OPTEX protects Canada’s construction sites in harsh weather conditions

Editor / Provider: OPTEX | Updated: 3/5/2014 | Article type: Security 50

The site
Cove Properties, one of Canada's luxury condo (condominium) builders had a large construction site located in Northern Canada to secure. The site is exposed to very harsh weather conditions and a very short amount of daylight during the winter months.

The challenge
Many developers and construction companies build throughout the year and are forced to battle different weather conditions including rain, sleet, snow and extreme cold. They also face the problem of theft and vandalism; theft of tools, machinery, new materials and scrap material costs contractors millions of dollars per year and leads to higher insurance premiums and potentially months of delays.

To avoid the major ramifications of construction site theft, Cove Properties turned to 2020 Digital Security Solutions of Alberta, Canada for help. Cove's requirements included a mobile solution capable of wireless communication that could be moved from site to site with surveillance, motion detection, lighting and remote monitoring capabilities. In addition, it had to survive the harsh outdoor elements of Northern Canada. .

The solution
2020 Digital Security Solutions found the perfect solution in PowerSentry by Mobile Pro Systems. The PowerSentry is a self-sufficient temporary or permanent surveillance solution, built as a ‘power platform' to power any security, communications and/or network equipment. In this instance the platform is powering 6 REDSCAN laser scanners from Optex which protect the perimeter and the inside of the site, two 8,000 lumen LED flood lights motion triggered by the REDSCANs, 2 fixed cameras used in conjunction with Milestone VMS platform for visual verification and event response; and finally a horn/speaker control.

“Despite abnormal cold temperatures, the systems are working great and we haven't had a system go down at all,” said Gene Telfer, president of 2020 DSS.

2014 security industry growth driven by customer service

Editor / Provider: Memoori | Updated: 3/5/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

Financial results for the major manufacturers of security products in the Q4 of 2013 and Q1 of 2014 show a steady growth in revenues and profitability. There is also confidence to forecast that this trend will continue for the rest of 2014.

Few had forecast growth rates much above double figures through organic growth, only  those that are intending to grow faster through acquisition or have annual revenues below $100m. Sifting through their annual reports there is little to find about major new innovative products that will allow them to rapidly increase market share; but a steady flow of incremental improvements showing that product performance will improve to meet customer needs.

The recent annual report on the Security Business showed that the first 3 quarters of 2013 outperformed what most stakeholders had forecast; despite setbacks in economic fortunes in the western developed world. In the first 3 quarters of 2013 it grew by 8% and this marginally increased for the remainder of that year.

This performance was built on the same factors that delivered growth in 2012 – a combination of strong growth in IP Video Networking products, buoyant markets in Asia, solid growth in North America and higher levels of penetration in vertical markets such as transport, retail and health and education.

A little more light at the end of the tunnel would suggest better trading conditions in 2014 right across the developed world causing security equipment buyers to have more confidence that 2014 is the time to replace their old systems; provided they can be sure that their replacements improve the effectiveness of security, reduce operating costs and deliver an improved ROI on the investment.

In this article, 3 leaders are examined in their field; Axis Communications in IP Video Surveillance, HID Global in Access Control and the current fastest growing Video Surveillance company Avigilon, showing how they have created strong robust companies through different business models that should deliver winning performances in 2014.

Axis Communications founded in Sweden in 1984 pioneered the development of IP Network video cameras and brought it to market in 1996, maintained a strong R&D programme since then. It has so far grown solely through organic growth. It is the only company that we have identified in the security industry of its size that has achieved year on year growth without acquiring its rivals.

Even when it recently diversified into Access Control it did not do this through acquisition. Throughout the last 10 years it has gained a reputation for reliable high quality products, which sell at a premium. Its products get to market through all distribution channels and it spends a lot of effort in working with those channels to make sure that the benefits of their products are delivered to the end customer.

With such a large number of manufacturers in the video surveillance business it is hard to produce product differentiation across the whole range but Axis is regarded as supreme at the higher end of the market in the enterprise class where maximum security is vital. In the middle market they face challenges where “OK” cameras at lower prices are regarded as good enough by a lot of end users.

Avigilon founded in 2004 with sales currently running around $200m is approximately a quarter of the size of Axis but its growth in 2013 was 100% and has a market capitalization of around $1 Billion.

This is, to say at the very least, a remarkable performance. Currently they operate at the other end of the size spectrum to Axis with some 95% of customers being in the small to medium size category with only 5% enterprise class clients. They do not sell direct and have a very strong relationship with dealers and system integrators. Their phenomenal growth has to be more than a good product and marketing. It is most likely to be a combination of faster growth in midmarket and building up loyalty through their distribution channels by not selling direct. They have forecast revenue of $500 million by 2016.

In 2013 they acquired 2 companies. RedCloud Security, an innovative provider of web-based, physical and virtual access control systems. Through the acquisition, Avigilon adds a complementary product line to its end-to-end high-definition surveillance solution and provides the Company with access to a growing segment of the global security market. Despite it being a different product it fits in neatly with their existing distribution network.

Avigilon announced a definitive agreement to acquire the video analytics company VideoIQ, for cash consideration of US$32 million. Founded in 2006, VideoIQ has grown to become a leader in real-time intelligent video analytics solutions for security and business intelligence applications. VideoIQ has a developed portfolio of video analytics intellectual property, with 23 patents granted or pending, trade secrets and know-how.

It fits in directly with their existing business. Both of these acquisitions should deliver much more revenue than both companies achieved in 2013 and at the same time will provide their system integrators with a more comprehensive solution.

HID Global, a major subsidiary of Assa Abloy, a global leader in door opening solutions. Founded in 1994 Assa Abloy has grown from a regional company to an international company with annual sales of $7.2 billion (2012) a 12% growth on the previous year, mainly achieved through an astute acquisition programme involving 150 acquisitions. HID Global sales in 2012 are estimated at ￡3.3 billion having increased their contribution.

Assa Abloy acquired HID (Hughes Identification Devices) in 2000 and over the last 13 years has incorporated some 15 companies into the HID organization. Starting with Access Control products through Motorola Indala they have progressed to identification technologies with Active Identity being a major acquisition in 2010.

Since then major acquisitions have included LaserCard, IdenTrust, Lumidigm and Codebench. The combination of the companies' has made HID Global a worldwide leader in secure identity solutions that use multispectral imaging technology, software, and biometric fingerprint sensors to authenticate identities with a high degree of certainty.

HID Global have delivered growth over 12% in the last 2 years despite difficult trading conditions and are now have a strong cash flow and good financial stability to continue growth through organic means and acquisition.

Samsung Techwin IP video solution installed at Paveletskaya Plaza

Editor / Provider: Samsung Techwin | Updated: 3/4/2014 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Samsung Techwin cameras are at the heart of a network video surveillance system installed at Paveletskaya Plaza, one of the most prestigious business centers in Moscow.

Despite tough worldwide trading conditions, Russia is enjoying strong growth in its economy and this is reflected in the increasing demand for office accommodation from international organizations, as well as locally based businesses in Moscow. Developers have responded to the shortfall in the availability of high quality commercial space with a dramatic acceleration in the number of building projects.

By the end of 2014, Russia's capital is expected to be able to boast 4 of the 5 tallest buildings in Europe, whilst many projects have already been completed, including theimpressive Paveletskaya Plaza complex.

Paveletskaya Plaza, which is constructed in the same architectural style as the adjacent Paveletskaya Railway Station, comprises two 12 storey and one 27 storeys tower. Collectively the buildings offer 65,000 squaremete of office accommodation fully fitted with the most modern technologies to provide tenants, which include Adecco, Allianz, Nestle and Tommy Hilfiger, with comfortable and stress-free working conditions. On site there are also several bank branches, a translations bureau, a printing centre and a travel agency, as well as shops, boutiques and restaurants for the benefit of office staff and visitors.

Electronic security and network specialists, YECONS Technology Solutions, were awarded the contract to install the video surveillance system, said: ”It is not perhaps a surprise that there were no shortage of installation companies keen to be invited to tender for this very important project,” said Yusuf Yesilova, General Director of Moscow based YECONS Technology Solutions. “However, although it was a very price competitive tendering process, the owners of Paveletskaya Plaza, ENKA, made it clear from the outset that there should be no compromise in respect of the coverage and quality of the video surveillance solution.”

Single Source
Having successfully installed Samsung Techwin professional video surveillance equipments at a number of other large projects, it gave YECONS Technology Solutions the confidence to single source all the required components of the video surveillance system from one of the fastest growing electronic security manufacturers in Russia.

Working closely with Samsung Techwin's locally based pre-sales support team, YECONS Technology Solutions' engineering design team took a close look at every location where a camera needed to be installed and subsequently recommended what their research had led them to believe was the best model for what it was expected to do.

228 cameras, together with Samsung Techwin network video recorders (NVRs) and monitors, have been installed to enable security personnel to monitor 24/7 all activity within the Paveletskaya Plaza buildings and the surrounding areas.

Fit for Purpose
“At certain locations, where positive identification of unwanted visitors needed to be achieved, we recommended the installation of 3MB Full HD camera models that could deliver evidence grade images, as well as technically advanced features such as Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) and face detection,” said Yusuf Yesilova. “In the majority of locations however, 1.3 megapixel cameras were more than able to capture high definition images of a quality which easily met the client's requirements. We were therefore able to deliver a competitively priced solution that took full advantage of Samsung Techwin's product portfolio that includes both extremely high specification cameras, as well as models which, although competitively priced, deliver a high level of performance.”

The Samsung Techwin cameras have been installed on all floors of the 3 buildings, as well as elevators, reception and parking areas. 124 of the 228 cameras are SND-5010s. Measuring just 100 x 115 x 42mm and part of the LiteNet camera series, the ONVIF compliant SND-5010 1.3 megapixel camera is designed to provide an affordable HD video surveillance solution for environments where there may be limited space. There are also 89 SNB-5000 cameras which are equipped with built-in license-free Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) capability which includes a scene change tampering function, as well as optical tripwire, enter/exit direction detection and an Appear/Disappear function to detect the movement of objects. Of the remaining cameras, 8 are SNB-6004s and 7 are SNB-7080s. With the ability to capture superb quality 2MP Full HD (1080P) images, the SNB-6004 is part of Samsung Techwin's highly acclaimed WiseNetIII camera range, whilst the SND-7080 is a 3 megapixel Full HD network dome camera with 3~8mm motorized varifocal lens.

24/7 Monitoring
Images from all of the cameras are transmitted over a LAN to a central control room where they are monitored live 24/7 by Paveletskaya Plaza operators who are able to direct patrolling security personnel to the precise location where an incident or suspicious activity may be taking place. At the same time the images are recorded onto 1 of 8 Samsung Techwin SRN-1000 NVRs which are able to work in harmony to provide a seamless server style video recording solution. Each SRN-1000 provides up to 24TB of on-board video storage capacity with the potential of an additional 24TB of storage via two external e-Sata direct storage devices. It also features support for Raid 5 storage.

“The video surveillance system plays a crucial role ensuring that our tenants can go about their daily work activities in a secure environment and that their staff, visitors and customers feel safe whilst taking advantage of Paveletskaya Plaza's superb facilities,” said Zihni Coskun, Facility Management Director of ENKA. “The partnership between YECONS Technology Solutions and Samsung Techwin has been a great success. It has resulted in a system that is working extremely well and the feedback from our operators is that it is highly reliable and easy to use.”

Axis announces 9 promotions in US expansion plan

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 2/27/2014 | Article type: Security 50

Axis Communications, supplier in network video, announced 9 promotions in its North American team as a direct result of the unveiled U.S. Expansion Plan designed to bring the company closer to its partner network and mutual end-customers.

Axis' 3 National Sales Managers have been promoted to Business Area Managers and are responsible for the planning and execution of all operations originating from their Business Area office:
* Karl Radke, Midwest
* Bill Wendlandt, West
* Ted Wilkinson, Northeast

Additionally, 6 Axis Regional Sales Managers have been promoted to Area Sales Managers to provide leadership, direction and support to the sales team in their respective Business Area:
* Chris Cavey, South Central
* Steve Darragh, Mid-Atlantic
* Tom Kelley, Northeast
* Kyle Reinoehl, Midwest
* Steve Stanberry, West
* Paul Thompsen, Southeast

As part of the Expansion Plan, Axis designated 6 Business Areas in the U.S., namely the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, South Central and West. Operations that thrive on regional knowledge and face-to-face interaction have moved to each Business Area – including sales, field sales engineering, local event marketing and Axis Communications' Academy training. Additionally, each Business Area will have a dedicated customer-facing office complete with a customized Axis Experience Center, training facilities and boardroom-style meeting rooms.

With Axis offices outside of Boston (Northeast), Chicago (Midwest) and Los Angeles (West) planned to open in 2014, Wilkinson, Radke and Wendlandt were promoted on January 1 to manage all operations in their respective Business Area. Each will continue to report directly to North American Director of Sales Larry Newman, who is based out of the North American headquarters in Chelmsford, Mass. As Axis opens the remaining three Business Area offices in the coming years as part of the Expansion Plan, additional Business Area Managers will be named at that time.

Axis Area Sales Managers will report directly to the individual Business Area Managers and are responsible for managing the sales teams in each of the 24 newly defined sales regions. For Business Areas that do not yet have named Business Area Managers – Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and South Central – the Area Sales Manager is responsible for managing field sales as well as field sales engineering and will also report directly to Newman.

“Our U.S. Expansion Plan enables us to think globally while acting locally so that Axis and our partners can keep pace with the growing opportunities in the IP video and access control markets,” said Newman. “These well-deserved promotions came with a lot of internal competition as our Business Area Managers and Area Sales Managers will play a vital role in ensuring our U.S. partners have the local resources they need to succeed while helping make the world a smarter, safer place.”

Samsung Techwin video surveillance system installed in Moscow

Editor / Provider: Samsung Techwin | Updated: 2/27/2014 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Despite tough worldwide trading conditions, Russia is enjoying strong growth in its economy and this is reflected in the increasing demand for office accommodation from international organisations, as well as locally based businesses in Moscow. Developers have responded to the shortfall in the availability of high quality commercial space with a dramatic acceleration in the number of building projects. By the end of 2014, Russia's capital is expected to be able to boast 4 of the 5 tallest buildings in Europe, whilst many prestigious projects have already been completed, including the highly impressive Paveletskaya Plaza complex.

Paveletskaya Plaza, which is constructed in the same architectural style as the adjacent Paveletskaya Railway Station, comprises two 12 storey and one 27 storeys tower. Collectively the buildings offer 65,000 Square metre of office accommodation fully fitted with the most modern technologies to provide tenants, which include Adecco, Allianz, Nestle and Tommy Hilfiger, with the most comfortable and stress-free working conditions. On site there are also several bank branches, a translations bureau, a printing centre and a travel agency, as well as shops, boutiques and restaurants for the benefit of office staff and visitors.

Electronic security and network specialists, YECONS Technology Solutions, were awarded the contract to install the video surveillance system, said: ”It is not perhaps a surprise that there were no shortage of installation companies keen to be invited to tender for this very important project,” said Yusuf Yesilova, General Director of Moscow based YECONS Technology Solutions. “However, although it was a very price competitive tendering process, the owners of Paveletskaya Plaza, ENKA, made it clear from the outset that there should be no compromise in respect of the coverage and quality of the video surveillance solution.”

Single Source
Having successfully installed Samsung Techwin professional video surveillance equipments at a number of other large projects, it gave YECONS Technology Solutions the confidence to single source all the required components of the video surveillance system from one of the fastest growing electronic security manufacturers in Russia.

Working closely with Samsung Techwin's locally based pre-sales support team, YECONS Technology Solutions' engineering design team took a close look at every location where a camera needed to be installed and subsequently recommended what their research had led them to believe was the best model for what it was expected to do.

228 cameras, together with Samsung Techwin network video recorders (NVRs) and monitors, have been installed to enable security personnel to monitor 24/7 all activity within the Paveletskaya Plaza buildings and the surrounding areas.

Fit for Purpose
“At certain locations, where positive identification of unwanted visitors needed to be achieved, we recommended the installation of 3MB Full HD camera models that could deliver evidence grade images, as well as technically advanced features such as Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) and face detection,” said Yusuf Yesilova. “In the majority of locations however, 1.3 megapixel cameras were more than able to capture high definition images of a quality which easily met the client's requirements. We were therefore able to deliver a competitively priced solution that took full advantage of Samsung Techwin's product portfolio that includes both extremely high specification cameras, as well as models which, although competitively priced, deliver a high level of performance.”

The Samsung Techwin cameras have been installed on all floors of the three buildings, as well as elevators, reception and parking areas. 124 of the 228 cameras are SND-5010s. Measuring just 100 x 115 x 42mm and part of the LiteNet camera series, the ONVIF compliant SND-5010 1.3 megapixel camera is designed to provide an affordable HD video surveillance solution for environments where there may be limited space. There are also 89 SNB-5000 cameras which are equipped with built-in licence-free Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) capability which includes a scene change tampering function, as well as optical tripwire, enter/exit direction detection and an Appear/Disappear function to detect the movement of objects. Of the remaining cameras, eight are SNB-6004s and seven are SNB-7080s. With the ability to capture superb quality 2MP Full HD (1080P) images, the SNB-6004 is part of Samsung Techwin's highly acclaimed WiseNetIII camera range, whilst the SND-7080 is a 3 megapixel Full HD network dome camera with 3~8mm motorized varifocal lens.

24/7 Monitoring
Images from all of the cameras are transmitted over a LAN to a central control room where they are monitored live 24/7 by Paveletskaya Plaza operators who are able to direct patrolling security personnel to the precise location where an incident or suspicious activity may be taking place. At the same time the images are recorded onto one of eight Samsung Techwin SRN-1000 NVRs which are able to work in harmony to provide a seamless server style video recording solution. Each SRN-1000 provides up to 24TB of on-board video storage capacity with the potential of an additional 24TB of storage via 2 external e-Sata direct storage devices. It also features support for Raid 5 storage.

“The video surveillance system plays a crucial role ensuring that our tenants can go about their daily work activities in a secure environment and that their staff, visitors and customers feel safe whilst taking advantage of Paveletskaya Plaza's superb facilities,” said Zihni Coskun, Facility Management Director of ENKA. “The partnership between YECONS Technology Solutions and Samsung Techwin has been a great success. It has resulted in a system that is working extremely well and the feedback from our operators is that it is highly reliable and easy to use.”

Morpho launches multifunction biometric tablet

Editor / Provider: Morpho (Safran) | Updated: 2/26/2014 | Article type: Security 50

Mobile business and services are revolutionizing day-to-day life, bringing convenience and time savings to a life on-the-move. With mobile applications involving increasingly sensitive data, it is absolutely imperative that every transaction and all data remain secure: mobility must not threaten security.

Morpho presents MorphoTablet, an enterprise class touch-sensitive device which adds the security of biometrics (fingerprint + face) and cryptographic functions to mobile operations.

MorphoTablet offers the perfect platform for mobility, versatility and data security, enabling you to deliver trusted services in any sector, anytime, anywhere.

Features at a Glance
*Android-based tablet with incorporated FBI PIV IQS and STQC certified optical fingerprint sensor
*Tamper-proof hardware, cryptographic functions and secure device management
*Integrated NFC and contact/contactless smartcard readers
*Cellular (Voice & Data), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication
*Ready to host customer specific developments or pre-loaded with Morpho proprietary applications

CCTV CENTER signs distribution partnership with IDIS

Editor / Provider: IDIS | Updated: 2/18/2014 | Article type: Security 50

CCTV CENTER, a distributor of video and access control solutions in Spain, announced a strategic alliance and distribution agreement with IDIS. The partnership sees CCTV CENTER as the exclusive distributor of next generation DirectIP full-HD surveillance solutions to the Spanish and Portuguese markets.

James Min, Deputy General Manager at IDIS, said, “This agreement signals the growth in demand for IDIS DirectIP in Europe since its launch last year. We are thrilled to cement our relationship with CCTV CENTER and in turn provide Spanish and Portuguese integrators with local support and specialist knowledge delivered by the largest and most respected distributor in the region.”

Mr. Alberto Bernabe, Chief Executive Officer at CCTV CENTER, added, “DirectIP instantly impressed us with its simplicity and performance. Many installers face common challenges when implementing IP and HD surveillance, with the complexity of IT and networks requiring expensive training or the hiring of IT savvy engineers, both of which lead to margin erosion or projects often running over time and budget. DirectIP has eliminated the need for IP addressing, even for multi-site rollouts and remote monitoring. The IDIS solution installs and operates just like traditional analogue systems, yet delivers all the benefits of high resolution monitoring, recording and playback with the flexibility of a networked solution.”

The partnership will see CCTV CENTER showcasing DirectIP solutions during SICUR, the International Security Safety & Fire Exhibition held at the Madrid Exhibition Centre from 25th to 28th February 2014.

Packaged as a one-stop-shop affordable solution, comprising a range of IP cameras, network video recorders (NVR) and network accessories, DirectIP delivers unrivalled plug-and-play simplicity, combined with highest-quality performance, compatibility, and industry leading pricing.

Security in higher education faces unique challenges

Editor / Provider: Eifeh Strom | Updated: 2/17/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

Unlike K-12 campuses that are closed to the public, college and university campuses are open and spread out, often integrated into the local community. Because of this, perimeter detection is not plausible. “Colleges and universities present unique security challenges. You feel like you're protecting a small city, large corporation, research center, and creative think tank all at the same time,” said Harm Radstaak, MD of EMEA at HID Global. “In this environment, security means controlling physical access to buildings and events, plus logical access to computer networks and sensitive academic information. At the same time, operational costs must be kept under control while serving the diverse needs of a campus community.”

As an US consulting firm specializing in campus safety, security, and regulatory compliance for the education sector, Dan Pascale, CPP, Senior Director of Security & Emergency Services at Margolis Healy & Associates also pointed out the differing needs of colleges and universities based on location, particularly the difference between urban and rural campuses, in addition to the unique security challenges posed by colleges and universities. With tighter access control, tighter controls over visitor management, and more cooperation with local first responders, urban campuses need to address the more inherent dangers of urban surroundings. On the other hand, rural campuses feel safer and more secluded. As a result, rural campuses often do not feel the need to fortify with extra security measures. Additionally, unlike urban campuses, emergency response and security officials are more likely to all come from the university itself due to their more independent campus environment.

Clearer Surveillance, Higher Security
The “2012 Living on Campus: Special Report on College Housing,” by CP&M published in June 2012 found that that 82 % of college residence halls in the U.S. already have external video surveillance cameras in place, while 72 % also have internal surveillance. Now, with features like WDR becoming basic requirements for areas such as building entrances and parking garages, other features like megapixel cameras, panoramic cameras, and video analytics are gaining popularity as prices become more affordable. With advanced network infrastructures, university campuses lend themselves to network surveillance systems. As such, IP-based systems have been implemented in universities worldwide.

Megapixel cameras provide clearer images, providing better security. Finding an appropriate video management system/software (VMS) and using video analytics to accompany recordings can further improve campus security by providing live monitoring, incident review, etc. “Universities in particular can benefit from user-friendly video management interfaces, as various departments may require access to certain video data,” said Kim Loy, VP of Global Marketing and Chief Product Officer at DVTEL. Being able to provide real-time views of remote locations as well as forensic evidence in case of an incident are other reasons a VMS is valuable to a university campus, according to Mike Scirica, VP of Marketing and Sales at WavestoreUSA.

The need for better video quality to capture facial recognition was what drove George Mason University in Virginia, U.S. to go for an IP-based surveillance system. The school opted to deploy dome and panoramic megapixel cameras from Arecont Vision, ranging from 1.8 megapixels to 8 megapixels, in athletic facilities, academic buildings, and parking garages, with plans to extend installation to residence halls. The camera images are fed to a local network video recorder from ExacqVision. School officials note the better forensic capabilities and flexibility to recover data as some of the major benefits of using megapixel cameras. Furthermore, lower bandwidth and storage requirements, along with the need for fewer cameras to cover larger spaces, helped the school reduce costs.

Scirica also noted an increased demand for hemispheric, fish-eye, and 360-degree cameras. “With these devices, one camera can replace up to four traditional surveillance cameras and when used with dewarping software, users gain a new level of situational awareness than previously possible.” Dewarping software comes built-in to some of WavestoreUSA's VMSs, allowing users to record the original images while simultaneously displaying the dewarped images. The software also allows users to manage digital PTZ controls without the need of third-party SDK integration. “The dewarping feature…helps schools get more functionality out of the system and, consequently, achieve enhanced awareness of their security environment,” added Scirica.

Axis US Expansion Plan to strengthen local resources for partners

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 2/5/2014 | Article type: Security 50

Axis Communications, a global supplier in network video, announces its US Expansion Plan designed to bring Axis even closer to its partner network and end-customers while intensifying local resources to meet demand in the fast growing physical security market. The Expansion Plan, which went into effect January 1, enables Axis to remain nimble while scaling to meet partner needs during this growth period.

6 Business Areas, One Goal: Closer to the customer
Axis has designated 6 US Business Areas: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, South Central and West. Operations that thrive on regional knowledge and face-to-face interaction will move to each Business Area – including sales, field sales engineering, local event marketing and Axis Communications' Academy training – to provide partners with maximum local support and business resources.

Additionally, each Business Area will have a dedicated customer-facing office complete with its own unique Axis Experience Center to provide an interactive environment that best showcases the full range of Axis' network video products integrated with partner solutions and how they apply to the surveillance business. The individual Axis Experience Centers will also feature facilities designed for Axis Communications' Academy courses and partner trainings as well as boardroom-style meeting rooms to be used by Axis partners.

3 new offices are planned to open in 2014, including the Northeast office located within Axis' Boston-area North American Headquarters, the Midwest office opening in Chicago planned for Q2, and the West office opening in the Los Angeles-area during the second half of 2014.

“Partners and customers are key to Axis' long-term success and the Expansion Plan enables us to get much closer to them,” said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager, Axis Communications. “We have seen the direct impact opening offices in Canada and Mexico has had on our regional success, as well as how valuable customer-facing facilities like our Boston-area Axis Experience Center can be. This plan replicates our closer-to-the-customer success across the US”

The 6 Business Areas will each be run by a Business Area Manager who is responsible for all local operations and will report directly to North American Director of Sales Larry Newman. Reporting directly to the Business Area Managers will be an Area Sales Manager for each Business Area responsible for managing the sales teams in the 24 newly defined sales regions.

Autonomous cars revolutionize intelligent transportation

Editor / Provider: Christine Chien, a&s International | Updated: 2/3/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

Recently, automobile manufacturers such as Ford, BMW, Audi, and several others, have been releasing new models of semi-autonomous cars. Experts are also making predictions that fully autonomous cars will be available within the next 10 years.

Once the technology reaches full maturity, there will no longer be a need for human drivers. By utilizing improved sensors and cameras, autonomous cars will revolutionize intelligent transportation systems (ITS) through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication in the future. By utilizing the integrated network, cars will be able to communicate with each other, surrounding infrastructures, and the system itself, effectively reducing the number of accidents, the time and energy wasted in traffic by speeding up vehicle mobility, and pollution from the emission of carbon dioxide from fuel exhaust. Currently, Google is at the forefront of driverless car research and testing, already logging an accident-free record of over 400,000 miles since April 2013.

Based on a report from a non-partisan US think tank, the Eno Center for Transportation, “Preparing a Nation for Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities, Barriers, and Policy Recommendations” claims that even with adoption rates of just 10%, autonomous vehicles have the potential to save the US economy at least $25 billion annually, while 50% of crashes and related injuries could essentially be avoided.

According to its estimated figures, if 10% of the vehicles on the road are autonomous, it could lead to 211,000 fewer serious crashes and 1,100 fewer deaths per year. In order to eradicate all accidents in which human error is proven to be a factor, a full 90% of vehicles would need to be autonomous. One of the technologies that can be used to prevent such accidents is the collision avoidance system. The application of the collision avoidance system is presently in the niche stage but it is expected to grow at a rapid rate in the coming five years, according to MarketsandMarkets.

The major reason behind the growth of collision avoidance systems is due to the improvement that will be made for the communication technology between vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure.

Increasing Adoption
Acting as a precursor to fully autonomous cars, semi-autonomous cars are progressively becoming more visible in the market, which will ultimately lead to increased adoption.

According to MarketsandMarkets, the semi-autonomous market for passenger cars will be worth $21.4 billion by 2018. Europe has consistently been the first region where innovative and sophisticated technologies are popularized at a high rate. Meanwhile, APAC is the largest passenger car market in the world, with estimated sales of over 30.9 million passenger cars in 2013. This market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% over the next 5 years.

Furthermore, APAC will be a major market for semi-autonomous cars due to improving infrastructures, changing government policies towards safety, changing lifestyles, and etc. The report also indicates that in the next few years, many countries including China, Korea, and Japan, will make some of the driver assistance systems mandatory in passenger cars.

In Europe, the Automotive Council UK is investing approximately $1 billion to deploy a fleet of 100 driverless vehicles in Milton Keynes by 2017. These vehicles will be fully electric and equipped with sensors and software for autonomous navigation to provide taxi services between downtown and the train station. In the Swedish city of Gothensburg, Volvo Car Group will play a large role in "Drive Me – Self-driving cars for sustainable mobility," a large-scale autonomous driving pilot project in which 100 self-driving cars will use the public roads in everyday conditions. This project is a joint venture initiative between Volvo, the Swedish Transpot Administration, Lindholme Science Park, and the City of Gothensburg. The research and development phase of the project will commence in 2014 and the first cars are expected on the road in 2017. In China, the city of Hangzhou recently made an agreement with Kandi Technologies to lease 20,000 electric vehicles to test the new technology.

Autonomous Vehicle Solutions
2 main technologies are used for autonomous vehicles to allow them to properly and safely travel on the roads according to KPMG — sensor-based solutions and connected-vehicle solutions. Sensor-based solutions, also known as advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), allow cars to monitor and provide proper response to their surroundings by using a combination of advanced sensors, such as stereo cameras and long- and short-range radars, coupled with actuators, control units, and integrating software.

The sensor-based solutions allow for features such as lane-keeping and warning systems, adaptive cruise control, back-up alerts, and parking assistance. However, technological limitations still exist. Current sensors still have a limited perception of the external environment, and are not yet capable of perceiving it as accurately as a human being. That is, humans use a combination of stored memory and sensory inputs to determine how to react to different situations, but sensors must use highly complex algorithms to replace what took humans years to learn through experience. Also, these sensors are still extremely costly at this juncture.

Connected-vehicle solutions use wireless technologies for real-time communication between vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I). The leading wireless medium for V2V communication is using radio waves known as dedicated short-range communication (DSRC). According to KPMG's report, it operates at a frequency of 5.9 GHz , using standards such as SAE J2735 and the IEEE 1609 suite (protocols that establish what messages are sent, what the messages mean, and how they are structured), and is being tested meticulously to see if it can fully support V2V cooperative safety applications.

The DSRC is currently the only short-range wireless communication that offers fast network acquisition, low latency, high reliability, priority for safety applications, interoperability, and security and privacy. However, connected-vehicle solutions face some challenges such as mass adoption, infrastructure modification (infrastructures must be built with the DSRC-compliant transceivers, but funding is a problem), and dependency on sensors, though not everything is or can be connected to sensors, such as pedestrians or wandering pets.

According KPMG's conclusion, if these 2 solutions converge, it will facilitate the imitation of human senses, reduce the need for an expensive mix of sensors, and provide the necessary level of functional redundancy to ensure that the technology will work 100% of the time.

Laws and Regulations
As autonomous cars have always been seen as something from futuristic movies, their emergence is prompting a series of regulatory discussions at both the federal and state level in the U.S. Effective since July 2013, Washington D.C., Florida, Nevada, and California have enacted legislation permitting the operation of automated vehicles on public roads for testing purposes. Amongst the 9 other states discussing the possible bills that can be passed to regulate these vehicles, Michigan is the only state that is likely to pass legislation that permit the operation of autonomous vehicles. One major problem in the U.S. is that states tend to lead the way in passing regulations for autonomous cars, which means there could be 50 different sets of regulations and laws concerning these vehicles.

To address this on a federal level, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration outlined the definition of an autonomous vehicle and issued a working policy statement in May 2013 advising all states to leave safety standards up to federal regulators.

As for Europe, the European car-makers must work within the framework of the Vienna Convention, which can be a potential obstacle to the rollout of fully autonomous vehicles since it states that“every driver shall, at all times, be able to control his vehicle or to guide his animal.”

Transportation of Tomorrow
Current traffic laws and regulations are made on the basis of human drivers, but once human drivers are replaced, traffic laws and regulations will have to target the machine or intelligence driving the cars. Also, not only will standard wireless protocols allow cars to communicate with each other and with ITS as a whole, it will allow government agencies, automobile manufacturers, and traffic control systems to communicate with each individual vehicles as well. This will eventually lead to a transportation system that will be nothing like what we are familiar with today.

“Gathering information is one part of the whole picture, but the real challenge is to share this as widely as possible with cars, infrastructures, traffic control centers, emergency centers, etc., by using standards which are not expected to be established soon. Car toX communication is the next important step forward,” said Enzio Schneider, Product Line Manager ITS at Basler.

On the other hand, something that can be expected after the full integration of autonomous vehicles and ITS are the increase in toll roads. “Cars these days are becoming increasingly more hybrid or electric. However, this presents a problem in that cars will now be using less and less gas. Previously, a part of taxes on gas will go into the nation's transportation systems and departments. Once these cars stop needing gas, the government will have to make money through other methods, in this case, increase in toll roads on the highways. This will definitely be a trend,” stated Mitch Yang, President of EtherWAN.