Userful Corporation- Experts & Thought Leaders

Userful Corporation, a global pioneer in IT solutions and data visualisation, has achieved SOC 2 certification for its Infinity Platform and Global Cluster Manager solutions.  This certification underscores its commitment to secure data management and compliance in critical operations environments. This achievement demonstrates Userful’s dedication to maintaining a high level of security, integrity, and availability for its customers and partners.  Userful’s secure infrastructure Userful’s secure infrastructure gives customers full control over their security environment Userful’s secure infrastructure gives customers full control over their security environment.  Features like role-based access control, options for isolated (offline) network deployment, and private cloud infrastructure provide adaptable, high-security configurations tailored to each customer’s needs. A downloadable security guide is available on request. Userful’s Type I certification   SOC 2, developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), is a voluntary compliance standard for service organisations managing sensitive customer data. It aligns with the Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Userful’s Type I certification, validated by an external audit of nearly 101 security controls, reflects the organisation’s robust protocols at a specified point in time. With real-time data and secure, centralised management at the forefront of operations, SOC 2 certification reinforces Userful’s commitment to data security, assuring partners and customers of its stringent data protection standards.

Userful Corporation, a global pioneer in IT solutions and data visualisation, announces enhancements to its Quad-Play solution on the Userful Infinity Platform, a SaaS-based operation centre solution, that requires no proprietary hardware.  “We’ve added features that empower Control Room operators to excel,” said John Marshall, CEO, Userful. “Our Quad-Play solution now enables operators to manage all control rooms from a single point, improve content display switching, and enhance data visualisation and distribution with its new impressive user interface enhancements”. Userful's Quad-Play solution Userful's Quad-Play solution is altering control room operations with unparalleled data visualisation Userful’s world’s first Quad-Play solution for modern operations centres was launched in the summer of 2023 offering the four core elements of a modernised operations centre: (1) support for centralised video walls and control hubs in 8k resolution; (2) advanced operator workstations (KVM and uControl); (3) secure war rooms (Spaces with conferencing); and (4) operations notifications for employees and management  (operations triggers, emergency alerts, audio announcements, and HLS streams for frontline workers).  Userful's Quad-Play solution is transforming control room operations with unparalleled data visualisation, seamless integration, and unmatched scalability. These enhancements optimise Network Operations Centres, Security Operations Centres, Emergency Operations Centres and manufacturing and production environments to ensure they remain at the forefront of technological advancements, driving a new era of efficiency and performance.  New capabilities of the solution Userful continues to lead the control room sector and build on its leadership position with its next-generation Quad-Play solution. New capabilities of the solution include: Soft KVM Enhancement: Userful introduces a new version of the uClient application, which can run on a broader range of devices. This update significantly improves latency, and content manageability across multiple desktop and web sources - reducing hardware requirements and costs. Datametrics Integration Into the Control Room: modernised operations are increasingly interconnected with mainstream applications of the corporation. PowerBI, Tableau, ServiceNow, and SAP are just a few integrations supported by the Userful Infinity Platform.  New Dedicated Streams for Frontline Workers: provides real-time operational data visualisation to ensure frontline teams receive immediate and actionable insights directly from the control room on their devices. This provides centralised management with distributed operations.  Centralised Management for Global Reach - allows clients to manage all global distributed control rooms from a single point with the Global Cluster Manager (GCM) ensuring consistency and up-to-date information across all locations, making it ideal for enterprise and multinational organisations. Join us at GSX 2024, Booth 2352, Sept 23-25 in Orlando, Florida to experience firsthand the transformative power of the enhanced Quad-Play solution. 

Userful Corporation, a provider of the renowned software-defined data visualisation platform, announced the appointment of Jeff Metcalf as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Userful’s executive team Mr. Metcalf brings over 20 years of finance and accounting experience to his new role as CFO, as well as extensive technology leadership experience. Prior to joining Userful, Mr. Metcalf held key finance leadership roles as VP of Finance and divisional CFO, working for Calgary technology-enabled companies DIRTT Environmental Solutions and Pure Technologies. As CFO, Mr. Metcalf will serve on Userful’s executive team and lead Userful’s G&A department Prior thereto, Mr. Metcalf held several controller roles, and started his career with KPMG, where he progressed to Audit Senior Manager. As CFO, Mr. Metcalf will serve on Userful’s executive team and lead Userful’s G&A department, supporting the growth and long-term vision of the company. Jeff’s experience scaling technology "I am delighted to welcome Jeff to Userful. His leadership will serve as a tremendous asset, as we continue the growth of our Infinity Platform, focused on the enterprise market. Jeff’s experience scaling technology companies sets the stage for the next chapter of Userful," says John Marshall, CEO, Userful. "I’m excited to join Userful as it expands its Infinity Platform into the enterprise sector where it is experiencing over 90% growth. This marks an exhilarating phase of the company and I’m committed to help scale-up enterprise operations through the channel," says Jeff Metcalf, CFO, Userful.

For an enterprise, addressing cyber security requires that stakeholders have immediate access to critical information compiled from multiple sources and presented where and how they need it. Various data sources monitor the cyber security status of a company’s computer systems to provide real-time visibility. Aggregating that data into visual dashboards and presenting it to operators enables any cyber security problems to be flagged quickly and resolved. Software system enhances cyber security Userful Corporation provides a software system that enhances cyber security operations for an enterprise Userful Corporation provides a software system that enhances cyber security operations for an enterprise, enabling stakeholders to envision various cyber security factors, such as application security, network security, cloud security and IoT (Internet of Things) security. The software system empowers operators to respond more efficiently. Working in conjunction with a company’s existing IT infrastructure, Userful software combines datasets from diverse systems into a visual format and delivers the information to a desktop computer, a video wall, or even to a home office. Real-time visibility “It provides a new dynamic to how cyber security issues are resolved,” said Shane Vega, Userful Corporation’s Vice President (VP) of Product Marketing, adding “The individuals who have flagged a cyber security issue may not be the ones to respond. Having real-time visibility provides more value to the overall response.” A typical cyber security operations centre resembles a physical security command or emergency management hub – large video walls, individual desktop workstations, and operators that need to share information and respond quickly to any incident. Userful’s software helps in managing operations centres Userful’s software manages how data is presented in an operations centre environment, without relying on proprietary hardware, operating outside an end-user customer’s IT infrastructure. Managing operations centres is a core offering for Userful Corporation, including command centres of all types, from traditional network operation centres to emergency network systems to security systems. The ability to use one software system throughout an enterprise is appealing to companies that have historically grappled with proprietary and siloed systems. Solutions that are easy to deploy, manage and scale Cyber security professionals need solutions that are easy to deploy, manage and scale" “We are a platform that can be utilised across the enterprise,” said Shane Vega, adding “Cyber security professionals need solutions that are easy to deploy, manage and scale, so they can manage all the threats every day.” Compiling and displaying information to an operations centre has historically involved silos of proprietary audio/video (AV) hardware. Ironically, the hardware approach presents cyber security risks that undermine the very mission of protecting a company’s data and networks. The proprietary systems operate outside the company’s network infrastructure, and IT professionals do not have visibility into the systems. Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) Instead of hardware, displaying information on Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) can be accomplished using software running on off-the-shelf components, managed by the IT department and featuring all the cyber security protections required, throughout the enterprise’s network infrastructure. SOAR includes threat and vulnerability management, security incident response and security operations automation, enabling companies to collect threat-related data from several sources and automate the responses. Cyber security threats Possible threats might include an influx of packet generation, malware, someone seeking access to the network, or a malicious email. Various tools manage each threat, and each must be visualised. Because the threats are related, a comprehensive dashboard enables operators to create parallels and respond more efficiently. The software-as-a-service system ensures that all software is updated and can operate on the latest hardware In the Userful AV-over-IP scenario, an IT department takes full ownership of the computers and subsystems installed on the network. The software-as-a-service system ensures that all software is updated and can operate on the latest hardware. Companies always have an ecosystem of interconnectivity. Single platform/solution The single platform/solution also extends beyond operations centres to include meeting rooms and digital signage. All images are captured using existing protocols, such as Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC), and so forth. In contrast, the AV industry is hardware-centric and has been known to circumvent software approaches in order to justify selling more hardware. AV systems typically operate in terms of pixels rather than bytes of information and use proprietary software. Companies always have an ecosystem of interconnectivity Different departments in a company have historically installed their own specific AV systems, based on proprietary hardware, so that each department is siloed from the rest of the organisation. Dangers of random hardware on a network Random hardware on a network, beyond the reach of the IT department, can provide access points to the network for hackers and other cyber security threats. Each proprietary hardware system exists outside the existing security protocols of the enterprise and each represents a cyber security vulnerability. Some companies end up with five or six different operations centres that involve three or four manufacturers, all siloed. Software versus hardware Our biggest challenge is to get people to understand what is possible with software versus hardware" “Our biggest challenge is to get people to understand what is possible with software versus hardware,” said Shane Vega, adding “The industry is inundated with hardware, and the risk is the unknown. Customers may not be familiar with a software solution that can accomplish what they have historically depended on hardware for.” Userful Corporation works through channel partners (integrators), who assemble complete systems using Userful software and other components, such as video screens, large-format commercial displays, groups of tiled displays, projectors – any type of display with an input. Corporate policy specifies security at every level Userful’s corporate policy specifies security at every level, including user authentication, encryption, endpoint security, air-gapped servers, information security policies, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and a solution built on industry-leading IT standards. To spread the word about Userful Corporation’s capabilities related to cyber security, the company will be participating in Infosecurity Europe 2022, taking place from June 21 to June 23, 2022 at ExCeL, London, United Kingdom (UK).

Audio-video technologies have historically been a silo in the enterprise, separated from the larger network infrastructure by their use of analogue, hard-wired and proprietary connections. Software-defined system However, AV devices such as video walls and corporate signage add more value to security and emergency response operations when they are connected to the larger IT network and can interface seamlessly with other systems. That’s the approach provided by Userful, which offers a software-defined system for end-to-end control of audio-video applications in an enterprise, using a web browser and standard industry protocols. The use of software avoids the need for proprietary hardware and the compatibility challenges of multiple hardware systems operating in silos. It also yields visibility and control throughout the system.  Single software system The single software system grants IT, administrators, the ability to govern multiple platforms The single software system grants IT, administrators, the ability to govern multiple platforms, while providing individual departments access to the specific applications they need. The emphasis is on meeting stakeholders’ functional requirements using a system governed by the IT department. The data travels across the IT network infrastructure without being blocked by the use of proprietary hardware and cabling, for example. Digital transformation Avoiding the analogue (hardwired) approach enables enterprises to “digitally transform” the operation of their audio-video devices. The approach is especially useful at the intersection of security and digital signage. “We give the power back to the local IT administrators, who can govern the system and enable customers to govern their applications,” says Shane Vega, VP of Product Marketing at Userful. The company’s software aggregates video information and distributes it as needed to individual video displays. Real-time event monitoring The software enables various video devices to become a seamless part of the IT infrastructure. It also facilitates sharing of information throughout the enterprise, even in an emergency. In contrast, proprietary, siloed systems hamper the free flow of information when it is needed the most. For example, if there is an emergency or active shooter situation, video devices throughout an organisation can be leveraged to inform occupants about the details of the event in real-time and to provide actionable instructions specific to an occupant’s location in the building. Visual communications When security is integrated into a larger platform, it can spread the message visually throughout the enterprise Visual communications, such as digital signage, comprise a powerful extension of a security system that actively monitors threats, and offers the ability to communicate to a large group of people. When security is integrated into a larger platform, it can spread the message visually throughout the enterprise. Strategic messaging can guide building occupants to their best course of action during an emergency, whether it is to flee or to shelter in place. Situational awareness The software-driven IT system can aggregate information from multiple sources, such as video camera feeds or information from an access control system, and display it on a large video wall, for example. Free-flowing information promotes situational awareness in a control room, and enables immediate response, whether it’s to call the fire department, sound an alarm, or initiate a mass exodus of building occupants. IT software approach “It makes everyone strategically aware and sends the appropriate messaging to those who need it, rather than to everyone at once,” says Vega. Facilitating more effective operations centers is the “tip of the spear” of what Userful offers customers, he adds. The IT software approach simplifies video wall applications, which are becoming increasingly complex, by enabling content to be scaled, chopped, and aggregated to fit the demands of a display wall. An analytic might trigger the system to enlarge a camera view on the full screen, to send video to the police, or “take over” screens throughout a building to provide strategic messaging. Third-party integrations Designing video walls more strategically in an operations centre can help operators interpret information quickly Designing video walls more strategically in an operations centre can help operators avoid fatigue and interpret information quickly and efficiently. “Userful’s role in the display world is to make sure software can distribute the information despite the hardware,” said Vega. Userful works with third-party integration to add system functionality and automate responses. Software flexibility “We’re a platform that pulls in sources of information, maybe it’s a hundred cameras, and then we manage the entire solution,” says Vega. “We enable users to take data from multiple sources and send it to a wide range of displays, creating a repository of information.”  “When you have a software-defined platform, you can extend the solution using the flexibility of the software into a system that cannot be achieved with hardware,” says Vega. “If people want to scale their system to multiple locations, we can add a source remotely.” Proactive responses to security “Security is an important market for everyone, paramount for any organisation,” says Vega. “Individuals are responsible for the safety and security of constituents and require a proactive, not reactive response.” “We can provide proactive responses because of the nature of AV-over-IP, which is interoperability. It can draw attention to threats and proactively communicate response plans.” Managed service provider The “software-defined” approach can help systems integrators position themselves as a managed service provider Getting away from siloed solutions should be a priority for any IT purchase by an organisation, says Vega. “We need to train end-users to take a holistic view and not to look at it from a siloed perspective. A fuller understanding helps them gain efficiencies.” The “software-defined” approach can help systems integrators position themselves as a managed service provider rather than just “selling boxes.” “Think about how you can partner with end-users over the long term,” advises Vega. Information-based automation “Think of technology as a holistic part of the business for better outcomes across the whole business. More information is better information, and integrators can help customers create automation that will provide more awareness.” The Userful proposition offers especially good value in transportation markets, such as ports and airports; and in campus environments, such as enterprise, higher education, and airports. In any scenario where there are a lot of screens, the system can distribute corporate and emergency messaging, whether on a baggage claim screen or a way-finder screen.

Display solutions play a key role in SOCs in providing the screens needed for individuals and teams to visualise and share the multiple data sources needed in an SOC today. Security Operation Centre (SOC) Every SOC has multiple sources and inputs, both physical and virtual, all of which provide numerous data points to operators, in order to provide the highest levels of physical and cyber security, including surveillance camera feeds, access control and alarm systems for physical security, as well as dashboards and web apps for cyber security applications. Today’s advancements in technology and computing power not only have increasingly made security systems much more scalable, by adding hundreds, if not thousands, of more data points to an SOC, but the rate at which the data comes in has significantly increased as well. Accurate monitoring and surveillance This has made monitoring and surveillance much more accurate and effective, but also more challenging for operators, as they can’t realistically monitor the hundreds, even thousands of cameras, dashboards, calls, etc. in a reactive manner. Lacking situational awareness is often one of the primary factors in poor decision making In order for operators in SOC’s to be able to mitigate incidents in a less reactive way and take meaningful action, streamlined actionable data is needed. This is what will ensure operators in SOC truly have situational awareness. Situational awareness is a key foundation of effective decision making. In its simplest form, ‘It is knowing what is going on’. Lacking situational awareness is often one of the primary factors in poor decision making and in accidents attributed to human error. Achieving ‘true’ situational awareness Situational awareness isn’t just what has already happened, but what is likely to happen next and to achieve ‘true’ situational awareness, a combination of actionable data and the ability to deliver that information or data to the right people, at the right time. This is where visualisation platforms (known as visual networking platforms) that provide both the situational real estate, as well as support for computer vision and AI, can help SOCs achieve true situational awareness Role of computer vision and AI technologies Proactive situational awareness is when the data coming into the SOC is analysed in real time and then, brought forward to operators who are decision makers and key stakeholders in near real time for actionable visualisation. Computer vision is a field of Artificial Intelligence that trains computers to interpret and understand digital images and videos. It is a way to automate tasks that the human visual system can also carry out, the automatic extraction, analysis and understanding of useful information from a single image or a sequence of images. There are numerous potential value adds that computer vision can provide to operation centres of different kinds. Here are some examples: Face Recognition: Face detection algorithms can be applied to filter and identify an individual. Biometric Systems: AI can be applied to biometric descriptions such as fingerprint, iris, and face matching. Surveillance: Computer vision supports IoT cameras used to monitor activities and movements of just about any kind that might be related to security and safety, whether that's on the job safety or physical security. Smart Cities: AI and computer vision can be used to improve mobility through quantitative, objective and automated management of resource use (car parks, roads, public squares, etc.) based on the analysis of CCTV data. Event Recognition: Improve the visualisation and the decision-making process of human operators or existing video surveillance solutions, by integrating real-time video data analysis algorithms to understand the content of the filmed scene and to extract the relevant information from it. Monitoring: Responding to specific tasks in terms of continuous monitoring and surveillance in many different application frameworks: improved management of logistics in storage warehouses, counting of people during event gatherings, monitoring of subway stations, coastal areas, etc. Computer Vision applications When considering a Computer Vision application, it’s important to ensure that the rest of the infrastructure in the Operation Centre, for example the solution that drives the displays and video walls, will connect and work well with the computer vision application. The best way to do this of course is to use a software-driven approach to displaying information and data, rather than a traditional AV hardware approach, which may present incompatibilities. Software-defined and open technology solutions Software-defined and open technology solutions provide a wider support for any type of application the SOC may need Software-defined and open technology solutions provide a wider support for any type of application the SOC may need, including computer vision. In the modern world, with everything going digital, all security services and applications have become networked, and as such, they belong to IT. AV applications and services have increasingly become an integral part of an organisation’s IT infrastructure. Software-defined approach to AV IT teams responsible for data protection are more in favour of a software-defined approach to AV that allow virtualised, open technologies as opposed to traditional hardware-based solutions. Software’s flexibility allows for more efficient refreshment cycles, expansions and upgrades. The rise of AV-over-IP technologies have enabled IT teams in SOC’s to effectively integrate AV solutions into their existing stack, greatly reducing overhead costs, when it comes to technology investments, staff training, maintenance, and even physical infrastructure. AV-over-IP software platforms Moreover, with AV-over-IP, software-defined AV platforms, IT teams can more easily integrate AI and Computer Vision applications within the SOC, and have better control of the data coming in, while achieving true situational awareness. Situational awareness is all about actionable data delivered to the right people, at the right time, in order to address security incidents and challenges. Situational awareness is all about actionable data delivered to the right people Often, the people who need to know about security risks or breaches are not physically present in the operation centres, so having the data and information locked up within the four walls of the SOC does not provide true situational awareness. Hyper-scalable visual platforms Instead there is a need to be able to deliver the video stream, the dashboard of the data and information to any screen anywhere, at any time — including desktops, tablets phones — for the right people to see, whether that is an executive in a different office or working from home, or security guards walking the halls or streets. New technologies are continuing to extend the reach and the benefits of security operation centres. However, interoperability plays a key role in bringing together AI, machine learning and computer vision technologies, in order to ensure data is turned into actionable data, which is delivered to the right people to provide ‘true’ situational awareness. Software-defined, AV-over-IP platforms are the perfect medium to facilitate this for any organisations with physical and cyber security needs.