Category: Feature
Intelligent Video: The Key to Transforming in-Store Shopping Experience
The retail sector has been felling the disruptive impact of e-commerce more than the most. The inevitable costs of staffing, rent, maintenance and daily operations has left traditional brick-and-mortar stores struggling to stay dynamic and compete effectively with their more agile online counterparts. Not only that, but the one competitive advantage of physical retail outlets – being able to provide a more personal customer experience – has also taken a hit in recent years, thanks to the lack of in-store and operational efficiency. Customers find it hard to locate the products they’re shopping for, are faced with longer queues for payment, and the most valuable ‘VIP’ customers are often overlooked. At a time when retailers should be striving to excel, this is a bad news, as a 2018 study from KPMG reinforces, “The customer experience is more important than ever as retailers are striving to differentiate themselves in a challenging and crowded market. Consequently, experience per square foot will be the new retail metric to measure success.” The question, therefore, is how can stores optimise operations and improve the customer experience at this critical time? Technology: At the heart of a better customer experience One challenge that retailers often face is not having a way to collect accurate data and visualise it intelligently in order to make smarter business decisions about the shop floor. For many, reorganising store layout and installing additional equipment is not a realistic option – either because there is no available space, or because of budgetary constraints. In these circumstances, an effective solution could be artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning. Together, these cutting-edge technologies create a video surveillance offering that can give retailers valuable insight into real-time operating conditions to boost customer service and in-store competitive advantage. Intelligent video technologies can be applied to retail in a multitude of ways. People counting Understanding the flow of customers is the key to optimising a store’s sales performance; and by using an accurate people-counting camera, stores can understand daily/ weekly/ monthly peak times, so that store managers can arrange staffing accordingly. What’s more, by layering this data over days, weeks and months, retailers can start to see and understand customer flow trends. The data can be benchmarked against the store’s sales figures and its overheads to inform future operational strategy and help managers optimise store profitability. Furthermore, people counting can also help retail managers gain insights into the customer experience. One example would be to evaluate the conversion rate, which depends on the actual number of purchases divided by the number of people entering the store. Retailers can calculate this rate easily using people counting technology. Even better, people counting can also help stores determine the results of their marketing activities. Each marketing campaign can be quantified by people counting to measure return on investment. This is just one of several technologies that provide insight into consumer behaviour and optimal marketing practices. VIP recognition Loyal high-end or VIP customers are enormously valuable to retailers, but service staff cannot always identify them immediately. This means that business operators miss valuable opportunities to extend a special service. Intelligent facial recognition cameras, however, can provide unique opportunities that were previously unavailable. When customers opt to participate in VIP marketing promotions or other incentives, facial recognition technology will give retailers accurate tools to identify VIPs so staff can provide the right kind of service at the right time. There would be no more need for customers to show membership cards to receive special offers. The whole shopping experience becomes more convenient and efficient. Heat mapping Retailers usually want to know which products customers are most interested in, and which promotional products can attract customers to stop. With heat-mapping technology, retailers can see a colour-coded map of how much time shoppers spend in specific store areas. This can reveal hot spots and dead zones, as well as how many people actually shop for a specific product versus those who just decide to pick it up as they casually walk by. By layering this data over time, retailers can get insight into how to best place items in store, and how best to design the overall store layout. One of the most useful heat-mapping tools available to the retail market is the fisheye camera. A single compact camera can capture a panoramic high-definition image over an impressively wide area, while its heat-mapping function provides the colour-coded map. Because fewer cameras are needed with most heat-mapping solutions, installation is cost-effective, making this the ideal solution for a location such as an independent shopping mall. Queue detection Worse still, if there is always a long queue every time they visit the store, they may avoid that store completely in future. Queue detection solutions can help retailers manage their checkout lines, and the queue detection cameras are designed to monitor queues in real-time. The cameras count the number of people in each queue, and if there are too many people in each checkout line and customers still continue to flock to the checkout area it triggers an alarm to store management, who can open a new checkout. Point of Sale integration Transaction records and surveillance videos can provide valuable information to reduce disputes at checkout. In the past, these are two completely independent data systems. In order to find the right video footage, the surveillance video must be retrieved manually. Therefore, collecting evidence around a transaction normally can take several hours, which is costly for the business. Point of Sale (PoS) integration, also known as PoS Text Overlay, is the uploading of transaction data to the video management system through the PoS and encoding it with the video stream. This combination of retail transaction data with surveillance videos makes it easy to identify certain transactions to be reviewed for customer complaints, mainly used for post-retrieval when a transaction disputes occurs. Intelligent video: Transforming the in-store shopping experience The intelligent, self-learning video solutions outlined above are designed to empower retailers with much of the insight they…
Women’s Safety Freedom not Feardom
“Crime rates in Delhi are coming down” – this headline on the front page in a leading national daily screamed at me as I saw it while somebody was reading the paper in the Delhi Metro on the other day. The article cited statistics to corroborate the statement. This data about a city that was considered as the most unsafe among 19 major cities just a couple of years ago, and called the ‘Crime Capital’ accounting for nearly 40% of rapes, 33% of crimes against women, and the highest crime rate, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, was certainly heartening. But does this reflect the changed ground reality as regards the safety of women in India? Everytime a young woman – a part of the expanding women workforce – steps out of the house, her mother asks, “Call me when you reach.” (Her eyes, however, say – so I may know you have reached safely). This constant fear in the eyes of our near and dear ones tells its own tale. Why are we constantly on alert as we step out into public spaces? Why do I live in a constant fear of invasion of my personal space, of leery eyes, lecherous glances and lewd comments? Why is my ‘mental space’ occupied with fear each day for my safety? I want freedom in my ‘mind’ from constant worry for my safety – as much as I want the freedom to walk into an empty train compartment without fear, or on a dark lonely street without worrying for my security. As more women continue to join the workforce, ensuring safety of women remains a critical aspect of ‘duty of care.’ Notwithstanding the headline above, and in spite of the many regulations laid down by the government, in the key economic centres of our country like Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru etc., safety and security of women continues to be an area of concern. Getting into overdrive – The 8th March syndrome As the Head of Training at a leading risk consultancy firm, which has conducted women’s safety training workshops for nearly a hundred thousand women professionals across corporate India, I have noticed a peculiar trend – companies go frenzy about International Women’s Day (8th March) – almost all of them want to conduct women’s safety awareness and self-defence training on that day or during that week. That leaves me with another nail-biting question leading to disappointment, “Is women’s safety worth an issue to be trotted out as just a discussion point on International Women’s Day only, or is it an on-going concern?” What happens during the rest of the year? Is the issue something so trivial that we can put it on the backburner to be brought alive on a particular day or when horrific incidents like Nirbhaya or the Kathua rape evoke strong reactions in national, global or social media? The extremely unfortunate Nirbhaya incident in 2012 had galvanised the nation into demanding justice, and ultimately culminated into important changes to the regulatory framework including amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act (No longer will a juvenile responsible for heinous deeds like rape and murder walk free, or have his past record wiped clean on account of being a juvenile – he will be treated like an adult and punished accordingly). Need for a holistic, integrated, & consistent approach Sporadic linear responses or solutions to violent crimes against women can never be effective. It requires the creation of an integrated eco-system that involves multiple stakeholder engagement that puts a premium on women’s safety and security. It involves getting into and eliminating the root causes, and using technology imaginatively and effectively to deter, detect, respond and defeat, training and awareness among stakeholders, gender sensitization, and an implementable regulatory framework which provides exemplary punishment to the offenders. By – Hima Bisht – Head of Training, MitKat Advisory
Matrix Comsec is All Set for IT EXPO’19
Matrix Comsec, the leading manufacturer and provider of security and telecom solutions, is participating in IT EXPO 2019 at Fort Lauderdale, Florida during 30 Jan to 1 Feb 2019 to showcase their comprehensive range of people mobility management, IP video surveillance and unified communication solutions. For SMB market, the company will showcase SPARSH VP710 that sets a new benchmark by offering enhanced video and voice capabilities, SMB IP-PBX SPARK100, an all-in-one communication solution with enterprise grade unified communication and collaboration, and next generation door controller COSEC ARGO that is equipped with features like 3.5” IPS touchscreen LCD with Gorilla glass, powerful processor for ultra-fast user identification, intuitive user experience, and vandal resistant (IK08). Further, Matrix will demonstrate seamless integration between Matrix IP video surveillance, access control and unified communications solutions along with Matrix video management and device management software suite. Matrix will also exhibit its range of gateways which allow easy integration with most of IP-PBX, TDM PBX, softswitch and hosted solutions. Award winning series of Matrix Gateways are perfect for enterprise and carrier-class solutions for multi-site connectivity and remote survivability while offering superior voice quality and state of the art routing features. Matrix is known for its customer centric, innovative range of solutions for unified communications, IP video surveillance, access control and time-attendance applications catering to diverse and complex deployments especially for the SMB, SME and large enterprises.
Matrix Comsec Announces Participation in Convergence 2019, to be Held in the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 29th – 31st Jan’19
Matrix Comsec has confirmed its participation in the 27th Convergence 2018, to be held in the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 29th – 31st January 2019. Matrix will be showcasing its complete range of Enterprise IP-PBXs, Unified Communication Server for Modern Enterprises, IP-PBX for SMB & SME, VoIP & GSM Gateways and new portfolio of IP Communication endpoints. Matrix is well-known for its indigenous and innovative range of solutions for Unified Communications, IP Video Surveillance, Access Control, and Time-Attendance. Each of our solutions is specifically designed for large, multi-location enterprises, SME and SMB organizations. Matrix Comsec continuously works towards keeping abreast with the constantly upgrading technology by designing and manufacturing solutions that are equipped with the latest technology. Matrix will be presenting some of its indigenously engineered Telecom solutions at the 27th Convergence 2019 Meet. Event Highlight Matrix Comsec will be showcasing its recently launched video conferencing solution – PARISAT VC as the highlight of the event. This Enterprise Meeting solution sets a new benchmark by offering enhanced video and voice capabilities. PARISAT meets the communication needs of modern enterprises to brainstorm ideas and devise effective strategies. Matrix PARISAT VC empowers organizations to make quick decisions and enhance customer experience. Products and Solutions Network Management solution – Matrix will be exhibiting its all-in-one solution for centralized control of every connected Matrix communication server and Gateway within a single network. Range of Gateways – Based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), Matrix range of Gateways allows easy integration with most of IP-PBX, TDM PBX, Softswitch and Hosted solutions. These award winning series of Matrix Gateways are perfect for enterprise and carrier-class solutions. Starting from a single port VoIP adaptor to high density VoIP-GSM-PRI-FXO/FXS Gateways, Matrix Telecom Solutions align with all requirements of Small to Large Business. Preloaded with superior voice quality and state-of-the-art routing features, Matrix Gateways are ideal for multi-site connectivity, remote survivability and SIP trunking. “Convergence India is a major technology event bringing ICT professionals on a common platform. Matrix is all set to showcase its latest Telecom solutions at Convergence this year. We look forward to meeting key decision makers and service providers and give them a first-hand experience of our Telecom solutions that are redefining business communications and providing a competitive advantage to our customers worldwide.” said Ganesh Jivani, Managing Director, Matrix Comsec. For further information, please contact: 394-GIDC, Makarpura, Vadodara-390010, India Toll Free (+91) 1800-258-7747 E-Mail: Inquiry@MatrixComSec.com Website: http://www.MatrixComSec.com
Matrix Comsec to Host its Event Matrix Insight on 24th Jan 19 in Philippines
Vadodara 27th December 2018, Matrix Comsec has confirmed it will be hosting its maiden event Insight in Philippines on 24th January 2019. Solution experts will be exhibiting innovative Unified Communication, Video Surveillance, Access Control and Time-Attendance solutions at the event. They will also be highlighting the benefits of partnering with Matrix for the attendees. Matrix is well-known for its indigenous and innovative range of solutions for IP Video Surveillance, Access Control, Time-Attendance and Unified Communications. All our solutions are specifically designed to meet the imminent needs of large, multi-location enterprises, SME and SMB organizations. Matrix Comsec continuously works towards keeping abreast with the constantly upgrading technology by designing and manufacturing solutions that are equipped with the latest technology. Matrix solution experts will be explaining in detail our enterprise grade Unified Communication and Security solutions at the Matrix Insight. Products and Solutions Matrix Unified Communication, Video Surveillance, Access Control and Time-Attendance solutions will be key highlights at the Matrix Insight Philippines. The solution experts will provide insights on key solution benefits, typical deployment scenarios, success stories and technology framework of our solutions. Matrix Team will also explain how Matrix partners benefit in terms of growth, differentiated products, profit margins and OEM support. IP Video Surveillance NVRX – The recently launched extreme series of Network Video Recorders will be exhibited at the event. These recorders come with 4K Decoding Capacity, allowing viewing high resolution live feed. IP Cameras – Matrix IP cameras are equipped with the H.265 Compression Technique which saves up to 50% on storage space. Video Management System – The video management system of Matrix assists in centralized command and control of the entire surveillance system. People Mobility Management Time-Attendance – Matrix Time-Attendance solutions allows organizations to collect and manage accurate attendance data of employees. Access Control – Matrix Access Control solutions enhances security of organizations and meets their requirements irrespective of its size, layout, locations and timings. Cafeteria Management – The solution offers automated cafeteria process right from placing an order to payment. Unified Communication Unified Communication – This enterprise grade communication solution offers Collaboration, Communication, Messaging and Mobility. Network Management solution – Matrix will be exhibiting its all-in-one solution for centralized control of every connected Matrix communication server and Gateway within a single network. Video Conferencing Solution – PARISAT VC – the Enterprise Meeting solution sets a new benchmark by offering enhanced video and voice capabilities. “Philippines is a growing market and a potential foothold for Matrix Comsec to spread its footprints. Our products meet the standard market requirements of the Philippines market. Moreover, Matrix Insight has served as a great platform for understanding the local market, study current and upcoming trends and design our solutions accordingly. We aim to expand our network and get a foot into the Philippines market”, commented Ganesh Jivani, MD Matrix Comsec. About Matrix Established in 1991, Matrix is a leader in Security and Telecom solutions for modern businesses and enterprises. As an innovative, technology driven and customer focused organization, the company is committed to keep pace with the revolutions in the Security and Telecom industries. With around 40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products like Video Surveillance Systems – Video Management Software, Network Video Recorder and IP Camera, Access Control and Time-Attendance Systems as well as Telecom Solutions such as Unified Communications, IP-PBX, Universal Gateways, VoIP and GSM Gateways and Communication Endpoints. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards. Having global footprints in Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa through an extensive network of more than 2,500 channel partners, Matrix ensures that the products serve the needs of its customers faster and longer. Matrix has gained trust and admiration customers representing the entire spectrum of industries. Matrix has won many international awards for its innovative products. For further information, please contact: 394-GIDC, Makarpura, Vadodara-390010, India Toll Free (+91) 1800-258-7747 E-Mail: Inquiry@MatrixComSec.com Website: http://www.MatrixComSec.com
Sophos 2019 Threat Report
Sophos has recently launched its 2019 Threat Report providing insights into emerging and evolving cybersecurity trends. The report, produced by SophosLabs researchers, explores changes in the threat landscape over the past 12 months, uncovering trends and how they are expected to impact cybersecurity in 2019. The SophosLabs 2019 Threat Report focuses on these key cybercriminal behaviours and attacks: Capitalist cybercriminals are turning to targeted ransomware attacks that are premeditated and reaping millions of dollars in ransom. 2018 saw the advancement of hand-delivered, targeted ransomware attacks that are earning cybercriminals millions of dollars. These attacks are different from ‘spray and pray’ style attacks that are automatically distributed through millions of emails. Targeted ransomware is more damaging than if delivered from a bot, as human attackers can find and stake out victims, think laterally, troubleshoot to overcome roadblocks, and wipe out back-ups so the ransom must be paid. This ‘interactive attack style,’ where adversaries manually maneuver through a network step-by-step, is now increasing in popularity. Sophos experts believe the financial success of SamSam, BitPaymer and Dharma to inspire copycat attacks and expect more happen in 2019. Cybercriminals are using readily available Windows systems administration tools. This year’s report uncovers a shift in threat execution, as more mainstream attackers now employ advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques to use readily available IT tools as their route to advance through a system and complete their mission – whether it’s to steal sensitive information off the server or drop ransomware: Turning admin tools into cyberattack tools: In an ironic twist, or Cyber Catch-22, cybercriminals are utilising essential or built-in Windows IT admin tools, including Powershell files and Windows scripting executables, to deploy malware attacks on users. Cybercriminals are playing digital dominos: By chaining together a sequence of different script types that execute an attack at the end of the event series, hackers can instigate a chain reaction before IT managers detect a threat is operational on the network, and once they break in it’s difficult to stop the payload from executing. Cybercriminals have adopted newer Office exploits to lure in victims: Office exploits have long been an attack vector, but recently cybercriminals have cut loose old Office document exploits in favour of newer ones. EternalBlue becomes a key tool for cryptojacking attacks: Patching updates appeared for this Windows threat more than a year ago, yet the EternalBlue exploit is still a favourite of cybercriminals. The coupling of EternalBlue to cryptomining software turned the activity from a nuisance hobby into a potentially lucrative criminal career. Lateral distribution on the corporate networks allowed the cryptojacker to quickly infect multiple machines, increasing payouts to the hacker and heavy costs to the user. Malware’s impact extends beyond the organization’s infrastructure as the threats from mobile malware grow a pace. With illegal Android apps on the increase, 2018 has seen an increased focus in malware being pushed to phones, tablets and other IoT devices. As homes and businesses adopt more internet-connected devices, criminals have been devising new ways to hijack those devices to use as nodes in huge botnet attacks. In 2018, VPNFilter demonstrated the destructive power of weaponized malware that affects embedded systems and networked devices that have no obvious user interface. Elsewhere, MiraiAidra, Wifatch, and Gafgyt delivered a range of automated attacks that hijacked networked devices to use as nodes in botnets to engage in distributed denial-of-service attacks, mine cryptocurrency and infiltrate networks.
HID Global Upgrading Security at University of Hull
The University of Hull has brought their access control technology into the mobile age. To better serve its students while also increasing security throughout the campus, the university partnered with HID Global, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions. The partnership has provided the university more efficient access control to campus buildings and has improved the experience for students and staff. Challenges The University of Hull manages abogcfut 25,000 students and 2,500 staff identities with an expected increase in students year over year. Students and staff were accessing housing accommodations, lecture halls, libraries, research buildings, and other secure locations with old access card technology. To improve their security, the University of Hull updated their magnetic stripe (magstripe) cards to contactless technology several years ago, but still found the solution lacking. Issuing thousands of access cards and maintaining credentials was logistically demanding and inefficient. “As you can imagine, over 520 people arriving at student residences for the weekend, with all of their parents, grandparents, dogs and others, is quite chaotic,” said Gary Moore of the University’s ICT Department. Beyond the laborious upkeep of physical cards, the University of Hull – like many other universities – found that students often lost or misplaced their student IDs/ access cards. The University of Hull sought to reduce the need for staffing and late night disturbances caused by students who lost their cards. The university wanted a new solution that could be integrated into their current secure access software, while also being able to efficiently issue and manage student IDs. The new solution also needed to be easy for students to adopt. While security was imperative for the university, they didn’t want it to create a hassle for students and staff using the new solution. Solution The University of Hull partnered with HID Global to increase security while improving their identity management process and the student experience at the same time. The university deployed iCLASS SE® readers and HID Mobile Access®, which make it possible for students to carry their IDs (that also contain their access credentials) on their smartphones. Now, students and staff simply use their mobile phones, smartwatch, and other mobile devices to quickly and conveniently access buildings across the campus. HID Mobile Access integrates with the University of Hull’s security software, provided by Genetec, and eliminates redundancy in the workflow required to manage identities. “The university considers secure access control to be very important for the safety of the students and staff. It’s not only good for a student, it’s also good for their parents to know that there is solid security around the student residences,” said Gary Moore, “HID and Genetec have seamlessly integrated the mobile access offering so that now all I have to do is add a credential into the Genetec system, which auto-populates the HID Mobile Access Portal. This simplifies my process. Now, I just enter information once to provision a credential–unlike the previous two-step process.” “The benefits and advantages for having mobile access will definitely come to the fore next year when we register mobile credentials prior to student arrival,” added Moore, “We can have students’ mobile IDs pre-deployed before arrivals. From the students’ perspective, they just arrive and start using their smartphone to access their room. It’s far easier.” To enter a secured door, students and staff present their mobile device to an iCLASS SE reader for access. Benefits With HID Mobile Access, the University of Hull stepped up their security and reduced the need for physical access cards that are cumbersome to manage and often misplaced by students. Moving to a mobile infrastructure for access control had many benefits including: Seamless integration with third-party software and devices. Higher user satisfaction. Scalable. Increased efficiency. Ease of use. When surveyed, students reported positive feedback from using HID Mobile Access. “It makes the university a lot more attractive for students,” said Mark Mullaney, Assistant Director of Commercial Services at the University of Hull, “For the student, it provides a more secure way to access buildings and provides a better experience for them overall, and for the university itself, it is a recruitment tool that we can offer to incoming students.”
Four Ways Hikvision Offers State-of-the-Art False Alarm Filter to SMB Customers
Do SMB customers want the latest intelligent surveillance features without a full system upgrade? With Hikvision, they can enjoy the benefits of cutting-edge false alarm filter with an average of 90% accuracy while protecting their existing investment. False alarm filter is one of the most intelligent features of modern surveillance systems. Designed to filter out movements from things like rain, leaves and animals, these systems focus on movements by relevant objects like people or vehicles. This prevents time and costs being wasted on nonthreatening events. Saving time and cost is important for small and mediumsized businesses (SMBs); the question is, how can they access such innovative technology in the most cost-effective way possible? Tech-savvy surveillance Hikvision’s EasyIP 4.0 security solution features intelligent false alarm filter within its AcuSense NVR and IP camera ranges. Currently, a Hikvision AcuSense NVR supports up to four camera channels with false alarm filter Hikvision AcuSense enabled devices can filter out false alarms with an average of 90% accuracy. What’s more, the AcuSense Quick Target Search feature saves time by identifying footage of people and vehicles automatically, avoiding staff having to search through footage manually. Add in Hikvision’s ColorVu IP cameras, which provide full color, vivid images even at night, allowing customers to take advantage of false alarm filter around the clock. Easily accessible For SMBs looking to access these features in the most efficient way, Hikvision’s cameras and/ or NVRs can be added to their existing surveillance system, to provide reliable false alarm filter capabilities while protecting their investment. Below, we describe four different ways Hikvision false alarm filter can be added to SMB customers’ surveillance systems. If SMB customers do not want to replace their existing IP cameras, they can keep them and add an AcuSense NVR. This will support false alarm filter and Quick Target Search across four channels. It is possible to add extra channels, but these will only have traditional alarm detection features. This solution is best suited for users who only need false alarm filter in four camera locations. Conversely, if customers would prefer to keep their existing NVR, AcuSense IP cameras can be added to the solution. It’s worth pointing out that this is most suitable for the customers that need false alarms to be filtered out in real time. A conventional NVR will not record or display the false alarms, as the functionality resides in the cameras. Similarly, users cannot search the alarm information delivered by the cameras as the NVR does not support Quick Target Search. ColorVu cameras deliver bright color video images, even in low light and at night. When paired with an AcuSense NVR, SMB customers get a system that delivers highly effective false alarm filter, plus Quick Target Search capability, around the clock. The only limitation of this setup is that it is designed to deliver the above features to a maximum of four channels. It is possible to add more channels, but they will only display normal alarm information, and will not support Quick Target Search. This solution is best suited for the customers who need reliable false alarm filter under low light conditions and across four locations. When customers need false alarm filter for more than four camera locations, a cost-effective solution can be delivered by combining conventional IP cameras with AcuSense IP cameras and an AcuSense NVR. Because both AcuSense NVR and AcuSense IP cameras support false alarm filter, the functionality starts to overlap when only four AcuSense IP cameras connect to an AcuSense NVR. It is recommended to apply both products when customers need the function for more than four channels. To be specific, customers can connect up to four conventional IP cameras to an AcuSense NVR for false alarm filter, and then can use AcuSense IP cameras for the remaining channels. In this way, both false alarm filter and Quick Target Search will be available across all channels. Discover more For analogue surveillance system, it is not a conundrum if customers ask to add false alarm filter to their existing system. They can easily replace with an AcuSense DVR from Hikvision’s Turbo HD 5.0 product range, which makes the very most of legacy cabling. Accordingly, the system will be able to perform false alarm filter and quick target search across up to four channels. If customers have the requirement for more than four channels, they can either add extra AcuSense DVRs or Hikvision AcuSense network cameras. With Hikvision, SMBs can take advantage of state-ofthe-art surveillance systems in a way that suits their business needs and their budget. Equally important, the above mentioned different solution options can help system integrators and installers engage in new conversations with their customers. By – Ashish P. Dhakan – MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd.
Growth in Police Body-Worn Cameras Fuels Digital Evidence Management Market Evolution
The globally installed base for law enforcement and police body-worn cameras is forecast to increase by nearly 30 percent in 2018, exceeding 1.5 million bodyworn cameras in use worldwide. With a greater number of body-worn cameras in use and an associated increase in potential evidence collection, the capabilities of underlying digital evidence-management systems are becoming an increasingly critical factor in the ability of law enforcement to effectively manage and interpret huge repositories of digital evidence. IHS Markit describes digital evidence management software as software used to manage multimedia digital evidence. At the entry level, this software must be able to manage the storage of video captured through a bodyworn camera or an in-car video surveillance system, however, the initial ingest of media from the recording device does not need to be within the digital evidence management software. The software can act as a platform to connect existing repositories and device configuration applications. Digital evidence software can be bundled with body-worn cameras or in-car systems or sold separately. The market for digital evidence management software has evolved rapidly, since federal funding programs in the United States for law enforcement body-worn cameras were announced in 2014. This funding and subsequent initiatives stimulated and accelerated increases in shipments of bodyworn cameras in the United States and globally, setting the current trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated digital evidence-management solutions. The following diagram illustrates the evolution of capabilities in available digital evidence management ecosystems. Example features are organized in four cumulative tiers, with increasing levels of feature sophistication, from tier one to tier four: The capabilities of digital evidence management software can range from simple media storage to sophisticated investigation and case-building tools. The evolution of the ecosystem and integrations with records management systems and other existing law enforcement workflows allow law enforcement to gain additional efficiencies and insights from digital multimedia evidence. These workflows offer the potential for quicker evidence availability and wider-reaching investigations. The ‘Body Worn Cameras & Digital Evidence Management Report’ from IHS Markit focuses on the global market for body-worn cameras, digital evidence management software, and in-car video surveillance systems used by police and law enforcement.