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Storage Technology: Then & Today, and the Trend
Computer storage systems have seen a massive evolution and transformation over the last 100 years or so. These changes have been dramatic in relation to the size, price and the access speed of storage. These changes have been possible due to the rapid advances in technology, which was initially slow and took years to evolve but later in the last decade it accelerated due to rapid innovations and concerted/ collaborative efforts of the industry giants. These technology advances have revolutionized the way companies, businesses and consumers use storage technologies today – from the most ubiquitous smart phone devices and personal computers all the way to businesses which now have come to rely more on cloud storage services. In this article we try to capture the evolution of storage technologies over the years and examine the fundamental technical reason that has accelerated storage evolution over the last decade. Storage evolution over the last 70 years (Relative to size, capacity and price) The table below highlights the trends in storage. Initially, the advances in technology were slow, mostly led by IBM in the 60s and 70s in the Megabyte revolution. In the 80s and 90s other companies jumped on the storage bandwagon and started the Gigabyte revolution soon to be followed by the Terabyte revolution. Today there are many physical form factors of storage devices from the traditional mechanical hard disk drives (HDD) to non-volatile memory (NVM) or solid-state devices (SSD); however, the fastest and most dynamic revolution is occurring in the cloud. Storage technology evolution over the last 100 years (Another view) There is another view of understanding the evolution of storage technology as well. The diagram below is a pictorial representation of the other view how storage technologies have evolved over the last 100 years. The fastest growing storage technology today Today, most storage systems use some or the other form of a mechanical device for storage which is otherwise known as ‘hard disk drives’ (HDD). HDDs are the dominant technology for several reasons such as very high recording density per platter, more than one platter per HDD, higher rotational speeds up to 15000 RPM for enterprise class drives, and reduced costs due to economies of scale. However, they do have inherent disadvantages for the following reasons – further recording density increase has hit the limits of the physical space, increasing the rotational speed of the platter increases the cost exponentially, and being a mechanical device it is bound to physically fail due to all the moving parts. A single HDD with a single platter at 15000 RPM can at most deliver a transfer speed of 100MB/s for sequential block reads, and for the random reads for the same configuration, transfer speed drops down to as low as 10MB/s Given the inherent limitations of mechanical storage devices and the rapid drop in prices of non-volatile memory (NVM), NVM is the next revolution in storage. It is found in almost all mobile devices and now continues to replace mechanical devices across the board. There are several reasons for this – they are now cost competitive with HDDs per terabyte of storage capacity and this price parity will continue to erode in favor of NVM in the coming years; NVM technology is far more reliable in the longer term because it has no moving parts; NVM is over 100 times faster than HDD and has similar transfer speeds for both sequential and random reads/ writes unlike HDDs; and micro-second read/ write latency compared to milli-second latency for HDDs. Companies like Intel and Samsung have now developed NVM technologies that are 3 dimensional – it means increased storage density per cubic measure of volume without any performance degradation. The first system implementations of NVM were found to be SSDs that use the serial ATA protocol or SATA. The reason behind this is very simple. They achieve a 100-fold increase in transfer speeds relative to HDD immediately, without changing the upper level small computer systems interface (SCSI) protocol. The SCSI protocol is over 4 decades old and is used by all I/O protocols such as fiber channel etc. All major operating systems also support the SCSI protocol. So for the industry’s quick gain, it was easy to replace the HDD with an NVM based SSD. The next disruption was soon born because the SCSI protocol and its associated software stack were very heavy as far as execution time was concerned. The SCSI protocol overhead directly impacted latency of reads and writes which is detrimental to high performance applications such as high frequency trading, small transactions in banking, and numerous database applications for machine learning and artificial intelligence. Thus, an industry working group was formed to address the latency problem associated with the SCSI proto col. The industry came up with a new protocol which takes advantage of the native speed of NVM. They completely eliminated the SCSI protocol to define a new protocol called NVMe (Non-Volatile-Memory Express). In this protocol, the NVM device is directly attached to the I/O PCI express bus – and hence the extension ‘e’ in NVM. This eliminates the need to have the traditional hardware and firmware that resides in a host bus adapter (HBA) along with HBA itself. The following diagram illustrates this concept. Latest NVM highlights PCIe Gen1 is 2.5gbps per lane per direction. Today’s SSDs pack Gen3x2 or Gen3x4 (8Gbps x 2 or 4 lanes = upto 32Gbps) bandwidth in a very tiny M.2 gumstick form-factor. 3-D NAND and 3D-Xpoint NAND, DRAM-bandwidth at flash-economies, very low-latency flash (20us IO read/ write) latency compared to 200us latency for enterprise flash. New form-factor coming to pack TB of capacity – ‘ruler’ form factor from Intel. NVMe enables performance scaling with the increase in capacity – traditionally denser HDD did not bring any performance improvement. NVMe over TCP enables low-cost SAN deployment compared to Infiniband, RoCE, iWarp or FC. NVMe allows dual-ported drives providing high-availability (same PCIe connector for either gen3/ gen4x4 or 2 separate gen3/ gen4x2 links); and…
How Organizations Can Revolutionize Security Strategies & Outcomes with Artificial Intelligence
Video surveillance cameras are the electronic eyes of a security operation. In the past, human supervision was needed to make sense of the images captured, and to assess whether certain captured events are posing any security risks or not. With some organizations using hundreds or even thousands of cameras, manual review of footage is simply impossible, leaving them potentially vulnerable to security breaches. To help organizations overcome this challenge and to optimize their security, Hikvision has embedded advanced artificial intelligence technology into their surveillance solutions whereby their cameras, control room equipment and back-end infrastructure can ‘learn’ about potential threats for themselves by recognizing people, vehicles and even behaviours. Improving all aspects of security with ‘proactive’ detection and prevention The manual interventions needed with traditional security systems require teams to frequently react to the breaches which have already taken place. Artificial intelligence, however, has changed all this by recognizing potential threats before they impact company’s people or assets – allowing security teams to react immediately to neutralize any potential threat. For example, Hikvision artificial intelligence solutions can automatically trigger alerts when a person appears in a restricted area, or when a vehicle with a blacklisted number plate enters a site. With alerts delivered in real time, teams can identify and react to security threats and protect people and assets more effectively. As alerts are automated, potential threats are hardly missed or overlooked. How does Artificial Intelligence work? Artificial intelligence systems have become more intelligent over time, building database of potential threats and reacting to new events accordingly. This allows systems to ‘think for themselves’ and to alert teams of any suspicious events or people who are caught on camera. Hikvision’s artificial intelligence technologies use advanced algorithms based on deep learning to distinguish between different kinds of security events and threats. Technologies incorporated into the Hikvision portfolio include: Facial recognition: It allows law enforcement personnel to identify suspects and commercial teams to identify VIP customers in real time. Vehicle identification: It can be used to identify vehicle number plates, and recognize different types of vehicles (including make and model), or to trigger alerts when vehicles enter restricted areas. Perimeter protection: It helps organisations to identify real threats by distinguishing people and vehicles from other moving objects and keeping false alarms to a minimum. Business intelligence: It employs people counting, queue detection, and heat mapping technologies, so that organisations can enhance operational efficiency by making use of the data report. Why is Artificial Intelligence great news for businesses? Artificial Intelligence isn’t just useful for identifying security threats – although that is a key strength of the technology – it can also help organisations increase their competitiveness and commercial success. For example, VIP customers who opt to participate in special marketing promotions or other incentives can be identified so staff can provide the right kind of service at the right time. This gives organisations the opportunity to personalise the service experience, foster loyalty and maximise customer lifetime revenues. In the same way, artificial intelligence can help organisations better understand customers and meet their needs more effectively – leading to more commercial opportunities. One feature i.e., people counting allows stores and commercial centres to map footfall at peak times, ensuring that staffing is optimised to meet demand. At the same time, stores can see which areas of the building customers visit the most, and adjust their merchandising and product positioning accordingly to maximise the sales opportunities. Hikvision: An Artificial Intelligence pioneer Hikvision has created a family of artificial intelligence products to maximise the benefits for organisations such as the DeepinView network cameras and DeepinMind NVRs. The products help to tackle security with facial recognition, monitoring and counting of people, and recognition and detection of vehicles, to name a few. These features depend on artificial intelligence technology to recognise, classify and respond to security threats.
3 Ways Traka Makes Facility’s Fleet Management Easy
In the logistics and distribution industry, overseeing fleet management can be far from easy. When you have thousands of drivers and vehicles that transport goods, you’re bound to lose precious minutes due to misplaced keys or vehicles – and those add up to millions annually. How do you get back your lost time and maintain full visibility over your entire fleet of vehicles? Local benefits of Traka’s fleet management Shipping quickly and efficiently is the bread and butter of the logistics and distribution industry. Then it goes without saying that access to a warehouse’s vehicles and inventory should be properly safeguarded to prevent the loss or damage thereof. One clear way to avoid this is by ensuring that access is limited to only the staff with correct login credentials, but how to make that process as streamlined as possible? Here’s where Traka’s iFob comes in. The Traka iFob can be programmed to act as an electronic key for the vehicles by integrating with powerful software each time it’s received from Traka’s intelligent key cabinet. The system then determines whether or not a user is permitted to access that key. If a vehicle is faulty, an authorised user can notify the management of it when putting their key back into the cabinet. Traka’s system will prevent others from accessing the vehicle until a repair is carried out, protecting the rest of the staff from using defective vehicles. This also makes the vehicles last longer. In short, the results of a Traka fleet management solution include: Controlled access to warehouse and vehicles. Minutes saved from knowing where to get the keys at any time. 24/7 audit trail tracking key use for complete visibility over operations. Safer work environment and longer life of vehicles. Let’s think beyond the local benefits for a moment, though. What are the regional benefits of a Traka system? At the regional level, the local benefits are amplified due to Traka’s administrative control. All key tracking information and permissions are stored in each Traka key cabinet, which allows administrators to see who possess which kind of key, and when they received it. Changing access permissions takes just seconds, and has a near-instant effect across all the Traka key cabinets, making employee turnover less stressful. With Traka, the solution can track: Location of each vehicle and distance logging. Mileage, fuel levels and scheduled vehicle maintenance. Status of each vehicle in a large vehicle fleet. And it can do it all in a streamlined system managing all facilities and warehouses. Global benefits of Traka’s fleet management Now look at all these benefits globally. By having complete visibility over operations – even across hundreds of miles – the overwhelming task of managing a large fleet is largely automated. This makes scaling the business easier because one can easily replicate this system in different locations. With their central reporting, one can say with confidence how much mileage their company uses on average each year. They can decrease the wear and tear on their vehicles by scheduling enforced maintenance alerts while increasing accountability for all employees with audit trails for each vehicle. As we mentioned before, a few minutes saved for each driver by finding their key in the same place each morning can translate across thousands of drivers, saving a company millions of dollars annually, and these are just their solutions for fleet management!
Matrix to Exhibit Highly Advanced Telecom and Security Solutions at SITA ITeS Conclave 2019
Matrix, a leading manufacturer of enterprise Telecom and Security products, is participating in the 21st edition of SITA ITeS Conclave 2019 in association with its esteemed partner SMB System Integrators. SITA – South Gujarat Information Technologists Association, for the last 20 years, is organizing the exhibition to encourage technology development in the South Gujarat region. The event, organized at Surat spanning from 1st – 2nd June, is an ideal networking platform for different manufacturers and service providers. At the event, Matrix will display innovative products that cater to the communication needs of different sized businesses. The company will showcase entire product portfolio of intelligent universal media gateways, user friendly phones and innovative unified communication servers. The showcased devices address the mobility, multi-location collaboration and continuous internal communication needs of the growing and established enterprises. Matrix will also showcase its latest communication endpoint SPARSH VP710 – the Smart Video IP Phone at the event. The phone offers numerous features such as built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity and much more. Supplied with a seven-inch touch screen, the phone offers enhanced video conferencing enabling professionals to take critical decisions swiftly at the comfort of their desks. For allowing professionals to retrieve voicemail recordings or take screenshots, the phone comes with a USB port for inserting external devices. Matrix will also display its wide range of biometric access control solution and its advanced applications. COSEC DOOR PVR is a highly secure and contactless biometric device that works by reading the vascular pattern of the palm. Furthermore, Matrix will display COSEC DOOR FMX as a high-performance door controller with multispectral sensor. The device is powerful enough to take a fingerprint of dry, wet, elderly, or oily hands. Additionally, Matrix will showcase COSEC VEGA FAX – an advanced time-attendance and access control device. In order to cut down the server cost, Matrix will present its standalone access control solution where one can connect up to 255 devices and 25,000 users. Matrix will also be showcasing an enterprise-grade video management system designed, engineered and built specifically for growing multi-location organizations. The entire solution focuses on automating processes and enhancing efficiency of organizations. They will also be showcasing a new range of audio compatible and compact Professional series IP cameras powered by SONY STARVIS series sensors with EXMOR technology. This gives the cameras an edge over others in terms of exceptional low light performance, consistent image quality during varying light conditions (True WDR), better bandwidth optimization, video analytics such as intrusion detection, perimeter security, loitering detection and many other features. Furthermore, they will be showcasing their new Extreme series of network video recorder (NVRX) at the event. This NVR is equipped with 4K decoding capacity and characteristics like Cascading (up to 20 NVRs), Camera-wise recording retention, TCP notifications for remote locations and database level integration. Moreover, these latest NVRs are also backed with intelligent software that helps detect threats and send instant notifications for real-time security. “SITA ITeS Conclave 2019 is a perfect platform to know communication and security needs of South Gujarat customers. We look forward to meeting entrepreneurs from the Manufacturing, Retail and Healthcare sectors, and upskill them with applications of our products,” said Jatin Desai, Marketing Manager, Matrix.
When Lightning Strikes Your Office
Each day, millions of workers in office buildings around the world use a wide range of electronic equipment to perform their jobs including laptops, desktop computers, phones, printers, alarm systems, scanners, projectors, and more. Technology has created many benefits for today’s businesses including faster communication between devices, integrated usage and optimized operations. It allows us to accomplish everyday office functions efficiently and effectively, while keeping staff connected to suppliers, customers and their sales team. However, with these benefits come new dangers to your operations. While electrical outlets provide power, they are also susceptible to lighting strikes – and there are more than 20 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the U.S. each year. More common, however, are power surges and spikes that go mostly unnoticed every day. These temporary and instantaneous events exceed ‘normal’ electrical line voltage, and can cause serious damage to anything plugged into those outlets, including sensitive office equipment. Businesses with electronic systems in hazardous locations such as potentially explosive atmospheres obviously are exposed to catastrophic risks. Businesses located in areas with poor local power quality or where weather conditions make lightning strikes more likely also face increased risk of damage from power surges. The result can be a spike in the supplied power that is well above a device’s normal operating voltage, and that can cause an arc of electrical current within the appliance. When this happens, the heat generated in the arc can cause damage to the circuit boards and other electrical components. Data can be lost, expensive equipment may need to be replaced, and the most costly effect can be downtime that results in lost productivity or lost customers. Conventional fuses and circuit breakers do not guard against surges. Surge protective devices (SPDs) need to be installed on every electrical pathway to ensure that critical business equipment is guarded from damaging surge events. Once installed, SPDs protect the connected system from large, externally-generated surge events, as well as smaller, daily surge events. Yet, what happens when the SPD has reached the end of its useful life? How often can management send someone around to every closet and equipment room to check every single surge protector? The moment that person turns away from an apparently operational SPD, an unnoticed small surge could end the life of the device, leaving the system fully at risk. DITEK has taken surge protection even further to ensure that SPDs are working correctly and to remove the guesswork out of the entire process. DITEK’s Deflector SPD lets you know in three distinct ways when it requires attention. This virtually eliminates the problem of an SPD becoming non-functional without you realizing it. Each Deflector series surge protector features dry contacts for external notification, and an LED health status indicator that flashes and sounds an audible alarm when the module needs to be replaced. Thanks to the use of rapid-replacement modules, it is possible to have the unit up and running again in only a few seconds. You can’t prevent power surges in your office, but you can minimize any damage to your critical equipment by using surge protection, especially brands that provide the highest levels of protection against power surges, equipment failure and costly downtime. Cheryl Derenthal – Ditek
Vanderbilt Seismic Detectors
Hollywood may have glorified heists with classic movies like Die Hard, Heat, Oceans 13, The Italian Job, and The Town. But what about the technology that protects financial institutions against such incidents in real-life? For instance, look at the science and technology behind Vanderbilt’s range of Seismic Detectors. These are specifically designed for round-the-clock monitoring of safes, auto mated teller machines (ATMs), night deposits, strong rooms and modular vaults. They have been developed for false alarm immunity and are optimized for installation on steel, concrete and synthetic composite materials. What exactly is it about Seismic that makes it so fascinating? Well, here’s where real-life science and technology proves far more intriguing. All known types of intruder attacks generate unique vibration patterns. Each attack tool, whether they are drills, flame cutters or explosives, produce specific mechanical vibrations, giving it a unique acoustic fingerprint. The timing, frequency and amplitude of these acoustic fingerprints are used to convert mechanical and thermal vibrations into electrical signals. When Seismic’s bimorph sensor detects noise or vibrations, their characteristic values are analyzed precisely using a Senstec digital signal, based on unique algorithms developed and compared to those threat profiles, to determine whether an alarm should be triggered. The frequency of these signals is then measured and checked against that of known attacks, to decide whether to alarm or not. Thus, routine ‘noises’ such as traffic or electromagnetic interferences, causing structure-borne sounds to be propagated through the protected structure, will not cause false alarms. So, in a nutshell, an 18-wheeler truck rumbles past on the street, no alarm. But if a thief with a thermal lance tries to burn their way through the steel enclosure, they will set off alarms. These structure-borne vibrations, caused by even the subtlest attacks, can be detected at a very early stage, and when they are, an alarm is repeatedly triggered giving ample time for intervention before the intruder has managed to gain access to the valuables or inflict serious structural damage. So, there you have it. The science and technology that works against these would-be threats in real-life is indeed in a league of its own.
Hikvision Launches 4MP DarkFighterX with Even Higher Resolution & AI
Hikvision, the world’s leading supplier of innovative video surveillance products and solutions, has released its new 4MP network IR PTZ camera (DS-2DF9C435IH-DLW) by doubling the resolution of the previous model for even more clarity in dark places. Hikvision launched DarkFighter technology in 2017 – taking inspiration from the way human eyes work. It uses one lens to capture the colour of objects and the other to capture light details in particular. The camera then combines two images together to create one image with both colour and clarity. Now the technology has moved on, with a higher resolution, smarter event detection and a clear enough image to enable to enable facial recognition in the future. The new DarkFighterX camera employs 1/1.8” sensors to raise resolution to 4 megapixels. This ‘beyond-HD’ image carries twice the amount of information as 2 MP models. The camera can also deliver full colour images at light levels down to 0.0005 Lux. This also means that, in the future, facial recognition could be possible, even in dim light, thanks to powerful imaging ability and beyond-HD resolution. To detect suspected events effectively, intelligent cameras armed with Deep Learning technology, can now offer more than ever before. Since smart event detection has become prevalent throughout security systems – such as intrusion detection and line crossing detection – it is essential to make sure that cameras receive more details before triggering an automatic response. And all of the information depends on how many pixels the image can provide, therefore the more pixels the better. The zoom on the new DarkFighterX camera has increased to 35x. This means the new camera is able to identify a one-metre-long object at 260 metres at a resolution of 250 pixels – enough to observe the object clearly. It has an optical zoom of 16x. The camera has been equipped with an auto wiper to guarantee a better image on rainy days. This function is secured by a rain-detecting sensor on the head of the surface. Other features include:120 dB WDR, 3D DNR, Chromatic Defog,Supports H.265+/H.265 video compression,Rapid focus,Up to 250m IR distance with Smart IR and IP67. The DarkFighterX series cameras come into their own in exterior dimly-lit environments that need 24/7 full-colour footage, such as streets, rivers, forests, roads, railways, ports, squares and parks. “We know that night time surveillance can be a real challenge for security professionals, especially in large outside areas”, says Peter Guan, EU Channel Sales and Marketing Manager at Hikvision. “We have further developed our DarkFighterX series to include a more powerful camera to support them in their ‘fight against the darkness’.”
Hikvision to Showcase its AI Technology Prowess, Latest Surveillance and Security Products at Secutech India
Hikvision, the world’s leading provider of innovative video surveillance products and solutions, will be exhibiting its latest innovations at Secutech India, one of the leading security and fire safety exhibitions in India to be held during 25–27 April 2019 at Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai. The event will also host the SECONA Shield Awards ceremony. The Shield Awards are one of the first of its kind in the Indian security and fire safety domain that have recognized the contribution of many in this sector, especially who encouraged and contributed to the local research and innovation in technology. Ashish P. Dhakan, MD and CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd. commented on their Secutech India participation, “This year we will be launching lots of new initiatives and products. Visitors at Secutech India will experience Hikvision’s market leading products, solutions and services across various verticals and application scenarios. There will be interactive areas for visitors to immerse themselves in an artificial intelligence experience and feel the power of AI technology. We are going to present Hikvision’s latest products, solutions and innovative technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), AI cloud, big data and IoT. Our offerings will include latest in access control, video door phone, intrusion alarm, EZVIZ cameras and vertical solutions.” “Secutech India has a converged platform to connect and transact business with partners and system integrators. We are looking forward to Secutech India and its various fringe programs including the ‘Connect Program.’ We hope to bring lots of value for ends-users community,” added Mr. Dhakan, “We are confident that all the latest products and cutting-edge AI technology applications will enhance the end-users’ engagement with latest technologies.” At the event, Hikvision will demonstrate a series of their latest and most advanced technological innovations with AI technologies, the signature DeepinView series IP cameras and DeepinMind series NVRs. It will feature live demos of AI based applications for face recognition, people tracking and perimeter protection. Hikvision has also plans to showcase a whole new range of vertical specific solutions including specialized applications, intelligent traffic management solution (ITMS), and mobile enforcement. Besides, they will display the latest range of professional IP cameras, intrusion alarm system, Pyronix cloud and home control applications, video intercom system, EZVIZ smart home cameras, under vehicle surveillance system (UVSS), and face recognition turnstile.
ASSOCHAM National Council Meeting on Homeland Security & Disaster Management
ASSOCHAM National Council on Homeland Security & Disaster Management held their annual meeting on 14 March 2019 at ASSOCHAM office, New Delhi to discuss issues and finalize the roadmap for 2019-20. The meeting was presided over by the newly elected Chairman of the Council Rajeev Sharma, Country Managing Director, G4S, and moderated by the Co-Chairman, Anil Dhawan, Managing Director, DB Secure Solution. The meeting was attended by various stakeholders of the private and homeland security sectors including OEMs, distributors, SIs, consultants, and media as well as pertinent government representatives especially from fire and disaster management departments. Mr. Dhawan briefed the forum about various activities of the council, and invited all participants to offer their suggestions and comments in the line that could help the Chamber prepare an efficient and robust road map for the coming year. The objective of ASSOCHAM National Council of Homeland Security & Disaster Management is to provide government authorities valuable inputs and suggestions on behalf of the industry that could help them design and structure comprehensive and coordinated responses to the terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and/or other large scale emergencies in India. This preparedness would ensure the protection of citizens, lands, critical infrastructure and key resources of the country. ASSOCHAM pursue these objectives along with the government’s policies to accommodate and drive high growth of the homeland and disaster management sectors through policy advocacy, conferences, seminars, council meetings, strategy papers, recommendations etc, The stakeholders for such interactions include the Ministry of Home Affairs, department of Homeland Security, agencies like CRPF, CISF etc., concerned government and industry associations like BPR&D, CAPSI, IFSEC, FSAI etc., and related industry members, start-ups and ASSOCHAM members of the sector. The government has various responsibilities; paramount being the protection of its critical national interests that most importantly comprise the citizens, followed by the vital installations such as border areas, industry, transportation and other critical infrastructures. Digital and social media are the new frontier for homeland security and it is inevitable to transform the way security related incidents and activities are handled in the country. It is essential that the law enforcement agencies of the country be well equipped with the latest technological solutions. As per a KPMG and ASSOCHAM study, the capital expenditure on the homeland security by both the central and state government agencies presented a potential of USD2.73 billion for the year 2018-19. Much of this potential was created due to police modernization, critical infrastructure protection and counter terrorism efforts of the government. In 2018, the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was around USD15.8 billion, a growth of 10 percent over the previous year. Around eight percent (USD1.3 billion) of the total budget has been allocated towards the modernization of the homeland security forces and upgradation of current infrastructure. India’s geo-climatic condition as well as its high degree socio-economic vulnerability makes it one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. The country is exposed to many natural hazards including floods, cyclones, droughts and earthquakes, and these disasters often cause significant damage to the property and life. The Government of India recognizes the need to shift from a post disaster reactive approach to a pre-disaster pro-active approach which includes preparedness, mitigation and prevention. While emergency response is vital as it is aimed at saving human lives and providing relief, the ultimate objective of any crisis management is the restoration of devastated livelihoods. Some of the issues highlighted in the meeting are as follows: Security items should not be the part of GEM (Government e-marketplace) as the government has already implemented e-procurement for the security items and everything is transparent in this process. Homeland security agencies must train their staff not only in security but also impart them necessary skills and training in disaster management, so that they can work effectively and efficiently with the security forces in case of any natural disaster and calamities. Disaster management sector has huge potential of growth across the globe. Indian companies should utilize these opportunities for bigger roles. Minimum basic standards are required for the procurement of security items by para military forces and security departments such as CCTV cameras and other equipment for sensitive areas. Government should issue guidelines for the security of school, educational institute and hospitals. Government should use security items for better monitoring and surveillance of roads and public places. Drones in India should be considered as an industry, not just as a technology. There is a need to understand the procedure and functioning of National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) regarding testing of products.
Hikvision’s Latest Activities in India
Hikvision Certified Security Associate (HCSA) Program Successfully Concluded in Mumbai Hikvision has recently conducted their three day Hikvision Certified Security Associates (HCSA) program in Mumbai. The program got an overwhelming response from the young security professional community who came from nearby areas of Mumbai and Indore to participate in it. The three day comprehensive program included training sessions on Optics basics, Turbo HD analog solution, PTZ configuration, network basics, IP camera, NVR, fish eye camera, iVMS 4,200 and smart functions and applications. The HCSA training program was conducted by Vinit Narvekar, Manager – Customer Trainings, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd. The idea behind HCSA is to give hands on training, and demonstration as a part of the training program. There is a dedicated online examination after every training session and HCSA certificates are given to the successful participants. “Hikvision has set the industry standard by offering professional video surveillance certification to validate video expertise under Hikvision Certified Security Associate (HCSA) program in India. This Hikvision certification program is specially designed for the security professionals. Besides, Hikvision provides meaningful endorsement to those who succeed in the exam and become Hikvision Certified professionals,” said Ashish P. Dhakan, MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd. The HCSA level certification focuses on training participants in essential configurations, operations & maintenance of Hikvision video surveillance products and its features. It is designed for technical engineers, who have worked in the security industry for some years and have already gained knowledge and experience about security basics. The certification program is open to anyone looking to gain expertise in video surveillance and total security solution. The trainee should have at least one year of work experience in the security industry and be familiar with security basics. FONOCOM Expo Showcasing Latest Innovations Hikvision participated in the recently held FONOCOM Expo as its presenting partner to showcase its latest security and surveillance solutions to key stakeholders of the security Industry. The event was organized by Madhya Pradesh Computer and Telecom Association (MPCTA) at the Abhay Prashal Sports Club, Indore. FONOCOM is one of the most successful electronics and IT trade fairs of Central India across all categories. “We are happy to be associated with FONOCOM Expo. It is the most important event for security, IT and telecom industries in central India. We have showcased the latest face recognition and face comparison solutions by Hikvision. We showcased innovative security solutions in video surveillance, access control and intruder alarm categories,” said Ashish P. Dhakan, MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd. The three day event received good response from government representatives, police and defence and security professionals. Hikvision booth at the expo displayed latest Hikvision products including Smart Pole, Easy IP 4.0, Turbo HD 5.0, access control, video door phone, swing barrier, ITMS, EZVIZ and HikCentral (Video Management System). The booth got good response from dealer, distributor and end-users community from central India’s security industry. The visitors and end-users had shown keen interest in Hikvision’s new products and security solutions. This year Hikvision also took part in Fonocom’s Dealers’ Meet where Ashish Gujarathi, AVP, non-CCTV Products, and S. Chandrasekhar, Manager – Technical Support, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd. gave presentations respectively on ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology,’ and Hikvision’s company profile and new products.