Verint’s Nextiva VMS and Nextiva PSIM deployed for the TASS field trial at London’s Heathrow airport

The TASS consortium is comprised of a multi-level video and situation intelligence offering

Verint Systems Inc. recently announced that it is leading and providing key technologies to the first Total Airport Security Solution (TASS) proof-of-concept at Heathrow in London. TASS is comprised of a multi-level video and situation intelligence offering specifically designed to help airports advance their threat detection capabilities.  

Verint, the TASS consortium initiator and coordinator, along with several key partners from leading European technology companies, launched the field testing of the TASS prototype in October 2012. During the trial, three pre-identified security threat scenarios are being tested, allowing members within the airport community to observe and evaluate the TASS system.  

Part of the Seventh EU Framework Program (FP7), TASS is a four year project that is expected to run until March 2014. The TASS consortium is led by Verint and composed of 20 leading European technology companies, research institutes and end-user organizations.  

The purpose of TASS is to enable an advanced, integrated approach to airport security by creating an entire airport situation intelligence solution that provides real-time, accurate situational awareness to airport authorities. Based on integrating and fusing different types of real-time sensors and sub-systems for data collection, TASS operates in a variety of modes, including fixed and mobile, and under any environmental condition. TASS represents a significant step forward in developing the model for integrated systems at airports, which typically have a range of systems and sensors not natively designed to interoperate or share intelligence in a coordinated manner. 

Heathrow security officials will continue to conduct several simulated scenarios testing the system’s functionality and interoperability with the integrated technologies. Among the technology being used in the field trial are Verint’s Nextiva® Video Management Software™ (VMS) and Nextiva PSIM™, a physical security information management solution. The Verint VMS solution is a powerful video management application designed to view video, monitor system health and export information for investigative purposes. Nextiva PSIM captures information from a variety of security, safety and building management systems; enables users to view, correlate and analyze the information to identify situations quickly and efficiently; and helps initiate and manage responses to security situations in collaboration with local authorities and agencies. The Nextiva solutions are open-standards based and have been integrated with the other consortium key partner technologies. 

“The TASS consortium is pleased to execute and monitor its first proof-of-concept testing at Heathrow,” says Gideon Hazzani, TASS project coordinator and director of business development, Verint Communications and Cyber Intelligence Solutions™. “Heathrow’s sophisticated environment made it an attractive candidate for the trial. Upon integrating the various systems, the consortium will continue its field trial to validate the Total Airport Security Solution’s ability to deliver real-time data to security authorities, enabling them to quickly identify and assess situations, and effectively respond to alerts within pre-defined parameters set forth by the airport.”