German facility manager turns to interoperable access control

Editor / Provider: HID Global | Updated: 6/19/2013 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Munich-based Design Offices, a provider of temporary office space rents in Germany has recently deployed an interoperable and scalable access control system consisting of HID Global IP-based card reader and multi-layered security readers. For the project, Design Office partnered with Swiss system integrator, Performance Buildings. Performance Buildings currently operates in Switzerland, Germany and in the USA.

As part of their technology offering for tenants, Performance Buildings and Design Offices were looking for a technology solution provider that met their standards for a secure office access system that was interoperable, convenient, customizable, future-proofed, and at the same time easy to use and delivered cost benefits.

“We're not just offering rooms, we're offering end-users of the office space– tenants or temporary ‘on-demand' end-users of the office space, a secure environment where they can work, meet, hold conferences and provide training sessions in a location where they feel comfortable, and for us, which includes offering all the technological solutions they need in today's modern world,” said Phill Handy, Managing Director from Design Offices.

“So, for example, we wanted to be able to offer 24-hour access to rooms, automated check-in and check-out services but without having to provide staff or all the paper-based procedures,” Handy explained.“We also wanted people to be able to book rooms on the move, so it was critical that easy-to-use online options were available.”

Performance Buildings in Germany selected HID Global products because it was the only company with the ability to support their cutting-edge IT architecture and provide the flexibility that they required. The core solution implemented was an IP-based card reader that meets the demands of open architecture, IP-centric environments and provides fully distributed intelligence and decision making right to the door, leveraging the IT infrastructure to the maximum extent possible.

“The addition of the IP-based card reader provides the access intelligence to do much more than open doors with cards,” said Vishal Mallick, CEO, Performance Buildings. “The fact that it is open and IP-based allows us to integrate the card reader device into our IT-centric architecture and use authenticated credentials to drive lighting, climate and audio visual systems today, as well as room bookings and facility management task allocation in the future.”

In addition, the access control system provided tenants flexibility in using a range of new and existing access card technologies, such as contactless proximity cards and smart cards, or more advanced technology such as NFC smartphones to access the office building and rooms. Office visitors could also be provided access to office workspaces via Performance Buildings touch screen that was enabled by HID Global's IP-card readers to open doors. Furthermore, the IP-based card readers also allowed for cost efficiencies, as the initial investment outlay was reduced through the reader's use of PoE. Finally, HID Global's open architecture based OPIN application program interface (API) was highly cost-effective and required relatively little effort to create a robust integrated solution with the IP-based readers or controllers.

“With its (IP-based card reader) API, it could be easily integrated into our software and installed,” explained Mallick. “Also, HID Global's multi-layer security readers allow us to have one standardized product for the vast majority of buildings due to its interoperability with a range of legacy and existing smart cards in our facility.”

With a robust system that powered Design Offices' shared workspaces, Performance Buildings reported that it had seen a ROI within six-months of their deployment in Munich and improved efficiencies by reducing paperwork thereafter. As the company continues to expand, the use of HID Global solutions will continue to broaden. “We're going to take their combined solutions with us when we move to Dusseldorf, Berlin and Hamburg and we're doing this because it allows us to be more efficient while providing our clients – existing tenants or temporary clients ‘on-demand' with the security, privacy and ease of use that they've been looking for,” said Handy.

British brewery migrates to scalable access control system

Editor / Provider: Grosvenor Technology | Updated: 6/18/2013 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Robinsons Brewery, an independent family brewer in UK, recently upgraded its ageing access control system at facilities in Stockport and Bedbury to Grosvenor Technology's scalable network access control system consisting of HID cards and network door controllers. The new access control system was installed by Advance Security UK.

The original access control system at Robinsons' Unicorn Brewery in Stockport and Packaging Center at Bredbury was rapidly becoming obsolete when, with the assistance of their electrical contractors Piggott & Whitfield, they approached Advance Security to help update the system. Advance Security immediately recognized that the flexibility of the Janus technology was the ideal solution for the project. However, before they could even start the upgrade, the original system failed and Robinsons had problems with a new batch of cards, as Des Collins, Robinson's Health, Safety and Security Advisor explains:

“We had a batch of cards from our existing supplier that was delivered without the magnetic strip being programmed. When we couldn't get a response from the suppliers Grosvenor stepped in and designed an encoder that allowed us to program the cards ourselves, saving us time and money...Advance also made some temporary repairs to the system to keep us going during the upgrade – all free of charge.”

A phased approach has been adopted that allows the system to be upgraded with minimum disruption and to accommodate available budgets. The access control system also allows Robinsons to upgrade existing swipe card readers to proximity readers. Dual function HID proximity cards that also include the magstripe technology, work on both systems.

Robinsons has realized additional savings by using Grosvenor's Ethernet version door controllers. These are installed directly onto the brewer's existing LAN without the need for extensive new wiring. Each IDC can control two doors/locks and interface to a wide range of industry standard card readers and lock mechanisms. Every card profile associated with a specific IDC is downloaded to the controller to ensure uninterrupted access to the buildings in the event of a network or power failure. Each new version of access control software maintains backwards compatibility with previous versions of controllers, maintaining a client's investment with existing access control hardware that may have been installed over the last 15 years.

Tyco launches 2013 training program in DACH region

Editor / Provider: Tyco Security Products | Updated: 6/17/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Tyco Security Products, part of Tyco announces an inaugural series of in-depth technology presentations and training events for dealers, integrators, monitoring stations and their customers in the DACH region. With 11 events held in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in June and September, the series will offer unique educational opportunities to new customers as well as installers already familiar with the Tyco Security Products portfolio.

The events bring to life several product introductions, including new interactive capabilities from the Visonic PowerMaster system and an expanded IP camera line and revitalized Video Edge NVRs from American Dynamics. These technology advancements demonstrate Tyco Security Products' focus on delivering an intuitive user experience to their customers. An extensive representation of the company's technology portfolio will also be on display, with receivers from Sur-Gard, access control solutions from Kantech and intrusion systems from DSC and Bentel Security

Each event in June will also feature a series of 30-minute presentations where attendees will receive more in depth information from product experts. The short sessions will also provide perspective on upcoming developments within the various product lines.

In September, a one day training session will focus on the capabilities of Visonic's PowerMaster product family and its powerful PowerG wireless technology, ideal for high-end residential premises and commercial installations. The training will provide an overview of the unique innovations of PowerG and new opportunities for installers to enhance operations and increase revenue using the new interactive services.

As a highlight, the events series will also feature the Tyco Security Products demonstration van, a mobile demo unit that functions as a self-contained showcase of the very latest integrated technologies in the Tyco Security Products portfolio. The van features intrusion, video surveillance and access control products and is designed to bring the latest security innovations directly to the integrator or customer location.

Bosch adds global channel partner Synnex

Editor / Provider: Bosch Security Systems | Updated: 6/14/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Bosch Security Systems has selected Synnex, a distributor of IT products and services with global reach, to distribute its security and communications systems solutions. The collaborative effort between Synnex's Visiualsolv Group and Bosch meets the needs of a wide range of channel partners, from physical security and AV integrators to IT resellers, in verticals where Synnex has built strong practices, including Federal government, state and local government, education, health care, small to medium-sized businesses and retail.

 “Synnex's market penetration, technical expertise in our product categories and its program depth in vertical industries with strong growth potential make the company an important new partner for Bosch,” said Jeremy Hockham, President of Sales – Americas, Bosch. “Synnex gives us access to untapped IT customers who are increasingly involved in security and communications projects as the migration to IP-based systems progresses. It also provides the opportunity to broaden our footprint in the public sector with inclusion on its GSA Schedule.”

Physical security remains a top priority for Synnex across vertical markets. A strategic and high growth category, Global video surveillance alone is forecasted to grow to $37.7 billion by 2015, according to a recent Technnavio report. Bosch security technologies available through Synnex include video surveillance, public address, intrusion detection, fire alarms, and access control systems. Its Advantage Line of products geared toward small to medium-sized applications is also included. Synnex provides “staging as a service”, delivering staged, pre-configured cameras to resellers for easy installation.

Communications systems also remain a top priority due to complementary mobility, networking and conferencing services offered by Synnex, which are at the forefront of industry trends. Bosch communications systems technologies include professional audio and conference systems for the communication of voice, sound and music.This includes the Electro-Voice (EV) and Telex brands.

“Synnex continues to make heavy investments in the physical security and communications systems markets with the inclusion of Bosch Security Systems to our technology solutions offering,” said TJ Trojan, Senior VP, Product Management, Synnex. “Our collaboration with Bosch not only expands our physical security and communications systems practices, but provides our resellers best-in-class products and solutions from one of the world's most trusted manufacturers.”

K-12 schools worldwide vamp up security

Editor / Provider: a&s International, Alyssa Fann | Updated: 6/13/2013 | Article type: Education

Schools are meant to provide a safe haven for young minds to grow and learn. Hence, they often consist of bright and open spaces with large windows so as to create an environment that encourages learning. In light of the unfortunate Sandy Hook incident in December 2012, however, the very openness meant to encourage a friendly atmosphere also poses security risks. This feature looks at the K-12 security market globally, and the risks that schools face.

At first glance, universities are what come first to mind when it comes to campus security, due to their scale. For example, they generally are open multi-site environments interwoven between public and private property, housing expensive equipment and materials. However, the recent spate of K-12 school attacks has highlighted the vulnerability of defenseless K-12 students in what was supposed to be a safe environment for learning.

fatally shot 20 children between ages six to seven, and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The unfortunate incident was the second deadliest school shooting in US history, after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. Far away in China on the same day, at least 23 elementary students were injured by a man with a knife at Chenpeng Village Primary School in Henan province. China has also seen its share of K-12 school attacks in recent years — an attacker killed eight students and injured several others in an elementary school in Fujian in 2010. Over the next three days after the attacker was executed by Chinese authorities, similar attacks were carried out by other attackers. A man attacked elementary school students in southern Guangdong, wounding 16 students and a teacher. The next day, a man in Jiangsu province stabbed 28 students, two teachers and one security guard, and the day after, a man in Shandong province carried a hammer and a can of gasoline into a village school where he committed suicide by setting himself on fire.

Attacks targeting K-12 schools are not limited to nation or locale. Countries including Germany, Norway, New Zealand, the U.K., South Africa, Brazil, Israel, and Italy have all experienced K-12 school attacks.

Global Market
According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, 570 million children are enrolled in schools globally and with so many innocent lives to protect, the K-12 education security market is a substantial one. Board-certified Physical Security Professional, Paul Timm, President of RETA Security feels that the market is virtually limitless — there are risks to schools that should be addressed wherever there is crime and violence.

“The combined education market (K-12 and higher education) is the largest surveillance market. The K-12 market may eclipse higher education's past growth and will certainly out scale it as facility quantities are greater within K-12 school jurisdictions,” said Steve Surfaro, Security Industry Liaison for North America at Axis Communications. Within this market, video surveillance and mass notification are the most commonly funded and deployed systems.

At the same time, Michael Dorn, Executive Director of Safe Havens International noticed a disconnection between the people, policies, procedures, and technology solutions designed to control them. “For example, we often find significant gaps in access control in schools that have excellent technology solutions because school employees and students have not been properly taught what is required of them to make the access control approaches work properly,” said Dorn. Training and practice are, therefore, crucial factors in optimizing the benefits of the security system.

U.S.
From a global perspective, K-12 schools in the U.S. are more prone to gun violence due to easier access to guns. However, attacks are not limited to gun violence — the deadliest school attacks in the U.S. involved fire, which killed 95 in a Catholic school in Chicago, and explosives, which killed more than 40 in a school in Michigan.

In the aftermath of the tragic events at Sandy Hook elementary school, K-12 schools across the U.S. are reassessing their security plans and their need for security equipment updates. Schools in Groton, Connecticut, are considering upgrades of an estimated US$300,000 towards the installation of panic buttons, access control systems, security patrols, and cameras that can be remotely viewed by the police.

For schools in Brookfield, Connecticut, municipal leaders have fast-tracked the approval of money to implement security improvements costing $347,500. They include access control, visitor management, special glass at main entrances, fences around the playgrounds, additional security cameras, new blinds, and upgraded radios.

In Hudson Falls, the central school district installed equipment upgrades that include a camera, intercom, and buzzer system at the main entrance of each of its five school buildings, at a cost of $1,100 each.

While a major problem with K-12 schools is funding, there is over $11.5 billion available in federal, state and private foundation, and corporate grants in the U.S. alone, noted April Dalton-Noblitt, Director of Vertical Marketing at Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. Safe Havens International, for example, assisted with school security and emergency preparedness assessments for more than 2,000 schools alone in the past four years. To facilitate the funding application for schools, Ingersoll Rand also has a 24/7 cloud-based database of federal and state grant funding information.

System integrators in Massachusetts, can apply to become a certified vendor under the state, such as MA State Contract FAC64 or the traditional bidding method, such as MGL CH. 30B or CH.149. The FAC64 is a security-specific vehicle for the design and implementation of security related systems, and procurement of equipment throughout the state. Under the state contract FAC64, public schools can procure security equipment directly from vendors at favorable prices. “Using FAC64, schools can work directly with approved vendors to design and finally have the vendor furnish and install the desired solution,” said Greg Hussey, VP of Engineering at SIGNET Electronic Systems.

Asia
Many countries in Asia have strict controls and penalties regarding firearms, yet homicides in schools remain a reality. Hence, school shootings may be less common, but aggressors usually use knives, acid, and chemical agents to attack other people, according to Dorn. “There have been at least 25 deaths and 113 other injuries from edged-weapon attacks in China since 2010,” said Gerald Summers, CEO of Integrity Security Protection.

Consequently, a total of $1.27 million is being allocated to Guangshan County in Henan province, China, to address safety in schools in the aftermath of the December 2012 knife attack. The budget will be used toward 486 safeguards and safety equipment for all schools in the county, according to a local newspaper.

In parts of Asia, Dorn also noted an emphasis on access control on school grounds. “I have visited many schools in various regions of Vietnam and all of the schools were totally fenced with a security officer at the gate, even in remote areas like the Mekong Delta.” Another difference is less reliance on security technologies, such as access control systems and security cameras in many of the developing countries. “It has often been less expensive to hire security personnel than to purchase security technology, but this will change as the economic factors change. For example, the rapid growth in the economy in Vietnam appears to increase deployment of security technologies, as rising personnel costs make it more cost-effective to implement access control systems.”

Biometrics is also being applied to education settings. In Karachi, Pakistan, the Minister of Education has announced in January 2013, that biometric systems will be introduced in government schools and colleges aimed at checking absenteeism amongst students and teachers. The system will be introduced at a boys' school, a girls' school, and a college at the tehsil (county) level.

U.K.
Roughly 30 percent of secondary schools and 5 percent of primary schools in the U.K. utilize biometric technology for library loans and school dinner purchases, according to the UK Department of Education. However, in a survey of 1,059 schools conducted by East Anglia and Plymouth universities, it is estimated that hackers may have targeted 20 schools for data theft. Moreover, the findings indicated that 45 percent of schools had poor password security and 40 percent had minimum technical security measures in place to deal with logistic security breaches. For example, the study also found the security levels in schools tend to be inconsistent and rural primary schools were found to be even more susceptible as many do not have data policies or online safety policies in place.

The security of any biometric information has always been heavily debated and the UK Department of Education has recently amended its policy to require parental permission before student biometric information is collected. In May 2012, the U.K. became the first country in the world to address issues of parental consent when their children's biometric information is taken, stored, or processed by a school or institution.

The duties on schools in the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 will come into effect starting Sept. 1, 2013. The law will possibly have implications for biometrics vendors because parents, in addition to the students themselves, will now have the power to object to providing biometric information to schools. If enough people object to biometric applications, the school might find the return of investment to be unsatisfactory. Informed consent can also become questionable if the biometric vendor is the sole supplier of information via the school to the parent. Hence, vendors and schools should provide clear and neutral information to the parents, and include non-discriminatory alternatives if they choose to not participate.

Recent events have shown that K-12 security should no longer take a back seat in school budgets. Schools should tap into the available technologies to assist them in optimizing the security of their campuses and the safety of their students.

Seeing your face everywhere

Editor / Provider: Christine Chien, a&s International | Updated: 6/12/2013 | Article type: Tech Corner

Seeing the noninvasive, face-capturing benefits, different verticals are incorporating face recognition into their settings, acting as access control devices or identification tools. In each different setting, users must be perfectly aware of their environments and the dynamics surrounding it. Users need to know that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Each environment requires its own customized settings and calibrations in order to guarantee maximum accuracy and security.

Most of the time, a correct selection, planning, installation and configuration of the cameras in a given scenario drastically reduce the sources of failure, said Carles Fernández Tena, R&D Project Manager of Herta Security. Common failures are also caused by incorrectly operating the system, such as the wrong adjustments of parameters and thresholds, or enrolling subjects with low-quality images. “In this regard, some sophisticated facial recognition systems currently incorporate automatic quality control modules and self-healing techniques to detect and rectify such misuses,” Fernández further explained.

The biggest problems are related to the lack of knowledge from users which can create frustration and anxiety, turning what could be a quick process into a time-consuming task. “The use of graphic aids, including video animations, can drastically improve the overall experience,” said Marc Spiegel, Regional Head of APAC at Vision-Box.

Matters of privacy can be an area of high concern for some users; this accentuates the importance of educating users on how biometric templates are stored, as they are often misled and think their data are open to theft. “Sometimes, users fear their biometric information will be stolen, but chances of that are unlikely because their raw data is actually configured to a digital code and saved in the database, instead of just the raw data,” asserted Raj Venkat, VP of Cards and Credentials at Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies.

City Surveillance
Employing facial recognition alleviates the work load of operators by simply sending out an alarm once a wanted criminal or target has been identified from the crowd. India's safe city project intends to cover several of its cities extensively by surveillance systems that can recognize faces and detect wanted criminals or terrorists, and flag off a centralized control room. Other surveillance systems put up by the police, other agencies and third parties, such as hotels and retail multiplexes, will be integrated as “databases.”

Even though the Tsarnaev brothers, responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing, were actually in the FBI database, the facial recognition software failed to recognize the perpetrators due to the poor picture quality of their faces that were mostly angled away. With rising awareness and installations of HD cameras, facial recognition for similar situations in the future will prove to be much more successful.

Law enforcement agencies can further take advantage of mobile devices, such as handhelds or smartphones, performing recognition on-the-go to further facilitate accuracy improvements and calibrations.

Event Security
Large-scale, open events — often sports-related — are prone to terrorist attacks; employing the right level of security measures is crucial. The capacious area increases the difficulty for the human eye to make out specific targets among the sea of faces. By utilizing facial recognition, security guards will be able to locate those on the blacklist or VIP list at an accelerated rate.

The upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place in Brazil, portrays the scenario perfectly. The country was determined to make the tournament “one of the most protected sports events in history,” shelling out US$900 million for the event. With the hefty fund, the country bought US military robots, Israeli-made drones, high-tech surveillance, and facial recognition glasses that can capture up to 400 images per second to be stored in a database of up to 13 million faces. The system is designed to match known criminals and terrorists. Currently, the guards are already being trained to properly operate these devices.

Airports and Border Control
Not only are facial biometrics used as part of the identifying process for national IDs and biometric passports, they are used in airports and border control as well. Now, biometric recognition is incorporated into solutions that are “designed to automate the secure and fast flow of passengers through restricted areas such as security and border checkpoints,” said Jim Slevin, Aviation Business Unit Manager at Human Recognition Systems (HRS). Recently, HRS deployed its system at Edinburgh Airport to assess the flow of passenger traffic through its security screening area to help address the bottleneck queues, though it was initially used as a performance measurement tool that anonymously measures how long people spend in queues and dwell areas of the airport.

“The same solutions when designed sympathetically can offer benefits for both security and passenger differentiation — the ability to identify and tailor journeys on an individual traveler basis,” Slevin added. Facial biometrics are used in airports to facilitate the passenger's check-in to departure experience. After recognizing passengers who are enrolled in the service, texts will be sent to the passenger and guide them through the process of self check-in and baggage drop-off, all the way until the passenger arrives at the correct departure terminal and goes through the gates. Enrolled passengers are often frequent flyers who are offered this opportunity as a part of the perks, in a sense, treated like VIPs by being able to avoid long wait time.

Other e-gates allow for integrated or a combination of facial, fingerprint and iris recognition, and can be used at any country entry/exit point, Spiegel added.

Retail, Banking and Gaming
Operators will be able to analyze their customers based on their facial expression. Retailers will be able to register and create a watch list for shoplifters or VIPs. Shoplifters will be immediately escorted out of the stores when they are identified, while VIPs will be treated with the greatest shopping experience that can be provided. “As soon as you walk into Macy's and get to a certain area, they already know what you like and your buying preferences. I think there will be a lot of great technologies introduced in the next five years!” said Mizan Rahman, founder and CEO of M2SYS.

Banks will be able to use facial recognition for identifying criminals in order to prevent robberies. Customers can also be identified for better services and accessing ATMs and safety deposit boxes. As for online transactions, Facebanx has developed a new online facial recognition solution that will enable banks, payment processors, and insurance and ID verification companies to dramatically reduce fraud and ID theft. Users simply need to add their face to their account via the camera from their electronic device, such as a mobile phone or laptop webcam. Each individual's face is recorded by a video stream (rather than stills), and the technology compares the multiple images taken throughout the recording to confirm the person is real and not a spoof by a photo.

In the gaming sector, a few years back, certain Canadian and Singaporean casinos started to use facial recognition to track down and identify gamblers who have put themselves on a self-exclusion list. The facial recognition software instantly scans photographs taken by a dedicated camera as visitors pass by a security desk, looking for matches with pictures of gamblers who have put themselves on the self-exclusion list. If a match is found, a silent alarm goes off, the matching photos pop up on a computer screen, and security guards compare them. Once the guard verifies the match between the visitor and the image on the screen, they will ask for the identification of the individual before escorting him or her from the facility. For those who have not been placed on the list, their photographs are instantly discarded. The cameras with facial recognition are also used for identifying VIPs, cheaters, as well as authorized personnel in the cashiers and vaults.

Automobiles
Facial recognition for automobiles has been heavily researched and tested so it can be incorporated into onboard cameras in order to track the driver's pupils and facial orientation to detect head movement, eye direction and blinking patterns. If the system senses the driver is about to fall asleep, it will issue an alert for drivers to pull over to the side of the road. For driver convenience, BMWs use facial recognition to adjust to each driver's customized settings, such as steering wheel height, seat position, mirrors, and even turn on his or her favorite radio station. However, there are some problems to tackle, such as where to best position the camera to capture the face again immediately after being obstructed by the driver's hands and steering wheel. Adapting to changing lighting conditions is no small feat either, since cameras have to be able to continuously capture the driver's face even as she drives through a tunnel, into the sunset or after dark.

Why Avigilon expands into access control

Editor / Provider: a&s Editorial Team | Updated: 6/11/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

Avigilon was able to experience 67-percent growth in 2012, as the company offers an open, end-to-end, scalable system that can be customized to projects of all sizes across a wide range of verticals, from mom-and-pop shops to large projects like the King Abdulaziz International Airport, and everything in between. With the extra cash in hand, the company recently acquired access control company Redcloud, and company CEO and President Alexander Fernandes talks to a&s about the decision.

Access control and video surveillance often go hand in hand; in fact Avigilon's customer base is “largely synonymous to Redcloud's, making our entry into access control natural,” Fernandes shared. “The acquisition was a great opportunity for us to add a complementary product line to our existing end-to-end system. By integrating Redcloud with Avigilon, we are able to offer our customers added security benefits.” Over the next six to eight months, Avigilon will work to fully integrate both companies' systems, to create a complete end-to-end system of video surveillance and access control.

Redcloud is an ideal match for Avigilon, as both utilize open-platform technology, making the integration between products simple and the ability to market a synergistic product quickly. Redcloud offers an electronic access control system that was built from the ground up, to ensure that physical security and IT security could converge. “We are at the forefront of the evolution from analog to HD; innovation will continue to play a major factor in our success in the marketplace,” Fernandes said. “Our HD surveillance system provides a cost-effective solution that requires fewer cameras to cover a wider area, and our end users would benefit directly from hardware cost savings, as well as time and cost savings of training and installation.”

Biometrics face off

Editor / Provider: Christine Chien, a&s International | Updated: 6/11/2013 | Article type: Tech Corner

According to MarketsandMarkets research, global biometrics market revenues are anticipated to reach US$20 billion by 2018. Increasing security requirements for public security such as border control management, national identity cards, e-passports, Internet and network access, and financial transactions are acting as growth drivers. As of now, fingerprint is the most commonly adopted form of biometrics, but face recognition will most likely become its successor in the years to come.

The global biometrics market is expected to grow at an estimated CAGR of 22.9 percent, as compared to the facial recognition market growth of 27.7 percent during the period of 2013 to 2018. Over the next six years, facial recognition is predicted to become highly pervasive, ubiquitous across its ecosystem, and penetrating the market to a huge extent, according to MarketsandMarkets.

Facial recognition, one of the oldest forms of biometrics, had been slow to gain widespread adoption due to the problems in accuracy and reliability often found in its algorithms. However, the dynamics revolving around the use of facial recognition is changing, as government officials and commercial sectors are starting to realize the convenience in using facial biometrics for various purposes. Its appeal stems from the contactless, noninvasive nature when capturing and recognizing an individual, but also from its similarity to how humans recognize each other — through the face.

Because of its enhanced accuracy, flexibility of being used in all environments, and the public's higher tolerance for it, the speed of adoption shall only accelerate.

Main Purposes
For one-to-one identification, face images are used in combination with video surveillance in a controlled situation. Ideal sources of controlled environment for image capture include motor vehicle agencies, visa and passport agencies, mug shots, background checks, and surveillance cameras placed at “choke points.”

For one-to-many identification, facial recognition algorithms have experienced noticeable improvements through continuous attempts to address commonly associated problems in uncontrolled environments.

“Facial biometrics is one of the most promising technologies to be widely adopted and more generally affordable in the short future, given that capturing of samples can be done at relatively long distances and without any participation on the subject's part,” said Gary Lee, International Business Development Manager at Herta Security. With the ability to operate from afar, facial recognition is used to conduct passive recognition where no real cooperation is needed from subjects to detect and collect their faces in a real-time surveillance video — and start the match against databases of unwanted personnel or the “blacklist.” Areas with large crowds, heavy traffic and high throughput will be more effective if a separate mode of recognition can be incorporated into the surveillance solutions to further ensure maximum accuracy.

When it comes down to identifying an individual against an entire or multiple databases, facial recognition drastically enhances the chances of locating a match. Database will continue to expand, not only because of the likes of the FBI's billion-dollar next-generation identity program, but with the help of social media and retail sites where users upload images for a virtual makeover. This allows operators to access dozens of photos of individuals from varying angles and settings. The growing computational powers ameliorate the process of scanning these massive databases.

Challenges and Limitations
As with all technology, using biometric devices and solutions has challenges and limitations, whether it is due to the algorithm itself or operational errors. Carles Fernández Tena, R&D Project Manager of Herta Security, mentioned some improvements on the way. “One will be the ability to process very high-resolution imagery in real time. This will result in higher image quality for identification, more opportunities for matching the short apparition of a subject against the database, increased bandwidth capacity for processing either a greater number of channels or larger frames with the same resources, and the development of more sophisticated algorithms that are not currently possible due to the existing computational limitations.”

Some other problems include the cost of employing facial recognition devices or software. The technology in search applications usually faces more challenging conditions such as lower resolutions, variability in pose and expression, changing illumination and larger occlusions, which result in higher costs. “Depending on the reliability and functionalities of access control systems, their price range is typically between hundreds and a few thousands of dollars,” Lee stated. According to Alf Chang, Senior Consultant at a&s, current cameras can detect faces up to six or seven meters. Identifying individuals from a long distance can be problematic if the cameras do not have high enough resolution. If users wish to detect or identify individuals from farther away, they must invest in cameras with higher resolutions.

2-D vs. 3-D
3-D recognition is the newest form of facial recognition to have emerged over recent years; however, the debate on its use continues to exist. By employing 3-D recognition, it is able to address some of the common problems faced by regular 2-D recognition, such as lighting and facial angle, and provides additional information to facial analysis. In turn, this could lead to more accurate recognition.

"The basic idea with 3-D facial recognition is that a biometric template based on unique geometry of a person's face can be readily stored on a database, for access control, and compared with a ‘live' analysis to identify the person in question,” said Anna Stebleva, VP of Business Development at Artec Group. “3-D facial recognition is fast, contactless and accurate, and this combination of features caters fully to the needs of the access control market today.”

As of now, 3-D facial recognition is still in the research stage for the most part. “Very few applications are actually incorporating the use of 3-D facial recognition. Capturing and storage of 3-D templates are more complicated than with 2-D technology. It is also an expensive approach for access control or any other applications, so it still remains a technology in search of a true application event,” according to Jim Slevin, Aviation Business Unit Manager at Human Recognition Systems, who thinks 3-D can be extraneous for regular access control and one-to-one verification, but remains attractive for forensics and postevent analysis of surveillance footage.

“The main limitation of 3-D technology is the very high cost and limited working range of the sensors required to make it accurate enough,” Fernández said. “This breaks with some of the traditionally attractive characteristics of 2-D facial biometrics: long-distance operability, multiple identifications in crowds, and relatively cheap deployments in distributed architectures, given that cameras have become a commodity.”

Some also believe that 2-D and 3-D can coexist. “In uncontrolled environments, 3-D can address some of the problems. 2-D, with some of the advancements we've had, like something as simple as IR-based images, has already advanced a lot and are already doing well,” said Mizan Rahman, founder and CEO of M2SYS. “We may not need to replace all of the 2-D systems, and they will continue to exist in some capacity. 3-D is more effective because it is not constrained by end-user training; 3-D systems are able to handle unexpected environmental conditions.”

Assa Abloy/HID partners with Oberthur to enhance NFC-enabled SIM card security

Editor / Provider: HID Global | Updated: 6/10/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Oberthur Technologies, one of the world's largest providers of security and identification solutions and services based on smart card technologies,announced its partnership with HID Global that provides Oberthur Technologies the ability to support the use of Seos digital keys on NFC-enabled smartphones. The partnership enables the Seos digital keys applet to be embedded in Oberthur Technologies NFC SIM cards, making it possible to use NFC smartphones for a wide range of applications that typically reside on smart cards.

Oberthur Technologies′ dragonFly product family is a new generation of NFC SIM cards that are faster than ever and include best-in-class certifications (Common Criteria EAL4+, MasterCard, Visa, MIFARE DESFire) and integrated anti-virus protection. The solution supports key applications driving NFC deployments such as transport, payment and access control. It also supports applications that facilitate a more convenient user experience, such as the use of a mobile phone for hotel check-in and hotel room access.

The Seos applet is part of an ecosystem of interoperable products and services for issuing, delivering and revoking digital keys on NFC-enabled mobile devices that can be used to open doors to homes, hotels, offices, hospitals, universities and commercial buildings. Seos includes standards-based smart card technology with state-of-the-art cryptography for maximum interoperability and security, and the Seos Trusted Service Manager securely manages Seos digital keys on NFC mobile devices.

“Oberthur Technologies' dragonFly NFC SIM cards and its secure elements in general are interoperable with Seos from HID Global and fully meet the expectation of our customers in term of access control for mobile,” said Jerome Ajdenbaum, Telecom Business Unit Marketing Director at Oberthur Technologies.

“Our partnership with Oberthur Technologies reflects HID Global's dedication to continually expand our mobile access ecosystem in order to deliver the broadest range of secure, convenient and flexible solutions to customers,” said Debra Spitler, VP of Mobile Access Solutions at HID Global. “HID Global is looking forward to working with a best-in-class SIM provider such as Oberthur Technologies to uncover new and exciting opportunities in the mobile access space.”

Security innovations to be driven by compliance

Editor / Provider: Memoori Business Intelligence | Updated: 6/7/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

Memoori Business Intelligence recently interviewed Adlan Hussain, Global Head of Marketing at CNL Software, to discuss innovations in security in the next five years.

1. Where will the major innovations in security come from in the next 5 years? Let us start by stating the speed of innovation in this internet era makes it difficult to predict innovation for five years forward. There are trends such as processors and storage for computers that will get substantially smarter and cost less, but when we talk about innovation, we are thinking about game changing technologies that will disrupt the industry. We think two things will drive key changes in security: technology and compliance;

Compliance: Large-scale solutions are becoming ever larger and with a mix of private and public applications and devices, there is an even stronger need for truly intelligent front-end software solutions managing authentication as well as compliance to pre-determined memorandums of understanding. Armed with logical capabilities to use public systems in the event of an emergency, we are seeing safe city projects embracing the idea of connecting security systems from all the schools in their district for example, but this is dependent on the ability to manage and enforce compliance through strong software technology.

Evidence trail, audit trails, hardened data retrieval and export, authentication, potentially through logical gateways will all be the norm within the next few years as system owners recognize that software solutions can quickly, consistently and cost effectively process the huge amounts of data generated from their security systems. With the real estates growing to hundreds of thousands of devices and operators, technology is fundamental to managing and ensuring the compliance to all laws and procedures.

Technology: The two main technologies that will drive innovation are highly linked. Firstly, hardware will continue to evolve radically with more and more networked devices delivering ever-increasing capability. Secondly, the advancement of integration and management software needed to manage all these intelligent devices on the network.

A good example would be surveillance cameras. The growing capacity to store footage locally means that soon terabytes of storage at the edge will be an affordable option. With advances in analytics, the camera will have its own recording “rules” managed by a main suite of programs deciding: what recordings stay at the edge, what goes to a central library and what is deleted. This will not be a man managed video real estate, but a computer program that uses risk and probability analytics to determine what stays and what goes.

While this sounds a radical step, it is not at all and quite a few former NVR suppliers are already moving their systems from centralized recording to recording at the edge or on a managed set of SCSI disk libraries that take recording directly from the camera. This increases performance, reduces the bottleneck created at centralized servers and decreases the overall cost of a solution, while simultaneously reducing bandwidth requirement. Now that cameras are moving towards extreme high image densities, intelligent management of locally held video data will emerge as one of the newest and most important innovations that will eradicate the current DVR and NVR mentality.

Looking at access control and winding forward to when all the ironmongery needed for access control for example is network attached, powered by network connection and will probably include a mass of new devices managed by the access control system. We see that it is no longer a card presented to a door but can be a phone, tablet, RFID, biometric, VPN; in fact, the whole real estate of authentication ought to move to a self-managed model, reducing costs and need for security guards or personnel staff.

While it is difficult to look beyond the next twelve months to see what is going to happen in hardware. VMS and ACS systems as we know them are already being surpassed by smarter technologies, solving bigger problems on a wider scale. It is easy to forecast that existing suites of VMS or ACS applications will either get smarter or die a death as standalone applications.

Just like in the IT world, siloed applications died when users realized they could manage their businesses much better with integrated suites that improved company efficiencies and reduced costs. In a world where the demand to do more for less is increasing, the only fact we can be sure of is that this is a perfect environment for technology. Reducing cost has to be based on reduction of overheads, but without increasing the risk.

What we can say is it is unlikely to be the traditional installer equipment manufacturer who creates these innovations. The innovators will be those forward thinking manufacturers who are prepared to defy the past and provide new, smarter and cheaper hardware, which will require new software solutions to harness their intelligence.

2. Is the security industries' resistance to change creating opportunities for Startup businesses? For other industries, a reluctance to invest in innovation may only affect operational efficiency offered to clients, but in the security space, it means those intent on causing harm are able to catch up; and this is not good for any of us.

As we have seen in the last decade, the majority of this disruptive innovation will continue to come from smaller, agile and entrepreneurial companies. This is especially true in the electronic security industry, where the larger companies are often very cautious to adopt anything new.

Typically, these large organizations prefer to acquire technology rather than to risk the development process. This is good news for bright minds, as it leaves the door open for them to create game changing innovations that can help to secure each and every one of us. As we have seen ourselves, once a technology is proven and is seen to be commercially viable, there are plenty of companies who like to follow genuine innovators.

If you want to prove this, the next time you attend a tradeshow, walk down the back of the hall and look at the small shell scheme stands, I can assure you that you will find far more innovation there than you will on the manufacturer islands at the front of the hall. We are also seeing large companies offering these small start-ups money to invest into their innovation; the value to them is an early opportunity to look for the next new thing with less risk.

3. As platforms for sensing and analyzing data, video cameras, security sensors, biometrics etc has enormous potential. How will they fit into the ‘Internet of Things'? Firstly, as with the internet the security industry is finding that the real value lies not in the hardware or the device you are using, but in the software that is pulling everything together. Analytics or biometrics on their own will provide part of the picture, but pull them together with other systems, apply some intelligence and suddenly you have a stronger, tighter defense and improved security system.

Secondly, the move to the cloud will see a lot of change within the electronic security industry and will provide opportunities for new ideas and companies to grow, who offer a better service for less. How these two tends will meet will be interesting and PSIM will play a role here. Limited bandwidth, edge storage, coupled with rich data will mean an intelligent engine will be needed to ensure only the most relevant data is pushed to a reducing number of security operators.