Notes from Norstrom

Frankfurt’s skyline is famous worldwide, and it has boasted another eye-catcher since November.  The recently opened 4-star hotel “Blue Heaven” will surely be an attractive centre of attraction for trade-fair visitors from around the world.  This is not only due to the building’s 87-metre height, but above all the blue silhouette and striking window architecture of the Radisson SAS Hotel.  Everything is also an all-round success when it comes to security, w...

A “business meeting in the night club” is what Videor General Manager Phil Wilkinson recently experienced in Barrow-in-Furness (County of Cumbria), North England.   The Princess Selandia is permanently moored at the Town Quay as a floating entertainment complex to offer its guests a special type of leisure experience.   Trelore Alarms took on responsibility for the specified security and safety technology, and installed an eneo CCTV integral solution supplied by V...

Videor delivers CCTV technology for the Metro in RotterdamA safe and high-capacity public transportation system that is accepted by its passengers brings success.  The Rotterdam Electric Tramway (RET) – operating company for a well-balanced network made up of buses, trams and metro trains – plans for tomorrow’s requirements, and is investing in upgrading its CCTV system. The components installed by the Dutch companies CTC and Imtech have ensured that all incidents hav...

eneo dome cameras from Videor secure the site premisesAround 130 dealers in the new Perishables Centre at Frankfurt turn over 440,000 tons of goods annually, and these supply up to five million consumers in the Rhein-Main area.  Heer GmbH decided to choose equipment supplied by Videor for the surveillance of the spacious premises. The new site of the Perishables Centre Frankfurt was built when the Frankfurt Großmarkthalle, the central covered market, was converted to become the new ho...

Real-time CCTV system operates around the clock to provide vehicle ID using ANPR and IVI at UK Ports Tyco Traffic and Transportation of Cambridge, part of Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions, were the main system integrators and prime contractors for the Bluebird Phase 1 project ,which is a vital component in the success of both the regional and national approach to controlling the UK's Borders.  This CCTV project is recognised nationally as a lead Benchmark standard for Automatic...

Octavian Security has won the contract to provide store security at IKEA Nottingham - and will be utilising a number of its Ghurkha officers to ensure that the highest retail security standards are met. The Nottingham based, nationally operating Security Company has devised a store security strategy in conjunction with the leading home-wares retailer that will utilise up to ten guards at any one time, with 60% of the guards working on the contract being ex-Ghurkha regiment soldiers.Working along...

Capture OmniScape took top honours in the Security Industry Association New Product Showcase (NPS) at the International Security Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, April 5-7, 2006.  Eighteen judges, representing various segments of the industry, viewed a daylong series of presentations by manufacturers of the 94 NPS entries.  SIA President Bill Gorski, Siemens Building Technologies, NPS Committee Chair Sandra Jones, Sandra Jones and Co., and SIA Executive Director Richard Chace pr...

Worldwide cash machine fraud is one of the fastest growing forms of card fraud.  By their very nature ATMs are in place to provide a service to the public and it is this accessibility which makes them a convenient target for hardened and opportunist criminals alike.  Criminals, often in organised gangs, are applying various methods to obtain card details in particular card skimming where a card reading device is secretly fitted to an ATM.  Add to this the perennial problem of stra...

Company's advanced real-time digital video solution to be deployed in preparation for the 2008 Olympics NICE Systems, the global provider of advanced solutions that enable organizations to extract Insight from Interactions(tm) to drive performance, today announced that it has been selected by Beijing Metro to supply its next generation security solutions to help enhance the safety and security at more than 20 stations of the city's subway system.  Following mounting security concern...

New reader to launch at IFSEC  A4Vision Inc. announced it would make the European launch of its new Vision Access 3D Face Reader with optional touch screen at IFSEC in Birmingham.  The Vision Access 3D Face Reader, the world's first sub-second facial identification/verification reader, now incorporates a touch screen option that accommodates PIN and 3D facial biometric access in one device.  The reader's LCD screen provides active feedback to users indicating optimal positioning f...

Preventative measures in and around the Berlin Olympic StadiumWorld Cup 2006 means an increased operations level lasting several weeks for the security agencies in Germany.  Over 3 million football fans are expected at the 64 matches between 9 June and 9 July. Players, fans and journalists should feel secure while hooligans, terrorists and thieves are to be kept away.  This is why the twelve German World Cup stadiums have been equipped, at the cost of millions, with CCTV tech...

Dowshu, the digital recording company, has taken its comprehensive DVR range another step forward, maintaining its lead in this competitive market.  Not only do they offer 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 channel, stand-a-lone, machines but with their NDMS (Network DVR Management System) up to 100 machines can be controlled via one DVR from a single location.  That means the potential to control 6,400 channels of video!Central to DOWSHU's success has been their DVR's unprecedented recording and liv...

Pauline Norstrom, Vice-Chairman of the BSIA’s CCTV Section discusses the newly published Code of Practice for Digital Recording Systems and the excellent advice it offers security professionals in relation to the admissibility of digital evidence in the judicial system.  The prolific uptake of digital video recording by the CCTV industry has led to a pressing need for definitive guidance where digital video images are being used as evidence in the criminal justice system.  This...

Detroit stadium used the latest video technology from Vicon Industries to make sure this year's All-Star Game went off without a hitch.At this year's All-Star Game, held in Detroit, security ran exceptionally smooth, thanks in part to updated video equipment from Vicon Industries Inc.Comerica Park security is handled through Detroit Tigers, Inc (DTI), a division of Ilitch Holdings Inc. (IHI), the company that manages several sports team's venues, as well as some theatres and a food distribution...

Annual gathering of security industry offers commerce, content and communityThis year's ISC West 2006 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas has once again exceeded the expectations of the security industry.  With many new programming and product offerings, a world-class educational program, and the numerous networking opportunities both on and off-the show floor, ISC West continues to surpass others as the premier, annual gathering of security product manufactu...

RFID viruses pose no threat for Access Control applications"RFID is a broad term that encompasses everything from simple devices that contain a few thousand transistors and feature little or no security to contactless smart cards which are tiny computers that contain several million transistors and incorporate military grade security," said Peter Lowe, Chief Technology Officer for HID Global, the premier manufacturer of contactless access control cards and readers for the security indu...

Company will showcase leading-edge digital video surveillance solutions at IFSEC 2006 in the UK.March Networks™, a leading provider of Internet Protocol (IP)-based digital video surveillance solutions, announced today that as part of its international expansion plans it has appointed Michael Rack as Vice President of UK Sales.Mr. Rack joins March Networks following a total of eight years at security provider Senstar-Stellar Ltd.  At Senstar-Stellar, Michael held various senior leaders...

New system will protect 100,000 square-meter Israel Assembly Plant and enhance loss-prevention program ioIMAGE Ltd., a leading provider of intelligent video security solutions, has announced today that Merkavim, one of the largest transport vehicle manufacturers in the Middle East, is deploying ioIMAGE systems to enhance its loss-prevention program in order to prevent scrap metal theft and unauthorised removal of materials from the factory site.The video security system is to protect the 100,000...

American Fibertek (AFI) manufacturer of point-to-point fibre optic transmission products is launching its revolutionary new "Open Path" network systems at IFSEC 2006, Stand Q118.The company is using IFSEC to showcase its innovative V'NES (Video Network Enterprise Solution), a product range capable of providing seamless integration of IP and analogue fibre optic systems.Additional AFI products to be launched include the Afinety web-based remote monitoring system for AFI digital fib...

Glen Higson is the newly appointed CEO for Dowshu, the digital recording specialists. He brings to the company a wealth of CCTV industry experience, with an impressive back catalogue of employers including Honeywell, Norbain and Andover Controls.  Glen has worked with the Dowshu products for a number of years and has been so impressed by the company's growth and product development that he was delighted to be chosen for the post.  Glen relocated to Ireland 4 years ago and is now ba...

Axis Communications is one of the suppliers included in a major subway and commuter train security project being undertaken by the Greater Stockholm Public Transport Company Limited (SL).  SL has decided to install Axis 225FD network cameras.  The value of the initial order is estimated at approximately SEK 2 M, with the potential for additional installations.The Greater Stockholm Public Transport Company Limited (SL) has decided to install Axis network cameras in the subway syste...

Time is running out for the old Italian ID card – a paper card sealed in plastic used solely for identification purposes.  The Italian government recently introduced its ServiceCard, an ID in credit card format that is considered highly secure and can do more than help its bearer past vehicle or immigration control points.   The new services are based on a microprocessor card from Siemens and an optical memory with a capacity of 1.8 megabytes.  Italy is now the second...

The City of Pasadena, Calif. is home to the Rose Bowl, nearly 140,000 people and numerous public facilities where 3,000 residents work each day.  Among them is a remote reservoir that, until recently, was being used to illegally dump hazardous materials.  Other reports claimed someone was jumping the fence and tampering with the city’s water controls.  Each time suspicious activity was reported, the city would dispatch police personnel to investigate – an action that c...

Mission A regional police force in the UK needed to find a way to cut repeat and opportunistic crime such as burglary and vandalism without committing extra manpower.  Cutting repeat burglary and vandalism is currently one of the Home Office’s main priorities.  Police forces across the country have been tasked with implementing new initiatives to tackle this type of crime.  Solution  A senior officer approached IT solutions expert, Globe Microsystems, with a request...

Bolton Metropolitan Council operates a large town hall within the historic centre of Bolton and also occupies several satellite sites around the town.  Being the hub of most of the council’s business, the 19th Century town hall is intensively occupied, and also houses the town’s central registry office, a theatre and other public rooms.  As a result, the premises are extensively used by members of the public as well as council staff. Security is a top priority for the coun...

The ChallengeThe Georgian Town Palace located in the heart of the City of London plays host to ceremonial banquets and international dignitaries visiting the capital.As a high profile venue, its security facilities need to be of the highest standard.  Therefore, the managing authority for Mansion House - the Corporation of London - specified three Digital Sprite digital multiplex recorders.  Installers, Classic Security Solutions has implemented the upgrade, along with the installation...

LEGIC Identsystems Ltd, the leading manufacturer of contactless smart card technology for personal identification applications, and Intercard AG, the market leader in the personalisation of plastic cards in Switzerland, agree on a licence partnership and strengthen their joint position. Since 1988, Intercard AG has been a successful supplier of products and services in the plastic card personalisation field.  The company develops special solutions for plastic card chip coding.  Its eff...

Two leading, open standards platforms now merged into one-offering end users a complete IP video and access control solution DVTel Inc., multiple award-winning market leader in the development and delivery of intelligent security solutions over IP networks, today announced that it has acquired Security Applications, Inc. (SAI).  SAI designs and develops a high-end, IP-based access control system that encompasses PLC control, video badging, visitor management, time & attendance, alarm...

Powerful new alliance provides end-to-end IP physical security solution DVTel Inc., multiple award-winning market leader in the development and delivery of intelligent security solutions over IP networks, today announced that HID has chosen DVTel to join its elite group of OEM partners for the VertX Access Controller and the iCLASS EdgeReaderTM series.  "Working together, our two companies seek to develop something highly innovative to really advance the IP-based security marketplace," sa...

New AC2000SE® Version 5 software and smart cards for BA  British Airways has completed a major software and hardware upgrade to the existing CEM AC2000 access control system installed at British Airways buildings throughout London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports.  The focal point of the upgrade is the new customised Version 5 software for AC2000 and the introduction of smart card technology.  Flying to more than 550 destinations worldwide, British Airways is the UK's largest i...