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Central Association for Private Security Industry (CAPSI), the pre-eminent organisation for the security professionals in India and Quality Council of India (QCI), the country’s apex quality facilitation and national accreditation body have jointly embarked upon the process of standardization in the private security industry, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to operate a voluntary certification and rating programme for the private security agencies (PSAs). The programme has been christened as the ‘Security Agencies Rating Scheme (SARS)’ that will help PSAs enhance their credibility, and consequently multiply their business. “The Star Rating of PSAs will prove to be a real game changer for the entire private security domain. The evaluation processes developed jointly by Quality Council of India and CAPSI will bring out best service providers. The quality of service delivery and management of PSAs will ensure that end users will get PSARA plus services, and excellent customer care methodologies. It is going to change the face of the private security industry.” – Kunwar Vikram Singh Chairman CAPSI & SSSDC While CAPSI and QCI shall be the joint owners of the scheme, the governing structure of SARS shall be under a multi-stakeholder steering committee (MSC), which will be supported by a technical and a certification committee constituted by CAPSI and QCI. A consensus based technical criteria for PSAs would be formulated by the MSC, based on which agencies would be evaluated by the competent third party certification bodies. These certification bodies in turn would be accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), which is a part of the international system of equivalence of accreditations and certifications, in accordance with appropriate international standards. “Security Agencies Rating Scheme (SARS) is an excellent initiative by CAPSI & Quality Control of India that would set the benchmark of true performance, and thus bring the much-awaited satisfaction for the end users of security services. ASSOCHAM, as a leading chamber of commerce is privileged to be associated in bringing the thoughts of industries to the implementation programme.” – Anil Dhawan Co-Chairman, Homeland Security Committee ASSOCHAM Security Agencies Rating Scheme is based on the criteria for certification. The developed technical criteria specify the requirements for a quality management system for the management, staffing and operations of a PSA providing uniformed security guarding services on a static site and/ or mobile and patrol basis, at different capability levels. The mandatory tenets of Private Security Agencies Regulation Act, 2005 (PSARA) have been incorporated in the basic level of certification (Level 1) corresponding to One Star. The standard of professional competence is progressively enhanced and the top most level is pegged at Level 7 corresponding to a Seven Star rating. A PSA, depending upon its professional competency, may opt to be rated at any of these levels right at the beginning and that will not be subjected to progressive upgradations. While One Star rating corresponds to PSARA compliance, Three Star rating encompasses the basic PSARA criteria and certain essential management compliances to form Private Security Services Management System (PSSMS). Further, Five Star rating corresponds to the criteria laid down in ISO 90001(+) and Seven Star rating corresponds to the International ISO 18788. The intervening even number of Star Ratings will be given to the PSA that will maintain sustained compliance for three years in their present rating. “Trusted and well recognised system of certification stimulates to achieve robust quality management standards – both operationally and administratively. Star rating method shall be an indicator of grading on the basis of the levels of compliance and practice followed by the security group. Based on sound technical requirements, certification and star rating by CAPSI & QCI shall give both PSI and clients the confidence and assurance of providing high standard security services. Certification shall open new horizons for the PSI and shall provide a sound foundation for the recognition of this sector” – C Pal Singh Former I G Police (Punjab) Honorary Director General (CAPSI) Indian Private Security Industry (PSI) comprising over 22,000 PSAs and nearly 8.5 million security personnel (guards) is one of the largest employment generating sectors of the country. These guards are primarily employed and managed by PSAs who deploy them in accordance with their contractual obligations with the respective principal employers. PSAs at large fall in the ambit of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). The guards deployed by the PSAs are mandatorily governed by PSARA, and are monitored by the controlling authorities of the states, which grant them licenses based on the parameters laid down in PSARA, for operating in that state. “The Private Security Industry is catching up with the increasingly competitive quality ecosystem. The market place will be replete with choices and companies will be vying with differentiators and brand values. Customers are savvy, extremely cost conscious and are consistently demanding certified standards of service that has been independently assessed and rated for quality deliveries. Security business leaders must raise the bar in their business value with assured quality star ratings because trust is a pre-requisite in referral business” – Jasbir Wasu Vice-Chairman, Licencing and Legal, CAPSI Albeit, no express parameters are laid down as on date whereby PSAs can be evaluated based on certain professionally accepted criteria. This factor acts as an impediment for the principal employers to take decision while they are in the process of identifying the most suitable PSA whom they can entrust the task of providing security to their establishment. The Security Agencies Rating Scheme is going to make a great instrument to help them reach a right decision. Having complied with all the statutory requirements as given in the governing structure, SARS is going to be launched by the Hon’ble Minister of Commerce at the Special Standards Conclave scheduled to be held at Mumbai during 08-09 February 2019.

A chain of one-stop shopping destinations is one of the pioneers of discount shopping centers in UAE and Dubai. With a selected chain of suppliers, they offer the widest choices of products at very affordable prices. The products of this retail chain range from daily food items to beauty products and perfumes. Household items such as kitchenware, tableware, appliances, decors, and electronics including mobile phones and computer accessories are also available here. The stores offer apparels such as ladies wear, menswear, and children’s wear, in addition to shoes, bags, school and office supplies. Branches of this retail chain are located in more than eight locations with the one in Sharjah, being the biggest branch till date. Challenges Since branches of this retail chain are spread across UAE, managing attendance of every employee became a tedious task. Moreover, keeping track of each of their IN and OUT timings, overtime, leaves, and shift management for multiple locations from a single location was another challenge the retailer faced. Attendance management, multiple shift management and over time calculation became tricky chal lenges to deal with. Apart from that, they required specific type of reports to map everything department or location wise. Solution offered Matrix offered its dynamic range of biometric hardware products along with the software solutions to complement the devices. As the retail chain is an exponentially growing company building stores at several locations, Matrix offered its Time-Attendance module along with fingerprint and card based door controller, COSEC DOOR FOT. This solution assisted in easy attendance management of employees along with their shift and overtime management. The solution also allowed generation of several specific types of reports with de tailed filtering options for smooth process and analysis of employees’ attendance details. Results Matrix people mobility management solution assisted the retail chain achieve following results: Centralized attendance management and monitoring. Easy shift & schedule management. Elimination of overtime issues. Smooth HR process with various precise reports. Products COSEC DOOR FOT: Fingerprint and card based door controller for time-attendance. COSEC CENTRA ME: Application server platform with 500 or more users and expandable up to 1,000 users. COSEC ME TAM: Time-attendance module for 500 or more users. COSEC USER 100: User license for 100 users

During the last couple of years, most enterprises have been accelerating the pace of their digital transformation based on the adoption of leading-edge ICT technologies like cloud/ edge computing, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT). At the same time, organizations are still suffering from security attacks, which are among the most important barriers in the implementation of their digital transformation agendas. Earlier this year, the famous ‘Wannacry’ ransomware attack affected major organizations all around the globe such as UK’s NHS (National Health Service). Another example was a fraudulent cyberattack against the SWIFT international transactions system that took place in February 2016 and resulted in the theft of $81 million from the Bangladesh Central Bank. These attacks highlight the vulnerabilities of modern cyber infrastructures, as well as the importance of cybersecurity as an integral element of an organization’s digital transformation strategy. It is important to understand the main drivers and trends in future cybersecurity solutions to make the most of security investments. Drivers of future cybersecurity The expanding scope and sophistication of cybersecurity systems are based on the following: Technology evolution As a result of the introduction of new technologies like cyber-physical systems (CPS) and IoT, enterprise IT infrastructures are gradually growing in size and complexity. These paradigms are typically based on systems and devices that bridge the physical and digital worlds such as sensors, smart machines, connected cars, robots and more. While these systems provide opportunities for enhanced productivity and improved decision making, they also broaden the scope of potential vulnerabilities. For example, a large-scale Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that exploited vulnerabilities of IoT devices took place last year and affected major Internet sites like Amazon, Twitter and Spotify. Regulatory complexity Nowadays several organizations operate in complex regulatory environments, which impose a need for compliance with many security regulations and standards. For instance, U.S. financial organizations must adhere to regulations associated with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX, P.L. 107-204), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, and more. Cybersecurity systems are evolving in order to support organizations in their alignment to the required regulations and standards. Sophistication of attacks Over the years, cybersecurity attacks are increasing in sophistication through becoming asymmetric and less predictable. For example, ransomware attacks have been added to the list of phishing, DDoS and social engineering attacks, while the methods used by cybercriminals are constantly evolving based on the use of advanced sniffing and encryption techniques. Limited resources Many businesses lack the resources, expertise and equity capital needed in order to cope with modern cybercrime. This is particularly the case with SMB (small medium businesses) typically on the hunt for cost-effective solutions. Emerging cybersecurity solutions & services Driven by the above factors, emerging cybersecurity solutions feature the following characteristics: Security automation and intelligence The automation of cybersecurity solutions is the key to coping with the growing number and sophistication of cybersecurity threats. This gives rise to the implementation of machine learning systems, which are able to detect attack patterns in a fully or semi-automated fashion. There is also a trend towards employing deep learning and artificial intelligence technologies to identify indicators of complex attacks, which are hardly identifiable based on conventional machine learning. Cybersecurity datasets and data-driven approaches The collection of security related datasets is becoming very important for the development of future cybersecurity systems. These datasets are a key prerequisite for training and validating the data-driven systems including machine learning and AI algorithms. Without large amounts of data about the operation of the cyber assets and the attack incidents against them, the deployment of security automation and intelligence isn’t possible. Standards Standards development organizations tend to incorporate latest technologies and best practices in their work. So, standards based solutions are usually more effective in increasing the cyber resilience of modern organizations. The latter need to adopt and implement not only conventional and well-established standards (e.g., the popular ISO27001), but also emerging ones such as the Industrial Internet Consortium Security Framework (IISF). The latter provides a blueprint for securing CPS systems in the era of Industry 4.0. Integrated policies for cyber and physical security As part of the integration of IoT and CPS systems there is a close interaction between cyber and physical systems including an inter-play between their security mechanisms. For example, electronic access gates and CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) systems are increasingly used as primary physical security technologies. This close interplay is gradually leading to an integration of physical and cybersecurity measures and related policies. Sectors that operate both cyber and physical infrastructures (e.g., energy, transport, buildings) have the leading role in this integration. Vulnerability databases Following many years of collecting information and knowledge about cyberthreats, the cybersecurity community has established a range of vulnerability databases, which are used to maintain and disseminate information about known security vulnerabilities. NIST’s National Vulnerability Database is one of the most popular databases of this category, which provide developers and deployers of cybersecurity systems with the means to automatically access up-to-date information about cyber threats. This is important because of the need to support the collection and processing of large amounts of data towards security automation and intelligence. Managed Security & Security as a Service There is a surge of security solutions that are offered based on the Security-as-a-Service paradigm or as a pay-as-yougo option. Typical examples are the popular managed security solutions (MSS), which are a primary choice for SMBs and other organizations that operate based on constrained budgets. Solutions for small organizations come with easy web-based interfaces for their configuration, which makes them appealing to employees with low security expertise. Decentralization & Blockchains The advent of the BitCoin cryptocurrency has revealed the capabilities of the distributed ledger technology towards decentralizing and securing transactions across IT systems and devices. Distributed ledger technology is currently exploited as a secure, privacy preserving and anti-tampering infrastructure in a wide range of applications beyond financial transactions and it’s therefore likely to become mainstream…

Across the world, many urban road networks are already saturated. This causes long delays for drivers, increasing frustration and reducing productivity. It also creates major public health risks due to poor air quality. Together, the effects of excessive traffic negatively impact city dwellers’ quality of life and the sustainability of cities. According to one study from INRIX, a leading provider of transport insights, Los Angeles commuters spent over 100 hours a year in traffic jams in 2017 – more than any other city in the world. Additionally, London traffic jams cost drivers the equivalent of £2,430 (USD$3,135) each, equal to more than £9.5 billion (USD$12.3 billion) across the city as a whole. A major headache for city authorities Needless to say, traffic has become a headache for city administrators, particularly in cities where rapid urbanization and economic growth have led to increased ownership of vehicles. To find long-term solutions, city authorities are looking into the root causes of traffic congestion. In Hong Kong, the city’s Transport Advisory Committee published a report identifying the top-three causes of excessive traffic. These are ‘too many vehicles on roads,’’illegal parking,’ and ‘too much road works.’ All these factors contribute heavily to traffic jams in cities worldwide. How technology can help I n many cities, building new roads is not an option because of either availability of space, disruption to economic activities, or budgetary constraints. Under these circumstances, city authorities are beginning to look to smart technologies to make people’s journeys faster and safer. In the portfolio of available traffic easing technologies, latest-generation video technology is the star. In particular, innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning have transformed standard video monitoring with features that alert operators about traffic issues in real time. This allows them to take immediate action to keep lanes clear and to keep traffic flowing. Next generation video solutions are already helping city authorities to reduce congestion and deliver major time savings for drivers. Three examples are: Traffic guidance This kind of solution uses smart cameras installed at intersections to monitor and report on real-time traffic flow. It works by constantly observing the flow of traffic lanes, and by counting vehicles within defined areas of the road. Data is then sent to traffic management control centres where operators can see the build-up of traffic across the city. Critically, the citywide view of traffic allows operators to take action in real time to reduce the root causes of congestion such as misuse of bus lanes or illegal parking. In the event of a traffic incident, traffic guidance solutions are also great news for drivers. Congestion information is displayed for them at each intersection, helping them predict their arrival time and – if delays are serious or persistent – to choose alternative routes or travel options. While video is a critical element of the solution, full integration with thirdparty systems and algorithms is also needed. In this way, traffic data can be visualised on city maps and transmitted effectively to the control centre, drivers, emergency services, and others. Traffic signal control Traffic signal control solutions allow traffic lights to be coordinated to keep traffic flowing as freely as possible. They consume traffic data from traffic guidance systems to understand where traffic is building up at an intersection. To do this, intelligent traffic cameras count vehicles that cross an intersection as well as detect the length of vehicle queues at an intersection. They simultaneously share the real-time data with the traffic signal system. Based on this data, traffic lights can be coordinated automatically to even out the traffic flow, giving traffic more or less priority, as needed, by extending or reducing the time available to cross the intersection. This helps to speed up journeys, reduces drivers’ frustration and eliminates the need for manual intervention by traffic police when traffic builds up in one direction. Traffic enforcement I n many cases, traffic congestion is caused by illegal or irresponsible road use such as illegal parking and use of bus lanes. With traffic enforcement video solutions such as wrong-way driving detection, illegal U-turns and illegal parking detection, these kinds of incidents can be identified in real time, allowing operators in traffic control centres to alert the authorities in immediately. This makes it faster to react to incidences of illegal or irresponsible driving and remove obstacles on urban roads, while also holding drivers accountable. As well as helping to reduce traffic congestion, traffic enforcement video solutions can also help to improve public safety. They can be used, for example, to detect drivers who run red lights or otherwise drive dangerously, and to take action against them. A better future for congested cities With urban traffic management now topping the agenda for most city authorities, intelligent video technology is a beacon of hope. By monitoring traffic in real time, these kinds of solutions allow city authorities to take immediate action to ease bottlenecks – reducing drivers’ frustration, reducing lost productivity and improving urban air quality. Additionally, real-time incident detection helps improve overall driving standards, which ultimately reduces the number of accidents and saves lives. As more and more city authorities begin to see the huge value of latestgeneration video solutions for traffic management, adoption is accelerating. This is especially the case where cities have been able to implement a suitable regulatory and funding structure to support the implementation of these kinds of solutions. By Ashish P. Dhakan – MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd.,    

Hikvision participated in the 12th edition of the International Fire & Security Exhibition and Conference (IFSEC India 2018) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 5-7 December, 2018, where it unveiled the latest AI applications, products and solutions for India market. Hikvision also won the ‘Excellence in Security Technology implementation’ Award at the forum of IFSEC India Awards 2018 for its security solutions implementation at Indofil Chemical.   Commenting on the IFSEC India participation, Ashish P. Dhakan, MD and CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Being a leader in the Indian security market, Hikvision has showcased its best-in-class technologies and innovations in IFSEC India 2018. We unveiled the latest products and innovative technologies including Artificial Intelligence, AI Cloud, Big Data and IoT. We have introduced PIR cameras, face recognition terminals & swing gates, smart pole and ECS (Emergency Call Switch) for the first time in India. We are elated to see the positive response from our partners. The latest IFSEC Award has reaffirmed our faith in pursuing excellence in security technology implementation.” At the sprawling IFSEC India exhibition floor, Hikvision set up a gigantic booth where it showcased a whole new range of vertical specific solutions including PPOG, intelligent traffic management solution (ITMS), mobile, education, healthcare, hospitality, tourism, retail, and banking. It demonstrated the latest innovations in the AI technologies and AI Cloud, the signature DeepinView series IP cameras, DeepinMind series NVRs, and AI based applications for face recognition, people tracking and perimeter protection.   The other latest products displayed were in the categories of IVMS, HDTVi 5.0, Easy IP 3.0, transmission, UVSS, machine vision, intrusion alarm, video door phone (VDP), access control solutions (ACS), professional products, edge devices, swing barriers, DarkFighter X, EZVIZ and storage. Hikvision partner Seagate showcased their innovative solutions for various advanced applications at the booth. Ashish Gujarathi, AVP – Products (access control, intruder alarm and VDP), Prama Hikvision India gave a presentation on the theme ‘Next Gen Future Technologies’ at IFSEC India Conference on 6th December and showcased Hikvision’s giant strides into Robotics, Machine Vision, AI and Machine Learning. Mr. Gujarathi elaborated on Hikvision’s latest product innovations in UAV (unmanned ariel vehicle), UVSS (under vehicle surveillance system), PanoVu camera and thermal camera segments. As commented by the Hikvision team, the show provided them the ideal opportunity to meet new and existing customers and demonstrate Hikvision’s on-going commitment to innovative product development, high quality solu tions and great customer support. Hikvision is the world’s leading provider of innovative video surveillance products and solutions. Featuring the industry’s strongest R&D workforce, Hikvision advances core technologies of audio and video encoding, video image processing, and related data storage, as well as forward-looking technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and deep learning. In addition to the video surveillance industry, Hikvision extends its reach to smart home tech, industrial automation, and automotive electronics industries to achieve its long-term vision. Always creating value for its customers, Hikvision operates 38 regional subsidiaries all over the world to achieve a truly global presence.

As cities are growing, so are the challenges of the urban sector. To cater to this evolving market, Axis Communications, one of the market leaders in network video, exhibited their suite of end to end solutions and integrated range of thermal and video surveillance technologies at International Fire & Security Exhibition and Conference (IFSEC) India Expo.   As a part of their safe and smart city initiative, Axis along with their technology partners Allied Telesis and Milestone demonstrated their leadership in intelligent security solutions at the event. Axis believes in building the right sustainability strategy and more importantly, how it can be delivered to not only an organisation, but to the whole supply chain involved in today’s complex business models. So, with sustainability embedded in their approach, the company has introduced several innovative and energy efficient technologies in their products. The challenges posed by rapid urbanization and increasing crime rate have put the government under immense pressure to recognize the vulnerabilities leading to possible threats. Our demos at IFSEC 2018 are thoughtfully curated to showcase how our integrated allin-one intelligent solutions can help put crimes in check and build a smart and safe city. With an estimated budget of ₹2.09 lakh crores for smart city programmes by the Government, there is a requirement for new age network video integrated end to end solutions. Axis’ plethora of smart solutions aims to provide a better quality of life along with the promise of making the city safer. Sudhindra Holla Sales Director – India and SAARC, Axis Communications The video surveillance industry sees a paradigm shift in India. With increasing number of cyber-attacks, security is becoming a priority for both the government and enterprises, and providing highly protective network infrastructure becomes vital. For Axis, IoT and cyber security are extremely important, which means the camera can have no back door. Axis makes all cameras as secure as possible from a firmware perspective so that it is not easy to hack them.   The products and solutions displayed helped educate all stakeholders and end customers on the need for smart upgradation of technology, and the importance of adopting smart solutions to keep their business and clients secure. Axis innovative outdoor ready cameras and their audio solutions are versatile tools that can be used by city authorities, retailers, urban planners and the government bodies, to build ‘role model’ smart cities of tomorrow. These technologies provide necessary surveillance infrastructure for tracking, monitoring and alerting the concerned authorities even during the most difficult situations. Axis products also work on an open source platform that can be integrated with any thirdparty software providers to cater to larger installations across the country. Some of the major Indian implementations include Aurangabad Smart City, Vizag Sea Port, Café Coffee Day, Mysore Palace, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Novotel Goa Shrem Hotels, Hyderabad Community, among many others. IFSEC India is south Asia’s largest Security event organized by UMB India. The 12th edition of the event brought over 300 Indian and global brands, industry leaders, decision makers and end customers all under one roof to exchange knowledge on the cutting-edge technologies, industry best practices and surveillance trends to build a digitally safe world.

Dahua Technology participated in IFSEC India 2018, one of South Asia’s largest security and surveillance congregation, along with its national partner M/s. Aditya Infotech. They received tremendous response and admiration about their products and solutions. The three-day exhibition was held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi during 5-7 December, 2018. The expo was inaugurated by Padma Shri D.R. Karthikeyan, Chairman, Assocham Homeland Security Council; Shiv Charan Yadav, President, APSA India Chapter; Maninderjit Singh Bitta, Chairman, All India Anti-terrorist Front; Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India; and Pankaj Jain, Group Director, UBM India, amidst an august industry gathering. The show brought together internationally renowned exhibitors from over 20 countries such as UK, USA, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Korea, Russia, and over 300 domestic and globally renowned brands, key government officials, consultants and business experts under one platform. Exuding joy at the marvellous response, Robbin Shen, Managing Director of Dahua Technology India Pvt. Ltd. remarked, “I am simply amazed by the fabulous response throughout all the three days. This time, Dahua displayed more products and solutions across many verticals that will benefit this country. The credit goes to our dedicated team which put very hard work to achieve this great success. We thank all the visitors for coming to our booth and making the event memorable.” Solutions showcased Dahua showcased more than a dozen solutions in many verticals. They included artificial intelligence, intelligent algorithm, HDCVI 5, panorama + starlight + new IPC, thermal, imou, VDP + access control + alarm, safe city, intelligent traffic, intelligent transportation, smart industry park.2, smart retail partner, and HoC (heart of city). Dahua’s booth was seen flooded by enthusiastic visitors who wanted to know about Dahua’s state-of-the-art products straddling many industries. Dahua’s dedicated marketing and technical teams patiently explained about each solution and its benefits to the visitors. A day long video presentation on each security product helped the visitors understand the product better. Dahua hosted security quiz programs on all the three days and the winners were given attractive prizes. The famous Dahua Mascots went in and out of the exhibition venue shaking hands with Dahua fans who were delighted to take selfies with them. Dignitaries, security professionals, police officers, intelligence experts, and other prospective visitors from across sections of the society who visited Dahua’s booth were highly impressed about the latest technologies in many verticals shown and praised them, and complimented Dahua team for their efforts. A group of security officials from a government agency remarked, “We are amazed to see the kinds of advanced technologies that Dahua has displayed here. The presentation and product literatures are very informative. We will strongly recommend some of these products for city surveillance in our region.” Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. is a leading solution provider in the global video surveillance industry. In 2017, Dahua was ranked 2nd in ‘Security 50’ by a&s International. Dahua provides the highest quality solutions and products with the latest technologies to enable end users to perform their business successfully. The company has more than 6,000 R&D engineers and technical staff working on cutting-edge technologies in camera lens, image sensor, video encoding & transmission, embedded processor, graphic processing, video analytics, software reliability, network security and other technologies. Dignitaries, security professionals, police officers, intelligence experts, and other visitors were highly impressed to see the latest technologies in many verticals and praised them.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge relies on customized security solutions from Bosch to ensure safe operations. The world’s largest sea-crossing bridge was opened by Chinese officials in late October 2018. Spanning 55 kilometres in length, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge directly connects Hong Kong to Macao and then to the Chinese city of Zhuhai for the first time. At a total cost of USD20 billion, it is a major boost for China’s Greater Bay Area, an emerging industrial and technological hotbed that is home to 68 million people, and a showcase project for Bosch Building Technologies. The large-scale project was built over the course of eight years using 400,000 tons of steel. It includes underwater tunnels and two artificial islands that serve as customs ports. Ensuring the security of these two islands, where drivers need to present special permits to use the new bridge and pass customs checkpoints, was a priority from the start. Securing vital infrastructure With a proven track record of equipping critical infrastructures such as airports, hotels, commercial buildings and underground metros, Bosch Building Technologies won the contract to provide the artificial islands with video surveillance, intrusion alarms, as well as public address and voice evacuation systems. On the island between Zhuhai and Macao, the Bosch partner Shanghai SAGA Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. installed more than 5,700 Bosch loudspeakers and over 260 amplifiers which are all managed via the PRAESIDEO digital public address and emergency sound system. Fulfilling a key customer request, the installation incorporates 15 different models of ceiling, wall mount, and line array speakers to blend in with the facility’s modern interior. Furthermore, Bosch was able to match Macao’s local standards by custom-ordering solutions with British power cord, programmed with graphic interfaces in traditional Chinese lettering. On the island outside of Hong Kong, which is home to a customs clearance port, Bosch partner Pro-United Co., Ltd. installed 2,200 public address speakers of various models including outdoor speakers for the travel inspection building. Experts also adjusted 200 vari-directional array loudspeakers to balance sound variations from different building materials. “The Bosch technical team and partners used professional software to simulate the sound pressure level of a specific area and comprehensively simulate the entire project to ensure that the selected products can meet the requirements of different areas in the actual application,” said Lin Lizhi, Bosch Building Technologies. A landmark project Bosch also covered the island with more than 2,000 HD cameras including the FLEXIDOME, DINION, and AUTODOME series. Monitored from a security control center on the Hong Kong side of the island, these cameras support 24/7 surveillance of the customs clearance port, travel inspection building, immigration department and Hong Kong customs office. The PRAESIDEO systems on both islands enable security staff to broadcast live voice announcements via security call points, while multiple sets of intrusion alarm systems protect personnel and property. “We added the supporting intelligent call station PRAESIDEO, which is usually used for airport projects, in order to ensure that the staff can directly perform voice broadcasts throughout the call station during operation, thus making the security management more convenient,” said Wang Yiping, Deputy General Manager of Shanghai SAGA Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. The high-profile infrastructure project highlights the flexibility and broad customization options offered by Bosch Building Technologies as a one-stop solutions provider. Now that it is fully operational, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is already considered a key asset in the Greater Bay Area, also known as ‘China’s Silicon Valley.’ The bridge reduces the travel time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong from four hours to a mere 30 minutes. It also creates a new gateway for travellers between vital transportation hubs such as Shenzhen and Hong Kong airports with while the integrated Bosch security solutions ensuring a safe passage.  

March Networks®, a global provider of intelligent video solutions, has recently announced the results of a second annual survey exploring how fraud, customer service and security perceptions are impacting U.S. banking consumer decisions. Key results from the 2018 survey, commissioned by March Networks and conducted by independent market research firm Ipsos earlier this year, reveal that 17% of consumers experienced fraudulent bank account activity in 2017, up moderately from 15% the previous year. More concerning, 15% of those respondents experienced 5 or more fraudulent incidents in the 12 month period, and 9% reported switching banks in response. Still, a clear majority of consumers (92%) were satisfied with how their financial institution handled fraudulent activity, and 25% said surveillance video was used to help resolve the incident. Survey results also show that a continued focus on the customer experience remains critical for banks and credit unions when it comes to retention. One in 5 respondents confirmed that they had switched banks in the past year because of poor in-branch service. Further, 70% said they would consider switching banks if their local branch did not appear clean and tidy – with that number rising to 77% for consumers living in households with children. In addition, consumers’ banking choices are influenced by how secure they feel when conducting transactions, either in their local branch, at an ATM or online. A majority of consumers (98%) felt most secure when conducting transactions at their local banking branch, compared with 93% when conducting transactions online and 83% using a mobile application. Further, half of consumers reported that they did not conduct an ATM transaction at least once in 2017 because someone was loitering nearby, putting the onus on banks and credit unions to increase monitoring capabilities around their ATMs or risk losing business. Other key findings from the survey reveal that: While consumers are banking online and via mobile apps, nearly three quarters also banked at their local retail branch, similar to the year previous. More Millennials (72%) reported visiting their local branch in 2017, versus 61% in 2016. 63% of consumers noticed fraudulent activity on their account themselves, while 37% were notified proactively by their bank or credit union. 46% of consumers said waiting more than 5 minutes for service in retail branch is unreasonable. The vast majority of consumers support visible video surveillance in their bank or credit union. More than 90% feel that surveillance cameras deter crime, and 96% agree that video surveillance is an important contributor to solving crimes quickly. “Consumers today are engaging digitally with their financial institutions more often, but are also frequently turning to in-person services, and have high expectations when it comes to service and security,” said Peter Strom, President and CEO, March Networks, “Understanding consumer perceptions and how they influence where consumers choose to bank is important for all financial institutions – especially when it comes to strategic planning and the dramatic transformation many institutions are currently undertaking to increase their competitive position.”  

In India, there are 60 million families across the country who are below the poverty line, as prescribed by the Government. One of the insecurities for these families is the frequent incidences of illness, and the need…