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.

Campus Networks Power IP Uptake

Editor / Provider: Tevin Wang | Updated: 1/30/2012 | Article type: Education

Higher-education IP backbones enable integration among systems. They bring clear benefits to end users and integrators. However, IP requires careful planning as well. In this second of three articles, a&s highlights the benefits of unlimited bandwidth and related challenges.

College campuses boast some of the most advanced fiber networks for civilian use. Because of this connectivity, higher education is seeing significant IP uptake. “It has been our experience that educational institutions have the most proactive attitude to accept and deploy IP-based security solutions,” said Barbara Winkler-Chimbor, Director of Global Education Market Development, Genetec. “Mostly, they seem to slowly migrate existing equipment to an open, nonproprietary platform that has the ability to accommodate new technology later on when budgets become available.”

Campuses with existing IT infrastructure and fiber-optic backbones make integration and configuration easier. Most importantly, IP-based systems offer significant cost advantages and more efficient system deployment. “Fiber-optic bandwidth definitely removes a cost obstacle to many systems in the education vertical,” said Gadi Piran, President of On-Net Surveillance Systems. “Taking advantage of an institution's existing network infrastructure simplifies installation of cameras anywhere within reach of a network connection. Plenty of bandwidth negates the need to build a parallel system or to upgrade the network infrastructure, and can also simplify system configuration.”

Having virtually unlimited bandwidth also allows vendors the ability to offer flexible solutions suited for all budgets, said Terence Lee, Director of APAC System Integration, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. “Compared to other verticals where we have to combine both hardwired and wired configuration, it is definitely much easier and seamless in our conceptualization and implementation in higher education verticals.”

No Silver Bullet
High-tech infrastructure and unlimited bandwidth do help enable integration among systems. However, the connectivity and convenience of IP networks also increase the number of subsystems and components. “Higher education institutions have many applications sharing a common network, such as voice, data and other applications, that can severely impact the network's performance,” Winkler- Chimbor said. Bandwidth availability and network security must also be taken into consideration.

IP has clear benefits. However, network configuration requires careful planning, as it is far from trouble-free. “Institutions need to take into consideration that in an emergency situation, many staff members as well as local first responders, such as the police, need to utilize the same feed. This can overload the network since many people will be trying to log in simultaneously. Thus, a system that cannot only prioritize by user, but that can automatically manage the network bandwidth with features like multicasting and multistreaming is crucial to ensure a true load balancing of the existing network,” said Winkler-Chimbor.

Advanced IT infrastructure and fiber optics require correspondingly networked options in storage and video analysis. “The education vertical has a higher-than-average amount of bandwidth for increased integration, but their storage options and ability to analyze all the information collected is not always as advanced,” said John Moss, CEO of S2 Security. “There are still issues related to responsibility to consider when looking at the quantity of information collected. So, while the education market has been an early adopter of high-capacity data-transmission technology, they face the same issues as other users relative to storage, monitoring personnel.”

Who Is In Charge?
Security used to fall under facility management in many universities. As schools are seeing more IP uptake, IT departments are becoming more involved in security procurement. This poses challenges in integration and implementation for system integrators. “It can be difficult getting internal departments such as IT, security and maintenance departments to work together and agree on priorities,” said Randy Montelius, VP of Engineering, Communications Engineering Company.

As the adoption of IP-based solutions continues, the need to consult with the IT department increases . “ The campus IT department controls access to the network and how it is leveraged for a video surveillance system,” Piran said. “Campus police and security, as the primary users of the system, have a say in their usability needs and requirements.”

Detangling System Kinks
Smart Devices
Smartphone penetration is growing exponentially across the globe. Smartphones represent more than 40 percent of mobile phones in Western Europe and 38 percent in the U.S., according to a Nielsen report from July 2011. Individuals who bought new smartphones in the past three months made up 52 percent of handset purchases, up from 34 percent. While less than 20 percent of Asian mobile users currently have smartphones, interest in them is high.

This smartphone wildfire has spread through campuses as well. As students bring all kinds of wireless devices to college campuses, they impact the school's IT network. “This may lead to a shift toward Web-based applications,” Montelius said. “An added layer of security should be added to these applications to ensure that they are displaying the data, but it's not where the data is stored, so the user doesn't have access to the actual data itself, or the backend servers it's stored on.”

Mass Notification
After the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting that resulted in 33 casualties, US schools understand the importance of quickly pulling someone's access or locking down a facility at a moment's notice. Tragedy struck again on Dec. 8, 2011, when a campus police was shot and the gunman took his life. Mass notification played an essential role during both events, with 2007's two-hour delay cut to six minutes in 2011. The campus was quickly locked down and the event was effectively contained.

Alerting an entire campus about a shooting is no easy feat. Using only one type of mass notification during an emergency is not enough. “You may not reach everyone in the community who needs the information to protect themselves,” Montelius said. Students, faculty and staff may have their phones turned off or not be able to hear sirens. “Universities need to think beyond opt-in texting systems and instead focus on tiered systems. By using a layered mass notification system that incorporates all of these tiers, authorities are much more likely to reach everyone in an emergency situation.”

Communication between campus security and law enforcement should be as open as possible, so that if a critical incident does occur, first responders are able to deal with it quickly and effectively. During the 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy, senior administrators had to meet to assess the situation and then decide whether to issue an emergency alert. This cumbersome process may have contributed to the delay in communication and to its lack of specificity once it was issued. Addressing these concerns “requires a new level of leverage involving community communication within the school and outside the school,” said Nigel Waterton, VP of Strategic Development, Aronson Security. “If we were engaged, we would work closely with the administration, responsible administrative staff and technology stakeholders, to ensure that the goals and direction of all of these are aligned and optimized.”

As more subsystems relate to security system integration, campus safety is no longer a business of integrators alone. IT technicians, maintenance staff and security officers have to work together to secure college environments.

Video Surveillance Trends for 2012

Editor / Provider: Submitted by IMS Research | Updated: 1/16/2012 | Article type: Hot Topics

The following 10 video surveillance predictions for 2012 serve to provide some guidance on the key trends and opportunities in each of these areas, which you might find useful in planning for the year ahead.

1.REFOCUSING ON IMAGE QUALITY
We forecast that by 2015, more than 70 percent of all network camera shipments will be of megapixel resolution. In spite of this, over the last 12 months, manufacturers have continued to push for greater numbers of megapixels. This trend plays to the common misconception that more megapixels/more resolution equates to better image quality. However, video quality is dependent on factors other than the number of megapixels on the sensor, such as the lens and image processing. IMS believes that for the vast majority of manufacturers, there will be a renewed focus on image quality in 2012.

To date, the market opportunity for “high-megapixel” cameras remains relatively niche. Manufacturers will need to further develop their points of differentiation. Likely advancements will be in well-established areas of need, such as low-light capability and wide-dynamic range; we will also see increasing adoption of P-iris lens technology and advances in live video.

2.FROM THE BRICS TO CIVETS
Given the Eurozone crisis that looks to potentially dampen global economic growth in 2012, where will video surveillance suppliers find opportunities for growth in the coming year?

Over the last few years, the BRICs have been the countries of choice for video surveillance vendors seeking new growth opportunities. Unlike the more developed markets in EMEA and North America, the BRICs were far less impacted by the recent economic downturn. IMS estimates that the total video surveillance equipment market in the BRICs was worth more than US$2.5 billion in 2010. With a growth rate exceeding 20 percent for the next two years, the BRICs will continue to offer video surveillance vendors solid growth opportunities, as the more established and mature video surveillance markets feel the impact from a potential second downturn. Beyond the BRICs, where should companies seek out new growth opportunities? The CIVETS (Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa) are being touted as the next set of tiger economies due to their rapidly industrializing economies. The indicators appear promising as the current long-term GDP rate for the CIVETS is in line with that for the BRICs.

In terms of spending on video surveillance equipment, the CIVETS are a minnow when compared to the BRICs. However, in the mid- to long-term, as infrastructure development and social mobility increase, the CIVETS will provide a strong opportunity for growth. In terms of market size, the CIVETS will not overtake the BRICs for many years, if at all; however, IMS believes that manufacturers will begin to explore the long-term growth potential of the CIVETS in 2012.

3.HD OVER COAX
So, what are the three key things that need to happen in 2012 to give HD-over-coax (focusing on HD-SDI only) equipment a platform for growth?

A.STANDARDIZATION
For HD over coax to penetrate the existing analog market, multivendor/brand compatibility is a must. Currently, there is little standardization among HD-SDI video surveillance equipment.

B.STORAGE COST
HD-SDI cameras transmit uncompressed HD video which can lead to high storage requirements and cost. For HD-SDI to breach the mainstream analog purchasing market, the price of storage needs to fall. Additionally, the supply of HD-over-coax compression ICs is effectively an oligopoly, as the market is perceived as niche and does not yet warrant other manufacturers entering the fray.

C.MARKET EDUCATION
Manufacturers need to engage the correct market segments and promote HD-over-coax products as a potential alternative to analog or network video surveillance solutions.

IMS predicts that manufacturers will continue to push HD-over-coax equipment to the end user, increasing availability and choice. With the backing from large vendors, it is increasingly likely that a number of other large video surveillance brands will begin to introduce some form of HD-over-coax products into their portfolios in 2012. As with last year's predictions, we do not believe that 2012 will herald an explosion in demand for HD over coax. However, IMS forecasts that the HD-over-coax category will still see strong growth, with the market size nearly doubling, as increasing numbers of manufacturers begin to push this technology forward. [NextPage]

4.ANALYTICS TO THE EDGE
IMS predicts that in the coming years, the types of applications that can be performed at the edge on the device's main processor will increase. This will mainly be driven by the availability of more powerful processors and partly by the refinement of VCA applications to make them less processor-intensive.

Basic analytics will become standard features, and more advanced, “paid for” analytics will be performed at the edge. Over time, an increasing variety of analytics will be added as standard features, at no extra cost to the customer. Moreover, more powerful processors will enable multiple VCA algorithms to be performed at the same time to improve detection capabilities.

VCA is increasingly being used outside of the security realm, such as driver assistance cameras and interactive gaming consoles (such as Microsoft's Kinect). Some of these new markets for VCA offer high-volume potential, which is attracting the attention of chip makers.

5.MORE M&A ACTIVITY
Despite the economic turmoil, M&A activity in the security industry has continued over the last couple of years. However, video surveillance acquisitions have not been at the forefront of these deals; generally, M&A activity has been on a much smaller scale. Most recently, March Networks announced its plans to be acquired by Infinova in a deal worth around $90 million.

IMS' annual report on the global video surveillance equipment market estimated that the market in 2010 was worth more than $9 billion in 2010, with nearly 40 percent of all sales contributed by the top 15. We forecast that network video surveillance equipment sales will exceed 25 percent in 2012, despite uncertainty in the Eurozone. While we will not see a spate of billion-dollar deals in 2012, it is likely that a greater volume of midsized deals will complete in the next 12 months.

6.LOOKING UP TO THE CLOUD
At the end of 2010, IMS forecast the increased traction of cloud-based video surveillance, also known as VSaaS. The market certainly picked up in 2011, with notable sales growth of around 20 to 30 percent. However, the market is still emerging, developing and evolving. IMS believes that there are a number of potential avenues for suppliers of VSaaS to explore in the coming year.

A majority of the security cameras used in small and midsized enterprises are solely used for security reasons. However, some of the more tech-savvy users are beginning to leverage and monetize video from their existing systems. Rather than simply leaving video dormant on a hard-disk drive (HDD), business owners could post or stream video to the Internet, allowing customers to see real-time footage of the place they intend to visit. Video could be integrated with Groupon, TripAdvisor, Yelp or even Google Street View. Prior investment in security equipment could be transformed from an expense to a revenue-generating tool. IMS estimates that nearly 65 percent of the DVRs sold in 2011 were Ethernet-enabled, demonstrating the potential market for video to be distributed to the cloud and used for nonsecurity purposes.

7.TURNING POINT FOR SPINNING DISKS
The average price of HDDs has been falling for more than two decades. Now faced with the consequences of the recent flooding in Thailand, the video surveillance storage industry could well see the effects of a change to this trend.

The reported extent of the disruption to HDD production differs from vendor to vendor. Official statements of predicted price increases vary from 0 to 180 percent. The net result for 2012 is likely to be a softening to the trend of falling storage prices.

8.VMS, NOT AS WE KNOW IT
IMS predicts that 2012 will see a raft of innovation in the VMS space, as vendors attempt to stave off the threat of commoditization.

For the more established VMS vendors to continue to enjoy the historic high growth rates, they need to accomplish two key things: (1) maintain and increase presence in the upper market tier and (2) grow in the middle and lower tiers of the market.

The key selling feature of many VMS systems has been “openness,” and while the ability to integrate to a broad range of video surveillance brands is still desirable, this has become more of a basic expectation. IMS believes that VMS vendors will work on the following innovations in the next 12 months.

A.USER INTERFACE
While different VMS solutions do contain unique features, user interfaces in general are fairly similar. Manufacturers will seek to develop simpler and more intuitive user interfaces in the coming year.

B.MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Applications for mobile platforms, such as iOS and Android, will be the front of many VMS manufacturers' arsenal in the coming year. The market for mobile video surveillance applications is still relatively immature; this is true for both the technology and the market demand. Simple concepts, such as leveraging location services, would provide enhanced user experience.

C.SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
The integration between access control and video surveillance systems has been a well-trodden path in the last few years, and this trend will persist through 2012. VMS vendors will look to further develop their offerings from pure-play VMS platforms to security management platforms. VMS vendors have already sought to bridge the gap between supply and demand for situational awareness by implementing “PSIM-like” features in their platforms (such as enhanced functionality with Google or Esri maps). IMS believes that 2012 will see an acceleration of this trend. [NextPage]

9.BEYOND H.264
H.264 has become the de facto compression technology for video surveillance systems. However, a combination of factors in 2012 could lead to advancements in video surveillance compression: (1) the flooding in Thailand; (2) the global economic climate; and (3) the phenomenal growth of HD and megapixel cameras.

In 2012, shipments of HD and megapixel cameras are forecast to increase by more than 70 percent, compared with the previous year. While the accelerated proliferation of high-resolution security cameras provides end users with benefits, such as greater clarity when viewing live video, the storage costs can be significant due to the larger file sizes. Some of the potential compression alternatives are as follows.

A.H.264 SVC
While there are many different variants of H.264 available on the market, the scalable video coding (SVC) variety, despite being well-established in other industries, is still not commonplace in the video surveillance industry. The key benefits of the SVC variant include a reduction in bandwidth (leading to a reduction in storage requirement) and dynamically resizable video.

B.WEBM
An open and royalty-free video compression format based on VP8, it is debatable whether WebM is more efficient or performs better than H.264. However, WebM is optimized for HTML5 video, which could be a key consideration in VSaaS applications. The stumbling block is that WebM currently does not have an associated real-time streaming protocol.

C.HEVC
High-efficiency video coding (HEVC) is still under development and is seen to be the evolution of H.264, providing increased compression efficiency. Ratification of this new standard is not scheduled until late 2012/ early 2013.

So, what will happen in 2012? It would be fair to say the video surveillance industry is not on the cutting edge of technology advancements in video compression. Longer term, HEVC is perhaps the most likely successor to H.264, but that will depend on just how much better it performs and its suitability for video surveillance applications.

10.INTERNET OF THINGS IN CHINA
One trend which is unlikely to have a big impact on the video surveillance market in 2012 but will receive more publicity and have a longer-term impact is the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT is a concept in which individual objects are electronically identified and categorized virtually in an Internet-like structure. To be identified, such objects need to contain a tag such as an RFID tag. Once categorized, supply could more easily meet demand, waste would be reduced, and it would be possible to find objects when they become lost.

IoT is receiving a lot of attention in China. The Chinese central government is strategically focusing on the development of seven emerging industries. These industries are expected to enjoy preferential policy treatment in a number of respects. New generation of information technology (NGIT) is one of these industries; and IoT is one of the most important parts of NGIT.

China has installed millions of video surveillance cameras over the past 10 years, and these cameras could provide a source of information to verify the categorization of objects for IoT. It is questionable whether IoT will drive new investment into security cameras. However, the expected benefits of IoT will help justify public expenditure on video surveillance equipment.

Top US Financial Institution Upgrades Surveillance System for Fraud Defense With March Networks Banking Solution

Editor / Provider: March Networks | Updated: 1/10/2012 | Article type: Commercial Markets

March Networks, a global provider of intelligent IP video solutions, announced that Fifth Third Bancorp has initiated an upgrade program of its existing March Networks' video surveillance systems across more than 1,300 full-service retail banking branches, data centers, corporate offices, and operations and cash handling facilities. One of the top 15 banks in the U.S., Fifth Third Bank has already started deploying 12,000 new March Networks IP and analog cameras, and will upgrade to new Hybrid Network Video Recorders (NVRs) nationwide. The bank is also piloting the March Networks Searchlight portfolio of intelligent data analytics to proactively detect and reduce losses from fraud at ATMs and teller lines.

“The March Networks video surveillance solution has consistently delivered solid results for us,” said Mike Neugebauer, VP and Senior Manager, Safety and Security at Fifth Third Bank. “The new hybrid platforms offer impressive IP performance and work with our existing March Networks video management software, making the transition simple and cost-effective. We're also very interested in the applications, which would allow us to securely correlate our surveillance video with transaction data, license plate data, and facial images. We believe these banking analytics could help us identify fraud earlier and gather evidence more quickly to significantly reduce losses.” Worldwide, more than 450 banks and credit unions currently use the company's proven financial solutions, citing scalability, unparalleled reliability and centralized video management as key system benefits.

Fifth Third Bank will upgrade to the Hybrid NVR, which will double its existing IP camera support and expand evidence storage. It is also deploying a mixture of March Networks MiniDome IP cameras and Indoor Dome cameras throughout its retail bank and critical infrastructure facilities. The cameras' Wide Dynamic Range feature balances scenes with both low and bright light – guaranteeing clear images even in challenging environments such as retail banking branches, where sunlight streaming through large windows can cause subjects in a surveillance scene to appear silhouetted against the bright backdrop.

New Jersey Food Wholesaler Enhances Productivity and Shipment Control Through Arecont Vision Cameras

Editor / Provider: Arecont Vision | Updated: 1/10/2012 | Article type: Commercial Markets

General Trading Company is a private wholesale food distribution company that has been in business for more than 65 years. The full-service grocery and dairy distributor, wholesaler and exporter carry more than 10,000 grocery and 2,000 dairy items. In addition to brand name products, General Trading Company's private labels are the “Parade” and “Better Valu” brands. Its 350,000 square foot distribution center in Carlstadt, NJ, includes both dry and refrigerated areas.

Previously, surveillance of the General Trading Company distribution center was provided by analog cameras. However, Frank Covello, Director of Security at General Trading Company, sought to expand coverage of the facility. Specifically, the company needed a system that could provide an overview of employee performance and productivity, the ability to review inbound and outbound shipments for quality control, and the capability to review door access control events using video.

Megapixel IP cameras provide better picture quality, and IP connectivity lends itself more to an enterprise network video recorder (NVR) system – all cameras can be viewed from the same program rather than operators having to go to separate analog servers to view live video and history. General Trading Company chose Arecont Vision cameras in part because of their H.264 compression, which minimizes bandwidth and storage needs while providing quality comparable to motion JPEG, according to Gene Kowalski, Network Engineer. In addition to better image quality, the IP system allowed the company to store 30 days of video centrally using IP-based storage. The company also realized it could install a single megapixel panoramic-view camera instead of four individual cameras.

An Arecont Vision camera provides quality assurance in the pallet reconciliation area at General Trading Company. The camera is an H.264 dual mode 10MP/1080p camera that combines the resolution of a 10 megapixel camera and a full HD (1080p at 30 frames per second) camera into one system. Merging the functionality of two cameras, it provides the unique ability to operate in either full HD mode or at 10 megapixel resolution (3,648 x 2,752 pixels), offering 33 times the resolution of standard-definition cameras.

For situational awareness in the warehouse loading docks and parking and truck lots, General Trading Company uses Arecont Vision 8 megapixel panoramic view camera that offers 180-degree images using four 2 megapixel sensors. Enclosed in a 6 inch dome on an IP66-rated environmental chassis, the camera can be surface-mounted, pendant-mounted or installed in a ceiling. The camera provides up to 6,400 x 1,200 pixel images at 5.5fps or can be set for lower resolutions at higher frame speeds, such as 1,600 x 1,200 pixel images at 22fps or 800 x 600 pixel images at 88fps.

Arecont Vision's camera is used in the warehouse aisles and on the loading docks to provide detail of pick selection and pallets leaving through truck doors. The 5 megapixel camera provides 2,592 x 1,944 pixel images at 9fps. Also ensuring pick selection in the warehouse aisle are Arecont Vision cameras, supplying 2,048 x 1,536 pixel images at 15fps.

UK University Enhances Security With IndigoVision Central Monitoring Solution

Editor / Provider: IndigoVision | Updated: 1/6/2012 | Article type: Education

Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK has enhanced student security and simplified operations with the adoption of the latest IP video technology from IndigoVision to provide integrated CCTV surveillance across its four campuses.

The IP-networked digital solution was designed and installed by IndigoVision partner CDS. Replacing an aging analogue system, it allows monitoring and control across all campuses from multiple control points, while maintaining local recording capabilities. The university's main security control area uses ‘Control Center', IndigoVision's Video Management Software. Further workstation PCs have been installed at the other campuses, allowing operators to view, control and interrogate all cameras from any site and at any time.The 90 existing analogue cameras have been upgraded to allow remote operation and monitoring with IndigoVision encoders. These are being replaced over time with a mix of IndigoVision IP cameras.

CDS also utilised the university's existing IT network to keep costs to a minimum. The University can easily expand the system as it grows.

Andrew West, Facilities Manager reports, “The central monitoring capability of the IndigoVision solution has improved security across all of our campuses, without costing too much for our budget, and we know we can expand the system when we need to. The improved resilience, scalability and ease of use of the IndigoVision solution all make this a very positive step for Cardiff Metropolitan University.”

13 IndigoVision 10 channel transmitter racks convert camera signals to digital video for transmission over the IP network. All cameras record 24/7 on seven IndigoVision Network Video Recorders (NVRs) for 31 days. The storage capacity required is reduced compared to other IP Video systems because of IndigoVision's advanced compression technology and the use of the unique Activity Controlled Framerate (ACF) feature, built into the IP cameras and transmitters. ACF controls the framerate of the video stream based on the amount of motion in the scene. This reduces the bandwidth and NVR storage requirement for cameras monitoring generally static scenes or during quiet periods.

Home Automation: Real-Life Best Practices

Editor / Provider: Fermax Electronics, Messoa, Oncam Global and Urmet Domus | Updated: 1/3/2012 | Article type: Residential & Consumer

The smart home offers many benefits, as seen in these real-world applications.

MultiUse Luxury Condo Project in Singapore Chooses Fermax Digital Systems
The reflection project in Singapore features six high-rise towers, some linked by sky bridges, and spacious low-rise villas. The development will span about 84,000 square meters with an extensive shoreline of 750 meters. The project comprises a total of 1,129 luxurious waterfront condominium units housed in six glass towers of 24 stories and 41 stories as well as 11 blocks of six- to eight-story villa blocks.

The project will feature a clubhouse with a full range of recreational facilities to meet the lifestyle of the homeowners, including a 90,000- square meter reflecting pool and a gymnasium. Every detail will interact with the sea and the commanding views of its scenic surroundings, including Mount Faber, Keppel Club Golf Course, Labrador Park, Sentosa Island and its upcoming integrated resort, as well as the city skyline. Homeowners will enjoy 10 years of free membership and five years of free subscription at the Marina Keppel Bay.

A Fermax digital system fits installation requirements, due to its flexibility and robustness for data transmission and audio/video quality. The reliability of this system has allowed Fermax to deploy its solution for demanding installations over a great distance and for a large number of apartments.

More than 1,100 apartments each have monitors in combination with a handset. The chosen outdoor station is the latest panel from Fermax. Finally, to provide a full set of intercom and service functionalities, the system supports a guard unit to assist the tenants.

Beside the video intercom equipment, the access control facilities are integrated in the system as well. Access control is a must, as it manages security for the whole development. The access control feature has been implemented as well, since it is a mandated requirement in Singapore on all tender specifications. This complete intercom and access functionality will become more common in the APAC region.

The integration of access control with the intercom makes the Fermax system flexible and simple to manage. All incidents are centralized, allowing administrators to visualize all events remotely.

Spanish Residential Comm unity Selects Messoa LPR
A gated community in Spain was secured by Messoa's LPR traffic camera, installed by local partner DeInta. The crisp images captured by the camera worked perfectly with the community's LPR software. The superior surveillance performance ensures community safety around the clock.

The residential community in Zaragoza San Lamberto, Spain, needed a surveillance camera near its front gate. This camera had to capture all information about vehicles. Should an incident occur, license plate, make and model of car, occupants, and the surrounding area provide valuable evidence.

DeInta was asked to help solve this problem. It had plenty of experience in developing, designing and installing communications and audiovisual systems. DeInta had developed an LPR software, which was capable of obtaining a wealth of important vehicle information. However, it needed a camera that was capable of obtaining sharp images to work with its software.

The camera featured high-contrast imaging performance for sharp, clear license-plate captures, even of vehicles moving at 90 kph, in bad weather and low-light conditions. Its rain guard and extendable sunshield minimize the effects of rain and sunlight on image quality. The cameras provided reliability and capture capabilities that ensured seamless integration with the external LPR software.

The LPR camera was installed along with IR illuminators to form an auto gateway system. The need for an on-site guard was eliminated. If drivers have any problems, they can use the communication system to talk to the call center and receive help instantly. [NextPage]

Oncam Cameras Secure Residential Towers in London
Oncam Global designed a customized security solution for The Landmark, one of London's latest luxury residential addresses.

Boasting floor-to-ceiling panoramic views of the London skyline, this property, developed by Chalegrove Properties, consists of four towers joined by a landscaped central public piazza with convenient retailers and cafes, creating an upscale and vibrant community.

Critical to designing the security system for The Landmark was “first, understanding our key concerns and goals, as identified by security staff,” said Karim Azem, GM, Chalegrove. “Those key concerns are to protect residents, personnel and guests by stopping unauthorized visitors from gaining entry to residential areas in the luxury towers and to prevent vehicles in the car park and retail shops from vandalism and theft.”

“For example, while cameras continuelive surveillance, retrospective video from all cameras can be viewed to track suspicious events; so, even thieves working in pairs or groups in different areas of the property are captured by Oncam's networked cameras, regardless of the concierge staff's focus at that time,” said Paul Stout, MD of InCam Digital Surveillance.

“Each Oncam network camera and third-party fixed and PTZ camera is situated to provide maximum coverage outside the buildings and in the central piazza, and within the luxury towers, with camera locations in the lobby areas, entrances, residents' gymnasium, underground parking area and the bicycle storage rooms,” Stout said.

Azem noted that The Landmark's two concierge centers are manned 24 hours a day with staff trained by Oncam to manage situations that may arise. Possible incidents range from typical security or liability events such as theft or destruction of property, to more serious breaches such as behavior that is harmful to residents.

UK MIXED -USE APART MENTS CHOOSE UR MET IP VIDEO DOOR PHONEs
Urmet Domus was the choice for door entry and access control for the Castle Quay project in Bedford, U.K. This development introduces outstanding apartments along with new civic and commercial spaces, creating a rich, lush, landscaped setting against the edge of the harbor.

The development is split over two blocks and comprises 384 apartments, civic and commercial spaces, subterranean car parking and retail outlets. This demonstrates how a large modern multi-occupancy development can benefit from the flexibility of IP-based video door phones. It allows the phased nature of this type of development to be installed with all the features of the site network, including concierge services, without the fuss normally associated with changing equipment placement typical for phased installations. It also accommodates any access control system with the ease of plug-and-play IP devices.

For each communal entrance, visitors will use the digital video door panel to communicate with audio handsets and video monitors selected for each apartment.

Residents will gain entry to various access points within the two blocks, including the basement car parking areas, using IP readers connected to the network.

The video door phone is a Cat 5e digital door entry system. It also integrates with other building management services, such as concierge service, access control, intrusion detection, video surveillance and elevator control.

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

Oxford University Establishes a Secured Data Center for Higher Learning

Editor / Provider: Mayflex | Updated: 12/27/2011 | Article type: Education

Oxford University, a unique and historic institution, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Today it teaches students from more than a hundred and forty countries and has a student population of over twenty thousand.

Being such a huge organization that needs to facilitate so many students, the University has to ensure it has reliable and up to date infrastructure in place. The IT network at the University is controlled by Oxford University Computing Services. The OUCS offers facilities, training and advice to members of the University and is responsible for the core networks reaching all departments and colleges across all campuses.

In 2011, OUCS required a new data centre to allow dual site resiliency with its existing data centre at Banbury Road. The data centre was vital to ensure that the University could maintain a high quality network and they needed an experienced installer to help them with the project. Meeting this requirement, J Brand was chosen to complete the implementation.

After listening to OUCS and understanding their requirements, J Brand chose to use Unite Technologies' power and environmental monitoring solutions, cameras from MOBOTIX, storage products from Overland, cabinets from Cooper B-Line and cable from Excel and CommScope.

The first stage of the data centre was designed as a cold aisle contained pod of communications cabinets. Cabling was run in overhead containment and "waterfalled" into the communications cabinet. Each cabinet was fitted with two 32 Amp intelligent PDU's supplied via a ceiling mounted commando socket and fed from separate UPS's.

The use of the aisle containment from Cooper B-Line was particularly important as it makes the system far more energy efficient as a much smaller area needs cooling. This efficiency goes even further with the use of intelligent PDU's from Unite Technologies, which will allow Oxford University to monitor the power consumption of each department and charge them accordingly. Using intelligent PDU's, OUCS has the capability to remotely monitor and manage what is happening across the University, cutting down man hours and increasing effectiveness.

Another major benefit to this functioning data centre is that it will allow OUCS to rent out cabinet space to University departments and colleges, and also preferably to rent space on virtualized infrastructure provided by OUCS. To work with the cameras, Overland SnapServers were used to store the recorded images. SnapServer network attached storage solutions offer exceptional price/performance ratios, and include legendary ease of use and "set it and forget it" reliability that minimize the demand for IT resources and lower the total cost of ownership of any storage solution.

In total, 16 MOBOTIX cameras were installed and 50 pairs of Excel cables to complete phase 1 of the installation. The benefit of using Excel cable is that when it is installed by an Excel Cabling Partner, like J Brand, the products come with a 25 year warranty, offering long term peace of mind for Oxford University. In addition to this, CommScope copper and multi-mode fiber formed the backbone of the main data centre cabling infrastructure, giving 10Gb/s capability over copper and up to 100Gb/s over fiber as all fiber terminations were carried out using the MPO connector.

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.”