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Skybox Security Appoints Shantanu Srivastava as Vice President of Asia-Pacific Japan Sales

Skybox® Security recently announced that Shantanu Srivastava has joined the company as the Vice President of sales for the Asia-Pacific Japan (APJ) region. Srivastava brings to the company more than 25 years’ experience in enterprise software sales, with more than 15 years in leadership sales roles in Singapore and Hong Kong. He joins Skybox from BlackBerry where he led and rebuilt sales activity for the company in APJ by establishing new operations, a talented team, new channels and key accounts infrastructure. We are extremely pleased to have Shantanu join our team to lead our Asia-Pacific Japan theatre,” said Skybox EVP Worldwide Sales and Field Operations Rob Rosiello, “As well as having a consistent record delivering growth, Shantanu is a proven leader with deep domain expertise. We were impressed by his ability to provide value through a client-centered solutions approach, his work with strategic channel and integration partners and, especially, delivering client satisfaction. We happily welcome his appointment. Responsible for APJ sales and field operations, Srivastava will enable Skybox to continue with its strong record of growth in the region and help lead the strategic theatre into its next stage for the company.  

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Axis Expands Footprint in Kolkata with Innovative Products & Technologies for a Smarter, Safer Tomorrow

Axis Communications announced the expansion of its footprint in Kolkata and the eastern India region and shared the successful implementation details of their association with Kolkata Police for surveillance and traffic management on the streets of Kolkata. The event also showcased their integrated smart solutions in IP audio, radar technology, network cameras, and thermal cameras. Centered around their philosophy of ‘creating a smarter & safer tomorrow,’ the event brought to fore Axis’ recent success stories and their key takeaways from prestigious surveillance implementations across the country, including the implementation of surveillance systems in Vivekananda Stadium, Salt lake during FIFA U-17 World Cup, in 2017. Kolkata is the gateway to the eastern part of India. With a mixed floating population and its residents, Policing is a tough job. In order to assist the law enforcement better, Kolkata Police, deployed Axis Cameras with two primary objectives: Traffic monitoring. Maintaining general surveillance on the streets of Kolkata to make it a safe city for the residents. The Government of West Bengal has been proactive in adopting a one-of-its-kind smart surveillance implementation. As Kolkata Police has always been the forerunner of the agenda of making Kolkata the safest city for the residents, the partnership with Axis Communications has successfully helped them in setting up high-resolution cameras across the city. Additionally, Axis ZipStream Technology has helped them optimize bandwidth and overall storage requirements of the mass video produced throughout the day, 24*7. This, in return, will help them track, monitor, and analyze the video feed for detecting criminal activities, traffic violations, and road conditions real time. Highlighting the efforts that led to the successful association with Kolkata Police, Sudhindra Holla, Director – India & SAARC, Axis Communications said, “We are proud to be a partner of choice for the Kolkata Police city-wide project. This is an example of a city authority participation towards building a safer and secured smart city. We have 800+ 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.” “Axis carries a rich lineage of more than 35+ years and during the time, we understand the pulse of the India market. Supporting PM Narendra Modi’s much envisioned smart city programmes, we believe that high end surveillance solutions are the need of the hour,” he added. Speaking on the Vivekananda Stadium implementation, Sudhindra emphasized, “This project was challenging as it demanded a state-of-the-art security system that matches the International standards of FIFA. With our global heritage of meeting the needs of the customers’ requirements with high definition products and solutions, we extended our hand towards securing the entire stadium with our high-end technologies. For example, the Light-finder technology which makes dark areas visible and captures all minute details even in darkness and forensic wide dynamic range reveals details in difficult lighting by applying multiple exposure levels, contrast enhancement, and advanced algorithms that lower noise and increase the image signal. The Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Kriranga, is India’s second largest stadium with a seating capacity of 85,000 people. Our motive was to ensure that the work was seamless and met the requirements of the organizing committee.”  

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CAPSI AWARDs CORONA WARRIORS

The declaration by the Government of India that the private security services are a part of the essential services during lockdown owing to the spread of Corona indeed came as a feather in the caps of the nine million private security personnel of the Indian private security industry (PSI). While majority of the nations’ population were confined to their respective homes, the brave security guards have been performing their duties outside their homes with utmost diligence and sincerity drawing the appreciations of all fellow countrymen. Late Tayappa Balu More, the first Covid Casualty of private security guard, was employed with Checkmate Services Private Limited, Mumbai since 07 June 2012. When he breathed his last on 17 April 2020, he was performing his duties at Aditya Birla Centre, Nyloc House, Worli. He served at many important locations, but bulk of his tenure was at Aditya Birla Centre only. He was very reliable, sincere and dedicated to his profession and as a result often chosen for important assignments. Late Tayappa Balu More is survived by his wife and two children.   Combating all odds like unavailability of public transport, inadequate protective equipment, exposure to the dreaded virus, the security guards have stood tall. These Corona Warriors have come to light when they selflessly acted in the cause of humanity beyond their call of duty. The Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI), the flag bearer for the cause of the well-being of the PSI has taken cognizance of the grit and determination being displayed by the security guards under such unprecedented circumstances, and decided to honour those Corona Warriors who have displayed exemplary devotion to duty in their fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. A three member CAPSI Corona Warrior Award (CCWA) Committee headed by C Pal Singh, Former IG Police, Punjab, National Honorary Director General, CAPSI has been constituted to set parameters and select most deserving security guards and officers for the award. The Award comprises a Golden Trophy and a cash award of Rs.1,00,000. The Committee will assemble every month and based on the citations received, will declare the awardees.    Late Dashrath Waghmare Shankar joined G4S March 2005 and his last deployment was at Accurate Industrial Controls Pvt. Ltd., Pune. He stayed in Pune with his wife and 2 children. He performed his last duty on 07 April and died of COVID 19 on 12 April 2020 at the age of 48 years. G4S team provided all necessary supports to him and his family during and post demise. As per G4S policy, his family was paid with ex-gratia amount of Rs.75000 and funeral support of Rs.2500.   For the month of April 2020, the Committee has announced the names of Late Tayappa Babu More of Checkmate Services and Late Dashrath Waghmare Shankar of G4S Security for the Corona Warrior Award posthumously. The award shall be presented to the next of kin (NoK) at a special awards ceremony to be organized at Delhi.  

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Beyond Security: Access Control for Multi-Tenant Sites

  Access control systems are, of course, synonymous with security. Keeping people safe and places secure is their primary role. When these places are multi-tenant sites – with multiple subgroups of users with their own group and unique permissions – the access and security challenges are more complex. But even these can be well managed with intelligent integrated access control systems. Integrating CCTV, running sophisticated ‘cause and effect’ protocols, having a robust intruder detection system and strong cyber security measures are all essential components. But as an access control manufacturer, we carefully design our products to provide benefits beyond security too, making life easier and more pleasant for tenants and users, as well as security managers and site owners. Read on for our top nine ‘beyond security’ benefits that Inner Range intelligent access control systems can offer multi-tenant sites. 1. Partitioned systems Ok, this first one is a cheat because it is about security. But it’s highly useful for multi-tenant sites and not many access control systems offer this feature. Our enterprise level access control system, Integriti, offers ‘partitioned sites.’ This allows security managers to create users and other global entities that only exist within the partition they were created in. The partitions are completely isolated and invisible to users in other partitions, greatly reducing the chances of cyber criminals or rogue users accessing protected areas and information. 2. Smartphone access As we streamline our wallets and move increasingly to digital platforms, tenants and users can be set up to use their smartphones to open doors and other smart devices. This usually requires them to download a secure mobile app and then our Integriti system can read and check security credentials from users’ mobile phones to determine whether they are allowed access. 3. Managing visitors Applications to manage visitors ensure a secure, reliable and trusted method of managing visitors and stop receptionists getting bogged down creating credentials when visitors arrive. These systems can allow business tenants to issue temporary passes for their own visitors without needing to pass every request through a central security team. The passes can usually be issued on paper or in advance via email. They can also be issued as Apple Wallet or Google Pass credentials. These appear on the visitor’s smartphone with a QR code without the visitor having to search their phone for them. Location and time-based information included in the pass ensure it appears when and where it is needed. The passes can be read by our Integriti system at door entry readers, entrance turnstiles and lifts to ensure visitors only access areas agreed by the ‘host’ offering an efficient and hassle-free experience for everyone. 4. Parking made easy All our systems offer automatic number count that triggers to show whether car parks are full or still have space available when someone is approaching the entrance. Our Enterprise product, Integriti, can integrate with ANPR providers that read vehicle number plates and allow access for those with correct permissions including disabled users and/ or VIPs. 5. Cashless vending All user profiles can be loaded with credits for users to purchase drinks, food and other items on site. This saves time for users who don’t have to wait in long queues at lunch time and is easier for canteen workers who don’t have to deal with cash. 6. Heating and lighting efficiencies Everyone is concerened with their carbon footprint these days and our access control systems can be used to track when and where people are on site, meaning organisations can update heating and lighting timers to reflect what users really need. Access control systems can also be used to create automated heating or lighting actions in reaction to specific alerts such as lights coming on when a particular door is opened or when a certain number of people have entered a building or room. These measures make life more comfortable for users while also saving money and improving the environmental credentials of the site owners. 7. Automatic renewal reminders Our access control systems can be used to manage a range of permits and licences. For example, some clients offer parking permits that need to be paid for. Our access control systems will send automatic notifications when a permit or licence is about to expire, reminding them to top up or renew, and avoids frustration at the car park barrier if a permit has expired. 8. Health and safety certificates The reminder service mentioned above also applies to a host of health and safety licences and certificates. It’s imperative for companies to keep first aiders and machine operators up to date with training and mandatory refreshers. Our Integriti access control system will send automatic notifications when certificates are nearing expiration so individuals and companies have time to train or refresh skills as required. This takes pressure off health and safety managers who don’t have to record and remember all this information themselves and reduces the risk of an accident and/ or liability. 9. Automatic muster reports All our products, including our entry-level access control system Inception, offer automatic muster reports. These show who is where on site and can be scheduled to run in the event of a fire alarm to help with health and safety procedures. The alternative is a manual register of users in the event of an emergency, which is much more time-consuming. The fact our muster reports show the last known location of users means that if someone is missing, site managers or emergency crews will have a much better idea as to where to start searching.  

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Mistral Announces new AI-enabled Thermal Screening Systemfor Body Temperature Detection

Mistral Solutions, a leading technology design and system engineering company, announces the introduction of an ‘automated thermal screening system,’ a body temperature detection and alert system for large establishments and public places to be placed at the entry and exit points The COVID-19 pandemic has brought in unprecedented situations and is expected to make a long-term impact across the globe. As governments mandate screening of people at the entry and exit of establishments to track the body temperature, enforcement agencies are confronted with this massive challenge. Moreover, the traditional methods of screening are mostly man-managed, resulting in delays, congestion, and have their own limitations such as close contact with people, high risk of transmitting infection, high cost, low efficiency, etc. Mistral’s automated thermal screening (ATS) system is an artificial intelligence enabled mass people screening solution for establishments where a high footfall is expected, viz., malls, railway stations, bus stations, airports, public/ private organisations, factories etc. Mistral’s ATS system offers various benefits over traditional thermal traditional systems. The automated system effectively reduces manpower requirement and close contact between people. The ATS system offers faster people detection and temperature measurement and generates real-time, accurate data for active monitoring and quick decision making. Automated thermal screening system can perform simultaneous temperature screening of multiple people with an accuracy of ±0.5°C. The system consists of thermographic cameras, multi-channel NVR, PoE switch and an optional black body calibrator for higher accuracy. “Mistral has always been a trustworthy partner offering cutting-edge solutions for government, defence and homeland security applications for the past 22 years. The ATS solution from Mistral is aimed at providing organizations an affordable solution to fight the extraordinary situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe that the ATS system will aid large establishments and government bodies in controlling the spread of Covid-19 by effectively monitoring people entering their premises,” said Anees Ahmed, President, Mistral Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Features of ATS system Automated temperature screening with an accuracy of ±0.5°C.  Continuous monitoring with very low error status. Detection of up to 30 people at a time. Temperature measurement range of 86-113°F. AI-enabled mass detection. Detection and screening from 0.8 to 9 meters. Real-time alarms. Lower manpower usage. Generates real-time data and analytics. Centralised data management. Optional black body calibrator for higher accuracy.  

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CXO Research: Legacy Technology & Lack of Skills Hindering Digital Transformation and IT Modernization

Digital transformation is redefining the competitive business environment at an unprecedented rate. Anchored on key technologies like cloud, virtualization and modern storage systems, modernization of IT is critical to deliver business continuity for rising customer expectations and de-risking business from evolving cyberattacks plus compliance measures. Our Veeam 2020 Data Protection Trends Report puts the spotlight on the importance of data management and protection across hybrid cloud environment. As the demands of a modern enterprise gets complex, it’s not enough for data to be backed up; data must in fact move to the higher state of intelligence and automatically anticipate demand, securely across physical, virtual and cloud environments. A simple, flexible and reliable Cloud Data Management solution is critical to build a robust foundation for today’s digital business As organizations look to transform their business operations and revolutionize customer service, digital transformation (DX) is at the top of most CXOs’ agendas; in fact, DX spending is expected to approach $7.4 trillion between 2020 and 2023, with a CAGR of 17.5%. However, according to the latest industry data recently released from Veeam® Software, the leading player in backup solutions that deliver Cloud Data Management™, almost half of global organizations are being hindered in their DX journeys due to unreliable, legacy technologies, with 44% citing lack of IT skills or expertise as another barrier to success. Moreover, almost every company admitted to experiencing downtime, with 1 out of every 10 servers having unexpected outages each year – problems that last for hours and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – and this points to an urgent need to modernize data protection and focus on business continuity to enable DX. The Veeam 2020 Data Protection Trends Report surveyed more than 1,500 global enterprises to understand their approach toward data protection and management today, and how they expect to be prepared for the IT challenges they face, including reacting to demand changes and interruptions in service, as well as more aspirational goals of IT modernization and DX. “Technology is constantly moving forward, continually changing, and transforming how we do business – especially in these current times as we’re all working in new ways. Due to DX, it’s important to always look at the ever-changing IT landscape to see where businesses stand on their solutions, challenges and goals,” said Danny Allan, CTO and SVP of Product Strategy at Veeam, “It’s great to see the global drive to embrace technology to deliver a richer user experience, however the Achilles Heel still seems to be how to protect and manage data across the hybrid cloud. Data protection must move beyond outdated legacy solutions to a higher state of intelligence and be able to anticipate needs and meet evolving demands. Based on our data, unless business leaders recognize that – and act on it – real transformation just won’t happen.” The criticality of data protection & availability Respondents stated that data delivered through IT has become the heart and soul of most organizations, so it should not be a surprise how important ‘data protection’ has become within IT teams, including not just backing up and restoring data, but also extending business capabilities. However, many organizations (40%) still rely on legacy systems to protect their data without fully appreciating the negative impact this can have on their business. The vast majority (95%) of organizations suffer unexpected outages, and on average an outage lasts 117 minutes (almost two hours). Putting this into context, organizations consider 51% of their data as ‘high priority’ versus ‘normal.’ An hour of downtime from a high priority application is estimated to cost $67,651, while this number is $61,642 for a normal application. With such a balance between high priority and normal in percentages and impact costs, it’s clear that ‘all data matters’ and that downtime is intolerable anywhere within today’s environments. “Data protection is more important than ever now to help organizations continue to meet their operational IT demands while also aspiring towards DX and IT modernization. Data is now spread across data centers and clouds through file shares, shared storage, and even SaaS-based platforms. Legacy tools designed to back up on-premises file shares and applications cannot succeed in the hybrid/ multi-cloud world and are costing companies time and resources while also putting their data at risk,” added Allan. DX and the Cloud Enterprises know they must continue to make progress with their IT modernization and DX initiatives in order to meet new industry challenges, and according to this report’s feedback, the most defining aspects of a modern data protection strategy all hinge upon utilization of various cloud-based capabilities – organizations’ ability to do disaster recovery (DR) via a cloud service (54%), the ability to move workloads from on-premises to cloud follows (50%), and the ability to move workloads from one cloud to another (48%). Half of businesses recognize that cloud has a pivotal part to play in today’s data protection strategy; and it will most likely become even more important in the future. For a truly modernized data protection plan, a company needs a comprehensive solution that supports cloud, virtual and physical data management for any application and any data across any cloud. Allan concluded, “By already starting to modernize their infrastructures in 2020, organizations expect to continue their DX journey and increase their cloud use. Legacy solutions were intended to protect data in physical datacenters in the past, but they’re so outdated and complex that they cost more money, time, resources and trouble than realized. Modern protection such as Veeam’s Cloud Data Management solutions, go far beyond backup. Cloud Data Management provides a simple, flexible and reliable solution that saves costs and resources so they can be repurposed for future development. Data protection can no longer be tied to on-premises, physically-dedicated environments and companies must have flexible licensing options to easily move to a hybrid/ multi cloud environment.” Other highlights of the Veeam 2020 Data Protection Trends Report include: The no. 1 challenge that will impact organizations within next 12 months is cyber…

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COVID-19 Accentuates the need for Data Security and Cyber Security Protocols: Sun Life ASCI

  Sun Life ASCI is committed to the fundamental principles of information security – confidentiality, integrity and availability. With work-from-home becoming the new normal, there is a greater need for organizations to maintain a robust and reliable security framework. It is equally critical to keep employees informed about best practices, elevate their awareness and maintain stringent compliance. We strongly feel that enterprises with secure technology and communication platforms would always fare better in times of crisis and ensure business continuity with minimal risk exposure   The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented global crisis impacting everybody’s professional and personal lives. Organizations have been coerced to adopt work from home (WFH) to enable business continuity, which is turning out to be the ‘New Normal’ now. As a global financial organization, it became imperative for Sun Life Asia Service Centre India (ASCI), (the Global in-house Center of Sun Life Financial), to ensure that its operations, network and critical infrastructure are highly secure and stable. Sun Life ASCI has deployed robust and advanced cyber security solutions to ensure a stable and secure network for its employees to support business operations securely while working from remote locations. All the assets are regularly scanned and patched to ensure there are no vulnerable attack vectors available for the attackers. The organisation has a centralized global SOC (Security Operations Centre) which continuously monitors remote access logs and alerts for anomalies. The internal access policies and firewalls are constantly reviewed and updated and all access to the employees are provisioned based on ‘Least Privilege’ and ‘Need to know’ principle. Employees have been advised to use the secure connection to Sun Life network by ensuring VPN only usage on company-owned hardware with up-to-date security features, to prevent any infected data/ malware into the company’s network. During a long remote access session, employees are required to re-authenticate themselves. Endpoint devices are one of the most critical type of equipment when employees work from home. They are also an easy target for cyber-attacks while the world grapples with the pandemic making it even more important to secure endpoint devices. At Sun Life ASCI, IT team has updated its endpoint device policy framework to block installation of unauthorized utilities/ applications. Full disk encryption has been enabled on employees’ laptops. All employee’s handheld devices are completely protected by MDM (Mobile device management). Antivirus and anti-malware solutions are deployed on the end user devices. The organisation has deployed a phishing defense solution to minimize attacks and continuously educates employees on different phishing scenarios. Constant communications with employees on best security practices; sharing of data security videos and circulation of critical updates relating to the operating system and other applications educate them about the same. Email security policies are reviewed to make them more stringent and filter out malicious emails. ASCI also has a 24×7 IT and security support desk to manage any incidents and queries. Data security as a topic is also discussed in virtual townhalls and leadership messaging.  

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Radar Technology in Surveillance

This white paper discusses radar technology in security applications, and compares it with other available technologies. It also provides specific information about AXIS D2050-VE Network Radar Detector, its usage and its possibilities What is radar? Radar is a well-established technology for detecting objects. It was developed for military use in the 1940s, but is now widely used in civilian applications, for instance weather forecasts, road traffic monitoring, and collision prevention in aviation and shipping. Using radar technology for detection can reduce the number of false alarms and increase detection efficiency in conditions with poor visibility. AXIS D2050-VE Network Radar Detector is Axis’ first available radar-based motion detector. Owing to its advanced tracking algorithm, it is not only an affordable complement to security cameras, but it can also add valuable features to a surveillance system.   A radar device transmits signals consisting of radio waves, or electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency spectrum. When a radar signal hits an object, the signal is reflected or scattered in many directions. A small portion of the signal may be reflected back to the radar device, where it will be detected by a receiver. The detected signal provides information that can be used to determine the location, size and velocity of the object that was hit. Why use radar in surveillance? Due to its superior detection abilities in darkness or fog, a motion detector based on radar can be a cost-efficient complement to other types of surveillance. Reliable in challenging conditions By nature, radar surveillance is not dependent on visibility. Darkness, fog, or even moderate rainfall does not impair the detection abilities. There are other surveillance technologies that may also work in such conditions, for example thermal cameras equipped with video analytics, or PIRbased (passive infrared) motion detectors. However, surveillance based on radar can be a cost-efficient alternative to both solutions. Radar is easier to use, and more affordable than a thermal camera. Radar can also provide more information, at a longer range, than a PIR motion detector. Decreased false alarms Reducing the number of false alarms, while maintaining the detection efficiency of real incidents, is essential in surveillance. For example, alarms are often used to trigger a video recording. In case a forensic search would be needed in alarm-triggered recordings, it could be very time consuming to go through the recorded material if there were many false alarms. Motion detection systems often use video analytics applications that are triggered by a certain amount of pixel changes in the surveillance scene. Unnecessary or ‘false,’ alarms can typically be caused by effects such as moving shadows or light beams, small animals in the scene, rain drops or insects on the camera lens, movements caused by the wind, or bad weather. A detection system based on radar will only detect physical movement in a scene, ignoring purely visual effects such as shadows or light beams. Radar signals should also be generally less affected by rain or snow. In both radar detection and video analytics, it is possible to design the system so that small or swaying objects can be filtered out, as well as certain zones of irrelevant movements caused by, for example, wind in a tree. Complement to cameras A motion detector based on radar, exclusively, will not provide any visual confirmation. To efficiently identify the cause of an alarm, or to enable identification of individuals, the scene should also be monitored by a video camera. To add further value, rules could be established that state that only when both the video camera and the radar detector detect motion in an area will a motion detection alarm be transmitted to the operator or central monitoring station, along with detailed information about the object in motion. Such a collaborative validation can reduce false alarms even further. Axis network radar detector AXIS D2050-VE network radar detector is Axis’ first available radar-based motion detector. It can serve as an affordable complement to security cameras in medium-risk installations, improving detection in challenging conditions and minimizing false alarms. Owing to its advanced tracking algorithm and the positioning information it provides, the detector can also add new features and value to a surveillance system. Detection range and installation One radar detector unit provides accurate detection within a range up to 50m (164ft), within an angle of approximately 120 degrees. For coverage of a larger area, it is possible to use multiple detectors. Typical mounting height should be 3-4m (9-13ft). AXIS D2050-VE can be used as a stand-alone product, but may serve its purpose best as a complement to a camera that also provides a visual view of the scene. In order to facilitate a visual interpretation of the scene, the radar image as it is seen in the user interface can be easily integrated and calibrated with an uploaded reference map. The detector can be treated like a camera in the security system. It is compatible with major video management systems (VMS) and common video hosting systems. The detector comes with Axis open VAPIX interface enabling integration on different platforms. Typical installation scenes include fenced-off areas such as industrial properties or roofs, or parking lots where no activity is expected after hours. However, the detector’s advanced filtering and tracking function makes it valuable in most environments. Figure 2 shows a parking lot as monitored by the network radar detector and shown in the user interface. The radar image has been combined with a reference map of the scene. Include/ exclude zones The network radar detector comes with an intuitive user interface where the user should draw one or more ‘include zones,’ and possibly ‘exclude zones,’ within the detection range. Detection and tracking of objects takes place continuously within the whole detection range. However, owing to its filtering functionality, the detector will trigger actions only on objects detected within an include zone. The filter can also be set to ignore certain object types, and only trigger on, for example, large objects, only vehicles, or objects that have been tracked for a…

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Dahua AI Technology Ranked #1 In The Onera Satellite Change Detection (OSCD) Evaluation

Recently, Dahua Technology’s AI-based Remote Sensing Image Analysis Technology has obtained first place in the comprehensive precision ranking of the Onera Satellite Change Detection (OSCD) Evaluation released by Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS). This achievement fully demonstrates Dahua Technology’s continuous development and innovation capabilities in the field of remote sensing image change detection. OSCD (Onera Satellite Change Detection) is jointly issued and maintained by the International Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE), and the Image Analysis and Data Fusion Technical Committee (IADF TC). It is an international authoritative evaluation platform for remote sensing image change detection algorithm. This evaluation involves complex and variable global surface coverage data, which is extremely challenging and attracts scholars and well-known academic institutions across the globe to participate.   In view of the large size of remote sensing images and the imbalance in the types of changing areas, Dahua Technology has proposed a method of image stretching and normalization preprocessing based on multi-channel fusion in data processing, which significantly solves issues including obvious surface differences. In terms of model structure, the innovative use of the Tversky loss function optimizes the problem of category imbalance. At the same time, Dahua Technology innovatively builds multi-modality and greatly improves the precision and recall of its algorithm. The Dahua Remote Sensing Image Analysis Technology has set another evaluation record in the remote sensing image change detection data set, achieving first place in the overall ranking. Remote sensing image change detection Based on the change detection algorithm of remote sensing images, the Remote Sensing Image Change Detection Technology uses remote sensing images of different phases to obtain the dynamic change information of the land cover type in the specified area, and assigns semantic category labels to image pixels that change with time, which is widely used in ecological resources monitoring, urban construction management and other fields. In the field of ecological resources monitoring, the remote sensing image change detection algorithm can eliminate interference factors such as season and weather by comparing the remote sensing images of the same area before and after (two time phases) to obtain the spatio-temporal changes in the ecological geology of a wide area. It can be applied to acquire coverage information including periodic monitoring of water bodies, vegetation, minerals etc., providing a scientific basis for scenarios such as resource development, environmental pollution, and natural disaster assessment. In the field of urban construction management, the Remote Sensing Image Semantic Segmentation Technology can be used to automatically obtain the location, range, type and other information of the area where the nature of the land changes, achieving a city-level intelligent inspection of illegal buildings. At the same time, the Remote Sensing Image Object Detection Technology can be used to effectively extract distribution information of urban infrastructures such as sports venues, dynamically monitor the construction process of infrastructure facilities within the city, and provide effective data support for urban infrastructure auditing. In addition, the combination of high-altitude and ground monitoring data can achieve the integration of ground, air and sky monitoring coverage without dead angle, providing a comprehensive and high-precision spatial visualization for urban construction management.    

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Duratex Deploys Dahua Video Monitoring Solution to Detect Fires at Early Stage

Contrary to a widely shared popular belief, forest fires are not always caused by criminal actions. Depending on the location, fires may arise from natural causes such as frequency of lightning during a storm, or even due to lack of knowledge of local farmers in carrying out routine activities like clearing pasture areas that involves fire. These combustion related activities require thorough planning and correct timing. In line with this, Working On Fire (WOF) has extensive expertise in integrated fire management that combines prevention, readiness, response and recovery in possible environmental fires. It is responsible for the worldwide presence of Firehawk, a pioneer in the development of solutions to detect forest fires through cameras. It boasts 26 years of operation and 223 video surveillance cameras spread throughout South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Ghana and Malawi. For four years, Firehawk has been cooperating with Dahua Technology Brazil, a branch of world-leading video-centric smart IoT solution and service provider. Few years ago, Firehawk installed DH-PTZ19245U-IRB-N (-B) model after series of tests. It provides excellent performance, offers useful web API documentation, and can withstand severe local weather conditions. For this reason, Firehawk has named Dahua Technology Brazil as its main partner for forest fire detection. Challenges Massive wildfires like the recent cases in Australia have increased throughout the years, especially in countries such as USA, Portugal and Russia. According to a study by UN in cooperation with other major environmental agencies worldwide, governments should invest approximately 80% of their resources in the prevention of such disasters, and only 20% in the actual firefighting. In order to monitor and provide warning of possible occurrence of such event, WOF was contracted by Duratex, the largest producer of manufactured wood panels and sanitary wares and metals in the southern hemisphere, to deploy the Dahua video monitoring solution in its Minas Gerais forest areas. It covers about 75 thousand hectares between the municipalities of Uberlândia and Uberaba. This mining region has several preservation areas and is recognized for its sugar cane, eucalyptus and coffee plantations. An effective fire monitoring solution that can cover such a vast area would be very challenging to deploy. Thus, expertise of WOF and Firehawk are very valuable to ensure excellent performance and satisfying results throughout the project. Solution At Duratex, a camera was installed in each of the five stationary 75-meter tall towers, which was carried out by WOF in just 20 days. This solution covers 60 thousand hectares of forest, monitoring the region and providing alerts for possible occurrence of fire. The company’s successful experience in working with Eldorado Celulose S/A was essential in minimizing the challenges of installing and applying this particular technological solution. “We have highly qualified partners for the execution of the project, which greatly simplifies its performance. The experience of working with the Dahua solution – applied by Firehawk worldwide – is very positive,” said Daniel Santos, General Director of WOF in Brazil. “The Dahua video monitoring solution implemented at Duratex offers the reach of 60 thousand hectares of forest for monitoring the region and alerting to possible occurrences, carried out in an assertive and agile manner. Our company’s main mission is to promote the safety of our customers in their businesses and core activities through a wide portfolio of solutions such as thermal, biometric, embedded software etc.,” explained Fábio Lopes, Channel Director of Dahua Technology Brazil. In order to minimize the connectivity issue that is common in remote regions, WOF installed directional radio links to enable the adoption of this technology. In some towers, they also installed electric power generating units with photovoltaic solar panels. Moreover, the five cameras capture and send images to the monitoring center, utilizing AI to verify the lowest sending traffic. “The addition of this system substantially improved the speed of detection of fires and the management of firefighting resources,” said Daniela Rezende, Protection Specialist of Duratex.   The technology embedded in the solution promotes a rapid evaluation of the images, with a 360-degree perimeter coverage, and algorithm for searching smoke signals. It operates both day and night, and in situations of imminent risk, it triggers a visual and audible alarm. In favorable weather conditions, it can also cover a distance that exceeds 20km. Results The Dahua solution greatly helped reduce fire cases in the Minas Gerais forest areas. Faced with good results, the company plans to set up a dozen new cameras by the end of 2020 in the forest units of Duratex and its affiliates. “Duratex is very satisfied with this solution, so much that in 2020 we are already working on expanding its coverage area in Minas Gerais. We also have plans to start a project in our São Paulo unit,” said Rezende.    

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