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Hikvision Participates in FSAI Seminar

Hikvision participated in the recently held one day seminar organized by Fire & Security Association of India (FSAI) on the theme ‘Hospitality and Banking Security Challenges’ at the Lalit, Mumbai. Prabhat Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer, Mumbai Fire Brigade, and Director – Maharashtra Fire Service was the chief guest at the seminar. Special guest of the event, Maroof Raza, who is the strategic affairs expert on hospitality and banking security challenges delivered the pivotal speech. At the event Hikvision pledged its support for FSAI girls’ schools security initiative where by it will provide CCTV cameras and NVRs to the girls’ schools. The lighting of the lamp ceremony was conducted by Suresh Menon, National Secretary – FSAI; Mahroof Raza; K.P. Dominic, National President, FSAI; Pankaj Dharkar, International President, FSAI: Ashwin Ijantkar, Mumbai Chapter President, FSAI; and Jitu Mahnot, Mumbai Chapter Secretary, FSAI. “We at Hikvision have the latest AI enabled solutions, which can help resolve most of the banking security challenges. Deep learning technology has empowered the face recognition solutions and banks can apply it for enhancing bank security and business intelligence functions. The advanced video analytics can be used to enhance the customer experience by identifying the VIP customer as he steps inside the bank,” said Ashish P. Dhakan, MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd., “We thank FSAI for organizing a seminar with thought provoking discussions on the hospitality and banking security challenges. We had a good platform to exchange ideas with some of the leading consultants and stakeholders.” He was speaking while participating in a panel discussion on security in banking industry moderated by Pramoud Rao, MD, ZICOM Electronic Security Systems. The other key panellists were Rahul Yadav – ICICI Bank, Ajit Kulkarni – IDFC Bank, Vinayak Sane, Principal Consultant – Elmark Engineers, Sandesh Kaup, Country Manager – Allied Telesis, Gautam Goradia – Hayagriva Software, and Hariom Sharma – Solus Security Systems. The panel discussion on the security in hospitality industry was moderated by Puneet Garkhel, PwC. The esteemed panel included Manish Kar (ITC, Mumbai), Rajkishore Mahto (Hyatt), Deepankar Chaudhary (Catterpillar), Anup Pimple (Magnetic Auto Control India), Kalpesh Khania – Milestone Systems, Vishwanath Kulkarni (HID), and Ravinder Pal. At the event a special book was released on the draft CCTV codes and standards by Pankaj Dharkar, Suresh Menon, Mahroof Raza, K.P. Dominic and Garry Singh, President IIRIS and Chairman – FSAI Security Committee.

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Axis Solutions Day 2018

At recently held Axis Solutions Day 2018, Axis Communications, shared implementation details of their large-scale community CCTV Nenu Saitham project in Hyderabad City. The annual event showcased their integrated smart solutions in IP audio, retail suite and thermal cameras. Centered on the theme, The Future in Integrated Security Solutions, the event brought to fore Axis’ recent India success stories and their key takeaways from prestigious surveillance implementations across the country including the Mysore City Palace project. The Government of Telangana has been proactive in adopting a one-of-its kind smart surveillance implementation. With this community CCTV programme, the Hyderabad City Police is encouraging enterprises, public sectors, residential associations and individuals to invest in CCTVs procured from government empaneled firms. They will then setup a monitoring centre in their own colonies which in turn can be integrated with the nearest police stations and the central command center. This will track, monitor and analyse the video feed for detecting criminal activities, traffic violations and road conditions in real time. According to the project, an entity or individual can buy a CCTV system that will cover the premise entry, exit and parking areas to the extent of 50 yards on the road, along with storage and video screen for self-monitoring within the colony. The Government of Telangana will provide the back-end connectivity to the police stations, command control centre along with real-time video analytics. “Axis carries a rich lineage of over 35 years in India and during this time, we have understood the pulse of the India market. With an estimated budget of ₹2.09 lakh crores for smart city programmes by the Government, we are upbeat that high-end surveillance solutions are the need of the hour.” -Sudhindra Holla Sales Director – India and SAARC, Axis Communications Mahender Reddy, the Director General of Hyderabad Police asserted, “The impact of CCTV installations in Hyderabad City police jurisdiction has been astounding, leading to a huge reduction in overall crime rate by 32% in the last three years (2014-17) and reduction of 90.6% in chain-snatchings incidents during this period. Additionally, the Govt of Telangana is planning to install 15 lakh cameras across the state in the next three years.” Highlighting the efforts that led to the success of the Hyderabad implementation, Sudhindra Holla, Sales Director – India and SAARC, Axis Communications said, “We are proud to be a partner of choice for the Hyderabad community CCTV project. This is an example of community participation towards building a safer and secured smart city. We have 1,500 camera installations across the city to track, monitor and analyze the video feed for detecting criminal activities, traffic violations, and road conditions. With our strong portfolio of product line-up, we aim to support the authorities to deliver high surveillance and build a model smart city and eagerly look forward to the phase two implementation.” Speaking on the Mysore Palace implementation, Sudhindra emphasized, “The project was challenging as the site continued to operate even during the installation. Mysore Palace, being one of the most visited heritage sites of India, we had to ensure that the work was seamless with minimum disruption. We also had to create a multi-point wireless network to ensure the infrastructure had the ability to support new cameras as well as the management software across the area for crowd and queue management.” Axis ‘Smart’ security implementation not only provides a better quality of life with clean and sustainable environment, but also promises a safer city. Some of the major smart city implementations include Aurangabad, Bhavnagar, Kolhapur and Junagadh. In the retail and hospitality segments Axis smart implementation includes Café Coffee Day and Novotel Goa Shrem Hotels, respectively. One of the prominent installations in the education segment is Dayalbagh Educational Institute. Video surveillance has seen a paradigm shift in India with security becoming a priority for both the Government and enterprises. With an increase in the number of cyber-attacks which exposes vulnerabilities, dealing with well-resourced cybercriminals becomes a challenge. If left unaddressed, these could lead to networks being breached, ransomware to be planted or, be responsible for costly downtime. The answer is to be proactive and systematic for ensuring that patches are implemented as soon as they are available. Recording high-resolution videos with in-built compression is what today’s IP video surveillance capable of. There are multiple benefits of using IP-based surveillance to provide efficient security in the smart cities arena, like video analytics, environmental sensors, and support in law enforcement for departments to gather evidence during investigations. Further integrated, with IP Audio, it can be used to make scheduled or live announcements, and to track security violation in manufacturing/ industrial sites. On the other hand, thermal cameras using thermal imaging and enhanced low-light capabilities have taken the smart surveillance a step ahead. With built-in analytics, such as Video Motion Detection helps detect motion from moving objects within a predefined area, these intelligent solutions are useful for environments where privacy is of utmost importance like – schools and care homes.  

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Private Security Industry Conclave (PSIC) 2018

The private security industry is a crucial component of security and safety which is responsible for protecting not only critical infrastructure systems but also intellectual property and sensitive corporate information. Business establishments rely heavily on private security for a wide range of functions including protecting employees and property, site security, cash logistics operations, conducting investigations, providing information technology security, and many other functions. FICCI has recently organized the sixth edition of Private Security Industry Conclave (PSIC) 2018 with an objective to bring together experts from the government, industry, controlling authorities, user agencies and other stakeholders to discuss and debate various policy and regulatory issues concerning the private security industry. The theme of the event was ‘Job Creation and Skill Development in the Private Security Sector.’ The PSIC 2018 was inaugurated by Shiv Pratap Shukla, Minister of State for Finance, GoI, who also released a FICCI-BDO report on ‘Private Security Industry: Job Creation and Skill Development,’ which dwells upon the skill development and jobs creation, policy issues, GST implication and its impact, shift from the unorganised to organised sector, and the need of integration of manpower and technology. Cmdr. Gautam Nanda (Retd.), Associate Partner, BDO India, the knowledge partner for the conclave, gave an overview of the industry, underlining the vital roles of PSI in skill development and job creation. He said that the industry was the largest employer with 8.9 million personnel with a potential to employ 3.1 million more by 2022. The estimated market size of the industry was Rs.57,000 crore and was expected to rise to Rs.1.5 lakh crore by 2022. Goods & Services Tax Issue Amongst various others, the issue of Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposition on the private security industry was strongly raised on the forum. The FICCI Committee on Private Security Industry sought relief in GST for PSI and put forth three options to resolve the issue. Impose GST only on the service charge, not on total invoice value (18% GST on 10% of invoice value): Private security sector operates on a cost plus pricing model. Bases for the calculation of per head cost are the applicable minimum wage, and statutory obligations like PF, ESIC, leave, bonus, gratuity etc. The agencies charge 10% or less as their service charge on above mentioned cost structure. Therefore, charging GST on invoice value results in taxing statutory payments. With the payment cycle of 90-180 days, this leads to significant cash flow pressure and even risk of default on statutory compliances. Charging GST on 10% of invoice value would not only enhance compliance but also ease pressure on thousands of MSME entities in private security sector Shift obligation to discharge GST to the recipient of service: Shifting of GST compliance obligation from PSAs to the service users would significantly ease cash flow pressure and risk of default under high interest burden. The change will also lead to timely GST compliance and eliminate possibility of leakage of revenue for the government. Reduce GST rate from 18% to 5%: Private security has emerged as an essential service to support the government machinery in homeland security activities. With reduction in the GST tax rate from 18% to 5%, pressure from customers on manpower reduction is likely to ease significantly resulting in job protection for private security guards. Lower GST rate is also likely to boost volume of work orders, thereby paving the way for demand expansion and resultant increase in skill development activities, as well as employment generation by private security sector. The minister assured that the Finance Ministry is actively considering FICCI’s recommendations to reduce the GST rate to minimise its impact on the industry and capitalise on its job-creation potential. He said that the government acknowledges the contributions of the private security industry in creating jobs for the poor, ex-servicemen and those who have migrated from villages, and promised that he would do the best possible to reduce the tax. He invited a FICCI delegation to his office to discuss and take the matter further. Rituraj Sinha, Chair of the FICCI Committee on Private Security Industry pointed out that based on the Committee’s discussions with the Finance Minister and the MoS for Finance, there is a conviction and genuine intent on the part of the government to give GST relief to the industry. Such relief would greatly benefit the small players who have to bear the burden of interest costs, as they have to borrow to deposit GST in advance. The Co-Chair of FICCI Committee on PSI & Chairman, Peregrine Guarding, Maj. Manjit Rajain (Retd.) also expressed optimism towards the serious inclination on the part of the government to give GST relief to PSI. Skill Development & RPL issue At the forum of PSIC 2018, seventeen MoUs were signed between the Management and Entrepreneurship & Professional Skills Council (MEPSC) and private security companies to impart training to over 3.17 lakhs security guards under the government’s ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ (RPL) scheme. Addressing the gathering of security professionals Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, GoI, said that skilling of manpower is critical for private security industry which is growing at an annual rate of 20-25 per cent. The industry must partner with the government in skilling, reskilling and upskilling of the workforce in order to meet the challenges of new RPL 4.0. He further said that there is a need to make the economy more formal. In other developed countries, skilling, reskilling and upskilling are the jobs of the industry, and the respective governments undergo partnership with the private sector for this purpose. Government of India has shown conviction in the industry and hence has changed the policy to RPL 4.0. There is a need to increase the employable workforce in the country and bring them under the skilling ecosystem. On the occasion, the Minister also felicitated controlling authority of NCT of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for the best practices in the proper enforcement and implementation of PSARA under various categories. Himachal Pradesh was given the…

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Interview of Rituraj Sinha during PSIC 2018

 – Rituraj Sinha The Chair of FICCI Committee on Private Security Industry SecurityLink India (SLI): What are the achievements of FICCI’s Committee on Private Security Industry over past 6 years apropos addressing the industry issues? Rituraj Sinha: FICCI Private Security Industry Committee has worked relentlessly over the last 6 years to highlight policy challenges that the private security sector has been facing. The Committee has engaged at regular intervals with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and the Ministry of Finance to create enabling policy framework for the growth of the security sector. Our annual industry events have also met with great success and helped highlight the issues of the industry amongst stakeholders. SLI: What has been the success rate of the issues raised by the FICCI Committee to the government authorities? Rituraj Sinha: FICCI Private Security Industry Committee could claim some degree of contributions in terms of securing re-categorization of the security workers as skilled workers under the Minimum Wages Act; notification of model rules for cash management operations under Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act; reduction of GST rate on the fire and electronic equipment from 28% to 18%, amongst others. SLI: What are the impacts of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the private security industry and what steps has the Committee taken to assuage it? Rituraj Sinha: By and large, the security industry welcomes one nation one tax policy introduced by the Government of India. Even before the introduction of GST, the private security industry was largely compliant with Service Tax. We believe that the real issue with GST is the 18% slab rate. Security-as-a-service is a basic necessity, and it also has a very significant contribution in terms of job creation. As a matter of fact, it is supporting the government law enforcing agencies in a meaningful way. Keeping all these aspects in view, the GST rate for security services should be reduced to 5% from the existing 18% slab. A lower tax rate shall not only boost demand and aid job creation but also reduce the working capital burden on the security companies caused by the GST compliance. SLI: What are the hindrances which are delaying the success on GST issue, even when the current Government believes that security is the basic necessity for the development of the economy? Rituraj Sinha: The FICCI Private Security Industry Committee has strived very hard to establish credibility with the policy makers. On the basis of several rounds of discussions that we have had with them, one can say with reasonable confidence that Ministry of Finance has this issue at hand. However, it would not be appropriate for anyone outside the government to forecast any such decisions related to the sector, and by when the decision will be taken. SLI: What are the scope and benefits of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme and how has it impacted/ benefitted the private security industry so far? Rituraj Sinha: Private Security Sector is amongst top 5 employment generating sector in the country. Training and retraining are essential components of the security services. Lacs of guards have been working in the sector for years and have acquired all the relevant skills to perform their duties to an acceptable standard. However, most of them remain uncertified thereby hampering their career growth prospects. The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme is a great initiative taken by the Government of India. It would bring dignity and career progression avenues to millions. At this Private Security Industry Conclave 2018, 17 small, medium and large companies executed MoU independently with the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) to certify over 3 lacs manpower under this scheme. SLI: This year, the PSIC forum has included the concept of ManTech collaboration. What is its scope for the industry? Rituraj Sinha: As the minimum wage escalates each year, the cost of security services has also been ramping up aggressively; and at the same time electronic security technology is getting better and cheaper. Customers’ inclination to adapt electronic security technology both for enhancing security apparatus, as well as for optimising loss is very natural. In the prevailing circumstances, it is essential for the private security companies to reinvent themselves from manpower providers to integrated security solution providers. At the current event, we discussed emerging trends in technology and we were pleased to have a very thought-provoking deliberation on ManTech at the event. SLI: What is your take on the PSAR Act in terms of its viability and effective implementation for the industry? Rituraj Sinha: The Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005 has given private security industry a level playing field. It has also provided us recognition in the eyes of the government agencies, media and public at large. However, in a vast country like India, the percolation of any central legislation down to the grass root level is a gradual process. Over the last several years, one has witnessed the structured approach adapted by the Ministry of Home Affairs to plug the loop holes and bring to fore the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act enforcement as an important agenda. We are hopeful that through greater engagements, PSAR Act enforcement across the country shall bring further tractions. SLI: The recent RBI notification towards minimum operating standards for conducting cash logistics activities is causing abrupt incompetence to a majority of existing players in the field who have been competent so far. How do you address the issue? Rituraj Sinha: We welcome the RBI guidelines for outsourcing of cash logistic operations. Over the last many years, incidents of internal fraud, looting and similar events have brought disrepute to the industry. This situation has prevailed because there was complete absence of minimum operating standards. Even as the Reserve Bank of India notification implementation will cause interim pain in terms of additional CAPEX and OPEX for the sector, this is in larger good for the industry, as well as for the country. SLI: What are…

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OnSSI Ocularis 5.6 VMS

OnSSI continues to add powerful new capabilities and enhancements to its flagship video management software (VMS) platform with the release of Ocularis 5.6. This latest release enhances overall VMS performance and operator functionality, delivers heightened system security with fortified dual authentication measures, and provides enhanced mobile and web access capabilities. These latest improvements included in Ocularis 5.6 combine to further empower users with a best-in-class VMS solution and experience. “Software providers face the ongoing challenge of increasing user access and programming capabilities while simultaneously fortifying security measures to help prevent unauthorized access. This latest release of Ocularis accomplishes both objectives while improving overall workflows,” said Ken LaMarca, VP of Sales & Marketing, OnSSI. Ocularis 5.6 bolsters system security by allowing administrators to require dual operator authentication when logging-in, along with the ability to specify system permissions for Ocularis Client or Ocularis Web/ Mobile. Every login activity into Ocularis Client is also logged and auditable for documentation and compliance, where applicable. With the heightened security measures in place, Ocularis 5.6 also improves operator functionality. For example, operators can now create, edit, save and delete views directly from Ocularis Client, giving them the control and flexibility to create the specific views they need to best perform their roles and meet their security objectives while maximizing effectiveness and efficiency. The updated Ocularis Client also provides users with the ability to view camera names from any number of views that are listed. Additionally, the Client includes a new performance mode that allows larger views to be downscaled for improved bandwidth efficiency. Furthermore, Ocularis Client includes a database update to ‘Select All Feeds’ for exporting, as well as the added ability to select audio from a different source when exporting. Significant changes have been implemented for Ocularis Mobile as well, including the ability to display multiple cameras in live mode while also disabling the IOS idle timer to ensure continuous remote viewing. System administrators can also now designate which specific users and user groups can log in to Ocularis Mobile and Web to control access to video from outside the company network. Additionally, Ocularis Media Server has been further improved with architectural enhancements that improve overall performance, scalability and reliability. Ocularis 5.6 improves overall system resilience and performance in several ways. Master Core redundancy (failover) support has been automated, so if the Master Core is unavailable when a user logs in, the user will still be able to access video via a Slave Core. Added performance enhancements include smart camera drivers for Vivotek cameras, extended support for H.265, and extended two-way audio support.

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QNAP® Integrates with Dahua Technology

QNAP® QVR Pro, the next-generation surveillance solution featuring the QVR Center central management software and QVR Guard failover protection, is now compatible with an additional 88 models of Dahua Technology’s Eco-savvy 3.0, WiFi 265 and H.265 PTZ series network cameras. QNAP has worked with Dahua Technology to provide users with greater choice and compatibility in deploying a comprehensive surveillance solution. Dahua’s Ecosavvy 3.0 network camera series can deliver real-time 4K video streams at 15 fps, providing security applications with impressive range of smart detection features. Dahua’s WiFi 265 series supports H.265 compression. Dahua’s H.265 PTZ camera provides a large monitoring range with clear details, while the latest H.265 compression cuts bandwidth in half to ensure video recording with greater efficiency and lower cost.  

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AXIS COMMUNICATIONS EYE CONNECT 2018

Axis Communications and its Alliance Partners recently concluded the three-day event – ‘Eye Connect 2018.’ In its 4th edition, the objective of the event was to showcase the latest tech innovation in physical security information management solutions. This year, the theme was ‘Integrated Security Solution – From Myth to Reality’ focused on solutions to address end customer requirements. The event saw the participation of 8 vendors and eighty end customers. Commenting on the occasion, Sudhindra Holla, Sales Director, India & SAARC Axis Communications said, “Eye Connect is a one-of-a-kind event model to bring OEMs, physical security information management partners and end customers together. This year, the event created opportunities, latest innovation updates and success stories for end customers. It presented a holistic system of surveillance including network cameras, analytics, storage, VMS and switches. We showcased our end to end capabilities supporting Indian customers across different industry segments using disparate security systems.” “Eye Connect is an approach to offer an integrated security solution, rather than selling products in isolation. By collaborating with industry leading OEMs and integrators of the PSIM industry, we have been able to integrate CCTV, PID, access control, fire alarms and other HSE systems under one roof,” said alliance partner, EYE CONNECT 2018 Amit Sarkar, Country Manager, Milestone Systems. Some of the latest innovations showcased within PSIM segments included retail, hospitality, education, critical infrastructure, manufacturing, oil & gas, transportation and smart cities. Surveillance is moving beyond security to other applications. The role of a camera has moved on from passive to intelligent surveillance. As a result, intelligent video is not only used as a security tool but is emerging as a tool for gathering business intelligence and other applications. With the development and application of technology, it further brings with it a range of challenges for end users, installers and consultants. Additionally, these challenges demand a complete clarity around how one can proactively use technology to manage a seamless integration of various security components.

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WaveSight Helps Police Monitor 10 Districts in Karnataka, India

The scope of the project included the supply, delivery at site and installation, on a turnkey basis of 90 pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras across 6 districts in the state of Karnataka. The scope also included: A district control room with four 60 inch LED screens for monitoring and controlling operations. Desktop computer systems with necessary monitoring software for cameras along with UPS to be at every location. A digital video recorder also needed to provide a storage capacity for a minimum of 40 days recording. Connectivity The cameras at each of the locations in a district are connected to the control room within the district using a wireless network provided by Wavesight such that streaming of the video at each of the locations could be provided consistently and efficiently. The transmission rate was sufficient to ensure that the network bandwidth and network input/ output buffers were optimized. The solution also provided a back haul plan which allowed all installed devices to transmit video to the district control rooms – using open architecture and open standards.

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If You Feel Different, You Drive Different

The National Safety Council applauds the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign, If You Feel Different, You Drive Different, and its goal to curb impaired driving crashes. Despite decades of education and enforcement, nearly 10,000 people are lost each year to alcohol-impaired driving. Now, with the country’s opioid epidemic and several states approving medicinal and recreational marijuana use, impairment on their roads is an even more complex issue. Drivers must understand that alcohol impairment begins with the first drink, and marijuana use affects both decision making and reaction time. Additionally, opioid use can seriously jeopardize safe driving. Education, legislation and high visibility enforcement can change behaviors. NHTSA’s campaign rightly focuses on all three. The National Safety Council is pleased to support If You Feel Different, You Drive Different, and we look forward to the day when impaired driving crashes are a thing of the past. The National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact.

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Matrix SATATYA CIDR20FL36CWP

Matrix Project series IP cameras are built using superior components such as Sony STARVIS sensor and higher MTF lens to offer unmatched image quality especially during low light conditions. Powered by true WDR algorithm, these cameras offer consistent image quality even in highly varying lighting conditions. Built-in intelligent analytics including intrusion detection, Trip Wire etc., ensure real-time security. Moreover, H.265 compression and automatic motion based frame rate reduction save bandwidth and storage up to 50%. Features The dark observer – Sony STARVIS series sensor. Crystal clear night vision, color images at 0.08lux. High efficiency video coding – H.265 compression technology. Save up to 50% of storage space. Vision adaptive – True WDR 120db. Best image quality even in varying light conditions. Capture more – Wider field of view. 90° horizontal field of view. Versatility – adaptive streaming. Record more frames during motion, less during no motion. Analytics – intrusion, motion detection, no motion, trip wire. Certification – BIS, IP66, CE, FCC, IK10.

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