Year: 2020

Many warehouses store expensive inventory and equipment. With people and transportation constantly flowing in and out of the warehouse property, it’s a constant hub of activity. It puts them at risk for many things, like a fire, or a flood, product damage, or employee safety. Among them, theft is a critical problem. Warehouses have commonly incorporated video cameras to help catch activity in and around the property. But in most cases, when loss is identified, the warehouse manager or security staff turn to the video security system to search for the right footage. The challenge is that there is an ocean of video footage, and sometimes none of it clearly tells what happened. This makes forensic search difficult and time-consuming. In short, conventional video monitoring systems cannot effectively help identify an intrusion event at the time it is happening and thus prevent it at the very beginning. Accurate trespassing alarm Video monitoring with accurate trespassing alerts on the detection of a human intrusion event will be a great improvement. This is where Prama Hikvision’s AcuSense technology comes in.     Today’s security products equipped with Prama Hikvision’s AcuSense technology automatically send out alerts when a human or a vehicle is detected. Thanks to an advanced deep learning algorithm, technology precisely distinguishes and categorizes objects into ‘human’, ‘vehicle,’ and ‘other.’ Alarms triggered by the ‘other’ objects such as a beam of light, an animal, the movement of foliage etc., are disregarded, leaving the true events which are associated with humans and vehicles for users and security personnel to focus and act. Additionally, related videos are automatically sorted by categories for easier search. Focused technology in action So in the warehouse setup, AcuSense cameras are installed to stay alert day and night. If an intruder enters an area of attention, an alarm will be triggered; simultaneously the onsite AcuSense camera produces a flashing light and an auditory warning – which can be pre-recorded – with the aim of frightening the intruder away. This transforms the traditional passive monitoring to active deterrent. At the same time, security staff is notified with an alert on the monitor or on the tablet during patrol. Accordingly, a video clip upon that trespassing event displays what is happening. If needed, security staff can call the police immediately to take action. Warehouses with an existing Prama Hikvision video monitoring system can easily enjoy the benefits of AcuSense technology without a full system upgrade. If the front-end cameras do not need replacing, warehouses can incorporate either a Prama Hikvision AcuSense NVR or DVR, easily giving them efficient target search on human and vehicle events. Conversely, if warehouses are looking for a proactive deterrent solution against intrusion activities, AcuSense network cameras can be added or used to replace the legacy cameras at key locations. When anyone passes by, the camera flashes and delivers an audio alarm to ward off the intruder. The same goes for applications at residences, restricted areas or dangerous areas for example in zoos or scenic spots. It’s also true for central alarm stations, where security staff always depend on accurate alarms to take effective and efficient action. Even the task of searching recorded footage becomes much easier as related videos are automatically sorted into categories labelled human, vehicle, or other events. Improved alarm accuracy allows the actual events to draw attentions, which means improved security and confidence.  

UK companies MVIS/ Bartco UK and 360 Vision Technology have joined forces on a technology innovation to produce an intelligent, solar-powered, trailer-based IP video surveillance platform. Aptly named ‘Solar IP,’ the unit is currently being deployed as an off-grid traffic management solution in several temporary roadworks and motorway schemes.   Commenting on the initiative and technology partnership, Matt Felce from MVIS/ Bartco UK stated, “We have been a market leader in the supply of trailer based variable message sign solutions for many years, and with IP technologies becoming more ‘power efficient’ we saw both the opportunity and gap in the market to further develop our solution to incorporate an IP camera, which delivered unrivalled video quality and IR lighting, whilst being portable and solar powered. “Reliability and resilience were also key factors in the development criteria and that’s why 360 Vision’s Invictus camera was the obvious choice. We were very impressed with the camera technology, which in combination with our intelligent solar trailer system, gave rise to this new ground-breaking solution.” The 360 Vision Invictus camera utilised in the development provides outstanding video quality and excellent performance in low light conditions. Moreover, with power consumption as low as 12W, the Invictus really is ‘top of its class’ with respect to energy efficiency when compared to similar camera models. Tony Holloway, Business Development Manager at 360 Vision Technology said, “We are delighted to have worked in partnership with MVIS/ Bartco UK on this leading edge, technology development project. The automatic power management capability of our rugged PTZ cameras results in minimal power demand at all times. Couple this with the option for programmable power level IR and white light illumination, tailoring the solution to the remotest locations, further enhances the camera performance whilst minimising additional power requirements. This really does lend itself to this type of revolutionary, off-grid solution. Technology partnerships like this really do ‘underpin’ and showcase 360 Vision’s flexible product credentials.” Matt continued, “In order to deliver a solution which really did meet all the requirements, we considered it extremely important for us to work with a UK manufacturer that could both advise and support us through the development process. Whilst currently being deployed in the traffic sector, the current applications for this are far-reaching. What’s more is that under the conditions seen due to COVID-19, this unit fulfils an even bigger market need in the name of high definition surveillance for safety. This really is UK engineering at its best.”  

Increasing internet traffic is a major concern that needs immediate attention. Enterprises are pressurized to handle traffic and ensure that employees do not face application performance delays. At the same time, it is also important to have corporate networks secured. Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) play an important role in securing applications and further keeping our systems safe from malware or other threats. While we all understand that firewalls are needed, it is also a fact that the SSL/ TLS encrypted data flow from these firewalls majorly impact internet traffic which in-turn affects the performance of the applications. Organizations should look at solutions to fasten this process which could help increase the traffic and in turn business productivity. The Tolly Report, a 3rd party validation firm tested WAF and NGFW across industries and presented a set of results. According to this report, when SSL processing was offloaded to Array Networks AVX series it helped the IT administrators to witness an increased performance in transactions per second (TPS), data throughput, and URL response time. During the testing process, WAF saw a 67 times increase in TPS and NGFW saw a 5 times increase in TPS. The observation made post usage of Array’s AVX series platform and SSL offload shows the stark reality of why the product is a game-changer. These are the results obtained post the study: Traffic caused due to processing of SSL/ TLS dropped dramatically on per second count in virtual WAF transactions, optimizing the URL response time. Similar results were obtained in the virtual NGFW transactions including similar performance hits. AVX series platform and SSL offload products of Array helped in improving the performance for both WAF and NGFW. These results point towards a more traffic-free route for internet users in corporate networks. Array’s AVX network functions platform series provides a cost-effective and time-saving solution to ensure performance without sacrificing the agility of virtual appliances.  

Transit agencies have traditionally relied on multiple single-purpose proprietary systems that don’t interconnect. To help security, IT, operations and vehicle maintenance staff work together, Genetec, a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, recently announced a portfolio of solutions designed to help transit organizations unify their security and operations from a single intuitive interface. The Genetec Transit Portfolio enables key stakeholders to work in sync using a solution that unifies wayside and onboard security with operational and intelligence products that leverage their existing security infrastructure to bring additional insights.   Most onboard and wayside systems are built on separate, closed architectures that require costly custom updates and integrations to communicate with other systems in a limited way. Transitioning to a single, open platform under a single pane of glass helps unify systems while laying the foundation for coordinated processes, efficient incident response, and collaborative work. This makes it easier to build internal processes to increase an agency’s overall operational efficiency. Additionally, transit agencies are increasingly being solicited for information from external partners (neighboring transit agencies, law enforcement, city services etc). A unified system establishes an infrastructure that facilitates sharing data while keeping it secure. “To meet evolving demands and travelers’ expectations, transit agencies need to find creative ways to provide a safe and seamless journey for their customers, while also having the right systems and protocols in place to ensure efficient operations,” said Jermaine Santoya, Industry Marketing Manager for Intelligent Mobility at Genetec, “Using a unified security platform allows them to track all events in their vehicles and premises, record and retrieve actionable information efficiently, and provide an optimal ex-perience for all commuters.” At the core of the Genetec Transit Portfolio is the Genetec Security Center platform which unifies video management, access control and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) capabilities. With the Security Center Omnicast™ video management system (VMS), transit agencies can monitor their infrastructure and vehicles to help protect commuters and staff using a wide range of industry-leading cameras, encoders, and CCTV equipment. Security Center Synergis™ access control system secures entrances for staff and commuters, improves compliance, while leveraging existing network and third-party access control devices. Security Center AutoVu™ automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) makes it easier for parking management teams to enforce parking restrictions by locating and counting vehicles of interest like buses, taxis, and car-sharing services, and providing a real-time inventory of vehicles on access roads and in monitored parking lots. The Genetec transit portfolio also includes a number of transit-specific capabilities: Security Center Fleet Monitoring: provides a unified, non-proprietary solution, to configure and interact with the different devices on board each vehicle in a fleet to provide live video, GPS localization, and vehicle telematics. Security Center Transportation Sensor Management: ingests data from a wide variety of sensors to count people or vehicles entering the premises, track occupancy, and serve as triggers for procedures. Sipelia™ Communications Management: extends a transit organization’s security with SIP-based communications that promotes collaboration between colleagues through embedded audio and video calls while allowing operations staff to manage public address systems as well as incoming and outgoing calls with intercom devices. The portfolio also includes a number of additional options including: Genetec Mission Control™ is a collaborative decision management system that empowers transit agencies to use their existing sensors and security devices to collect and qualify data to identify complex situations and incidents. Once incidents are identified, the system launches a response that allows operators to follow transit-specific processes and meet compliance requirements. The Genetec Clearance™ collaborative investigation management system can help speed up investigations by allowing agencies to securely collect, manage, and share evidence from different sources with both internal and external stakeholders. Streamvault™ is a line of turnkey security infrastructure solutions that range from workstations to fully furnished servers and hardened onboard computers for vehicle fleets.  

AVIS Milano, a blood bank association based in Milano, Italy, would also like to send a huge ‘Thank You’ to MOBOTIX, Ideologica and all others involved for graciously providing state-of-the-art security measures. A thermal technology system was donated by MOBOTIX, the German multinational manufacturing company, and installed completely free-of-charge by its partner, Ideologica from Bergamo. This generous gesture is a sign of solidarity that also represents an action of social responsibility at an international level, to support the Lombard capital in a time of serious difficulty. Lombardy is still one of the regions most affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Due to the emergency, hospitals remain overcapacity, surgeries postponed, and staff continue to work fatigued because of what they’ve had to sustain over the past few months. In addition to this already critical situation, the Milanese capital suffers from a major blood scarcity. A significant figure in May 2020, 5,215 fewer blood units were collected (14.49% less) than in the same month of 2019. Many donations made were due to the appeals launched by AVIS Milano. Thanks to the responses of citizens, even non-periodic donors, who went to the Lambrate headquarters in recent weeks in order to generously help. To ensure donors’ maximum security and to avoid crowding in the waiting rooms, regulating access and managing the flow became extremely important. AVIS Milano has immediately taken necessary measures. Thanks to MOBOTIX’s donation and the completely free installation by Bergamo-based company, Ideologica, the association is now able to provide the highest level of protection before a potential donor is accepted. A MOBOTIX thermal TR imaging camera has been installed in the room where donors are processed and wait for access to donor acceptance protocols. The camera, which is equipped with a radiometric thermal sensor, is able to detect variations in temperature of those present in the access room. It was integrated into AVIS Milano’s existing system by Ideologica in just one afternoon, and was programmed to detect any temperature rise above 37.5 degrees Celsius (as required by law to allow the donation), with an accuracy level of 0.3 degree. If a donation candidate displays any change from this value, an immediate auditory alarm is triggered. The donation candidate with a potentially higher temperature is then escorted to another location and informed of the reasons for their donation refusal and is encouraged to visit his or her attending physician for further investigation. In respect of privacy, the system has not been set up to be viewed remotely with a video image on any external PC. The medical staff immediately receives a report that a person with a temperature above 37.5 degrees centigrade has appeared in the entrance hall. “Thanks to the contribution of MOBOTIX technology, we were able to identify the person potentially at risk of COVID-19 through the temperature symptom from the moment of entry, avoid contact with other donors present and advise the individual on an immediate follow-up with their doctor,” commented Sergio Casartelli, General Manager of AVIS Milan. “Technology should always be seen as positive improvement in any application regardless of how it is used, either to facilitate or to provide a final solution. We as MOBOTIX are committed to promoting and providing through our solutions and our partners as many benefits and opportunities as possible. “We are extremely proud and humbled that we could collaborate with AVIS and that our technology could support the work AVIS has done to ensure availability of blood in Milan. “This is one of the most important actions any organisation could have taken to provide support at this critical time,” concluded Phillip Antoniou, Vice President Sales Europe South / West & MEAPAC.