[GDSF Secutech 2014] Digitalcom shares experience in Thai Customs Dept.

Editor / Provider: William Pao, a&s International | Updated: 4/18/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

Digitalcom, a participant in GDSF at Secutech 2014, shared its experience in helping the Thai Customs Department set up a state-of-the-art surveillance system aiming to strengthen border control.

The project began in 2008 and is now in its third phase. The main installation was done by the Communication Authority of Thailand, which rents the system to the customs agency on a yearly basis. Hardware and cameras were provided by Yip In Tsoi, and Digitalcom did the system configuration.

The main purpose of the project was to monitor activities at the borders and make sure that no trafficking of any kind took place. Border control gained importance especially after the Thai government raised its tobacco tax this year, an event that caused trafficking of cigarettes from neighboring countries to rise, said Suwich Chitkasemsuk, MD of Digitalcom.

The installation involved the deployment of over 200 recording servers and over 1,500 cameras. According to Chitkasemsuk, installation was made much easier thanks to Milestone's solution, which allowed Digitalcom workers to use Windows Remote Desktop and Management Client to complete installation and configuration, all at one central site.

To free up more bandwidth needed for high-quality video data, the multi-stream technology was adopted. Digitalcom uses MJPEG for recording videos from important cameras and MPEG-4, which requires lesser bandwidth, for viewing purposes, Chitkasemsuk said.

The company's solution also integrates with various existing technologies, such as facial recognition and analytics, to detect intrusion, reduce false alarms, and enhance responsiveness.

AirLive IVS Face Detection surveillance system for casinos

Editor / Provider: Sponsored by AirLive | Updated: 4/17/2014 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Casino surveillance system requires the ability to respond rapidly to incidents at low levels of lighting, which is one of the most technical-demanding requirements for surveillance systems with diverse operational requirements.

Gaming video surveillance needs to focus on the activities at the gaming tables and slot machines in order to settle disputes, prevent and detect cheating and also to protect the casino and players from dishonest employees. Evidential-level image quality is crucial for bringing the criminal to court successfully.

Casino surveillance systems from AirLive's IVS Face Detection embedded in MD-3025-IVS and BU-3026-IVS (Intelligent Video Surveillance) provide accurate video analytics that can be used to detect faces of people in the monitored area. This function automatically detects and captures a person's face and store in the storage. AirLive's analytics surveillance systems are able to set up the system alerts, take a snap shoot or record a short video when a face is detected in the frame of the image.

Besides Face Detection, AirLive IVS IP Camera has other 5 built-in IVS analytics including 5 powerful intelligence functions – Face Recognition, Object Counting, Trip Zone, E-Fence, i–Motion — for various applications in public places such as airports, stadiums, border crossings, offices, shopping mall, and buildings.

Survey exposes surveillance myths created by CSI crime dramas

Editor / Provider: Axis | Updated: 4/15/2014 | Article type: Security 50

Canadians are hooked on crime dramas, and some shows are so convincing that our perception of what forensic technology can do has been skewed – especially when it comes to video surveillance.

"There have been impressive strides in facial recognition analytics, but it is not as prevalent as TV producers would have you believe. The technology works best in controlled conditions”

According to a survey by Leger for Axis Communications, the global brand in network video surveillance, 68% of Canadians said they watch crime dramas like CSI, Criminal Minds, Castle and Law and Order. Of those surveyed, most believe image enhancement techniques and intelligent software are readily available to help law enforcement easily identify suspects. Yet nearly 75% of surveillance cameras sold worldwide today remain analog (IHS Research), which is why security video often shown on the evening news is grainy and of poor quality, making identification difficult.

Key findings of the survey include:
* 71% of Canadians think recorded surveillance footage can be enhanced in a lab using software.
* Most Canadians have very little idea how long surveillance video is generally stored, with 27% admitting they have no   idea and 26% believing video is stored indefinitely.
* Three-quarters of Canadians believe facial recognition software can easily pick individual faces out of a crowd for identification, with crime drama fans even more likely to believe this.

“When TV crime technicians produce an accurate photo of a suspect from the reflection off someone's sunglasses, it makes for good entertainment but it's not realistic,” said Bob Moore, country manager, Canada, Axis Communications. “IP camera innovations have improved image quality and image usability exponentially, but if police are dealing with low-resolution video common in the real world today, there is nothing that can be done to enhance the image.”

The surveillance industry is currently undergoing a shift from analog CCTV to IP video, with IP cameras expected to begin out-shipping their analog predecessors in 2017. This is because IP video offers much improved functionality closer to the technology shown on TV, including HDTV-quality video, ease-of-use, speed of forensic search, intelligent analytics and low-light recording in color.

Myth: Surveillance video quality can be enhanced in a lab using software.
Reality: “What you see is what you get,” said Moore. “If you don't start out with high resolution video, enlarging it will result in a bigger, blurrier, more pixelated image. Video clarity cannot be fixed after the fact. As a rule of thumb, an image must supply 80 pixels from ear to ear to ID a face.”

Myth: Surveillance video is stored indefinitely.
Reality: “In Canada, there are no legal guidelines regarding how long surveillance video is stored, but as a general rule 31 days is the average most video is stored before being overwritten. After all, it is data,” said Moore. “In practical terms, it's really an issue of storage and how much an organization has available to keep. Video that is pulled to be used as evidence in a case, however, could be kept indefinitely.”

Myth: Facial recognition software can pick someone out of a crowd.
Reality: “There have been impressive strides in facial recognition analytics, but it is not as prevalent as TV producers would have you believe. The technology works best in controlled conditions,” said Moore. “Some buildings employ facial recognition software to automatically open doors for authorized people, but the person must look directly into the camera and, most importantly, their faces must be stored on a database for comparison. This is much different than picking a random face out of a moving crowd.”

Myth: Most surveillance is monitored in real time.
Reality: “The opposite is actually true,” said Moore. “99% of security video is deleted without ever being seen. Of the video that is seen, only one percent of that is viewed live. Most security video is not monitored live by a person because of the expense involved. Thankfully innovations in IP video are moving video surveillance from a forensics-only tool to a proactive one.” “Today's IP cameras offer more flexibility and advantages than older analog models and hopefully provide real Canadian crime fighters with the images they need to do their jobs,” said Moore. “While it was good to see that 47% of Canadians do not believe crime dramas provide an accurate depiction of how security equipment is used, one-third still believe these myths to be true. With IP video, we're vastly ahead of the quality and ability of outdated analog CCTV, but haven't yet caught up to Hollywood.”

Morpho joins FIDO Alliance to revolutionize online authentication

Editor / Provider: Morpho (Safran) | Updated: 4/15/2014 | Article type: Security 50

Morpho (Safran) has recently joined the FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance, an industry consortium delivering standards for simpler, stronger authentication during online transactions.

“As a leader in secure identity management, we are delighted to join the digital industry's most innovative players in revolutionizing online authentication.”

Members of the alliance commit to sharing technology and collaborating on the development of open specifications that enable FIDO-compliant authentication methods to be interoperable, more secure, private and easy to use. FIDO addresses the need to develop a viable alternative to passwords.

To create a secure online ecosystem, FIDO specifications support a wide range of authentication technologies, platforms and mobile devices. By joining the FIDO alliance, Morpho will bring its expertise in authentication technologies such as biometrics (fingerprint, iris and facial recognition), Near Field Communication, Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) and secure elements (SIM cards, smart cards, USB tokens), as well as in innovative mobile devices and secure e-service platforms.

As a member, Morpho will offer FIDO-compliant products enabling banks, online service providers and mobile network operators to provide more convenient and secure access to online services.

“Morpho will contribute to FIDO's vision of more secure and convenient online authentication for a broad range of identity and payment applications. We are delighted to welcome Morpho as a Sponsor member and look forward to drawing upon their expertise in biometrics and protecting identity data,” said Michael Barrett, president of the FIDO Alliance.

“As a leader in secure identity management, we are delighted to join the digital industry's most innovative players in revolutionizing online authentication,” stated Thomas Chenevier, Senior Vice President, Products and Innovation at Morpho. “Joining the FIDO Alliance is a natural move for Morpho at a time when we are expanding our e-service offering.”

IP based video surveillance enjoys high market penetration in Middle East

Editor / Provider: Jill Lai, a&s International | Updated: 4/15/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

The video surveillance market is greatly influenced by government rules. HD and megapixel has become standard for video surveillance cameras and 180-day video storage is required for almost all market sectors. The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) also updates the rules every year. The government regulations usually include where the security cameras must be placed, several details about its specifications, and also, how to make sure they are able to produce good quality video. "In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, it is important to make sure that your IP-based video surveillance system meets all legislation and governmental standards, which should be the key elements of business here," said Peter Biltsted, Director of MEA at Milestone Systems. According to an industry expert, some IP-based video systems might have the problem of losing images, which would cause the end users and systems integrators to get fined afterwards. Therefore, high reliability of IP-based video surveillance systems is required for this region.

HIGH ADOPTION OF IP-BASED VIDEO SURVEILLANCE
Due to regulations from the government, the trend of full IP-based video surveillance starts from the U.A.E. such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and then spreads the rest of the Gulf countries. The IP-based video surveillance trend also leads to high adoption of some innovations in this region, such as multi-megapixel, low-lux, and intelligent video analytics.

In the Middle East, people usually want the best technologies. For surveillance, the standard would be around 2 to 3 megapixels with WDR, because of the strong sunlight. ANPR and facial recognition are also usually required for infrastructure projects.

In large facilities, such as stadiums, hotels, campuses, and city surveillance projects, end users look for a more cost-effective way to have better coverage over a large area. “Multi-megapixel cameras are proving their worth here. Using multi-megapixel (1,080p for example) cameras, end users receive a minimum resolution more than seven times better than standard definition (VGA) or analog cameras. Megapixel cameras provide detailed information for capturing license plates and faces, said Scott Schafer, Executive VP Sales, Marketing and Service at Arecont Vision. “We have examples of customers that use 75 cameras to cover an area that would have required about 2,000 analog or standard definition VGA cameras delivering 40 pixel-per-foot resolution, which is enough to identify faces in a crowd. In campus settings, we have used eight multi-megapixel panoramic cameras to replace 24 standard definition cameras and the new system delivered superior resolution at a lower price.”

Intelligent Video Adoption
The local requirement of up to 180-day storage for HD megapixel video in some cases drives the need for more intelligent management of data, especially in large-scale projects such as infrastructure. "To provide an efficient forensic search after events take place, and also meet the challenges of managing so many cameras and data in a large environment, there is a need for intelligent video. And since people here are quite open to new technologies, they are starting to use intelligent video analytics (IVA) for marketing and management purposes," said Hakan 畤yi?it, Regional Director of Middle East at Bosch Security Systems.

Intelligent video is commonly used for high-end retailers and some large retailers deploying 160 to 200 cameras for people counting and heat maps. "In some five-star hotels, it has become common to have people-counting features to see who gets inside of the hotel building, 360 fish-eye camera at main areas like lobby/restaurant, heat mapping to analyze customers flow, and missing-object analysis for the retail stores inside. Some hotels provide the live-streaming video online for marketing.

Samsung also provides such solutions for retail/commercial markets controlled by Samsung security management platform," said Ali Boussi, Regional Sales Manager at BASS/Samsung Techwin. Due to the demand for intelligent video in this region, “Kedacom launched its latest NVRs, with the latest video analytic technology to do smart searching and quick location of the event as soon as the alarm is triggered. Besides, Kadacom also has a complete solution of centralized chain-store management and HD video surveillance solutions for courts,” said Zhiqiang Liu, Marketing Director, Kedacom Technology.

IP for SMB
The small-to-medium business (SMB) sector is also adopting IP technologies, starting from the U.A.E. “I would say in the MEA market, especially in GCC countries, there is very high percentage of SMB market using IP. Even small retail shops — usually requiring six to eight cameras — still need to meet government requirements for megapixel resolution. The analog system can't reach that standard.

All the shops need to be approved by the government. If they are not satisfied with the evidence, they will ask you to shut down the shops or replace the system entirely. That's why convergence comes there. I would say, in the next two to three years, GCC countries will not allow video that does not supply a certain level of video quality,” said Biltsted.

“Even for small customers here, they want integration. They usually want access control to be integrated too. If they have 25 cameras in place, they also want a perimeter solution to be integrated with their systems," said Biltsted.

"What I also found in this region is people have more awareness about security and they use surveillance for more than just for security. They will use the surveillance video to check if the store is clean. So, customers would choose cameras with a corridor view. We also bundle it with our software," he continued.

COMPETITIVE IP-BASED VIDEO SURVEILLANCE MARKET
 IP-based video surveillance technologies have penetrated to different market sectors here. Intelligent video is commonly used in a five-star hotel and even the small shops want an integrated system for video surveillance and access control. The Middle East has become a competitive market for IP-based video surveillance technologies. To satisfy end users' desires for new technologies, more and more integrated solutions will be introduced to the market for different applications.

Morpho IAD: The power behind the iris

Editor / Provider: Morpho(Safran) | Updated: 3/12/2014 | Article type: Security 50

Although less well known, Iris recognition is a biometric technique as effective as fingerprints. The launch of the IAD (Iris At a Distance) solution, which can identify a person at a range of more than one meter in less than a second, gives Morpho a great start in this market.

A fully developed biometric
Morpho has been working on iris recognition for a number of years, and has contributed to creating the 2 iris databases: those used by the Abu Dhabi Police and the Aadhaar project in India. The 2 most recent NIST evaluations awarded number one ranking to the Morpho iris identification algorithm. This expertise has encouraged Morpho to develop its IAD solution. The product was launched in October 2013 at the Gitex tradeshow in Dubai.

Technological prowess
Previously, 2 types of sensor shared the market. ‘Twin' or proximity sensors that must be within 60 cm of the person scanned, and cameras that operate at a minimum distance of 2 meters. Morpho's IAD scans both irises and the face at a distance of between 0.8 and 1.2 meters in barely 1 second, compared with the 4-7 seconds required by the most powerful solutions prior to its launch. The IAD system has dedicated cameras for facial image acquisition. The aim of this arrangement is to record a real-time image of a person and his/her position in space. These data allow the iris image acquisition system to calculate the ideal moment to capture the image, enabling the entire operation to be completed within a second. As an upscale scanning system, IAD is intended primarily for very high traffic areas. It is very simple and convenient to use, because the only thing the user needs to do is to look at the sensor screen for a second. The addition of facial recognition, for which very large databases already exist, is an additional benefit.

Excellent sales prospects
Designed primarily for the border control market, IAD could easily be integrated into an e-gate or installed in a security checkpoint desk. The system could also be deployed in airports to limit access to particular zones by passenger profile (final destination or transfer). Lastly, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals are interested in this solution to simplify access control procedures for staff working in gloves and masks.

“IAD is designed to detect two types of fraud: the use of a contact lens to copy the iris pattern of another person, and the use of a product to dilate the pupil of the iris, making identification impossible.” Laurent Lambert, product manager, Morpho.

“Many of the Gulf States already have an iris biometrics database, which is the essential precondition for using the IAD solution to maximum advantage. This exceptionally precise technology is highly thought of here.” Georges Moukarzel, Business Development Director middle east at Morpho

Paul Smith retail stores upgrade to Milestone IP Video solution

Editor / Provider: Milestone System | Updated: 2/26/2014 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Milestone XProtect Corporate open platform IP video management software (VMS) with XProtect Smart Client and network cameras from Axis Communications are being deployed across all of Paul Smith's 45 stores as part of the UK-based retailer's first comprehensive, company-wide IT refresh. Initially the new digital video system is being used for loss prevention but once it is fully implemented worldwide by the end of 2015, Paul Smith plans to use it for business intelligence to assist retail operations management.

Paul Smith is an early adopter of IP and cloud-based services. In 2001 it was the first large UK-based company to migrate to IP telephony, installing a Cisco IPT network. Embracing the latest IT management approaches (including use of open-architected and Microsoft-based systems), the company has been able to maintain a relatively small network services team despite very rapid growth. Paul Smith has a retail presence in 35 countries.

This approach means that when new IT challenges present themselves, Paul Smith's Head of IT, Lee Bingham, looks for standards-based solutions that are capable of scaling quickly and effectively. He specifies that new systems and services must last a minimum of 10 years because he simply does not have the manpower or budget to support continual replacements of devices and software.

Paul Smith's legacy CCTV had grown organically as the group expanded around the world. When the IT department was asked to take over running Paul Smith's video systems, Lee Bingham insisted that it must be moved to IP video and be visible on the corporate network: "If it's not IP then it's not IT, and therefore it made no sense to move it from our Facilities Management team over to the IT department unless the CCTV system was going to be accessible on the network by authorized managers from their desktops."

The company backed the IT department's three-year global migration plan from CCTV-to-IP video surveillance. The installation and networking of the new video platform is being carried out as part of a global IT infrastructure upgrade, along with new retail Point of Sale (POS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

Paul Smith's IT department researched the market for robust, scalable IP video hardware and software. After a painstaking evaluation process, they chose Milestone XProtect Corporate video management software and Axis network cameras. Axis video encoders were selected to bring some existing analog CCTV cameras onto the corporate network ahead of the full IT and IP video upgrade.

Lee Bingham said: "The fact that Milestone XProtect is built on an open platform architecture using Microsoft Active Directory makes rapid roll out possible, as well as cost-effective maintenance and support. Selecting Milestone enables us to migrate the whole CCTV estate onto a single platform to establish uniformity and consistency."

"Milestone fits our model perfectly. The open platform allows us to scale and add new services. We can control which managers can see cameras from which stores through our standard IT technologies. We can log in via the Milestone XProtect Smart Client front-end to view live and recorded video from all the cameras anywhere in the world. If there is a problem, we can generally fix it via the network from Nottingham without getting on a plane. This saves management time and reduces our company's carbon footprint.

In the future Bingham expects different managers in specialist areas like Visual Merchandising will want to proactively access the cameras to assess whether agreed store layouts are being observed and working well for customers. There will also be a higher demand for mobile device access to the video which Milestone Mobile can provide.

"Our objective, as the Milestone-based video systems have been rolled out globally, will be to build on this investment by extending its value beyond loss prevention," concludes Bingham. "We plan to work closely with our retail management team to explore the power of the new IP video system - potentially deploying techniques such as facial recognition, heat mapping and dwell-time analytics that enable us to better understand and serve our customers."

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.

Security outlook 2014: Products and technologies

Editor / Provider: Editorial Department, a&s Asia | Updated: 2/4/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

In 2014, there are few product trends and technologies that will be heavily addressed, including intelligent surveillance, higher resolution technology, growing demands for entry-level market, upgraded analog, steady growth in access control and biometrics and video verification applications.

Intelligence is the breakthrough in surveillance
In the early years when video content analysis (VCA) was introduced to the market, it created a ripple of excitement. However, when the high expectation was not met by the technology, the excitement was chilled quickly. In the recent years, we have seen many applications been adapted to different vertical markets. For example, people counting is highly used in the retail sector for flow management or distinguishing out the hot selling products in malls. Another practical usage is to use VCA as a filter, to isolate suspicious activities for further determination by people. This application can be programmed to the cameras at the front end as an activity detector. If it is to be used at the back end as an intelligent analytic tool, then the pictures will become information-rich tool or further applications.

As to the improvements of VCA, there are 2 ways to go. One is through adding in the three-dimension (3D) technology--- by incorporating determining factors such as height measured from the ground, the accuracy of the image analysis could be highly enhanced, becoming a more reliable application. Another improvement is through self-learning technology. The precision of VCA is dependent on how well the VCA corrects its mistakes through multiple trial-and-errors.

Cameras are like the human eyes. If the image registered by the eyes is not just “seen” but “comprehended,” then the application will become more valuable to the system. The hottest topic in IT now is the big data. If combing intelligent surveillance and big data, security will definitely be brought to a higher level.

Higher resolution, clearer images
Recently, we have heard the coming of 4K images or H.265 compression technology – the revolution of visual demands is stimulated by the consumer market. As a product, HD can be described as mature; however, if we are talking about a system or an environment, then it is yet to be accomplished. From my point of view, it is very difficult to find new marketing topics for the IP market that is heavily competed for. In order to stay ahead in the industry, many manufacturers will pioneer into incorporating the 4K and H.265 technologies into their products despite that the environment is not mature yet.

Entry-level markets' rising demands
As mentioned, security has become more affordable and much accepted in the consumer markets. Many leading players such as AXIS, BOSCH, and SONY continuously introduce new entry-level products specially designed for this market. Similarly, the cost-downed made-in-Asia products from both IT and security industries all have something to offer to the entry-level market. To offer a stage for manufacturers to showcase their consumer-defined products, the 2014 Secutech International Expo, organized by Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media (a&s company), is going to launch a concurrent SmaHome show, to greet the coming of age of the new security market.

Analog – bullish with upgrades
The analog technology still dominates the security market in terms of quantity with an 80 % share even in 2013. Although the competition is so intense that little profit can be generated, the cheap pricing will still affect the market for another while. However, if manufacturers can take advantage of the large need for analog upgrades and produce some innovation for improving the existing technology, profits can certainly be yielded. Hence, we should pay attention to those solutions designed for the upgrade of the existing analog systems, such as the highly developed 960H, HD-SDI to be lowered in price, or the 800TVL products hot in China. These upgrades will aggressively seize the large analog market.

Access control onto a steady rise
Access control applications has followed closely with the IP trend, and can go along with other mature technologies such as biometrics, RFID, wireless electric lock, IP video door phone. As IP continues to excel, access control is definitely going on a stable growth for the following years.

Biometrics be lifted up outside security
In the previous issue, we have picked out iPhone 5s as the product of the month due to its selection of fingerprint technology. Biometrics will definitely be riding an upward spiral with consumer 3C products--- free from the constraints of the security market. Applications such as facial recognition, voice identification, and many more will also be in demand. Some of the technologies that were unable to be supported by the surveillance industry could possibly find a new stage to shine through 3C.

Video verification enhancing applications
False alarm has always been a headache for the alarm providers. Some of the countries now have regulations requesting all alarm services to add in video images to enhance verifications that alleviate the burden of police on duty. Some alarm service providers add in the video verification to reduce the unnecessary dispatch of guards. This is even more appreciated in Asian countries, where people are accustomed to image viewing. Although alarm is not highly requested in India, perhaps more can be secured through the combination of alarm and video.

Looking ahead the transition phase of security
The most exciting trajectory of security is pointed towards to follow the path of 3C, as the value of surveillance becomes tangible through mobile devices. The untapped opportunities in the security industry will lure both geniuses and funds as how it is in the Silicon Valley! There is going to be a fiery image revolution changing the old professional security. I myself am very curious, just how will the core value of professional security---“trust”--- be redefined in the consumer-driven new markets? Maybe we can hold on to this thought, and come back to examine it in 2016.

Axis improves Shaanxi Rural Credit Cooperative HDTV video network system

Editor / Provider: Axis communications | Updated: 12/9/2013 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Mission
As network technologies advances and IT deployments go further, the video surveillance industry has stepped into the network era. Video surveillance is developing towards networking, modularization, and high definition, to meet user demands for high definition, robustness, reliability, ease-of-use, resilience, scalability, and ease of installation and maintenance. Shaanxi Rural Credit Cooperatives Union grows rapidly, and maintains more than 3,000 points of presence and hundreds of off-premise ATM self-service sites. HDTV network cameras were needed for the key areas at the banking sites, including main gates, bank note handover areas for cash carriers, outer/inner areas, counters, and ATM self-service areas, to address the business-critical requirements for “clear faces”, “clear bank notes”, “clear details”, “clear interior/exterior environments”.

Solution
On the basis of the specific HDTV surveillance requirements of the Union's points of presence, Axis network cameras were selected with functionalities and performance purpose-designed for banking, and in accordance with the actual conditions on the sites, as well as the business requirements, the Union formulated the plan as follows:
1. Main gates of the banking offices: Bank employees enter/exit the offices through the main gates, and all clients access the offices through the main gates for financial transactions. So, additional HDTV network cameras at the main gates enable facial recognition. Devices deployed: AXIS Q1604 Network Cameras with WDR functionality.
2. Back doors of the banking offices (bank note handover areas): Bank note handover is carried out in areas between the banking offices and cash carriers, for cash entry into the offices in the morning and cash return to the vaults at night. Naturally, the risk of robbery is great. AXIS P1354 Network Cameras with Lightfinder technology were deployed.
3. Banking office environments: The banking office environments are the areas where clients queue to handle financial transactions. In this place, risks are greater since cash flows between the bank tellers and clients, and the clients are allowed to move as they like. AXIS M3007-PV Network Dome Camera with 360o panoramic view were deployed.
4. ATM self-service settings: All ATMs in self-service settings were originally equipped with analog pinhole cameras, which didn't provide good facial recognition or identification for access control. AXIS Q1604 Network Cameras with WDR functionality were installed.

Result
1. Application of Wide Dynamic Range technology: The Union needs details about persons and vehicles in its operating environments, so the cameras are expected to provide high definition, accurate color revivification, superior WDR effects, sufficient data that allows for identification of the colors and license numbers of the passing vehicles, and excellent image quality, free from high light impact in the environment. AXIS Q1604 Network Cameras were deployed which feature WDR, providing “dynamic capture” capabilities, enabling an ideal solution for monitoring applications in the highly variable lighting conditions, in circumstances where the light comes through a tunnel creating both shadow and bright zones. In these demanding environments, AXIS Q1604 allows for the user to clearly identify people and objects. The cameras' Wide Dynamic Range with dynamic capture uses several images with different exposure times. Advanced image processing results in the video with clarity and sharpness, therefore, no part of the image turns out too dark or too bright.

2. Application of the Lightfinder technology: At the back doors of the Union's banking offices (bank note handover areas), the cameras are expected to provide high clarity, accurate color revivification, and particularly, low light performance for poor lighting conditions at nighttime. AXIS P1354 Network Cameras with Lightfinder technology were deployed. AXIS P1354 is a fixed day and night camera with superb image quality, delivering excellent H.264 performance in a robust design. Superior video quality is provided with progressive scan in multiple individual H.264 streams, as well as Motion JPEG streams. The focus assistant, remote back focus and pixel counter features simplifies installation. The outstanding light sensitivity supplied by Axis' Lightfinder technology, with maintained colors even in very poor lighting conditions, is obtained by a combination of Axis' expertise in image processing, system-on-chip development and selection of the best optical components.

3. Application of 360o panoramic view cameras: In the outer environments in the Union's banking offices, it is necessary to monitor facial features, and activities of the clients during business hours as well as unauthorized entry. Therefore, the cameras are expected to provide high definition, accurate color revivification, no blind zone and wide coverage. AXIS M3007-PV Network Cameras with 360o panoramic view cameras were deployed. They offer multiple viewing modes: 360o overview and dewarped imaging technologies, including panorama, dual panorama, quad views and support for digital pan/tilt/zoom functionality. Multiple video streams in H.264 and dynamic JPEG formats can be transmitted simultaneously.

4. Ultra-low bandwidth and storage requirements: The Union's existing distributed management model will be transformed into centralized surveillance and management with city-level secondary banking surveillance centers, which are then connected to the provincial and national security networks, thus extending the monitoring coverage and tools, freeing the operators at the local sites from device maintenance, and improving the overall efficiencies and effects. Axis cameras with high performance video compression algorithms, deployed in the Union, provide the ability to transmit the HD images with the limited bandwidth. This reduces bandwidth requirements while ensuring the high quality of images.