Video analytics - Expert commentary
Capital spending continues to open up in 2015, providing funding for security projects that may have been delayed from prior years. Overall, it was a solid year for the security industry. From a SightLogix perspective, we have seen an increased rate of repeat business as existing customers expand the number of assets they need to secure. Smart thermal cameras provide ideal outdoor intrusion detection 2015 saw an accelerated adoption of thermal cameras with video analytics...
From my vantage point, it would appear that the acquisition of goods and services related to security controls and measures remains healthy at the end of 2015. Although the time associated with evaluations and overall procurement processes, I am told, has become a bit lengthier. Mergers and acquisitions of both security industry providers and the merger of national and international companies are the biggest unexpected things to have an impact this year. Forbes reported that...
As the world faces new threats and challenges at the end of 2015, the security market looks more and more attractive for companies and employees around the world. Digital technology increasingly is replacing a traditional physical security approach, upgrading old-school analogue alarms and CCTV. Attractive security projects From AxxonSoft’s point of view, security projects seem very attractive because they normally can bring up to 30% profit for a standard security system installation....
How did the overall economy impact the security marketplace in 2015? In as much as security is more and more becoming a necessity, it would be difficult to gauge whether the economy had any direct effect other than at a budget level. With the introduction of 4K technology, video storage with longer retention time has become the need of the hour. Being a manufacturer of IP video storage solutions, BCDVideo has been able to work with security integrators and camera manufacturers from around the wo...
The security market was affected by the economic situation in 2015. However, the penetration of thermal products for security applications continues, and FLIR is seeing strong growth. The company saw the use of thermal imaging cameras continue to develop in perimeter security. End users and integrators are experiencing excellent results by combining high-quality thermal cameras with video analytics. The take up of thermal cameras is increasing for security applications as the industry recognises...
2015 was positive for the security industry. In spite of economic volatility in many regions, the industry grew robustly throughout the year. Although a few countries went into recession, it did not negatively impact key players. We knew cameras with multiple sensors would do well; however, the rate at which these devices increased in availability was somewhat unexpected. The Avigilon HD Multisensor brings increased value because it uses multiple independently adjustable sensors for wide covera...
Many of the most well-trafficked articles posted at SourceSecurity.com in 2015 were those that addressed timely and important issues in the security marketplace. In the world of digital publishing, it’s easy to know what content resonates with the market: Our readers tell us with their actions; i.e., where they click. Let’s look back at the Top 10 articles we posted in 2015 that generated the most page views. They are listed in order here with the author’s...
2015 has been an eventful year for the physical security industry. As 2016 looms, the pace of industry change shows no sign of decreasing. Seeking insights into the state of the physical security market at year-end, SourceSecurity.com this month is publishing dozens of 2015 Review and 2016 Forecast articles submitted by manufacturers, integrators and other industry leaders. Taken together, the articles portray a mostly optimistic view of the industry’s present, and an...
For the second year in a row, Canon made the biggest M&A move in the security marketplace in 2015. How could Canon top the industry shockwaves it created in 2014 when the Japanese giant acquired VMS company Milestone Systems? That’s easy: They bought Axis Communications for $2.8 billion in 2015. Although the Canon-Axis deal grabbed the most headlines and was easily the most shocking M&A announcement of 2015, it was certainly not the only big news on the mergers...
Overall, 2015 was an interesting year for the security industry and Panasonic. We’ve seen some exciting advancements in surveillance technology, including a strong uptick in body-worn cameras for law enforcement. The transition to IP cameras continues; but with economic ups and downs, we also saw customers hanging on to existing systems longer than expected, so providing support and helping them migrate at their own pace will continue to be a priority for us. From a global perspective, the...
2015 was a year of consolidations: The spring of 2015 recorded the highest acquisition rate for a six-month period in 10 years. There were single-digit market growth rates reported in video surveillance due to price erosion affecting revenues. Video solution providers are expanding into access control, and both are slowly but steadily moving into the cloud. Users want the efficiency benefits of converging access control with video verification and unified operation. There are more cloud offering...
The year 2015 has been notable in several ways. Industry changes include a rise in Chinese manufacturers in the mid- to low-end market, more mobile devices providing video surveillance, and the rise of omnidirectional and higher-megapixel cameras. Unexpectedly, the industry also saw an increase in popularity of do-it-yourself security systems and the speed with which Chinese companies saturated the marketplace with “good enough” products. Omni-directional cameras Oncam welcomes th...
As 2015 comes to a close, it’s a good time to look back at how our industry has changed this year and what we can expect for 2016. Specifically in the area of video surveillance, the trend toward higher resolutions continued this year. Whereas a few years ago, 720p was the most popular resolution for HD cameras, 1080p has now become the standard choice, and even higher resolutions, such as 4K ultra HD cameras, are seeing increased sales. Integrators are also using a broader mix of cameras...
The Eiffel tower illuminated with colours of the French national flag on November 16 Let’s say it up front: The physical security sector has limited solutions to address events like those in Paris on the 13th November. The series of coordinated terrorist attacks consisted of mass shootings, suicide bombings, and hostage-taking in which 129 people died. Among the dead were 89 people at the Bataclan theatre where American band Eagles of Death Metal was playing at the t...
In the last 10 years CCTV manufacturers havebegun offering video search solutions aimedto reduce time and effort involved in searches Petabytes of security video recorded around the world every day. Obviously, we feel more secure knowing that we can “turn back time” and investigate the past – at least in situations for which video surveillance exists. However, people who have experience requesting CCTV footage would say: “This takes way too much time.&...
NVRs make it easy to benefit from HD solutions and integrations to access control, alarm systems, intercoms and other technologies Developments in the IP video camera market have a direct impact on the other components in a system. With the emergence of higher definition cameras – whether 4K cameras or 8K or even higher – the market now needs back-end devices that can perform the decoding work. Also, more intelligence is needed, including smart functions such as pe...
As technology advances and more surveillance features become available, it can be difficult for security integrators to know which system will fit their customer’s needs It’s no secret that Internet Protocol (IP) cameras are on a steady march to replace analogue video. Network-centric surveillance cameras bring a host of value to the protected premises, above and beyond traditional physical security. Now, cameras are increasingly used for safety, such as in liabili...
VIIDOS were established to deal with thehuge increase in surveillance dataavailable to investigators We need CCTV footage to reveal the true story of what happened before, during, and after a crime. We need to put those forensic images before the court in a manner that has integrity and obeys the rules, codes and legislation that have evolved in this rapidly changing digital era. To do that successfully, we must consider all the contributing elements of a CCTV i...
Aventura continues to expands expand its feature set of products beyond PSIM As the 61st annual ASIS 2015 kicked off in Anaheim, Calif., it became increasingly clear that physical security continues to move from the realm of traditional intrusion detection, video surveillance and alarms into value-added applications that extend into new markets, uses and purposes – many of them centred on business and operational processes. While video surveillance, intrusion detection,...
NVRs of the past may have been expensive & complicated to use, but today NVRs have user-friendly functionality How much do you know – or think you know – about network video recorder (NVR) appliances? Manufacturers in the sector say there is a lot of misinformation in the market about these workhorse system components. We asked several manufacturers to help us set the record straight. A common misconception among end users is that NVRs lack features and reliab...
Increases in the number of cameras and storage capacity have created an overabundance of video information that is difficult to manage Investment in video surveillance technology continues to increase as technology improves and security equipment becomes more affordable. Companies invest in video surveillance primarily to protect people and property, for both deterrence and more crucially for incident response. While there’s no doubt that the systems can provide a...
The police have a new IT system that could provide fast and secure transmission of video evidence CCTV systems for public safety across Scotland are fragmented, lack strategic direction, are in parts obsolete and may be breaching data protection laws, according to an internal police report. With governments everywhere focusing on tightening security checks for public spaces, it is highly essential to have a robust security surveillance system in place. Government bodies must e...
In casino surveillance, there must be an understanding of the behaviour of thieves and cheats. In particular, casinos must understand how the behaviour of a casino adversary differs from that of a legitimate guest. The end result of the understanding is that only threatening or fraudulent behaviour is challenged, leaving other guests free to simply enjoy their visits to the casino. Responding to behaviour anomalies requires understanding that comes from analytics capabilities...
The key driver to growth in the IP market is the effectiveness and efficiency of the technology Technological advances in video surveillance are allowing end users the flexibility to do more with their systems than previously imagined. 2014 saw several new technological trends that shaped the future of the security market, with 4K and cyber security being the main drivers. The drift continues this year too with end users demanding HD video surveillance and wide-spread...
Large busy casinos must maintain continuous surveillance of multiple tables and machines High-definition (HD) cameras are a perfect fit for the casino market. HD security cameras provide six times the resolution of analogue cameras, supplying images with sharper edges that easily identify faces, cards, dice, chips, currency, and fill slips. In addition, high-definition IP cameras can reduce camera count. A single, 1080p camera can effectively cover poker, roulette or craps tab...
If airport perimeter fencing is vulnerable then covert detection methods should be used Lack of airport perimeter security would be laughable, if it weren’t so serious. A recent farcical breach of security in London is drawing renewed attention to airport perimeter protection. I want to focus on airport perimeter security, but we’ll start with critical infrastructure in general: A nun, a housepainter and a gardener break into a nuclear facility. This sounds like t...
When video analytics first emerged in the security industry about a decade ago, there were high hopes it would instantly transform the landscape of video surveillance. Problem was, the technology was not mature and, in essence, was oversold as far as its capabilities. Analytics such as heat mapping, directional and license plate recognition technology have improved, lending themselves to applications beyond security and into the realm of actionable business intelligence Integra...
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...
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,”...
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...
