Despite being a relatively new brand in the surveillance market, 3S Pocketnet Technology, under the brand name 3S Vision, is determined to make its mark in the surveillance industry with its strong IT background.
Jeffery Lee, Chairman and President,
3S Pocknet Technology
Coming from a strong IT background,
3S Pocketnet Technology is still fairly new to the video surveillance industry, having only entered in 2010. Prior to that, the company focused on its OEM software business, with big name clients like Nokia. Next year will mark the company's 10
th year since its founding in 2006.
IT Mindset Sets Them Apart
Their knowledge of IT and experience in software development is what the company believes sets them apart from their competitors. "From the beginning, I've used an IT mindset when dealing with surveillance," said Jeffery Lee, Chairman and President of 3S Pocketnet Technology. "I considered the total performance of the system. I didn't just think of video surveillance devices separately, like cameras or recorders and DVRs." To 3S, this gave them the leverage they needed to establish themselves as a top IP video manufacturer in Taiwan, as they were already ahead of the curve in terms of IT.
From the onset, Lee's vision was to provide a total solution for video surveillance that gave end users the best viewing and video streaming quality regardless of where they are, whether it be from their PCs or mobile phones. From Lee's point of view, since surveillance has moved to IP, the user experience has not been very good, much of which has to do with the lack of IT knowledge in the industry. This is where 3S hopes to shine.
With a clear understanding of the IT infrastructure, cabling, and implementation of network devices, the company can provide a system with high bandwidth efficiency and low storage requirements, which are usually used to manage 2,000 to 3,000 cameras.
"Using our customers' existing IT facilities, we can optimize the overall efficiency. All these can actually reduce the total cost of ownership for our customers," said Lee.
In terms of software, 3S has developed their own video management software (VMS). With extensive experience in software development, 3S saw developing their own VMS as necessary in order to give users what they want. "A video management system isn't purely for view only," said Lee. "Nowadays, customers want more than to just view video — they want to be able to integrate it with other systems." By creating their own VMS, the company has the flexibility to better address the different requirements of their customers. This flexibility is one way 3S sets itself apart from many of other video surveillance system providers.
Specializing in Multi-Site Centrally Managed Projects
When it comes to going to market, 3S has gone the project-based route mostly through systems integrators (SIs), focusing on more complex projects of 32 channels and up, specializing in projects of over 100 channels. Because of their IT background, 3S saw that projects that required more complex network rerouting or installation, for instance in multi-site, multi-building projects, even SIs were not equipped to handle. Without sufficient knowledge, SIs were unable to deal with the IT infrastructure changes needed in order to install a proper IP video system. In these types of projects, 3S has been able to put their IT know-how to use and make sure that the proper network cabling is in place so that the end user can get the most benefits from their system.
The company's solutions have been used across many different verticals from education to transportation to hospitality in countries around the globe. Last year, the company completed six stadium projects in Brazil for the World Cup. On average around 600 cameras were installed per stadium. In addition to providing cameras, 3S also provided on-site surveys and evaluations, surveillance system consultation, technical training, 24-hour technical support via Internet, and their 3S video management software and central management software. They have also completed several projects in Indonesia for resorts, highway transportation, and banks. This year the company completed a university project in the Philippines, which required the installation of nearly 1,000 IP cameras.
The fact that the company has its own brand has helped their OEM/ODM business. "It gives the customer more confidence in our product," Lee said.
In terms of distribution channels, the company currently has distributors in more than 12 countries, like China, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, the U.S., etc.; they are particularly strong in China and South America, where they support their OEM/ODM clients and also promote their own brands locally. The fact that the company has its own brand has helped their OEM/ODM business. "It gives the customer more confidence in our product," Lee said. In fact, in the second quarter of this year, 3S became a surveillance partner of Dell in China and Taiwan, a partnership that further highlights their IT prowess.
3S in the Future
Surveillance cameras will increasingly become more and more powerful like smartphones, able to execute multiple functions. As a result, video analytics and advanced video streaming technologies, such as H.265, will definitely become more crucial for video surveillance. From a product standpoint, 3S was an early supporter of intelligent video analytics (IVA) on the edge — their cameras have had IVA functionality since they started in surveillance and their 5-megapixel camera currently supports 10 different IVA features. 3S also supports the H.265 codec, which they have front-end and back-end support for.
"Most video surveillance people generally only see the security uses of the IoT," said Lee. "But for us IT people, we see the applications beyond security."
As an IT company, 3S looks at the IoT trend differently than traditional security companies. "Most video surveillance people generally only see the security uses of the IoT," said Lee. "But for us IT people, we see the applications beyond security." According to the company, many end users are also interested in how to use their solutions for factory management. Integrating the video surveillance systems in parking lots, which provide a clear record of check-in time and license plates of a vehicle, the factory can quickly confirm its daily amount of their components and materials supply.
Another example is how cameras could be used as auxiliary sensors to other systems, such as vibration sensors in a building or at a critical site, Lee explained. By linking these sensors to cameras and a management system, users could possibly predict landslides and check structural weaknesses in buildings. This is another way 3S' in-house VMS plays as a strength for the company; the flexibility of their software allows for users to integrate more systems, even non-security related systems.
The company's strong software development capability clearly differentiates them from other companies. Going forward, we predict 3S will continue to expand around the world and penetrate various sectors with their IP video systems.
3S Total IP Video Surveillance Solution
3S Total IP Video Surveillance Solution
3S has dedicated their R&D resources to keep up with the high-definition IP video surveillance needs of the industry, while also providing a wide-range of features for its backend management platform. The integration with Dell's network switches, servers, and auxiliary storage, not only fulfills the video collection and storage needs of security managers, but also gives users the option to remotely view, search, and all video on demand, anytime, anywhere. Additionally, the integration with Dell gives 3S' backend management software even more flexibility and allowing users to save over 20 percent in storage space.
For more information please click 3S's microsite:
https://www.asmag.com/3svision.co