Surveillance software

Vicon Industries, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of video surveillance and access control software, hardware and components, announced the release of VAX Access Control, version 2.9.60. This latest VAX version includes powerful feature enhancements to software as well as new hardware options that offer cost savings and programming flexibility. VAX now offers a Master Multi-Door Controller for 2 to 8 doors. Compact and powerful, the new panel is designed for mounting in equipment rooms and for seamless conversion to VAX in retrofit projects, where it will significantly reduce labor and hardware costs. The Multi-Door Controllers offer all the same functionality as VAX over-the-door controllers, including the new ability to program and store customised actions at the door level. These can be executed from inputs, triple swipes or user credential presentations and require no connection to the server. In addition, all new VAX controllers now support live firmware updates that can be automatically pushed to them from the VAX server, ensuring that entire networks stay current with minimal to no down time. VAX’s software interface VAX’s updated software interface offers a new monitoring layout that clearly displays easy-to-view tiles for each of the last 12-16 reader events, including users’ names and photos. System operators can customise the layout of the tile display depending on their monitoring preferences. In addition, administrators can receive an immediate, pop-up notification for specified events. These notifications may include custom text, images and even display corresponding video from a surveillance camera. VAX 2.9.60 also provides enhanced monitoring capabilities for unmanaged doors. Doors without access readers can now be monitored for door strikes and operators can easily call up associated cameras. This provides security teams with important visibility into the access of unsecured areas within facilities. Mobile credentialing offers a new level of convenience for VAX customers who prefer to use their smartphones instead of cards or fobs Specialised access controls Mobile credentialing offers a new level of convenience for VAX customers who prefer to use their smartphones instead of cards or fobs. Upon installing a special smartphone app, users can scan their own, unique VAX credentials into their phones, allowing them to communicate via Bluetooth with specialised door readers. When users come within a few feet of a reader, the door will unlock, without any need to remove their phones from pockets or purses. Other new features include enhanced controls for time zones and holiday schedules, more complex logic-based programming at the door level, and the ability to support installations where site codes are not available or are inconsistent. Bret McGowan, Vicon’s V.P. of Sales and Marketing, explains, “In the past two years, VAX has proven to be popular with our customers both as a stand-alone solution and for its built-in integration with Vicon’s Valerus VMS. With the launch of our new Master Door Controller, as well as many new software features, we expect to see continued strong market growth, particularly from retrofit projects.”

Eagle Eye Networks, Inc., global provider of cloud-based video surveillance solutions, has announced the integration of HD-TVI (High Definition Transport Video Interface) via encoders and recorders from Hikvision USA into the Eagle Eye Cloud Security Camera VMS.  HD Video Over Coax HD Video Over Coax solutions offer some advantages over standard IP video camera systems, such as low upgrade cost, simple installation and less networking complexity. HD Over Coax is able to transmit reliably four to five times the distance of typical IP cameras allowing for longer cabling runs. The Eagle Eye Networks implementation of HD Over Coax utilises existing analog cabling by simply replacing the camera and updating the encoder or recorder to communicate with the Eagle Eye Networks’ Bridge or CMVR (Cloud Managed Video Recorder). The latest addition to the Eagle Eye Networks Cloud VMS list of supported technologies further demonstrates Eagle Eye Networks’ commitment to providing customers and partners with the most innovative choices available to improve video quality and reduce the cost of implementation. This industry first offering can save end-users significant expense when they are ready to move to the Cloud. An additional benefit in choosing Eagle Eye Networks Cloud VMS solution is the ability to use HD Over Coax cameras within the same system as traditional analog or IP cameras. The Eagle Eye Cloud Security Camera VMS Bridges and CMVRs are already able to support both analog cameras and IP cameras from hundreds of manufacturers including Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hikvision, Panasonic, Pelco and Sony. Eagle Eye Cloud Security Camera VMS With Eagle Eye’s implementation, supported devices are plugged into the secure CamLan port on Eagle Eye’s range of Bridges and CMVRs creating an isolated, cyber-secure network for the HD transmission to the Eagle Eye Cloud. Eagle Eye customers and resellers will benefit greatly from the flexibility to design systems using digital or analog cabling infrastructure.

Milestone Systems, the global number one open platform provider of networked video management software (VMS), will once again be exhibiting at IFSEC International 2018 in London, June 19-21 – Booth C340. The theme from Milestone this year is the benefits of high performance in business video systems, enabling Milestone community customers to do more with less, driving down the total cost of solutions. Milestone will be showing the highest performing VMS server at IFSEC; the combination of the recently announced XProtect 2018 R2 VMS with eight NVIDIA graphics cards can handle more than 2,000 video streams on a single server, as tested by Milestone and to be demonstrated during the show. The benefits of high performance for customers are savings on hardware and infrastructure with fewer servers needed, and the ability to upgrade the system capacity by just adding a supported graphics card. System Builder program enables hardware manufacturers to explore new business opportunities Milestone System Builder Program The Milestone System Builder open market initiative has been well received by the Milestone Community, since the announcement in February this year. The first System Builder partners are: Arbitech, Arrow/Seneca, BCDVideo, HIKvision, IOnodes and VENZO Secure. Several of them will have a presence at the Milestone Booth. The System Builder program allows hardware manufacturers to design, build and ship hardware optimized for having XProtect VMS pre-loaded. The System Builder program enables hardware manufacturers to explore new business opportunities with new products in their existing channel and expand their market reach through Milestone’s worldwide channel network. Intelligent business strategy The partner community is integral to the Milestone business strategy, and a strong partner presence in the Milestone trade show booth illustrates that commitment. A wide array of innovative technology partners will showcase their solutions integrated with Milestone in booth C340 and throughout the showroom. Pivot3 builds simple, intelligent and automated hyperconverged infrastructure solutions. Pivot3 has an Intelligence Engine that eliminates resource contention, automates data and workload mobility, prioritizes resources and consolidates them on one infrastructure. Quanergy delivers robust and intelligent, real-time 3D mapping solutions using LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), that work day and night, rain or shine, while performing object detection, tracking, identification, and classification. Milestone Care is a complete service and support program that takes care of Milestone software throughout its lifetime Advanced video analytics capabilities Visitors to the Milestone stand will also have the first chance to see the latest version of Milestone XProtect 2018. Again, performance is in focus as the R2 version enables hardware acceleration for in the Milestone Recording and Mobile servers, shifting the video decoding and image scaling process to supported graphics cards, thus freeing resources for other tasks and for advanced video analytics capabilities. Additional focus at the show will be on Milestone Care, which is a complete service and support program that takes the best care of Milestone software throughout its entire lifetime. A dedicated pod in the booth will also provide information on the Milestone developer program and custom development services. XProtect VMS integration            “This is a show that proves our dedication to making video an important business tool, now and in the future – and how we work to give our community the abilities to see new possibilities and innovate,” said Kenneth Hune Petersen, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Milestone Systems. “Milestone System Builder program enables the Milestone community with industry leading hardware powered by XProtect VMS. Milestone Systems is pleased to announce that the first partners to join the Milestone System Builder program are: Arbitech, Arrow/Seneca, BCDVideo, HIKvision, IOnodes and VENZO Secure.”

Tyco, the security products division of Johnson Controls, has introduced the exacqVision Training Certification Program to enable end-users to choose from a pool of highly trained and certified system integrators who are able to install and support Exacq video management software (VMS) to a high standard. “We appreciate the importance of working with competent system integrators who share our ambition of ensuring clients achieve maximum benefit from their investment in a video surveillance solution,” said Gordon Morrison, GB Sales Director for the Tyco Security Products access control and video brands. Our new Training Certification Program will enable system integrators to demonstrate they have the necessary knowledge and skills to help end-users" “With Exacq VMS increasingly being placed at the heart of high security and mission critical video surveillance systems, our new Training Certification Program will enable system integrators to demonstrate they have the necessary knowledge and skills to help end-users take full advantage of Exacq’s long list of innovative and practical features.” ExacqVision authorised integrator Successful completion of the Foundation, Advanced and Elite intensive training and evaluation courses, will result in system integrators being awarded exacqVision Authorised Integrator, Select Integrator or Elite Integrator level certifications. Subject to the level achieved, the certifications will come with a wide range of other benefits which the integrator can utilise for their customers solutions including camera licences. In addition, Advanced and Elite partners will have preferential access to technical support services, marketing support and a free demonstration version of Exacq Enterprise level software. Intuitive user experience From small applications requiring a small number of cameras, through to large, scalable projects with thousands of cameras, Exacq is designed to offer an uncomplicated, intuitive user experience. Exacq is designed to offer an uncomplicated, intuitive user experience There are currently 3,608 reasons why Exacq stands out in a crowded VMS market. The number reflects how many cameras have been successfully integrated with the Exacq platform. These cameras are produced by over 60 different manufacturers and include older generation IP network cameras, as well as the very latest open platform, ultra high definition and thermal imaging models. Exacq VMS Each camera has been physically connected to the Exacq VMS and tested with the results published on the Exacq website. The number of cameras tested will continue to grow as and when new cameras are introduced to the market. By proactively integrating the 3,608 cameras, Exacq has significantly reduced the time it takes to design, implement and commission a VMS solution which may involve handling images captured by a wide variety of cameras.

A deep native integration of Bosch cameras with software from ISS proactively catalyses the best in security and surveillance, while providing advanced intelligent video tools. ISS SecurOS provides intelligent enterprise video management solutions with emphasis on providing scalability and flexibility to meet the customer’s needs. Deeply integrating built-in video analytics from Bosch cameras improves operator efficiency and situational awareness to manage complex environments. ISS SecurOS maximises camera performance for license plate recognition, face recognition, and container/train carriages recognition. The cameras meet the performance needs for advanced analytics, ensuring the success of projects and saving time, resources, and cost. The partnership has delivered multi-thousand-camera safe city deployments, industrial analytics solutions, and systems for large-scale transport providers. The usage of roads and parking lots can be managed more effectively by knowing the whereabouts of each vehicle License plate capture The usage of roads and parking lots can be managed more effectively by knowing the whereabouts of each and every vehicle. Operations managers are accountable for efficient logistical flows and effective use of roads and parking lots. Knowing the ins and outs of the transport infrastructure and what’s going on at all times provides the knowledge required to ensure operations are running safely, efficiently and in compliance with the rules and laws. An important part of this comes from monitoring which vehicles are entering an area and ensuring they are allowed to be there. Capturing license plates of every vehicle moving in an area provides knowledge of traffic flows and usage patterns. Such a solution should also allow a customer to easily configure and manage monitoring preferences and permit easy data exchanges with other operational management systems and services to manage an infrastructure and logistics as a whole. Reliable license plate data Robust mechanical design of cameras ensures reliable 24/7 operation for many years even in harsh environments As transportation infrastructures are often operating around the clock, reliable vehicle identification data is required 24/7. This means that the cameras capturing this data should work in all lighting and weather conditions, for both slow- and fast-moving vehicles. Cameras must be built to produce usable images 24/7 in all weather conditions. For quality license plate recognition in both day and night, the cameras make use of supplementary infrared light. A special License Plate Recognition (LPR) mode, developed in collaboration with LPR software, delivers readable license plates even with glaring headlights and with fast moving vehicles. Robust mechanical design of cameras ensures reliable 24/7 operation for many years even in harsh environments. License Plate Capture solution The SecurOSTM AUTO system of ISS, when used with Bosch cameras, provides easy to deploy solutions for all of these requirements. It recognises license plates from many countries, manages and matches white, hot and blacklists and notifies the operator either in the GUI or through a messaging interface to other management systems. Additionally, the system can be used and managed as a standalone or embedded in other management systems on the premises.

Cybercrime is a threat that no business today can afford to ignore. Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) reported that ransomware attacks have grown significantly since last year’s DBIR. Employees are falling victim to social attacks, such as financial pretexting and phishing which represent 98 percent of social incidents and 93 percent of all breaches analysed. However, a new service from Verizon - Verizon’s Threat Intelligence Platform Service - now enables companies to better hunt and confront cyber threats head on. Identifying threats and course of action The subscription-based service combines unparalleled cyber-threat intelligence from Verizon’s 11-year DBIR series with cyber-situational awareness from Verizon's Threat Research Advisory Center, which tracks threats across Verizon’s own global IP backbone. This threat intelligence is delivered via the Anomali Threat Platform to offer current information on cyber-threats. These can then be analysed by experienced consultants from Verizon’s Professional Services team in-situ at the customer’s site, depending on the level of service desired, so they can identify threats early in the cyber-kill chain and determine the best course of combative action. This new Threat Intelligence Platform Service places the ability to hunt out cyberthreats firmly in our customers’ hands Cyber intelligence The cyber-threat intelligence service is delivered via the Anomali Threat Platform, which offers a ‘mission control center’ to automate the collection and integration of threat intelligence, and enable security teams to quickly and efficiently analyse and respond to threats. “We’re taking cyber intelligence to the next level by opening up our cybersecurity data to businesses around the world,” stated Bryan Sartin, Verizon’s executive director of security professional services. “Verizon operates one of the largest global IP networks, which gives us a wide view into a large portion of the world’s data traffic. When you cross reference this with intelligence gleaned from over a decade of analysis from our DBIR series, it provides a treasure trove of cyber-intelligence that is hard to beat.  This new Threat Intelligence Platform Service places the ability to hunt out cyberthreats firmly in our customers’ hands. Verizon has always worked to give everyone the ability to join the fight against cybercrime - this service is another step on this journey.” Businesses no longer have to be the unknowing victims; with correct tools they can proactively take on cybercriminals and lessen any cyber-attack impacts Combating cyber attacks Colby DeRodeff, Anomali co-founder and chief strategy officer, adds, “Anomali is thrilled to be Verizon’s technology partner delivering this solution. The timely automation and analysis of cyber intelligence information is a game changer in beating cybercriminals at their own game. Used correctly, it can make the difference between preventing a serious cyber-attack – or it bringing a business to a standstill.” Amy Larsen DeCarlo, principal analyst from Global Data comments, “Access to credible cyber-intelligence is essential in the fight against cybercrime. Services like Verizon’s Threat Intelligence Platform Service make cyber insights available to the masses, rather than the few. Cybercrime continues to advance putting and brands, intellectual property and sensitive information at risk. But businesses no longer have to be the unknowing victims; armed with the correct tools they can proactively take on the cybercriminals and lessen the impact cyber-attacks may have.” Verizon’s Threat Intelligence Platform Service will be generally available to global customers from Fall 2018. Customers may select specific service levels based on their individual requirements.

One of Fortaleza's largest hotels, the Gran Marquise Hotel, which hosts thousands of people each year and holds hundreds of events, has reinvented itself and converted analog technology to IP surveillance. Upon project completion, it is expected that the Gran Marquise will have 250 VIVOTEK network cameras installed, integrated and linked with all other hotel devices under Genetec’s cloud-based video-surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS) solution, Stratocast. About Gran Marquise The Gran Marquise is a five-star hotel of 18 thousand square meters located on the seafront of Fortaleza (Ceará). With a 23 year history, the hotel has a large infrastructure of 230 apartments ranging in size from 29 to 131 square meters, two presidential suites and 21 floors in total, of which 14 are dedicated to guest rooms 7 are retained for events, recreation and administration. The Gran Marquise realised that its security system needed to be renewed It is one of the most in-demand destinations among national and international authorities, artists and athletes, such as Bill Clinton, former president of the United States, Vladimir Putin, current president of Russia, singer Paul McCartney, rapper Snoop Dogg, as well as the fighters of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In addition, the Gran Marquise was the first hotel in Brazil to achieve the ISO 22000, certificate that ensures adherence to extremely high standards of food quality and safety. Unified security and operations The Gran Marquise realised that its security system needed to be renewed. The hotel had 500 analog cameras and 22 digital video recorders installed – an extensive system, but one which only provided low-quality images and demanded heavy workload when it was necessary to locate and retrieve footage of a recorded event. "We looked at the hotel and realised that we had good internet, excellent rooms, perfect service, but if a customer asked for footage from security cameras, the only thing we could offer were noisy images," said Jussieudo Gomes, Security and Information Technology Division chief of the Hotel Grand Marquise Fortaleza. To solve this dilemma and improve the management and security of the hotel, a plan was formulated to develop a pilot project with VIVOTEK – a global provider of network cameras, PoE switches, and network video recorders, and Genetec, a global provider of IP surveillance software, access control and license plate recognition solutions. Installing VIVOTEK network cameras Divided into four stages, the goal of the project was to enable the total unification of management, security, marketing and commercial operations Divided into four stages, the goal of the project was to enable the total unification of management, security, marketing and commercial operations. In the first phase, 250 analogue cameras were replaced by a mere 48 VIVOTEK network cameras. Also installed was the Genetec Stratocast software, a cloud-based video recorder tool that eliminates the need for any local server, making it possible to monitor and share images with fully encrypted data. Two models of network cameras were installed throughout the hotel: one is the IB8369A, a 2-megapixel camera capable of capturing high quality video, with IR illuminators effective up to 30 meters for superior image quality throughout the day and night. The camera also features Smart Stream II technology, which optimises image quality for the most important regions in any scene; in doing so it can reduce network bandwidth consumption and storage requirements by up to 50%. The other camera installed was the small-scale, but big-featured FD8166, an ultra-mini fixed dome network camera with a tiny diameter of only 90mm. Genetec Security Center solution "Because of the ‘L’ shaped layout of the hotel, we previously had five analog cameras installed on each floor: two in the corridor, because the distance from one side to the other was too long to be monitored by a single analog camera; one in front of the elevator; another covering the 'L' and one more covering the maid’s service area. "Now, each floor has only three cameras: one camera that serves the 'L' and the elevator; another that serves the corridor and one more observing the service area. At the reception area, the same thing happens, we put a different camera on the ceiling, and with just that solution we managed to cover the lobby, the bar, a part of the reception and the stairs of the restaurant, "explained Gomes. The Genetec Security Center solution was implemented for the internal parts of the hotel In the second phase, the Genetec Security Center solution was implemented for the internal parts of the hotel. With this platform, Gran Marquise can unify operations by combining all IP surveillance systems into one interface. Now all access control and video surveillance are connected to, and accessible through, the cloud. Unified access control and fire security The third and fourth stages are still in progress. The goal is to install 250 network cameras in total and unify the security system with access controls and the fire alarm system. In addition, the KiwiVision analytical software was also installed, a system which counts people automatically through cameras and 3D sensors and detects objects added or removed from a scene. This way it is possible to automatically detect if a dangerous object has left behind or if something has been stolen from a particular area. "The new security system has come to improve the image quality of surveillance, the layout of the hotel and the promptness of response to the customer. In the past, if we needed an image we had to expend great effort in searching whole files and spend hours watching videos to be able to select and retrieve the relevant event - not to mention the impact power failures, and malfunctions issues in power supplies, recorders and hard disk drives. ", said Gomes.            Video security integration The new IP surveillance infrastructure has already proven effective during a wedding held at the hotel The new IP surveillance infrastructure has already proven effective during a wedding held at the hotel. The bride had been in the spa area enjoying the luxurious Day of the Bride service. However, when she went to dress up for the ceremony, she did not find the jewelry she had prepared for the wedding. Security staffs were triggered to investigate the occurrence. “Through descriptions of the bag that carried the jewelry and the time when the bride last saw it, we were able to locate the footage though the synergy of VIVOTEK’s camera and the Genetec system, and then proceed to point of precise relevance in the video. We noticed that the bride carried the purse into the car, but on exiting the car she was no longer carrying it. When we showed her the pictures, she went to the car and the purse was there. If it wasn’t for the new IP surveillance solution, we would not have been able to ascertain what had happened, the bride would remember and find the jewelry only after the ceremony, and her day would have been ruined. This entire investigation process, finding the images and resolve the case, took only 15 minutes, but saved a very important day" said the security chief. Genetec public-private partnership The Hotel Gran Marquise’s new security system is part of Genetec's private-public sharing initiative The Hotel Gran Marquise’s new security system is part of Genetec's private-public sharing initiative, which enables the sharing of certain cloud-recorded images with police forces. The Military Police, the Ceará State Government and the ABIH (Brazilian Hotels Industry Association in Ceará) are partners in this project along with the hotel. The purpose of this private-public partnership is that, with the monitoring carried out by private companies, the public sector can achieve a more effective action, speedily curbing the action of criminals in monitored places. The private-public partnership is founded on the belief that such sharing of private company surveillance with the public sector will enable a more expedient and effective curbing of criminal activity in such monitored areas. In this way, it is possible to expand monitored areas and reduce crime without direct public sector investment. Recorded images are transmitted in real time to the police, and a two-way relationship benefits both sectors. "The goal of projects with public-private partnerships is prevention. It is possible to increase public safety with little investment from the private sector," explained Country Manager of Genetec Brazil, Denis André Côté. With such initiatives, we are beginning to see the benefits of advances in total surveillance systems expand beyond those companies who take the initiative to invest in them and begin to serve the broader public.

Technology is front and center at a beautiful new City Hall in the Northwest U.S., where community members will find local government offices, city council chambers and the department of economic development. The building’s tightly integrated electrical, lighting, fire protection, telecommunications and security solutions is the work of Coffman Engineers. Ben Helms was project manager responsible for specifying Vicon’s Valerus VMS and VAX Access Control security solutions into the facility and credits Vicon’s A&E tools and support services with helping him to get the job done right. Access control and VMS solutions Ben says that his firm has a long history with Vicon through Vicon’s dedicated A&E outreach programs Ben says that his firm has a long history with Vicon through Vicon’s dedicated A&E outreach programs. In the past, he has attended Vicon’s annual A&E Summit, a 2 ½ day educational event filled with seminars and interactive learning for the specifying community on topics related to surveillance technologies and solutions. It was at one of these seminars that he was first shown a beta version of Valerus, Vicon’s new VMS that was still under development. “I thought it was really cool,” he says. “It’s a big jump to go to an all browser-based system and adds a lot of advantages over a hard system.” As for the VAX Access Control solution, Ben appreciated the over-the-door controllers, which he says, from his standpoint, “made the system a lot less work to design.” He says that “Normally, controllers are all lined up in an IT room and you have masses of wiring going out to the doors, so you have to worry about voltage drop and a lot of other factors. With the VAX controller, you just put it out there, connect it to a PoE drop, and you’re done.” VAX-Valerus integration With the built-in integration between Valerus and VAX, it just made sense to go that way" When Ben began work on the brand-new City Hall, which required a unified access control and VMS solution, he saw a perfect match. “With the built-in integration between Valerus and VAX, it just made sense to go that way.” Steve Helms, Ben’s father and the Principal in Charge of the project, had also attended Vicon’s A&E Summits in the past and had seen what Valerus and VAX could do. He agreed with Ben’s recommendation. For putting together specifications for the security portion of the City Hall project, Ben relied on ARCAT SpecWizard, a free online tool that automates the spec building process. Vicon is one of only a few VMS manufacturers who have invested in providing this resource to the A&E community. SpecWizard is particularly helpful for solutions that include a wide range of components and require a degree of customisation for each project. Ben says that he found SpecWizard really easy to use. “I just went in and checked the boxes for the cameras, servers and software that I wanted, and downloaded the completed spec in Word format. All I had to do was edit it a bit to cut out a few things I didn’t need. It made it really simple to grab all the parts and pieces and make sure that everything was covered.” High megapixel cameras The entire City Hall project was built in AutoDesk REVIT software for BIM (building information modeling) The entire City Hall project was built in AutoDesk REVIT software for BIM (building information modeling), allowing the architecture and engineering teams to collaboratively model the building’s components and simulate its systems and structures. Ben was able to access REVIT models of all of Vicon’s camera models, available through the AutoCAD360 library, drag them into the project and pop them right into place. “This part of the project was really fun,” say Ben. The models clearly showed the mechanicals for the cameras as well as their field of view. When presenting the drawings to the clients, it was easy to explain what could be seen from each camera and how they would all work together as a system to provide coverage of all critical areas. The City Hall project used several different camera models, with resolutions ranging from 2MP to 12MP. High megapixel cameras generate a tremendous amount of data and calculating bandwidth and storage requirements are complicated by factors such as frame rates, video quality, lighting, the types of images being recorded, and use of settings like motion activated recording. To guide him through this evaluation process, Ben says he relied on Vicon’s free calculator tools, which simplified the challenge of determining the system’s server and storage needs. Video-access control integration The City Hall project used several different camera models, with resolutions ranging from 2MP to 12MP While Ben greatly appreciated the many tools that Vicon offers to make his job easier, he says that the biggest reason he would absolutely use VAX and Valerus again is the support he received from the Vicon team. “I have a local Vicon rep here I can call, and I know their entire technical team is always available to help me if I have any sort of issue.” Ben says that it’s also very important to specify solutions that deliver value to his clients. It’s nice to be able to say to them, “Here’s a system that is not going to cost you a ton to install, you can have unlimited user groups, unlimited users, the video and access control will completely integrate with each other, it has all these features included that a lot of systems charge extra for, and the licensing cost is pretty low. From a consulting and specifying standpoint, it checks a lot of the boxes that we really like.”

Pulse Secure, a provider of Secure Access solutions to both enterprises and service providers, has announced that Entegrus has successfully deployed Pulse Policy Secure advanced network access control (NAC), to strengthen overall visibility and access security across their hybrid IT infrastructure. Entegrus, a Canadian energy company, leveraged their existing Pulse Secure virtual private network (VPN) implementation to expedite NAC deployment and fortify their infrastructure in accordance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) guidelines. As a result, their security organisation extended visibility for remote and on-premise users and devices, as well as enhanced endpoint compliance and Internet of Things (IoT) risk mitigation. We have increased our security posture, and for the most part, there has been zero impact on our end users" Pulse Secure-Entegrus collaboration Entegrus serves over 58,000 customers throughout Ontario. They bring electricity, renewable energy and water across three large regions, with a workforce spread out over 2,300 square miles. Entegrus’ objective is to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective provision of energy and related billing services, while providing high levels of service to its customers, partners and the communities it serves. IT security plays a critical role in protecting their delivery of energy and data services.  “The threat landscape is constantly evolving, forcing us to always consider how we can go one step further. With a widely distributed IT infrastructure, we considered NAC as an effective way to improve our security posture without dramatically altering how we operate,” said Dave Cullen, manager of information systems for Entegrus. “We have a long-standing relationship with Pulse Secure. The level of integration between Pulse Secure secure sockets layer (SSL) and NAC, as well as the extended feature set, made it a straightforward choice for us. Perhaps, the two most important things are that we have increased our security posture, and for the most part, there has been zero impact on our end users.”  Active control with seamless network access Ensuring always active control while maintaining flexible, seamless access to network and application resources is an essential requirement for utility providers. Within such highly regulated industries, best practices dictate a constant cycle of security readiness review and improvement to meet an increasingly potent threat posed by cyber threat actors. NAC provides foundational endpoint intelligence, resource access enforcement and IoT defences that support industry and regulatory compliance guidelines. These compliance requisites apply to both regional and large national critical infrastructure providers.  For stretched IT departments, Pulse Secure’s Secure Access solutions are designed to streamline deployment and on-going administration using an easy, integrated, policy-driven platform that works with a customer’s existing installed base and network infrastructure. In addition, Pulse Secure’s VPN solution utilises the same endpoint client, policy engine and appliance management as the NAC solution. Entegrus took advantage of this platform capability to rapidly implement NAC. As a result, they gained dynamic intelligence, unified policy management, automated enforcement and threat response through a single management console. We needed to make sure our secure access technologies could adapt to new regulatory requirements and new business needs" Secure access solutions Cullen highlights numerous benefits, including a simplified method of managing complex policies and user access rights, as well as an enforceable method of checking end-point devices to ensure that only properly patched operating systems can connect to the network. Another advantage of Pulse Policy Secure was evident after Entegrus recently merged with London, Ontario-based St. Thomas Energy. “We needed to make sure our secure access technologies could adapt to new regulatory requirements and new business needs, as the recent merger added new, unqualified infrastructure and grew our customer base by around a third, which also led to the hiring of 28 new staff members,” Cullen added.

To improve safety and instil a tranquil environment for citizens of Lagos de Carrasco (Carrasco Lakes), this residential community in Uruguay invested in a new monitoring system based on video management software from Milestone Systems. Milestone Systems open platform IP video management software (VMS), is helping the lakeside community of Carrasco Lakes in Uruguay to benefit from better security control. Previous multiple standalone systems were not efficient enough. The new networked solution allows ongoing expansions with more cameras and video analytics. Located to the east of Uruguay’s capital Montevideo, Lagos de Carrasco stretches across two islands, and is known for its beautiful houses perched on the lakes’ shores. However, because the semi-private residential community can be freely accessed through city streets, the topic of security is of keen interest to its residents. A few years ago, as the neighbourhood began to grow, the area’s residents decided to invest in updating its video surveillance. Considering its location and conditions, with certain factors like humidity, electrical currents and the physical difficulties surrounding cable extensions, the system that was formerly installed deteriorated over time. This lead to a negative impact on the quality of the surveillance images, as well as to the stability of the system in general. We installed an IP network system that connected to several of the power supply points and featured a wireless connection that stretched across both islands" Installation of IP cameras and XProtect VMS Lagos de Carrasco worked with Milestone Partner Foxsys to execute the modernisation project. Its commercial director, Juan Martín González, explained: “In light of the situational requirements, we installed an IP network system that connected to several of the power supply points and featured a wireless connection that stretched across both islands. This was in addition to acquiring new cameras and a video control system in the height of the project.” The previous system’s cameras, roughly five years old, were removed and replaced with about 34 IP cameras manufactured by HikVision and Arecont Vision. With the goal of combining each of these technologies and their new functions, Lagos de Carrasco chose the video management software XProtect Professional from Milestone Systems. Reduced bandwidth González manages the system bandwidth with the software configuration. “All the security cameras are IP based, and we depend on failover redundancy with the video. It’s a big challenge to work with restricted bandwidth, and XProtect Professional allows us to optimise it, lower our consumption in real time and maintain the best recording resolution possible.” Surveillance is performed in two ways: from the central neighbourhood security office and remotely, from security company BLITZ’s main headquarters. Jaime Márquez, director of BLITZ and manager of security at Lagos de Carrasco, adds that the previously implemented systems were a complex challenge for the operators. “With the introduction of Milestone Systems software, we could optimise the concentration of CCTV personnel, immediately observe different incidents and qualify the seriousness of them. What’s more, we’re now able to conduct pre-analyses to prevent potential crime through the identification of people and/or actions,” says Márquez. This is a complicated situation, seeing as there have been several intrusions specific to the area" Video analytics for tresspasser identification The initial investment is the first of three stages that the Lagos de Carrasco community has planned – another stage focuses on expanding to the farther most western perimeters of the neighbourhood, potentially adding 20-25 additional cameras. “This is a complicated situation, seeing as there have been several intrusions specific to the area. Due to a lot of vegetation and precarious conditions, it faces some larger technical challenges,” González explains. The third and final stage involves integrating different video analytics through Milestone Solution Partners. These include prowling detection methods, identifying trespassers in restricted areas and registering them, identifying and recognising license plates, as well as establishing alerts for license plates not belonging to any of the residents that enters the neighbourhood.

Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world. It serves more than 228 destinations in 74 countries for 45 million passengers a year on short and long-haul point-to-point services. It is also a major economic driver for the UK, contributing £5.3 billion to national GDP and generating 85,000 jobs nationally. As a key national infrastructure and major transport hub, Gatwick Airport takes the challenge of maintaining the safety and security of its passengers, visitors and employees seriously. It delivers on this challenge through people and process change, combined with powerful technology enablement and a standardised set of operational procedures and ways of working. This brings together the airport security and operations teams, Sussex Police, Border Force and many more interested parties. Qognify Situator is the technology enabler at the heart of the Gatwick Airport Integrated Security project Gatwick Airport Integrated Security The aim of the Gatwick Airport Integrated Security project was to use all available security elements to deliver a fully automated and rapid response solution for this state-of-the-art facility. Qognify Situator is the technology enabler at the heart of the Gatwick Airport Integrated Security project. It provides a consolidated view and full management of any situation or emergency. The additional integration of Qognify’s Suspect Search real-time video analytics proprietary software to this closely integrated network of security systems, means Gatwick Airport is now able to rapidly identify and pinpoint a suspected criminal/terrorist, or find a lost person in real-time. Suspect Search real-time video analytics A key aim of the project was the standardisation of operations and management across the airport. Security teams throughout the terminals and facilities collaborate effectively, ensuring the full safety of people and assets, along with full compliance and auditing abilities. The whole project helps to support smooth operations and minimise downtime in an intensely busy environment. The power of the CCTV solution is that it gives Gatwick Airport superior situational awareness" By using a combination of Qognify’s situational management and real-time video analytics solutions, the airport has the most powerful, automated and rapid response security system. From fighting terrorism, to combatting crime, or locating misplaced items and even finding a lost child, the security team at Gatwick Airport can now identify any issue and mobilise to wherever it is needed faster than ever before. Robin Lomax, IT Project Manager, CCTV Refresh Project Gatwick Airport explains: “The power of the CCTV solution is that it gives Gatwick Airport superior situational awareness and allows us to command, adapt and respond to any security event, before, during and after it occurs. It enables a quicker speed of response; a more appropriate size of response and it allows us to play back and learn lessons from the incident after the fact.”

Ellams, a global manufacturer and supplier of telephone scratch cards based in Nairobi, Kenya, required a foolproof security solution, integrated with access control and video surveillance for their manufacturing units. Matrix provided Ellams with an Integrated Access Control solution comprising of Card based Entry and Exit Readers.                                    Established in the year 1977, Ellams primarily started off as a Security Documents Printer and Business Forms Manufacturer. In the year 2001, Ellams started off with the new venture of developing Telephone Scratch Cards for local telecom and cellular operators. Ellams has two manufacturing units based in Nairobi that supply secure pre-paid scratch cards to Central, Western, Eastern, and Northern Africa. Security being crucial for Ellams with respect to its manufacturing unit, the company was on a look out for a vendor who could meet the below mentioned requirements.  Challenges: Dual verification of credentials at main entrance Allow entry or exit to a user in an employee zone if a guard is present in his cabin Guard does not leave while employees are present in an employee zone Keep a check on employees’ movements – whether they enter after gaining access or not, etc. Access Control in each department Pre-defined number of users allowed in a department When a user enters an area, the event is recorded till he/she leaves Generate alarm on violation of access rules Solutions: Web-based access control solution with card-based entry and exit readers Integration with beam detector for checking user availability in an area after entering the premises Man-Trap feature to open one gate at a time Employees allowed access only if guard is present Occupancy control to ensure defined number of people are allowed in the respective zone Camera remains on in presence of employees in a respective zone and turns off in their absence Instant alarm notification to take immediate action upon violation of access rules Benefits: Improves security with integrated solution Real-time alarm notification helps take immediate action upon violation of access rules Ensures the guard continuously monitors entry and exit of employees Products: COSEC DOOR CAP - RF card based premium door controller COSEC PATH RDCE – EM proximity card-based reader COSEC PANEL LITE- Site controller for multiple door controllers COSEC CENTRA GE- Application software for 100 users, expandable up to 500 users COSEC GE ACM- Access control module for COSEC CENTRA GE