Technology & Trends - CCTV software

If you’ve been paying attention over the last twelve months, you will have noticed that deep learning techniques and artificial intelligence (AI) are making waves in the physical security market, with manufacturers eagerly adopting these buzzwords at the industry's biggest trade shows. With all the hype, security professionals are curious to know what these terms really mean, and how these technologies can boost real-world security system performance. The growing number of appli...

It’s not hard to see why more and more locations are requesting security solutions that operate on an open system. Selecting products and platforms that utilise open standards—Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), HTTP, IEEE, RESTful APIs, etc.—provide additional levels of interoperability, scalability and versatility that give organisations the flexibility they want to be proactive with safety and security. Unfortunately, creating the right solution today isn’t quite as si...

As most of us are well aware by now, from 25th May 2018, every EU country will be subject to the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), changing the way personal data is handled by strengthening compliance requirements and introducing strict penalties for failing to adequately protect personal data. All UK businesses must be conscious of the new rules and make the necessary changes, since non-compliance can result in data breaches and massive fines of up to 20 million Euros, or 4% of t...

The Internet of Things (IoT) is having a significant and ever-changing impact on the way we view video security. Today, cameras are expected to be so much more than devices with which to simply capture images; they need to be far smarter than that. These future-facing cameras are becoming an integral part of the vast digital connectivity infrastructure, delivering a parallel performance as intelligent sensors with the ability to extract the kind of invaluable data that helps businesses make impr...

Video surveillance across the world is growing exponentially and its major application is in both public safety and law enforcement. Traditionally, it has been fixed surveillance where cameras provide live streams from fixed cameras situated in what is considered strategic locations. But they are limited in what they can see given by their very definition of being "fixed." The future of video surveillance includes the deployment of more mobile video surveillance with the benefits it offers. Ins...

Over the course of the past few months, I have discussed a myriad of topics, from Big Data, the Internet of Things and emerging video surveillance-use cases, to analytics, storage complexities and IT technologies like virtualisation and hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI). All of these trends have a significant effect on the security market, and in April they were highlighted in spades at ISC West. It’s great to talk about these trends but it’s far better to see how they are being l...

Small business owners work hard. They are often the first ones there in the morning and the last to leave at night. Even then, they likely bring their work home with them. During that time, everything they do is aimed at making their business as successful as possible. Because of this, many business owners don’t take vacations, and if they do, they spend a lot of time worrying about their business while they’re away. In both cases, the potential for burnout is tremendously high. Th...

Despite the huge amount of video data collected, statistics show that only 10 percent of data is ever used and most loses its value within seconds of being generated. Why use such a limited amount of data? Many security organisations are focused on delivering the right information in case of an emergency or providing the correct evidence after a criminal act. Yet the fact is, a new video security system can be a large investment. Together with the service, maintenance and management costs assoc...

Video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) is not just for commercial organisations. Federal, state and local governments can also realise benefits from the technology—and use it to deliver an integrated video surveillance system that addresses some of their unique security needs. Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) What is VSaaS? Simply stated, it’s a cloud-based video surveillance solution that is packaged and delivered as a service over the internet. The price varies depending...

While US market is being sensitive about cybersecurity through their popular camera products, European countries and the UK are preparing for the new privacy regulation to apply in two months’ time. But how would these challenges affect the global security market? What are the main problems in it for the manufacturers? What should investors in security industry look at right now? We’ve all recently heard about acquisitions of market-leading companies by technological ‘monsters...

Most cities have at very least a plan and in most cases an existing program to make themselves safe cities. Increasingly, cities around the world are transitioning to become smart cities: urban areas where security solutions work in unison with other systems, extending the benefits of technology beyond security and into other city operations. Whilst this transformation has yet to become a widespread the next crucial transition—from smart city to cognitive city—is already appearing...

There was a time when one of our biggest challenges was securing our physical assets, whether that was our people or our property from crime. We researched and deployed the very latest in video solutions, intrusion systems, fire alarms and access control devices, all in an effort to keep the bad guys out and the good guys safe, along with protecting our facilities from break-ins, robberies and countless other crimes. However, times are changing. No longer must we only be concerned about keepin...

PenTesting, also known as “ethical hacking” or “white-hat hacking,” has always been viewed as the “sexy” side of cybersecurity, a task that is far more exciting than monitoring systems for intrusions, shoring up defenses, or performing compliance audits. Numerous security conferences are devoted to the fine art of attempting to hack into systems – with an owner’s full knowledge and permission – and reporting on the results. At an organisat...

The way we purchase services and products is changing. The traditional concept of buying and owning a product is giving way to the idea that it is possible to purchase the services it offers instead. This approach has come from the consumer realisation that it is the outcome that is important rather than the tools to achieve it. For example, this approach is evident with the rise of music streaming services as opposed to downloads or physical products.   With the physical...

  The record-breaking attendance at the 2017 industry trade shows was a clear indication of a growing need for and interest in security. While cybersecurity was a main theme, with encryption and automatic-updating technology taking centre stage, customised solutions and visible examples of increased manufacturer’s support were also highlighted. These latter two are interwoven through activities such as manufacturer’s training seminars that highlight the advanced f...

  Demand for video surveillance equipment continued to grow rapidly in 2017 with price competition remaining intense. The important trends in 2017 were in three areas: Multi-sensor technology, artificial intelligence/deep learning, and stronger integration with VMS partners. Security professionals are turning to emerging technologies such as multi-sensor panoramic cameras, which can dramatically increase situational awareness, improve operator efficiency, and are more cost-eff...

We predicted last year that more vendors would introduce copies of Arecont Vision’s multi-sensor 180-360 degree panoramic and adjustable-view multi-sensor cameras in 2017, which came true. More vendors now offer their own 1st generation copies of the pioneering technology we introduced in 2006. We’ve continued to lead this market, introducing new 5th generation single-sensor and multi-sensor cameras that are used by customers worldwide. The SurroundVideo Omni G3 with Remote Setup c...

Global economic expansion and technology improvements continued to drive demand this year for IP cameras, network video recorders (NVRs), access control and other security technologies.   A strong year for security Overall, 2017 represented another strong year for the security industry. A combination of falling prices and improved IP camera performance helped drive camera sales during the year as the migration from analogue to IP continued to pick up momentum. Advancements i...

Throughout 2017, customers have been increasingly looking for technological answers to a plethora of their business needs, and the surveillance industry has seen a rapid boost because of this. In particular, we’ve seen more organisations harness video to fulfil much more than just their security requirements. Combining physical and cyber security Businesses are now using surveillance to address areas such as health and safety, sales and marketing as it fast becomes more of a business opp...

In 2017 we saw a lot of new construction projects, and many existing buildings upgraded their security systems to include high-resolution cameras and better-quality recording systems. Because the economy is stronger, many businesses and municipalities increased their security budgets for large-scale and public projects due to terrorism threats in public places.   Smart cities became more popular One of the bigger trends we saw in 2017 is the growing popularity of smart cities...

As we take a look back on 2017, there are a number of trends we need to highlight — all of which have redefined our industry. Cybersecurity played a huge role in physical security, driven by the increase in the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the overall interconnectivity between devices and expanding cloud technologies. Although exceptionally beneficial, the IoT also brings with it an increased amount of cyber vulnerabilities. As security systems are using the Internet more and m...

The security industry was strong and healthy in 2017. High-end security markets, such as the power distribution and critical infrastructure sectors, saw continued growth and opportunity for perimeter security technologies like thermal imaging, video analytics and radar. For the low-end security markets, there was significant competition from Chinese manufacturers. Despite this challenge, we saw continued growth from premium Western security manufacturers in 2017 in which many introduced cost-ef...

Video surveillance solutions have come a long way in recent years, including this past one, with IP-based imaging solutions delivering incredible resolution and detail to provide higher levels of situational awareness, information and overall security. In 2017, we also witnessed how video surveillance serves an emerging need and desire to acquire greater business intelligence. Today’s cameras and VMS are able to truly deliver on the promise of IP video without requiring end users to break...

2017 witnessed a continued decline in the cost of cameras. While this creates a challenge for camera companies, it creates two clear opportunities: (1) Product differentiation now relies more heavily on software rather than camera parameters, which drives more focus and rapid innovation on the software side, and (2) cameras have become more affordable which encourages an increase in the adoption rate and size of surveillance projects.   Artificial Intelligence surveillance applications Ad...

The physical security market continues to experience growth as users look to capitalise on the promises of emerging technologies and because of this, 2017 proved to be a great year for Oncam. In fact, this year was the best year in Oncam's history in terms of sales, as 360-degree fisheye cameras have gone from being a “specialty” camera used only in certain applications to a primary device for enabling total situational awareness. Today, many of our customers leverage 360-degree ca...

SourceSecurity.com’s most trafficked articles in 2017 reflected changing trends in the market, from facial detection to drones, from deep learning to body worn cameras. Again in 2017, the most well-trafficked articles posted at SourceSecurity.com tended to be those that addressed timely and important issues in the security marketplace. In the world of digital publishing, it’s easy to know what content resonates with the market: Our readers tell us with their actions; i.e., where they...

Over the past year, there was an unprecedented rise in drone incidents. Drones were unwelcome at and threatening the physical and cybersecurity of defence organisations, stadiums, corporations, and data centres, among organisations with critical infrastructure. Legislation is only just emerging now, and laws protecting airspace are hard to enforce, especially if a pilot is unaware of the risks of their flight or is flying with malicious intent. Laws can be circumvented, but detection technology...

2017 was a very interesting year within the security industry. Although the overall economy seems to be in a stable and growing state, security spending seems to have become more “thought-out” and strategic as opposed to some of the impulsive spending on the latest pieces of technology to hit the marketplace. Many end users and integrators are thinking more long-term and some of the biggest concerns have been scalability and interoperability. Unified management platforms One of the...

The security industry remains interested in capturing actionable data from video analytics and this year we saw increasing interest from non-security industries. While still a relatively young industry for our market—think of where Google was with collecting metadata 10 years ago—video security works with similar algorithms for capturing various scenarios. The data this provides is becoming more valuable not only for security purposes, but also for business operations, such as deter...

2018 will start to see facial recognition and other biometrics used in a combination of ways, but I’d like to look even further into the future. I believe that facial recognition will be utilised on a large scale and that it will be very hard to enjoy the enhanced speed and simplicity of travel and financial transactions of the future without relying on biometrics. Biometric ticket and passport For example, when you travel to another country your face will be your ticket and passport.&n...