Category: National

Shivindra Pratap Singh Managing Director Lancers Network Limited As the past two months adequately highlight, the COVID 19 pandemic has found most of this world unprepared and off-guard. Even the most developed countries and best of economies have been brought to a grinding halt. Human life as we have known it since the end of World War II has been held hostage. The Corona virus has successfully managed to infuse a sense of doubts and insecurity into the minds and thoughts of 7 billion human beings across the globe. Unfortunately, as of now the best that our science and knowledge has in response to COVID 19 is a lockdown, to send everyone home and ensure the streets are deserted. The economic fallout of this pandemic and the resultant lockdown is yet to fully reveal itself. The focus at this stage is to ensure that it does not pass from human contacts. It is evident that there is not a single industry that has not been jolted by the events of the past 12 weeks. Supply chains have been brought to a grinding halt, and the best of business continuity plans have been made to appear useless. In an unprecedented turn of events, this is probably the first time in human history that both demand and supply across the world have been sabotaged like this, or that is what we would like to believe. Every disaster, natural calamity or conflict witnesses emergence of a special type of entrepreneurs who specialize in business of disaster – ‘disasterpreneurs.’ These individuals identify the business opportunity that any disaster offers and then single mindedly go after profiteering from it, ignoring the law of the land, ethics and basic humanity. This business of disaster can be rather profitable. We in India are witnessing these ‘disasterpreneurs’ in the form of counterfeiters who have stepped in and filled the last mile supply chain vacuum by providing substandard, mostly locally assembled/ produced spurious products. As per some industry estimates under normal, read non-pandemic, circumstances counterfeiting causes a loss of over Rs. 1 lakh crores annually to the Indian economy. It is believed that over 10,000 enforcement actions are annually undertaken by various law enforcement agencies across the country. Close to 100 enforcement actions have taken place across India since the lockdown started. Every single successful brand is suffering from this menace including pharmaceuticals, FMCG, automotive, liquor, cement, electronics etc. It is imperative at this stage to acknowledge and understand the potential health, safety and security risk posed by the greed of these ‘disasterpreneurs.’ Fully aware of the priority of the law enforcement at this point in time, these counterfeiters are working on full capacity to maximise profits across the country. As we plan our next 12 weeks it is important for the law enforcement authorities to ensure they focus on curtailing the counterfeiting activities by proactively engaging with the brand protection and security functions of leading brands. The nation cannot afford a public health scare and loss to the exchequer emerging from mass distribution of counterfeit products across the country. Relentless pursuit of these perpetrators followed by enforcement actions is a need of the hour and that must be incorporated into our country’s priority policy objectives.  

Based on an all-India campaign, Bhopal was selected in the first round of 20 smart cities, to transform the city into a leading destination for smart, connected and eco-friendly communities focused on education, research, entrepreneurship and tourism. The challenge Known as the ‘city of lakes,’ Bhopal is a historic city with a population of over 2.5 million. With an expanded planning area of 463 square kilometres, Bhopal is among the 16 largest cities in India. In view of its growing population, the city leaders wanted to upgrade the security of its residents, migrants and visitors, by ensuring diligent monitoring across the city. Also, Bhopal faced chaotic traffic flows and repeated violations, causing traffic jams, accidents and fatalities. This not only made everyday life uncomfortable but also increased transport time with a negative effect on economic activity. The solution After rigorous evaluation, a panel of city leaders, stakeholders and industry leaders selected Videonetics for this project. Videonetics designed a solution based on its AI & DL powered unified video computing platform (UVCP™) encompassing intelligent VMS, intelligent video analytics and intelligent traffic management system. 24×7 city-wide surveillance Today, over 350 IP cameras are deployed in Bhopal, covering major entry and exit points from the city, places of strategic importance, locations of public gatherings, traffic junctions and business districts etc. Operators are quickly responding to any incident from petty theft to more serious offenses. To monitor urban operations round-the-clock, intelligent VMS provides continuous viewing and recordings of these cameras, in a user-friendly interface. Specifically, the authorities can also detect overcrowding, unattended baggage, break-in prediction, counting people and traffic violations in a single interface. Round-the-clock traffic monitoring Today, the city has an intelligent traffic management system (ITMS) suite covering 23 junctions across the city. The suite encompasses automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), red light violation detection (RLVD), over-speeding detection, no helmet detection and triple riding detection. In addition to intersections, the ANPR solution has been integrated with IP cameras at entry-exit points in tourist spots and other places, helping law enforcement to identify non-standardised/ duplicate licence plates, blacklisted and stolen vehicles, and much more. Automated violation prosecution management The ITMS solution not only enables monitoring of the traffic situation 24×7, but also records traffic violations in real time. Videonetics Integrated e-Challan Management Software (ICMS) has been integrated with regional vehicle database to generate e-challan along with incident evidence and violator’s address – all in a transparent manner and with the audit trail of all transactions with evidence. With the help of ICMS, traffic personnel can easily maintain record of all payments, both received and pending. Centralized city view Combining intelligent VMS and ITMS into the unified interface empowers city management officials and traffic police to view real-time alerts, manage them, and respond to them swiftly, from the Integrated Command & Control Centre (ICCC). The impact The Bhopal smart city project has proven to be a great success and has become an exemplary model for other cities. Today, operators have become more efficient and make better decisions by having consolidated monitoring and reporting in the single interface. From helping law enforcement authorities in apprehending vandals to addressing instances of theft, physical confrontations and street crimes, now authorities have critical video evidence available to aid in the investigation of crimes and other incidents. Also, with citizens becoming more sensitised to traffic rules and beginning to follow them, violations have come down rapidly. The traffic data of each junction now provides insights to the administration, which is helping to manage chaotic traffic conditions and create situational awareness at the levels of local and central authorities. “As challans were dispatched to the residence address, people had to pay, and it was quite strict,” said Nitin Dave, Media Manager, Bhopal Smart City, “Now people are more aware about traffic rules, leading to a reduction in the number of e-challans.”  

Quantum Corp. recently announced new product lines and capabilities which significantly expand its video surveillance and physical security product portfolio. The expanded portfolio includes: A new line of network video recording servers. A new line of servers for building management systems and GPU-based video analytics.  New capabilities for the VS-HCI Series, which the company launched in 2019 to provide hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) for surveillance recording, video management, and building operations. These expanded product offerings add to Quantum’s existing solutions for shared archive storage for surveillance, based on its StorNext® file system and the recently announced acquisition of the ActiveScale™ object storage solutions. The result is one of the broadest security infrastructure solution portfolios available from any single vendor.   New network video recording server line Quantum’s new line of network video recording (NVR) servers complement the company’s VS-HCI series and are offered in both mini-tower and rack-mounted form factors to provide customers with a range of affordable, reliable, and high-performance options for surveillance recording and video management. Quantum’s VST mini-tower NVRs are designed to support the surveillance of retail stores, gas stations, small buildings and campuses, and other small implementations, while Quantum’s VS4160 NVR is one of the most dense and highest capacity NVRs available for environments with large retention requirements. New analytics & application servers To support the extreme graphics processing and parallel workload demands of video analytics, Quantum has introduced the VS2108-A analytics server. The VS2108-A can be configured with up to six GPUs in a compact 2U chassis and will accelerate results with leading video analytics software platforms. For access control and building management applications that require a highly available architecture, Quantum is introducing a new highly available application server, the VS1110-A. Quantum’s new VS1110-A Enterprise application server utilizes the same virtual machine (VM) failover capability found in Quantum’s VS-HCI series. Like the VS-HCI series, the VS1110-A server can be monitored remotely via a secure web-based portal, enabling facilities managers, integrators and Quantum support to proactively monitor this system anytime, anywhere. Quantum StorNext and ActiveScale storage for large surveillance archives On March 16, 2020, Quantum announced that it had completed the acquisition of the ActiveScale object storage business from Western Digital. Object storage can be used as a tier for multi-petabyte surveillance infrastructure. Video is typically captured and recorded on higher-performance servers, then archived on object storage-based systems. The combination of Quantum’s StorNext file system and ActiveScale object storage can be a valuable solution for shared archive storage in many surveillance environments. “The most important message from Quantum to all of our customers and partners during this unprecedented time is that our top priority is health and safety of our society, our employees, our communities and all of you. Our next priority is to ensure business continuity and site security,” said Jamie Lerner, President and CEO, Quantum, “Video surveillance plays a vital role in securing infrastructure and critical assets, and in protecting citizens. We’ve applied our years of expertise to build a comprehensive portfolio for surveillance, and we are responding quickly to the needs of our customers.” “Kepler Networks customers are on the front line of change in the surveillance industry, and as video surveillance technology has evolved it has placed unprecedented strain on storage,” said Gavin Bortles, President, Kepler Networks, “Customers who adopt intelligent, scalable storage as the foundation of their new surveillance and security system leave more budget for cameras, analytics, and other tools dedicated to protecting people and property.”  

Prama Hikvision participated in the 4th edition of the Fire & Security India Expo (FSIE) 2020 which was held between 27-29 February, 2020 at IEML, Grater Noida. The FSIE also hosted the FIST Awards ceremony on 27th February at Crowne Plaza Hotel. Prama Hikvision bagged the FIST Award in Product of the Year – Home Protection System category. Commenting on the FSIE participation and FIST Award win, Ashish P. Dhakan, MD and CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd., said, “Prama Hikvision participated in the Fire & Security India Expo (FSIE) to present its best-in-class technologies and product innovations in the Indian security market. It is one of the most unique expo platforms for the fire and security segments. We are happy to showcase the latest products and innovative technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), AI cloud, big data and IoT. We are glad to have won the FIST Award. It reaffirms our resolve to present latest technologies, products and solutions. I wish FSAI and FIST Award will continue to promote the spirit of excellence among the security professionals and end-users community.” He further added, “We are confident that all the latest products and cutting-edge AI technology applications will enhance the end-users’ engagement with latest technologies. We had displayed ColorVu and AcuSense camera series along with the latest offerings in access control, video door phone, intrusion alarm, perimeter security.” At the event, Hikvision showcased the latest and most advanced technological innovations with AI technologies, the signature DeepinView series IP cameras and DeepinMind series NVRs. It also displayed the AI based applications for face recognition, people tracking and perimeter protection. Hikvision had exhibited central monitoring solution, integrated solutions, PanoVu camera, access control solutions, face recognition terminal, swing barrier, video intercom solutions, intrusion system, under vehicle surveillance system (UVSS), ColorVu camera, AcuSense camera, intelligent traffic solutions, mobile and portable solutions and power, petroleum, oil & gas (PPOG) solutions etc. Pankaj Dharkar, International President, FSAI along with Sandeep Goel Chairman, BIG3 conferences, FSAI, hosted a thought provoking BIG3 seminars spanning over three days. Prama Hikvision also participated in a panel discussion on ‘Safety Systems at Large Assembly Spaces – Multiplexes, Malls, Airports, Convention Centers, Expos, Halls & Alike.’ Ashish Gujarathi, AVP, Non-CCTV Products, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd. shared the insight on how advanced AI enabled security solutions can secure the large assembly places. FIST awards are initiated by Fire & Security Association of India (FSAI) and powered by Prama Hikvision. The awards recognize the extraordinary contribution of end-users, government organizations, original equipment manufacturers and individuals in various categories. The FSIE expo concluded successfully with some relevant footfall from end-users and government delegates.  

Portronics has launched Biolock – a smart biometric padlock. The newly launched smart lock is quite sturdy and can be used for various purposes, from locking doors to cabinets to storage lockers and bikes, etc. One can now bid adieu to the hassles of forgetting passwords or losing keys. Using Biolock doesn’t require installation of any new application or even a Bluetooth Connection; the fingerprint will be the key. This lock allows one to add up to 40 fingerprints, every individual who is authorized can access lock in just 0.5 seconds.   Equipped with an LED indicator, this smart lock is made of stainless steel with a rugged zinc alloy coating to provide excellent tamper resistance. Being IP66 rated this makes the Biolock water and dust resistant. Biolock is light in weight and weighs only 59 grams. Biolock is a rechargeable smart padlock that comes with an inbuilt 100mAh battery that gets fully charged up within 30 minutes and lasts upto 6 months. Connect the lock to USB power supply to recharge it with any 5V USB adaptor once the battery gets drained out.  

Hikvision has launched a full range of LED displays providing seamless, high-definition and colorful imaging. Developed and manufactured internally, Hikvision’s LED displays offer indoor fine pitch LED, indoor fixed LED, outdoor LED, and transparent LED technologies to cover a wide range of customization needs. Hikvision has years of experience in providing monitoring screen displays for surveillance centers, and launching the new LED display product line also marks the entry of Hikvision into the global, commercial digital signage market, and yet another milestone in the company’s continuous expansion from the security field into new business areas. The new LED displays from Hikvision are designed specifically to meet the growing market demand from enterprise and public safety organizations, advertising companies, and the entertainment industry. The new LED displays were engineered to become the ideal option for monitoring centers, meeting rooms, indoor and outdoor advertising screens, live spectator events, and a host of other scenarios. With outstanding image rendering technology, Hikvision’s LED displays bring users true-to-life images and video with exquisite, high-definition picture. Equipped with the unique Pix Master image processing technology, the displays offer improved image sharpness, dynamic contrast, saturation, and enhanced clarity from all directions. Other features include: Remote control: Users can operate the displays remotely with an easy-to-use multi-function card; One-click color-temperature mode-switching: Support for one-click switching among multiple color-temperature modes changes the picture to suit virtually any application; Automatic dehumidification: This feature reduces the rate of malfunctioning lights by 30% on average, effectively lengthening the lifespan of each display; Blue light filtering: With over 90% of blue light converted to low-energy light, viewers will benefit from effective and responsible eye protection. Additionally, Hikvision’s LED displays simplify splicing several screens together due to its standardized structure, which enables easy installation and maintenance and supports common 1080p and 4K resolutions with accurate proportion.  

Amidst the outbreak of Covid-19, there is good news that Samriddhi Automations. Pvt. Ltd. (SPARSH) has launched a ‘Human Temperature Detection Solution’ for proactive detection of high temperatures which could help Indian health bodies to keep track of the people with high temperature during this outbreak and take necessary actions in order to control the spread. The solutions are capable of detecting and alerting temperatures above threshold levels by screening humans from distance which helps in preventing human to human proximity and thus spreading of Covid-19. They will help screening a larger population in public areas like airports, railways stations, metros, hospitals, bus stations, govt. buildings etc., which becomes almost impossible if given a chance to be done by person(s).  Look & go Solution Ideal to conduct screening safely and efficiently of those who may potentially be infected with flu. Body temperature of those infected is expected to be around 38~39°C while adult human normal temperature should be around 36°C. This camera can visualize such temperature difference instantly from safe distance for administrators to segregate those who may have been infected. How it Works Human Temperature Detecton Solution uses face detection technology and the infrared energy that a body emits, which is invisible to the human eye. The system constructs a heat map and calculates the temperature. One has to face the camera and stand still, allowing a clear view of the corners of the eyes — the tear ducts — where the skin temperature comes closest to that of the body’s core. When the system detects someone with temperature above threshold, an alarm is generated and the face of the person is stored along with temperature readings in records. This helps automate the screening process, helping in protection of human to human trasfer of virus. This is an Eye Tears Duct Pore temperature screening solution which is far more accurate than thermal cameras which are basically used for only body temprature measurement. This solution gives accurate reading – approximations are thus not very useful. Some of the world facts amid this outbreak: Italy’s entire population under quarantine measures. China’s Q1 growth seen at 4.5% – lowest since financial crisis -Reuters poll. Airlines expect a $113 billion drop in revenue this year. This pandemic in a way also brings an opportunity for India because it accelerates the de-risking of supply chains which originates from China. This opportunity exists only if we can control the outspread of this virus in India. Sparsh has also launched thermal based Human Body Temperature Detection Solution, but the accuracy of the Look and Go solution is by far accurate than the thermal based solution due to technology limitations as Thermal Cameras provide average temperature of human taken at different points on the body whereas in look and Go Solution, the temperature is detected from Eye Tear Duct Pore. The Government has given an advisory to keep regular check on body temperature.     Samriddhi Automations. Pvt. Ltd. established in 2006, is a pioneer and a leading player in manufacturing electronic video surveillance equipment in India with product presence in more than 250 cities. Its brand SPARSH has revolutionized the security market by being India’s first company to manufacture CCTV cameras in the country in the year 2008. At their state-of-the-art manufacturing unit at SIDCUL Industrial Area, Haridwar, their focus on indigenous design, development and manufacturing of technologically advanced Surveillance Equipment & Devices has put India on the international map.  

Unlocking A New World of Open, Connected and Adaptable Access Control HID Global has recently launched HID® Signo™, its signature line of readers that creates a new industry benchmark for the most adaptable, interoperable and secure approach to access control. The new readers dramatically simplify system deployment and management, meet the advanced security requirements of today’s dynamic environments and set organizations up for smarter, more connected access control. “With the industry now seeking to use access control systems as a backbone for creating intelligent environments, consultants, integrators and end users are increasingly demanding more versatile, high-performance solutions,” said Prabhuraj Patil, Regional Sales Director, South Asia, Physical Access Control Solutions, HID Global, “HID Signo is built on an open platform and delivers on our commitment to innovation with its unprecedented flexibility and robust set of forward-looking features that optimize workplace experiences. Our goal is to put more choices in the hands of our customers and give them peace of mind in knowing they can continually adapt their systems as requirements change.” For ultimate versatility, the readers are interoperable with over a dozen physical and mobile credential technologies so organizations can use their technology of choice and easily migrate to the latest solutions at their own pace. Additionally, with support for Apple’s Enhanced Contactless Polling (ECP) to enable student IDs in Apple Wallet, HID Signo is driving the next wave of flexibility and convenience with mobile access. HID’s new readers are packed with smart features such as automatic surface detection that recalibrates and optimizes read performance based on the mounting location. For rugged, outdoor performance, the readers are also IP65 rated with no additional gasket needed, and feature a capacitive touch keypad resistant to harsh weather conditions. Transcending traditional access control HID Signo’s connectivity-by-design model empowers administrators to remotely configure and diagnose readers as well as monitor status through a centrally managed and connected reader ecosystem. Additionally, configuration can be further streamlined through the controller via the open supervised device protocol (OSDP). Delivering multi-layered security with built-in support for OSDP secure channel and HID’s proven Security Identity Object technology, the readers store cryptographic keys on certified EAL6+ secure element hardware and custom authentication keys can be used to further enhance security. HID’s patented velocity-checking feature also protects against brute force rapid electronic attacks.  

Training & certification program helps partners and system engineers boost their surveillance technology knowledge and skills CP PLUS, India’s leading security & surveillance technology firm, has recently concluded its Mission-Tech Training Program in Haridwar and Kanpur. Mission-Tech is a comprehensive training program designed to support partners, surveillance system engineers, and other industry professionals to boost their surveillance technology knowledge and skills. With increasing demands for security products in India, the need for qualified and trained professionals is also growing. CP PLUS Mission-Tech renders quality and globally relevant classroom training and empowers professionals to provide an optimum solution for customers’ ever-changing needs. Moreover, it enables businesses to remain competitive in this dynamic environment. As Yogesh B Dutta, COO, CP PLUS, said “Mission-Tech certification technical training program creates optimum learning for partners involved in the video surveillance business. It allows them to better leverage the technologies to provide the desired surveillance solution to customers while creating the best value for them. This strategic training program not only helps build skills and credibility in the marketplace but also creates new growth opportunities for professionals.” Supported by National Skilling Council, CP PLUS Mission-Tech program covers three levels of certification – Certified Surveillance Engineer (CSE), Certified Surveillance Professional (CSP), and Certified Surveillance Designer (CSD). These certification courses are well-designed for the professionals so that they can deliver customized, reliable, and scalable solutions across different verticals. “CP PLUS Mission-Tech offers hands-on information on the operation, installation and maintenance of CP PLUS products. It’s ideal for people like us who are system integrators and engineers in the surveillance domain. This relevant training is supportive in carrying out efficient surveillance solutions for end-customers,” said Ankit Goyal, Owner at Marc Computer, Haridwar. “Mission-Tech is well-designed for professionals in the security industry. It’s good for improving technical skills and knowledge in the field of electronic surveillance. Further, it is projected for interactive training and optimal learning helpful in providing customized and efficient solutions in various areas,” said Jayram, Raj Computers, Rishikesh. Since its formation, Mission-Tech has trained and educated many partners and surveillance system engineers (SSE) on installation, operation and maintenance of CP PLUS products. This program is designed keeping the needs of businesses in mind so that they can evolve and go smoothly in today’s dynamic market.  

COM-SUR has recently offered its highest version of ‘Ultima’ Software free of cost  to the entire Indian Police, Para Military, and Defense forces. In this line, they signed an MoU with the Indian Police Foundation (a policing think-tank). Com-Sur has made this offer as a national service towards nation building, and to boost Make in India campaign. COM-SUR hopes to bring the much-needed standardization and efficiency to these forces, thereby reducing their burden when working with surveillance videos, photos and images. Gautam D. Goradia, CEO and MD, COM-SUR elaborated, “Videos, photos and images are an integral part of policing across the world. With the proliferation of surveillance videos from diverse sources such as CCTV, body worn cameras, drones/ UAVs, mobile phones etc., there is a deluge of this medium of ‘information.’ Trillions of hours surveillance video is generated on a daily basis across the world. While such humongous amount of rich visual ‘information’ continues to grow, there is neither a standardized ‘workflow’ nor are there any standardized tools being used by policing/ law enforcement agencies to ensure that not only can this ‘information’ be efficiently converted into actionable intelligence; but that, it can also be stored smartly, and shared in a standardized manner. Therefore, there is a need for an easy to use and efficient tool to achieve the above objectives, as well as to ensure that all this big data is not wasted. Made in India COM-SUR is a force multiplier, a ‘workflow’ that allows users to carry out several activities with far reduced burden and standardization.” While the first deployment of COMSUR at a Police force in India was at the Puducherry Police command centre, its recent deployment has been done at the Telangana Police command centre, which is an initiative spearheaded by the Infosys Foundation. Several top ranking Police officials across India have appreciated COM-SUR. In its 6.5-year development and improvement journey, COM-SUR has won several awards, the recent one being the Made in India Software Product of the Year 2020 from the Fire and Security Association of India.