Tyco holds live demonstrations for dealers and integrators in Spain

Editor / Provider: Tyco | Updated: 10/22/2014 | Article type: Security 50

Tyco Security Products recently conducted a series of technology events in Spain. The multi-day sessions hosted in late September and October provided educational opportunities to dealers, integrators, monitoring stations and their customers on both current products and new technologies implemented by Tyco Security Products.

These free events allowed more than 150 participants to meet with the sales and technical teams from the various Tyco Security Products brands, partake in discussions, and provide feedback on the company's offerings, integration plans and product roadmap. Live demonstrations of security solutions from Tyco Security Products alarm and intrusion brands (DSC, Sur-Gard, Visonic, and Bentel Security,) as well as access control brands for video surveillance (CEM Systems,Kantech, American Dynamics and Exacq Technologies) complemented the presentations.

“With stops in Madrid and Barcelona we brought the latest product information directly to our customers and provided them the ability to experience first hand the many synergies within our portfolio,” said Ángel Vázquez, Regional Sales Director – Europe, Tyco Security Products. “Offering an up-close look at these technologies that span access control, video and intrusion, attendees were able to determine how best to configure a state-of-the-art security system, whether for their clients or for their own business.”

The meetings highlighted several product introductions, including PowerSeries Neo from DSC, the industry's most comprehensive hybrid intrusion detection system, Visonic's innovative PowerMaster 33 wireless intrusion system, and the ABSOLUTA 3.5 G3 intrusion panel from Bentel. In access control, the innovative Intevo Compact platform from Kantech offers integrated access control, video and intrusion to the small and medium business market. American Dynamics presented its growing portfolio of IP HD cameras, including the cost-effective Illustra Flex series, the Illustra Compact series for discrete surveillance and the 180 to 360-degree Illustra 825 fisheye camera for active surveillance environments as well as the powerful victor and VideoEdge 4.5 network video management solution. Sur-Gard displayed the SG System 5, a new IP and analog compatible monitoring receiver. From Exacq Technologies, attendees experienced the exacqVision Edge solution, a full-featured server software that runs directly on an IP camera or encoder without the need for a separate server.

Luxurious lighthouse B&B deployed VIVOTEK camera

Editor / Provider: VIVOTEK | Updated: 10/21/2014 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Equip the Britain's most famous inhabited lighthouse with a robust and flexible security solution
The Belle Tout Lighthouse is a decommissioned lighthouse and British landmark located at Beachy Head, East Sussex. The lighthouse has been coined "Britain's most famous inhabited lighthouse" because of its breathtaking location and numerous televised appearances. In 2008, the lighthouse was purchased by David and Barbara Shaw, whom engaged in a 2-year, £1.2 million renovation project to convert the landmark into a luxurious bed and breakfast (B&B). Since then, the Belle Tout Lighthouse has achieved the second highest rating on Tripadvisor for the Eastbourne region and received several certificates of excellence. Moreover, the Belle Tout Lighthouse website accumulates approximately 100,000 visitors a year, the bulk of which are potential visitors and interested media.

Reputation and publicity are key factors that govern the sustainability of B&Bs. For accommodation-based businesses, reputation can be maintained by improving the overall safety of the establishment; whereas the sharing of those beautiful scenes around the place is the primary method of gaining publicity. In this context, Rob Wassell, writer, lighthouse enthusiast and IT expert, adopted VIVOTEK's network cameras in the effort to satisfy both factors. In addition, the solution must be extremely robust and flexible to withstand harsh outdoor and erosive conditions and to capture quality images that not are only attractive to visitors, but also clear-cut to identify potential risks.

Live viewing the magnificent scenery online
Based on the client's requirement, VIVOTEK created a solution comprising two state-of-the-art bullet-style network cameras - the IP8332-C and the IP8332. Regarding camera specifications, the IP8332 and the IP8332-C are relatively similar. Both cameras feature a 1MP CMOS capable of capturing video at 1280×800 resolution at 30 FPS, and removable IR-cut filters and IR illuminators (effective range of 15M) for surveillance under low-light conditions. The primary difference between the two models is the mounting bracket featured on the IP8332-C for cable protection. Moreover, both cameras are encased in an IP66-rated housing and weatherproof casing to withstand the rain and dust.

The cameras were installed on the east (IP8332) and west (IP8332-C) side of the lighthouse, and the video feeds were linked to the lighthouse's website. Potential visitors could then log on to the website and take a firsthand glimpse of the magnificent scenery of Beachy Head, such as the panoramic English Channel or the enigmatic Seven Sisters. In addition, management also employed the cameras as a monitoring mechanism to guard against vandalism, avoid potential hazards, and ensure visitors receive a world-class experience 24 hours a day.

The versatility and the excellent quality made VIVOTEK's solution a great success
Rob Wassell asserted, “The VIVOTEK solution is a great success. The versatility of the IP8332 and the IP8332-C supports a wide range of applications, such as video recording, snapshot recording, and writing to NAS or FTP. In fact, with so many configurable options, this solution has been able to satisfy all my needs. Having used numerous brands in the past, the VIVOTEK camera has outperformed each and every one of them in terms of workmanship, reliability, security, ease-of-use, and quality. There has yet to be a requirement that VIVOTEK cannot fulfill.”

***for more hotel security highlights and market trend from the industry aspects, please click here

[VIDEO] Product Review: Afidus DN-232Z1 IR dome smartly balances bright and dark

Editor / Provider: Editorial Dept. | Updated: 10/24/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

Quick look
Afidus DN-232Z1 IR IP dome is an advanced surveillance camera from Afidus, a Taiwan-based IP surveillance provider. This smart focus 2MP IR IP cam is crafted especially for use in outdoor surroundings, suitable for surveillance on streets, on public transportation, and special locations such as casinos and lobbies.

3 Must-knows of Afidus DN-232Z1
1. Modern design in pearl white color
2. True-WDR & smart focus
3. IVA applications

Let's say
This glittering-look IR dome certainly has more than modern and elegant look. Underneath the 2MP smart focus IR lens, it is empowered with intelligent detection functions. While it can catch clear and crisp images in poor light conditions, and even in scenes of bright and dark backgrounds. It has been therefore used for traffic monitoring, to capture car plate images with which LPR software can read and process data.

Axis transportation security solution for Quito really counts

Editor / Provider: Axis | Updated: 10/20/2014 | Article type: Infrastructure

Quito among the first using people counting for improved municipal bus system.

Mission
In the capital city of Ecuador over 100 trolley buses move through the streets where modern skyscrapers share space with churches and other colonial-era architectural gems. The Trolleybus public transportation fleet – overseen and operated by the Quito Metropolitan Passenger Transportation Authority (QMPTA) – mobilizes a ridership of 250,000 passengers daily. The population's reliance on the bus system required a security solution that could guarantee total control over a service that runs 24 hours around the clock, 365 days a year.

Solution
Under this premise it was necessary to implement a video surveillance system that would allow for the monitoring of bus stops and terminals as well as manage people counting. The system installed consists of 142 AXIS P1344-E; AXIS P1343 and AXIS P5522-E Network Cameras set up by systems integrator BT Security, an Axis partner in Ecuador, and managed using Intelligent Security Systems' (ISS) SecurOS software.

Result
Implementation of a system-wide video surveillance solution has enabled centralized monitoring by the Collection and Operations department, thus providing a tool that has contributed to achieving improved transportation service to the communities throughout Quito and its neighboring municipalities. Advantages derived from the installation of the system include prior notification of events that could affect operations, and the compilation of legal evidence in the event of incidents.

Making history
The QMPTA provides uninterrupted service all year round. Its urban transportation network consists of interconnecting lines between intermediate transfer hubs and designated stops, making it possible for passengers to design their own routes and reach any area of the city for just one single fare.

The system consists of main lines operating in dedicated lanes with large-capacity buses that travel between the majority of stops and stations. In order to provide a high-resolution security system, Axis partner and systems integrator BT Security installed 92 AXIS P1344-E Network Cameras at stops and terminals, all streaming HD-quality video. “The objective was to provide coverage of the areas of monetary exchange and around the stops, with the goals of improving collections performance and user access to stations, as well as bolstering security within the facilities and increasing availability of buses during peak hours”, explained Andres Dueñas, Director of Integration & Automation Solutions at BT Security. According to Dueñas, “An alternative solution was required that would be capable of incorporating times and dates scattered throughout our own internal systems into the new system, which was necessary for us to carry over our headcount data.” The project put in place consisted of five cameras with each one running people-counting video analytics technology provided by ISS. However, overcoming the obstacles to implementing such an innovative solution was not achieved overnight.

“Tracking headcounts in the vicinity of open-air transportation stations was a real challenge, in terms of dealing with issues such as shadows, contrasts, elevated groups of people and areas that include permanent security personnel”, affirmed Daniel Mariño, ISS regional director. The major difficulties encountered centered on the effects caused by direct sunlight casting shadows within headcount zones – solved with the use of polarized glass in the vicinity of stations along with careful positioning of the AXIS P1344 cameras. “With the right engineering and careful camera selection, this is today a reality”, recounted Mariño. The system integrator also installed 23 AXIS P1343 Network Cameras in areas of monetary exchange and customer service for improved security throughout these sites. “And to complete the project we have installed 21 AXIS P5522-E Network Cameras in terminals and at selected stops with the objective of improving the availability of transportation as well as the perimeter security of the chosen sites,” said Andres Dueñas.

Incidents resolved
On average, around 30 lost items per month are found by service personnel, conductors and security guards at the stops and inside stations and buses. It's a job that requires the aid of technology.

The video surveillance network is administered, monitored and managed through the ISS SecurOS system, supported by five servers with an archival recording capacity of 20 days. It runs on a multi-server architecture, managed as one unified command and control system from the headquarters of the QMPTA, allowing for the management of live streaming and recorded video, panic buttons and motion detectors during unscheduled hours aided by the automatic display of alarms before operators so they can react immediately. “It has become a reliable, low-maintenance solution seeing that the platform itself maintains its systems and databases without the need for human intervention”, detailed Mariño. In addition, a team of seven operators monitors the system in a 7x18 format in order to be able to attend to any alarms triggered and anticipate events. All components integrated into the system are of premium quality, such as Category 6A structured cabling.

For Franklin Caranqui, QMPTA Technology Coordinator, another advantage of the system is to be able to access video that allows the community to identify and resolve incidents or events arising during the use of the public transportation system. Once the project was up and running, an impressive capacity to withstand varied conditions was observed in the cameras, resulting in benefits to the use of video analytics that demand a zero failure rate while maintaining the continuity of a service that's heavily relied upon by the population 365 days a year.

The keys to seamless healthcare solution

Editor / Provider: Michelle Chu | Updated: 10/20/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

In the terms of security for healthcare vertical, there are different phases needed to be taken care of. Unauthorized access to the patient's medical record or expensive medications and equipment will not only cost the hospital a great fortune but also jeopardize their reputation. However, it is important to make sure that the visitors, patients, and injured are easy to go around in the hospital.

The multifaceted security challenge that the healthcare organizations are now facing now is to maintain flexible access and safe environment for patients and visitors while increasing protection on confidential data, staffs, equipment, and medications, suggested by Brian Song, Managing Director at IDIS Europe.

However, facing a more competitive market, many hospitals are demanded to upgrade infrastructure and heavily invest in IT systems in keeping accordance with regulations, and even expand into new areas beyond the hospital, according to Josh Phillips, Director of Marketing of Enterprise and Critical Infrastructure at Verint. “All new projects are selecting IP to match extensive investments that hospitals are making in IT infrastructure,” Phillips emphasized. “Those with analog are considering migration strategies.”

Regarding to the complex security demands from healthcare sector, asmag.com is going to present some highlights from the industry aspects.

Integration of Key and Facilities Management
The high staff turnover rate in a hospital can lead to unauthorized copies of keys distributed to people. Meanwhile, different security levels are in demand throughout the hospitals – from perimeter security for the surrounded area to personal storage. It is crucial to be able to distinguish individual access authority; in the mean time, making sure that patients and visitors are at their most convenience during their staying in the hospital. Therefore, instead of manual managing procedure, a comprehensive access control system that can effectively assist the manager to cope with urgent incidents is preferable.

“Having a master key system that can be managed centrally allows staff with the necessary authority to access rooms, without having to waste time trying to locate the correct key or find out the correct pass code,” said Tina Hughan, Marketing Director for ASSA ABLOY UK. Furthermore, the systems need to be easy and intuitive for less experienced users to manage.

Nothing can be more troublesome when it comes to physical key management. Imagine how much trouble you will have to go through if a person who possesses the key to the medication cabinet has left the building. “Integrating key management with access control allows businesses to meet their key and asset protection needs by implementing advanced key management and locker systems to provide a total solution for security and facilities management,” mentioned Ross Bale, Business Development Manager in the UK at Nedap.

Meanwhile, better management on the lockers can also reduce the physical lockers and space needed. “By seamlessly integrating electronic locker management into the access control platform, it ensures that the maximum numbers of lockers are available for staff to use,” Bale continued.

IP System and Video Analytics is Dominating
Hospital is one of the sectors that require high efficiency the most. When it comes to bringing out the utmost efficiency, IP systems are definitely the most convenient option. “In today's market, a majority of healthcare facilities seek out IP-based surveillance solutions. These technologies offer far more functionalities and return-on-investment than their analog counterparts,” stated Jack Meltzer, Senior Director of Global A&E Program at DVTEL.

Not only is CMOS sensor able to deliver high-resolution images with more details, but the real-time recording can be used for video analysis and integrated with alarms, access control, and other systems, helping end users to take appropriate actions on emergency immediately. For instance, IP surveillance systems can integrate with infant tagging systems at the nursery section in a hospital, providing live monitoring and deterring potential criminal activities, according to Meltzer.

“Video management software is suggested to install considering that the recording, live media data, and instant playback can be operated on a single computer or separate computers according to the client's preferences,” said Steve Ma, Executive Vice President at VIVOTEK.

Speaking of surveillance camera deployed by healthcare sector, other than superior low-light performance, a discrete design of the camera is often highlighted due to the demand not only on ensuring patient's privacy and also for blending into surrounded design. “Small form-factors cameras and cameras with WDR function and good low-light performance are suggested since they can be easily blended into the interior design and able to capture clear image quality under challenging lighting conditions,” recommended Ma.

PSIM Has You Fully Covered
Besides adopting surveillance and access control systems that come with added values, integrating all security systems under the same platform is trending in this vertical.

Lacking of prompt response to emergency may cost tens to hundreds of life in a hospital, leading to devastating consequence. In order to shorten response time to incidents, it is essential to have comprehensive preparation for any possible emergent scenarios.

“A PSIM based security management system offers healthcare environments with a wide range of benefits such as increased situational awareness, which enables a Common Operating Picture for all security operatives, as well as correlating intelligence for real time verification of alarms. It also provides improved efficiencies, which can be achieved from a reduction in false alarms, the prioritization of the most appropriate security resources, and better guidance of response teams using both audio and visual intelligence and helps to reduce training requirements,” said James Candy, VP Technical Services, CNL Software. “Sophisticated post incident reporting and dashboards also provide valuable insights helping to improve the overall performance of security personnel, processes and infrastructure.”

What's Coming Up

Home Care Market is Full of Potential
A promising growth on IP surveillance can be expected in the healthcare sector. As the budget remains a main concern for most of the hospital security manager, IP solution, coming with lower cost of ownership, is much more attractive.

Moreover, while the global population continues to grow and it will be even more difficult to provide sufficient rooms for all of the patients, a new healthcare market is rising. “It will become more common for the elderly and sick people to stay at home and receive treatment and support from the comfort of their home environment,” Johan Åkesson, Business Development Director for Retail at Axis Communications. “Within the home care market the use of network video surveillance plays an important role, making it possible for hospital staff to monitor patients in their home, follow up on treatment and take action in case something happens.”

RFID Propels Innovative Applications
“The recent launch of Apple's long-awaited tap-to-pay technology on its new iPhone 6, using NFC (near field communication) based technology, makes the residency of contactless access control on smartphone seem quite tangible and not too far away. The innovative world of gesture technology is also set to make an impact on how individuals will be able to control a variety of RFID devices,” suggested Hughan.

Editor's Highlights - Case Studies

SALTO Systems safeguard Antrim Area Hospital in Northern Ireland

Nedap keyless drug storage for Darent Valley hospital

Hospital in India kitted out with VIVOTEK cameras

AXIS helps you keep an eye from home on baby in the hospital

Nedap modern access control for the Protestant hospital

Editor / Provider: Nedap | Updated: 10/15/2014 | Article type: Commercial Markets

When ‘Christoph 7', the hospitals' quick response emergency team, rushes to an emergency such as a heart attack or a stroke somewhere within the hospital, there is no time to be lost: in the most serious case it can be a matter of life or death. Saving lives has absolute priority and requires unhindered access. The access control management system must therefore be prepared for this eventuality.

So the Team has its own special ‚Christoph 7‘ cards: held in front of any card reader they initiate elevator priority control. The elevator that is specially reserved for the emergency team is ordered to the appropriate floor. Only when a Christoph 7 card is used, the elevator will go to the selected floor with priority. The team can release the elevator for normal operation using the same card. This is just one of many features that the new access control system provides for the Protestant hospital in Mülheim. The system has been realised by the local company GST Gesellschaft für Sicherheitstechnik. Paving the way for flexibility
The foundation of the system goes back to an investment decision made in 2008. Back then the hospital changed from the outdated old system in a migration process to Nedap AEOS.

This comprehensive software-driven platform manages all the security requirements of one or many buildings. As well as access control, this includes identity and authorization management, IP video management and intrusion detection. Add to that the supervision and reporting with web-based alarm administration via a web-based, system-independent graphic interface. The Salto off-line system has been fully integrated into the AEOS security management platform and thereby enables the homogeneous administration of all components, people and functions. AEOS manages a total of 1,580 off-line lock systems. It manages all online doors and online functions, the access doors, the off-line lock system, room doors, patient cabinets and containers, employee cupboards as well as mobile care and food trolleys. New cards including photos are issued using the AEOS software. An ID card can be created on the card printer for every data record in the system and assigned to the corresponding person.

People instead of ID carriers
A particular advantage of the AEOS platform lies in the fact that it is not based on ID carriers but people. The difference is immediately noticeable, for example, if a card is lost. The entire employee record must not be re-entered in the system just because a persons' identification number is missing.

‘This particular criteria can be the deciding factor when choosing the system, above all if there are numerous locations at which the ID features must be distinguished‘, says Dietmar Vetten of GST. This fact permits the issue of multiple identification devices per person. For example, some people have two ID cards in one, that are valid in different hospitals. The cards replace the previously common bunches of keys. They don‘t just open doors and cabinets. Also, the elevator can be controlled with them. Meanwhile long-range readers have been installed near the elevators: these recognise when a bed is moved close to the elevator and permit priority use. The authorization can also be organised differentially so that a priority usage is only available if a member of staff arrives with a bed. If he is alone he will be treated like every other member of staff.

Emergency door monitoring and canteen trolleys
Applications of the security management system can be found everywhere. All doors that are on escape and rescue routes within the hospital are connected to AEOS. Alarms can now be alerted at a central point and forwarded, whereas they used to be raised by pressing an emergency button. The connection also prevents doors being opened without permission. If this happens an alarm is raised in AEOS so that the door can be closed again. An additional connection to the video surveillance system is also planned. The scope of the Nedap software reaches even as far as the catering service: the central food supply service is organised in this Mülheim hospital. The deep frozen food is delivered to the kitchen, divided into portions and stacked in the canteen trolleys. It is then thawed and carefully warmed up on the ward so that it doesn‘t arrive on the plates lukewarm, or even cold, because of the long transport distances. Each of these canteen trolleys has a transponder that automatically opens the door as it passes over the inductive loop in the floor directly below. In this way it is not necessary for a member of staff to manually open a door with their card and the kitchen remains accessible to authorised persons.

Central location – preferred parking
For shopping-lovers it is very practical to use the car park of the centrally located hospital, and so some employees had the idea of using their ID cards outside normal working hours. This is now prevented by a connection to the AEOS software, as Dietmar Vetten of GST explains: ‘The installer has fitted a card reader to the parking lot barrier that is connected to the AEOS system. This has saved having three separate proprietary parking management systems'. The parking spaces can be of ‚mixed‘ use according to an algorithm – that is, by visitors and by staff. The software shows the current occupancy status of each. If one of the staff park there too long an email is sent to the facility management personnel.

Although all the staff from the stand-by team has authorisation for the parking lot, only the person on duty can park there during his shift.

Optimum cooperation
With regard to the implementation of all these systems, no better praise can be given by the customer. This applies not only to the support by GST but also, as Georg Thies and Klaus Domscheit emphasize, for the ‘very good teamwork between Nedap and Salto'. The Salto striker portfolio, that has meanwhile been in use in the hospital for four years, provides an off-line product choice that is hard to beat. Good products alone are not decisive but also good communication within the triangle of manufacturer, installer and customer / user. As Axel Schmidt of Salto points out, this has already been tested ‘in hundreds of joint projects in Europe and worldwide'. During this time the cooperation has been optimised, as Christian Nagel of Nedap confirms: ‘Our emphasis is on the integration of our software because we have an open platform, therefore we work together with experienced partners on a longterm basis.'

Unifying city-wide surveillance systems

Editor / Provider: Genetec | Updated: 10/15/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

Pervez Siddiqui, director of strategic markets, explains how cities can take a collaborative approach to improve the safety and security of their citizens.

Thousands, if not millions, of citizens rely on local and national governments to keep them safe. Protecting the public from crime, safeguarding buildings from vandalism, or simply ensuring a city is running smoothly requires multiple public sector agencies to collaborate, consult with citizens and secure buy-in from private enterprises. By combining resources and standardising public safety efforts using Genetec's unified security platform Security Center, cities can break down silos across agencies, cost effectively enhance city-wide operations, expand surveillance coverage, and improve emergency preparedness and response times.

Genetec Security Center combines Omnicast internet protocol (IP) video surveillance, Synergis IP access control and AutoVu automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems to deliver greater situational awareness to security and law enforcement personnel. It standardises common security operations from multiple systems – such as monitoring, reporting, alarm management and configuration – and makes all tasks easily accessible via a single intuitive application. Using Omnicast's IP video management system, cities can identify threats and manage hundreds or thousands of high-definition, megapixel cameras, while reducing bandwidth costs. The Synergis IP access control system enables cities to leverage existing network and hardware investments to extend security coverage to municipal and historical buildings. The solution also provides efficient workflows and greater automation, which allows users to focus on monitoring critical tasks. Meanwhile, fixed or mobile ALPR cameras can be attached to intersection lights, buildings or law enforcement vehicles to track stolen cars, wanted felons, or amber alerts around the city. In addition, cities can use Security Center to implement a phased growth plan as each new budget cycle is launched, enabling cities to start by upgrading video surveillance and unify other key systems over time. For example, the solution can be used to improve access control for enhanced security and centralised personnel management; enhance licence plate recognition, hot lists and reads systems; and develop video analytics to identify misplaced objects or trip wires, and count people. Security Center can also be used to unify evidence management systems hosted in Microsoft Azure for Government, as well as Microsoft Aware Consoles for threat, investigation and intelligence management. Furthermore, Genetec's platform can be deployed to establish a multi-stakeholder model that brings together publicly and privately funded security systems in one centrally managed, cost-effective system via the solution's Federation feature. This allows cities to extend security coverage by accessing video streams from private entities in emergencies, while retaining the autonomy of each individual system.

The Federation model also enables public organisations – such as educational institutions, utilities services and municipal buildings – to provide police departments with full control of their security systems at the click of a button. Police departments can then view cameras, lock down facilities and respond to threats in an effective, efficient and timely manner.

To protect citizens' privacy, the Federation model ensures video evidence is managed responsibly by providing both broad and granular system privileges, audit trails, customisable user access rights for cameras or files and monitoring document incident handling. Digital signatures can also be added to video to ensure authentic evidence is used in court.

What's more, Genetec's security platform helps to transform officer smartphones or wearable cameras into mobile monitoring stations, which are linked back to the central control centre via mobile apps. Meanwhile, officers on the road can also tap into the city's systems from their vehicle-based laptops to enable them to proactively assess and prepare for emergency situations and improve response times, while ensuring they remain safe. In essence, cities wanting to capitalise on their existing hardware and multiple networks can use unified security platforms to upgrade analogue technology over time. Solutions like Genetec's Security Center help cities to expand their surveillance systems to include thousands of devices with ease – potentially reaching up to 300 cameras per server – and expand with cloud camera connections, while eliminating the cost of on-site storage hardware and servers.

What Genetec's customers are saying about Security Center

Ville de Forbach
Located in France, the city of Forbach chose Security Center to protect more than 100,000 citizens from local crime. Using Omnicast, the city manages a combination of fixed and multi-lens IP cameras suited for different environmental conditions, while Synergis controls access to the command centre. Plus, the map-based interface enables police officers to easily search for and retrieve video evidence, which has helped to justify the future expansion of the system.
“The ease of use and the speed at which we can retrieve information is extremely impressive,” says Michel Fersing, the city of Forbach's municipal police chief. “Today, I can say with full confidence that every national police officer leaves our department with video evidence, within minutes. Security Center has been an instrumental addition to our city's security and we could not be more pleased with our new unified platform.”

Sanford Public Safety Complex
Security Center has also been implemented in the US city of Sanford in Florida as part of a major upgrade at a new state-of-the-art public safety complex. The system comprises more than 80 cameras managed by Omnicast and over 78 access control points controlled by Synergis. As Sanford has several municipal facilities with Genetec solutions, it also used the Federation feature to ensure it can centrally manage all systems from the complex.
“Security Center is a platform that can address all of Sanford's needs, allowing us to create a federated system that serves several types of facilities simultaneously,” says Nicholas McRay, senior project manager at the city of Sanford. “We never need to cross-reference information between discrete solutions across the city because it's all tied in. It works well for us, and it suits the widely varied needs of a municipality.”

AXIS helps you keep an eye from home on baby in the hospital

Editor / Provider: AXIS | Updated: 10/16/2014 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Mission
The Maas Hospital in Boxmeer (NL) gives young parents the opportunity to keep an eye on their child being cared for in the incubator, over the Internet, thanks to Axis network cameras.

Solution
J&K Automatisering, a company based in Oploo (NL) and a partner of Axis, advised the Maas Hospital to opt for a user-friendly application based on Axis network cameras. This solution is practical and nurse-proof. The monitoring system is simple to operate, with few commands and little opportunity to get things wrong. The incubator unit is divided into sections, and everything in a particular section is shown on the image. The cameras are all connected to a central server, which receives the images and controls access to them.

Result
Babies in the incubator unit cannot be discharged immediately because of illness or premature birth. This solution allows the hospital to give parents the opportunity to see their baby all the same. Parents can also authorize close friends and relatives to see the baby, too. The hospital mentioned a medical reason as well: mothers in the hospital's maternity unit need to be able to see their baby via a laptop, as contact between mother and child speeds up the mother's recovery.

Professional and easy to use
Images are accessed via a single portal, a central point of access to the images taken by the cameras. This gives the system a professional feel. Using a portal also means that information can be displayed on screen as well: for instance, telling viewers that babies are taken out of their cots when the nurses are carrying out nursing or medical procedures. If parents log on while this is happening, rather than looking at an empty cot they will see a message saying “We are looking after your baby.” It's also possible that a technical fault might have occurred, or that the camera might have been switched off for some reason. If that happens, the message “No image is currently available due to a fault or because the camera has been switched off.” For unexpected events the system has an emergency button. By pressing this button the power is cut and the image will disappear.

AXIS 211 Network Camera
The Maas Hospital chose the AXIS 211 Network Camera for the “Keeping an eye on your baby at home” project. This model always produces sharp, clear pictures. A varifocal DC iris lens, with a light sensitivity range from 0.75 to 500,000 lux, ensures that images are sharp even in low light conditions - during the evening and night, for example.

Another advantage of the AXIS 211 is its ability to take power via the midspan: a box that allows the network cable to feed both images and power to the camera. This means that no separate power cable is required. The emergency button is also connected to the midspan and controls the flow of power.

Privacy and storage
An important feature of this project is its matter-offact nature. It's a service that the hospital offers to parents - nothing more and nothing less. That is another reason why images of the newborn babies are never stored. Van Zitteren told us that this was a deliberate choice: “It has to do with privacy rules. If you create video images of someone and want to keep them, you have to comply with all kinds of legal regulations on privacy. The images in the Maas Hospital are changing all the time. The frames refresh every three seconds, and each new image takes the place of the preceding one. This has an added benefit: the cameras don't take up much room in the server's memory.”

Parents can create a photograph of their baby by means of a right-click with their mouse on the moving image. The response has been positive. Van Zitteren continues, “Of course, the system isn‘t designed to replace visiting the baby, but people at home want to know that everything‘ s OK. The images give them the reassurance or confirmation that their baby is in good hands.”

Samsung Techwin security cameras secure a vital part of British film heritage

Editor / Provider: Samsung Techwin | Updated: 10/14/2014 | Article type: Security 50

Situated in South West London, Twickenham Studios offers a bespoke service to all media, including film and television, and can claim to be the only London based studios that caters for both stage and post-production requirements. The very latest Samsung Techwin video surveillance technology now plays a key role in helping create a safe and secure environment for all who work on the studio site. First opened to the world of film in 1913, the studio has worked on highly successful films, such as 'The Others', 'Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' and 'The Iron Lady'. The Studios went into administration and in 2012 seemed destined for demolition. However, following a successful Save Twickenham Studios' campaign, the site was purchased by British businessman and property magnate Sunny Vohra, who quickly implemented a multi-million pound plan to modernise and re-equip the Studios.

The Challenge
With the need to ensure that valuable production equipment and other assets will not be an easy target to would-be thieves, Carl Childs, Head of Engineering for Twickenham Studios was tasked to source a video surveillance system that would allow the monitoring of all activity throughout the studio. “The cost implications of having to replace equipment can be significant, but equally important was the need to safeguard against any disruption to film production and to verify 100% compliance with the Studio's strict health & safety procedures.”

With the assistance of Aray Architects, a tender process resulted in video surveillance specialists Securebase being awarded the contract to install a 28 camera IP network based system.

“Having successfully installed Samsung Techwin security equipment on a number of previous occasions, we were pleased to see that Twickenham Studios had specified the company's cameras for this particular project,” said Dariush Hekmat, Director of East Finchley based Securebase. “We needed to install and commission the system within one week and so it was very helpful that all cameras and recording equipment were sourced from a manufacturer who we had confidence in, and whose products we were familiar with. This was very much a team effort. We received excellent technical support from Samsung Techwin and our ability to complete the project on time was further enhanced by Twickenham Studio's engineering department overseeing the professional installation of an IP network infrastructure before we arrived on site. With the Samsung Techwin featuring POE (Power over Ethernet), installation time was further reduced as this negated the need to install power points at each camera location.”

27 of the installed cameras, which are equipped with Samsung Techwin's Open Platform WiseNetIII DSP chipsets, are capable of capturing 2MP Full HD (1080P) images when the lighting level is as low as 0.01 Lux and have an ultra fast frame rate of 60fps which results in latency free clear images. This can be particularly beneficial in a scene with moving subjects by ensuring image edges are kept sharp and clear. 13 of these cameras are SNO-6084R weather resistant Bullet cameras, 10 are SNV-6084R vandal resistant dome cameras and 4 are SND-6084R internal dome cameras. All are day/night cameras with motorised varifocal lens and have built in IR LED illuminators to capture high quality images, even in total darkness.

An SNF-7010 360-degree 3 megapixel camera has also been installed at a specific location at the Studio where a large number of standard cameras would normally be required to monitor such a large area without any blind spots.

The images from all 28 cameras are simultaneously recorded on a Samsung Techwin SRN-1000 network video recorder which has 12 terabyte on-board storage capacity, enabling Carl and other authorised personnel, to quickly retrieve recorded video evidence of any suspicious activity.

“By investing in a future proof IP network based video surveillance system that can be expanded at any time if our requirements change, we have put in place a highly effective tool which should help us to protect our assets and maintain a welcoming, as well as safe environment, for many years to come for everyone who visits or works at the Studios,” said Carl.

Understanding “Real” PSIM

Editor / Provider: Israel Gogol, a&s International | Updated: 10/15/2014 | Article type: Hot Topics

PSIM (physical security information management) software is a rapidly growing segment in the security market. Its core strengths lie in the ability to integrate disparate systems, creating an intelligencebased situation picture and supplying operators with active policy management. As the market learns more of the benefits PSIM they have the potential to go beyond security and turn into a complete site management platform.

The world market for PSIM (physical security information management) software in 2013 was estimated at US$160.3 million by IHS Research. Despite being a small segment inside the larger security market, PSIM has enjoyed rapid growth — it is estimated to continue growing at 20% and higher growth rates until at least 2018, according to IHS. Price and also end users' level of understanding of PSIM solutions are still main barriers limiting PSIM growth. In addition, the PSIM market's long-term growth is also limited by “competing products successfully being deployed in the mid-tier, a market that has historically been out of reach for the high-end PSIM software platforms due to their prohibitive price tag,” IHS commented.

What is a "Real" PSIM?
PSIM is a software platform that collects and manages information from disparate security devices and information systems into one common situation picture. These can be traditional security sensors like video cameras, access control, intrusion detection sensors, as well as “non-conventional” systems such as networks and building management systems, cyber security hacking alerts, and even weather feeds. A true PSIM solution is vendor and hardware agnostic, giving users the ability to integrate legacy systems and the flexibility and the choice to use best-of-breed technology in the future without limitations.

Being a relative newcomer to the security sector, and displaying a fast growth rate, there is confusion regarding what constitutes a “true” PSIM solution and how it differs from other command and control systems, video management software (VMS), or other security platforms, some of them offering their own integrations between different systems.

The main benefit of PSIM lies in its integration capabilities, being able to connect with existing and planned systems without being “locked-in” to any specific vendor. Usually VMS systems or access control systems use proprietary technology. In these cases, extending a system can only be done by the same vendor. Integrating with a legacy system provided by a different vendor could prove difficult, forcing replacement of existing systems.

In addition to this unique integration capability, PSIM offers another strong differentiator: PSIM is an intelligencebased solution. Collecting and correlating information from different sources means alerts are only raised on events that are important. “A true PSIM has the ability to identify unfolding events, manage them effectively, and mitigate their risk. For commercial, critical infrastructure, and homeland security markets, PSIM provides situation management and establishes the foundation for organizations' operations,” said Jamie Wilson, Security Marketing Manager for EMEA at NICE Systems.

A third important differentiator is the ability to provide active management of events, improving operational efficiency. By using adaptive workflows, the operator knows what is happening, where it is happening, and what needs to be done. Step-by-step action plans can be created to address different situations. This is vital in both making the operators job easier, but also in ensuring the company is following corporate safety and security policies every time and complying with local rules and regulations. “Without adaptive workflows, all you have is a lot of interconnected systems and you are solely reliant upon the experience of the operator to be able to coordinate the management of the incident,” added Wilson.

Adlan Hussain, VP of Marketing at CNL Software emphasized that dynamic workflows can change based on the time of the day, the threat level, and the number and types of alarms in the system. “This is what makes a PSIM solution an intelligence-based system and not a mere check list of processes to follow,” he explained.

These benefits, combined with growing connectivity, change the way corporations work. PSIM allows for a more centralized command and control, without being tied to a specific site. “In the past the security surveillance and sensors' monitoring had to be on-site at the place of the event. Today we can disconnect between the surveillance and the site. The benefit of a PSIM system is not only in connecting different sites, but thanks to the ability to display the same information in different languages we can connect a company headquarters in Europe with a site in Africa,” explained Hagai Katz, VP of Business Development for Magal Systems. “This connectivity allows the company headquarters to quickly address issues and make sure that the initial response is the correct one. A company can extend the benefit it gets from a PSIM system beyond safety and security. Other company procedures can be incorporated into the SOP, for example, making sure a proper media response is prepared by the PR function. In that sense a PSIM system also contributes to the company's risk management.”

Who should install PSIM?
From the technical point of view, PSIM solutions are intended for easy integration. It is therefore meant for cases when there are several legacy systems that need to be integrated, when there are several control layers (e.g., local and national), and when there are many sensors, or when future integrations with additional systems are needed.

PSIM is mostly needed for critical sites with high security requirements and large sites with many systems/ sensors. It is therefore mostly relevant for national infrastructure, large corporations, government buildings, mass transportation, and city protection projects. All these already have existing legacy systems and can benefit from integration. A city, for example, can integrate video footage from public space video surveillance cameras and traffic control cameras creating a unified situation picture in the control room.

Obstacles Facing Adoption
Though the benefits of PSIM seem natural and logical, there are still many barriers to its adoption. Some are due to lack of buy-in by different stakeholders that refuse to give up control of their systems and information; some are the result of past failures.

One of the biggest challenges faced by PSIM vendors is the availability of IT savvy channel partners. “Limitations to growth are predominantly around the current education levels within end users, consultants, and integrators,” explained Hussain,” We are working hard to increase education levels within each of these groups, and have created programs to address some of these challenges.”

Growing Connectivity and Greater Industry Cooperation
“With everything today moving at light speeds towards connectivity via the network and the Internet, PSIM is also migrating and expanding towards the ‘Internet of Things' via the information management aspects of PSIM,” said James Chong, Founder and CTO of Vidsys. “The open architecture and browserbased PSIM technology is enabling the software platform to rapidly and literally connect with almost any IP-based device, application, and system using open standards and protocols such as XML, SOAP, HTTP, SMTP, and others.”

Recent updates in PSIM software functions and features include integration with mobile devices, allowing ground forces to share and receive information through smartphones and tablets. In addition, there is an industry move towards greater connectivity with other business systems such as HR systems, internal directories, visitor management systems, building automation systems, RFID, intelligent transportation, and more. These will create opportunities for other benefits to be realized from PSIMs beyond safety and security.

“I think people are realizing that PSIMs can provide a lot more than just physical security,” said Michael Mesaros, Group Product Manager at Proximex, a Tyco Security Products brand. “We're being asked by customers to integrate with all kinds of systems — elevators, building management systems, luggage conveyors, and even environmental controls in airport jet ways. There is a combination of market forces at work and PSIMs must be capable of leveraging this data for more and more systems as it becomes available.” He pointed out that Proximex has worked to make their PSIM easier to integrate with — for example, by implementing APIs based on REST (representational state transfer), a standard integration in the enterprise IT world. “Following these standards opens up a lot of avenues for customers to integrate social and web solutions.”

toward greater connectivity and easier integration. CNL has created a PSIM driver development community, which allows other development houses, product vendors, and security integrators to create drivers to connect systems to CNL's PSIM platform. This allows fast production of drivers, and allows product vendors to create their own drivers if they are not able to share their SDK or APIs. In the past five years, CNL has also been running a technological partner program.

Another initiative to foster interoperability between manufacturers and establish industry standards is the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA) led by companies such as Cisco, Tyco, Hikvision, and Kastle Systems. PSIA's mission is to develop specifications for physical security technology that will enable plug-and-play interoperability across the security ecosystem. This will make the integration of different systems under a PSIM solution quicker and easier.

Integrating Predictive Capabilities
PSIMs can go beyond event management and post-event investigation. The ability to integrate with media broadcasts, open source intelligence systems, and other information analytics gives PSIM a predictive capability, as well as a strategic advantage in predicting and preparing for incidents.

Earlier this year, Vidsys and HP Autonomy announced a collaboration to develop a solution that combines VidSys' PSIM with HP's advanced information analytics platform. “Social and broadcast media play an increasingly significant role in helping anticipate and mitigate potential security incidents around the world. The nature and profile of threats are constantly changing and this new generation of adversary often leaves a different digital footprint, creating potential gaps in traditional threat detection approaches,” said Chong. “The combination of a vast array of information, including social media chatter, video surveillance footage, emails, case files, criminal records, and physical location data help identify potential threats and take actions to neutralize the danger.”

PSIM to Offer Holistic Management
The benefits of PSIM, especially its ability to incorporate non-security systems, hold within them the promise of expanding beyond physical security and delivering comprehensive information management. A good example is seaport management, explained Katz. A PSIM system can make sure that an incoming truck is cleared quickly using LPR sensors for the truck and a biometric sensor for the driver. The containers can be recorded and stored according to their final destination and video surveillance can make sure the goods are not damaged. Since everything is audited by the system, the port can accurately bill the clients according to how long the cargo was stored before it was loaded on the ship. Usages like this, according to Katz, show how “PSIM allows combining these different work flows into one single story.”

All in all, the data gathered from security systems, combined with other systems can turn a PSIM solution into a comprehensive site control platform; thus demonstrating that PSIMs are not for security alone. In the future, PSIMs will allow for a more holistic management approach, combining safety, security, and management.