includes an exceptionally diverse mix of old and new architecture, ranging from medieval Grade 1 listed buildings to brand new premises. Unlike many schools, which typically occupy a single site that can be enclosed with relative ease, the King’s estate includes around 220 separate buildings. They are dispersed across a wide area, many within the public Cathedral grounds and others isolated further afield. Amenities include day and boarding houses, teaching facilities, a music school, recreational centre, sports facilities and staff accommodation. The school also runs security at the affiliated Junior King’s Canterbury, attended by pupils aged 3-13, on an 80-acre estate four miles away. Upgrading safety policies and incident management As at any school, student safety at The King’s School is of paramount importance. In 2015 the management team undertook a comprehensive review of all aspects of security, from safety policies to major incident planning. At the time security was dependent on disparate analogue CCTV systems plus a diverse range of hardware and software from multiple vendors. The school instead wanted a converged surveillance infrastructure unifying systems from a single manufacturer to ensure seamless capability across all sites. However, there were significant challenges, including logistical, engineering and regulatory restrictions on fitting new wiring and equipment within the historic buildings, some with very thick stone walls. Stringent Department of Education (DoE) controls on surveillance in schools also had to be observed. And, of course, the solution had to be cost-effective, ensure ease of use and require low maintenance. It also needed to deliver the flexibility and scalability to support all future plans in line with ongoing school development. "Sunstone Systems and IDIS were extremely creative in overcoming our challenges and the solution exceeded expectations" HD surveillance Security integration experts Sunstone Systems designed and delivered a customised surveillance solution built around a core base platform with IDIS equipment and software. Once complete, the solution will comprise a mix of 120 cameras from the IDIS fixed range, including dome cameras, network video recorders and all the associated software required to deliver an integrated surveillance infrastructure. Combining unobtrusive IDIS IP cameras with IDIS software ensured that high-quality images could be achieved by running HD TVI over existing coaxial cables, significantly reducing the need for extensive rewiring. This in turn eliminated the need for extensive engineering work in old buildings, helping to contain costs while meeting Historic England’s requirements. IDIS software overcame many key challenges, for example, by enabling digital enhancements, digital zoom and privacy masking to enable compliance with DoE requirements while providing comprehensive cover in the most sensitive areas of the estate. Improved reporting and low maintenance The system has been very well received. It is proving easy to use by staff, involves less time and administration, delivers improved reporting and requires minimal maintenance. Excellent HD image quality ensures easy access to indisputable evidence of any incident. At the recreation centre, for example, 23 new IDIS motion-detection cameras enable staff to quickly play back any events that require attention. “Safeguarding students is our top priority so we need surveillance we can trust implicitly. Sunstone Systems and IDIS were extremely creative in overcoming our challenges and the solution exceeded expectations. It does everything we wanted and more to protect students, the school and our reputation for responsible stewardship. What’s more, it provides all the flexibility we will need to meet our security requirements as they continue to evolve,” commented Lee Connelly, Security Manager at The King’s School.

The IRIS Cam system integration with Genetec Clearance allows efficient video evidence collection & management Point Blank Enterprises, a manufacturer of soft body armour and related protective solutions, announced that it has been awarded a five-year contract by the North Miami City Council to provide the North Miami Police Department with IRIS Cam body worn cameras, together with a collaborative case management system from Genetec Inc., a leading provider of open-architecture security and public safety solutions. PBE and Genetec will offer the city of North Miami Police Department an integrated system that combines 120 IRIS Cam body-worn cameras and Genetec Clearance, a case management system designed to accelerate investigations by enabling different organisations to collect, manage and share video evidence. IRIS Cam body worn camera The IRIS Cam is designed to meet the growing demand for law enforcement agencies to provide a visual and audio record of officers’ interactions with the public and help agencies improve evidence collection and enhance officer accountability. Built in a ruggedised enclosure, the IRIS cam provides ultra-high definition recording with a 140° FOV, for getting even closer to the action. Additionally, the IRIS Cam ensures not a moment is missed with 30 seconds of pre-recording. Genetec Clearance case management system The Genetec Clearance case management system is designed to speed up investigations by enabling different organisations to collect, manage and share video evidence, and other relevant case information. It allows police officers, investigators and security managers to gather digital evidence from the IRIS Cam and other sources—such as cell phone footage from bystanders and witnesses and store surveillance video—and easily store, manage, review and share it from a single application. Efficient video evidence capturing The integration of the IRIS Cam system with Genetec Clearance allows for quick and simple uploads, saving officers time at the end of their shift. Post-incident tagging can also be added to the recording, to help with further classification of the event and to aid in locating the file for future searches or investigations. With built-in video redaction, Genetec Clearance protects the privacy of bystanders by allowing identifiable information to be masked, if video must be shared with 3rd parties or when fulfilling public record requests. All user actions initiated within the system, whether internal or external, are automatically tracked to ensure the chain of custody of the evidence is maintained at all times. Streamlined video evidence management “The IRIS Cam system and Genetec Clearance will help the city of North Miami Police Department achieve a streamlined and highly effective process of capturing, managing and administrating video evidence, which will ultimately save the city time and resources in managing cases over the long term,” stated Paulo Motoki, Chief Operating Officer, Point Blank Enterprises. “With over 40 years of trusted service to law enforcement agencies around the world, we are proud to provide a unique hardware/software turnkey solution that will help strengthen accountability and transparency. This will result in more constructive encounters between the police and members of the community,” added Motoki.

Return on Investment (ROI) is crucial for any security installation. Most people consider what return on investment they are getting when making a purchasing decision. Usually, customers will select the option which provides them with the greatest ROI. But how can ROI be measured? Individuals involved at different points of the security buying chain will have different ideas of how to measure ROI. Here are a few thoughts from our Expert Panel. As you will see, ROI is more of a subjective matter, depending on several different variables.