Video and access control systems have long been used for security purposes. But more and more, end users are using security equipment for non-security applications, due to the amount of intelligence that they can get out of their devices. The EMEA market is not exempt from this phenomenon.
Video and access control systems have long been used for security purposes. But more and more, end users are using security equipment for non-security applications, due to the amount of intelligence that they can get out of their devices. The EMEA market is not exempt from this phenomenon.
“In Ireland, one of our customers is the tennis association which has deployed our system in a non-traditional way. They use ACT365 and cameras to look at who's using the tennis court, but they also use it for scheduling. So if you are a member there and schedule the tennis court from 2 to 3 then your fobs are activated from 2 to 3, and you can let yourself in,” said Kim Loy, Director of Marketing at Vanderbilt Industries, referring to the company’s access control solution. “There is so much you can do with our equipment. It’s just understanding the use case for the end user, and in many situations, we can provide a solution even if it is outside of traditional security.”
Smart payment
One area where security devices can help improve operations and the user experience is smart payment. “One of our customers is a large events complex. They use license plate recognition (LPR) for controlling the perimeters of the site, but also for pay-to-park systems. So if I'm going to an event, I can prepay my parking, and my license plate gets added to a hot list. When I come to the site the barrier will open automatically and I enter, because I've already paid, saving me time and potentially money with advanced booking,” said Simon Cook, Sales Engineering Manager for EMEA and APAC at
Genetec.
Access control systems, long associated with opening doors, can now be used for smart payment as well. “Our devices are used for canteen management. Now, students and kids have cards to go to the canteen to pay for lunch. But they can give their cards to someone else. So instead of this, we use fingerprints, so we know we have the true identity,” said Baudouin Genouville, Business Development Director for EMEA at
Suprema. “I now that my kid was at the canteen today and I’m sure of it.”
Industrial applications
In industrial environments, cameras can be used to monitor equipment to make sure they are working properly. “I remember we had a case where the customer, a data center, wanted to look at the equipment to see if there are strange things happening, for example led blinking in the system,” said Lantoine Stephane, Sales Manager for France at
Pelco by Schneider Electric. “They had cameras to protect the area, but they also had some cameras just to look at the equipment to see if they are in safe condition.”
Retail
Perhaps the industry where end users can benefit most from security in non-security applications is retail, as valuable information embedded in video can help retailers with their marketing, operations and workflow. “Part of what we have is marketing applications, like people counting, age/gender recognition and heat mapping, the kind of data that can make retail smarter, giving insights to the retailer so they can understand their business better,” said Gerard Figols, Manager for Product Marketing at
Panasonic Europe. “We have projects in Europe where operators are managing and monitoring their staff hours and so on, based on the data we provide from CCTV.”
“With analytics, within a retail environment, systems integrators can sell to their customers a retail solution rather than a security solution,” said Daniel Wan, Channel Marketing Leader for Security and Fire for UK and Ireland at
Honeywell Home and Building Technologies. “The system can monitor how people are moving within a scene or are they loitering or staying within one particular part of the store. You can hand that information, which is very valuable, to the merchandiser within a retail environment, and that information is of real value to them.”
"What tends to happen with retail is on their website, they have a fantastic knowledge of who clicks on the website or how long they stay on a webpage. But within a bricks and mortar market they don't get that. With the 360 degree cameras we can basically cover the whole area; we can put video analytics on there, we can see how many people are coming, which actual aisle they go to, which products they look at and take to the POS system and buy. We are able to give retailers almost Google Analytics of their bricks and mortar stores,” said Simon Reed, Regional Sales Director for EMEA at
Oncam.
Smart building
With building management and security now mostly sitting on the network, it’s natural for them to integrate to achieve more automation, efficiencies and energy savings. “With analytics, LPR and access control integrated, it gives the capability whereby I drive in, the system recognizes my number plate, calls the lift, automatically turns off my intrusion alarm and turns on air conditioning. These integrations are possible today and are very real,” said Stuart Bettle, Video Product Marketing Manager for EMEA at
Tyco Security Products, adding that the solutions from the Tyco Security Products portfolio are already integrated with building management systems from Johnson Controls. “It's about situational awareness, not just for security elements and events, but also from HVAC and building management events, The synergies between these systems are growing as organizations realize the growing potential for cost savings throughout their operations.”
New customer landscape
Since vendors are developing non-security solutions, it’s natural that they partner up with integrators or customers that are outside security as well. Aude Desbrieres, Marketing Manager with
OPTEX Europe, discusses their example in this regard. “Our sensors are being used more and more in nursing or eldery homes to make sure their residents have not fallen out of bed or patients suffering from dementia haven’t gone out of their rooms or the building. For this type of applications, our wireless detection sensors are one element of a complete solution provided by healthcare providers.”
Meanwhile, vendors are also working more with IT integrators who can contribute their networking skills and knowledge. “Cybersecurity is the biggest challenge facing the physical security industry today. While there is tremendous expertise in risk management relating to securing property, personnel and assets, there does exist a competence gap in applying best practice to the network security of an installed physical security system. IT integrators are perhaps more experienced in applying best practice to network security and is one area where perhaps they have more competence in today,” said Atul Rajput, Regional Director for Northern Europe at
Axis Communications.
As for security integrators, current trends and developments are pushing them towards being IT-centric as well. “The security integrators are now employing IT people. They used to have guys just doing CCTV, but now they're having people who have laptops, know what an IP address is and can get through a firewall, which is what traditional security integrators wasn't able to do before,” Reed said. “The whole market has grown to push towards integrators employing IT people.”