Day: August 14, 2025

Background The Chiba Taxi Association manages over 5,000 taxi vehicles across its eight branches in Chiba Prefecture. Among them, the Keiyo Branch and the Keiyo District Taxi Operations Council have led efforts to install network cameras at key terminal stations for the past 18 years. These systems have supported the monitoring of taxi stand conges­tion, crime prevention, and emergency response, including the identification of stranded commuters during disasters. In response to taxi deregulation by the national govern­ment in 2002, large numbers of taxis began flocking to sta­tion stands, creating serious congestion. To address this, the association introduced its first ‘Taxi Satellite System,’ which temporarily redirects waiting taxis to offsite parking areas and calls them back via radio when space becomes available at the station. Initially, this operation was manually handled by on-site traffic supervisors, but over time, it transitioned to camera-based monitoring using network camera systems. At the time, deploying network cameras to support such a system was a groundbreaking move in Japan – considered both advanced and innovative. This camera-based approach helped reduce congestion and wait times while also contrib­uting to public safety and convenience. Building on this long-standing commitment to safer and more efficient taxi operations, the association has now introduced a new monitoring system powered by VIVOTEK cameras at JR Maihama Station – a station widely known as the gateway to Tokyo Disney Resort. The goal is to visualize and manage congestion caused by overtourism in the area. Challenge Overcrowding Around a Major Tourist Hub JR Maihama Station serves tens of thousands of passengers daily, many of whom visit Tokyo Disney Resort, located just a five-minute walk away. Adding to the strain, inbound tourism surged in Japan after COVID-19, making evening hours – especially after 8 PM – particularly congested. In some cases, buses and taxis were unable to access the station due to heavy traffic caused by private vehicles. Staff Shortages from an Aging Workforce In the past, supervisors were stationed at major terminals to monitor congestion, maintain order at the rotary, and prevent unauthorized taxi operations – particularly by Tokyo-based taxis operating outside their jurisdiction. However, in recent years, the association has faced increasing challenges due to an aging workforce and a declining pool of available personnel. Solution Full-Surround Coverage with Fewer Cameras VIVOTEK’s fisheye cameras provide seamless 360° cov­erage, eliminating blind spots and enabling comprehensive monitoring of the taxi stand area with fewer units. This not only enhances situational awareness but also proves valuable during investigations and when sharing footage with law en­forcement. The wide field of view from a single camera helps reduce both installation and maintenance costs. Additionally, the camera’s built-in IR illuminator ensures clear video even low-light conditions – an essential feature for round-the-clock taxi operations. Remote Monitoring for Smarter Dispatching Live footage from the cameras is streamed directly to taxi and bus company dispatch centers, enabling remote monitor­ing of congestion at taxi stands without the need for on-site staff. This has streamlined the dispatching process and helped alleviate overcrowding. By gradually shifting from manual patrols to camera-based monitoring, the association has also mitigated labor shortages while achieving significant im­provements in both cost saving and operational efficiency. Benefits Camera footage is also shared with local law enforce­ment. Under a crime prevention agreement with the Urayasu Police Station of the Chiba Prefectural Police, the footage has been utilized for both investigation and deter­rence. The association continues to leverage both new and existing camera systems – not only to ease congestion at taxi and bus stands but also to help maintain a peaceful environ­ment and support the creation of a safer society. Read More

The National Bank of Costa Rica, founded in 1877, is the oldest financial institution in the country. It plays a crucial role in the national economy, pro­viding accessible financial services and supporting Costa Rica’s economic and social development. Its mission ranges from providing financial services accessible to all sectors of the population to actively supporting key initiatives for national growth. Challenges National Bank faced multiple challenges in terms of its electronic security, characterized by multiple iso­lated systems that made it difficult to manage and update. Faced with this situation, and with advances in technolog­ical developments, it was necessary to implement a new integrated, dynamic, robust, scalable solution that would allow updates, covering access control, video surveillance, intrusion alarms and fire detection, to guarantee reliability and adequate support to the institution. During the implementation of the solutions, the team faced considerable challenges. The pandemic and a four-year cumulative demand altered supply and logistics schemes, requiring new protocols from import to installa­tion. A crisis of shortages of key components also impacted the process. Despite these obstacles, the work schedule was maintained. Solution Johnson Controls was selected after a rigorous study that evaluated aspects of the important to the networked sys­tem, such as bandwidth consumption, software efficiency, user interface, and overall system performance. This solu­tion not only proved to be compatible with the institutional needs of National Bank, but also offered the necessary integration between the different security subsystems. National Bank implemented a full range of Johnson Controls products to strengthen its electronic security infra­structure. Among the products used are the complete line of DSC Neo and Pro intrusion systems, the Exacq Enterprise version video servers for advanced video surveillance man­agement, the C•CURE access control system for compre­hensive access management and physical security and the 4100ES series Simplex fire detection panels to ensure early detection and effective response to emergencies. These solutions were selected for their proven ability to integrate and perform, perfectly adapting to the bank’s spe­cific needs in terms of reliability and support. In addition, all security subsystems are integrated under a single man­agement interface, allowing users and security managers to better manage and control each other. The constant review of the process, facing restrictions and crises, and even thus complying with the installation schemes, only reflect the interest of all the parties in carrying out the project. Having a strategic partner such as Johnson Controls has allowed us to develop this migration process Oscar Cascante DelgadoElectronic Security Specialist Engineer, Construction andStandardization Unit of the National Bank of Costa Rica Outcomes The new security scheme has marked a notable improve­ment in the National Bank. Thanks to open communi­cation with customers, the desired results were achieved. “Openness in communicating with customers has been crucial; we make sure their needs are heard and addressed. We are committed to providing technology solutions that continuously improve banking processes in the short, medium and long term,” said Virginia Baez, Regional Sales Manager at Johnson Controls. As an initial aspect, the reuse of existing analogue systems was considered, facilitating their migration to the new platform. In addition, a more advanced system was implemented in this project that includes better video quality and greater video availability. Alarm systems have been optimized, which has significantly reduced the number of false alarms and increased their reliability. Excellent video quality makes it easy to resolve incidents in daily operations without setbacks. In general, the bank’s security scheme has been fully strengthened. Today, the system operates smoothly in terms of video, intrusion and fire alarms. As for aspects related to cybersecurity, the bank has its own policies, led by the IT department. Johnson Controls took on the challenge of complying with these policies, committing itself from prod­uct development to offer a highly reliable and cyber-secure solution for all subsystems. In the future, the National Bank aims to maintain a gradual obsolescence scheme to minimize the impact of future implementations. In addition, it is planned to start the integration of platforms such as C•CURE and strengthen the implementation of fire detection systems to standardize them in all regional offices. It is also sought to bring the access control system to all the venues. Johnson Controls wide range of products and ongoing technical advice have been instrumental in developing specific projects that meet customer requirements. “Johnson Controls automation capability and technological advance­ment have made it possible to offer optimal and customized solutions,making a significant difference in their implemen­tations,” said Fabián Malcmann, General Manager of I.S.S. Integral Security Systems S.A. Thanks to the solutions implemented, the performance of the system has improved considerably today. The plat­form has managed to stabilize itself in terms of failures, with high equipment availability ensuring that information is always accessible for well-informed decision-making. Read More