Tuesday, May 21, 2013

IFSEC: The Role of the Security Systems Integrator Evolves



15/05/2013

What's Next In Video Surveillance?


Driven by the consumer market, video surveillance is the next big data challenge.

In the aftermath of last month's Boston Marathon bombings, government IT and security pros must reassess their video surveillance infrastructures. The video technologies used for homeland security are advancing well beyond closed-circuit TV cams on street corners.
As I reported shortly after the attack, video captured at the scene was instrumental in identifying the two brothers who allegedly did it. On April 18, the FBI posted a 30-second video clip and still images taken from video of the suspects. Within hours, one of the men, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died in a shootout with police, and the other, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was captured shortly thereafter.
Video surveillance is among the myriad technologies being driven by the consumer market. Amazon, Costco, Home Depot and other retailers sell full-blown systems that combine cameras, networking and monitoring capabilities. Earlier this year, I was checking in at Tampa International Airport for a flight to New York, where it was snowing. The airline check-in agent, who was from New York, pulled out a smartphone to show me, via a live video feed, the snow piling up in his driveway.The FBI has been criticized for failing to share critical intelligence on the threat posed by Tamerlan Tsarnaev in particular, but no one is questioning the effectiveness of the agency's use of video. And since my early report was posted, I've heard from several experts about some of the latest technology developments in video surveillance.
Ivideon, a startup in the market, combines conventional video surveillance, from closed-circuit TVs, webcams and IP cameras, with Web capabilities such as online archiving, the ability to plot cameras using Google Maps, and feeding video to websites and even social media.
When thousands of cameras run 24/7 in cities like Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., video surveillance quickly becomes a big data challenge. Analytics and automation technologies are the only answer. The FBI is developing facial recognition capabilities as part of its $1 billion Next Generation Identification program. And IBM sells video correlation and analysis software that provides facial recognition, real-time alerts and situational awareness.
Behavioral Recognition Systems (BSR) is developing software that goes beyond the ability to respond merely to preprogrammed objects by learning about an environment, creating "memories" and providing real-time notifications when the software detects something out of the ordinary. On May 14, the vendor announced that it had completed interoperability testing of its flagship product, AISight (pronounced "eye sight"), with Cisco's Video Surveillance Manager, a sign that such advanced capabilities are moving into the mainstream.
In one example of how this technology will be applied, Portland, Ore.'s public transit system, called TriMet, will use BSR's software to monitor bridges and overpasses. The system will learn the difference between a bus or light rail train and, say, a pickup truck that shouldn't be in the area.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Axis Announces High-Performance Video Encoder Solution for Large, Mission Critical Surveillance Installations.


Published: Tuesday, May. 14, 2013 / Updated: Tuesday, May. 14, 2013 09:07 AM


New encoder blade and chassis combination are ideal for applications that require flexibility, reliability and the highest performance in demanding locations such as airports, rail stations and city surveillance


CHELMSFORD, Mass. -- 
Axis Communications, the world leader in network video, today announces a high-performance analog-to-network video encoding solution comprised of the 6-channel AXIS Q7436 Video Encoder Blade and the complementary AXIS Q7920 Video Encoder Chassis. AXIS Q7436 blade supports PTZ over coax control and up to 60 frames per second video, while AXIS Q7920 is one of the industry’s highest-density encoder chassis with support for up to 84 analog cameras and provides power and network redundancy.
See demo video.
AXIS Q7436 Video Encoder Blade provides smooth video even in high motion scenes with support for 60 fps as well as features such as reduced noise, enhanced sharpness and optimized contrast to enable even better image quality output. This 6-channel video encoder blade delivers multiple, individually configurable video streams from each channel at full frame rate in all resolutions. Pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) control over coaxial cable is also supported for installation time and cost savings since a separate cable is not needed for camera control.
For larger, centralized surveillance systems, high-density rack solutions with encoder blades offer the most flexible and reliable design. AXIS Q7920 is a rack mountable encoder chassis, providing an expandable solution for migrating large-scale analog CCTV installations to network video. It holds up to 14 hot-swappable video encoder blades in order to digitize up to 84 analog cameras. With hot swapping there is no need to power down the entire system when installing or removing the video encoder blades, which means the critical surveillance system stays up and running during upgrades or maintenance.
“With this new video encoder solution, customers who have invested in large-scale analog systems now have access to future-proof IP video surveillance with a range of digital benefits, like intelligent video, easy remote access and scalability,” said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager, Axis Communications, Inc. “For demanding surveillance environments where AXIS Q7436 encoder blades and complementary chassis with be a perfect match [e.g. airports, railways, cities], customers will especially benefit from increased flexibility and high-performance.”
AXIS Q7920 Video Encoder Chassis also improves system reliability with its power and network redundancy features. With four RJ45 ports as well as four SFP (small form-factor pluggable) slots for fiber or additional RJ45 module connections, this video encoder solution offers fully flexible and cost-effective long distance network connectivity.
Additional features included in AXIS Q7436 Video Encoder Blade:
  • Powerful event management capabilities with embedded intelligent video features such as tampering alarm and motion detection.
  • Support for AXIS Camera Application Platform to enable development of third party intelligent applications that can be downloaded and installed on the encoder itself.
  • Significant installation savings by allowing PTZ control over coaxial cable in addition to the standard support for PTZ cameras using the serial ports.
AXIS Q7436 Video Encoder Blade will be supported by the industry’s largest base of video management software through the Axis Application Development Partner (ADP) program and AXIS Camera Station. The video encoder also supports Hosted Video and ONVIF for easy camera system integration.
AXIS Q7436 Video Encoder Blade and AXIS Q7920 Video Encoder Chassis are expected to be available in Q3 through Axis’ distribution channels. For photos and other resources, please visit:www.axis.com/corporate/press/press_material.htm?key=q7436 andwww.axis.com/corporate/press/press_material.htm?key=q7920.
About Axis Communications
As the market leader in network video, Axis is leading the way to a smarter, safer, more secure world – driving the shift from analog to digital video surveillance. Offering network video solutions for professional installations, Axis’ products and solutions are based on an innovative, open technology platform.
Axis has more than 1,400 dedicated employees in 41 locations around the world and cooperates with partners covering 179 countries. Founded in 1984, Axis is a Sweden-based IT company listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm under the ticker AXIS. For more information about Axis, please visit our websitewww.axis.com.

Monday, May 13, 2013

6 Common Lies About IP Video Surveillance



Source: OnSSI
BSM-Security Camera 2
by Gadi Piran, president, OnSSI
 
Lie #1: You will have to spend a lot of money to implement multi-site, multi-camera video surveillance.
Reality: VMS solutions can deliver multi-site, multi-camera video surveillance at a very low cost.
Lie #2: Video surveillance providers typically require you to use their own brand of hardware across your entire system.
Reality: There are open architecture solutions available that allow the user to integrate virtually any off the shelf hardware including access control, cameras, storage, servers, etc.
Lie #3: You will have to sacrifice video quality and speed when implementing mobile video solutions.
Reality: New video management technologies on the market deliver full frame rate without compromises on video quality.
Lie #4: If you are looking at archived video to find a specific incident, you will have to search through many hours of video.
Reality: With investigative and search tools, you can swiftly find what you are looking for.
Lie #5: In order to ensure you don’t miss any important events, it’s necessary to watch many monitors at once.
Reality: There are blank screen monitoring capabilities available with VMS that are helpful in ensuring no important events are missed.
Lie #6: You have to spend a lot of money for accurate surveillance monitoring.
Reality: VMS solutions can deliver added security that is more efficient at lower operational costs.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Budgets for Physical Security Equipment Are Increasing for End Users


News | April 30, 2013

If the security boom is over then it seems that end users haven’t got the message, with 45 percent claiming that their security budget had increased during 2012, according to an end-user survey conducted by IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS).
In the survey of almost 200 representatives from end users of physical security equipment across North America, 44 percent also said that their annual budget exceeded $100,000. Another 20 percent exceeded $500,000 a year.
“It’s clear that end users are still feeling the risk to their facilities —and that means there’s plenty of opportunity for manufacturers of physical security equipment,” said Niall Jenkins, manager for video surveillance and security services research at IHS.  “Just having a budget available was actually one of the top two reasons for end users paying to replace or upgrade their systems as well.”
The survey, completed primarily at the end user management level, solidifies trends seen in many IHS studies over the last 12 months.  “We’ve been interviewing physical security equipment manufacturers since 2003, and while growth has slowed in recent years, they are still seeing growth across the different physical security markets” remarked Jenkins. 
Even so, unlocking budgets while also satisfying end users isn’t without its troubles for manufacturers. One important concern noted by survey respondents was that technology advancements meant that the equipment consumers bought became unsupported too soon by manufacturers.
What’s clear is that with the appropriate product and proper support, a growing security equipment market for end users exists for manufacturers to work with. “Budgets either stayed the same or increased last year for those that spent approximately $200,000 and also for 85 percent of the overall market,” Jenkins noted. “I wouldn’t say that the security boom is over just yet.”

For more information, please contact:
Niall Jenkins
Manager, Video Surveillance & Security Services Research
niall.jenkins@ihs.com
Phone: +44 1933 402255