IP cameras News

The technological resources from the physical security sector available to prisons dealing with contraband threats are effective For those outside the security industry, the idea of prison contraband rarely extends beyond the old gag of a file inside a cake. In fact, contraband at prisons and other custodial premises is a major challenge: deterring and detecting it occupies many man-hours, and manufacturers devote much R&D activity to the problem. Contrabands in prison T...

Potential deployments of video analytics, or my own preferred term “intelligent scene analysis,” are being worked on by some of the best minds at university campuses across the United Kingdom. Later this year I will visit Kingston University whose Digital Imaging Research Centre is one of the largest computer vision groups in Europe. Violence prevention through analytical intelligence Here, I talk to Prof David Marshall of Cardiff University, who describes work...

For many years, generally speaking, the use of video surveillance has been seen as an extension of an end user customer’s security system. However, recently, we have also heard about how video can help customers more generally, providing benefits that extend beyond security and encompass better operations and management. Easier economic justification is one important aspect of looking more broadly at the benefits of video surveillance to the enterprise as a whole. Better return on investme...

The nature of crime in general – and particularly types of theft – are changing. Craig Mackey, Deputy Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, says falling rates of conventional “property” crime are being of offset by an increase in computer-related crimes. Fall in “property” crime rate Mackey stressed that there has been no “magic bullet” responsible for the pronounced fall in burglaries and other prope...

The crystal clear images provided by new 4K cameras have attracted a lot of attention at recent industry trade shows in the security market. But the improved video resolution comes at a price. The cameras are more expensive, and the systems to support them – more bandwidth, more storage – portend even more expense. There have been higher-resolution cameras on the market for years, of course, but an advantage of 4K security cameras is that they represent a standard that could be appli...

As my trip to London for IFSEC International ends, I can look back on three days jam-packed with new approaches, new technologies, and the best the global security market has to offer. I met people from all over the world who share an interest in physical security technology -- and how it can be used to make the world a safer place. I heard several exhibitors mention that business was slow in Europe in the early part of 2015. However, the show highlighted that R&D investment has continued t...

In the vast centre of the hall almost none of the randomly shaped stands display their index number I enjoy IFSEC each year, spending three days walking the halls. I do feel frustrated by the acres of "me too" products prompting a "meh" response. So often I’m left feeling the "big news" is that hype and lies are growing and continue to drown out the truth. If companies' marketing budgets were simply given over to their product development departments, we would find thing...

When asking exhibitors at IFSEC International 2015 about what drives their markets, many cite system integration as a key factor. And they want more of it. Integration as business “driving force” For example, John Davies of TDSI says customers are now seeking out system integration. “They want a solution rather than components, such as linking access control with building management systems or with an organisation’s IT network to control access to its computers,”...

You couldn’t miss IDIS America at ISC West this year – they had a 2,800-square-foot booth. But who are they? That was a question many attendees asked. The big booth presence, and flood of industry advertising before the show, both reflect that IDIS is not an upstart. The name may be unfamiliar to some in the U.S. market, but IDIS has been making a similar splash all over the world. The high profile reflects the global player’s commitment to being a “game-changer” i...

Axis has a new camera that “shakes like a dog” when it rains -- to get rid of the extra moisture. KiwiSecurity, an Austrian company and IFSEC newcomer, uses video analytics to scramble images of faces in live video to ensure privacy.These were two of the surprising things I saw on Day Two of IFSEC. Attendance picked up nicely in the halls of London’s ExCeL -- and the show floor seemed to get bigger as the day wore on (at least according to my weary feet!). There definitely were...

Many of the new products being promoted at IFSEC International this year at ExCeL London were previously unveiled at the big ISC West show in the United States in April. Now the IFSEC audience of Europeans and other international visitors are seeing them for the first time. Traffic seemed a little slow the first day, and you heard some exhibitors grumbling about it, but IFSEC exhibitors are finding a lot of new things to talk about with attendees. The cool London weather is perfect for a trade s...

Security beyond its traditional boundaries is a big theme at IFSEC 2015 The security landscape is changing. Touring exhibitors on the first day of IFSEC International in London, it seems an increasing number of vendors are offering products that go beyond what may be termed "security," offering solutions for applications such as health and safety and data collection. They are also offering more smart technology with mobile phones and tablets, and are selling smarter by tailori...

Although in many cases CCTV has been an effective investigation tool, its full potential is not being realised It’s all very well installing CCTV cameras, but to be effective users have to know what to do to make images available to the police and courts, according to detective chief inspector Mick Neville of the Metropolitan Police. Although in many cases CCTV has been an effective investigation tool, its full potential is not being realised, says Neville, who is due t...

Security is a big concern for local government buildings, but there are measures that can make a difference Back in August of 2013, Rockne Warren Newell, armed with a rifle and a handgun, stormed a township meeting in the Ross Township Municipal Building in Saylorsburg, Pa. Witnesses say he fired through a wall into the meeting room and then burst into the room itself, guns blazing. Three people died, and two sustained wounds before citizens attending the meeting restrained hi...

Organisations are looking for ways to maximise resources and extract value from video security investment "There’s valuable information hiding within surveillance video. Extracting it can make a security department more efficient and provide a clear return on investment to their organisation." - Dror Irani, CEO and President, BriefCam - The Video Synopsis company. Challenges of video surveillance Video surveillance systems are a blessing to security. They are also a cu...

Managed and hosted services allow users access from a variety of connected devices It’s not about hardware anymore, although quality components are a must. Now, it’s about how technology performs. For the systems integrator, there’s also an opportunity to provide essential services to keep customers connected. As with many other businesses, the security industry is being “disrupted” and influenced by the cloud. Delivering outsourced security and...

Unrealistic promises by over-enthused marketers and under-delivery by R&D departments have damaged the cause of video analytics almost since its inception. For me, the exaggeration reached its worst point when industry pundits suggested that we would soon be able to identify and alert on anomalous behaviour of the kind demonstrated by the Tsarnaev brothers in the moments before the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings. Mainstream journalists speculated that the two Chechen broth...

The evolution of IP video has placed a lot of attention on the resolution of video, as measured in the growing number of pixels in a frame. But another variable, receiving less attention, is the number of frames captured per minute (fps). We inherited the idea of “full-frame-rate” video from the analogue world, but increasing numbers of pixels (and more data!) have sometimes led to use of slower frame rates. We asked our Expert Panel: What is the value of “full-frame-rate&rdquo...

The future will produce cost-effective solutions that can provide meaningful coverage of wide expansive areas The greatest trend in history will continue to change the world, and the physical security market. It’s called Moore’s Law. In accordance with Moore’s Law, our electronics have consistently doubled in speed, halved in size, or halved in price every two years for decades already. This trend means that our electronics, communications networks, data ne...

Strategic management of costs is important when considering video storage systems Costs are at issue when considering any component of a video system. Strategic management of costs is especially important when considering video storage systems because storage accounts for such a large cost component of networked systems. Gartner’s Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) As enterprise products begin to dominate the video storage market, more attention needs to be addressed to Gar...

Integrators and end users should be aware that their definition of open might differ from those of security manufacturers Much of the buzz in the industry today about open architecture is driven by the IT world, with many security-related decisions now falling on an organisation’s IT department, where true open architecture has been around for a long time. Closed systems like we’ve experienced in the security world are not just viewed as foreign to the IT world; th...

Security vigilance can be sporadic at many companies and institutions. Facilities tend to tighten security in the days after a scary event happens or makes headlines, and people are generally tolerant of the associated inconvenience – for a time. But as memory fades, so too does tolerance for being inconvenienced. We want to be safe, but we also don’t want to be bothered. We want a security system that both provides safety and is unobtrusive. Security doesn’t have to be inconv...

We’re seeing a market trend toward manufacturers seeking to provide “total solutions” rather than components. The trend is reflected clearly in recent industry consolidation, for example. When companies that manufacture various components become part of a single corporate owner, it’s not a stretch to expect the new owners to combine those components into a single end-to-end solution – sooner or later. Manufacturers are also leveraging OEM agreements and other partne...

Going back to the days when we asked our children to program our VCRs, many of us are challenged by the intricacies of technology. However, a benefit of newer inventions such as smartphones and tablets is that they are easier to use and “intuitive” – whatever that means. Security and video surveillance systems are becoming more complex in lockstep with consumer electronics, so we asked this week’s panellists: How does technology innovation in security systems impact the s...

The fundamental value of data is widely apparent in modern society, and its loss may have significant consequences Video data is critical to today’s enterprise. The latest video storage systems must offer dependable operation that doesn’t risk loss of that critical data. DDN - When performance matters “Not only is bandwidth very important, but functionality cannot be lost when a storage system is having a bad day,” says Jeff Adams, director of sales,...

According IHS Technology, more than 11 million consumer and DIY network cameras will be shipped worldwide this year Perhaps we should start looking at do-it-yourself (DIY) systems such Google’s Nest and other devices as an opportunity for existing security contractors – those that are open-minded anyway – to bring in additional customers and new streams of recurring monthly revenue (RMR). DIY systems continue to proliferate in the marketplace and are availab...

It has been seven months or so since Tyco Integrated Security entered the small business security sector, and the company’s focused approach is paying off well in the five initial markets of Chicago; South Florida; Dallas-Fort Worth; Orange County, Calif.; and Burbank, Calif. It’s no wonder they hit the ground running. TycoIS had plenty of time to prepare for its September 2014 launch into the small business market. Expiration of a two-year non-compete agreement after the company sp...

Megapixel and panoramic camera manufacturers have been predicting the demise of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ cameras) for several years now. They contend that PTZs can be replaced by the higher resolutions of newer cameras, coupled with their ability to “zoom” in digitally on a specific area of an image and show sufficient detail. New panoramic cameras also capture everything in a wider field of view, while a PTZ camera runs a risk of missing important action because it is pointed in the wrong...

The trend towards greater unification is facilitated by an all-encompassing shift to IP technologies As more organisations are looking for ways to maximise resources and increase operational efficiencies, unification of multiple security and business systems is gaining popularity. From the central command center, there is significant time lost when operators have to jump from video surveillance to access control systems to analyse an incident and take appropriate measures. Eve...

When you need to view video of an incident or information about an access point, you expect your security system will provide that information. But what happens if a camera or card reader isn’t working for some reason? It’s the security director’s worst nightmare. Sadly, the moment when a system fails is often the first indication an end user has that there is a problem. A useful trend I saw at ISC West this year is growth in various types of diagnostic, monitoring and control...