Video surveillance - Expert commentary
Coming of age: storage devices have evolved to better record, manage and play back high-quality images Video surveillance and security technology continues to come of age. The sophistication of cameras that have moved to high-definition, high-resolution, megapixel imagery has transformed what users see on playback and greatly enhanced the usability of recorded video feeds. As the evolution continues, from the early days of grainy footage and barely recognisable images to HD, F...
Transmission of video and PoE power for IP security cameras over infrastructures can be confusing. Network infrastructures are designed using twisted pair cabling that we refer to as CAT (short for Category) cable, also referred to as UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair). Security systems, coming from an analogue environment, have historically transmitted over coax cable, and with the use adaptors can transmit over CAT cabling, which can be further broken down into single pair twist...
The focus of Fusion Centre is all about video - surveillance, analytics, verification, license plate recognition, VMS, wearable cameras and more Growing demand for surveillance that offers better quality video continues to fuel growth in the IP camera market. According to Transparency Market Research, the video surveillance market will realise a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19 percent by 2019, surpassing $42 billion in sales. High-definition video and network-connect...
With elections due later this year in the UK, Spain and Switzerland, attitudes to the prevailing political landscape of austerity are changing rapidly. Are physical security budgets in the public sector ever protected from cuts, and what is the outlook for our industry? Consider the landscape: A left-leaning party has come to power in Greece on an anti-austerity platform and with the stated intention of halving the country’s €315bn debts. Angela Merkel, the German Chanc...
In-vehicle technology allows security officials to view live footage from the bus’ cameras during an emergency One of the biggest security opportunities in transportation is onboard surveillance for buses and trains. While most transit organisations have invested heavily in video security for facilities such as terminals and stations, far fewer have taken the next step and installed IP cameras on board vehicles, says John Recesso, strategic business development manager,...
Any part of a transmission infrastructure has a dramatic impact on system performance We often view network switches as transparent transmission products. What goes in comes out. In reality, nothing is further from the truth. In this article, Neil Heller - Vice President, Vigitron, Inc. highlights that any part of a transmission infrastructure has a dramatic impact on transmission and, therefore, on system performance. At the very least a network switch can be viewed as a piec...
Of the many benefits offered by new and advanced IP video surveillance cameras, the ability to easily customise these devices with third party apps has the potential to change the landscape in video surveillance system design and implementation. By providing the ability to customise individual cameras with the specific functionality desired for every specific camera location, camera apps not only increase functionality where needed, they deliver tremendous savings on a system-wide...
loT will assist installers and integrators to position themselves as total solution providers and professional connectivity consultants to consumers The buzz over the Internet of Things (loT) isn’t likely to subside anytime soon, given recent developments over consumer adoption of network-connected technologies. According to the 2014 State of the Internet of Things Study from Accenture Interactive, 69 percent of consumers plan to buy an in-home device in the next...
The obstacles preventing convergence with fire systems appear substantial The IT network began as a dedicated structure within a building or facility. From this starting point, we have seen telephones, HVAC, access control and increasingly CCTV/video residing on the same platform. If today’s facility managers were offered a new building with separate networks for each type of subsystem, they would react with incredulity. The exception is fire protection, where the life-...
Hosted video surveillance, or cloud video, has been utilised in small markets over the past few years and is just now really being pushed as a viable alternative to traditional onsite DVR’s. Most of the major surveillance companies are marketing cloud products. Some of these cloud products represent true hosted video surveillance and others are a play on word with ‘cloud access’ being the marketing ploy. True cloud or hosted video streams real-time vid...
To succeed at outsourcing, the relationship between the organisation and the outsourcing company has to be an equal partnership Can you save money on security by outsourcing? Maybe, maybe not, according to William J. Powers III, CIPM II, CIPI. “Considering the way I approach outsourcing, I’m not sure if it saves money,” says Powers. As director of facilities at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., Powers oversees facilities,...
Good security basics enabled a security response before the shooting started Mass shootings by emotionally disturbed individuals and terrorists have led authorities and security professionals to search for means of prevention. “Analysing an actual incident in which a potential shooter was stopped seconds before becoming active can illustrate how solid security basics can help prevent catastrophe,” says Drew Neckar, CPP, CHPA, regional director of security wi...
The security landscape continues to evolve in new, complex ways for transportation customers Dealers looking to enter – or to expand their presence in – the transportation vertical must adapt to the unique needs of each transportation agency customer. Issues such as limited budgets/resources, aging technologies, operational challenges and safety issues must all be considered when designing a system to best meet an agency’s needs. Integrators should seek to i...
A growing number of users look to add cloud-based functionality to their surveillance toolkits In today’s market, both end users and resellers seek new technologies to make security programs more effective, while also helping business and employees be more efficient. Cloud-based monitoring services are gaining a significant amount of attention as an emerging solution to meet these needs. Maria Cambria, Vice President, Technical Center of Excellence, DVTEL says that end u...
Suffice it to say 2014 was a pivotal year for the majority of alarm dealers and installers. Many have had to change their way of thinking and their method of doing business, while adapting to ever-changing technology. But those who continue to reinvent their go-to-market model prove that the integration business is the place to be – and there’s money to be made, albeit it not in simply installing boxes and hardware. In fact, that mind-set changed several years ago, and...
Security cameras can earn a return on investment (ROI) that goes beyond security Today’s security camera technology can help speed entrance screening and provide video under very low light conditions. In each case, security cameras can earn a return on investment (ROI) that goes beyond security. One difference between today’s security cameras and older generations of camera technology is something called wide dynamic range or WDR. It is a feature that enables a ca...
Access control and alarm worlds are going digital and plugging into the network Open tech standards are integrating diverse security technology systems — and security people — into the corporate mainstream The digital technology revolution has begun to course through the public and private worlds of government and commerce, replacing old analogue technology. Chief among the many benefits of digital over analogue is the ability to integrate diverse technologies...
Right after the Paris terrorist attacks, a headline I read throughout the media asked: “Did intelligence services drop the ball?” The question has a familiar ring, and you’ll find variations on it throughout the last and present centuries concerning events that range from presidential assassinations to 9/11, 7/7 in London and the 2008 Mumbai bombings. But physical security, rather than information gathering, is our scope here. From the moment I saw thermal imagin...
Video cameras are great tools for security at airports, but increasingly cameras are offering operational benefits, too. Anthony Incorvati, business development manager, critical infrastructure and transportation, Axis Communications, says cameras at airports today are often used for operations rather than (or in addition to) security. For example, cameras mounted at departure gates are not installed for security but rather for operations and maintenance, as a tool to help airlines...
Security professionals and end users are eager to define video analytics In the era where “I” is king, video analytics have become a topic of excitement, confusion, and deliberation. All one needs to do is take a stroll through the latest security expo to recognise how popular the space is, and how difficult it is to find an adequate explanation of what they are and how they work. So what are video analytics? This is the question both end users and security profess...
The solutions offered today in the field of server virtualisation seem to be a natural fit for the evolution of security systems from analogue to IP The video surveillance industry has been transitioning from analogue to IP-based systems over the last several years, and it is clear that this trend will continue. In light of this, it is apparent that taking advantage of the advancements in the IT world for use in security system design is the next logical step. In this article,...
Observers say improved analytic technology and better support technologies are making video analytics effective Video analytics and biometrics entered the security technology market some years ago accompanied by great expectations. Both generally disappointed security directors and end users. Manufacturers oversold video analytics as a tool that could monitor video for hours on end without losing concentration — something human security officers couldn’t do. Analy...
Dozens of suppliers, dealers, installers and industry organisations participated in our First Annual Security Market Review and Forecast 2014 was a great time to be in the security industry, and 2015 will be even better. This is the optimistic view shared among industry leaders contacted by SourceSecurity.com and asked to reflect on the market in 2014 and to look ahead to the New Year. Dozens of suppliers, dealers, installers and industry organisations participated in our...
The increased viability of surveillance video as data will be an opportunity for growth and development Pivot3 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: It was a solid year for the industry – not great, but not bad. The state of the economy and less U.S. government grant money for surveillance in the last year held the security industry back overall. There were two interesting trends as it relates to server/storage infrastructure for video surveillance. First, the pr...
PSA Security Network is taking steps to help educate security professionals concerning both threats and opportunities related to cybersecurity PSA Security Network 2014/2015 Review & Forecast2014 was a year of great change and advancement in the security industry as a whole. We saw an uptick in DIY security solutions focused on residential and small commercial markets. Perhaps the biggest impact to the security market is that more pieces of security solutions are now cloud...
Companies embracing new cloud-based technologies will be among the winners, those with legacy business models will struggle Vision Security Technologies 2014/2015 Review & ForecastThe year 2014 was somewhat flat due to a still recovering economy and building industry in our Southern region of the United States. We saw a greater expectation for higher quality video surveillance throughout the mid-market sector. Vision Security Technologies also saw an increase in campus...
Over the past year Sony has expanded its product lineup to include a range of capabilities Sony 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: Many would agree that one of the most important trend in 2014 has been the emergence of 4K. We’ve already seen the first 4K security cameras hit the market, at a premium price. Sony is already a champion of 4K technology, which offers a resolution that is four times greater than Full HD (1080p), making for a sharp and detailed visual image. 4K w...
There was significant growth in the video surveillance market in 2014 for Hikvision Hikvision 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: In 2014, we saw a great deal of economic growth in North America, and in correlation, significant growth in the video surveillance market. We’re observing a lot of greenfield projects as well as upgrades to existing security infrastructure across multiple vertical markets. Particularly we’ve seen a significant uptake in education, banking/fi...
How will the industry address the confusion about competing HD surveillance local-site transport solutions? HDcctv Alliance 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: 2014 was another good year: Video surveillance equipment unit sales continued to grow slightly above the 7 percent compound annual growth rate of recent years. Notably, 2014 was the first year that HD cameras that are as reliable, as convenient, and as affordable as sub-HD NTSC cameras became widely available. As a result,...
Over the next year end users will push to get more value out of their investments Frontier 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: One of the big trends we see playing out over the next year is a push to get more value out of the investments that end users make in their solutions. Certainly the solutions must meet the core needs of customers, but more focus is being applied towards how those solutions can improve processes, increase efficiency and provide better visibility of th...
