2020 - securitylinkindia

International

3xLOGIC Launches the VIGIL Video Solutions in EMEA to Help Organisations Leverage Detailed Data Insights

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 29, 2020November 14, 202403 mins

3xLOGIC, the leading provider of server and cloud-based technology, is launching its VIGIL suite of video solutions across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The ecosystem, comprising software and hardware such as cameras, recorders, thermal imagers, people counters, and accessories, is designed to provide a scalable security solution that’s tailored to every business need. Business leaders have increasing amounts of data available to analyse, with the total amount of data in the world forecast to reach 59 zettabytes in 2020. The 3xLOGIC ecosystem taps into this, by capturing and analysing these ‘big data’ elements and combining disparate data sets. This helps business leaders to optimise their operations, find efficiencies, secure their buildings and assets, and solve problems they never knew they had. The video suite additionally integrates with security systems, point of sale systems, alarm management platforms, and cloud-based management systems to make security management easier and more efficient. Bill Hobbs, Vice President of Global Sales at 3xLOGIC said, “For over 15 years, 3xLOGIC has been proud to be at the forefront of server and cloud-based technology. The launch of the VIGIL video suite is the next step in this, helping business leaders make data-driven, informed decisions across their supply chains, their sites, their buildings, and people. With VIGIL, leaders don’t just get a single security system, access control, or video management system – they get an ecosystem that’s bespoke to their needs and goals.” To help 3xLOGIC dealers and integrators understand the capabilities of the various solutions in the VIGIL suite, 3xLOGIC is delivering a range of webinars in November and December. These provide an overview of the real-world benefits that VIGIL hardware and software brings to them and their clients, and address topics such as cameras, accessories and mounts, recording appliances and VIGIL’s software options. The webinars conclude with a session that shows how installers can become a 3xLOGIC value added reseller (VAR).

International

March Networks’ End-toEnd Video Solution Earns Approval From Dubai’s SIRA

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 29, 2020November 14, 202402 mins

March Networks®, a global video security and video-based business intelligence provider, has announced that its products have obtained approval from Dubai’s Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA). SIRA is a regulatory body that governs best practices in security systems and services in Dubai (UAE). Its Security Equipment Approval certificates help businesses in the UAE determine which products meet its rigorous standards. By obtaining SIRA approval on its Command Enterprise video management system and recording platform, along with a wide range of its IP cameras, March Networks can now offer a complete, SIRA-approved end-to-end video surveillance solution for Dubai and the UAE. “We are very pleased to achieve SIRA compliance,” said Trevor Sinden, March Networks Vice President, Middle East & Africa, “March Networks has always offered secure, highly reliable video surveillance products; this approval further solidifies our commitment to compliance with government and central bank regulations across the Middle East. We look forward to the new business opportunities this approval will create.” March Networks is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and has regional offices around the world, including in Dubai. Its IP video surveillance and business intelligence solutions are used by more than 600 financial institutions and 300 retail brands.

International

Face Recognition Software Shows Improvement in Recognizing Masked Faces

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 29, 2020November 14, 202407 mins

A new study of face recognition technology created after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shows that some software developers have made demonstrable progress at recognizing masked faces. The findings, produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), are detailed in a new report called Ongoing Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) Part 6B: Face Recognition Accuracy with Face Masks Using Post-COVID-19 Algorithms (NISTIR 8331). It is the agency’s first study that measures the performance of face recognition algorithms developed following the arrival of the pandemic. A previous report from July explored the effect of masked faces on algorithms submitted before March 2020, indicating that software available before the pandemic often had more trouble with masked faces. “Some newer algorithms from developers performed significantly better than their predecessors. In some cases, error rates decreased by as much as a factor of 10 between their pre- and post-COVID algorithms,” said NIST’s Mei Ngan, one of the study’s authors, “In the best cases, software algorithms are making errors between 2.4 and 5% of the time on masked faces, comparable to where the technology was in 2017 on non-masked photos.” The new study adds the performance of 65 newly submitted algorithms to those that were tested on masked faces in the previous round, offering cumulative results for 152 total algorithms. Developers submitted algorithms to the FRVT voluntarily, but their submissions do not indicate whether an algorithm is designed to handle face masks, or whether it is used in commercial products. Using the same set of 6.2 million images as it had previously, the team again tested the algorithms’ ability to perform ‘one-to-one’ matching, in which a photo is compared with a different photo of the same person – a function commonly used to unlock a smartphone. (The team did not test algorithms’ ability to perform ‘one-to-many’ matching – often used to find matches in a large database – but plans to do so in a later round.) And as with the July report, the images had mask shapes digitally applied, rather than showing people wearing actual masks. Some of the report’s findings include: When both the new image and the stored image are of masked faces, error rates run higher. With a couple of notable exceptions, when the face was occluded in both photos, false match rates ran 10 to 100 times higher than if the original saved image showed an uncovered face. Smartphones often use one-to-one matching for security, and it would be far more likely for a stranger to successfully unlock a phone if the saved image was of a masked person. The more of a face a mask covers, the higher the algorithm’s error rate tends to be. Continuing a trend from the July 2020 report, round mask shapes – which cover only the mouth and nose – generated fewer errors than wide ones that stretch across the cheeks, and those covering the nose generated more errors than those that did not. Mask colors affect the error rate. The new study explored the effects of two new mask colors – red and white – as well as the black and light blue masks the July study tested. While there were exceptions, the red and black masks tended to yield higher error rates than the other colors did. The research team did not investigate potential reasons for this effect. A few algorithms perform well with any combination of masked or unmasked faces. Some developers have created ‘mask-agnostic’ software that can handle images regardless of whether or not the faces are masked. The algorithms detect the difference automatically, without being told. A final significant point that the NIST research team makes also carries over from previous studies – individual algorithms differ. End users need to get to know how their chosen software performs in their own specific situations, ideally using real physical masks rather than the digital simulations the team used in the study. “It is incumbent upon the system owners to know their algorithm and their data,” Ngan said, “It will usually be informative to specifically measure accuracy of the particular algorithm on the operational image data collected with actual masks.”

Case Study

Axis EN Fire System Protects Dubai’s Latest $750 Million Hotel Complex and Mall

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 29, 2020November 14, 202407 mins

A network of 19 Axis EN fire panels from UK manufacturer, Advanced, has been installed at the prestigious Wafi Hotel complex and Mall in Dubai. Wafi City is a mixed-use development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The complex includes a mall, hotels, restaurants, residences, and a nightclub. The ‘city’ is styled in the theme of Ancient Egypt. In total, 19 EN54-approved Axis EN fire panels including integrated fire telephone system, and 7,500 devices have been installed across the US$750 million Wafi Hotel and Mall development project. The site itself comprises a 50 storey, 5 star hotel and serviced apartment tower, in addition to the mall which has undergone a 100,000m² expansion that includes a hypermarket, retail spaces, 19-screen cinema complex and parking. Installed at the hotel, which boasts 501 luxury guest-rooms and 86 suites, a ballroom, numerous conference and hospitality facilities as well as a temperature-controlled pool deck, are 14 4-loop, 2-loop and 1-loop Axis EN fire panels and 5,500 devices. Included in the active fire protection measures for the Wafi Mall, cinema and car park are a further five Axis EN fire panels of 4-loop and 2-loop variants, alongside an additional 2000 devices. Advanced partners Cignetix Systems were responsible for the installation, testing and commissioning of the entire system. Due to the size of the 205,000m² expansion project, Cignetix’s client required a solution capable of delivering reliable and versatile protection across a site with a range of different area uses, and with appropriate false alarm management strategies applied where necessary. Sunil Gopalkrishnan, Managing Director at Cignetix Systems said, “Cignetix installs Advanced fire protection solutions across a number of highrise commercial and residential buildings, retail premises and hotels in Dubai. We find Advanced products both simple to install and easy to configure, so they were the obvious choice when it came to specifying the fire alarm system for this project.” Involved in the product selection process for the fire protection at the Wafi Hotel complex and Mall was R. C. Nair, a veteran in the field of life safety systems and General Manager of the leading, Dubai-based fire contractor company, Spectrum International. During this process R. C. Nair’s involvement added value in concluding the best possible options to meet the specification laid down by the consulting engineers, M/s. Hidi Rae and M/s. Arkiteknik, ensuring the highest standards of protection. In consideration of the site’s false alarm management strategy, a positive alarm sequence has been programmed to effectively reduce unwanted alarms. By introducing verification and investigation delays, qualified staff are able to investigate the source of the fire alarm signal and identify its validity before the fire panel goes into full alarm. These measures help effectively manage false alarms, which can otherwise have significant cost implications on businesses and lead to complacency, compromising safety. Axis EN is EN54 parts 2, 4 and 13 approved and its panels can be used in single-loop, single-panel format or easily configured into high-speed, multi-loop panels in 200 node networks covering huge areas. Advanced products’ ease of installation and configuration as well as the range of peripherals available make it customisable to almost any application. Steve Carroll, General Manager for the Middle East at Advanced said, “We’re thrilled to protect this fantastic addition to Wafi City. With hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Wafi Hotel complex and Mall each year, an Advanced solution provides Cignetix’s client with the peace of mind of knowing that those living, working or relaxing on the development are safe from the threat of fire.” Advanced’s fire telephone solution is ideal for high and low-rise apartment buildings, hotels, universities, government and military sites where local fire departments and emergency personnel need access to fire/ emergency communications. Designed for clear, easy-to-use control, the conventional system benefits from LED status indications showing its operational state – whether the system has a call-in, is connected or is in fault condition. The fire telephone system is compliant with EN54 parts 2 and 4 and can be configured as either a standalone independent system or completely integrated into the Axis EN fire system. Advanced, owned by FTSE 100 company Halma PLC, protects a wide range of prestigious and high-profile sites across the globe – from London’s Shard to Abu Dhabi International Airport and Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. Halma is a global group of life-saving technology companies with a clear purpose to grow a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone, every day.

Case Study

OPTEX and Genetec’s Unified Approach to Enhance Perimeter Security at Airports

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 29, 2020November 14, 202404 mins

All airports face a common challenge – security. There are numerous incidents which can happen at an airport from illegal immigrants being smuggled onto a cargo aircraft, to an unauthorized vehicle smashing through a perimeter fence and colliding with an airport vehicle. A large number of incidents are in fact linked to unauthorized access onto the airfield, either runways or where aircrafts are being loaded or refuelled posing an extremely high risk. In setting up a perimeter protection solution for airports, a multi-layered approach can be used setting different areas and starting beyond the perimeter fence to warn, in advance, of a potential threat. The second area to protect is the actual perimeter fence, where a combination of multiple sensors and technologies is common providing a double or even triple confirmation of an alarm. While this is more effective to ensure no intrusions are missed, the huge level of information presented can become a hindrance, rather than a help. This common scenario for many airports was the trigger for Genetec to develop its Restricted Security Area (RSA) Surveillance module as an extension of its Security Center platform. It has been designed specifically with a view to providing wide area protection and integrating with wide area surveillance technology, including radar and laser detection devices. The solution allows security staff to determine the level of threat for each area, map them, and utilise OPTEX technologies to identify and locate quickly and precisely the point of intrusion. For instance, with Fibre optic fence sensor, zones can be 100m-200m long and will identify people cutting through a fence, crawling under or climbing over. Newer fibre technologies provide point location. A particularly intelligent feature of the system is its ability to ‘fuse’ data (known as ‘target fusion’) coming from multiple sources and confirm an event as a single (i.e., the same) activity rather than a multiple threat. This presents a more meaningful picture to the operator and serves to maximise the benefit of each sensor’s performance characteristics. Thanks to further integration of Genetec’s RSA with OPTEX’s LIDAR laser scanning detectors, an intruder can not only be detected pinpointing the exact location, but also tracked precisely feeding the X and Y coordinates and guiding cameras across different zones so the intruder can be intercepted faster by the security authorities. This deeper integration of OPTEX’s Redscan Series into Genetec’s RSA platform enables intelligent tracking and event categorisation for both vertical (virtual walls) or horizontal detection areas, making it a very precise security system.

Case Study

SNCF Réseau Optimizes its Rail Network Monitoring and Maintenance with the Help of Capgemini

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 29, 2020November 14, 202407 mins

SNCF Réseau, the service provider that manages railway infrastructure in France, in partnership with Capgemini, is deploying an innovative application to optimize the supervision of its rail network in order to increase its performance and meet the growing demand for mobility. Thanks to this digital solution, SNCF Réseau’s teams in charge of the maintenance of over 30,000 kilometers of track, are alerted and activated in real time using a mobile application that geolocates precisely any incidents on the network. The tool will help to improve the regularity of traffic flows, as well as passenger information. The railway network is now remotely monitored and supervised to detect any technical failures in the tracks, signalling, catenaries, level crossings or switches. Different systems work together to detect anomalies and warn maintenance staff, enabling installations to be restored as quickly as possible. A unique tool to optimize network monitoring and maintenance SNCF Réseau, in collaboration with Capgemini, initiated the overhaul of its supervision application. The result, called ‘New Generation Supervision’ is an innovative application in service since July 1, 2020 in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region. This new tool will be progressively implemented in other regions between 2021 and 2022. In the event of a hazard, the application makes it possible, for example, to communicate in real time, data relating to the maintenance operation concerned (travel times, arrival times on site, response times etc.). This data is instantly accessible to rail operators, who can then provide passengers with the best possible, most up to date information. With this unique tool, common to the four supervision centers across the country, and capable of managing alerts from various sources, it will be possible to build a vision of corrective and conditional maintenance needs on a national scale. Ultimately, all the data from human monitoring, remote monitoring and monitoring trains will be sent back to the supervision centers where it will be collated and centralized. More broadly, the aim is to establish a comprehensive information system on the state of rail infrastructure and to assist in decision-making for appropriate maintenance. The application enables SNCF Réseau agents to: Localize incidents on a dynamic map that displays infrastructure data. Identify easily the right person to contact to carry out maintenance according to the route, the time of day and the specialism concerned (electricity, mechanics etc.). Guide maintenance staff precisely to the site of the incident. They can then communicate directly with the center to share their findings and estimate their incident resolution time. Generate and manage digital intervention reports directly in the mobile application. Capgemini’s multiple expertise combined An integral part of the digital transformation program was co-constructed in agile mode between SNCF Réseau teams and Capgemini project teams. Since its launch in 2017, Capgemini team members have been designing and deploying end-to-end digital solutions that are based on its expertise in software engineering, supervision and hypervision, IoT, digital transformation, mobility, and augmented operations. The first tests of advanced processing of monitoring data on the Lyon-Marseille axis were successful thanks to the use of software that analyzes in detail the history of failures and the state of the installations in order to anticipate and carry out a conditional maintenance operation prior to the incident. “The deployment of New Generation Supervision, thanks to our partner Capgemini, will make it possible to improve not only the handling of incidents, and therefore the regularity of traffic, but also passenger information. Overall, we are going to move from very systematic maintenance to maintenance that is closer to needs, more precise and in real time – network maintenance at the right time and in the right place. It’s another step towards a high-performance network,” stated Olivier Bancel, Deputy Director General Production, SNCF Réseau. “It is an honour and a source of great pride that SNCF Réseau trusted Capgemini to help them to optimize the monitoring and maintenance of its high-performance rail network, through the ‘New Generation Supervision’ project. This project is emblematic of the Capgemini Group’s ability to apply our breadth of skills and expertise to create end-toend digital solutions for the major process of maintaining a large critical infrastructure while it is operational,” explained Olivier Emorine, Managing Director Digital Engineering & Manufacturing Services for Capgemini’s Europe Strategic Business Unit.

Feature

Five Reasons Why Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Should Embrace the Cloud for Their Premises Security Solution

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 24, 2020November 14, 202408 mins

The cloud has emerged as a more scalable and open option for businesses of all sizes, the security industry is no exception. Read on to discover how the cloud can make premises security of small and medium-sized businesses more cost-effective, efficient, flexible, scalable, and ultimately more effective with convergence and automation. More and more businesses today are leveraging the cloud to improve business operations and management. In retail, for example, progressive retailers have been implementing cloud commerce solutions for their order management, inventory management, financial consolidation and customer relationship management (CRM). Similarly, the physical security industry is embracing cloud in a big way. Cloud-based security systems – which bring together security, networking, storage, analytics and management – are increasing in popularity due to their impressive safety and operational benefits. So what exactly are the benefits of a security solution that’s managed in the cloud? In this blog, we examine five reasons why cloud should be front of mind for small and medium-sized businesses for their premises security solution. Security information at your fingertips: Always A cloud-based security solution enables businesses to access and manage all of their security devices anytime, anywhere, and on any internet-enabled device. And when businesses have multiple premises to manage, the cloud provides an easily accessible and secure collation point for information from all secured buildings. Managers can check live video and stored data from each location, even when they are travelling, as long as there is an internet connection. Reduced upfront investment and easy setup All businesses want platforms or services that offer simplicity, with as few assets to manage as possible, and a setup that’s ultra-simple. This is precisely where the cloud delivers. Through a cloud hosting infrastructure, there is no need for a local server or software to be deployed; to get started, all you need is a username and password, and you can easily connect devices like video cameras to the internet for preview and playback. This is particularly useful for organisations with smaller/ fewer sites and fewer cameras, as it helps reduce the cost of hardware investment and ongoing management. Scalability and flexibility Scalability is one of the main reasons to migrate to the cloud. Whether traffic or workload demands increase suddenly or grow gradually over time, companies choose a cloud solution because it’s scalable, allowing businesses to increase storage and performance appropriately and cost-effectively. This is very much the case for cloud-based security solutions. When businesses grow, the cloud enables their security system infrastructure to scale with it. Companies can add new devices, services, functionality and enhanced analytics and data storage in stages, to suit their growth and development. Remote system maintenance 24/7 Cloud-based platforms can help make managed security services far more responsive. Security service providers and alarm receiving centers (ARC) can constantly monitor the health of an end-user’s security system and resolve any problems remotely, delivering a sophisticated service without the added expense of an on-site visit. All that’s required is consent from end users when the system is deployed. For businesses, this offers peace of mind that their security system is up and running 24/7. Any issues such as device failure or communication loss can be addressed rapidly and efficiently. Technology that’s always up to date Technology is always changing. So for on-premise systems, regular maintenance must be carried out on-site or through remote desktop. This can be a burden to IT services, especially if there are multiple sites. A cloud-based solution, however, requires no onsite manual updates, as customers will stream the latest version of the software that is fully and centrally maintained by the service provider. This saves a significant amount of time, while reducing the potential of security lapses and the associated risks. A convergent, cloud-based security service solution from Hikvision Prama Hikvision’s cloud-based security service solution, Hik-ProConnect, is designed for small and medium-sized businesses and residential applications. It uses industry-leading standards and protocols for maximum security and reliability, making it ideal for today’s security market. Incorporated with all these cloud-hosting benefits, Hik-ProConnect allows users to converge multiple devices into one management platform with a single login. This goes above and beyond conventional security systems made up of disparate elements. Integration of devices provides users with different types of events to suit their requirements, away from manual approaches to the use of automation. Examples of device linkage include merging intercom calls and intrusion or access events with video verification. Whether being used to manage a single simple site or multiple complex locations, Hik-ProConnect ensures users enjoy an up-to-date and smooth running security system.

Feature

Where is Your Data? You’ll Find Out in 2021

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 24, 2020November 14, 202408 mins

So, as we near the end of 2020, I imagine there are many CISOs, CIOs and indeed business leaders sitting out there, patting themselves on the back as they survey their workforces, established in remote/ hybrid office-and-home systems, happily and productively accessing data and continuing to work in an entirely new way. It’s true that their teams have been, like so often, unsung heroes, making the impossible possible in the first part of the year. However, I’m afraid I need to burst this bubble. In 2021, I believe we will start to realise exactly how much intellectual property was stolen by external attackers and malicious insiders during the 2020 remote working shift with the implications it had on ways-of-working, maintaining infrastructure security and continuing to protect data everywhere. What did we do? Almost overnight organizations flipped a switch from a predominantly office-based workforce to remote workers using a plethora of operating systems and equipment. Employees with a wide range of technical know-how were left to set up and configure home networks and devices, while IT teams added and tried to scale VPNs and moved data into SaaS applications. It is almost as if companies gave up on protecting the perimeter, and trusted in basic networking and cloud services to protect what I call the ‘branch office of one.’ The old perimeter is clearly gone, data needs to be more accessible than ever, and the ability for the user to work remotely is paramount. It’s my view that we don’t yet know what impact this has had, and 2021 will start to unveil it to us. Did we keep an eye on our attack surface and did we really examine the vulnerabilities we exposed during this time? When cloud service providers spun up new clouds or SaaS applications for us, did the security keep pace and did our policies get applied consistently? Has lockdown meant that cyber-enforcement got lighter? Did cybercriminals think they could get away with stealing data while security and IT teams’ attention was elsewhere? The treasure trove has been opened right up, and security teams should not rest on their laurels. From past experience, I must assume that we haven’t moved as fast as the attackers, and that 2021 will see several large data breaches revealed, while some firms discover to their horror that what appear to be nation state attackers or well-organized criminal groups have infiltrated their defences. Like it forcefully happened to digital transformation programs, the notion of multi-year security programs will be replaced, in 2021 and beyond, with more agile security. We need to move at ‘bad guys speed,’ and our responses to threats must be completed at the same rate of change we would expect from a business model pivot or adaptation. The imperative of visibility in 2021 imperative for enterprises in the next year. In this way, 2021 can become the year of working securely, regardless of location. These new patterns are here to stay, and we must do our best to introduce resiliency, security and visibility into our efforts. As part of this, we must address the elephant in the room. Data loss is damaging to business, and in order to stop that loss, we need to know exactly where our data is, on a minute-by-minute basis. That means we must introduce real-time (or near real-time) user activity monitoring. We should be monitoring to prevent data loss, not productivity tracking. Transparency in the roll-out of these solutions and the careful consideration of user privacy should be at the heart of any user activity monitoring solutions. Forrester analyst Chase Cunningham has advised, “If you aren’t monitoring your data, your intellectual property is walking out of the door, and you’ll be out of business in twenty years.” The fact that we have shifted to remote working so quickly, and relatively smoothly, may mean that we have no need to go back to a structured perimeter. But we will need a fast movement towards user activity monitoring – an approach that relies on analytics to understand data access patterns. Without visibility of data in this way we cannot scale and understand how to work productively, flexibly and securely. Through the combination of behavioral analytics and indicators of behavior (IoBs), we can achieve visibility alongside control. Data usage must be examined and understood in context, and data loss prevention policies applied adaptively and dynamically. If we can create cybersecurity technologies which build upon machine learning and analytics to measure and understand data movements in quasi real-time, we can avoid the upcoming dawn of disappointment on the horizon. As the ‘new normal’ becomes ‘just normal,’ leaders must get the basics right – revisit their policies and processes, validate their posture and risk appetite, and avoid assumptions that all is well just because they haven’t seen an incident yet. Longer term, cloud-native solutions with a deep understanding of users’ behavior will deliver permanent solutions, rather than stopgaps when it comes to protecting data and intellectual property.

Feature

Video Technology is Emerging As a Key Tool for Public Safety Post-Pandemic

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 24, 2020November 14, 202408 mins

Even as efforts to control the COVID19 pandemic intensify, the world is preparing to re-open economies and get back to business. Economies, jobs and livelihoods are in dire need of revival after the long pandemic-induced hiatus, but businesses and governments also have the unenviable task of ensuring public health safety. Amidst all this, video technology solutions have emerged as one of the key tools for governments and businesses to ensure the safety of customers, employees and the general public. Video’s key role in fighting the COVID19 pandemic transportation Video came to the aid early in the battle against COVID19. As the pandemic unfolded globally, immigration counters at airports were equipped with thermal cameras that helped screen passengers for COVID-related symptoms. Thermal imaging, which ensures that scanning is contactless and safe for both the tester and the tested, is now being adopted more widely around transportation. International Airports across nine Indian cities have installed thermal cameras and Indian Railways is rolling it out across more and more railway stations in India. Healthcare For healthcare providers and hospitals, video technology is providing safer alternatives for patient care and treatment. Tele-Kiosks for instance are facilitating video consultations with doctors, making contactless and distant consultation possible. These kiosks are connected to devices which can monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, oxygen saturation and temperature. This enables healthcare workers and doctors to remotely monitor COVID-infected patients, with fewer in-person touch points required. This could also enable tele-medicine for less critical patients so that resources in short supply such as hospital beds and PPE equipment can be saved for patients who need it more. Public spaces The threat of increased infection has made social distancing and crowd control mandatory in public places, shops, offices and business establishments – wherever there is potential for people to gather in large numbers. As businesses start to re-open, enforcing these measures will become even more of a challenge and virtually a tightrope walk between safety and sustenance. Video technology solutions, combined with an open platform video management Software, can help provide a feature-rich tech platform to tackle the challenges ahead. With advanced features such as heat mapping and occupancy statistics, crowd counting for public spaces within retail or private sectors, distancing detection and enforcement of one-way direction in retail outlets, businesses can ensure better compliance within safety measures. With an open platform VMS, business owners will be able to regulate access from a centralized location and benefit from statistics and data gathered. An open platform VMS will also allow the integration of other devices such as audio, visual display systems and even mobile devices to help with challenging issues like crowd control. Drones and robots can also be integrated with the VMS to aid with social distancing measures on a much larger scale. Data privacy concerns must be addressed With visual and other forms of data being increasingly collected through the adoption of video and other technologies, data privacy is a key concern for both businesses and individuals to watch out for. Businesses and governments must use the powers of technology responsibly as outlined in the guidelines of international legislation such as the GDPR and Milestone’s Copenhagen Letter. With the increasing need for provisions such as contact tracing,The EY Future Consumer Index found that the public is now more receptive to make private information available if it’s for the greater good of the society. For example, millions of people in India have downloaded the ArogyaSetu app to stop the spread of COVID-19 through community-driven contact tracing – even if that means having to constantly share their location with the App. In Singapore, we found that eight in ten Singaporeans are receptive to the usage of video technology such as thermal imagining cameras and crowd management video analytics, when underpinned by a health benefit. Yet, there is still a significant portion of the population that is unfamiliar with the purpose and benefits of such solutions, and therefore greater public education of benefits, protection and privacy regulations is required to sustain the overall acceptance of video technology. This shows that despite people’s willingness to part with private data for a greater common cause, businesses still have the responsibility to prioritize data protection and privacy as it emerges as a key tool, changing the ways we live and do business. Innovation that ensures that businesses and governments can maximize the value add of data while respecting individual privacy and data protection regulations will be the way forward in our future.

Case Study

VIVOTEK Establish a Comprehensive Surveillance Solution for Michigan Cannabis Cultivation Facility

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 24, 2020November 14, 202405 mins

In the fast-growing legalized cannabis industry, extensive security measures are a necessity. VIVOTEK, the global leading IP surveillance provider has collaborated with Existo, a collective of cannabis industry professionals, to establish an IP surveillance solution for a cannabis cultivation facility in Northern Michigan, the United States. The results not only exceeded the state of Michigan’s expectations to allow for licensing at the state level but are also user friendly and add a level of comfort concerning building security to the owners. The state of Michigan has placed stringed demands on camera coverage and recording quality for this industry, so a camera system is essential for the licensing of this business. Challenges in the project were related to distances within the building, coverage in unique spaces and varying climates and light exposure within indoor grow rooms. Existo chose VIVOTEK and a total of 70 of its indoor and outdoor security solutions, network video recorders (NVR) and video management software (VMS) to monitor the cannabis cultivation facility. In the grow room, which includes a long hallway with tight spaces and climate concerns, 7 VIVOTEK 180-degree panoramic network cameras, the CC9381- HV were installed to combat high contrast lighting environments and armed with WDR Pro function to ensure 24/7 surveillance coverage. For exterior corners, 4 VIVOTEK SD9364-EHL speed dome cameras were utilized. The camera has adopted VIVOTEK’s Smart IR II technology which is specifically designed to provide a superb low light image in the most challenging situations. Due to its high-quality imagery at a cost-effective perspective, 14 FE9181-H fisheye cameras and 40 FD9380-H cameras were installed throughout the rest of the indoor and outdoor facility. The facility is also utilizing VIVOTEK’s 16-CH ND9541 Linux-based embedded standalone NVR to set up and manage advanced IP surveillance systems with ease. It also supports remote and mobile access, via VIVOCloud and iViewer app, for both iOS and Android hand-held devices, providing users with an open, flexible and intelligent NVR for seamless use in small to medium-sized video surveillance applications. In the end, the outcome not only met but surpassed all expectations and goals. The system was complimented as the highest quality in terms of coverage and camera quality by the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) enforcement agent during the state licensing walkthrough. The owners can rest assured that their business is safe and secure. “The flexibility we gain from the quality and variety that VIVOTEK offers pays off tenfold in our business because there is no standard building design for cannabis businesses,” said Chris Hernandez, Existo Director of Operations, “Unique buildings with unique layouts but with highly standardized expectations put forward by state licensing expectations can be a stumbling block for many cannabis businesses. Our ability to utilize VIVOTEK’s solutions allows us to create systems that exceed state expectations while still being used to achieve safety goals set internally by our customers.”