Louisiana National Guard Chooses CNL Integrated Management Solution

Editor / Provider: CNL Software | Updated: 2/16/2012 | Article type: Government & Public Services

CNL Software, a world leader in Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software, has been chosen by the Lousiana National Guard (LNG) to offer Centralized Integrated Situation Management. It will allow security operators and Military Police at LNG to manage access alarms, intruder alarms, associated CCTV images and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) from a central command center control room along with deployed client workstations located on base.

The PSIM solution offers centralized control of security assets providing complete visibility and management of the entire security operation over LNG's 74 units, across 43 cities and towns, protecting more than fifty million dollars of Army and Air Force equipment.

The simplified, role-based Human Machine Interface (HMI) and permissions ensure exact, consistent and measurable responses while significantly reducing training overheads. It enables LNG administrators to maintain and configure the system through user-friendly configuration GUIs. Pre-defined standard operating procedures, reports and charts bring risk assessment and budgetary control into LNG's security environment.

“We are pleased that CNL's software was selected for this critical National Guard service. It is essential that LNG have a PSIM system they can rely upon while they get on with the business of providing much needed support at home and overseas. This is part of a wider industry trend which sees security and defense systems working in unison; the great news is PSIM can bridge these systems together.” says Matthew Kushner, President - CNL Americas. “Over the longer term, PSIM will enable the seamless integration of new security and defense technologies while preserving a high level of original investment.”

Vietnam Ready for New Spring in Security

Editor / Provider: the Editorial Team | Updated: 2/14/2012 | Article type: Hot Topics

After strong sales growth for the first half of 2011, the Vietnamese security market was affected by national economic issues. However, experts remain optimistic about 2012, as opportunities abound.

Vietnam is struggling with growing pains, as inflation and living costs climb. Both factors impair growth, with the national inflation rate reaching an all-time high of 23 percent in August 2011. “Foreign investment in real estate and construction projects have been placed on hold, as the government has imposed tighter restrictions on bank credit granted to investors,” said Phu Loc Nguyen, Director of Visco. Vietnam's inflation rate has been driven by rising food and fuel costs. Food and drink prices alone increased 34 percent, according to a recent release from the government's General Statistics Office.

Increased living expenses have improved worker compensation, but also driven up the cost of doing business. The appeal of Vietnam's cheap and plentiful labor force to build the nation into manufacturing powerhouse is attracting fewer foreign investors. Planned foreign direct investment into Vietnam fell 48 percent in the first five months of 2011 to US$4.7 billion, according to Bloomberg News. The murky economic outlook halted many government projects, including the Ho Chi Minh City airport. Even the national capital of Hanoi has delayed airport upgrades for two years in the face of slow growth.

It is necessary to inject more money to boost the economy without increasing inflation, said Parul Oswal, Industry Manager of Frost & Sullivan. “The economy has to go through a fundamental restructuring, or it will keep circling around instabilities and the measures to deal with them.”

The 2012 Vietnamese access control market will be worth $25 to $40 million, while video surveillance will be $17 to $22 million dollars and intrusion detection will be $1.5 to $2.5 million, Oswal said. Moreover, access control will grow 43 percent by 2016, with intrusion detection and video surveillance estimated to grow 20 to 25 percent and 21 percent respectively.

Business opportunities in the northern capital of Hanoi traditionally center around government projects. However, there are currently no tenders for government projects and 2011 sales were not as strong as expected, said , MD of iON. “Our sales target for 2011 is roughly 50 percent higher than the previous year at $1.5 million, and we are looking to reach $1.35 to $1.4 million by the fourth quarter.”

Other security players expressed the same concern over delayed government projects.

“Compared with other southeast Asian countries, Vietnam seems to have fewer government projects,” said Sharon Lee, Director of Brand Sales at Vivotek. “This deters a booming market, as there is no leader to drive growth forward.”

Despite these concerns, some economists predict the government's credit restrictions will calm inflation over time. Other foreign and local industry experts are similarly optimistic about the nation's long-term potential. Many companies reported impressive 10 to 30 percent revenue growth in 2011. “The security market has much potential here,” said Bryan He, Director of Secom. “It is small now in comparison with many other developing markets, but it is maturing really fast.”

Indeed, in the southern economic and financial center of Ho Chi Minh City, security vendors have discovered business opportunities in the commercial sector, although competition is fierce. “Vietnam's economy has grown over the last few years. The basic infrastructure is in place, which provides a good foundation to build upon,” said Jonathan Sinar, Risk Management Services in Fire Security and Traffic, Xtralis. “The market is still quite immature in comparison to others in the region, as reflected by the industry's offerings of basic, simpler cameras. However, great potential comes when a city gradually matures.”

Government projects delays are significant, as they form the bulk of the security market. Some experts said the ratio of projects between northern Hanoi and the financial center of Ho Chi Minh City is 7:3, while estimate the ratio to be an even steeper 9:1. This underscores the importance of Hanoi in Vietnamese security.

It is difficult to peg an exact figure for Vietnam's security market. Some industry experts have suggested a rough figure between $30 and $50 million, although this data requires more government information for a definite conclusion. Vietnam's market share in Asia for physical security represents 1.3 percent for electronic access control, roughly 0.5 percent for intrusion detection and 3.2 percent for video surveillance respectively, said Frost & Sullivan. Market size estimates are $17 to $20 million for access control, $1.5 to $1.8 million for intrusion and $15 to $20 million for surveillance. The same study also shows that electronic access control grew 47.6 percent, intrusion detection grew 25 to 30 percent and video surveillance grew 15.1 percent in 2010. [NextPage]

Market Drivers and Needs
Public demand for security products has increased and the market is developing fast. “However, consumers getting confused by the array of brands to choose from,” said Hoai An Nguyen, CEO of An Nhien. “They have yet to understand the quality of each brand.” The average income in Vietnam is higher than before, meaning that the public is able to afford security commodities now, said  Deputy Director of Trung Loi Trading. Growing demand for security and a wealthier population are among the strongest drivers in the Vietnamese market.

The market is still in the nascent stages for security technology and depends on manned security. Commercial opportunities look promising for security vendors, particular intrusion and perimeter anufacturers.”

Industry experts unanimously agreed that price concerns drive buyer procurement decisions in the commercial sector. “End users tend to look for products that are easy to use with competitive pricing and excellent aftersales services,” Nguyen of Vantech said.

Budget is a great concern for local buyers, which increases price competition in the low-cost bracket. Manufacturers in this bracket include Chinese low-cost products, which even locally made products have a hard time competing against. Locally made products in the low-cost bracket are below quality standards expected in other markets, but have greater advantage as a result of lower production costs and tariff exemption, Wu said.

To avoid getting caught up price wars, some companies are offering mid-range products to strike a balance between price and performance, said , Sales Manager of Nam Phu. Others focus on offering total and hybrid solutions for more flexibility and added-value. “Vietnamese end users demand flexibility in the products used for solutions, so analog, IP-based and hybrid products must all be available in order to satisfy customer demand,” Wu said.

There is great demand for security from the Vietnamese government, larger corporations and international institutions such as embassies and governmental administration buildings, said Jeff Mei, PM of International Integrate Center, China Security & Surveillance Technology. Compared to the commercial sector, government projects prefer high-end products, such as ones made by Bosch Security Systems, Panasonic System Networks and Axis Communications. Government procurement agencies frequently choose US and Japanese products, Tat said.

The government sector has always been a keen adopter of intrusion systems, especially for military installations in the southeast Asian region, Oswal said. “Looking at the private sector, many of the new commercial buildings are looking at intrusion system for perimeter security purposes. The declining cost of intrusion systems is expected to become more attractive to end users when fulfilling their security requirements,” she added.

“Local government prefers high-end products for projects, as they want to make worthy investments and be able to use a system for a longer duration, achieving greater ROI in the long run,” Nguyen of Visco said.

Video Surveillance
Two trends will spur video surveillance growth in Vietnam. First, HD network surveillance and video analytics will have great potential when basic infrastructure is in place. “Network cameras are manageable in terms of transmission in large installations; therefore network surveillance is expected to show exponential growth in many vertical markets,” Oswal said. “However, the uptake of the technology on a larger scale may take some time.” Some network speed domes are used in the southern region currently, although not on large scale, Wu said.

There is a desire within enterprises to have their infrastructure on one network, and IP-based systems will grow as IT professionals set up the required infrastructure. “Video analytics will drive network camera adoption, as people start to realize the importance of getting detailed information,” Oswal said.

Technological advancements will result in increased affordability for security electronics. For instance, falling prices for hard disk drives over the past few years has enhanced video recording and increased the quality and capacity of video storage equipment.

Vertical Markets
Awareness and uptake of IP-based products is slowly growing in Vietnam, although analog products still dominate with 70 percent market share. Government and telecommunication projects are prevalent in Hanoi, while commercial opportunities can be found in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam continues to develop, electronic security equipment is needed in critical infrastructure (airports and seaports), public and residential buildings, commercial facilities (banking) and educational institutions. Other emerging vertical markets include retail, health care, traffic monitoring, telecom data centers, hotels and recreational complexes.

Industrial production is one of the biggest draws of Vietnam, with its young labor force and stable government. “Factories have the most growth, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and nearby provinces like Dong Nai and Binh Duong,” said Vo Nguyen, Technical Director, Vantech. Most factory projects comprise roughly 50 to 150 cameras per project, with speed domes seeing great demand. [NextPage]

Challenges
Products and Infrastructure
Adoption of IP-based products is not yet widespread in Vietnam, resulting in the majority of cameras being analog. Some providers offer installer training classes on a monthly basis, as interest in total solutions increases.

Traditional devices such as keypads, magnetic-stripe cards and proximity cards are commonly used for electronic access control systems, although biometrics and smart card credentialing are picking up. Intrusion detection systems are in the medium growth range, and are more sought after in response to rising crime rates.

Interoperability remains an issue for security products. This affects countries that already have legacy security systems. Many users forego upgrades until there is an issue with their existing systems.

Limited bandwidth has a direct influence on the adoption of newer technologies that require IP infrastructure. In Vietnam, Internet access is available only in certain areas, but the user count is on the rise. According to Vietnam's General Statistics Office, broadband Internet subscribers have reached 4.1 million by August 2011, up 17.5 percent. In total, the number of Internet users stands at 31.3 million, an increase of 22.9 percent from the previous year. The latest statistical figures reflect both an Internet usage expansion as well as maturing nationwide Internet infrastructure. Common Internet usage will provide IP-based products great opportunities in this market.

Government Support
Government policies should provide legislation to make the security market better, said Do Duc Hau, President and CEO of Techpro.

Tightened credit to slow inflation is interfering with ongoing security projects. “Since the onset of inflation and bank loan restrictions, many budgets have been reduced and in many cases, video surveillance is cut out from procurement to save TCO on projects,” Nguyen of An Nhien said. “In the coming year, we hope to cooperate with partners and investors who are not dependent on bank loans but have their own capital to move business.”

Vietnamese buyers are not in the habit of stocking up on products, and only do so when projects are lined up, Tat said. This is especially true in Hanoi. “It is our goal in the upcoming year to focus on regular monthly sales activities instead of projects in order to drive fluid transactions,” said Jacky Cheng, VP of Sales of Brickcom.

Cost Concerns and Standards
To drive sales activities in Vietnam, attractive pricing is crucial as end users are cost-conscious and prefer low-cost offerings. “For us, cost concerns from end users are a challenge as our products are manufactured in the U.K.” said Mark Tibbenham, MD of GJD Manufacturing. “We hope to overcome this challenge by working with big installers on large-scale and high-end residential projects.”

In such a fast developing market, more new competitors have entered it, especially companies from China, He said. “For many Vietnamese customers, price always comes first, followed by quality. Therefore, Chinese products have a clear advantage.” Even sizable Chinese makers like Dahua Technology are affected by fierce competition from low-cost suppliers. “Many makers pirate our products and sell them at even lower prices,” Dinh said. “The products are identical in appearance, but quality is obviously compromised. At this point there is nothing we can do but hold more seminars to strengthen brand awareness and educate our customers.” To sidestep competition at this level of offering, many solution providers also prefer trading mid-level products.

To further complicate the price issue, the lack of a unified set of standards makes judging product quality and price/performance harder. “The current codes and standards are loosely based on US standards, although no unified and official codes and standards specific to Vietnam have been mandated by the local government,” Sinar said. As the market matures, national standards would regulate industry offerings and provide clearer procurement choices for end users.

Shaping Up
Despite economic complications and project delays, industry experts and market analysts are confident about business opportunities in this vibrant country. All markets experience boom-bust cycles and the nation's plentiful resources and business-friendly policies continue to make it an attractive destination. Vietnam's security market is gearing up to take flight.

Historic London Football Club Protects Patrons With Genetec Video System

Editor / Provider: Genetec | Updated: 2/2/2012 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Genetec, a pioneer in the physical security industry and a leading provider of world-class unified IP security solutions, is proud to announce that Fulham Football Club, London's oldest first class football club, has installed Genetec's video surveillance system in its 22,000-seat stadium.

When Fulham recently sought a new video surveillance platform, Nicholas Pendlebury, Head of IT Projects at Fulham, brought on EMC, a global provider of information technology services, to assist in the design of a new system. Genetec's system was chosen for its open architecture and its ability to improve both security and operational processes at once; not only enhancing safety but also crowd control and monitoring procedures.

Fulham required undisrupted video coverage, as well as image quality that would enable operators to zoom in on individual faces in a crowd. Sixty-three Axis Communications cameras, 25 of which are PTZ, utilizing joysticks for simple camera angle manipulation were installed. Using Axis's network cameras, Fulham is able to use built-in features like motion control for alarm triggers out of hours and privacy masks to limit PTZ field of vision from encroaching on neighbouring private property. Thirty days of archived video are stored on 100 terabytes of EMC Celerra storage that are shared with Fulham's file storage. The Genetec's system has full failover capabilities and the infrastructure is monitored 24/7 via a site-to-site VPN. Fulham's system is used largely for live monitoring on match days, at which time police, Fulham stewards, and medical staff convene in the Control Centre to monitor the tens of thousands of stadium patrons.

Future plans include an upgrade to Genetec's unified video surveillance and access control platform, the Security Center, and the inclusion of Plan Manager, a feature that enables interactive, spatial mapping of cameras to further facilitate system navigation. Additional plans for a nearby training facility include the installation of 25 high-definition cameras, thermal imaging and deployment of Genetec's license plate recognition system, AutoVu, which can also be unified within the Security Center.

Memoori: Security Industry Will Confidently Ride Out 2012's Economic Storm

Editor / Provider: Submitted by Memoori Business Intelligence | Updated: 1/30/2012 | Article type: Hot Topics

Traditionally this is the time for reflection on the past year and forecasting the trends over the next 12 months.

Memoori's annual report on the world's Physical Security industry showed that in 2011, despite a troubled economic climate, it increased revenues and profitability whilst merger and acquisition surged by more than double in the last 2 years to $9.847 billion.

So the security industry looks like a safe port in the storm with 2 main factors contributing to its robustness. The first being the continued growth in emerging markets particularly Asia where they shrugged off the global economic downturn and the second is the growth in network video surveillance solutions. The latter will certainly continue to increase its market share despite poor economic trading conditions in 2012 and the former likewise will increase their share. The question now on everyone's mind is will the problem of sovereign debt in the Euro zone receive the political action necessary to solve it? The jury is still out on this one.

Our report showed that in the last quarter of 2011 growth in demand looked a little flaky with the dynamic companies delivering high tech products with a balanced exposure to emerging markets maintaining a solid performance and those with less innovative mainstream products being far less confident about the future. On the basis of this we forecast an annual growth of 2.4 percent down from an aggregate 4 percent in the previous 2 years. This time round the aftershock from the financial meltdown in 2008 has left us with less ammunition to fight off a recession and the public sector budget will be trimmed to help pay off the sovereign debt resulting in an almost certain decline or no growth in GDP in many developed countries. Even allowing for a decline in growth our forecast would be optimistic, if it were not for the fact that the industry is in a much healthier state with a product portfolio that can deliver more attractive opportunities for their clients to improve security and at the same time profit from it.

The only way to reduce the impact of poor economic trading conditions is to continue with the innovation programme of delivering more effective systems at lower prices. Now has to be the time to dig even deeper and increase all efforts in delivering against 5 developing and emerging technology trends that can drive up demand. Our report shows that this may be best achieved through merger and acquisition and alliance and these activities have in both volume and value terms increased significantly in the last 2 years.

Wireless technology is now getting traction with the highest penetration of wireless communication being in commercial and transportation verticals whilst banking & finance are still concerned that these security systems can be breached. Education and Health buildings look to be the next growth markets. The main drivers for the emergence of the wireless culture, staying mobile, reducing investment cost and improving productivity has got estate managers leveraging wireless throughout their organizations.

IP Network products whether for access control, intruder alarms but particularly for video surveillance grew rapidly in 2011 and they are believed to be on the verge of a long and strong run. Falling IP prices together with much easier to install products and improved performance have all conspired to increase the Return On Investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership of this fast growing technology.

MSaaS & VSaaS is becoming an attractive solution to the physical security industry for it delivers a lower point cost, because providers can host multiple customers on a shared infrastructure. The Cloud economies of scale and flexibility also offer both the user and supplier a better deal. The prevalence of broadband along with 3G and 4G connections is making video accessibility easier than ever. So we expect the market will be looking up to the cloud to provide further cover.

Video Analytics is the segment of the market that appears to be the laggard. In 2010 there was a distinct lack of new products coming to market. This year was more promising with more developments. It remains to be seen if the patience of the investors will continue long enough for them to succeed and / or if a new generation of companies enters the fray.

In the last 18 months there has been a rapid rise in demand for both Physical Security Information Management, (PSIM), and Physical Identity and Access Management, (PIAM), systems.

Both are examples of emerging software solutions that are designed to remove inefficiency and manual process within security operations. Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) enable common policy, workflow, approval, compliance automation and life cycle management of the identity / badge holder across disparate physical security systems. PIAM solutions offer operational cost reductions that can be delivered through this platform providing a bridge between the disparate systems without stripping out and starting again. PIAM is currently getting a lot of exposure. We are now seeing the emergence of PIAM to join together with PSIM to drive strategic and operational value for physical security departments in large operations.

All of these technologies embrace a wide divergence of skills and expertise and clearly it will require large research and development budgets to take them forward. It is unlikely that any one company in the security industry will master them all.

One thing is for sure, the security industry is going to ride out this turbulence because it is in a healthy state and has the confidence that in has overcome financial turbulence before.

Learning to Do More With Less: Adapting Campus Security for Lean Times

Editor / Provider: Tevin Wang | Updated: 1/31/2012 | Article type: Education

In this third and final article, a&s analyzes what value-added vendors and integrators can bring to higher education, how to do more with less and the outlook for campus security.

In the education market, security funding is limited. “The biggest challenge is the education market does not always have full control over its own funding,” said John Moss, CEO of S2 Security. “Forces are unpredictable as politics may enter into security buying decisions.” “In North America, the security market is very much tied to the construction market. This year in higher education in North America, construction slowed down considerably due to the economic situation, as well as the political landscape,” said Barbara Winkler-Chimbor, Director of Global Education Market Development, Genetec. “There are no longer federal grants related to security in the U.S. like in the past. In the U.S. as well as Canada, the education market depends heavily on local state or province funding.” Governments are experiencing significant budget shortfalls and are focusing funds on providing competitive teacher salaries instead of capital improvements for security.

For European and Asian institutions, their willingness to spend money on student safety is reactive. “Our experience shows that student safety or security projects are only funded when incidents occur,” Winkler- Chimbor said. “No funding is truly applied for security.”

With challenged funding and resources, it is even more essential for manufacturers and system integrators to address the unique requirements of each school. “It is important to be flexible and robust to adapt to these different requirements,” said Terence Lee, Director of APAC System Integration, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. As financial realities limit the uptake of networked security in education market, it is crucial for venders and integrators to share best practices about how to balance an open learning environment and safety, so administrators can do more with less.

Do More With Less
Making the most out of existing IT infrastructure offers an efficient deployment. IP-based systems provide cost advantages without having to factor in wiring. “Educational facilities are often strained to find advanced technology while staying within budget,” said Steve Gorski, GM of the Americas, Mobotix.

Traditional, centralized structures have limitations since it requires high network bandwidth and the PC processing power is insufficient when using several cameras. The decentralized approach allows universities to gain access to the benefits of more resolution while maintaining cost effectiveness. “With the decentralized approach, the camera itself includes a processing computer and storage card, allowing PC to do the job of viewing video and camera control, thus putting less strain on PCs and reduces centralized storage needs,” Gorski said.

Maximizing Effectiveness
Campus safety is the fundamental reason for security systems. In a gloomy economy, vendors and integrators should consider what value their solution can add to colleges and universities beyond security. Some benefits of security can increase the effectiveness of existing security staff and improve resource management.

Remote monitoring allows a limited amount of personnel to cover a larger area while being more available. Security personnel can use the video captured by the system to determine what is happening before sending guards to the scene, thus multiplying the effective area the existing security force can patrol. “This allows universities to streamline their manpower operation and improve their process management,” Lee said. Integrated security solutions can translate to less data entry for staff members and less money spent on staff resources, meaning less dependence on physical guarding.

“Remote access to video also benefits other departments in a college or university, such as the maintenance department,” said Gadi Piran, President of On-Net Surveillance Systems. “Web-based access to cameras from any desktop can contribute to additional operational efficiencies campus-wide. Such opportunities should be considered when a system is designed — they can also boost a system's ROI.”

Security solutions also provide data to help staff make decisions. “Security solutions can be used for staff members to track traffic patterns,heavily used rooms or buildings on campus and more,” said Randy Montelius, VP of Engineering, Communications Engineering Company. In addition to keeping students and staff safe, cameras can help administrators undersatnd facility usage. Video can manage the flow of students, analyze bottlenecks that form between classes or view vehicle traffic flow.

“Video can track facility occupancy, especially during the weekend or off-hours,” Piran said. “Integrated with the HVAC system, video could help save energy costs, for example, by automatically turning up the air conditioner only when room occupancy reaches a certain number.”

Open Sesame
Colleges are seeking new ways to keep their buildings safe without breaking the bank. Issuing one smart credential also saves administrative costs. The cost of a single credential is lower than purchasing multiple forms of identification. The rollout of smart credential solutions for physical access control is typically done with card management systems that involve card issuance, personalization and access rights, simplifying management processes and distribution time. Smart card technology also helps enhance management efficiency.

For instance, by introducing smart credential-based authentication, a campus can immediately reduce the number of staff members needed to manage and control access to residence halls, recreation centers, laboratories and other buildings that only authorized students and staff should enter.

Maximizing the extent to which a credential can be utilized for campus living and activities is becoming more common. “Smart card technology offers universities multi-application functionality for logical access, cashless vending, canteen transactions, on-demand printing, library access and locker use, these applications enable the wider community controlled access to public services such as its buses, museum and swimming pools too,” said Simon Siew, MD for APAC, HID Global (an Assa Abloy company).

Transportation management is another common challenge that smart cards can address. “We have a case in Spain of school transportation solution that integrated GPS, text messaging and database capabilities,” Siew said. “All cards are personalized by the university and can be reprogrammed when the amount of transportation purchased expires. The university is considering opportunities for time and attendance and other future applications to be deployed using the same smart card technology.”

With limited resources and funding, selecting the right technology and laying the groundwork for deployment are the keys to make every penny count. Campus decision makers should look for platforms that are open to allow easy integration into other applications with minimal programming. An open access platform speeds up the time of deployment, reduces the cost of implementation and allows campus officials to get the most out of their investment. [NextPage]

Future Learning
Higher education tends to have excellent technology resources. Schools are seeing more IP uptake as security is shifting toward IP as well.

“At least in North America, we have seen a huge shift in the IT departments' budgets to support physical security applications,” Winkler- Chimbor said. “We are experiencing the IP shift in physical security within the education market. Our major North American accounts, which include top 10 universities, are driven and funded by IT.”

As smartphone adoption grows, the ability to monitor or to be notified via smart devices is a trend. Video can be provided to local emergency personnel through mobile applications that offer access to video through smartphones. “We strongly believe that due to the fact that higher education has access to students with IT degrees, they are more likely to use these resources in active projects on campuses which come at a minimum cost,” Winkler- Chimbor said. “Students offer to take the lead in testing and leading the way to new generation security applications that can provide mobile applications. We have experienced this factor at major universities in North America as well as abroad.”

Trends
Higher education institutions have a more dynamic and transient population. “In North America, there is an increased awareness about the need to control crowds at either sports or concert events or various student-organized protests on campus,” Winkler-Chimbor said. “Post-secondary education institutions are looking to add people counting at events to assess capacity at stadiums, as well as to properly plan evacuation procedures during emergency situations such as fires and weather related emergencies.” In the case of protests, institutions use surveillance tools to ensure campus security rules have been properly enforced and to provide legal evidence .

Beyond Security
Lack of funding and no new construction in North America have slowed down the higher education security market. Added-value services become crucial for both vendors and integrators. For example, security applications that can be modified by universities for learning or that can be integrated with existing student e-cards are becoming more common. Security technologies might be considered to improve productivity and are helping to edge security towards being a profit center, said Nigel Waterton, VP of Strategic Development, Aronson Security.

“We plan to expand our involvement in the higher-education market by focusing on VoIP solutions, wireless technologies and infrastructure, and multimedia classrooms that incorporate audiovisual as well as security solutions,” Montelius said. “Unlimited bandwidth has also allowed security solutions that make use of standard IP networks to create, publish and distribute rich media content for streaming. With these systems, lectures and presentations are recorded and archived, and students can stream these presentations back if they miss a class and want to listen to a lecture again.”

“There is progress occurring towards integrating multiple databases in the higher education market,” Waterton said. The key is integrating various solutions on one platform that is capable of processing all signals and immediately notify the responsible personnel, to increase the effectiveness of existing security resources.

While North America is contracting, emerging markets have strong potential. “Our international education markets in Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East grew almost 150 percent in 2011, indicating a strong adoption and need of security technology,” Winkler-Chimbor said.

Market Education
Institutions need a common consensus on their long-term technology plans, emergency procedures and trained response teams. “It is of the utmost importance to have IT technicians, maintenance staff and security officers work together to agree on a solution and take into consideration long-term goals and planning for years to come,” Montelius said.

Keeping campus crime low can improve an institution's ability to recruit new students and can limit liability costs if an incident occurs. “Keeping campus crime low also produces a marketing message for prospective students and families that encourages selection and attendance based on security values,” Montelius said.

Security must consider site-specific needs. The world of education emphasizes openness and is not always receptive to security. “It is crucial to understand individual market needs and it is important to be flexible and robust to adapt to these different requirements,” Lee said.

There is a fine line between policing and making students feel safe enough to learn. As IP security uptake continues, careful planning is required. There is no guarantee that a tragedy will never happen again, but the risks could be reduced to a minimum. Besides security technologies, every institution needs to plan for emergencies, from pandemics, toxic spills, active shooters or dangerous weather. While there is no way to plan for every scenario, higher education prepares for the worst so students can do their best.

German Retailer Protects Stores and Assets Across Europe With Honeywell Access Solution

Editor / Provider: Honeywell | Updated: 1/3/2012 | Article type: Commercial Markets

With over 550 retail outlets worldwide, OBI is a leading brand in the building and DIY sector across Europe. Founded in Germany 40 years ago, the company now employs around 38,000 staff. OBI began its international expansion in Italy in 1991 and now employs over 1,700 staff across 47 stores with floor spaces ranging from 2,000 to 7,000 square metres, and a total floor space of 135,000 square metres. In 2009, OBI welcomed over 11 million customers through its doors.

Thanks to a positive response from Italian consumers, the OBI Group is successful in achieving its objective to cater for every aspect of home improvement at affordable prices for customers who enjoy putting their skills and creativity to work completing DIY projects in their spare time.

Over the years, OBI has always invested effectively in physical security with intruder alarm and video surveillance systems. With the experience OBI has gained in security and its own technical expertise, Inres, the division of the group which manages OBI's security requirements, recognised the opportunity to improve and optimise OBI's security procedures using the latest technologies on the market. Inres' vision was to integrate intrusion detection and video surveillance in the OBI stores and to simplify operation and management with one user interface.

The new solution needed to take into account OBI's existing security systems to minimise new investment and provide a solution suitable for its current and future requirements. It would be implemented in all stores throughout Italy, both in new buildings and during the renovation of existing buildings.

To achieve this, OBI decided that it required a security system that would allow the integration of intrusion and video surveillance functions to deliver a more powerful and flexible solution. OBI also required a flexible access control system that could be integrated with the security system so that one swipe card could be used for both the access control and intrusion functions.

OBI defined that the integration software must provide a simple, intuitive yet comprehensive graphical user interface, possibly using "touch screen" technology, to enable store managers to use the interlinked and complex security system quickly and easily. This graphical user interface was to be located in the main information and control centre located in the reception area of every store.

Siemens Building Technologies: 15 Trends in Security and Building Automation

Editor / Provider: Submitted by Siemens Building Technologies | Updated: 12/28/2011 | Article type: Hot Topics

Siemens Building Technologies has high hopes for 2012; it did not provide just 12 trends to watch but 15 of them. Security trends were outlined by Magali Epin, Marketing and Business Development, while building automation trends were discussed by Achim Schaepper, Head of Operational Marketing.

Security
1.Convergence drives physical security closer to the IT industry. This adds additional requirements from IT which influence the entire customer life cycle processes. Similarly, there are increased requirements to use existing IT infrastructure in medium to large installations, running business and security systems in parallel.

2.Smart buildings will drive the disappearance of the divide between security, safety and building automation (BA) technologies in the context of comfort, energy efficiency, life safety and emergency response. The availability and intelligence of safety and security sensors support system integrations that deliver benefits beyond the field devices' intended use.

3.The demand for management stationincreases as the benefits they bring in the definition, deployment, and measurement of safety and security standards and processes across entire organizations and multidiscipline systems gain recognition.

4.Supported by smart field devices, increased connectivity and intelligent data processing power, emergency response resources and systems will be called upon based on real-time situational awareness, desired outcomes and “best fit for purpose” rather than on predefined responsibilities or processes.

5.Evacuation routes can be adapted to the actual situation based on real-time building data and dynamic emergency lighting. Evacuation and response scenarios will be simulated with software tools to identify potential bottlenecks in evacuation routes and program alternative routes. Intelligent occupancy detection will help first responders evacuate buildings more efficiently.

6.Safety and security budget contractions drive new business and engineering models. As wireless communication technology matures, it will be used alongside wired communication infrastructure to optimize installation and wiring in a security and safety project, particularly for renovation jobs and at locations where it is difficult to install wiring.

7.Compliance with local safety and security regulations are no longer sufficient in the “global” public eye. Due diligence is key. Maintenance of installed security systems needs to be improved, and periodic performance and functional tests should be implemented.

8.Security and safety increasingly become an integral part of corporate social responsibility initiatives, driven by rising political pressure at city and national levels. Accountability will be recognized as a key risk management enabler. This will drive technology investments to improve safety and security incident prevention, detection, response and recovery as part of new reputation management strategies.

Building Automation
9.Simple thermostats will take on additional intelligence. They will serve as room controllers for lights, blinds and HVAC.

10.Remote monitoring will become more popular. It will be cloud-based and a basic services offered by BA manufacturers. Software analytics will, to some extent, automate the remote monitoring process. Similarly, remote monitoring as a security service will find more acceptance, driven by the need to continuously monitor the IT infrastructure used for physical security installation to guarantee system availability and alarm transmission.

11.Continuous commissioning of a BA system will gain awareness supported by regulations such as EN 16001 or ISO 50001.

12.Energy efficiency improvement will gain awareness in the corporate world. Energy efficiency will become a standard key performance indicator for facility management service companies for their performancebased payments.

13.Public and governmental organizations with budget constraints will increasingly adopt performance contracting and security models to renew their technical infrastructure in the buildings.

14.Net-zero energy buildings, or buildings that consume as much energy as they generate in a year, will become technical and economical realities.

15.As smart grids continue to be developed, it will become clearer that a smart grid cannot function without smart buildings. A smart building contains local intelligence and is able to generate energy locally, store energy locally and shift time of energy consumption.

Schneider Electric: 12 for 2012

Editor / Provider: Submitted by Schneider Electric | Updated: 12/28/2011 | Article type: Hot Topics

a&s asked industry leaders for at least 12 trends or phenomena that readers should know about in security and building automation for 2012. In light of a slow economy, demonstrating ROI is more important than ever. Aaron Kuzmeskus, Director of Security Channel Development for Buildings Business, Schneider Electric, describes 12 trends to watch.

It should not surprise readers that the global economic situation is slow to improve. At the same time, security and facility directors are faced with greater challenges and tighter resources. Everyone is talking about ROI — but how do you improve your bottom line? Here are some things to follow in 2012.

1.Closing the ROI Gap– Demonstrate to management the high value security adds to a business' risk profile by monetizing security. Also, use security as a business enabler, applying security technology to improve other business processes from manufacturing to patient care to education. Move security from being a cost center to a profit center.

2.Scalability – Today's buildings must be adaptable, “smart,” comfortable, efficient and safe. Meet those demands by selecting a common control system that exceeds today's needs, and provides the future-proof technology to change with what tomorrow brings.

3.Integration – Security command centers rely upon multiple applications to secure a facility. Each application — from access control and video surveillance to intrusion detection, voice intercom or biometric enrollment — typically has its own user interface, reporting process and audit trail. Select a system that has “pre-integrated” these management systems to reduce equipment costs, energy usage and operator costs.

4.Interoperability – Security and building management software can automatically discover and communicate with compatible devices at the IP level without the need for a communications gateway. By leveraging security and building automation systems, this translates to a significant cost savings in terms of simplified system architecture, less hardware, easier software configurations and system operations and maintenance.

5.Simplicity – Flexible user interfaces with role-based menus are simple and intuitive, and relate to typical, real-world security situations. When combined with workflow management by job function, they reduce training time and help make operators more efficient, more productive, and can reduce turnover.

6.Green Security – Integrate security and building automation to improve energy efficiency and security. The key is that security knows when someone is present and who that person is. Apply that information to enable new energy routines in the building management software and realize incremental energy savings.

7.Reliability – Systems that feature distributed intelligence down to the local device level of every controller, enabling stand-alone control offer the greatest degree of system reliability. Controllers that can run their own programs, logic, schedules, and trends and issue their own alarms and events maintain the needed level of operation — even when communication to the server is interrupted.

8.IT – While once an optional part of the corporate infrastructure, IT-based systems are essential to sharing information across a wide geography, enabling truly global operations. Many systems can function over a common IT infrastructure, removing the cost of separate system cabling.

9.Go Wireless –The advanced encryption and mesh network equipment now common can be deployed faster and more cost-efficiently than hard-wired installation, without impacting the security or availability of the network.

10.Cloud – Everyone is talking about the cloud. What is it? Simply put, it's a shared service that can provide data storage or processing capability in a “virtual” environment. To subscribers, this means less capital expense, and in many cases greater uptime reliability.

11.Analytics – Video analytics can be a very effective way to maximize operational efficiency. Analytics can help identify video that should be monitored, based on activity, and analytics provide many powerful forensic tools as well.

12.Awareness–Physical security information management or PSIM is a powerful tool. By bringing many disparate sources of data in one set of actionable information, you gain efficiency and reliability — throughout your enterprise — improving your overall security effectiveness

Johnson Controls: 12 Building Automation and Security Trends for 2012

Editor / Provider: Submitted by Johnson Controls | Updated: 12/27/2011 | Article type: Hot Topics

In 2012, more businesses will examine how to operate and protect a building and its occupants. There will also be an increased emphasis on designing and retrofitting green buildings. Without the benefit of a crystal ball, Andre Greco, Director of Sales, Security and Fire Solutions for Johnson Controls, looks at 12 trends in 2012.

1.Better Building Systems Integration: Open-technology platforms collecting and managing data from disparate building systems and other data sources will improve facility efficiency. Cloud-based applications will provide additional efficiency-related tools. Available from a single source point, this data will make it easier and more affordable for operators of any facility to achieve better building performance.

2.Integrated Building Automation/ Security Systems: Allowing managers of large buildings to monitor and control temperature, lighting and water usage with security functions from a single console can improve overall facility performance.

3.Physical Security Information Management: Call it security at a glance. PSIM uses sophisticated software to capture and analyze vast arrays of data from disparate security systems — video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection and other sensors. Data is displayed with intuitive GUI, increasing situational awareness and helping users to make better security decisions.

4.Increased Interest in Green Building Certification: Building operators are seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by introducing improvements that lower energy, operating and capital costs while improving indoor environments for both new and existing facilities. An Australian study showed that green building owners can generally charge higher rents and have lower vacancy rates.

5.Demand Response:This technology provides energy managers and building operators with real-time information to better manage electricity consumption and realize major savings. DR programs help them to reduce electricity consumption when the utility warns that the grid is at or near peak capacity — to decrease chances of power shortages or blackouts.

6.Education: Private companies are training the next generation of green building technicians and engineers. Sponsored programs expose elementary students to the values of sustainability, while high schoolers take summer jobs promoting energy conservation. The process continues in college, where students get hands-on experience operating renewable energy projects.

7.Public-Private Partnerships: These partnerships formed to identify and create energy- and water-saving projects are win-win situations. They involve performance contracting that can guarantee that savings will offset some or all of the costs of facility and infrastructure renewal projects. This can remove what is usually the biggest barrier to sustainability projects — financing.

8.Near-Field Communication: This technology allows smartphones to act as access cards, bringing greater security. The locks cost less than a standard card reader, yet they can create an audit trail to show who has accessed an asset and when.

9.Mass Access Control: New computer-based systems link stadium operators to Web portals where fans can purchase tickets and register to attend games. Turnstiles, along with biometric, proximity and barcode readers, at stadium gates rapidly process tens of thousands of people while comparing them with police databases to deny entrance to any known troublemakers.

10.One -Card Systems for Physical and Logical Security: Convergence is finally arriving as one access card now allows access to public or private facilities, as well as the enterprise network. This provides added safety for computers, printers and other peripherals. Smart chips in the cards permit the addition of a biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint or iris scan.

11.HD Cameras: End users and law enforcement continually want more information from their video systems. HD video can provide clear images that make it possible to do a better job of identification and scene assessment.

12.Open Standards: Following the path set by the IT community, security directors are demanding open standards for equipment ranging from cameras to access card readers. Open standards help protect investments in legacy systems, while making it easier to add new technology

IT Reseller in Thailand Improves Accountability and Reduces Theft With Axis Surveillance Solution

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 12/23/2011 | Article type: Commercial Markets

SiS Distribution (Thailand) Public is Thailand's leading IT reseller and distributor, representing more than 60 manufacturers of computer systems, software, peripherals, networking and smart phone products. When the company built a new warehouse, one of the company's key objectives was to enhance physical security systems to guard against theft and other losses. After researching and comparing CCTV options, SiS Distribution decided to implement an IP-based surveillance network. The cameras were installed to track the unloading, storage and loading of stock to help operations by documenting any errors and to guard against theft. The cameras record high-definition video footage of the entire warehouse storage area as well as the dispatch and loading areas. The video data is stored for six months and can be used as evidence for dispute resolution.

SiS Distribution (Thailand) selected HDTV-quality IP cameras for indoor surveillance that feature resolutions of up to 1 megapixel and have intruder alarm capabilities, fixed day and night IP cameras, also with HDTV video quality and series which includes both indoor and outdoor-ready fixed cameras that support digital, pan, tilt and zoom.

All the models support multiple H.264 video streams and the data collected is managed by NVR software that automates the ability to search video data for activity or changes in a given area of the warehouse.

SiS Distribution's managing director Somchai Sittichaisrichart said: “IP network cameras have an obvious application in warehouses, especially in an industry such as ours where we are responsible for expensive and fragile equipment. One of the most frustrating aspects of managing a warehouse occurs when stock disappears or is damaged. Without a reliable surveillance system, the responsibility for any damaged or missing products can be hard to place – and there is less incentive for staff to do the right thing.”