Axisinnovates January 2020

#AxisInnovates The latest news & views from Axis in the UK and Nordics

Issue 12

ith w s n o i t u l o s Easy-to-use deo i v n o i t a t S a AXIS Camer oftware s t n e m e g a man side!

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trends Technology ge 4 for 2020 Pa l full potentia Unleash the eillance of your surv e 18 system Pag 1

Contents Editorial 3 Technology trends 2020 4 Macro trends 2020 6 End-to-end solutions 8 Smart cities 10 Sustainability 12 Partner Q&A 14 Cybersecurity 16 Network audio 18 Perimeter protection 20 Retail 22 Closer to the customer 24 Solution story 26 News 29 Charity initiative 34 Partner showcase 36 Training & certification 38 Online channels 39 Editor Kristina Tullberg kristina.tullberg@axis.com Tel: +46 46 272 1800 www.linkedin.com/ in/kristinatullberg

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Publisher Atul Rajput www.axis.com

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EDITORIAL

Business ethics: why transparency and trust will be key to success in 2020

By Atul Rajput, Regional Director, Northern Europe, Axis Communications Atul Rajput: www.linkedin.com/in/atulrajput The pace of technological innovation will always advance faster than the regulation needed to ensure its safe use leaving a ‘compliance void’. As companies look to optimise technology in a safe and secure way to bring efficiencies to the business without unnecessary risk, there is, as a result, a growing interest in working with trustworthy vendors that adhere to ethical business principles.

In turn, partnerships between stakeholders should also be based on mutual trust and respect. At Axis we enjoy a great relationship with our trusted partners who share our vision to innovate for a smarter safer world. Our OEM partnerships are equally strong to ensure that even when our solutions include third party offerings, their integrity, quality and security can still be guaranteed.

Companies can’t afford to be complacent to risk, and the challenge of addressing the growing security threat has resulted in many businesses choosing end-to-end solutions. They offer an effective solution for businesses that’s greatly simplified and with a strong focus on ease-of-use. This removes the headache associated with managing multiple vendors by replacing them with a single trusted provider.

Simplifying the design process

Transparency around where components and software are sourced will be essential for fulfilling audit requirements moving forward. Working with a provider whose security solutions are manufactured to a high standard and with a strong focus on promoting and maintaining values up and down its supply chain is essential.

In addition, it’s imperative to ensure that a provider can be relied upon to act responsibly, manufacturing technologies from the ground up with cybersecurity and ethical processes incorporated across every aspect of development.

Establishing trusted partnerships

The trust between an organisation and its customers is crucial, with a direct correlation proven between stakeholder trust and revenue. Concerns about the use of personal data will be one of the most impactful aspects of trust in business moving forwards, particularly in the context of GDPR legislation, when it’s acknowledged that providing full transparency to customers is of the utmost importance.

Axis prides itself on developing efficient and trustworthy technologies and services that meet stringent security standards and provide comprehensive end-to-end cover. Axis’ Site Designer is an example of an Axis innovation that supports the implementation of the end-to-end solution, revolutionising the way we’re able to help our customers meet their day to day security challenges.

A key factor of Site Designer is its ease of use, allowing installers to provide visual demonstrations of how security technologies will look, operate and interact, reducing the complexity of designing and specifying systems.

Improving efficiency at the Edge

Axis end-to-end solutions are scalable to meet the needs of a wide customer base; from the installation of a basic surveillance system to a more advanced integrated system on a larger scale. The demand for faster and more accurate processing of data requires edge computing capabilities.

Axis’ cameras are capable of processing data within the cameras themselves, at the edge of the network, to avoid the unnecessary transit of data for analysis.

Atul Rajput Regional Director Northern Europe

effectively mask the images collected for surveillance and security purposes ensuring anonymity and helping towards compliance with GDPR legislation.

No compromise around security

Our end-to-end solutions such as AXIS Companion and AXIS Camera Station, deliver comprehensive security cover with simple installation and a strong emphasis on ease of use. We aim to provide our customers with intuitive, easy to use technologies which at the same time offer the optimum level of security for the specific location. We focus on achieving the highest levels of cybersecurity across our product range and are committed to creating secure services and solutions to help our customers face head-on the security challenges of 2020 and beyond.

Edge computing means faster processing and more timely reporting. In addition, image redaction capabilities employed across our surveillance platforms

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TRENDS 2020

5 technology trends affecting the security sector in 2020

By Johan Paulsson, CTO, Axis Communications I always start the forward-looking technology trends blog post with a glance back at what was written last year. Not only is it borne from a curiosity about the accuracy of my future-gazing (which is always a risky activity!), but it’s interesting to see if any new trends have emerged during the year that we did not foresee.

an object walking in front of the car), decisions must be processed in a split second. The latency of data being sent from the car across the network for processing and analysing in a data center before being returned with a decision on the action to be taken is unacceptably long.

Looking back at the trends identified this time last year, I’m relatively happy that they were fairly close to the reality of the past 12 months. That said, looking forward, I do see something of a change in emphasis.

It is the same with video surveillance. If we are to move towards the proactive rather than reactive – to prevention of incidents rather than response after the fact – more processing of data and analysis needs to take place within the camera itself.

But the increase in devices at the edge, and with them playing a more critical role in safety and security, creates a number of consequences, which I’ll explore below.

1: The world on the edge

Don’t worry, this isn’t an opinion on the current state of the world, but rather a reflection that we are seeing a growing momentum towards computing at the ‘edge’ of the network. The fact that billions of devices are already connected to the network and that this number is rapidly accelerating isn’t news in itself. But the nature and demands of those devices does have some serious implications.

Put simply, more of the ‘things’ that are connected to the network require or would benefit from the ability to instantly sense what is happening, decide what to do, and take action.

Autonomous vehicles are an obvious example. Whether in relation to communications with the external environment (e.g. traffic signals) or through sensors detecting risks (e.g.

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2: Processing power in dedicated devices

Dedicated and optimized hardware and software – designed for the specific application – is essential with the move towards greater levels of edge computing.

Connected devices will need increased computing power, and be designed for purpose from the silicon up, which is why Axis continues to invest in its own chip.

This allows us to design an integrated circuit – or ‘system-on-chip’ - specifically for the video surveillance needs of today and the future and which, as with the latest iteration, ARTPEC-7, is designed with a security-first mindset.

Johan Paulsson Chief Technical Officer

The concept of embedded AI in the form of machine and deep learning computation will also be more prevalent moving forwards. For those working with it, AI – or more accurately machine learning and deep learning – has now passed beyond being simply a buzzword, and become an everyday reality. It will therefore attract less attention as an ‘exciting’ tech topic, which may lead some to feel that it has failed to reach its potential. In actual fact it will be being used more than most people will appreciate – it will just be invisible to them. Again, however, one aspect that will need to be addressed is to create new deep learning models that are ‘lighter’, demanding less memory and computational power.

TRENDS 2020

3: Towards the trusted edge

Trust takes many forms. Trust that organizations will collect and use our data responsibly; trust that devices and data are secure from cybercriminals; trust that the data itself is accurate and that the technology itself will work as designed.

The edge will be the point at which this trust will be created or destroyed.

Trust through the entire supply chain will be vital. While embedding spying chips on the hardware itself is a relatively distant possibility, it would be far easier to install a spying ‘backdoor’ into a device through a subsequent firmware upgrade than at point of manufacture.

Issues around personal privacy will continue to be debated around the world.

While technologies such as dynamic anonymization and masking can be used on the edge to protect privacy, attitudes and regulation are inconsistent across regions and countries. The need to navigate the international legal framework will be ongoing for companies in the surveillance sector.

With more processing and analysis of data taking place in the device itself, cybersecurity will become ever more critical. Even when faced with evidence of the increasingly numerous and sophisticated cyberattacks, many organizations are still failing to undertake even the most basic firmware upgrades.

Fundamental to a secure system is the need for both individual device management and to comprehensive lifecycle management of the entire surveillance solution, through clear hardware, software and user policies.

5: Network diversity 4: Regulation: use cases vs. technology

It is difficult, if not impossible, to regulate technology (and rightly so, in most instances). It is only realistic to regulate the use cases of technology. Take facial recognition as an example. In some use cases – for instance speeding someone’s journey through an airport – facial recognition might be seen as harmless and even desirable. However, when used for monitoring citizens and social credit systems it is regarded as much more sinister and unwanted. The technology is exactly the same; the use case vastly different.

Attitudes towards appropriate use cases and regulations around them differ around the world. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the highest profile examples. Protecting the rights of EU citizens regarding the collection, storage, processing and use of their personal data, it is one of the most stringent data regulations on the planet.

Other countries are far less strict, and many organizations in other regions providing online services are blocking access for EU citizens due to their lack of compliance with GDPR. Regulations are struggling to keep pace with advances in technology, but governments will continue to look at ways to control use cases to the benefit of citizens or themselves. It’s a dynamic landscape that the industry will need to navigate, and where business ethics will continue to come under intense scrutiny.

As a direct result of some of the regulatory complexities, privacy and cybersecurity concerns, we’re seeing a move away from the fully open internet of the past two decades. While the internet and public cloud services will remain part of how we transfer, analyse and store data, hybrid and private clouds are growing in use.

We’re seeing an increase of ‘smart islands’, where systems for specific applications have limited and direct connections to other interdependent systems.

While some people regard any move away from openness as undesirable, the arguments in relation to security and data protection are compelling. In addition, previously one of the benefits of openness and data sharing was regarded as being advances in AI and machine learning, the assumed wisdom being that machine learning depends on huge data sets in order to let the computers learn.

However, advances mean that today, pretrained network models can be tailored for specific applications with a relatively small amount of data. For instance, we’ve been involved in a recent project where a traffic monitoring model trained with only 1,000 photo examples reduced false alarms in accident detection by 95%.

Gazing into a crystal ball is hazardous in any environment - in the technology sector it can be regarded as positively foolish! But it’s essential that in looking to meet our customers needs today, we have an eye on the opportunities and risks that will face us all in the future.

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TRENDS 2020

From trust to population dynamics: broader trends affecting the security sector in 2020

By Peter Lindström, Executive Vice President Sales, Axis Communications As a technology company, it’s obvious to say that we need to be highly aware of advancements and trends in technology in order to apply them in our solutions.

However, we also look at macro trends which will have an effect on the sector and our business. These trends are much broader, and attached to economic, social and political factors, but will likely have as much of an impact on the security industry as advances in technology.

1. Trust: the common link between trends In our technology trends post, the concept of trust is a central theme. From a technological perspective, trust relates primarily to cybersecurity and privacy: whether business and citizens can feel confident that products are adequately protected against cyberattacks, and that the data captured is being processed and stored responsibly.

The macro view of trust is of course related, but much broader. Studies1 have shown that over recent years trust in business, government, media and NGOs has, in the main, been eroding. The reasons for this are many and varied – from skepticism about the reliability of online content to concern regarding government access to personal data – but consumer uncertainty about businesses and institutions ‘doing the right thing’ will continue to be a defining trend.

In addition to trust being a concern for consumers, it will also be an everincreasing aspect of business-tobusiness relationships. Whether related to commitments towards sustainability; ensuring supply in a turbulent global environment; having a clear ethical position on key issues; or an employer recognizing and responding to its employees’ concerns, more business customers will be measuring trust and ethical factors in their buying decisions.

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While we subscribe to the saying that ‘ethics starts where the law ends’ it is obviously imperative to adhere to international and local regulations where they exist. Signing up to the UN Global Compact is fundamental for any business committed to ethics but should be regarded as a baseline for additional internal initiatives. In addition, adhering to regulation designed to ensure more responsible business behaviour – such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – is clearly essential.

But it is likely that legislation will struggle to keep pace with the acceleration in the capabilities of technology.

2. The need to feel secure If a trend can be a constant one, then the need to feel secure is a good example.

Appearing as part of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs2, after the fundamental physiological needs of air, water, food, shelter and warmth, human needs related to safety are at the next level. And while evidence suggests3 that we are living in a safer era than any before, this doesn’t always translate into people’s perception regarding their personal safety.

Whether it is because the need to feel secure is so fundamental to humans and/or that the media narrative tends to support a more negative view of the world – more readily highlighting bad news in relation to personal safety – the individual need to feel safe and secure is always prominent in people’s thoughts.

For those of us working in the security sector, this need has several implications.

Principal amongst them, of course, is the need to navigate a line between a level of surveillance that meets the human needs of feeling safe in both public and private environments, without causing concerns about individual privacy. Again, the solution will involve both legislation and innovations in technology.

Peter Lindström Executive Vice President Sales

3. Sustainability and the environment It would be impossible to write a post about global macro trends and not mention the need for greater steps to be taken in sustainability and reducing environmental impact. Evidence of the negative effects of climate change is overwhelming, and everyone – individuals and businesses – need to take steps towards reducing the environmental impact of their activities.

As mentioned previously, clear evidence of an organization’s commitment to sustainability will become an increasingly significant decision-making factor for customers, at least in certain key markets across the world. And even in those markets that don’t demand such stringent environmental credentials, from an ethical perspective responsible business should be taking every possible step voluntarily.

TRENDS 2020

Of course, while technology businesses must look to reduce the impact on the environment of their own operations including buildings, transportation and manufacturing - technology is also part of the solution. Connected sensors of all types, including surveillance cameras, can help to manage resources and energy in urban environments and buildings.

4. Changing population dynamics The importance of the trends above – particularly the need to feel safe and energy management – will only become more important in relation to another trend: urbanization. More than half of the world’s population already lives in cities4, with this number predicted to increase to more than 60% by 2030. More than 150 new cities of more than 1 million inhabitants are expected to be added globally between 2018 and 2030, with an additional 10 new ‘megacities’ (those with a population of more than 10 million) added in the same period.

The need, therefore, to use technology to better manage urban environments and support their populations will become critical. This has given rise to the concept of the ‘smart city’, where connected sensors and data are used to better and more efficiently manage a city’s infrastructure and services to the benefit of its citizens. While smart cities create efficiencies and improvements in many areas – from mobility and transportation to energy consumption; from effective emergency response to early-warning of disruptions through severe weather – one of the most important aspects of the liveability of any city relates to an earlier trend: the human need to feel safe.

5. The impact of global politics While it would be nice to think that any industry sector, including security, can operate in relative independence of politics, in recent years the impact of the global macroeconomic environment on specific aspects of business is clear to see. Global powers using business and international trade as economic weapons – whether through tariffs on specific goods, components and raw materials, or banning manufacturers from one market in selling to another – looks set to continue and creates a more uncertain environment to navigate. A primary objective for any manufacturer – Axis included – is to ensure continuity of product supply to our partners and customers, and a constant view across the changing political landscape is central to ensuring that.

Ultimately, in the face of these global macro trends, our role is to adhere as closely as we possibly can to our principles, aligning our own commercial objectives with global initiatives and goals around sustainability and ethical business. You can read more about how Axis addresses many of these issues in our annual Sustainability Report.

www.edelman.com/trust-barometer www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html 3 www.ijpr.org/post/world-actually-safer-ever-and-heres-data-prove#stream/0 4 www.un.org/en/events/citiesday/assets/pdf/the_worlds_cities_in_2018_data_booklet.pdf

Read more How to ensure supply: www.axis.com/newsroom/ article/safeguarding-supply

Sensors can help create a more sustainable world www.axis.com/blog/secureinsights/cameras-sensorssustainable/

What is a Smart City? www.axis.com/blog/secureinsights/what-smart-city/

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AXIS END-TO-END SOLUTIONS

Easy-to-use solutions with AXIS Camera Station video management software

By Peter Currie, Regional Key Account Manager, Axis Communications Peter Currie www.linkedin.com/in/peter-currie-50527511/ How can you protect your premises if you are a small, medium or large company – without any fuss? Peter Currie, Regional Key Account Manager at Axis Communications, looks at three different user cases with end-to-end solutions from Axis – all based on AXIS Camera Station video management software (VMS).

User case 1 – a small school A school was experiencing difficulties with their visitor management. The aim was to keep the children secure and protect the school premises while being accessible to visitors during school hours and outside of hours when the facilities are used by the local community.

To address the issue, the school deployed Axis network cameras with AXIS Camera Station VMS and an Axis door station in the main entrance and in the reception.

Viewing terminals were placed in the school office and at the site managers’ offices to provide an overview of the school for general observation and allow direct communication with visitors arriving at the school entrance.

During out of school hours, the site manager is able to take video intercom calls, open doors to grant access to the premises and view all cameras on campus via the easy-to-use app on their mobile phone. The set-up means that the site manager can easily carry out duties around the site while still protecting the school.

With this solution, the safety and security of the school is managed more efficiently.

As the system encourages community usage of the school facilities, the solution has also helped generate additional revenue.

User case 2 – a car dealer, medium-sized business Much like the school, a mid-sized car franchise chain was experiencing problems with keeping their premises secure outside of normal business hours. The car dealer wanted to keep the forecourt with the stock accessible at all hours for potential customers – without risking theft or damage. As the cars are very valuable, it was crucial to monitor the site while still allowing people on the forecourt to view the cars during out of office hours.

While remote site monitoring solutions have been around for some time, inaccurate detection – including false alarms or missed alerts – has been a problem. The dealership selected AXIS Camera Station VMS as it provides a seamless integration to Axis video analytics, radar detection and thermal cameras to ensure highly accurate detection in all weather conditions.

The end-to-end solution could detect intrusion into the environment and allow operators to keep an eye on the forecourt.

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Peter Currie Regional Key Account Manager The detection devices provide information to the remote monitoring centre that a person has entered the forecourt.

Based on this information, the operator can assess whether the person is a customer or a potential threat. If the operator is unsure of the nature of the ‘visitor’, they can continue to view him or her to make sure the cars remain safe.

Axis IP horn speakers were added to the solution to provide an audio challenge possibility for the monitoring centre. It allowed the operators to inform visitors to the site that they were being monitored.

This seamless integration between Axis products meant that the solution could easily be deployed and maintained.

Axis products are designed from the outset with consideration of how they will function and interact with AXIS Camera Station video management software.

We talk a lot about integration between products, but in truth it’s more about interaction as all Axis products & software work so well together, it provides a verified solution that guarantees results – not only on implementation, but later on when firmware updates are required. This is traditionally when integration can be problematic with firmware changes, which in effect can break the integration.”

— AXIS Camera Station user

With the trouble-free and easy-to-use AXIS Camera Station remote monitoring app, the car dealer was able to keep the site secure outside of normal working hours. The false alarms were kept at a minimum, lowering the monitoring costs, and damage to stock and premises was significantly reduced. The dealership is a long-term user and an advocate for Axis end-to-end security solutions.

User case 3 - a scrap metal recycler Another long-term user of AXIS Camera Station is a global scrap metal recycler and metal dealer. They collect scrap metal and other precious waste from a range of sources for reuse and refinement. The user was experiencing problems with fires at the site – a highly hazardous environment.

The fires were very costly and could rage for a long time.

AXIS END-TO-END SOLUTIONS

They decided to use AXIS Camera Station VMS as it suited their requirements for an easy-to-use solution, which could be remotely monitored and easily rolled out to multiple sites. It was also important that the solution supported the complete Axis product portfolio and that it was open for integration with other types of systems and data sources as the business had complex sites requiring numerous different cameras and detection devices.

Another requirement was close collaboration with the manufacturer to help them with any emerging risks.

So much more than security Enhance your security system with these smart IoT features – all from one supplier.

By installing Axis thermal cameras providing accurate scene temperature information, the user now receives an early warning of potential fire risks at their sites. Set temperature thresholds are used as triggers, creating alerts and interactions with other sub systems. This means that the scrap dealer can get information on any hot spots and temperature changes where they previously couldn’t be seen and take appropriate action.

Horn speakers Set up triggered or scheduled audio messages to allow remote communication with staff or to deter intruders.

Equipment control Control door switches, lights and barriers with an I/O module i.e. Input/ Output module.

Door stations Communicate directly with visitors and control entry via a door station.

AXIS Camera Station Video Management Software For these businesses and many others, it is crucial to be able to protect and secure their premises – without losing focus of their core business.

AXIS Camera Station offers a simple end-to-end solution to ensure on-site security. The flexible and easy-to-use software is built with the user in mind. The clear graphical user interface makes it easy for anyone to manage incidents and take appropriate action, so they can focus on running their business.

Read more about Axis solutions and the endless possibilities with AXIS Camera Station VMS: www.axis-communications.com/solutions Experience the power and possibilities of Axis video management software with our free 30-day trial: www.axis-communications.com/trial

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SMART CITIES

Going smart means managing the security risk

By Steven Kenny, Industry Liaison, Architecture & Engineering, Axis Communications Steven Kenny www.linkedin.com/in/steven-kenny-24461825/ There’s very little about ‘smart’ that’s simple. It’s a catch-all term that has been applied to everything from children’s toys to mobile devices and entire cities.

While a strict definition of the word is impossible to apply, when you’re looking at its application in large projects the one thing that smart does equal is complex.

To make a building or a city smart, we need to bring together a large number of very different systems, and empower them to communicate freely with access to important and often sensitive data.

We need to be confident enough in the way that these diverse ecosystems operate together to cede important decision-making to them, using artificial intelligence, big data and analytics.

When ‘smart’ is applied at this scale, the network of stakeholders is massive. On the organisational side, these include landlords, architects, systems integrators, city planners, physical security and fire alarm vendors, lift and escalator manufacturers, and emergency services.

In terms of technology, there could be exponentially more systems that need to be able to share data and intelligence.

The cybersecurity challenges The potential benefits are worth it: more efficient cities and buildings can reduce our energy usage, optimise traffic flow, improve emergency services, make our work and personal lives safer, and offer a strong basis for economic growth and improved quality of life. Increasing efficiencies is vital if we’re to meet carbon reduction targets and avoid climate catastrophe. Options for doing this, such as bringing more renewables into the grid, requires intelligent management of power at the building and city level.

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If co-ordinating all of these organisations and technologies to make buildings and cities smart seems daunting, it becomes even more so when we consider the cybersecurity risks involved. Managing cybersecurity in environments of this scale doesn’t just mean dealing with the immediate stakeholders. It means drawing up thorough risk assessments that go right back through the supply chain.

Identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating the potential for damage that they could cause requires strong frameworks for collaboration, which, to a large extent don’t exist today.

In a connected world, with connected buildings and connected cities, the risk of data leakage, malware attacks or critical systems going offline because of cybersecurity issues is multiplied. But so are the number of people who share responsibility for addressing the issue.

It’s our belief at Axis that it’s essential to have these frameworks in place if we are to be able to reap the benefits of smart cities and smart buildings, because both rely, more than anything else, on the trust of tenants and citizens. To this end, we’re proud to be associated with a new whitepaper, Smart Buildings & Smart Cities Security, written by two highly experienced cybersecurity experts.

James Willison is the founder of Unified Security Ltd and one of IFSEC Global’s top 20 Security Thought Leaders in the world. Sarb Sembhi is the CTO and CISO at Virtually Informed and has contributed on security projects for the likes of the London Chamber of Commerce and the Internet of Things Security Foundation.

Sembhi also sits on the editorial board of SC magazine.

Steven Kenny Industry Liaison, Architecture and Engineering

Willison and Sembhi present a detailed plan of action for those responsible for smart building and smart city management, which addresses essential oversight and execution roles, data protection compliance, the challenges of security audits as part of the buying process and ongoing maintenance and upgrades for systems after they have been deployed. It's an essential read and you can download it here: Download the ‘Smart Buildings & Smart Cities Security’ white paper: www.axis-communications.com/ Smart-buildings-and-smart-citiessecurity

SMART CITIES

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SUSTAINABILITY

Leading by example

By Jens Strinsjö, Business Development Manager Smart Cities, Axis Communications Jens Strinsjö: www.linkedin.com/in/jensstrinsjo/

Sustainability is perhaps one of the most talked about topics across industry today. The negative impact that we, as individuals as well as corporations, are having on our world understandably stirs up a lot of feelings and emotions.

Governments worldwide have a duty to increase awareness and work to reduce the impact that modern living is having on the environment. Yet, in the world of work, regardless of job role or sector, questions and demands relating to sustainability tend to be put aside in favour of concentrating on meeting customer expectations and increasing profits.

The IT sector is actually a particularly good example of an industry where a lot of focus is being placed on sustainability, in areas such as recycling and reusing products and solutions, and avoiding specific materials.

As an industry it’s miles ahead compared to how the physical security industry tackles these areas today.1 The physical security industry has been a slow starter around issues of the environment and sustainability, and lags behind other sectors in most key areas.

Compared to the IT industry, where vendors have long adopted measures to reduce or eliminate PVC plastics or conflict minerals from their supply chain, many physical security providers are yet to take significant action2. As the worlds of IT and security grow ever closer, it’s imperative for vendors of the latter to become more aware of the impact their supply chains have on the former.

Still, vendors and manufacturers can’t be the only ones driving this change.

End users, installers and procurement departments need to embrace these topics and demand that environmental impact becomes a factor of any purchasing decision.

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What is the reason for the big difference in attitudes between industries?

I personally feel that it comes down to the maturity level of how we do business, what we focus on and how we look at the solutions or products that we are to procure. Whilst the IT industry has adopted a solution-focused and functional delivery model, the security industry is often stuck with a traditional ‘buy and discard’ mentality which makes us focus on very tangible and basic questions when deciding on what to procure.

The downside is that this attitude is not only relatable to the impact products have on the environment, but it also often leads to a higher Total Cost of Ownership, as we don’t focus on the hidden costs, with some examples being: >

>

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Energy consumption of a device over numerous years Maintenance and service needs throughout a product’s lifetime Storage requirements related to video material, which has a direct impact on both energy and investment needs

How can we ensure we work together towards the same goal?

Sustainability is a very complex topic and can be measured and viewed in numerous ways. There isn’t a single solution to the problems thrown up in the debate around how best to ensure a sustainable future, but there are certain areas that can act as a transparent and qualitative indicator when vetting a vendor and its products and solutions.

The UN Global Compact provides perhaps the most well-documented and quality assured framework that businesses can follow today relating to sustainability.

Jens Strinsjö Business Development Manager, Smart Cities

It ensures that companies operate in accordance with human rights, minimize their negative impact on the environment and work to build a society that is better suited to future generations.

Axis signed The UN Global Compact back in 2007, making it a true pioneer within our industry. All of this can sound quite glorifying, but with over 12,000 participants I feel that it is the one true way to create change within this field through its massive foundation of knowledge and best practice sharing3.

Axis is currently working towards fourteen of the seventeen SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) set forth by the UN Global Compact, not only allowing us to work in a structured manner towards a better tomorrow, but also to assure our customers that we have a purpose beyond profit.

SUSTAINABILITY RAILWAYS

What tangible measures do we need to focus on?

I’m a firm believer in a clarified and focused approach to sustainability. We cannot expect to change the world overnight or make a difference everywhere. At the same time, there are certain areas where we can and need to take a stand.

Since the beginning of 2009, Axis has restricted, and where possible, completely removed PVC from its products, reaching a point where, as at 2017, we’re proud to be able to state that 93% of Axis cameras are completely PVC-free. Certain phthalates used in the production of PVC plastic have been shown to have a negative impact on health, so it’s reassuring that we’re playing a part in minimising the exposure to such chemicals, whilst working towards current and future legislation.

Axis began preparing for the introduction of the EU’s Restrictions of Hazardous Substances directive 2015/863 (RoHS 3) in early 2018, using the same processes that were developed for monitoring and eliminating PVC from our products.

Read more in this White Paper – A sustainable future strategy: www.axis-communications.com/ sustainable-future

Thankfully, we have a team of dedicated environmental experts, based at our headquarters in Lund, that are responsible for ensuring that Axis’ entire supply chain is free from PVC-related materials and any harmful alternatives. Rather than testing finished products, every component is tracked throughout the production process, enabling Axis to identify potential risks and breaches of its policy early.

www.news.microsoft.com/2005/12/07/microsoft-phases-out-pvc-from-its-packaging/ www.triplepundit.com/story/2011/apple-and-intel-cease-use-conflict-minerals/78961 3 www.unglobalcompact.org/interactive 1 2

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PARTNER Q&A

Partnership for ethical business conduct and social responsibility

By Nick Platt-Higgins, Key Account Manager, Axis Communications Nick Platt-Higgins: www.linkedin.com/in/nick-platt-higgins-14533ab0/ Chris Thewlis, CEO of GTS Solutions CIC, tells Nick Platt-Higgins, Key Account Manager at Axis, about the motivations behind operating as a social enterprise, the significance of the Axis relationship, and his vision of how partnerships that focus on people over profit can shape the physical security industry of the future.

Chris Thewlis CEO, GTS Solutions CIC Can you tell us more about GTS Solutions, its ethics and social enterprise initiatives?

We set up GTS Solutions in 2012 as a manned guarding company at first. We have evolved since then and are now what we consider to be a security integrator.

We deliver cybersecurity and video surveillance solutions as well as safety and skills training. GTS prides itself on being the only social enterprise to operate in the UK’s private security industry. Our commercial strategies are informed by social and environmental well-being above all else. In Scotland we are the only security organisation to be a living wage employer, and throughout the UK, as far as we are aware, we are the only security company to offer living hours contracts.

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We reinvest all of our profits back into our social aims and objectives, which are primarily to deliver public safety, and on the back of this we consider ourselves as having strong ethical values.

What does it mean to you to be working closely with Axis, who have similar values and share your focus on ethical business conduct and social responsibility?

At GTS, we believe that people should be skilled to a position of requirement rather than just skilled in only the basics, which is very important in motivating people to do a great job and helping them feel valued.

Axis’ beliefs align very much to our own, and we think that’s hugely important.

We’re also exceptionally proud that we are the first social enterprise Axis has partnered with. Axis and GTS Solutions share a commitment to working with our people to help them improve their lives.

We encourage the sharing of knowledge, helping staff grow and reach their full potential. To have a brighter future for all those who come after us, we need to start helping people now, and encourage them to help others; working for the betterment of society.

Do you see a change coming where more businesses will develop relationships based on the shared values they hold, and collaborate on projects related to these values?

Absolutely. What’s exciting for us is that, from a government level down, there’s now a drive to encourage businesses to operate in a socially responsible way. In the public sector there’s been a push, influenced by Westminster’s social charter, to ensure that a percentage of business is driven through the social enterprise economy.

Nick Platt-Higgins Key Account Manager

This includes big projects that will improve society, such as the building of schools. To be able to work alongside Axis to deploy and manage security across some potentially large-scale projects is hugely important to us because they’re highly reputable and we’re positioning this partnership so that we can deliver effective solutions in a purposeful manner.

How does it feel to be a forerunner in a more conscious, ethical way of doing business?

We aim to deliver services and products that have purpose within a contract.

When businesses are told to spend some money in a good way, they’ll often buy some plants for the local train station, or make a one-off charitable donation, but then carry on their business as usual.

PARTNER Q&A

We keep societal impact and how we can benefit others as a central focus of everything we do, so we’re constantly thinking about how our actions, our behaviours, our projects can have a positive effect on the world around us.

It’s a time of great transformation which brings with it exciting opportunities.

right thing to do; ethical businesses doing business with ethical businesses and profit being a nice to have, but not when it comes at the expense of people or planet.

Seeing a ten year strategy mapped out is just fantastic as it shows a long term commitment to future-looking ethical and sustainability goals.

Do you see a more socially aware mode of working being sustainable in the long term?

What evidence have you seen of long-term planning?

We are based in Edinburgh, and I was very proud to have contributed to Scotland’s social enterprise strategy; a 10 year plan which is very much the first of its kind here, and follows the Westminster social charter. It feels like the powers that be are listening; that companies like GTS Solutions and Axis have chosen a path that it now being acknowledged as the

When you are choosing a vendor what do you look for?

We choose partners that we will be proud to work with and that we can confidently champion. We aim to encourage entire supply chains to join us in taking a more ethical, aware and responsible stance and look for partners who will do the same.

With Axis, for example, there is a central focus to innovate for a smarter safer world. We believe that GTS Solutions can play a part in that. Having a shared goal with a partner is very important to us.

Axis sustainability report: www.axis.com/about-axis/ sustainability

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CYBERSECURITY

A video surveillance solution with cybersecurity at its core

By Yasin Miah, Field Sales End-to-End Solutions, Axis Communications Yasin Miah: www.linkedin.com/in/yasin-miah-332133107/ Digitalisation will continue to disrupt all industries in 2020. It offers new ways to do business that were previously inconceivable and streamlines processes that vastly transform and improve operations. Above all, digitalisation creates widespread disruption, where companies unprepared for change risk being pushed aside by a new breed of cloud-enabled, digitally aware businesses that bring fresh ideas and new products to market.

Physical security is one such industry that is being transformed in the digital age by the IoT. Securing premises and assets through the deployment of physical security technologies was once the preserve of large organisations with the necessary resources. These systems were simply out of reach for businesses at the smaller end of the spectrum, the SMEs, with neither the manpower to manage alerts nor the resources to invest in systems to protect relatively small sites.

Effective IoT physical security for SMEs Today’s cloud-enabled IoT devices with easy plug and play capabilities change all of this. The small to medium enterprise has a wide range of IP video surveillance technologies to choose from, all fully scalable to suit specific business requirements. It’s now possible to purchase a single high-quality camera, controlled from a mobile phone, to effectively monitor a small business premises at an affordable price.

Yet, with security technology being so readily available and affordable comes the temptation for many to look for low price, low grade options that claim to meet all of the requirements of a modern security solution, but in reality, come with none of the assurances that a customer or installer should be looking for.

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Without assurances that security products have been manufactured from the ground up with cyber security in mind, technology can be exploited and provide a backdoor into a network with repercussions along the supply chain.

Selecting the right technology and the right provider is imperative to ensure the highest levels of security. Connected technologies now offer the most effective and efficient way to secure a business, yet these technologies must be manufactured with a central focus on cybersecurity principles. Without taking great care in selecting high quality solutions from trusted vendors, it’s impossible to guarantee that the technology has been manufactured ethically, was produced with cybersecurity as a key consideration, and is covered by relevant maintenance agreements if something goes wrong.

A cyber secure video surveillance solution AXIS Companion is a range of cameras from Axis Communications, aimed at SMEs, that are unique in the market. They are among a very small breed of surveillance cameras to have been accredited as both Secure

by Default, awarded by the Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC), and Secure

by Design, a stamp of approval from the Police Crime Prevention Initiative (PCPI).

In addition, Axis Communications holds a Cyber Essentials Plus certification from the National Cyber Security Centre.

These accolades provide evidence of Axis’ security credentials, verification that its products and services are designed and built with cybersecurity at the forefront, and assurance to the market that Axis and its partners operate from an ethical standpoint, aligning themselves to current best practice.

Yasin Miah Field Sales End-to-End Solutions

AXIS Companion demonstrates what is possible in physical security using IoT technologies, and what can be achieved by organisations such as Axis, who strive to innovate for a smarter, safer world.

Axis’ credentials prove that they take cyber security seriously, have achieved significant standards in security and design, and can demonstrate that their products meet the minimum requirements expected in terms of cybersecure surveillance and resilience.

CYBERSECURITY

“Being an AXIS Companion Specialist is very important to us as it gives us the ability to discuss the needs of our customers directly with the manufacturer, ensuring we have the best product set selected for their requirements. AXIS Companion is easy to install, plug in, commission, set up and then hand over to our customers. It’s the ideal SME solution.”

George Pritchard, Key Account Manager at Scenariio.

Solutions for small businesses: www.axis.com/companion

View our video case study: https://youtu.be/F83cETEbXFw

Video surveillance made simple AXIS Companion is a professional video surveillance solution designed for businesses needing basic monitoring of their premises, people and assets.

The security system is simple to set up and use. It provides flexible user management and easy access to live and recorded HD video from anywhere using the included AXIS Companion apps. For peace of mind, push notifications can be activated so you get instant alerts when motion is detected.

AXIS Companion scales seamlessly up to 16 cameras per location. It offers tight integration with all AXIS Companion cameras and the full flexibility of Axis comprehensive product portfolio. > > > > > >

Easy and intuitive surveillance Secure remote access to video Mobile app for freedom of use Alert notifications Flexible user management Remote system management

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NETWORK AUDIO

Unleash the full potential of your surveillance system

By Fredrik Rylander, Key Account Manager, Axis Communications Fredrik Rylander: www.linkedin.com/in/fredrik-rylander-044aa4/ An increasing number of businesses are discovering the benefits of adding network audio to their IP video surveillance systems. The reason? You will get peace of mind, knowing that you have got a system that can stop incidents before they lead to expensive downtime and other trouble.

Unplanned downtime. It is a nightmare for most businesses. And it’s not just that your operation comes to a potentially very costly standstill. The expenses may add up from other sources, which is undoubtedly true if the downtime is down to break-ins, theft, or vandalism.

The technology now offers superior real-time monitoring and after-thefact forensics as well as a wide range of add-on functionalities. But it limits the surveillance to watching. More and more business owners are discovering how they can optimize their IP-based surveillance systems by adding network loudspeakers at their premises.

For example, a construction site that suffers a break-in where intruders drive off with a container full of tools is stricken in several ways. Depending on the size of the project, there may be tools worth around 100,000 euros. If these tools get stolen during the weekend, you have got maybe 50 workers arriving on Monday morning who can’t do their work.

So, why should you add network audio?

It can quickly become incredibly expensive.

On top of having downtime at your site and workers who you need to send home, you have to put in the time and effort to acquire new tools. If you need specialized tools, it may take several days to get new ones. Then there are the insurance costs.

And if the project gets delayed, you may be looking at considerable fees for not finishing the project on time.

For example, if you have IP cameras fitted with motion detection, an alarm is triggered when someone crosses a predetermined border. The alert can either be sent to a security operations center, where an operator can respond immediately and intervene remotely to deter incidents. The alarm can also activate a pre-recorded voice message in the network speaker itself, which is then broadcasted at the site.

You see how hard it can hit you. Depending on your industry and application, the pitfalls of break-ins may vary. Read on to find out how you can avoid them.

Optimizing your surveillance system There are some traditional pro-active solutions, such as guards, dogs, and alarms to meet this challenge.

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Camera surveillance is a definitive step up.

This technology has come a long way from analogue CCTV (close-circuit television) to today’s state-of-the-art IP-based network cameras with video analytics.

Why voice messages work One apparent reason is that you can stop unwanted activity. Network audio speakers have built-in intelligence that can communicate with the rest of the IP surveillance system, which is impossible with analog loudspeakers.

Other examples of when the analytics could trigger an alarm are if someone is loitering within a clearly defined zone, or if someone is lying down on the floor for a prolonged period.

A potent security tool One of Axis’ customers is Securitas Direct Sverige, a full-service security company

Fredrik Rylander Key Account Manager

that installs complete surveillance systems as well as provides intrusion alarms and services.

Using IP camera surveillance with network audio connected to their 24/7/365 security center, they have significantly reduced the number of incidents at their customers’ sites.

Below, Fredrik Andersson, Director of Marketing at Securitas Direct Sverige, talks about the benefits of adding network audio to your IP camera surveillance.

“Today, Securitas Direct Sverige’s IP camera-based installations increasingly include network audio. The operators at our security center use live video footage in combination with live audio messages.

This is a powerful tool in deterring intruders.”

“We see a growing demand for integrating audio in surveillance systems. It comes down to peace of mind for the customers,” says Fredrik Andersson, Director of Marketing, Securitas Direct Sverige.

The personal message from the operator has a stronger effect on intruders than a camera with a pre-recorded voice message, even though this may be enough in specific applications. A message, such as “You in the grey hoodie and blue sneakers, you are not allowed to be here. Guards are on the way!” usually hits home.

Securitas Direct Sverige’s security center handles numerous interventions each day.

With the help of live voice messages, they have reduced the number of incidents at their customers’ sites significantly.

Most businesses can benefit “Depending on the necessity of the customer, we customize an action plan, that sets what should occur in case of an incident,” Andersson explains. “This includes calling the customer, sending a guard, and informing the police.

Depending on the customer’s needs, the security operator can automatically broadcast a message, telling trespassers to leave the premises. In other cases, it may be relevant to be silent and monitor the incident, and to inform the police. If they are accessible and close by, they can arrest the intruder on site.”

Andersson says that most sectors and locations can benefit from a solution that combines a security center with IP cameras and audio. For example, it’s effective in businesses that truly depend on their tools and machines for their operation, and where an intrusion could have a tremendous impact on the operation.

Some examples are construction companies, recycling plants, and farms.

But it can also be useful in, for example, retail applications and to improve safety and security in cities.

Many installation and operation benefits So, you can see that network audio can be a beneficial solution if you want to improve security. Even better, integrating audio in IP surveillance systems is straight-forward. You’ve already got the cabling, and since most of Axis’ equipment is based on open technology, it is easy to integrate with existing systems.

Providing end user peace of mind Two or three years ago, network audio had something of a breakthrough, and an increasing number of customers are now looking to update their network surveillance systems. Fredrik Andersson and Securitas Direct Sverige can see this clearly.

He says, “We talk to many satisfied customers, where our service, combined with audio, helped deter intruders. Word gets around, and we see a growing demand for integrating audio in surveillance systems. It comes down to peace of mind for the customers, knowing that they’ve got a state-of-the-art solution that will reduce the risks of, for instance, break-ins and the subsequent costs.”

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/Y_DpgepZKYA

Even if another supplier has provided your VMS (video management software) and IP cameras.

Another benefit is the possibility to tailormake surveillance systems to individual end-user needs. If your requirements change, you can easily add more cameras or speakers, change their placement or what kind of video analytics to use in the cameras.

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PERIMETER PROTECTION

Protecting the perimeter – enhancing airport security

By Lucas Young, Business Development Manager, Transportation & Critical Infrastructure, Axis Communications Lucas Young: www.linkedin.com/in/lucasjyoung/ Airports are an important part of our critical national infrastructure. As such, it’s imperative that they are protected by a comprehensive security solution which is able to provide continual year-round surveillance and security. The sheer size of an airport, with perimeters that can run for miles, means that providing the high levels of layered protection is no easy task, and this presents many challenges.

Security measures must consider both the threat and the operating requirements.

There will always be environmental constraints and it’s imperative that the security provision does not interfere or conflict with the vast array of communications equipment endemic of any airport. Much consideration must be given to finding a solution that integrates seamlessly into the existing infrastructure, providing high levels of accuracy and allowing for timely incident alert and response.

Traditional security solutions often result in operational headaches for security teams. Intrusion detection solutions physically integrated into a perimeter fence, for example, are unfortunately not fool-proof and can produce false alarms, referred to as ‘false positives’. Common causes of false positives include animals, moving plants and trees, and even wind.

As it’s not always possible for security staff to quickly and accurately determine the cause of an alarm until a site has been physically checked, this can waste valuable time and resources, and could result in apathetic or overstretched staff ignoring a genuine threat.

Other intrusion detectors, such as infrared and lasers can be positioned on the perimeter of the airport, but these too can be affected by false positives and

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restricted by limited detection capabilities over distance or at height. Radar has real benefits as it uses electromagnetic waves to detect movement. Consequently, radar is not sensitive to the things that normally trigger false alarms, e.g., moving shadows, light beams, small animals, raindrops or insects, wind, and bad weather, meaning false alarms are much less likely.

Capable solutions for effective airport security The newest generation of network video technologies can reduce operating overheads dramatically, by cutting down the number of false positive alerts. Significantly improved images provide remote operators with the ability to accurately assess a situation before despatching a ground team.

The combination of video surveillance cameras and motion detection software has expanded the range and capabilities of perimeter protection solutions from simple detection to complex intrusion analysis.

Today’s specially designed cameras feature sensors that are capable of producing highly detailed images even in rain, fog or at night. Motion detection algorithms can work with existing perimeter alarms to improve the ability to detect intrusions quickly and efficiently, and the ease and reduced cost of deployment also makes blanket coverage of a perimeter much more feasible.

Cameras with a combination of low light capability and a high dynamic range (HDR) can be used in conjunction with drone detection solutions to provide positive identification and recorded evidence. The detection and verification of a small drone sized aerial threat is all but impossible using traditional methods, but

Lucas Young Business Development Manager, Transportation with today’s technologies security teams can be fully briefed as soon as a drone is detected in the vicinity of the airfield, allowing appropriate action to be taken.

Combining visual data from cameras with other sources, such as infra-red imaging, can further improve detection capabilities.

Thermal (or thermographic) cameras, when coupled with video analytics software, can protect an area any time of day or night. Sensors using thermal technology are often well suited to airports as they offer excellent detection capabilities over considerable distances; ideal for large estates. The addition of integrated IP audio horns speakers allows warnings to be issued to deter any would-be intruder or ensure that animals keep their distance from the airfield.

PERIMETER PROTECTION

Converged security A converged approach to security that includes input from other departments, such as IT and operations, is fast becoming best practice. Additionally, and of relevance to airports with large areas of restricted access, there is a need to involve those with experience in conducting the civil engineering requirements as early as possible. Historically, a good starting point for the perimeter would always have been the more traditional measures, which typically deter and delay a potential intruder. But, with many measures and systems now integrating with each other, a more considered and holistic approach is required.

I’ve already mentioned how modern networked IP cameras are capable of reducing unnecessary deployment of security teams. This represents a clear return on investment. In addition, modern

as-a-service payment models allow security managers to pay only for the services and solutions that they require, fully scalable to their needs, which avoids the traditional capital expenditure with investment required upfront. The as-a-service model offers fully supported technologies with timely upgrades and security patches issued to ensure systems are constantly kept up to date, secure and operating efficiently.

Download our Airport Perimeter Security white paper to learn more: www.axis-communications.com/ aviation-perimeter-protectionsolution

Integrated networked security technologies therefore offer a highly desirable security solution. Modern IP based technology is affordable and scalable while able to provide enhanced perimeter protection and, through fully supported surveillance and security systems backed by powerful analytics, enables security teams to respond accurately and swiftly in the event of a potential threat.

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RETAIL

How the IoT delivers better protection in Retail for onsite assets

By Graham Swallow, Business Development Manager Retail, Axis Communications Graham Swallow: www.linkedin.com/in/graham-swallow-uk/ High street retailers are under incredible pressure to deliver for their customers and their bottom line. Everything in today’s stores has to be focused on customer satisfaction and efficiency. At the same time, crime in the sector is rising. Last year, businesses saw a total loss of £700 million from customer theft alone, and figures suggest the total cost to retailers of crime and crime prevention was £1.9bn1. It is therefore imperative that smarter security solutions for retail are adopted.

Physical security has a significant role to play, and systems such as network cameras and access control can deliver both better crime fighting abilities and an improved customer experience at the same time, thanks to Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.

Retailers that adopt IoT solutions, such as cameras connected to cloud platforms and analytics, are finding that they can improve their ROI from existing assets, both by improving their core functions and by turning the data gathered to new uses.

It’s proving to be a highly successful way of balancing the competing priorities that managers face, using investments that have already been made in the security space.

Improving retailer safety First and foremost, IoT is helping store managers to protect their staff, stock and premises in ways that would have previously required expensive up-front expenditure on dedicated servers for image analysis.

Today's advanced cameras with edge processing capabilities and cloudbased platforms are able to take live video data and spot patterns of behaviour that are linked to the build-up

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of aggression, for example, or pick out when a customer is loitering suspiciously near a valuable asset such as an ATM. Where CCTV was primarily useful for forensic analysis of incidents, more and more it is helping retailers to proactively manage security without the need to recruit extra staff. Image analysis can help human agents to prioritise correctly and help avoid false positive alerts.

The same video network, moreover, can also play a role in delivering efficiencies and improvements to customer service, especially when it is connected to other networks and systems. For example, cameras in the cashiers’ area can be used to automatically detect queue buildups and issue a call over the PA system for more assistants at the check-outs, or identify when there is no customer present during a transaction.

Rajalla På Gränsen, a mall in Finland, takes this intelligence a step further. Security cameras are used for monitoring footfall and understanding how customers move around stores, helping managers to refine and optimise layouts and marketing messages. The same information can help reduce costs by closing certain tills when customer numbers fall.

The key to success lies in communication.

Security devices are historically the prerogative of the security team but unlocking new forms of value requires both the technology and buy-in and understanding from other departments, too.

The importance of cybersecurity These benefits are unlocked because physical security is going through the process of digitalisation, with IP networking and the cloud replacing dedicated cabling and on-site appliances.

Graham Swallow Business Development Manager, Retail

At the same time, however, it’s important to be cognisant of the risks involved.

Cybersecurity breaches can impact both the financial health of an organisation and its reputational wellbeing. Few companies trading on today’s High Street can afford either – all the benefits of an integrated, IP-connected system can be lost if the cybersecurity fundamentals are not in place.

It’s important to ensure IoT deployments are made according to best practices and well-established processes that can mitigate risk. Cybercriminals tend to focus on poorly configured and protected “low hanging fruit”, and simple precautions can reduce risk factors considerably.

RETAIL

These precautions include ensuring that no device is accessible using default credentials, such as a factory set admin username and password.

These combinations are well known and quickly tested by bad actors. Strong user authentication also means being able to restrict access levels based on who is using the technology. Not only does this mean you can keep records of who has accessed videos and when, for example; but it also enables rules-based systems for access, such as, only giving permission to see live or recorded feeds to those who really need it.

Read more about Axis solutions in retail: www.axis-communications. com/safety-security-solution

Choosing a vendor who will support networked cameras and devices throughout their lifetime is also critical, in order to ensure that firmware upgrades are delivered in a timely and easy-to-install manner. With the right due diligence in vendor selection and appropriate policies around cybersecurity in place, the connected physical security systems of today can deliver on the promise of both better protection and added business value. www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2019/03/crime-inretail-costs-industry-1-9bn/ 1

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CLOSER TO THE CUSTOMER

Axis meets customer demand to create innovative, smarter accessories

By Ian James, UK Sales Engineering & Training Manager, Axis Communications Ian James: www.linkedin.com/in/ian-james-3740b843/ In order to create innovative products, services and solutions, Axis must evolve with the needs of the customer to better understand and help them solve the day-to-day challenges they face. Axis' research and development team digests customer feedback and uses this as the basis for innovation when developing and refining products and services.

To meet these requirements, Axis developed AXIS T91A33 Lighting Track Mount, a camera mount system that allows a range of different Axis cameras to be attached to existing ceiling-mounted tracks already being used for lighting purposes. With no ceiling alterations necessary, the mount offers complete flexibility.

"We are in constant dialogue with our customers and listen to their requirements.

We have a genuine interest and motivation to always create the best products, services and solutions for our customers when it comes to usability, functionality and design. A fine example of this is the camera mounts for lighting tracks where both the idea and demand for the product were driven by the customer," says Michael Chen, Global Product Manager, Axis Communications.

Saving industry time and money Installation is quick and easy, with no need for additional tools or special accessories.

All electrical cables are routed along or behind existing lighting tracks, avoiding the need to feed cables through ceilings or into walls. AXIS T91A33 Lighting Track Mount makes it easy for store owners or installers to detach and re-attach cameras to lighting tracks around the store, moving them into a variety of different positions to suit changes to shop layout, or when a new camera vantage point is required.

Meeting a challenge in retail Customers in the retail sector required a new solution for setting up surveillance cameras in the ceilings of their stores, but without causing damage to the ceilings themselves. The aim was to create a safe and secure environment for staff and customers. Cameras needed to be easy to move around the stores in line with changes to interior design, furnishings and arrangement of products, which were refreshed at regular intervals.

Part of the brief specified that the solution should be aesthetically pleasing, so that the installation of video surveillance cameras would blend into the surroundings, preserving the design of the stores and maintaining a stylish shopping experience. An important requirement was also that the mount should fit with most lighting tracks and different types of lighting.

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The stylish and discreet design ensures that the mount blends in. It’s even easy to repaint for a perfect match to interior design colour schemes. "A stylish design is important to us, together with creative solutions for how our customers can work smarter," says Michael Chen.

The unique AXIS T91A33 Lighting Track Mount provides a customisable solution for surveillance without compromising safety and security. The simplicity of the design reduces the need for technical expertise for adjustments. The same single version of the mount fits with track systems and standards in both Europe and USA. Axis has created a unique and costeffective solution, which is easy to use, flexible and creates clear value for customers; a ground-breaking product both for Axis and for the industry.

Ian James UK Sales Engineering & Training Manager

Since most stores have lighting tracks already installed, the product is not only efficient but highly cost-effective.

Trustworthy and sustainable for the long term Axis’ commitment to innovating for a smarter, safer world includes being mindful of the way in which new products are produced and how the manufacturing process can affect the environment.

With sustainability in mind, AXIS T91A33 Lighting Track Mount is produced from PVC-free materials. Axis works actively to reduce its environmental impact with the aim of phasing out PVC from all of its products, and is seeing great success in this regard with more than 80 per cent of its range of network cameras and encoders now PVC free.

CLOSER TO THE CUSTOMER

Axis product and solution specialists, sales managers, product development teams and personnel from across other functions work collaboratively towards a shared goal of solving customer challenges and driving innovation. The sharing of competences leads to the creation of innovative, ground-breaking products, services and solutions that continue to meet the needs of Axis customers and partners.

"Trust and long-term relationships are the basis for how Axis does business, as well as being crucial to our continued success.

This is based on our corporate culture, which is characterised by transparency, cooperation, commitment and accepting responsibility", says Michael Chen.

“Cooperation, trust and responsiveness are important cornerstones that allow us to be at the forefront and continue to create innovative products, services and solutions for a smarter and safer world."

Learn more about our camera product accessories: www.axis.com/products/ accessories

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SOLUTION STORY

Green key – for better household recycling

By Stefan Holmqvist, Strategic Account Manager, Axis Communications Stefan Holmqvist: www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-holmqvist-271b73b/ As an individual, it can be bewildering trying to be environmentally friendly. It is not only about what you buy and how it was produced. You must also pay attention to what happens after you are finished using it. Instead of ending up in a landfill: can it be repaired, reused, or recycled?

The drive to reduce the mining and processing of finite resources has made recycling essential. Increasingly, the loop is closed, and materials, such as metals, are turned into so-called secondary raw materials. This is essential on an industrial level, but households can also do their part. For example, the energy wasted when you throw away one single aluminum can is equivalent to the same can filled with gasoline.

Useful solution for recycling Seeing this challenge, some ingenious people in western Sweden set out to find a solution. Which, indeed, they did. The answer is called Green Key, which has proven a successful solution for smaller recycling centers. Today, it is installed at 18 places in Sweden. One is in the village of Genarp, located in Lund Municipality, some 30 kilometers east of Malmö in southwestern Sweden.

Stefan Holmqvist Strategic Account Manager

Today, most municipalities in the western world provide recycling centers. Here, the residents can take waste or discarded goods which are too big for household recycling bins, or which need special recycling.

Accessibility is a key success factor However, accessibility is vital to make this successful. For example, what if someone has loaded the car, and maybe a trailer, to find the recycling center closed when they get there? Depending on your disposition, you may come back another day – or dump everything outside the recycling center.

Or maybe you know that the local recycling center is closed, so you drive to another town or city. But the extra miles will add to your environmental footprint.

Not good.

When they calculate the extra costs, many small towns are reluctant to extend the recycling center opening hours. But they miss out on the chance to both reap eco-benefits and to earn some goodwill.

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Proved an instant success The Green Key is either linked to your driving license or an app on your cell phone. But before you can start using the service, you must attend mandatory training.

Green Key makes it possible for private persons to visit the local recycling center, even when it is not staffed. The service does not apply to business owners. It is a vast improvement for the residents who have a Green Key. Now they can visit the recycling center between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day, instead of seven hours each week when staff is at the center.

The City of Lund’s Cleansing Department (LRV) initiated the project in January 2019. It was an immediate success.

The Green Key initiative is popular. People see it as a good public service, one local user says. And it’s good for the community spirit. We help each other, and you can always ask someone if there’s something that you don’t know.

“During the training, you get a theory lesson and a guided tour of the recycling center. You get specific information about what applies at the various recycling containers,” explains Sigmund Kaleta, LRV. In Genarp, with a population of around 3,000, some 600 people have so far attended the training and got their Green Key. Initially, 40–60 people signed up each week. Today, the number is 5–10 per week.

We register all Green Key visits to the recycling center. Last month we had on average ten visits per day, Kaleta says.

There are more during weekends, and it varies depending on the weather and season. For example, this time of year, there is a lot of garden waste.

SOLUTION STORY

A two-part system Before Genarp, several recycling centers in western Sweden had already installed the Green Key solution. It is made up of two parts: an access control system and an IPcamera surveillance system.

Kaleta explains, “The visitors are registered when they enter, so we can go through the footage to identify who threw what where or threw away forbidden waste. If there are recurring faults, we can send a text message to the Green Key owners.”

Omnigon AB provides the access control system and is the brains behind the solution. The company is a spin-off from the University of Skövde. When you arrive at the recycling center, you show your driving license or mobile phone at the card reader. The gate will open for 30 seconds.

When you leave the center, the gate will automatically open when you pass a sensor. After you have exited, the gate will close after 30 seconds.

So far, the results at the Green Key recycling centers show that break-ins, thefts, and littering have decreased significantly after installing the system. The extended opening hours also means that the visitors’ stress levels have gone down.

For the surveillance, Axis has provided high-end PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) IP cameras that cover both the gates and the recycling containers. The video footage is sent to LRV’s central control room, where it can be monitored in real-time as well as stored for later reference.

A positive effect Apart from improving the public service and saving money on personnel costs, LRV reaps other benefits from the Green Key installation. The IP cameras make it possible to monitor that visitors throw their waste in the proper container.

Improves safety and security For municipalities, another Green Key advantage is the scalability of the surveillance system. It is easy to add more cameras if required. You can also add network audio for broadcasting live messages.

Going forward, LRV is considering implementing the service in another of the Lund Municipality villages.

"I’d say that the solution currently works better at smaller sites," Kaleta says. "It gets more complicated at bigger recycling centers where there are considerably more visitors. We're not there yet, but I think we’ll maybe see it in five years."

Read this blog post by our Regional Director Atul Rajput: Creating a sustainable business with competence and values www.axis.com/blog/secureinsights/creating-a-sustainablebusiness-with-competence-andvalues/

By adding intelligent video analytics, such as license plate recognition, you can improve the monitoring, and thus accountability. It will also improve safety and security, for example, by adding analytics that detects if someone is suddenly lying down on the ground. And, with enhanced safety and security, you will be able to extend the opening hours.

Malmö Municipality, SCB 2017 Swedish Police Authority

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SOLUTION STORY

Innovative network cameras used in historic restoration project The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) deploys unique security solution to protect medieval chapel as important restoration work begins on new home.

Innovative Axis network cameras used in historic restoration project on circa 15th centure chapel with The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB).

Photo credit: Ralph Hodgson Axis Communications has been working alongside The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) to bring a medieval property back to life that will one day be used as a home. The UK charity, based in London, sought a unique solution to protect a circa C15 chapel in need of restoration and deployed a network camera solution to monitor the site remotely for intruders and to act as a deterrent against theft of materials.

The system has already successfully identified intruders entering the grounds of the building but causing no damage.

SPAB is dedicated to protecting and repairing historic buildings, and recently purchased former St Andrew’s Chapel near Maidstone, Kent, with the aim of breathing life back into the structure. In recent years its main roles have been advice, training and campaigning. However, the recently purchased chapel is to be its first new repair project in almost 50 years to create a home while providing an opportunity to teach others the practical skills required to care for such a building.

The technologies used included:

The Axis solution has negated the need to have a security resource on site to protect the premises.

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Additionally, the cameras can document the restoration work as it takes place, and have also been useful in detecting local wildlife to provide the Kent Wildlife Trust with an idea of the range of animals with homes around the location, including many foxes.

>

Four AXIS Companion Bullet LE cameras, delivering HD video quality with built-in IR illumination for effective surveillance in darkness

> An AXIS Companion Cube camera

with a built-in microphone and

mini-speaker to effectively deter intruders > AXIS Companion Recorder, providing

a wireless access point for mobile devices

Matthew Slocombe, Director of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, commented: “The image quality of the cameras is fantastic, especially at night when it is, of course, usually more difficult to identify potential threats. The builtin IR illumination has made intrusions unmistakable. Beyond the security benefits, every aspect of the building needs work, so we can demonstrate how to tackle common problems during the restoration. Through this people learn about traditional craft skills via videos and photos, partly generated from the newly installed network security system that will document the changes over the years.”

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings aims to improve our world by repairing culturally and historically significant buildings. Because this drive to create a better world is in line with Axis’ ethos of innovating for a smarter, safer world and doing good in the community, the cameras were donated for the purposes of securing the premises during the conservation works.

David Needham, UK & Ireland Sales Manager at Axis Communications, said: “We felt we wanted to get involved with this project as we recognised an organisation that was trying to help others and do good in the community, which is core to our values as a business.

Since the installation, the cameras have identified young adults entering the building’s grounds, but not harming the property. It’s also seen local residents stopping and challenging people looking to enter unlawfully. This has meant there is no need to deploy security personnel to secure the site, saving the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings time and money.”

NEWS

Excellence Awards 2019 Axis acknowledged for manufacturing excellence

“We are incredibly proud of this award. Through our vision as a company we continually strive to innovate for a smarter, safer world, developing smart security products with a strong focus on ‘secure by design’, as well as placing sustainability at the heart of our business strategy. This award is also in recognition of the collaboration with our partners and customers, that ensure we deliver security solutions that address the modern day security challenges we face.” Atul Rajput, Regional Director, Northern Europe, Axis Communications

Following a fantastic evening celebrating the achievements of the security industry, we’re delighted to announce that Axis Communications has won the Security Hardware Manufacturer of the Year award.

The award highlighted Axis’ dedication to best-practice device development.

Product launches within the past year include AXIS Q6215-LE PTZ heavyduty PTZ network camera, AXIS Q1700-LE a weatherproof license plate camera,

AXIS P1375, a network camera with next generation Axis chip, and AXIS A8207-VE Network Video Door Station combining video surveillance, two-way communication and access control in a single device.

World Expo 2020 participation “We see this as an exciting opportunity and are proud to be one of the companies to represent Sweden. The theme for Expo 2020 is well aligned with our business and core values, as is the theme for the Swedish pavilion. Axis is an innovative, pioneering organization where we work towards making smarter and safer societies, and we are looking forward to demonstrating this at the Expo," says Ray Mauritsson, President & CEO of Axis Communications.

Axis Communications will be participating at the World Expo 2020 taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021. Axis is one of the official partners at the Swedish Pavilion based in the sustainability arena.

The theme for the Swedish pavilion is “Co-creation for Innovation”. Besides participating in the exhibition by displaying Axis network solutions for improved security, Axis will be responsible for video surveillance as part of the security solution for the Swedish Pavilion.

The theme of Expo 2020 is “Connecting Minds – Creating the Future” and the exhibition include three areas: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

The Swedish pavilion will be focusing on Smart Cities, Next Generation Travel & Transport, Life Science, Circular Economy, Connected Industry and Smart Society.

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NEWS

Axis’ full camera range given major cybersecurity boost Surveillance Camera Commissioner gives seal of approval to market leader in network video for Secure by Default self-certification to meet new requirements of first industry accreditation Axis has received two accolades from leading security authorities in the form of Cyber Essentials Plus, a scheme operated by the National Cyber Security Centre, and Secure by Default self-certification, organised by the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Tony Porter. The awards demonstrate Axis’ commitment to cybersecurity and its dedication to mitigating cyber risks within the products and services it provides.

The UK Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC) launched earlier in 20191 a voluntary set of minimum requirements to ensure that surveillance cameras and components are manufactured in a way that is secure by design and secure by default. This is a key element of UK government policy on technological innovation having announced a £70m investment in making the UK a world leader in eliminating cyber threats to businesses and consumers by developing more resilient IT hardware, with security and protection designed directly into the hardware and chips.

Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera Commissioner for England and Wales said, “Congratulations to Axis Communications in self-certifying their products as ‘secure by default’. It has been an enlightening and positive experience working with manufacturers toward a common goal and it’s a genuine first and further requirements will follow over the next couple of years.

The certification mark demonstrates to customers and stakeholders alike that the products listed on my website meet the new minimum requirements I expect in terms of cyber-secure surveillance camera products. This is exactly the leadership I expect from a company like Axis.”

Axis’ full range of camera products have been certified including AXIS Companion Series, M Series, P Series, Q Series and F Series and will mean that Axis

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products make a significant contribution to improving the UK’s resilience against cybersecurity attacks via video surveillance systems. The requirements of the scheme are an important step forward for manufacturers, installers and users alike in providing the best possible assurance for stakeholders that products aren’t vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Steven Kenny, Industry Liaison, Architecture & Engineering at Axis Communications, commented, “Security must be at the heart of our shared ambition for a smarter, safer world. It is imperative that every project is approached strategically within specific security standards and frameworks, and implemented with a Secure by Default philosophy. Axis played a part in the development of the new security requirement for surveillance cameras and we welcome it, and also look forward to working with the Surveillance Camera Commissioner to take this to the next level in the future.”

Cyber Essentials Plus Cyber Essentials is a government backed scheme, launched in 2014, which encourages businesses of all sizes to ensure their IT services and systems are fully protected to effectively address potential threats. It identifies the security controls that an organisation must have in place within its IT systems, rewarding those that can demonstrate effective protection. The accreditation is about more than securing a firm’s own IT systems, however. As the use of networked technologies, such as IP surveillance and access control devices, continues to increase in the UK, more data than ever is being processed and stored.

The ‘Plus’ component to the accreditation refers to verification of Axis cybersecurity, which has been carried out independently by a certification body.

Accreditation recognizes Axis’ dedication and continued commitment to ensuring systems are secure from hackers, and reassures its customers that they are working with a company that takes cybersecurity seriously, developing its solutions while adhering to the highest levels of security best-practice.

Atul Rajput, Regional Director, Northern Europe at Axis Communications, states, “With growing awareness around meeting the requirements of GDPR, businesses are more cautious of working with companies who cannot demonstrate a continuing commitment to the safety and security of their systems and processes. We have always had a 100% focus on cybersecurity at Axis. Our renewed accreditation of the Cyber Essentials scheme highlights our commitment to support our customers in adopting a best practice approach to all areas of cybersecurity. The Secure

by Default self-certification confirms the hard work that is invested into the products and solutions we develop to ensure security is guaranteed. Openness, trust and transparency are core to fighting the threat of cybercrime and we welcome any further collaboration with schemes that help give clarity and assurance to Axis’ many stakeholders.”

Learn more about Axis’ dedication to cybersecurity: www.axis.com/cybersecurity

Axis awarded Secure by Default and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditations

www.gov.uk/government/news/secure-by-design-secure-by-default-self-certification-scheme-launched

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NEWS

Secure and easy incident reporting: New feature in AXIS Camera Station The fully-featured video management software for Axis network video products, AXIS Camera Station, has been updated with a new feature that allows users to generate incident reports with just a few clicks and export authentic footage to third parties.

To further optimize video export, Axis recently launched the video redaction feature, which makes it possible to mask unnecessary objects or background.

Video redaction helps ensure compliance with privacy protection legislation when exporting video for third parties.

Footage authenticity and operator experience are both key when exporting surveillance video. The AXIS Camera Station video management software (VMS) now comes with a new feature enabling easy and secure incident reporting.

AXIS Camera Station is a fully-featured video management software ideally suited for medium-sized operations such as schools, retail stores and manufacturing sites. It is powerful and easy to use with an intuitive interface so anyone can manage it, handle incidents and quickly export high-definition video evidence.

With just a few clicks, users can neatly package recordings, snapshots and notes before exporting them to someone else (see film). All data is saved on a restricted network location, which makes it possible to configure so that the person generating the report does not have access to the exported material. To further ensure authenticity of the footage, the report can also be protected by a digital signature.

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AXIS Camera Station supports the Axis portfolio, including cameras, audio, I/O, door stations, encoders and decoders.

See the film: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sLBQZMN1N7M

Download free 30-days trial: www.axis.com/node/56090

NEWS

New whitepaper highlights the need for greater cybersecurity in retail Critical guide calls for effective cybersecurity lifecycle management of IoT devices to improve the security of retail systems and the protection of customer data in stringent GDPR era.

Axis Communications has published its latest whitepaper, Cybersecurity: the biggest threat to retail, which highlights the increasing threat posed by cyber attacks to today’s retail industry. The paper documents the measures that should be understood by data controllers, loss prevention & security personnel through to heads of operations to ensure the highest levels of security and provide the appropriate education and training for all key stakeholders to effectively mitigate the mounting cybersecurity threat.

The growth in and use of IoT devices and cloud technologies have opened up boundless possibilities for the modern retail organisation across physical and digital platforms. However, customer data is at the heart of a frictionless shopping experience and presents an attractive commodity to cyber criminals, with attacks growing in number on those retailers whose systems are inadequately secured. It has been reported that in the last 12 months there have been 19 significant data breaches, which present a major risk for both retailers and customers.

In addition to the immediate disruption and downtime a breach can cause, the damage to the reputation of a business or brand can be lifelong. Furthermore, GDPR related fines from the ICO can be now be as much as €20m or 4% of global turnover, whichever is higher, and demands that necessary steps be taken to guard against attack and protect existing infrastructure.

Axis’ whitepaper creates awareness of the challenges being faced and looks at how effective cybersecurity lifecycle management of IoT devices will help to better manage security and ultimately maintain customer trust.

“Any organisation that generates or manages personally identifiable information (PII), effectively any data

that could potentially identify a specific individual, must comply with GDPR. Establishing a truly secure retail solution can only be accomplished if security has been analysed at every stage. The key is to ensure that everyone involved understands the security implications of a breach and how to prevent one. Collaboration with system vendors, integrators and installers is also hugely important, and conversations across the supply chain will ensure requirements are met and security risks are adequately addressed,” says Steven Kenny, Industry Liaison Architecture and Engineering, Axis Communications.

Alongside greater awareness of the need to comply with the GDPR, the Axis whitepaper stresses the importance of looking to guard against system vulnerabilities by working with trusted vendors who can install only those security technologies that are deemed to be Secure by Default.

These technologies have been built from the ground up with cybersecurity considerations at the forefront.

stringent guidelines are followed during the design and manufacturing process.

Surveillance camera technology designed and manufactured in this way assures retailers that these security solutions will not be used as a backdoor into the network; such is the risk of introducing non-secured hardware.

This whitepaper provides retailers with expert guidance, highlighting the appropriate policies and procedures around the cybersecurity of IoT devices, and reinforces the importance of selecting trusted vendors and partners. Axis is passionate about using technology to help create a smarter and safer world.

This is demonstrated by a commitment to helping retailers understand the benefits of connected physical security systems that deliver on the promise of better protection of the business and customer.

Download the white paper: www.axis-communications.com/ retail-GDPR-and-cybersecurity

Technologies that are cyber secure offer peace of mind when connected to a network, and come with assurances that

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CHARITY INITIATIVE

Team building challenge for charity Axis employees recently took part in an outdoor team building activity that put their physical abilities to the test, presented them with breath-taking scenery, and enabled them to raise money for three worthwhile causes that were very close to their hearts.

The ambitious activity saw nine Axis employees, seven from the UK, one from Ireland and one from Sweden, participating in the adrenaline-filled adventure. The National Three Peaks Challenge involves climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales: Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowdon, respectively; hiking almost 26 miles (just over 41 km), ascending to a height of 9,800 feet (3,000 metres), and driving a total distance of 450 miles (just over 720 km).

Activities for bonding and developing employees are important to Axis' ongoing work to strengthen corporate culture, which is characterised by commitment, collaboration, openness, entrepreneurship and taking responsibility. It is not uncommon for activities to include outdoor pursuits such as cycling, climbing and kayaking. Axis believes that a good work environment promotes healthy relationships, enhances creativity and contributes to innovation.

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Team building for a great cause Employees at the UK office in Luton took the initiative to organise the activity with the aim of taking on a physical challenge which would contribute to improving the health of employees, while allowing them to help others through fundraising. Daren Lang, Regional Manager, Business Development, Northern Europe, commented: "A lot of energy is infused into the teams in their everyday work from such challenges. It was a good reason to get into shape, to build cooperation and at the same time raise money for some fantastic charities."

The group chose three organisations to benefit from the money raised: the Swedish charity Child Cancer Foundation which combats childhood cancer; the British charity PTSD Resolution which helps women and men who have served in the army to readjust to society and a balanced work and family life; as well as the British Keech Hospice Care, which

offers free specialist care to adults and children with life-limiting and incurable diseases.

Fundraising was coordinated in a way that would see donations evenly distributed between the three charities. "We set up a Just Giving page to make it easy to explain what we wanted to do, and simple for people to get involved. It was easy for people to donate, and was clear and transparent in terms of how much money we collected," said Daren Lang.

Exceeding expectations The hope was that the challenge would raise £5000, but as it became apparent that this figure would be easily achieved, the target was increased to £6,200 (SEK 75,000).

To everyone’s surprise and delight, the target was easily surpassed, with a final figure of £8,300 (SEK 100,000) raised in total.

CHARITY INITIATIVE

Stefan Holmqvist, Regional Key Account Manager, Northern Europe commented: "The Three Peaks Challenge proved to be the perfect team-building activity.

We are extremely happy to have taken part and would like to say thank you to everyone who donated. It was a great way to encourage employees to push themselves in the name of a good cause, and a different and exciting way to see some spectacular scenery in England, Scotland and Wales. It has also helped to strengthen the Axis brand, as a company that contributes positively to society."

Making a difference Katarina Gustafsson, Customer Service Manager, Corporate Cooperation, Swedish Child Cancer Foundation said of the event: “Employees get a great feeling of achievement and pride from taking part in events like The Three Peaks Challenge.

It’s a fantastic way to strengthen team relationships, promote the benefits of exercise, and raise money at the same time. We are very grateful to Axis for organising this event. Our share of the money raised will be used to fund vital research into child cancer, so it's a winwin situation for everybody."

Common goal The Axis team placed great importance on having a clearly defined and achievable objective; a common goal for each participant to work towards in completing the challenge. The event gave the team a taste for more and they are already planning the next excursion. “We are exploring the possibility of climbing Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest mountain at over 2000 metres,” said Stefan Holmqvist.

Daren Lang commented, “We’re looking forward to the next challenge and to demonstrate the unstoppable power of teamwork and collaboration. We’re always looking to push boundaries and to find new ways to innovate for a smarter, safer world.”

Katarina Gustafsson, Customer Service Manager, Corporate Cooperation, Swedish Child Cancer Foundation and Stefan Holmqvist, Regional Key Account Manager, Axis Communications

Tips for starting a charity fundraiser linked to a sporting achievement from Karatina Gustafsson, Swedish Child Cancer Foundation

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Set a low threshold for your chosen sporting activity so that as many people as possible can participate.

2

Set a clear fundraising target.

3

Communicate why you are making this effort in order to involve and engage the staff.

4

Motivate your team and go

for it!

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PARTNER SHOWCASE

Innovative solutions on show for a smarter, safer world

By Björn Callenfors, Ecosystem Manager, Axis Communications Björn Callenfors: www.linkedin.com/in/björn-callenfors-73855327/ Within the impressive surroundings of London’s Tottenham Hotspur FC, Axis and 30 of its trusted partners got together with nearly 300 delegates to share their thoughts, tips and technologies at the Axis biennial Partner Showcase 2019.

The great buzz rising from the exhibition hall pointed to an expectant occasion where people took advantage of the early opportunity for networking and product demonstrations. On show around the outer edge was an impressive range of partner technologies centred around one clear vision to deliver smarter security solutions for customers.

As the number and sophistication of threat vectors evolve and industry adopts at an ever greater pace network connected digital devices, it is clear that the world of physical security technology and the underlying strategies need to reflect a more complex operating environment. Axis’ open platform approach facilities simple integration with a great number of partner solutions ranging from access control, IP audio, video management software and analytics to specific applications such as drone detection; and with broad sector expertise on hand, the showcase truly offered something for everyone. And then, against the spectacular backdrop of the immaculate pitch, delegates took to their seats to welcome the first of the day’s presentations.

London’s Tottenham Hotspur FC

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Cloud technologies and security ‘as-a-service’ Martyn Ryder, VP Sales and Marketing at Morphean began with a back-to-basics introduction to the world of cloud, and the surprising revelation for some, of how we are all already using cloud services in our day to day lives without even realising the fact. Martyn confidently addressed fears held by many in physical security around a perceived lack of security relating to cloud provision, explaining why this simply wasn’t the case.

“One thing that’s apparent from our own working relationship, and from hearing from other partners at this event, is that Axis makes it easy to do business. It’s one thing having a good product, but when it’s well supported with a great team behind it, they do that better than anybody else.”

Making the world see through IP video management Soraya Heristchian, Community Manager Northern Europe, and Dave Gregory, Business Development Manager Northern Europe, at Milestone Systems delivered a comprehensive breakdown of the solutions and services that are essential for full protection across a variety of industries and markets. As the global leader in IP video management, the focus then turned to their XProtect® range of market-leading video management software, aimed at small business owners, and the powerful open platform which allows developers to fully customise the solution to fit business requirements.

Björn Callenfors Ecosystem Manager

Access control to meet customer need Joel Sahlén, CEO at Total Security Stockholm, and Patrik Sjödin CTO at Total Security Stockholm, co-presented the day’s third presentation. Interestingly they began with a look at everything that’s wrong with the version of access control we still see in operation today within many environments; manually operated systems which involve waiting for access to be approved and authorised by security teams. They also provided an amusing observation about a bank where three full time clerks are employed to manage a key card system; puzzling and unnecessary in a world where automation of this task is perfectly possible.

PARTNER SHOWCASE

Effective collaboration to enable the Smart City Erica Deri, Senior Manager, Marketing Communications Europe at Genetec, looked at the connected devices that make up the smart city and discussed the ‘broken model’ that she felt is currently apparent.

Despite the collection of a variety of data from various sources, a lack of effective sharing and collaboration, and of putting the data to real practical use, prevents the model from functioning correctly.

“Today is a great example of something that Axis has done really well; bringing technology partners together and giving them a platform to discuss and demonstrate their solutions.

There are lots of specialisms within the industry and it’s exciting to get together with Axis and the other partners to share ideas and best practices, and consider new ways to respond quickly to market demand."

Artificial intelligence in physical security Rounding off a fantastic day, I took the opportunity to present and offered a direct comparison between surveillance powered by traditional programming methods, versus those powered by AI, with its ability to constantly grow, learn and evaluate.

I explained that the secret to accurate and effective surveillance is to present systems with relevant data; only then will meaningful and powerful results be returned, capable of improving security.

AI, when used correctly, was presented as an incredibly powerful tool with the ability to revolutionise the way we think about security.

“It’s a fantastic event at a great venue. We’ve had these before and they’re always well attended so it’s worthwhile coming. It’s good for networking as well because the key people in the industry are here, all of the key technologies are here, so it’s a great focused event.”

NEXT STOP! Axis Showcase in Sweden: www.axis-communications.com/ NordicShowcase

Axis Partner Showcase 2019 proved an informative event which highlighted many of the latest security solutions, reinforced the bond between Axis and its valuable partners, and provided an opportunity to reflect on how innovation for a smarter, safer world is a job for us all.

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TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

Axis Communications Academy Empowering knowledge Axis Communications Academy offers a full range of training services and is the only global professional certification within the video surveillance industry.

With our dedicated team of highly-skilled trainers, dynamic learning methods and diverse course offering, the Academy empowers security professionals to design, install and configure smarter video surveillance solutions for any end customer.

Take advantage of our wider offering – start your learning journey today by visiting www.axis.com/learning

Are you an Axis Channel Partner?

Benefit from the free training available for our Axis Channel Partners. This includes the full Axis Certification Program which gives you a true competitive advantage, enabling you to work with network video and networking system design and installation at the highest level.

Classroom training offered Axis Communications Academy offers a variety of different classroom courses. Below you can find an overview of some of the courses available.

For more information and to register for a classroom course, please visit our website via the links below: NORDIC COUNTRIES: www.axis-communications.com/ academy-nordic

UK & IRELAND: www.axis-communications.com/ academy-ukie Network Video Fundamentals This is a comprehensive course covering the essentials of network video. Topics such as basic camera installation, image usability, bit rate optimization and video analytics Designing Network Video Solutions This course covers many important aspects of designing a network video surveillance system. Topics such as surveillance goals, camera placement, video, network performance and storage solutions are discussed.

Protecting the Cyberspace This course in Cybersecurity aims to give you an overview of how to protect a network video system.

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AXIS Camera Station/System Solutions

Developed for installers, designers and sales professionals this training builds on your existing security industry knowledge, providing all that’s necessary to implement scalable solutions utilising AXIS Camera Station video management software Network Audio This classroom course introduces the Axis network audio systems and explains how to take full advantage of a network audio system. You will learn about how network audio can be used intelligently for public address, security, and background music.

Defending the Perimeter In this course you will learn how to protect large-scale installations that need efficient perimeter protection using the latest thermal and positioning cameras and AXIS Perimeter Defender.

ONLINE CHANNELS

What’s new this month?

Are you having a hard time keeping up with all of our new product and solution launches? You are not the only one. To make your life easier, we have created a web page that will be updated every month with the most recently launched products, solutions and tools from Axis Communications.

Find out what’s new: hwww.axis.com/products-andsolutions/new-products

Secure Insights If you are a buyer or user of security solutions, then you have come to the right place. We created this blog to help businesses like yours learn the ins and outs of surveillance, get insights from intelligent security solutions and show how surveillance can help you gain business intelligence. All to support our vision of a smarter, safer world.

Most importantly, our blog is your blog, too. It is meant to be a place for the entire Axis community to meet and exchange ideas. So please jump in and join the conversation!

We’d love to hear your suggestions for topics you might like to see from our technical and business experts, or for you to consider developing blog posts that might be suitable to share here. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for updates and new ways that you can contribute.

We look forward to hearing what you have got to say.

Visit the Axis blog! www.axis.com/blog/secure-insights/

What’s happening in the Nordics?

At Axis, we always strive to give our partners and other stakeholders an easy and accessible way of learning more about the trends, solutions and topics that concern our industry today. We offer everything from events to webinars, news room content and much more!

Go here for more info: www.axis-communications.com/ nordic-news-trainings-events

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About Axis Communications Axis enables a smarter and safer world by creating network solutions that provide insights for improving security and new ways of doing business. As the industry leader in network video, Axis offers products and services for video surveillance and analytics, access control, and audio systems. Axis has more than 3,500 dedicated employees in over 50 countries and collaborates with partners worldwide to deliver customer solutions. Axis was founded in 1984 and has its headquarters in Lund, Sweden.

For more information about Axis, please visit our website www.axis.com.

Twitter: LinkedIn: Facebook: YouTube: Blog:

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@axis_neur /axis-communications /axiscommunications /AxisCommunications axis.com/blog/secure-insights/

Š2020 Axis Communications AB. AXIS COMMUNICATIONS, AXIS, ETRAX, ARTPEC and VAPIX are registered trademarks or trademark applications of Axis AB in various jurisdictions. All other company names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. We reserve the right to introduce modifications without notice.