Security buyers' voice from countries worldwide

Editor / Provider: editorial department, a&s International | Updated: 8/29/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

Security buyers share latest market information in their respective countries or from their respective countries.

Zimbabwe
“In Zimbabwe, IP is growing at roughly 30 percent. I'm looking to increase turnover with IP products. There is a focus on the SMB market since 2008 when market conditions deteriorated.”

Munya Mapoga, Technical Manager, Safe Guard Alarms

Indonesia
“The IP to analog ratio in my company is 70/30, and my clients are mostly in the oil and gas industry. Bandwidth remains an issue with cloud adoption.”

Robert Darmawan, Sales and Marketing Director, Golden Solution Indonesia

Bangladesh
“Social awareness and growing demand fuels the security industry here. The home security market is also growing at roughly 12 to 15 percent every year because of huge demand. 3G is not widely available and this has impeded cloud adoption.”

Sheikh Alamgir, Business Development Manager, Express Systems

Tunisia
“I'm here for IP surveillance solutions; Secutech is the best location to meet the market leaders of Asia and to discover the latest technologies. Soon, we will start deploying a US$4 million government project which includes video analytics, wireless transmission, and high-definition IP cameras from South Korea and Taiwan.”

Nidhal Jerbi, Manager, Multicom (Safety and Security Systems)

Vietnam
"Analog products still enjoy great demand in Vietnam. The new projects, however, are mostly IP-based and the government sector generally deploys IP-based systems. For these large projects, not only is quality important, so is the brand.”

Nguyen Quang Anh, President and CEO, Astec

New Zealand
"New Zealand is lagging behind other countries in relation to the deployment of new technologies due to a lack of infrastructure. This is set to change with the government's ultra-fast broadband imitative, the roll out of fiber optic technology nationally. This will undoubtedly accelerate IP development, economic activity and have spin-offs for the security industry."

Andrew Tremewan, GM, SeeDigital

Stability and compatibility remain top concerns for IP systems buyers

Editor / Provider: editorial department, a&s International | Updated: 8/23/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

The era of network products has arrived and it is here to stay. All new projects in almost -- if not all -- countries are now resorting to network installations and this trend is seeing a steady increase, although different countries are moving at different adoption rates. In some countries, installing IP-based surveillance is required by government regulations. As for countries where it is not required by law, their governments are working hard to promote its adoption. Judging by this global phenomenon, it is safe to say the technology involving IP-based products have mostly reached maturity.

Compared to visitors of Secutech last year, who thought a major shift to IP would take a minimum of three to five years, almost all visitors this year reported that the shift to network solutions in their countries had already been set in motion. Where it was previously hard for buyers to find a stable and reliable solution, most manufacturers are now able to offer a wide selection of different network solutions, customizable according to clients' needs.

Not surprisingly, professionals from various regions are reporting double-digit growths in terms of network product sales; the younger companies even experienced triple-digit growth this year. In Dubai, IP-based products have grown 500 percent due to the countless new projects that are being commissioned. Network products made up 20 percent of sales in 2012, but this year the company is looking at 50 percent, according to Osama Qafiti, Area Sales Manager of Vanguard Integrated Solutions in Dubai. Together, the improvements in technology and decrease in price make network solutions far more appealing than ever before.

Compatibility and Stability
As all new projects and installations are now implemented with network surveillance, buyers have certain requirements that are crucial to their evaluation and purchase of network products. For example, it is important that network cameras can successfully connect to management platforms. Many times, products that are ONVIF- or PSIA-compliant still manage to encounter difficulties when connecting to one another, contributing to some of the frustrations buyers experience when making their initial purchases. Image quality becomes an issue in some cases when IP-based cameras fail to compete with images generated from an HD-SDI camera.

Buyers tend to focus on the stability and reliability of network cameras, especially in countries where IP-based products are mandated by the government. “Even though the resolution of the cameras is important, stability is even more important because we get fined by the Ministry of Interior if it fails to perform,” said a system integrator from Qatar. Since network surveillance was regulated last year, all public installations were required to be IP, and all video feeds from public installations are linked to the Ministry of Interior.

Preference for IT Background
Another major movement seen making an impact and shifting the trends in the industry is the growing number of IT-based manufacturers. “Two years ago when we were still evaluating the market for IP products, we were worried about whether the products would differentiate greatly depending on if it comes from IT background or traditional manufacturer because the IP camera modules were not easy to make. Nowadays, everyone is able to make IP and the worry is now moving to how it will fit in the worldwide market and how well it integrates,” said one major Brazilian manufacturer. Meanwhile, Yossi Yaron, IP Department Manager at Smart IP Solutions stated that there are no preferences for IT-based manufacturers in the Israeli market, as sometimes, not all IT-based manufacturers make their own cameras.

Buyers' preferences varied between purchasing from traditional or IT-based manufacturers, but it is evident that more and more buyers now prefer to buy from IT-based manufacturers. After all, installing and configuring network products require some basic knowledge of IT; having an IT background automatically places the manufacturers in an advantageous position when networking issues occur during installations, as they are able to immediately pinpoint and solve the problems.

Despite the various additional features now available with IP-based cameras and solutions, buyers value stability and reliability above all else. Network products must also be able to connect with what they claim they can connect to, in order to avoid compatibility issues during installation. If the IP-based products are unable to fulfill the simplest of requirements, how can they be expected to carry out their purpose?

American Dynamics expands HD camera line

Editor / Provider: American Dynamics | Updated: 8/8/2013 | Article type: Security 50

American Dynamics, part of the Security Products business unit of Tyco, has introduced the Illustra 625 PTZ High Definition (Full HD) IP camera, designed for applications where locating, tracking and zooming in on subject details are critical. The high-performance camera delivers multiple, full-digital path 1080p/30ips video streams in H.264 and MJPEG resolution for crystal clear images.

The exceptional speed of the Illustra 625 HD PTZ coupled with ultra-low latency performance gives security personnel the ability to accurately track subjects in mission-critical applications. The camera tracks a scene with the precision you would expect from an analog PTZ camera. In real-time monitoring applications, such as casinos, banks and retail stores, accurate tracking can mean the difference between making a handsome profit and losing hundreds of thousands of dollars each year through theft.

One of the primary shortcomings of PTZ technology in the IP space has been latency. For security professionals whose performance depends on the precision of their equipment, the analog PTZ camera has maintained a leadership position for low latency PTZ controls – until now. Based on latency testing standards used by the US Air Force and NASA, the Illustra 625 PTZ camera delivers analog-like precision with megapixel resolution.

The Illustra 625 HD PTZ employs zoom-adjusted program (ZAP) technology to automatically control the pan and tilt speed in proportion to the amount of zoom used, delivering precise pan and tilt control. Exceptional gearing and braking designs deliver pan and tilt speeds and accuracy that surpass the maximum speed and return--‐to--‐ position accuracy of competitive HD PTZ cameras. Using programmed presets and tours, the Illustra 625 HD PTZ moves into position at an amazing 512° per second. In its automated modes, the camera delivers HD video from scene to scene in just fractions of a second.

“The exceptionally low latency for controlling analog PTZ cameras that customers have grown accustomed to was our benchmark in developing the 625 PTZ camera”, said Joel White, senior product manager for American Dynamics. “With the new Illustra PTZ our customers now have an extremely high performance 1080p HD PTZ that delivers the same control precision and accuracy of analog.”

The Illustra 625 HD PTZ camera supports the complete feature set of the ONVIF 2.2 profile S specification for IP PTZ cameras, which allows for a high level of integration of recording platforms that comply with this specification. ONVIF 2.2 profile S aids end users and system designers in determining interoperable components of a physical security solution.

This PTZ camera is supported by the latest version of the Illustra Connect camera configuration software. Using the Illustra Connect batch setup feature for IP address assignment makes the setup of multiple cameras automatic saving valuable time. This camera is compatible with existing Illustra 600 Mini-Dome and IP SpeedDome mounts for a variety of mounting options and a more simplified installation.

Tyco Security / Exacq releases 32CH LC-Series hybrid NVR

Editor / Provider: Exacq Technologies | Updated: 8/6/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Exacq Technologies, a manufacturer of VMS and recorders used for video surveillance, has released the new LC-Series hybrid and IP camera NVR appliances.

The exacqVision LC-Series appliance is a versatile, all-in-one network video surveillance solution with video recording, web and mobile client hosting and local live video display on a single system. The LC-Series hybrid NVR includes 8 or 16 analog channels for instant connection of analog security cameras. This same appliance can host up to 16 IP cameras on the system. The LC-Series IP NVR is designed exclusively for IP cameras and can connect to up to 16 IP cameras per system. All of the LC-Series appliances include 4 exacqVision Start IP camera licenses with up to 3 TB storage available per system.

Designed for easy, out-of-the box deployment, the LC-Series ships pre-loaded with the exacqVision Start VMS . End users can view and administrate live and recorded video directly from the NVR using the included exacqVision client or remotely using a web browser or exacqVision client on a separate computer. The freely distributed client software can be installed on Windows, Linux or Mac systems.

“The LC-Series provides a great migration path for end-users wishing to make the jump from analog to IP video security,” notes Tom Buckley, VP of Sales and Marketing for Exacq Technologies. “Users can simply plug their analog cameras into an LC-Series hybrid NVR and add IP cameras to the same system.”

 

Japanese Police Station enhances staff security with Qnap Security surveillance solution

Editor / Provider: Sponsored by Qnap Security | Updated: 8/5/2013 | Article type: Government & Public Services

Background
Japanese police station plays an important role in maintaining the security of the responsible districts. The core duty of the police officers is to regularly patrol around the beat to prevent crime and misdemeanor and so to safeguard people. Other duties include first aid service, emergency response, traffic directing, etc.

Challenges
While the police officers protect people, the police officers themselves, likewise, need protection too. When they are on duty, countless people come and go around the buildings. Besides, important documents that are stored inside the police stations need to be kept safe. Most important of all, for the police officers who take the night shifts, they need proper measures to protect their safety when not many colleagues stay in the station to take care of one another. To enhance the total security of the police station, the need of a well-rounded surveillance measure raised.

Solution
After a thorough comparison among numerous surveillance system brands, the Japanese police station chose QNAP Security as an ideal surveillance solution. A total of 200 units QNAP VioStor NVR VS-2004 Pro were deployed at 200 police stations around Tokyo and Osaka. Each police station installed one VS-2004 Pro and up to four AXIS P5514 IP cameras to monitor inside and outside surroundings.

The VS-2004 Pro delivers high quality performances that well support demands of the police stations. Powered by dual-core Intel Atom processor, the VS-2004 Pro offers the ability to record megapixel images from multiple IP cameras or video servers. The user-friendly administration interface eases the operations of the surveillance system and improves efficiency on system management. The USB one-touch-copy function is especially useful as the backup tasks can be done without computers required. Staff could just plug in an external USB drive to the front-panel USB port and tap on the "Copy" button to instantly back up data from the VS-2004 Pro. The backup master of the police station could easily and conveniently finish backup task when necessary. Last but not least, QNAP VioStor NVR supports video recording from numerous well-known IP camera brands that offers great flexibility in the IP camera selection.

"As Japan is a country where cost of workforce is relatively high, the efficiency of a surveillance system counts for an important value," said Peter Ho, the country sales manager of QNAP Security. "For the Japanese police station which requires surveillance deployment at multiple branches, QNAP VioStor NVR features reliable stability and ease of management that effectively help save remarkable cost of time and human resource."

Result
The unique features of QNAP VioStor NVR have brought out positive outcomes to the security of the Japanese police stations. The VS-2004 Pro provides video monitoring and recording to satisfy the needs of enhanced security measures. The police officers recognize the enhanced security and are relieved under the protection of QNAP VioStor NVR. Take the deployment of 200 units VS-2004 Pro as a whole, the easiness of system setup and routine management has carried out impressive value and cost-efficiency.

Sponsored by：

Iveda launches MyXpressCam.com for home and business

Editor / Provider: Iveda Solutions | Updated: 8/5/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Iveda Solutions, the pioneer in cloud video hosting technology, announces the launch of MyXpressCam.com web portal, geared toward home and small business owners. The website simplifies the concept of cloud-hosted video surveillance. MyXpressCam is a simple, yet powerful, video surveillance service. The solution consists of a wide range of Axis Communications' IP camera options and cloud-based video hosting services powered by Iveda Solutions. MyXpressCam provides enterprise-level video surveillance solutions that are inexpensive yet easy to install.

“We all live very busy lives. It is comforting to be able to check in on our children, elderly parents or pets while we are at work . . . and check in on our employees and business when we are at home or traveling,” said David Ly, President and CEO of Iveda Solutions.

Installation can be as simple as plugging in the camera to an Internet source using an Ethernet cable, giving it power, and the user can begin watching live video on virtually any Internet-enabled smartphone, tablet or computer, wherever you are in the world. With the MyXpressCam dashboard, multiple cameras in numerous locations may be accessed in one quick, convenient online dashboard.

The MyXpressCam platform utilizes a fully redundant network architecture that allows 24/7 web access to live and recorded video from the cloud. No local recording device to be stolen or destroyed.

An easy to use e-commerce site, www.MyXpressCam.com, provides user-friendly access to camera and service options that allow consumers and small business operators to choose indoor or outdoor camera(s) that is perfect for their needs. Payment options are offered including security camera upfront payment and pay a low monthly fee for the service or choose a 24- or 36-month payment plan for the security camera and service that may be as low as $15.46 per month.

 

VIVOTEK IP cameras to secure Moldavian city hall

Editor / Provider: VIVOTEK | Updated: 8/1/2013 | Article type: Government & Public Services

Chisinsu, with more than 700,000 inhabitants, is the largest city in Moldova and also the country's political, economic and cultural center. The very first record of Chisinsu dates back to the 15th century. It achieved city status in the early 19th century and became the capital when the Moldavian Soviet Socialistic Republic was established. With the city's long and fascinating past, there are many historical sites that attract tourists. Chisinsu City Hall, located in the central part of the city, is more than 110 years old, and acts as the hub of the capital city. Built in an Italian Gothic style, Chisinsu City Hall is itself one of the city's historical and architectural monuments. In view of the need to provide high-quality security for the historic building and grounds, as well as for VIP guests from all over the world, Chisinsu City Hall sought better surveillance solutions from Moldova Security, which is VIVOTEK's local distributor. With their high performance and superior video quality, VIVOTEK's cameras were chosen.

In this project, a few VIVOTEK IP camera models were installed, including the day/night bullet camera, dome camera and speed dome camera. All are equipped with a 2-megapixel CMOS sensor and removable IR-cut filter. With superior video technology, these cameras can not only deliver the superb image quality around the clock, but also optimize the bandwidth usage. Exceptional image quality is especially important for the Chisinsu City Hall, where accurate identification 24 hours a day is required.

Designed for outdoor surveillance, the bullet camera features several advanced features that ensure excellent monitoring performance, including an auto-iris lens, mounting bracket with cable management, tamper detection and weather-proof IP67-rated housing. The speed dome, another outdoor camera used for this project, is designed especially for monitoring wide-open indoor or outdoor spaces or situations where high precision is required. In addition to using a weather-proof housing, the speed dome can operate in a wide range of temperatures between -40°C and 55°C, ensuring normal operation even under extreme weather conditions. Since Moldova's average temperature in January is -4°C, the speed dome, with such strong weather-proofing features, turns out to be the most suitable choice. Moreover, because it is equipped with WDR technology, the speed dome provides clear images even under high-contrast or backlit lighting conditions. The dome camera, featuring superb megapixel image quality, provides wide coverage while delivering the finest details. With other advanced features such as 802.3af PoE, an SD/SDHC card slot, and real-time MPEG-4 and MJPEG compression technology, the three cameras are ideal cameras for enhancing security inside and outside of Chisinsu City Hall.

Sharon Lee, Director of VIVOTEK's Europe Business Division, stated: “It's our great pleasure to have been chosen by Chisinsu City Hall. Preservation of the historic building and surroundings should be emphasized and highly valued. A comprehensive security infrastructure with a high-quality and seamless surveillance system is pivotal to this preservation. VIVOTEK's cameras, with numerous advanced features, such as video cropping for bandwidth saving, tamper detection, removable IR-cut filter, and built-in IR illuminators, are the best choices for this project.”

Asia Update: Quick updates on Korean security industry

Editor / Provider: asmag.com | Updated: 7/30/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

The asmag editorial team recently spoke with 20 Korean manufacturers to get the latest scoop on industry developments. Key findings include IP movement, HD-SDI's potential, analog 2.0 and a dichotomized future.

Providing IP Options = A Must
Known as the key supplies of advanced analog and HD-SDI technologies, Korean players have come to realize that having IP options in their portfolios is a must going forward. For 2014, a number of Korean camera makers are planning to launch 3-megapixel models, while DVR specialists such as ITX will have NVRs ready with PoE switches built in. Facing strong competition from Taiwanese manufacturers, Korean vendors will set themselves apart with CMS software and other value-added features. So far, Hitron, IDIS, Truen, Icantek and about five others are active in the IP field. Take Hitron for example; its IP business has grown by at least 20%, compared to last year, and new IP camera models and proprietary CMS software will be launched soon. IDIS is also aggressive in moving to IP, with its own brand. ” Promoting the construct of “closed IP,” IDIS has been gaining traction in international markets.

Cautiously Optimistic about HD-SDI
Korean HD-SDI enthusiasts include Wonwoo, HDPro, C-pro, Webgate, CTR, Micro Digital, ITX, Rifratron and around 20 other companies. While consensus was that SDI was an ideal substitute for the post-analog world, the market (buyers' side) has been moving too slowly. It was collectively estimated that the related items account for less than 30% of their total revenues in 2013.

Pricing is still a growth inhibitor. Although SDI camera and DVR prices have dropped by about 30% to 40 % (some cost the same as 1.3- or 2-megapixel models), further reductions must take place for greater market adoption. Struggling to identify suitable vertical markets and applications, many Korean solution providers are targeting higher-end SMB, such as banks, shopping malls and offices.

960H, SLOC and More
960H, SLOC and other niched technologies from Korea are supplied by unique players such as Micro Digital and Pinetron. After two years' of promotion, Pinetron finds SLOC to be better fitted for high-end projects, meaning limited buyers and orders. To stay competitive, the company is planning to launch new economic and IP models in 2014.

M-Shaped Industry
Inevitably, Korean solution providers are facing increasingly fierce rivals from China, especially in the analog markets. The once lucrative box-moving or OEM business model is now jeopardizing the survival of some Korean security enterprises. Without reasonable margins and CapEx, those small and midsized companies will have difficulties keeping sustainable product development and corporate management. Large-scale enterprises with rich backings and talents will continue to thrive in the global arena, while small-but-niched ventures may struggle and stand out in particular verticals or regions. Midsized companies are the ones in serious hot waters, resulting in a foreseeable, M-shaped future for the Korean security manufacturing powerbase.

ADI: Time for residential surveillance

Editor / Provider: ADI Global Distribution | Updated: 7/25/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

Surveillance video is no longer just for commercial security accounts. The usage of residential clients' Internet connections has opened up a brand new sales opportunity for security dealers. Consider what consumers are seeing on TV and other media. The major players in the electronic security business are playing up remote video viewing in their TV commercials, showing parents checking on their children and people viewing their home from their office during the work day. Average consumers are being educated that surveillance video can be viewed on their smartphone, tablet, office or home PC.

New entrants to the electronic security business, such as cable providers, are also highlighting home video, with ads showing how a homeowner can answer a knock on their front door, view the visitor, and allow them entry if they want. Mid-level to high-end residential clients are buying these systems, and should be buying them from you. As an example, after suffering vandalism damage to his house while he was away on a trip, my neighbor had IP network cameras installed on all four outside corners of his home.

Every security dealer can take advantage of the media barrage of residential video and remote control services by offering similar or better remote video services to every residential account. Just remember that what's shown on TV is not necessarily how the cameras will look when your client communicates to an IP camera over the Internet. What is a key factor in the successful sales of residential remote video is the management of your clients' expectations. In future features, ADI will discuss the steps security dealers need to take to ensure customer satisfaction with their IP video surveillance services.

Smart video ensures situational awareness

Editor / Provider: Christine Chien, a&s International | Updated: 7/19/2013 | Article type: Tech Corner

Video content analysis assists users when monitoring different environments. This feature highlights the pros and cons of intelligence in the front and back end.

Two years ago, ObjectVideo waged a series of legal battles with some of the most prominent names in video surveillance, for the infringement of intellectual property relating to video analytics; among the defendants were Bosch, Sony, Samsung, and Pelco to name a few. These lawsuits shook the security industry and gave rise to an influx of video surveillance companies who quickly entered into patent licensing agreements with ObjectVideo, in fear of becoming its next target. According to previous reports, Raul Fernandez, CEO of ObjectVideo had not expected the lawsuits to halt the developments of video analytics or to suppress the adoption of the technology. Ironically, no major breakthroughs in the technology have emerged since the whole fiasco. Now, video content analysis (VCA) seems to be stuck in a peculiar situation where the technology is maturing, but with nothing out of the ordinary coming from it. However, its more advanced features are now able to reduce the rates and incidences of false alarms and are better managed in different devices. The industry is becoming more realistic and “down-to-earth” about the capabilities of VCA, instead of chasing after and/or promoting “new and cool” features that will most likely be unreliable once they are put to the test.

The limited breakthrough in the technology however, will not be putting a stop to its growth. According to MarketsandMarkets, the video analytics market is expected to grow from US$180 million in 2011 to $867.8 million by 2017, at an estimated CAGR of 30.4% from 2012 to 2017.

Current forms of VCA are available in front-end (edge-based) or back-end devices. Pros and cons exist for both the front and back end, and each have its most suitable use scenario. According to Mahesh Saptharishi, President & CTO of Video IQ, there are two primary factors that influence the performance of any VCA system – the quality and resolution of the video being analyzed and the amount of processing available to run VCA algorithms. Lower resolution video, such as video with considerable noise and heavily compressed streams all adversely affect performance. Sophisticated VCA algorithms require a substantial amount of processing to run effectively. More recently, advances in the science of pattern-based video analysis have helped dramatically increase performance while requiring a significantly lower processing budget.

Front-End Devices
Advantages
The advantages of using front end devices are most apparent in two ways – it saves bandwidth and is cost effective. “If there is a large number of cameras requiring analytics, placing analytics on the edge makes sense. Edge placements keep the costs down by relieving network traffic burden, actual costs of the analytics, and costs involved in server farms,” stated John Sepassi, Account Executive at IntelliVision. The use of front-end devices works exceptionally well for remote locations or extended facilities where there is poor or non-existent bandwidth back to the monitoring location, “as it eliminates maintaining a remote server and needs only a low bandwidth connection to send snapshots of alarm instances,” said Sadiye Guler, Founder President of intuVision.

“When video analytics are placed inside a camera, and a high degree of video processing is used to analyze the raw video as it comes off the imager, every video frame at full resolution is available for the video content analysis,” commented John Romanowich, CEO of SightLogix. The ability to analyze every video frame makes VCA on the edge more sensitive to feint objects. “Given the same algorithm, edge analytics using the original data works better than server-based analytics, which works on compressed data from an IP camera. This is because video compression is ‘lossy' and feint objects such as a person in dark clothing on a dark night may just be visible in the original video but filtered out and lost during transmission of compressed video to the server,” said Geoff Thiel, CEO of VCA Technology. Having the loads divided among multiple devices relieves network traffic burden as analytics are performed at the camera level, and only relevant video is sent back to the recorder for storage.

Disadvantages
Major disadvantages of using VCA at the front end include its inability to run analytics that require high CPU, but also the analytic configuration that is needed for each device. “Low processing resources result in lower performance and less features, management of VCA on large numbers of cameras becomes difficult, maintenance is hard because each new bug fix or feature requires a firmware upgrade, and new features may not be supported by existing cameras because of the higher processing requirements,” stated Zvika Ashani, CTO of Agent Video Intelligence. Users also have to be sure their VMS is compatible and supports all the features and functions of the VCA in their cameras for it to operate at its full capacity.

[NextPage] Back-End Devices
Advantages
Similar to front-end devices, VCA in the back end offers a plethora of advantages. Back-end devices, often referred to as server solutions, bring all the video data back to a central location to be managed, analyzed, and recorded, thereby providing a providing a central location for backup, redundancy, monitoring, and network security. Server-based systems might be better for “highly sensitive sites and environments with challenging views and cluttered scenes, illumination changes, and reflections,” according to Guler, as VCA on servers makes it easier to run more advanced and complex analytics that require higher processing power in real time. Using server-based VCA efficiently manages multiple analytics configurations and allows better analysis through reports, charts, snapshots, and recordings. “When the server is upgraded, the increased performance is immediately reflected in the analysis without having to change any cameras. Updating VCA algorithm software is carried out centrally and is relatively quick and straightforward,” said Frank Brandtner, Head of Administrative Product Management at Geutebruck. Furthermore, the features of the VCA will not be dependent on the camera manufacturer, which can exclude many limitations. Running on the center provides greater flexibility by utilizing floating licenses, which are VCA licenses that can transfer from one camera to another, even based on scheduler. This means one license can run intrusion detection overnight on camera A, and people counting on camera B during the day, to reduce total cost of ownership, according to Illy Gruber, Product Marketing Manager at Nice Systems.

Server-based analytics is highly flexible if its VMS is able to support hybrid solutions; the VCA will be able to work with both analog and network cameras. The flexibility allows the system integrators to choose any network camera as long as they are supported by the VMS, and there is no need for additional video encoders when using existing analog cameras, according to Vito Kuo, Integration Product Manager at Nuuo. “With a centralized system architecture, the entire process is simplified – one device instead of many cameras is performing all the analysis and a single analytics program is used to process all the video and there is no need to learn multiple interfaces,” said Shahar Ze'evi, Senior Product Manager at American Dynamics (Tyco Security Products).

“VCA technology is advancing at an incredibly rapid pace and is only limited by the available computer processing power. The good news is Commercial Off the Shelf edge devices and servers are meeting the ever increasing need for horse power thanks to the processing-hungry video game market,” said Larry Bowe, President of Puretech Systems.

Disadvantages
The downside of server-based VCA is often related to bandwidth or additional hardware costs. “If the network from the cameras to a central collection point cannot support streaming of reasonable quality video, say an average bitrate of 1.5 mbps with bursts up to 5 mbps for a 640 x 480 image, then it is best to perform the video analytics at the camera,” Bowe advised. Also, server-based VCA can result in false alarms and misdetections since video compression creates loss of details and scene impression, especially if the video is overly compressed or has poor quality.

In some cases, server-based VCA can put the server as a point of major failure, according to Eric Ho, Product Marketing Manager of APAC at Bosch Security Systems. “Typically a server will handle misdetection for multiple cameras. Failure on a single server will result in loss of VCA detection on all the associated cameras.”

Standard vs. High End
General functions of VCA include abandoned object detection; congestion detection; counter flow; motion detection; behavior recognition; trajectory tracking; shape-based detection/object tracking; theft detection; virtual tripwire; people/vehicle counting; face recognition; ALPR/LPR.

Some of these functions are common and standard while others are only available in high-end or advanced VCA. “The most common VCA systems base their alarms on motion detection (frame difference) or pixel analysis (background modeling). These systems often rely on characteristics such as object height and width, and require manually fine-tuning the VCA to achieve desired performance levels,” according to Saptharishi. Meanwhile, high-end VCAs are more universal and multi-faceted and offer a wide range of evaluation, analysis, and storage possibilities. “They can include advanced features such as conditional alarming or combination events such as ‘Alarm if Event A in Camera-1 and Event B in Camera-2 happens' and ability to send device triggers on VCA alarms,” said Guler. Advanced VCA incorporates background/foreground separation, auto-learning, and auto-calibration on top of frame comparison; special-purpose analytics or high-end analytics go one step ahead and use recognition techniques in the image such as 2D and 3D face recognition and optical character recognition for ALPR/LPR to compare to existing database, according to Sumit Aggarwal, Founder of i2V Systems. “High-end VCA also has special features for accurate counting: including simultaneous bi-directional counting for people walking in groups or side-by-side, ignore suitcases, children's carriages, and shopping trolleys,shadow filters for front of store applications where sunlight and shadows coming through windows can cause problems, on-screen counters, in-camera counting database, count reporting, etc.,” added Thiel.

Depending on user preference and application requirements, video intelligence in the front and back end has its demand across different sectors. Edge devices can be used in locations where standard VCA is enough, while server-based VCA can be used to analyze areas in need of more precise calculations due to the changing environment. With the different features provided by both high-end and standard VCA, operators are able to more efficiently monitor areas under surveillance.