Retail security applications - Round table discussions

For several years now, the video surveillance market has been involved in the “megapixel race,” with manufacturers touting ever-higher pixel counts on their shiny new models. The implication, though not necessarily stated overtly, is that a higher pixel count is equivalent to a better picture. Too simple, says this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable participants, or more to the point: Not true. But where does that leave customers? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable:...

Video cameras are smarter than ever. Video analytics functionality is available inside most cameras now on the market. Smarter cameras enable a system with distributed intelligence and also help to manage bandwidth and storage – on-camera intelligence can determine what video is important enough to tie up network resources and to eventually be retained or viewed. But on-camera video analytics have their limitations, and additional video intelligence at the server can add a new range of fun...

Historically, biometrics applications have often been thought of as specialised, high-tech and used predominantly in governmental markets. Everyday systems have tended toward card readers and keypads, while biometrics have been associated with high-security applications. Today, however, biometrics are much more mainstream. Fingerprint readers, in particular, are as near as our smart phones. Many other biometric applications are also becoming more common in a wide variety of markets. We asked thi...

People using computers to surf the Internet is "so 20th century". Today, the big trend involves machines using the Internet to communicate, exchange and analyse data in what has widely become known of as the Internet of Things. Various security devices are among the IoT components, and how devices connect effectively using the Internet – even devices not related to security – will constitute a large part of the future business of security integrators and installers, whether in the re...

With more physical security systems using Internet protocol and being connected to the enterprise IT network, it’s not surprising that the corporate IT department is more involved than ever in the buying decision – for better or worse. Does the IT department bring valuable resources to the table, or are they an impediment to the sales and integration process? It’s not a new issue, but an increasingly important one as the industry changes. We asked this week’s Expert Panel...

Software changes constantly. There’s always a new patch or fix, and our computers persistently remind us that an update is available. As a core component of today’s IP networked video systems, video management software (VMS) is also subject to the need to be constantly updated and refined. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable to elaborate: Why is it important that networked video customers keep up to date with the latest version of video management software (VMS)?

The industry is counting down to the big industry trade show this fall, the ASIS International 61st Annual Seminar and Exhibits — ASIS 2015 in Anaheim, California. What topics will dominate the traditionally end user-based show in a year of shifting technologies and new capabilities on the horizon? We asked our Expert Panel Round Table to weigh in.

Most of today’s video surveillance cameras are capable of providing audio, but when should it be implemented? Acceptable uses of audio surveillance, as opposed to video, are a different concept in many jurisdictions worldwide. Privacy laws regarding audio may be more stringent than those for video, but both tend to centre around the concept of an “expectation of privacy,” which may mean something different in the case of audio versus video. How can system designers and end user...

More and more physical security systems are being hosted in the cloud. But are cloud-based security systems “safe?” It’s a question being posed by risk-averse security professionals all over the world, and one for which a clear, concise answer may be difficult to find. We decided to pose it to our Expert Panel.

Any business sees its share of highs and low, of flare-ups and lulls. In the security market, several factors can impact general business trends, whether at the macro level or for an individual manufacturer or integrator. The economy is always a factor in the business climate, but are there others? We asked our Expert Panel to assess the impact of another variable – the seasons. Specifically, we asked this week’s Expert Panel: What is the seasonal impact on sales of security technolo...

We asked this week’s Expert Panel: What are the limitations on where video cameras can be placed because of privacy? With hundreds of new cameras installed every day, the likelihood increases exponentially that a camera will be placed in a location where it violates privacy. In fact, threats to privacy are often among the largest objections when video surveillance is proposed, whether in a public area or in the workplace. Allaying fears about undermining privacy is a basic requirement to m...

We have all heard the sales pitch: Use of megapixel cameras lowers the camera count needed to provide adequate video coverage, thus making the overall system less expensive. Use of fewer cameras equates to less infrastructure, bandwidth and storage, according to the claims, and megapixel cameras provide enough detail that you don’t miss anything using fewer cameras. It’s a compelling pitch, but one that has sometimes been questioned in the market. To look beyond the marketing hype, w...

Salesmen may face pressure to “seal the deal,” but might an overemphasis on the ABCs of selling (“always be closing”) actually work to the detriment of an unsuspecting customer coerced into buying too much (or the wrong) technology to meet his or her needs? Not likely, according to our Expert Panel, who this week address the topic of salesmanship in the security market. We asked: Can an end user trust a security salesman’s advice? Our responses are overwhelmingly in...

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 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...

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...

Rapid technology innovation in the physical security market comes with it a commensurate need to dispose of older systems as they are replaced. Some technologies can help minimise the waste, providing, for example, the ability to use existing coaxial cable with newer IP video systems. However, absent the ability to reuse equipment, how should integrators manage disposal of systems at end-of-life? Here are some responses from our Expert Panel.

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...

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...

Seeking to manage uncertainty is part of the core mission of security professionals. When it comes to the technology systems they depend on every day, extended service agreements are a tool to manage uncertainty as it applies to system operation. We asked our Expert Panel this week to comment on how extended service contracts benefit users, integrators and/or suppliers. Their answers effectively enumerate multiple benefits to all parties involved. Ongoing service and maintenance help to ensure c...

There’s almost no such thing as a local business anymore. Even the smallest of entrepreneurs find they have immediate access to a global marketplace via the Internet, and larger companies continue to find new ways to maximise their successes throughout the world. We asked our panellists this week to comment on how they see globalisation impacting the physical security market. Their broad-ranging responses emphasis the opportunities and challenges of succeeding the global marketplace.

As we unpack our bags – literally and figuratively - from the recent ISC West in Las Vegas, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on the busy show. Specifically, it’s a good time to consider how the exhibition could be improved to be more valuable for attendees and/or exhibitors. We asked our panellists for their opinions, and we’re also interested in any other post-show commentary – please share in the comments section.

The U.S. physical security market will be focused on Las Vegas this week and the big ISC West trade show for 2015. But what should attendees expect when they get to Sin City? We asked our panelists for their insights into what will be making “big news” at this year’s show. Fortunately, the suspense is almost over!

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities of IP physical security systems have long been the industry’s “elephant in the room.” Perhaps as a function of salesmanship, the possibility of a cybersecurity attack on a physical security system has sometimes been downplayed or dismissed. However, video from hacked cameras streaming on the Internet cannot be ignored, nor can the possibility that an enterprise’s system could be hacked using back-door entry through an unprotected physical sec...

The retired police officer who takes a cushy job as a security director is almost a cultural cliché. Like any cliché, the idea has roots in the real world, where police departments have often been a rich source of the security industry’s leadership talent. Former military personnel often find their way to the security industry, too, and realise that the familiar elements of discipline and command structure translate well. We wondered about the impact of this historic trend an...

There’s a cloud hanging over the security market. Or rather, The Cloud is portending great change for our market (and other markets, too). But with all the talk about cloud-based systems, limitations still linger along the path to optimum implementation in the security market. We asked our panelists to reflect on those limitations and look ahead five years to how the situation is likely to change. From bandwidth and connectivity challenges, to geographic limitations and even a need to chan...

Maintaining a high level of customer service can be a challenging experience when an acquisition takes place.This issue is of particular relevance to the security industry, where merger and acquisition activity continues to rise. We asked some of our Expert Panellists to share their thoughts on how both the acquired company as well as the company making the acquisition can retain the focus on their customers throughout the integration process. Here’s what they had to say.

With economic ups and downs, the global population finds itself responding and adapting in different ways to these changes. There is no doubt that changes in the economy will lead to changes in buying practices across all industries, and the security industry is by no means an exception to this. In times of economic growth, individuals and organisations will be more inclined to "splash the extra cash" on the best of the best. Whether it be deploying several new surveillance cameras in an e...