Mauritius News

A childhood friend of mine has made a nice career in coaching college football. As with most coaching careers, he’s had to make several moves over the years. He was the Linebackers Coach at a national powerhouse FBS school for a few years before getting promoted to Special Teams Coordinator. From there, he moved into a Defensive Coordinator at another FBS school. Not a national powerhouse, but he was the D.C. – a huge promotion. Although I’ve kept up with his progress, and have...

The massacre in Las Vegas is both sadly familiar and terrifyingly novel. Because of the recent series of violent attacks on innocent people gathered in public places, high body counts are no longer unheard-of, although the 59 dead after the Las Vegas tragedy sets a depressing new record. These news stories have become so grimly commonplace as to dull our collective sensitivity to their shock. However, the modus operandi of the latest attack, apparently by a “lone wolf” – caref...

“Don’t try this at home.” It’s a common warning, but how does it apply to security systems? With today’s systems becoming easier to install, and with customers becoming more tech-savvy, there is a growing market for “do-it-yourself” or DIY home security systems. The trend also extends beyond the home security market: Business end users may also think they can forgo a professional installer and handle installation in-house. The customer may save money by...

In a world where hacking and denial of service are everyday threats, many feel that it is about time for the world of the Internet of Things (IoT) to undergo a reality check over its strategy and promotion before disaster strikes, reputations are lost and investors pull up stakes and run for the hills.   What is new about IoT? Having made, lost and then re-made my fortune in and around the industry over the past 20-plus years, I cannot help but smile over the level of hype — an...

BASF is one of the world’s leading chemical companies. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. The company has been a committed partner to Greater China since 1885 and currently is one of the largest foreign investors in the Chinese chemical industry with major investments in Nanjing, Shanghai and Chongqing. Need for protection According to BASF’s Greater China Report published in 2012, local production enabl...

Security and surveillance systems are becoming critical to manufacturing plants and factories by helping to address the theft of raw materials, the theft of IP, and the tampering of equipment, machinery and cargo. They can also serve as an effective monitoring tool for overseeing assembly line production and worker safety. A Micron/Repon case study Repon, a manufacturer of high-quality ball bearing slides used in various industries including server- and rack-mount systems, office/home furnitur...

Remarkable changes are happening in the video camera market for surveillance applications, including the emergence of lower-priced products that offer features that previously were only available at a much higher price point. Deflating prices of cameras are sometimes referred to as a “race to the bottom” – foreshadowing a market of low-cost cameras that all provide similar features. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable to comment on camera pricing trends and how c...

The Internet is awash in information, and some little bit of it somewhere might represent a threat to your company. How much would you pay someone on your staff to read more than a billion Internet posts a day in 200 languages, sort through it all, provide what’s relevant to your company in your inbox, and then alert you, in real time, to the most threatening information? It’s an interesting question that points to the value proposition of Babel Street, one of the exhibitors at th...

At one of Spain’s newest co-working spaces, the founders’ vision incorporated using the latest in security, accessibility and design to create a 21st-century business centre. Flexible and wire-free, SMARTair™ from TESA delivers real-time access control that can accommodate both regular daily traffic and busy one-off events at ULab’s dedicated events area. SMARTair Wireless Online management SMARTair™ Wireless Online management now enables access to the building an...

Vanderbilt, a global provider of state-of-the-art security systems, has announced it will preview its new Vanderbilt ACT365 cloud-based access control and video management platform during the 2017 ASIS International Seminar and Exhibits, September 25-28, in Dallas, Texas. The solution meets a need for small- to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt more comprehensive security solutions into their operations without extensive capital investment.  Vanderbilt access control-as-a-service The&...

The last two years have been pivotal for MOBOTIX, the German IP surveillance manufacturer. In 2016, the company entered into a share transfer agreement with Konica Minolta, a provider of advanced imaging and sensor solutions. More recently, the company has welcomed new CEO Thomas Lausten, who joins MOBOTIX with a wealth of experience from companies including Siemens, ADI Global Distribution and Milestone Systems. The changes have been accompanied by an updated look for the MOBOTIX brand, wi...

Millennials are an important market, and in one sense, they represent future possibility. The changing tastes and trends of this tech-savvy “Generation Y,” who came of age around the turn of the millennium (circa 2000), are an important consideration in the marketing of security technologies, among many other things. Fortunately, according to a recent survey from ADT, millennials will likely be dependable consumers of security technology products and services for years to come. Smar...

Galaxy Control Systems, a provider of integrated access control and security solutions, is demonstrating the latest updates and integration support for their flagship access control system, System Galaxy (booth #2241) at ASIS 2017. Additional features for System Galaxy v10.5.1 now include updated support for OnSSI, ASSA ABLOY, Salto Systems and Allegion products, as well as enhancements to reports and security group import functions. “Staying current with our integration partners is criti...

SureView Systems, a global provider of command centre solutions, is introducing their new mapping solution for the company’s Immix Command Center (CC) Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) platform at ASIS 2017. The new Immix geospatial-mapping interface allows users to better comprehend physical location information. The use of static facility floor plans overlaid directly onto the powerful Google Maps interface, dramatically increases ease of use and accuracy. SureView has fur...

Measuring return on investment (ROI) has long presented a challenge to the security marketplace. Investment in security is often viewed as a necessary cost whose benefits cannot be measured. For example, how do you measure the value of an event that doesn’t happen (i.e., that has been prevented)? The difficulty of measuring ROI doesn’t diminish customers’ appetite for it, however. Today’s choosy customers are driven more than ever by the bottom line and expect any and all...

For many nations across the globe, the threat from international terrorism remains severe. Physical attacks, carried out by terror cells and radicalised individuals, in Barcelona, London, Manchester, Stockholm, Paris and Brussels have been coupled with an increasing number of cyberattacks. With the issue of national security and counter terrorism at the top of government agendas, Clarion Defence and Security Ltd. has announced the launch of UK Security Week that will start on 6 March 2018. Desi...

There have been many changes in the healthcare environment over the past decade. The Affordable Care Act has been established, severe weather events are on the rise, violence along with active shootings continue to increase, behavioural health patients present treatment challenges and hospitals continue to consolidate to increase purchasing and service capabilities. Over the next decade, healthcare will continue to transform. Emphasis will be on financial reform, violence response, emergency pre...

To say the surveillance industry has changed over the last quarter of a century is an understatement. From high-definition cameras and TVs to high flying drones and video analytics – the surveillance industry has shifted in ways we never expected to see in such a short space of time. What’s more, with such advancements in both quality and choice that’s now available in the market, it’s no wonder that revenue in the video surveillance market is set to double to $75.64 bill...

Set in 58 acres of parkland at the end of a magnificent sea loch, the Torridon Hotel and Inn boasts one of the most spectacular and idyllic locations in the country. As the only hotel in Scotland to win the coveted Automobile Association “Hotel of the Year” twice, the Torridon has attracted a number of high profile guests and the location for several films and a TV series. Customer service and privacy Although originally built as a shooting lodge for the first Earl of Lovelace in 1...

As the new school term begins, awareness of security at all levels of educational institutions is higher than ever. Technology plays an important role in protecting educational facilities and their students, faculty, staff and visitors. Specific security challenges drive which technologies and other measures are used, and those challenges are evolving, along with the dynamic institutions security is tasked with protecting. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the security...

Somerset Mall in South Africa’s Western Cape Province has become the first shopping mall to make the transition to IP CCTV surveillance. Working with local systems-integrator, SSC Infrasek, Somerset Mall has installed 130 Hikvision network cameras to protect the safety of visitors and stores alike throughout the complex, the third-largest shopping centre in the province. The scenic splendour of South Africa’s Western Cape Province has long attracted visitors. Millions of tourists fl...

For many years, video analytics have enabled end users to detect specific people or vehicles entering restricted areas, capture license plate information, scan crowds for specific individuals and much more. Today’s Video Management Systems (VMS) and IP cameras are built with powerful processing capabilities, helping to drive the development of more advanced analytics to more accurately detect abnormalities in behaviors that trigger alerts – an important component of predictive analys...

A new study reveals that intelligent fire detection systems have the potential to unlock more than 30 percent cost-savings on routine maintenance checks through real-time, data-driven remote monitoring. Kevin Mears, Product Manager for Kentec Electronics, describes how remote monitoring and predictive maintenance can meet the competitive challenges of the digital age. Leading economists have identified the convergence and synergies delivered by The Internet of Things – the interconnection...

Edge storage technology - the recording of video and storing it at the camera or on a directly attached storage device instead of in a centralised recording facility across the network - is quickly gaining acceptance and is being more broadly adopted into IP video surveillance applications. The use of edge storage in an IP camera enables video surveillance solution developers more flexibility and cost benefits in system design. By leveraging local microSD card-based storage, system integrators...

Even the most effective technologies usually require some level of human involvement. What new technologies do, generally speaking, is change the nature of a human’s role. Most jobs in today’s world are vastly different than 50 years ago, in many cases because of the changing role of technology. In the physical security world, what specific impact does technology have on the human element of systems? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: Have recent developments in secu...

“Netflix,” “twerk” and “selfie” were added to the dictionary. Boston Marathon bombing. Activist Nelson Mandela and actor Paul Walker died. Edward Snowden gave NSA classified documents to Wikilinks. These events may seem like they happened only yesterday, but they are some of the top news headlines from four years ago. Four years can feel like a very short time, and in four short years, every security panel installed by dealers to date will go dark. The curren...

Security and systems integrators across the nation are recommending and providing long-term security solutions to their customers. But when it comes to physical security entrances, integrators can easily fall into the trap of simply fulfilling an end user’s exact request without much pushback. Why? We believe the complexity and variety of entrances available makes it difficult to consult on the best solution, but also because there are a lot of assumptions at play. 1) Ask questions to d...

The security industry as we all understand it today is due for a much-needed paradigm shift. The solutions that security dealers and integrators are installing and deploying today have advanced considerably and for many, those systems do an excellent job safeguarding the homes and small businesses of their customers. However, all of those installed solutions have one inherent flaw: traditional fire alarms and security systems are only reactive in nature. By reactive, we mean that although today...

Security at airports has become indispensable, and entails continuously increasing requirements. The only way to keep satisfy the most demanding standards day after day, is to constantly further develop the technology in use. Video surveillance is a crucial contribution to airport security; this technology has a great deal of potential, as long as the current configuration is not taken as the final goal in terms of development. Il Caravaggio airport expansion phase “Since the technologic...

There’s a huge cloud hanging over the physical security market, but in a good way. Cloud-based systems, whether for video, access control or another category, are on the verge of taking the industry by storm. The benefits of that mythical “cloud” are well-known, or certainly well-touted, in the market. It’s almost as if the word “cloud” has become a buzzword that can mean different things, or at least whatever the customer wants it to mean (as long as they buy...