GKB: Winning in the market with solutions

For years, GKB Security has established itself as a leading company in the video surveillance field, selling a wide range of cameras – from analog to HD-over-coaxial to IP – to fulfill the particular needs of customers throughout the world.

With the video surveillance industry becoming more competitive than ever, GKB has found it harder and harder to compete based on hardware devices alone. Meanwhile, with the introduction of IP, systems integrators have encountered many integration problems, and providers should be able to address them. That’s why the company has determined to develop solutions, particularly specializing in cloud and fire safety, and has quickly ventured out into other non-security applications for more opportunities.

Established in 1996, GKB first made analog cameras. As time went on, the firm's portfolio expanded to include IP and HD-over-coaxial solutions. Peter Jen, President of GKB Security, acknowledged the fact that IP is the inevitable trend, and the company has been working on IP products and solutions for six to seven years.

While based in central Taiwan, GKB has a global vision and has built its presence in different parts of the world.

“The company sees OEM/ODM and branding as its two core businesses. In Asia and Europe, GKB sells products under its own brand name. We have our local offices in Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In North America, the company makes products for brand manufacturers under OEM/ODM deals,” Jen said.

According to Jen, GKB attaches great importance to R&D, production efficiency, and quality assurance. The company dedicates 5 percent of yearly revenue to R&D. “We have also applied the so-called Toyota Production System, more generally known as the lean production method, into our manufacturing to eliminate waste during the process. A direct result is improved overall efficiency and a reduction of lead-time. As for quality assurance, we're working with third-party certification organizations to make sure that our products are certified according to international standards,” he said.

He continued: “GKB Security has been dedicated in surveillance industry for over 20 years. Tracing back two decades ago, surveillance market was so prosperous that each brand has its own expertise fulfilling various consumers’ needs. However, what we have encountered today is totally opposite from old times. Being overwhelmed by the rapidly changing surveillance market, GKB decides to shift directions and aim at becoming a total solutions provider.”

Cloud-based IP solutions
The company focused on developing cloud-based IP solutions to help users achieve greater management flexibility and convenience. In fact, GKB is one of a few Asian companies achieving some success with cloud-based solutions and is able to deliver more cost-efficient solutions compared those offered by Western companies. One success story is Cummins Energy Solutions, a gas-fired power generation plant based in Nigeria that needed a solution allowing HD resolution, ease of management, speedy transmission, and greater mobility. To make that possible, GKB’s IP cameras and cloud-based CMS platform were installed. With the solution, hierarchical management becomes possible, and the administrator can view recorded as well as live videos anywhere in the world with any device. The solution is also scalable, allowing future expansions with ease.

Video fire detection system (VFDS)
Besides IP solutions, GKB also offers video fire detection systems (VFDS), which are found in many places in the world, among them airport hangars in Australia. The projects were commissioned by the Australian police force who wanted a solution to prevent potential hazards caused by mechanical malfunctions or potential fuel leakage. GKB’s solution, equipped with the IVS technology, consists of eight cameras plus a VFDS server, which analyzes images captured by the cameras and, should fire or smoke be detected, instantly alerts the administrator who will not only get the location of the event but also a video clip. With the solution, authorities can quickly react to fire or smoke at their early-stage occurrence and secure the entire premises from the loss of lives and assets.

“For the near future, in terms of surveillance industry, it is believed that integrating IVS functions such as fire and smoke detection with advanced high-definition videos is a basic and inevitable trend,” Jen said.

Smart home and fleet management solutions
Smart home and fleet management solutions represent GKB’s entry into the non-security field. The smart home solution integrates with other sensing devices to inform users of various data about their homes, such as energy consumption, giving them a smarter way to manage their homes effectively. The VerifEye fleet management solution, meanwhile, consists of a controller as well as various indoor and outdoor cameras to be installed on taxis. This way, accidents, crimes, or even bad habits exhibited by drivers can be detected immediately, helping fleet operators managing their staff and vehicles more effectively.

HD-over-coaxial
While IP is a main focus and has contributed more and more to GKB’s revenue, the company also has AHD solutions to fulfill the need of customers wishing to stay with their coaxial infrastructure.

One of the company’s analog success stories is 7-Eleven stores in the Philippines. As one of the country’s flagship convenience store chains, the franchise is nevertheless faced with the need to provide crystal clear images without migrating to IP. As a result, GKB provided its AHD cameras and DVRs to accommodate each store’s existing cable.

Value counts
In the end, GKB has found its special place in the ever more competitive video surveillance industry. Rather than miring into the price competition quagmire that would get the company nowhere, GKB rises up to the challenge by focusing on special solutions such as cloud, fire detection, fleet management, and smart home to deliver diversity and true value to customers. Among the success stories we’ve heard about in this market, GKB’s is truly a motivating one.

GKB ONVIF IP cam appeals with intelligence

GKB’s ONVIF IP camera features intelligence and other advanced features. The camera comes with an intelligent video system (IVS) that identifies, for instance, fire and smoke. It also includes a 3 DNR function that reduces noise and minimizes object-blurred situations while recording moving objects at night. It provides clear and exquisite images under low-lux environments. It supports multi-video streams, allowing users to both record high-quality video in the local hard disk drive but stream a lower-resolution video through the Internet simultaneously. The technology reduces bandwidth and maintains network speed even when the system is accessed by mobile devices at the same time high-resolution videos are being recorded.

The camera, as its name suggests, supports all devices with ONVIF standard, offers full HD digital images and clear pictures for users, and features the region of interest (ROI) technology that modulates image quality for certain areas defined by users, allowing them to identify specific objects with greater convenience.


 

For more information please click GKB's microsite:
https://www.asmag.com/gkbsecurity.co