Video surveillance - Expert commentary
It is more complicated to search through video compared to text-based data Since the launch of Google’s search engine in 1998, Internet search has grown and expanded from desktops to mobile devices, generating over 3.5 billion searches of text, images and videos per day. One likely reason for this popularity is the search engine’s ability to immediately produce relevant results based on search criteria. The security industry, in contrast, has not always taken adv...
The days when Chinese video surveillance products were associated with lower quality are mostly gone now. Certainly, it’s easy enough to test the quality and functionality of any Chinese-made product in a shootout against products made anywhere in the world. In that sense, the quality of Chinese goods is no longer an obstacle for security customers: Their ability to judge quality for themselves eliminates any dependence on previously held opinions. But what about other preconceived ideas...
H.265 compression, apps and the inherent security of security systems were some of the themes to be gleaned on the first day of IFSEC International. Almost every video exhibitor I saw on day one of the show mentioned that many of their products use H.265 compression in these days of high definition, bandwidth-hungry cameras. Over at Vivotek’s stand, for example, Emilio Sanchez, project consultant, spoke of the company’s H.265 Smart Stream compression algorithm. He said this saves an...
This SourceSecurity.com Technology Report will describe one of those analogue HD-over-coax technologies, HDCVI 3.0 by Dahua, which is poised to have a dramatic impact on the video market in the next several years. New capabilities of HDCVI 3.0 include broad compatibility with a range of other (even competing) technologies; higher resolutions including Ultra HD (UHD) or 4K; and intelligent functions comparable to those available in IP systems. What's inside? What is...
A public facility with too much security or the wrong kind of security can discourage the public from visiting (Photo credit: Steve Williams Photography) The lethal November 2015 terrorist attacks against several soft targets in Paris have inspired changes in security at facilities considered soft targets across the United States and around the world. Today’s security directors well understand that “it can happen here.” To be clear, it probably won&rs...
Hikvision website’s “Security Center” provides cybersecurity informationand tools for integrators and end users The time is now to address the impact of cybersecurity threats on the IP video market. In the case of video surveillance systems, the main motives of cyber-attackers are usually to either cover up video evidence of crimes or to gain access to video that should be private. “The use of video surveillance is growing across North America, not j...
ONVIF's 1.0 Core Specification debuted in 2008 at Security Essen The adoption of the ONVIF protocol by manufacturers continues to grow. Last year, the number of member companies in the ONVIF forum exceeded 500 and more than 5,000 products are currently certified on the ONVIF website. How did ONVIF achieve this amazing result and experience this wild adoption? More than a decade ago, every manufacturer was defining their own protocols and pushing for Video Management Software...
Multiple trends point to a maturing video analytics market that is poised to meet or even exceed customer expectations Systems that use video analytics, also known as video content analysis, have a chequered history in the security market. Since the technology was introduced amid much fanfare a dozen or more years ago, opinions about video analytics have sometimes been undermined by systems that did not live up to the initial hype. In fact, early failures continue to taint per...
The landscape for end-to-end solutions is not designed to address thelong-term evolving needs of customers The video surveillance industry has reached an important crossroads where manufacturers can choose to continue in one direction that solely focuses on their own products and profits, or to move forward in another direction that emphasises building partnerships for the greater good of the community. On one side lies the short road of end-to-end, proprietary solutions fro...
The integration of H.265 technology may be hindered by the availability of optimised H.264 best encoding for surveillance systems Video compression technology has been a crucial element in surveillance system design since the advent of Internet Protocol (IP) in the 1990s. Since that time, standards for video encoding have been explored in various capacities. Currently, the industry is all abuzz around H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding – the next iteration beyond H.264,...
Cloud connectivity can provide a linkage between the mobile users and the facilities and systems they want to interact with From enterprise applications to small businesses, schools, health care facilities and beyond, investments in physical security systems provide valuable resources to help protect people, property and assets – and ultimately the financial security and well-being of the organisation. As need and demand for better security has dramatically increased ove...
Though primarily developed for consumer electronic devices, the advantages ofH.265 compression technology make it ideal for the world of physical security Ever since digital video systems were introduced the race was on to develop compression technologies to reduce runaway bandwidth and storage consumption. We’ve watched the industry roll out MJPEG, MPEG and H.264 advanced compression standards in direct response to each innovation. With adoption of HDTV and 4K solutions...
Drones can satisfy five commercial needs, today: surveillance, patrolling,incident response, mapping and site assessment The military uses drones. So do the police. Drones serve as weapons and surveillance tools.Today, businesses and institutions are applying drone technology to a variety of private security surveillance challenges. Private uses include patrolling facilities and installations such as pipelines from the sky. To be sure, private contractors sometimes weaponise d...
With innovation continuing in HD CCTV, analogue video surveillancemay be around for some time What’s your stance on the analogue-to-IP video migration? When will it happen? Will analogue go away entirely? Talk to any security company and they’ll admit they love the simplicity of the installation and setup of analogue cameras. They know how to deploy it quickly, saving labour costs and also, can use the familiar and ever-present coaxial cabling network. That’s...
Joining Pelco in late 2015, Sharad Shekhar is responsible for the entire global video business and is leading the charge to reinvigorate the Pelco brand with system integrators Back in the day, you literally couldn’t speak with a security company about a video surveillance project without the Pelco name coming up. It had a loyal following and an extremely large installation base. Over the years, that changed and the fervour with which integrators referred to the brand se...
From a network performance perspective, adding higher megapixel camerasaffects bandwidth utilisation The quest for higher megapixel, high-definition and high-resolution video imaging continues, only now, it has become a marathon of sorts. That’s because the migration will progress decidedly – extending into the foreseeable future and beyond – as technology advances and becomes increasingly affordable. Ultra-high-resolution video is finding its niche, even am...
Wireless surveillance systems are attractive to customersas they are cost-effective and easy to install Various studies, market statistics and forecasts project growth for the surveillance market from 2016 to 2020. Besides needs ranging from traditional analogue cameras to IP network cameras, more and more consumers also have a high interest in intelligent surveillance systems. Along with safety, these systems provide additional details for users in applications such as p...
The report says almost 50% of the public transport organisations are willingto broaden the type of video analytics used A detailed survey of public transport operators shows a growing demand for networked/IP systems and video analytics to help cope with the requirements of large surveillance systems. The report, Video Surveillance in Public Transport, published by the international public transport association UITP and Axis Communications, is based on 74 respondents across 30...
As the technology in omnidirectional cameras continues to improve, they are becoming increasingly more affordable to a wider segment of the video surveillance market Just a few years ago, omnidirectional cameras were a novelty. Today, however, this technology has taken the leap to the mainstream. Think about how ubiquitous Google’s Street View is, and you can gain a better idea of the power of omnidirectional cameras. Even consumers are starting to see many forms of omn...
Nationally from 2012 - 2015, there has been a decrease in the money spent on theinstallation, monitoring and maintenance of CCTV compared to the period 2009-2012 The UK has often been referred to as the world’s most watched country in terms of the scale of CCTV surveillance. But a new report claims that UK local authorities have reduced spending on the installation, maintenance and monitoring of public space CCTV systems, while the number of cameras being used is also do...
ISE’s research shows that healthcare facilities & hospitals security programmesto ward off determined attackers going after specific targets A well-known security axiom posits that an effective security programme can discourage would-be attackers, causing them to move on in search of softer targets. But it doesn’t always work that way. Take healthcare facilities such as hospitals, for example. Prospective attackers with no particular target in mind may see...
IP hardware is enabling customers to break free from proprietary security systems,to embrace the system integration available on open platforms Proprietary, closed systems are the bane of security. Yet they still exist. Robert (Rob) G. Lydic, Global Vice President of Sales for ISONAS, Boulder, Colorado, addresses the importance of open platforms in access control and what it means to systems integration in this exclusive Q&A. Trends in access control technology SourceSec...
The video storage boom shows no signs of slowing down. The talk is not typically how much storage; but where and how to store. Locally-housed (on-premises) storage continues to be the most cost-effective, along with providing the most control over your data. However, prior to considering the storage, it is important to look at the robustness of the network, as it is a key factor in making the right decision for storage architecture. It is necessary to know if there is enough...
Temperature, dusty and dirty conditions, along with limited access to networkingmakes remote location video surveillance extremely challenging Properly conducting video surveillance for any organisation comes with several challenges. Not the least of which is how to architect a system that finds the right balance between quality, cost and bandwidth impact. This becomes even more challenging in non-traditional, demanding environments that are uncontrolled or highly dispersed, w...
According to Merit LILIN, the UAE will be a thriving new and potential market in 2016since Europe’s economy is still sluggish The global Chinese community recently welcomed the year of the Fire Monkey with a two-week celebration, concluding with the lantern festival at the end of February. According to Chinese astrology, we are now in the year of the Fire Monkey. What’s in store for businesses around the world? Global economic growth is predicted for the ye...
Done right, a good metric programme will help tell the story of the security department Knights of medieval times are known for impossible quests and challenging missions seeking rare religious items. The quest for the Holy Grail is perhaps the most notable. Today’s security professionals are often on their own quest, seeking what sometimes feels like the impossible – the search for perfect security metrics! What are metrics and are they really that hard to find?...
Customers are looking for more than simple plug-and-play cameras. They wantgood, high-definition cameras to protect their driveways, garages & shops Surveillance and CCTV applications are poised for continued growth in 2016 and beyond as security dealers and their end-user customers turn to video technology for physical security, loss prevention and gathering data and intelligence to assist business management and operations. Overall, the CCTV industry is benefitting from...
Sports stadiums and leagues are constantly pushing for higher security standards & best practices to strengthen venues that may be perceived as "soft targets" Terrorism threats have focused the attention of sports security professionals like Paul Turner, Director of Event Operations & Security for AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on how to more effectively screen guests and ensure that fans and athletes are kept safe. It has made the sobering reality that stad...
Key control technology and guard tour systems provide a ready-made solution for healthcare organisations to enhance their security & asset management protocols Morse Watchmans, a leading provider of key management solutions explains how to provide top-notch security and manage asset with a combination of key control systems, asset lockers and guard tour systems. The shift from manpower resources to technology as a main line of defence is having a significant impact on...
As the security industry continues to grow, recruiting must have more sophisticatedscreening and hiring processes, and a commitment to hiring quality personnel The physical security industry today is driving focus on finding the right talent. Deborah O’Mara, SourceSecurity.com's dealer/integrator correspondent, in an exclusive Q&A with Brent O’Bryan, Vice President of Training and Development for AlliedBarton Security Services, discuss the challenges that secur...
