Year: 2021

ONVIF®, the leading global standardization initiative for IP-based physical security products, has released Profile D, a new profile that addresses interfaces for access control peripheral devices, providing the market with an additional tool for building modern and secure IP-based integrated video and access control systems using ONVIF. Profile D is designed to provide ONVIF interoperability for peripheral devices such as locks, credential/ biometric readers, PIN pads, license plate recognition cameras, door phones, sensors and displays. These types of peripherals commonly require specific integrations between products from different vendors to be able to incorporate them into an access control management platform. “Users are increasingly looking to incorporate additional technologies into their access control systems for use in innovative ways such as bar code reading cameras for visitor management or video door stations for intercom applications,” said Patrik Björling, Chair of the ONVIF Profile D Working Group, “Profile D provides a standardized way to satisfy this demand for interoperability, which can in turn drive additional opportunities for more use cases for peripheral devices.” Using Profile D, a peripheral device such as a wireless lock or license plate recognition camera, can pass credential identifiers to a securely located Profile D conformant client such as an access control unit or management software. The client or controller, which stores access rules, schedules and credentials, can then take the access decision and send a command back to the peripheral device to grant or deny access, display a message or request additional input such as a PIN code. Having sensitive information on a separate controller in a secured area enhances security. Communications between the device and client are secured using ONVIF security protocols such as TLS. The Profile D specification enables a conformant client to configure a conformant device with the necessary data such as which door and access point the device is responsible for, as well as configure a list of allowed or blocked credential identifiers in a device that supports this capability. ONVIF Profile D complements Profile A and Profile C in enabling standardized communications in an IP-based electronic access control system. Profile D devices can also support video profiles such as Profile T and Profile M to enable an integrated video and access control system using ONVIF inter[1]faces. Such devices include a door phone that combines a reader and lock with audio/ video intercom, or an IP camera with a relay output connected to a lock that can be used by a guard to visually identify a visitor and remotely unlock the door. Founded in 2008, ONVIF is a leading and well-recognized industry forum driving interoperability for IP-based physical security products. The organization has a global member base of established camera, video management system and access control companies and more than 20,000 profile conformant products. In addition to Profile D, ONVIF offers Profile S for streaming video; Profile G for video recording and storage; Profile C for physical access control; Profile Q for improved out[1]of-the-box functionality, Profile A for broader access control configuration, Profile T for advanced video streaming, and Profile M for metadata and events for analytics applications. ONVIF continues to work with its members to expand the number of IP interoperability solutions ONVIF conformant products can provide.  

Intersec Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s largest trade fair for security, safety, and fire protection, has been rescheduled to take place in September 2022, the show’s organiser announced. The 4th edition of the three-day event was originally set to run from 12-14 September 2021, however, the move to next year comes after the Kingdom’s international travel restrictions remain in place, impacting the ability to plan ahead for the show. Intersec Saudi Arabia is organised by Saudi-based Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE) Group under licence from UAE-headquartered Messe Frankfurt Middle East, which organises Intersec, the world’s leading exhibition for security, safety and fire protection. Alexandria Robinson, Intersec Saudi Arabia’s Show Director, said, “We continue to remain in regular contact with our key stakeholders, trade associates, government partners, exhibitors and supporters of Intersec Saudi Arabia. “The decision to move the exhibition to 2022 is widely supported by the industry and the feedback we’ve received has indicated everyone is positive and excited about what the future holds. “We’re looking forward to delivering a fully booked Saudi show in 2022 that will deliver above and beyond what is expected of the Intersec brand.” “Saudi is the largest and fastest growing market for security, safety and fire protection in the Middle East, and Intersec Saudi Arabia 2022 will present the ideal platform for international and local exhibitors to re-connect and gain direct access to key players in this industry,” added Robinson. Intersec Saudi Arabia is supported by key government entities including the Saudi Ministry of Interior, Saudi Civil Defense, and the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), together with the industry at large. More than 120 exhibitors from 20 countries are expected to participate next year, while the customary wide range of value-added conferences covering much needed discussions and topics will also return. Long-term prospects for Saudi’s security, safety, and fire protection market look good after a pandemic-affected 2020; according to analysts 6W Research, the Kingdom’s market for video surveillance, access control, and intrusion detection, along with fire safety systems and equipment, is estimated to be worth US$906 million in 2021, a seven percent increase over the previous year (US$846.6 million). The market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.3 percent over the next five years, and is estimated to reach US$1.2 billion in 2026.  

Axis Communications announces that a selection of its cameras is now ONVIF Profile M conformant, enabling standardized streaming of metadata and event sending from edge-based analytics applications in a best-of-breed multi-vendor surveillance system. Conformance to Profile M enables easier integration of metadata and events with ONVIF Profile M conformant clients like video management software and services. Profile M conformant clients on the market would be able to query, filter and receive metadata to trigger automatic responses and effectively store and search for video content of interest. The initial list of Axis products with Profile M conformance supports the detection and classification of humans and vehicles from AXIS object analytics. The list will expand in the future to a wider range of devices and support a variety of metadata from Axis analytics applications. Profile M is the latest ONVIF profile that Axis products support. Other supported ONVIF profiles include Profiles A and C for access control devices, and Profiles G, S and T for video products. The addition of Profile M makes it easier for system integrators and end users to use Axis products with other ONVIF conformant clients in a wide range of applications for security and safety, operational efficiency and smart building management.  

Delta Scientific announced the successful testing of its ASTM F2656-20 M30/ P1-certified model DSC633, a single shallow foundation bollard design that stops and destroys a 15,000 pound (6.804kg) test truck with -8.82 feet (-2.69m) of static penetration and -3.63 feet (-1.1m) of dynamic penetration. The simulated bomb load remained intact and contained on the truck bed. The test vehicle weighed 15,000 pounds (6,804kg) and was traveling over 30 miles per hour (48kpm). The truck was stopped and completely disabled. “The negative penetration levels recorded on this test continue to prove the stopping power of Delta’s barriers,” stated David Dickinson, CEO of Delta Scientific. The DSC633 bollard has a height of 44 inches (111 cm) and a diameter of 13.75 inches (35cm) with a cover. Delta’s bollards can be furnished with an array of decorative covers to enhance the look and match the aesthetics of the surrounding structures. These covers include stainless steel, powder coated aluminum and fiberglass with custom styling and painting also available. Lights, beacons and audible devices can also be added to the bollards for additional safety protocols. Delta has been manufacturing shallow foundation bollards and barricades 24 inches (60.96cm) or less for decades. Shallow foundation bollards are the perfect solution for sidewalks, campuses, parking structures and government/ corporate facility perimeters where underground utilities and space limitations pose a problem for traditional deep foundation bollards. Delta’s shallow foundation bollards are often used to protect building perimeters and sports stadiums as static arrays and used in conjunction with Delta’s active bollards and vehicle barricades at entrances and exits. Delta Scientific Corporation is the leading manufacturer of vehicle access control equipment with over 260,000 square feet of production facilities in Palmdale, Calif. Delta’s three product lines consist of high-security vehicle barricade systems, parking control equipment and guard booths. Delta Scientific has been engineering and manufacturing vehicle access control equipment since 1974 and sells its products worldwide.  

Long John Silver’s, the largest quick-service seafood restaurant chain in the United States, has chosen Interface Security Systems, a leading managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, to enhance network connectivity across 430 of its restaurants. To build this ‘network of the future,’ Long John Silver’s implemented Interface’s fully managed, restaurant-technology-in-a-box solution that includes prefabricated network equipment ready for SD-WAN expansion, wireless WAN backup and VoIP connectivity. In order to continue offering consistent and satisfactory customer service, the IT team at Long John Silver’s needed a reliable, high-speed network for their restaurants. Accompanied by a robust backup network, the system supports additional services like guest Wi-Fi, mobile devices and tablets for their staff. After a rigorous evaluation of managed services vendors, Long John Silver’s chose to partner with Interface. “Interface’s solution stood out as the most innovative and cost-effective option on the market,” said Brad Gardone, Vice President of Information Technology Services at Long John Silver’s, “The company’s restaurant-technology-in-box model came with preconfigured network cabinets and accessories outfitted specifically for Long John Silver’s, allowing for installation to occur with no disruption to restaurant operations. No other service provider offered us this model.” Interface helped Long John Silver’s completely replace the legacy switches and myriad connectivity solutions with a secure, scalable LAN and WAN with LTE failover, 24×7 remote monitoring, along with a business VoIP voice connectivity. Long John Silver’s was able to go live across 430 restaurants in a matter of a few months. With the new solution in place, restaurant staff was able to focus solely on the customer experience, rather than dealing with connectivity issues or outages. Not to mention, revenue leakages due to offline credit card transactions came down drastically and operational reports are now generated in real time, giving management better visibility on restaurant performance. When the pandemic hit and Long John Silver’s customers shifted their preferences to online ordering, the revamped network and VoIP solution bundle allowed the seafood chain to pivot to an online-order-first model. “During the pandemic, about 90 percent of the business shifted to online/ drive-through. While dine-ins will steadily make a comeback in the future, we are proud of what we accomplished with help from Interface,” said Gardone, “We now have a top-of-the-line network and voice solution that’s robust, scalable, secure and will become the foundation for everything we plan to build in the coming years.” The partnership between Long John Silver’s and Interface is just picking up steam. In addition to offering an expanded voice communication system to support remote teams and work from home employees, Interface will continue to play a key role in Long John Silver’s mission to maintain top-tier security and drive growth. Interface Security Systems is a leading managed services provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises. They improve security, streamline connectivity, optimize operations, and reduce IT costs, maximizing ROI for the nation’s top brands.  

Quantum Corporation recently announced an agreement to acquire the video surveillance portfolio and assets of Pivot3, a pioneer in hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) and a player in intelligent software solutions for the security and surveillance markets. The acquisition brings a diverse portfolio of video surveillance appliances, network video recorders (NVRs), and management applications along with a scale-out hyper converged software platform, which going forward will all be offered under the Quantum VS-Series product portfolio. Together with Quantum’s current line of NVR servers, the StorNext™ File System, and ActiveScale™ object storage, the Pivot3 additions round out a comprehensive surveillance and security portfolio, spanning small to multi-petabyte deployments. “Surveillance cameras are the biggest data generator on the planet, and Pivot3 has established themselves as one of the leaders in this space by pioneering the use of hyperconverged software for surveillance recording,” said Jamie Lerner, Chairman and CEO, Quantum, “This acquisition represents another key step in Quantum’s transformation, solidifying the company as a serious player in the multi-billion-dollar video surveillance market, expanding our global customer base, sales channels, and technical expertise specific to this industry.” Highlights of the acquisition Transaction purchase price totals approximately $8.9 million in cash and stock. Acquisition projected to be slightly accretive to EBITDA through remainder of Fiscal 2022. Expands video surveillance portfolio with hardware and software offerings that will be offered under the Quantum VS-Series portfolio. Builds on an established reputation for quality, world class services and support and a mature supply chain in the video surveillance market. Brings core intellectual property around distributed storage, data placement, erasure coding, and storage quality of service. Expands global customer base with over 500 new surveillance customers with some of the most demanding mission critical deployments in the world including airports, mass transit, casinos, education, and smart cities. Adds key employees to engineering, product and sales organizations with deep expertise in video surveillance solutions. Lerner added: “We are excited to welcome Pivot3’s surveillance customers and partners to Quantum. We are committed to making sure that they receive excellent service and support throughout this transition, and we have an innovative and compelling roadmap planned that builds on the proven Pivot3 product line with Quantum’s intellectual property and expertise in video. We are excited to share this roadmap.” “We believe it’s critical to manage the video surveillance data lifecycle from initial capture through expiration, and adding Pivot3 to the Quantum portfolio expands our ability to address security projects of every size and scope,” said Curt Wittich, Vice President of Sales, Strategic Markets, at Quantum, “Surveillance traditionally utilizes ‘one-size-fits-all’ products that address only primary video storage, but higher quality cameras and increasing retention requirements demand different solutions to support video at various lifecycle stages. These solutions range from entry-level VMS servers all the way to cloud or tape storage for multi-year, multi-petabyte retention. Quantum’s portfolio covers the entire lifecycle for optimal video placement, accessibility, and cost effectiveness.” The new employees joining Quantum will be under direction of the Strategic Markets Business Unit, led by Ross Fujii, General Manager. Sales will be led by Curt Wittich.