Aug 2012
Product Exploration
Access Without Borders 46
As the number of mobile-payment users grows to surpass 375 million by 2015, demand for devices with near-field communication (NFC) grows as well. Recent research from In-Stat forecasts that adoption of this technology will push global annual shipments of NFC chips to more than 1.2 billion units by 2015.
54 Changing Face of Identity Management 57 Product Showcase Viewpoint
Secutech Excellence Awards 2012
32 Security is More Than Capturing Video
Standardization of Network Video
42
36 Upgrading From Smart to Intelligent 38 Looking Back to Predict the Future of
IP Video
At this year's Secutech Award, we found that manufacturers do indeed have little elves working hard in their R&D labs.
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Aug 2012
Vertical Market
How Security Service Providers Embrace IP 60
Security service providers (SSP) have been around the security industry for quite a long time. As technology advances, guarding services are upgraded with alarm monitoring services.
66 Service Providers Gain
Momentum With Video
Business Talk
Special Feature
78 Multinationals to Get IP Competitive
3-D: Adding Another Dimension to Surveillance
Readers' Column
82 Navigating the IP Transition
From movies to television to video games, 3-D is no longer a myth. What about 3-D in the security industry though? In its 2011 January report, IMS listed 3-D as one of the trends to watch out for in the security world.
Show Preview
88 ISAF 2012 Show Review
90 IFSEC South Africa
70
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Contents Editor’s Note Corporate News Market Observer
30 92 94 100
Products of the Month Show Calendar New Products Companies in This Issue
EDITOR'S NOTE a&s International, published by Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd., is a monthly professional publication for channel players in the worldwide electronic security industry since 1997. It updates importers, distributors, OEM/ODM searchers, system integrators
Opportunities vs. Challenges
and other product purchasers on product sources and identifies developments in CCTV, Digital Surveillance, Access Control, Biometrics, Intrusion Alarm, Intercom/Video Doorphone, Home Automation and other fields relevant to electronic security.
ISSN 1997-6267 中華郵政北台字第1571號 執照登記為雜誌交寄
What do you see in the tough times: opportunities or challenges? The big headline for this month in the security industry would be the acquisition of the Norbain UK exports business by Newbury Investments (UK) in a pre-pack administration sale. Norbain business was seriously impacted by the recent decline. The demand from end users decreased and infrastructure projects were also delayed, , forcing Norbain to enter into administration. The recession in the EU has worsen and spread out widely since it first kicked in, in Greece and Spain. In the tough times, finding opportunities and getting agile to avoid getting trapped by the difficulties and bad economy should be the winning formula. In this issue, we introduce how different companies and market segments embrace new technologies — convergence of IP and security — to explore new markets and find business opportunities. IP technology is playing a crucial role in security right now and is starting to influence traditional alarm monitoring and service providers as well. IP technologies diversify service providers’ solutions to bring more new features, such as home automation, energy-saving and wireless healthcare, to their end users. We also observed more alliances, mergers and acquisitions in alarm monitoring companies. It can be concluded that the sooner you find the business models with IP, the longer you can survive in the market. Other interesting topics are the adoption of NFC technology in access control and 3-D technology in video surveillance. Though both are still in their infancy stage, the developers smell the opportunities in the security industry and compete to take up more market shares in the initial stage. In the long run, as the prices go down and technologies mature, both will become more feasible and practical solutions for security. Technology continues to evolve without being constrained by the economic downturn. In tough times, winners still see more possibilities with new technologies and utilize them in more applications too.
Parson Lee Publisher & Managing Director Joseph Lee General Manager John Shih General Manager Editorial
General Press Jill Lai Editor in Chief Alf Chang Senior Consultant Reporter Tevin Wang Alyssa Fann Reporter Sally Tsui Coordinator
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Corporate Management
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Web Editor in Chief hayden.hsu@newera.messefrankfurt.com Assistant Sales Manager jerry.wu@newera.messefrankfurt.com
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Secutech & Events (Domestic)
Veronica Chen Group Manager
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International Advertising [Headquarters]
Echo Lin Joanne Wu Kay Yang Audrey Fang Helen Chen Winnie Ho Jessica Lee
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Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd., a company formed by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. and former A&S Group in 2009, is an integrated media service provider in the security industry. Our service covers magazines, Web sites, events and trade shows. The portfolio of a&s magazines includes a&s International, a&s International China Best Buys, a&s Asia (above published in English), a&s China, a&s Installer, a&s Taiwan, a&s Solution, Fire & Safety and Info Security (above published in Chinese). a&s Turkiye, a&s Adria, a&s Italy, a&s India, a&s Japan and a&s Vietnam are licensed editions. For changes of address or subscription problems, contact us at mfne-circulation@newera.messefrankfurt.com Copyright© 2012 Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be republished, reprinted or redistributed in any forms, including electronic, without written consent from the publisher.
Advertisers are responsible for their own advertisement content. The publisher is not liable for any legal, image, patent or trademark disputes from advertisements or among advertisers. Legal consultant: Julia S.H. Yu, Attorney at Law, First Law & IP Offices
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SIMPLY SMARTER
Corporate News UK Distributor Norbain Acquired by Newbury Investments With annual revenues in excess of US$150 million and growing, Norbain is one of Europe's key distributors of video surveillance, IP video, access control and intrusion detection equipment. Headquartered in Reading, Berkshire, the company employs more than 240 people throughout the U.K. in various sales offices and at its distribution center in Manchester. Each year, the company's international sales division sells into 77 countries across five continents. Newbury Investments is part of a substantial family business which trades extensively across the U.S., U.K. and Australia
in distribution.With a turnover of circa $480 million and net asset value of $120 million, prior to the acquisition of Norbain, Newbury Investments is a financially strong group which will underpin Norbain and allow Norbain's suppliers, customers and employees to be confident in its future trading. “We are confident that Norbain's best-in-class operations combined with Newbury Investments' financial strength and complementary distribution experience will secure our future growth strategy,” said Barry Shakespeare, MD of Norbain.
AMI: Cloud Security Will Represent 24 Percent of Total Security Spending by 2016 Globally, spending by the SMBs security market (on-premise and cloud) is expected to experience an overall CAGR of more than 10 percent for the period of 2011 through 2016. Cloud security services currently accounts for nearly 17 percent of this total spending and is projected to increase to 24 percent by 2016. “Security is a complex issue with rapidly changing permutations,” said Hugh Gibbs, VP of Research for EMEA of AMI-Partners and report author. “Widespread lack of technical resources and expertise is leading to an increasing desire to outsource the problem among SMBs. This is presenting major opportunities for managed service solutions — particularly for skilled, local channel partners and managed security service providers.” To take advantage of the myriad of opportunities in the dynamic SMB market, security vendors will need to deploy viable solutions and will require vendor recognition of the following critical success factors: • Easy-to-deploy cloud service offerings within attractively-priced service bundles. Bundling increases potential service uptake. • Availability through different channels including cloud-enabled local channel partners, service providers and retail/e-tail stores. • Promotion through multiple information sources and communication channels both traditional and Web-based social media.
Proportion of WW Security Spend Migrating Into The Cloud
16.8%
18.3%
19.9%
21.3%
22.6%
$7.7 B Cloud Spend 23.8%
$3.3 B Cloud Spend
2011
Revenues (SM) 20 22 1,000
2012
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2013
2014
2015
2016 Source: AMI-Partners
10%
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Latin America – Substation North America – Substation
Tri-Ed/Northern Video Acquires Orlando Distributor Seabreeze T r i - E d / N o r t h e r n V i d e o , U . S .' s l a r g e s t independent security distributor, announced its further expansion with the acquisition of Seabreeze Security Distributors, a security distributor in the Orlando, Florida market. Tri-Ed/Northern will maintain the Seabreeze office at its original place. “We are very excited to increase our US footprint and continue to exceed the expectations of security professionals in this market,” said Pat Comunale, President and CEO of Tri-Ed/Northern. “We welcome the Seabreeze sales staff to the Tri-Ed/Northern team.”
Corporate News Nedap Scores at Euro 2012 Stadium in Ukraine Nedap Security Management has secured the UEFA Euro 2012 in Kiev, Ukraine. Nedap contributed to this smooth and safe European Championship edition with AEOS security management system for access control and intrusion. In Kiev's Olympic Stadium, Nedap's business partner ISK Transexpo installed readers at the 480 access points. The venue also deploy AEOS's unique ‘security levels' functionality, enabling security managers to respond swiftly to any calamity that might occur at a major event like Euro 2012. In case of emergency, the system
switches to a predefined emergency scenario with alternative access authorizations. This takes just seconds. Like all other modern stadiums, Kiev is equipped, inside and out, with a permanent surveillance system that can take still shots, and with color monitors in a control room. AEOS is integrated with the surveillance and burglar alarm systems. Security management at the stadiums can monitor and handle alarms using the AEOS graphical alarm handler, giving the operators clear work instructions.
IMS Research: Smart Grid Networking Market in the Americas to Grow to Nearly $1 Billion by 2016
Arecont Vision Slashes Camera Prices
The supplier environment for smart grid automation and networking is in a dynamic period, with major substation networking supplier RuggedCom recently purchased by Siemens, and smart grid mesh radio provider Tropos acquired by ABB. Both ABB and Siemens offer deep catalogues of grid automation solutions, but their market presence in the Americas has not been as high as in other regional markets. “These acquisitions of networking and communications specialists by global automation brands reveal industry acknowledgement of networking as the next $7.7 B Cloud Spend critical step to achieving the goals of the smart grid evolution,” said Henschel. 23.8% Smart metering projects in the mid- to late-2000s propelled the U.S.’s market for 22.6% 21.3% radios and other networking19.9% hardware supporting feeder line tasks. As of 2012, 18.3% smart meter rollouts are slowing in the U.S., however, substation modernization, 16.8% distribution automation and Latin America’s expected smart metering expansion will $3.3 B this slowing to offer substantial total growth of smart grid networking all counter Cloud Spend equipment markets in the Americas. Senior Analyst of IMS Research Donald Henschel said: “Smart metering is only beginning in Latin America, but perhaps more interestingly, in the U.S., utilities are seeing increased efforts from AMI solution providers and grid automation specialists to effectively integrate smart meter data and infrastructure into more sophisticated distribution automation-enabled smart meter concen2011 automation 2012 tasks. Distribution 2013 2014 2015 2016 trators will hasten this process.”
Arecont Vision, a developer of IP megapixel camera technology, announced immediate price reductions on many current 1.3-megapixel, 1,080p, and 5-megapixel cameras. The price reductions range between 7 to 12 percent. The models covered are MegaVideo Compact cameras, MegaDome cameras, dome cameras and MegaView cameras. “It has been our practice to pass on cost savings in our products to our customers as we improve our cost position. The engineering team at Arecont has not only provided a robust produc t family but reduced costs, too. We were also able to gain efficiencies in our production processes as our volumes have grown.” said Scott Schafer, Executive VP, Arecont Vision. “We are pleased to pass our savings onto our customers, allowing them to further demonstrate to end users the superior return on investment that megapixel technology represents for all surveillance application across all vertical markets.”
The Americas Market for Smart Grid Networking Hardware Revenues (SM) 1,000
10%
Latin America – Substation North America – Substation
750
7.5%
500
5%
250
2.5%
Latin America – Other North America – Other
0
2011
22
2012
2013
AUG 2012
2014
2015
2016
Annual Growth (%)
0%
Source: IMS Research
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Corporate News Oncam Global Acquires Grandeye Security solutions provider Oncam Global announced it has taken full ownership of Grandeye, the 360-degree innovator. To reflect the importance of the acquisition the combined company will now be known as Oncam Grandeye. Grandeye will now be fully integrated as Oncam Global's technology and engineering arm, providing a suite of 360-degree technology for security and liability protection applications.
Ahmed Jawad, Executive Chairman of Oncam Global, said the deal would allow the business to take control of the 360-degree development market across the security and commercial sectors. Jawad also announced that Oncam Global will invest heavily in a sustained research and development program. "This investment is critical for us to remain at the forefront of the industry," he said.
Nebraska Medical Center Improves Patient Safety While Cutting Costs With IQinVision
Morpho Installs Biometric Gates at Marseille Provence Airport
IQinVision announced The Nebraska Medical Center, located in Omaha, U.S., has deployed nearly 300 HD megapixel c a m e r a s t o e n s u re p a t i e n t s a fe t y, upgrade medical care and reduce staffing costs. With a number of patients who require 24/7 observation, the medical center wanted to improve the safety of these at-risk patients, while also reducing staff and overhead requirements. The Center worked with Sentrixx Security Solutions to deploy 299 IQinVision megapixel indoor day/night vandal IP domes and infrared units, and monitoring stations running Milestone IP video surveillance software. Nebraska Medical Center has reduced its overhead by eliminating the majority of its one-on-one bedside observation staff. There are a dozen monitoring stations located throughout the center and each station allows one or two technicians to observe multiple patients simultaneously. In just the first two months of being operational, the megapixel video system has streamlined the process for monitoring patients and saved The Nebraska Medical Center thousands of dollars.
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Morpho (Safran group) announced that it has installed four e-gates at Marseille Provence Airport under the PARAFE program which carries out biometric identification of passport holders at borders. This is the first deployment of PARAFE e-gates outside of Paris. Morpho's technology will enable Marseille Airport to improve the passenger experience by reducing waiting times and enhancing security. Under PARAFE, a total of 27 e-gates have been installed in Paris Charles De Gaulle and Paris Orly Airports. “We are both proud and honored to have equipped Marseille airport with our innovative border control solution”, said Jean-Paul Jainsky, Chairman and CEO of Morpho. “This new contract reflects the success of our PARAFE program in Paris airports. We will now be targeting deployment of our systems in other international airports throughout France.”
NY Municipality Future-proofed by Axis Network Surveillance Following a US Department of Health and Human Services report on workplace violence, legislators in Oswego County, New York, were compelled to examine safety and security in their own municipal buildings. The conclusion: more needed to be done. Therefore, Oswego's IT department selected a county-wide IP video surveillance system to give the Sheriff's Department real-time information it needed to protect employees, taxpayers and county assets. Cedar Path Solutions, a New York-based engineering firm specializing in network surveillance and physical security, recommended an IP video system that piggybacked on the county's existing wired and wireless network. Cedar Path and Axis Certified Professional installed more than 50 outdoor-ready and ruggedized Axis PTZ and fixed dome network cameras, with Genetec's VMS and Hewlett-Packard archiving servers at each building. The Axis IP cameras have helped the Sheriff's Department identify thieves and recover expensive assets. The system is also set up to alert law enforcement to altercations in the courthouse parking lot. The Highway Department even uses network video to monitor weather conditions across the county, which saves the town time and money on potentially wasted man-hours.
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Corporate News London School Turns to IP-Based Security via Milestone Platform M i l e s to n e Sys te m s, t h e o p e n p l a t fo r m company in IP video management software (VMS), has formed the centerpiece of a major surveillance upgrade in a 1,500-pupil school based in East London called the Brampton Manor Academy. Milestone partner Security Systems Technology (SST) carried out the specification, installation and configuration work for the security system upgrade. The new solution consists of 112 Arecont Vision, Axis, Mobotix and
Czech City Cuts Crime and Improves Traffic With IndigoVision The city of Chomutov in the Czech Republic has chosen a new wide area surveillance system, based on IndigoVision's IP Video technology, to replace its aging analog system from the 1990s. The new wide-area system is part of the city's strategy to reduce crime and improve traffic flow monitoring across Chomutov. It provides the city with system reliability and security, as well as integrating with the city police's crisis management software which is linked to it by three control center stations. IndigoVision's low bandwidth requirement and excellent picture quality were key factors in the city choosing its solution, along with the distributed architecture with no need for a central server, and easy back up of the NVRs. David Zazo from MP Chomutov said: “The new system has transformed surveillance in the city – it's reliable and completely stable, with unlimited growth potential due to the distributed architecture. The city police can make better, faster decisions with the excellent picture quality now available to them.”
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Sanyo IP cameras in addition to 33 legacy analog cameras – all being managed by Milestone VMS. Graham Glass, Direc tor of Finance and Administration at Brampton Manor Academy, said: “Milestone has proved to be a very intuitive system for viewing a wide mix of cameras – the interface is easy to manage. Milestone partner SST keeps us up to speed with technical enhancements, which Milestone is continually bringing to XProtect, to keep our initial security investment future proof.”
Vivotek Secures Largest Transport Company in Queensland Transit Australia Group is the largest privately owned public transport company in Queensland, Australia. From bus manufacturing through to the delivery of scheduled school and chartered services, the company delivers transport products and services to the government, the industry and various communities of Queensland. Sunbus is one of the bus production entities owned by Transit Australia Group, carrying residents of Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton, Townsville, Magnetic Island and Cairns. Recently Sunbus embarked on a first and foremost surveillance system establishment throughout the facilities. As this is a depot surveillance project, there are various sections on the premise that need to be covered. After consulting with Kraut Enterprises, Vivotek’s system integrator partner in Australia, it was decided that Vivotek’s cameras would be placed at the repair center, the factory, the office building and the entire depot from an aerial view.
Basler Adds Eyes to US School Buses Redflex Traffic Systems, a developer of road safety technology, has chosen Basler cameras for their new student guardian system protecting children around school buses. The system is intended to deter drivers in the United States from illegally passing stopped school buses, or to hold them accountable if they do. The student guardian system uses two cameras per school bus, one on the front and one on the rear driver's side, to monitor traffic while the stop arm of the bus is deployed. Whenever cars illegally pass a school bus, the cameras capture high-definition video and images of license plates and drivers. With a resolution of five megapixels, the Basler IP cameras used can easily monitor three lanes so that no violation goes unnoticed. The captured image data is then submitted to local law enforcement to determine whether a citation is warranted.
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Products of the month
Mobotix Flexible Double Hemispheric Camera
Key Features
• IP65 weatherproof • Operate in a temperature range of -30 to 60°C (-22 to 140°F)
• PoE support The MOBOTIX S14 FlexMount is the world’s first flexible double • Flash memory with up to 64 GB hemispheric camera. The camera, which is available in both mono (S14M) and dual (S14D) versions, offers a wide range of application opportunities. Supplier This makes it possible to fully secure two rooms located next to or on top • Mobotix of one another with just one single S14. URL When installed in a certain way, the S14D can also see around corners or • www.mobotix.com secure indoor and outdoor areas at the same time. The two sensors allow the S14 to generate two distortion-corrected, high-resolution 180 panorama images, each with a resolution of 3.1 megapixels. The S14 is the world's first hemispheric day-and-night camera. When both modules with black-and-white and color sensors are mounted directly next to each other and cover the same area, the camera automatically chooses the best available mode depending on the lighting conditions. Panning and zooming into the image is done purely electronically, meaning that there is no wear-and-tear to the camera and no maintenance is required. The flat housing and all external connectors (Ethernet, MiniUSB, MxBus) can be installed discreetly so that only the lens units in their ultra-compact protective housing are visible. The camera is particularly well-suited for use in hotels, banks and retail stores.
Optex Perimeter Products Integrated With Milestone Optexperimeter products from Optex will be fully integrated with Milestone XProtect Corporate and XProtect Enterprise IP video management platforms. The result will provide features and benefits unprecedented within the security industry for outdoor perimeter applications. Optex's Redscan Key Features L a s e r - S c a n • Converts and integrates alarm signals to an IP Detectors identify signal sent to the VMS platform moving objects’ size, • Fiber-based intrusion detection system available speed and distance from the detector. Redwall SIP series, Passive • Milestone’s VMS tooled with multi-layered maps Infrared Detectors also use synthesized intelligent algorithms for and camera navigator allowing comprehensive reliable detection. visual overview of cameras and physical layouts The integration perimeter products and Milestone’s VMS platform Supplier enables more accurate and reliable video analytics by reducing false • Milestone alarms. Milestone’s open platform XProtect Corporate and XProtect • Optex Enterprise VMS offerings provide capabilities for managing IP video URL surveillance in medium- and large-scale installations, primarily • www.milestonesys.com multisite, multiserver deployments. • www.optex.com
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VIEWPOINT
Security is More Than Capturing Video Video surveillance has been in hyper mode these past few years, both in development and deployment. Digital video has become the central theme of security systems, which accelerates the growth of video surveillance and its integration with information systems. As a core component in security systems, video surveillance should look beyond mere video capturing. By a&s China
F
aced with more choices and innovation than ever before, end users and security professionals must both understand and carefully evaluate new concepts and technologies to get a better picture of where video surveillance is headed. Today, video surveillance is taking pressure on two fronts. On the one hand is general acceptance of its effectiveness in almost any setting. It has become an essential component in improving public safety, environmental monitoring, operational efficiency and many other applications in almost every industry. It is quite safe to say that there is an endless demand for video surveillance. On the other hand, many existing installations leave a lot to be desired. For example, the majority of recorded video generally goes to waste; video analytics attempts to capitalize that video and increase the value of video surveillance, but it has not exactly lived up to its promise. The two forces have manufacturers locked in an arms race to develop new technologies at a rapid pace. The problem is that bleeding-edge technology often hurts, lacking in maturity and performance. Video surveillance systems are, at the moment, torn between innovation and practicality.
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To truly enhance video surveillance for their customers, manufacturers, integrators and installers must reevaluate their systems' architecture, functionality and technology. They should not simply proclaim the dawn of a new age and stop short when it comes to actually educating the market on the capabilities and limits of new technologies.
Muscle Versus Smarts
Initiatives to enhance public safety have largely centered on the deployment of video surveillance networks, as well as their integration with smaller subsystems via IP networks. As security systems continue to grow larger in scale, certain issues are highlighted. Should they scale up via sheer quantity, or enhance the performance of said systems? Following the mindset of traditional analog systems, the simplest way to expand coverage is to increase the number of cameras. However, simply increasing the number
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VIEWPOINT of cameras does not resolve the problems of wonky transmission, poor picture quality and low utilization of resources. To increase the performance of the system, one must take fundamentally novel approaches. However, new technologies and products are often limited in terms of functionality, performance and maturity. Even the mighty HD camera and video analytics do not solve the aforementioned problems, especially since the former exacerbates these problems, while the latter relies on good data to produce useful results. In other words, increasing the performance of a video surveillance system does not automatically imply adding more cameras, moving to HD or slapping on analytics. It is not just about technology — new mindsets are required in designing and developing high-performance video surveillance systems. Logical Layout of Cameras
Seamless coverage is not the most effective way to deploy cameras. A more efficient way to design camera coverage is to use different types of cameras logically. Instead of eliminating all blind spots, the system could be designed to have a certain level of likelihood in capturing events. For example, ensuring that an event has a very high chance of being captured on the camera, and that image of relevant persons are captured by different cameras throughout a particular area. This is much more effective in both cost and performance than simply increasing cameras to cover all possible blind spots, as is done for analog systems. Enhanced Real-time Monitoring
Real-time monitoring is a fundamental feature in security systems, as humans are much better than machines in observing and reacting to an event. However, today’s video surveillance systems favor recording images for evidential purposes rather than live viewing. This mentality can be seen in system and software designs where the operation or environment for real-time monitoring is not optimal, or even cumbersome. This mentality must change, and systems’ architecture must be rethought to support such changes. Two possible changes are: • Motivate security personnel: Design security operations to include environments tailored to the needs of live-viewing personnel. This includes better thought-out
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▲ Real-time monitoring is a fundamental feature in security systems, as humans are much better
than machines in observing and reacting to an event.
display placement (equipment) and more logical user interfaces (software). In addition, there should be proper training and incentive for operators. They should be capable of detecting and observing abnormal events as they happen via video surveillance systems. More importantly, they should be motivated to do so. • Provide proper tools: Security personnel viewing live scenes should have the authorization to determine when it is appropriate to set-up a temporary subsystem to more effectively follow an event. The subsystem should be able to independently record, store and control the system as it is deemed necessary by the security personnel to document said event. Alerts and Notifications
While alarms are a basic feature in security systems, sensors and intrusion detectors are not as effective in open environments. It is difficult in this type of setting to use sensors and intrusion detectors to trigger alarms and display relevant scenes. Video analytics may possibly remedy this problem through detecting anomalies in real-time to warn relevant personnel, log relevant information and transmit images of the event. It can also notify operators to focus their energy on a particular scene to increase their efficiency. More Effective Data Usage
Improve the ability to search, filter, correlate and analyze images. An ideal security system should be able to extract, log and organize data from various sources into actionable information in a timely fashion.
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VIEWPOINT
Upgrading From Smart to Intelligent Compared to a few years ago, end users now have more realistic expectations of video analytics, thanks to numerous parties educating the market. However, video analytics is merely a stepping-stone toward something better. By a&s China
Video Analytics
A few years ago, video analytics vendors created the illusion that video analytics would solve all the problems in video surveillance. It did not. In fact, the disappointment drove many out of business, as can be seen with ObjectVideo's transition to patent troll. The claim that video surveillance systems are already intelligent is false, and the hope that they solve everything wrong with video surveillance is impractical. However, progress has never stopped, and video analytics provides the basis for the intelligent video surveillance systems of tomorrow. Image recognition is badly needed in security systems today, with the overwhelming amount of video that is recorded and left unused. The security industry has been making the greatest strides in this department. Currently, most uses fall into one of two categories: • Validation: Confirm the identity of a person and his/ her authorization to perform a certain action. • Recognition: Match incoming data with samples in the system to identify a person or object. A mind-boggling database is required for such a feat, as it would be impossible without a vast number of samples to compare with. Both cases require the system to first define relevant characteristics, ensure that the data fed into the system is as accurate to the source as possible, and finally compare the characteristics, data and source. However, most video surveillance systems fail to meet these basic requirements. A new approach is, therefore, necessary. The two core competencies of video analytics pave the way for image recognition and image content analysis. Image content analysis defines characteristics
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▲ An intelligent video surveillance system can detect anomalies, assess risk levels, inform and alert
relevant personnel, and then follow the event in real-time via different cameras.
and compares them not with the source data, but rather with other images. It correlates data between images to analyze and predict behavior. This is a better and more practical path to intelligent video surveillance systems. Image content analysis can be divided into four consecutive levels: • Identify a moving object within a scene and distinguish it from its surroundings. It should be able to classify an object in simple settings (single target, simple background).
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• A nalyze the target. The system should be able to determine the velocity of an object and detect when the target overlaps or breaks away from other objects. Abnormal behavior of the object should be detected, and the system should automatically track and log the movement of a target, perform simple counting, correlate related targets, filter out irrelevant targets and notice trends. • Perform the above tasks in a complicated environment and correlate different images from same or different sources. • A nalyze a series of images and understand the underlying significance. The first two levels are the basis for image content analysis, and some significant developments have already been made. The third level is key: Only when a system is able to achieve the required tasks will it provide practical value. At the fourth level, the system will be able to interpret images as well as humans can, but much more efficiently. This is still a while away, but a step towards that is
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big data: the ability to classify objects in the scene and correlate them with images, audio and text to effectively extract information from all types of recorded data. Image content analysis is not merely video detection or image recognition. It is the foundation of a truly intelligent video surveillance system. Image content analysis must be able to process single images to identify objects, process a stream of images to analyze behavior, and also correlate data from various sources, such as different security cameras. This requires a system that can process data at both front and back ends, which makes optimal a distributed architecture akin to the concepts of cloud computing and the Internet of Things. An intelligent video surveillance system can detect anomalies, assess risk levels, inform and alert relevant personnel, and then follow the event in real-time via different cameras. However, this does not necessarily remove humans from the security scene. Rather, it will enhance our ability to do real-time monitoring and allow us to work more efficiently and effectively.
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VIEWPOINT
Looking Back to Predict the Future of IP Video Despite the fact that the first IP network camera was built more than a decade ago, it wasn’t until 2009 did the drastic growth of IP network camera market start taking place. Discover how Martin Gren, inventor of the first network camera, analyzes the future of the IP network industry. By a&s China
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ue to the exponential market growth of IP network systems in the security industry over the past three years, the future of IP network cameras is quite promising. As the inventor of the IP network camera and also the chairman and co-founder of Axis Communications, Martin Gren presents much confidence in the overall potential of the IP network industry as he mentioned, “The growth rate of IP network camera functionality has far exceeded the prediction based on Moore’s law, so we strongly believe that the industry has much potential and will thus continue to grow.”
First IP Network Camera
The history of the first IP network camera can be traced back to 1995 when Gren crossed paths with a Japanese enterprise, stocked up with unsalable analog cameras, while he was in Japan for business. During the encounter, Gren w a s i nq uired with regards as to how to transform the unmarketable analog equipment into products with higher market value. Endowed with superior IT knowledge, Martin immedi-
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ately perceived the potential of IP network surveillance. On September 18th 1996, the world first IP network camera was displayed at the Networld+Interop Exposition. “The earlier design of IP network camera essentially focused on its internet connectivity, allowing users to remote-monitor several different locations at once,” said Gren. “The first application of IP networked systems took place in an American banking company. The company had the demands of observing the operation of 25 different subsidiaries.” For the first couple of years, Axis sold 50 percent of its IP network cameras to corporations with needs for remote-monitoring office environments. In 1998, the Axis 2100 IP network camera was invented. As a network camera with low cost and broad features, the product reached the highest sales volume in the industry for five consecutive years and thus Martin Gren, Chairman became an important and Co-founder of Axis Communications milestone of Axis’s breakthrough. Starting from 2004, which was the year that the company had 11 percent growth of the net sales compared to the preceding year, Axis subsequently released MPEG-4 network cameras, took lead in applying CMOS sensor
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About Moore’s law The law, named after Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore, is an observation stating that the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles every two years for the same cost. As the cost remains the same and the capacity and performance continues to increase, it means that users pay less for more bandwidth, bigger hard drives and faster processors. With the application of Moore’s law to IP-Surveillance solution market, it is ultimately suggested that the market of IP network cameras will continue to grow since IP network industry correlates closely to IT industry. technology to cameras and successfully developed HDTV high definition network cameras. In 2008, the net sales were US$0.2 million, equivalent to annual growth of 18 percent. Axis also pioneered in inventing H.264 video compression technology. Finally, in 2010, during which the company had reached a total sales of $0.4 million,
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corresponding to a growth of 27 percent, Axis released the first thermal network camera and introduced the PTZ HDTV dome network camera to the world. Despite the 20-year development of IP network camera industry, Gren believes that it still has a lot of potential and the market is far from saturation.
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VIEWPOINT Future Forecast
Martin has predicted that in the next 15 years, analog cameras would be replaced gradually by IP network cameras based on the comparison between their image qualities and installation process. He also mentioned that the growing demand for digital products is rendering analog products useless. Cloud-computing concept will soon be applied to the IP network system; an on-board storage in cameras will soon be installed and this cannot be done with analog cameras. As iPhone revolutionized cell-phone industry, networked video is ready to do likewise to the CCTV industry. Security video will soon be able to be viewed from any internet-enabled device. Gren further stated, “In the near future, the IP network market will be similar to that of the IT market today!” In the current IT market trend, users are given the freedom of customizing their own unique network system from different brands of equipment, ranging from cameras, computer chips, storages to software, without having to be concerned about compatibility issues. “In the future,
users would be reluctant to build an IP network system consisting only of parts from the same company.” Martin continues, “The reason for that is each company has its own strengths and weaknesses and it’s impossible for an organization to be the master of all fields.”
Obstacle in IP Video Development
Regardless of the high functionality and usability of the IP network camera, certain obstacles are yet to be overcome. First of all, the amount of coaxial cables analog cameras require is three times the amount needed for an IP network system. As a result, according to Gren, integrators hope to have full control of the budget of coaxial cables to generate profits from users and thus are not going to converge toward networked solutions. Other than that, installers are also intimidated by the complexity of IP cameras due to their lack of knowledge regarding the industrial and technical aspects of the technology. Essentially, such a factor also deters the market generalization of IP network cameras.
Martin’s Prospects of The IP Network Industry • The drastic development and mechanism of IP network cameras greatly exceed what Moore’s law anticipates. • Judging from the market perspective of IP network cameras, a new standard needs to be implemented. Ridiculously high resolution doesn't necessarily suggest high definition. • The prospect of future development for IP network systems is associated with cameras featuring intelligent video capabilities. • I P network surveillance industry operates closely to IT industry; not only are IP network cameras required, but other components such as servers, computer chips, storage and software are also essential. In the future, installers will also be granted access to the customization of IP network systems. • C MOS is superior to CCD, since CMOS building process follows Moore’s law entirely while CCD doesn’t. The traditional building
process of CCD prevents it from being accommodated to Moore's law. As a result, after years of development, CMOS now surpasses CCD greatly in functionality.
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Secutech excellence awardS 2012
Standardization of Network Video By Alf Chang
At this year's Secutech Award, we found that manufacturers do indeed have little elves working hard in their R&D labs.
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ompared to last year's contestants, this year's products show improvements in not only components and technology, but also in applications. Products submitted this year have greatly improved in terms of ease of use, conformity to standards and support for additional video formats.
The Illusion of Standardization
IP-based video surveillance has been in development for more than a decade and is already fairly mature in hardware, software and application. However, while testing products we found that there are still some quirks with integration. Standardization of products is what users want and manufacturers strive to achieve, and indeed has developed at a rapid pace over the last couple years. With the ultimate goal of plug-and-play in mind, network cameras, NVR, hybrid DVRs and storage systems can now be mixed and matched to form a customized solution tailored for each user much easier than it was before. The ONVIF Effect
Although ONVIF seems to pave the path for interoperability and integration, it also seems to be a pebble in its own shoe. Integrators have found and questioned the fact that interoperability between ONVIF-compliant products can only be achieved when dealing with 42 22
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certain manufacturers. ONVIF announced version 1.0 of its specifications in November 2008 and 2.0 in November 2010. The two years of development resulted in expanded coverage to XML schema and WSDL (Web Service Description Language), local and remote device discovery, device management, imaging configuration, media configuration, real-time streaming of audio and video, event handling, video analytics, PTZ control and security. The goal of ONVIF 2.0 was not to plug in all of 1.0's holes, and compatibility between the two versions is not as bad as some might say. In reality, there are different specifications for different uses, such as the ONVIF Core Specification, ONVIF Test Specification, ONVIF Conformance Process Specification and ONVIF WSDL and XML Schemas Specifications. These specifications each have their own iterations, and affect far more than mere resolution.
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The above specifications require products to also be compatible in WDR, automated white balance, sharpness adjustments, SNR, intelligent light compensation, color compensation and many others. In light of this, compatibility between 1.0 and 2.0 should be discussed in terms of which specifications are involved. IP-based video surveillance is still seeing difficulties in integrating products from different manufacturers, but it is not simply a problem o f s t a n d a rd s . T h e k e y i s h o w strictly the products conform to the standards.
Improved Self-diagnosis
As security systems become increasingly complex with more types of equipment and more components, the chances of failure and cost of troubleshooting increase as well. Whether it's network cameras,
NVRs or DVRs, more products are now including self-diagnosis features to make them easier to troubleshoot and maintain. Most components in a video surveillance system fail. It could be caused by internal factors like limited storage capacity. They are also susceptible to negative effects of electricity, heat or just plain old wear and tear. The environment in which they operate also plays a hand, via temperature, pressure, humidity and dust. External factors like power or network outages are impossible to control and make it even more difficult to maintain a 100 percent reliable system. All the problems that could happen and all the reasons behind them have a simple consequence: the system no longer functions properly. In the past, operators and integrators would periodically check the equipment and do their best to prevent failures. When the system begins to act up, they would have to meticulously analyze the symptoms and quickly find the culprit. This is especially a problem in large surveillance projects. Self-Monitoring and Diagnosis
Network cameras and recording devices that feature self-monitoring functionality are fairly new to the
IP-based video is still seeing difficulties in integration. The key is how strictly different branded products can comform to the standards. security market. They are capable of monitoring the status of components in the video surveillance system through various sensors, which makes them especially appealing to large-scale systems with complex setups and copious front-end devices. From the DVRs and NVRs we tested for Secutech Award 2012, we found that there are generally seven types of self-monitoring features: 1. Preventive monitoring: The system constantly monitors itself for anomalies to predict and prevent possible failures and alert relevant personnel when something needs checking. 2. GUI-based information presentation: An informative GUI that allows operators to monitor the status of front- and back-end devices and pinpoint failing equipment. 3. C o m p r e h e n s i v e d i a g n o s i s : Recording devices can generally manage an unlimited number of equipment, but can only directly monitor up to 500 front-end devices. Systems can detect many types of anomalies, such as power
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surges, network outages, system crashes. Systems can also detect irregular video, such as lost video, black screens, white screens, HDD status, bandwidth usage, equipment load and more. 4. L ogging: Systems can log all abnormal statuses for future reference, and records can be easily analyzed and searched. 5. A larms: Alarms are triggered when a user-defined condition is met. An alert pops up on the screen and asks for manual intervention. 6. Management tools: Users can build a list of problematic equipment. The list can be quickly and easily searched, refreshed and monitored. The database can be backed up for safekeeping. 7. N V R - s p e c i f i c f e a t u re s : T h e system can monitor many of the components in NVRs and servers to ensure that they continue to function properly. It can check operation points on the circuits, operation temperature and the status of cooling fans, platform operation, et cetera. It can detect if a server is connected or not and if it is operating properly, it also monitors CPU and RAM usage, as well as bandwidth consumption. It also monitors the NVR or platform's alarms and recording equipment to see if it is connected to the network and functioning properly, recording status, alarm status, bandwidth consumption and more. IP-based video surveillance systems are indeed becoming more intelligent, and it will be interesting to see how manufacturers continue to advance these features.
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Secutech excellence awardS 2012 NVRs Standardizing
In addition to advances in ONVIF and self-monitoring devices, we also had some interesting findings when testing NVRs: manufacturers are now settling on mainly three types of NVRs. While this has been somewhat chaotic in the past, this new trend should be beneficial to users shopping for new models. 1. S tand-alone NVR: These are generally self-contained systems that support no more than 16 or 32 channels; storage is built in, but external expansion is possible. They used embedded operating systems and are accessed through a human-machine interface. Remote access is lacking, with only limited functionality via an Internet browser. Stand-alone NVRs are best suited for local
networks and small to medium installations. 2. Client NVR: Servers without local access. The operating system they run on can be embedded or Windows-based and are not as stable as stand-alone units. However, client NVRs support 32, 64 or more than 128 channels. Storage options are more flexible, as both DAS and NAS can be attached, much like a private cloud. Many of the limitations of stand-alone NVRs have been resolved, which make them best suited for school campuses, large retail centers and large buildings. 3. C lient-Server NVR: The most common NVR setup. These allow local access, but also many of the client NVR's remote access features. The operating system
they run on are either Windows or Linux Embedded, which makes them more flexible and stable than client NVRs. Supported channels can scale from dozens to thousands of channels, depending on the server's type and performance. Storage options are the most versatile of the three, as RAID, DAS, NAS and IP-SAN are all supported. They also feature "one-button connection" for compatible front-end devices like network cameras, encoders and DVRs. Client-server NVRs are best suited for large scale installations and tiered architectures. Demands from the market are gradually shaping the way manufacturers design their products, as we can see from the standardization of NVRs.
From 2011 to 2012 Compared to 2011, there were some slight variations in the metrics used to measure performance in Secutech Award 2012. The differences are shown in the table below: Compared Items
2011
2012
Product Groups
IP megapixel cameras / HD-SDI cameras
IP megapixel cameras / HD-SDI cameras / 960H cameras / HD-DVR (SDI-DVR) / NVR
Camera Performance
Resolution, white balance, backlight, wide dynamic range, low-light performance
Resolution, white balance, backlight, wide dynamic range, low-light performance, video smoothness, color reproduction
Target Environment
Closed architecture, 200lx-0 illumination, strong backlight, multiple small static objects, single moving object, multiplecolored objects
Closed architecture, 200lx-0.1 illumination, realistic backlight, WDR emulation, multiple small static objects, multiple moving object, multiplecolored objects, glitter
Testing Goals
Basic network camera performance Basic SDI camera performance
HD video resolution and smoothness Advanced camera features Camera and DVR/NVR compatibility DVR/NVR operation and storage performance
Although there are only some minor differences, these resulted in a more demanding testing environment for cameras.
For the moving objects, we used two model trains running in opposite directions at different speeds. This was more demanding on the cameras shutters and emulated real life circumstances, which made for a better evaluation of how the cameras could capture multiple moving targets. To show how the cameras performed under difficult lighting conditions, lamps were placed behind the moving objects. What is different from last year is that letters were cut out and pasted in front of the light and glitter was sprinkled on the moving objects to show how well the cameras processed backlight and WDR.
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Images captured by cameras that did not perform well in this test showed a blob of light, rather than the grains of glitter. More details were placed on the static objects as well, which allowed visitors to clearly see which HD cameras could truly make out fine details. All in all, the changes made in Secutech Award 2012 were to make a more accurate evaluation of how the products would perform in real-life settings, rather than provide another controlled environment in which manufacturers showcased only the strongest strengths of their products.
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