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.  

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.  

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.  

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.”  

3xLOGIC, Inc., a leading provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, recently announced Glasscock Independent School District (TX) has embarked on Phase Three of their ambitious plan to convert to a largely wireless, keyless access environment, supplemented by some hardwired doors as well. VGI Technology, San Angelo, TX, is managing the installation of this on-going project. VGI also provides access control and video surveillance to 40 school districts across Texas. About 18 months ago, Wade Williams, VGI, worked with the district to finalize Phase Two plans for over 70 Allegion wireless locks for the Texas school, managed by an existing 3xLOGIC infinias access control system. Phase Two involved wireless locks for internal classroom doors, Phase One of the project started in late 2018 with 60 exterior doors being fitted with both wireless and wired locks. Scott Bicknell, Superintendent, Glasscock ISD, contacted Williams after touring a nearby school district’s system of more than 100 doors, managed by the infinias system. “We wanted to stop people from entering the school during certain times,” explained Bicknell, “Our focus so far has been more on access control than video surveillance, but we’re looking at video in the future as well.” Phase Three, which is on-going in the fall of this year will see 38 more wireless locks added to the mix, in order to secure all academic settings at the school. The pre-K to high school facility serves approximately 300 students. “Phase Three is a nice addition to the system, Phase Two was focused on where students spend most of their time during the day,” said Bicknell, “Now, we’ll add more wireless locks as the budget has become available, and we’ll be about twothirds wireless, supplemented by some hardwired doors – all managed by the infinias system.” Glasscock ISD maintains multiple buildings, comprising two campuses, all connected into one large building. Other facilities include an agriculture shop, cafeteria and concessions, two gyms, and a bus depot. The school building has three outer doors and all visitors must be buzzed in by intercom. In this way, there is no free flow of outside parties into the building or anywhere around the building during the school day. “We didn’t want to fall behind in addressing our security needs,” said Bicknell, “We decided we would proceed from the exterior doors to the interior and now we’re achieving much better peace of mind for the safety and security of our students and staff.” The exterior and interior doors are access card-based, and only staff and teachers are issued cards. Glasscock maintains multiple user groups with different access privileges and times. Multiple staff members have the infinias application on their phones and these staff can manage the system remotely at any time, from anywhere. “The system is really convenient,” commented Bicknell, “Throughout the installation so far, it’s been smooth sailing. The system has been a great improvement. Now we have a system with very little maintenance needed, just batteries in each of the individual locks.”  

Many states face growing problem of uninsured vehicles on the road Rekor Systems, Inc., a Maryland-based company providing real-time roadway intelligence through AI-driven decisions, recently announced that the State of Oklahoma will integrate the Company’s Rekor One™ platform across the state to provide vehicle information associated with uninsured motorists as part of the state’s Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion Program (UVED Program), which is operated by the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council. Use of the Rekor One platform by Oklahoma’s UVED program furthers the state’s mission to decrease the number of uninsured motorists on the road and keep matters out of the court system. The platform allows for real-time detection of non-compliant vehicles and instant data consolidation into a regularly updating insurance database connected to the state’s enforcement programs. Additionally, Rekor’s AI-driven technology identifies a vehicle’s make, model and color – providing additional validation for confirming vehicle identification. Oklahoma created the UVED program as it ranked number one in the nation for uninsured motorists and after statistics showed that one out of four drivers were operating a vehicle without insurance, despite a legal obligation that motorists must have coverage. Oklahoma is losing millions in potential revenue each year from taxes on insurance premiums, and insured drivers are burdened with the cost of property damage and medical bills, as well as higher premiums, stemming from accidents involving uninsured motorists. “Oklahoma has hundreds of thousands of uninsured motorists on the road right now, which has huge safety and financial implications for the state and its citizens,” said Robert Berman, President and CEO, Rekor, “We are seeing eye-popping statistics in other states regarding an increase in uninsured motor vehicles on the road (as well as expired tags). Rekor One is a single turnkey solution that Rekor can deliver to any state. It provides all the technology they need, with a high level of data security, to identify uninsured vehicles and take effective measures to ensure compliance.” A motorist enters the UVED program by acquiring insurance and paying a $174 enrollment fee, thereby avoiding the possibility of criminal charges, associated penalties, and a permanent mark on his or her driving record. With over 273.6 million registered vehicles on the road in the United States, approximately 33.5 million are being driven without insurance, according to data derived from the Insurance Information Institute’s and Federal Highway Administration’s most current data. Nearly one in eight vehicles in the US are uninsured, which puts insured drivers at greater risk in the event of an accident. In addition to the burden on insured drivers, states are deprived of a significant amount of tax revenue that could be earned on insurance premiums that should be paid by millions of vehicle owners. Rekor will receive a $43 processing fee for each UVED Program enrollment. In addition to deploying technology to identify and process diversion notices issued to uninsured motor vehicle owners on the road, Rekor will also assist Oklahoma drivers by providing a one-stop web portal for uninsured motorists to easily find non-standard and standard insurance for their vehicle. Rekor’s technology supports and ensures adherence to Oklahoma’s privacy regulations. The Rekor One platform only retains data when a vehicle is out of compliance and until the vehicle becomes insured. No additional information is held or shared within the database. “The goal of the UVED Program is to create safer roadways for Oklahoma citizens. Uninsured vehicles create negative consequences for innocent motorists as well as the State,” said Amanda Arnall Couch, Director, Oklahoma UVED Program, “Rekor, a company based entirely in the United States, was the only bidder to offer a secure, complete solution platform within the framework of single-vendor accountability. This partnership will give UVED an outcomes-oriented approach for non-compliant vehicles, reducing the burden on the criminal justice system while assisting Oklahoma citizens in getting insured.” Rekor’s technology will assist the State of Oklahoma in identifying uninsured vehicles on the road, and once identified, the enforcement division will issue a ‘notice to respond,’ encouraging a vehicle owner to get insurance and comply with the law. Uninsured motorists cited on the road by police officers can face stiff penalties, including fines, imprisonment, license plate confiscation and/ or reinstatement fees. “The Oklahoma UVED Program is among the first in the country,” Berman concluded, “With Rekor One’s cost-effective and multidimensional technology, we anticipate that many states will initiate similar programs in the near future. An advantage of the Rekor One platform is that it can also be used to support multiple additional community safety, intelligent roadway and revenue generation activities.”  

IDIS is supporting affordable and straightforward returnto-work steps with its new AI Box (DV-2232) for COVID-19. Powered by the industry’s most accurate IDIS deep learning engine and compatible with IDIS deep learning analytics (IDLA), the AI Box for COVID-19 is a simple addon appliance that’s compatible with existing IDIS network cameras and DirectIP® NVRs, eliminating the need for complex analytics software or edge VA devices. The IDIS AI Box for COVID-19 includes functions for social distancing adherence, people counting and occupancy control, crowd detection, mask detection and dashboard and reporting tools that are critically important for compliance. These practical deep learning-based features support safe working practices which help prevent the spread of coronavirus and other infections. Users can take advantage of four advanced video analytics functions simultaneously across 32-channels and each camera stream, making the cost-effective IDIS AI Box adaptable for all sizes of business. Users also benefit from a perspective view, giving superior analysis compared to top view analytics cameras and ensuring that each camera provides exceptional surveillance for security, safety and data intelligence. IDIS AI Box advanced video analytics enables some of the most important counter-infection measures: People counting & occupancy monitoring: Counts the number of people coming in and out of premises (stores, banks, pharmacies, and busy commercial sites, for example) showing the status of occupancy in real-time. Using cameras positioned at entrances and exits, the IDIS AI Box generates precise AI-assisted alerts to overcrowding, with real-time calculations to underpin occupancy control interventions. For retail customers, dashboards positioned at store entrances use a simple 3-step traffic light system to automate the admissions and flow in and out. In addition, the dashboards show estimated wait times at peak periods and allow retailers to customise the displays with company logos and promotional graphics. Social distancing: Detects distances between individuals and sends an alarm when a defined distance is violated. Users can configure event notifications to issue verbal reminders and select from five spacing sensitivity levels depending on local state, industry, or sector-specific requirements. Crowd detection: Alerts building and store managers to overcrowding in pre-selected zones and triggers event alarms every time bottlenecking or overcrowding occurs. Face mask detection: Detects people wearing a mask or people not wearing a mask, giving users the ability to configure and trigger event alarms and issue verbal reminders accordingly. Reporting: Comprehensive reporting tools are provided for all four of these video analytic functions. They provide data analysis including people counts and occupancy, along with any violations by time, day, and month, for accurate and required record keeping. This data can also be exported to Excel spreadsheets for easy referencing. “The COVID-19 pandemic has tested everyone’s resilience,” said James Min, Managing Director, IDIS Europe, “IDIS has developed credible and practical solutions to help reduce infection risks, with automation that improves operating efficiency and technology that avoids the cost of hiring in additional manpower or redeploying existing staff to higher-risk front-line roles. “Moving forward much of this functionality will also prove particularly valuable for retail, with AI-driven video delivering insights into shoppers’ behaviour, helping to convert browsing into sales and improving the customer experience and for facilities managers to optimize buildings and workspace.”