Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers JUNE 2019 ISSUE 410
FACE RECOGNITION HONEYMOON OVER? lQ SS Assets Acquired By Seadan lA mplification Noise vs Blur lT he Interview: Ann Wu, Sunell lM onitoring: Alarming Threats
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editorial S E CU RI TY E L ECTR O NI C S & NETWO R KS J U NE 201 9 ISSUE 41 0
By John Adams
FACE RECOGNITION: THE HONEYMOON IS OVER RESSURE to regulate face P recognition technology demands a coherent, thoughtful position based on respect for privacy and leveraging a technology with considerable operational benefits. In some quarters, negative sentiment around face recognition – the view it is a threat to democratic society - threatens to derail use in key applications. At the same time, large end users, particularly those tasked with protecting public space, are turning to analytics and face recognition technology to efficiently manage operational briefs. It’s not only security managers who appreciate the capability of face recognition technology – law enforcement officers say it saves them time as well. Despite these benefits, in San Francisco the board of supervisors recently voted 8-1 to ban the use of face recognition technology by police and other government agencies. The ban prevents city agencies from using the technology, or information gleaned from CCTV systems that use it. According to Matt Cagle, a lawyer with the A.C.L.U. of Northern California, the technology “provides government with unprecedented power to track people going about their daily lives… that’s incompatible with a healthy democracy.” In a local case, a Queensland sawmill worker has won an unfair dismissal case against his employer after refusing to register his fingerprints in the company’s biometric access control solution. Though an initial hearing found the company was entitled to install a biometric system, the commission’s full bench later found no valid reason to fire the worker for refusing to provide consent to the company to use his biometric data. The objection of the worker to the biometric system was that his biometric data
There’s a huge issue more broadly in our society as to whether people’s privacy protections are being maintained, with the rapid pace of technological change.
was his own property and it was not appropriate for his employer to take it. The response of Josh Bornstein, national head of employment law with Maurice Blackburn lawyers, was telling when it comes to face recognition. “There’s a huge issue more broadly in our society as to whether people’s privacy protections are being maintained, with the rapid pace of technological change,” Bornstein told The Law Report. “We’re seeing employees more closely regulated than ever before — on a 24/7 basis. There’s no doubt regulation is lagging well behind the development of technology…is our personal information – our fingerprint data, the image of our face – property?” After developing without regulation for decades, face recognition – now powered by deep learning algorithms – may be restricted in its access of what it needs most – data. The importance of data to useful face recognition was highlighted recently after the ABC published the findings of a Queensland Police Report into the use of face recognition technology during the Commonwealth Games. The ABC’s take on the report had a privacy angle – the further implication was the expense of face recognition had been a waste of money. But QPS’ summation of its experience with face recognition using public-facing cameras in static and mobile applications was honest and penetrating. I found there simply wasn’t enough data. “Difficulties were experienced in data ingestion into one of the systems with the testing and availability until the week Operation Sentinel (the Games security operation) commenced,” the QPS report found. “… not having the (Commonwealth and
state) legislation passed, reduced the database from an anticipated 46 million images to approximately 8 million.” As well as having very little data to come and go on, the system had so few specific targets it ended up being used for general policing, with only 5 identities of the 268 requested able to be established. Taking this performance criticism to the next level, in the U.S. the House Oversight Committee recently questioned the accuracy and legality of facial recognition tools available to law enforcement agencies and decried the lack of transparency into how they are used to monitor public spaces, conduct criminal investigations and identify potential suspects. In a key development, Republicans and Democrats joined forces to underscore the urgent need to regulate face recognition with calls for temporarily prohibiting agencies from using the technology until Congress can set clear guidelines. Importantly, this is the first time lawmakers in Washington have focused closely on face recognition technology - there’s significant underlying concern about its misuse. “No elected officials gave the OK for the states or for the federal government, the FBI, to use [facial recognition],” said the committee’s ranking member, Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. “There should probably be…restrictions. It seems to me it’s time for a timeout.” “There’s nothing more American than the freedom of expression and freedom of association,” University of D.C. law professor Andrew Ferguson said. “I think what we’ve seen is this kind of technology can chill both of those.” There’s zero chance regulation of face recognition technology in the U.S. will not flow through to Australia. n
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THANKS TO ALL THE 2019 SECTECH ROADSHOW EXHIBITORS
W W W. S E C T E C H R O A D S H O W. C O M . A U
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THUR 21 MAY BRISBANE RICC F O R M O R E E N Q U I R I E S C O N TA C T M O N I Q U E @ B R I D G E P U B L I S H I N G . C O M . A U
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3: PRESSURE MOUNTS TO REGULATE FACE RECOGNITION Pressure is mounting to regulate face recognition technology and it demands a coherent, thoughtful position based on respect for privacy and leveraging a technology with considerable operational benefits. 10: Q SECURITY SYSTEMS PLACED INTO VOLUNTARY ADMINISTRATION, SEADAN ACQUIRES ASSETS Q Security Systems was placed into voluntary administration April 30 by the Q Technology Group board of directors after continued poor sales results. 14: VALE GEORGE SALMAN: WORMALD, CHUBB, TECOM, PACOM BELL, VANGREN, DAS & HILLS George Salman passed away recently after a long health battle which he fought with the humour and dignity that marked all he did.
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20: SECURING BULLI SLSC Bulli Surf Life Saving Club has installed AirKey, a wireless access control solution, that allowed the club to centralise locking and access control rendered challenging by layered keying systems. 22: ANN WU, SUNELL Ann Wu is founder and general manager of Shenzhen Sunell. We met Ann at the Sunell office to chat about the company’s history, latest technologies and to take a look at some product in the showroom. 28: NOISE VS BLUR Amplification noise versus blur – which is more acceptable to integrators and end users when they are on the hunt for face recognition and license plates in low light? 32: HIKVISION AXIOM ALARM PANEL Hikvision has released its new Axiom wireless alarm and automation panel in Australia, a hub-based solution with 32 wireless zones, support for TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, and 3G/4G wireless communications. 36: CHOOSING VMS What are the most important qualities of video management systems? We asked 2 providers and 2 end users what they thought were the most
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important aspects of video management systems 46: SCENES FROM SECTECH ROADSHOW SecTech Roadshow had its most successful tour ever in 2019. With growth in every city, SecTech has well and truly cemented itself into the security industry’s event calendar!
Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers JUNE 2019 ISSUE 410
FACE RECOGNITION HONEYMOON OVER? l QSS Assets Acquired By Seadan l Case Study: Bulli SLSC Goes AirKey l Amplification Noise vs Blur l Scenes From SecTech Roadshow l The Interview: Ann Wu, Sunell l Special Report: Choosing Your VMS l Monitoring: Alarming Threats l Review: Hikvision Axiom Alarm Panel
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10: NEWS Latest business, product and technical news from Australia and around the world. 44: MONITORING End users and installers are faced with the fact that alarm signals sent over the public internet are susceptible to all of the maladies of public internet 54: EDITOR’S CHOICE What’s new from our manufacturers. 56: HELPDESK Our team of electronic security experts answers your tough technical questions.
Publisher Bridge Publishing Aust. Pty Ltd ABN 11 083 704 858 PO Box 237 Darlinghurst NSW 1300 tel 61 2 9280 4425 fax 61 2 9280 4428 email info@bridge publishing.com.au
Editor John Adams Advertising Manager Monique Keatinge Customer Service Annette Mathews tel 61 2 9280 4425 annette@bridge publishing.com.au
Design Tania Simanowsky e: tania@ taniasdesign.com.au
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NEWS IN BRIEF JUNE 2019
Q SECURITY SYSTEMS PLACED INTO VOLUNTARY ADMINISTRATION, SEADAN ACQUIRES ASSETS n Q SECURITY Systems was placed into voluntary administration April 30 by the Q Technology Group board of directors after continued poor sales results. According to the QTG board, trading performance for Q2 deteriorated through
the end of quarter through delays to customer projects. In response to the increased losses by QSS subsidiary, the board and management set about to review the operations and at the same time explore a range of options to recapitalise
the business. Proposals were received that would have seen the business restructured and retained but binding terms were not negotiated. Accordingly, without access to sufficient additional capital to fund the needs of the operating business, the board of QSS resolved to appoint a voluntary administrator with immediate effect on April 30. In early May, Seadan Group announced a takeover of sites and the acquisition of all assets of former Q Security Systems locations including Port Melbourne, Victoria,
Eagle Farm, Queensland, Richmond, South Australia and Balcatta, Western Australia. “We are absolutely committed to servicing our customers in every aspect possible, with one of the most important being convenience,” said Blake Buckland, Seadan Group general manager. “Our intention is to re-open most of the sites under the pre-existing Seadan Group brands in order to expand our footprint with the vision of delivering more convenience for our customers with more Vlado Damjanovski
locations where they can access the full suite of products available throughout the Seadan Group. We feel that this is an extremely positive move for all concerned, most importantly our valued customers. “The move means the products our customers are used to and the products we introduce in the years to come will be accessible from more sites around Australia from the same distributor the industry has become familiar with over the last 32 years – Seadan Security & Electronics,” Buckland said.
PMT SECURITY TAKES HONOURS AT MILESTONE SYSTEMS’ ANNUAL SUMMIT IN BALI n MELBOURNE-based security integrator PMT Security has received 2 major awards from the world’s biggest selling video management system vendor, Milestone Systems, at the annual APAC-wide Milestone Integration Platform Symposium (MIPS) event in Bali. PMT Security was awarded Milestone Partner of the Year South Pacific, which recognises the vendor’s best-performing reseller partner across Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the south Pacific region. The company also received the award for Project of the Year South Pacific, based on a very large deployment and
ongoing services with one of Australia’s largest retail groups. “These awards are a real indication of how far we have come as a company, and a reward for all the hard work our staff have put in over the past year. We are winning the biggest contracts these days because of our ability to work with the best vendors such as Milestone, but we still bring that common touch to every job we do, and maintain a small-team and intimate relationships with our customers,” said Darren Taylor, managing director at PMT Security. Jordan Cullis, director for APAC at Milestone Systems, said the awards
give due recognition to one of the region’s brightest stars in security integration. “PMT Security has a long and storied reputation for excellence in the Australian security industry,” Cullis said. “PMT is built upon a desire to always stay on top of emerging technology, to work with partners to constantly improve their offering, and to deliver old-fashioned customer service. Many congratulations to Darren and the team – both these awards are well deserved.” At the same event, Inner Range was been recognised as Milestone’s APAC Technology Partner of the Year for 2018 for its integration of Integriti and Milestone Xprotect. Integriti’s Milestone CCTV integration allows Integriti System Designer and Integriti GateKeeper users to perform a variety of actions. This includes viewing live and archive footage as well as receiving events from Milestone, such as motion-detection and LPR events.
SECUSAFE OPENS NEW OFFICES IN BRISBANE AND MELBOURNE n SECUSAFE has responded to accelerating growth with the opening of 2 new offices in Brisbane and Melbourne. “Secusafe has been experiencing exponential growth and we have expanded our business operations beyond our Sydney office this year,” said SecuSafe’s Andy Lee. “Our team has been hard at work and completed the showrooms in their respective locations. Both the new branches are now fully operational and is complete with a showroom for our products, as well as fully stocked inventory
for your convenience. With these new branches, we are able to cater to your projects across states in Australia. “To educate our clients and help your business grow, we are ready to provide you and your team with sales and technical product training, and this is open to any clients who are interested in expanding their knowledge in the security field. Furthermore, we welcome our clients to utilise our showroom to show your potential customers the quality of the products we take pride of.”
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Metro Tunnel Melbourne Calls For Video Analytics EOI p.12 Security & Government Expo 2019 Selling Fast p.14 Waihi Beach Lifeguards Gifted Gallagher Security Solution p.16 Queensland Police Report Shows Data The Key Face Recognition Component p.18
COMPILED BY JOHN ADAMS
FREDON SECURITY WINS LISMORE CBD CCTV RENEWAL PROJECT
n FREDON Security has won a project to upgrade the public security and safety system installed in the Northern Rivers City of Lismore. Lismore Council went to tender late last year inviting submissions from interested and qualified parties for the renewal (supply, installation and commissioning) of the Lismore Central Business District integrated CCTV system – the existing analogue solution was installed way back in 1999 and is managed by Council in partnership with police.
A $A244,500 grant was made to Council under the Federal Government’s grants scheme for the CCTV upgrade, which reports suggest will cost around $300,000 by the time of completion. Lismore MP Thomas George said recently the new cameras give a loud message to anyone who wants to do the wrong thing in the CBD, they’ll be caught on the CCTV. “People should be able to go about their business, pop out for a meal or meet up with their friends for
a night out without fear of being assaulted or their car being damaged,” George said. Lismore Council’s senior law enforcement officer, Jody Hinds, said the new surveillance system was a massive project and could take six months to complete. Hinds said the current network had 24 cameras, but the new system would have greater geographic coverage. “We also hope the new system will have LPR (licence plate recognition) so we can track someone all the way through the system and then email footage to police,” he said. Meanwhile, Snr Const Henderson of NSW Police said he was excited about the upgrade, which would enhance the excellent working relationship between Council and NSW Police. “I have worked in areas without cameras and crime has been quite bad but once CCTV cameras have gone in, you see a significant decrease in crime,” Snr Const Henderson said.
GALLAGHER GROWS AUSTRALIAN TEAM 40 PER CENT n GALLAGHER is continuing to experience considerable growth across all regions and is adding to its numbers – over the last 3 years, the Australian Security Division has increased staff levels by 40 per cent. As part of the current expansion, general manager of Australia & Papua New Guinea, Craig Schutte, has taken on a role with even further geographical reach in the role of Asia Pacific general manager, which enables the company to leverage the skills and experience he brings to the team.
In addition to Schutte’s promotion, Gallagher has added 2 members to its team on the ground in Australia. Samantha Gibbons has been appointed to the role of marketing and events manager and Kirk Jarvis has been appointed national training manager. Both will be located alongside the team in Queensland. “Our Australian inmarket team is going from strength to strength and we’re excited to be adding new roles to support our business growth” says Craig Schutte. “Both
Samantha and Kirk come to us from our New Zealand head office and have a wealth of knowledge about our business and our solutions.” Gibbons has been with Gallagher for the past 5 years in the global marketing team as events manager. She will play a key role in developing the Gallagher brand and continuing to support business partnerships throughout Australia. Meanwhile, Jarvis has worked for Gallagher for the past 7 years starting as a technical account manager in South Africa
DTI TO PROVIDE CCTV SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS TO LONDON UNDERGROUND CENTRAL LINE TRAINS n PERTH-based security integrator, DTI Group, has been contracted to supply a mobile CCTV surveillance solution for the prestigious Central Line fleet maintained and operated by Transport for London on the London Underground through UK integrator, Delatim Ltd. The order involves the supply and installation of 680 digital video recorders covering the entire Central Line fleet of vehicles. Each rail car will also be equipped with high-
definition 5-megapixel cameras providing a 360-degree panoramic view of the passenger area. Deliveries for the systems are expected to commence in the current financial year and will be supplied over a period of 4 years as the trains undergo refurbishment. This award complements other project wins in the UK, including the London Underground Northern Line trains, and reinforces DTI’s growing position in the global rail sector.
and relocating to New Zealand in 2015 to join the head office technical support team; he was then promoted to a training role in 2017. His position
is a new role in the Australian team and is part of Gallagher’s plan to implement local training resource within its key regions.
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NEWS JUNE 2019
METRO TUNNEL MELBOURNE CALLS FOR VIDEO ANALYTICS EOI n Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) is seeking expressions of interest from qualified suppliers to provide a video analytics solution for the MTM Tunnel. MTM says it’s seeking the most dynamic video analytics system on the market to ensure the Metro Tunnel and its 5 new underground stations will operate safely and efficiently – the project budget is $US500-1M.
This system will be integrated with the CCTV system to analyse hundreds of video streams from across the rail network using the network video management system (NVMS). The system must be reliable in crowded environments and reconfigurable by MTM staff to allow for minor system changes like adding cameras. Analysis of real-time CCTV footage
will enable monitoring of passenger numbers on train platforms, as well as general security measures such as identifying suspicious objects or intruders in restricted areas. Only a short list of parties selected from this expression of interest that meet the capability areas will be invited to undertake a small-scale demonstration trial in
INTERLOGIX APPOINTS PHILIP BROWN GENERAL MANAGER, ANZ n FIRE & Security Products Group in Australia reports Philip Brown has been appointed new general manager for the Australia and New Zealand business. UTC Fire & Security Australia Pty Ltd trading as Interlogix is part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. Brown is well suited to this role with more than 14 years Phil Brown
of experience leading both fire and security industrial business units across Australia and New Zealand. He has held a number of senior management positions including executive general manager at Wilson Group and more recently general manager, Stanley Black and Decker ANZ. “We’re delighted to welcome Philip to the products group. His leadership experience and proven ability to deliver growth make him a great fit for our business and I’m looking forward to seeing continued success over the coming years,” said Gabriel Daher, global director intrusion & smart home products. Brown will be responsible for overall business direction as well as the business units within the
the existing Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (MURL) over a period of up to 4 weeks per supplier. The Metro Tunnel includes the construction of twin 9-kilometre rail tunnels between South Kensington station (north west of the Melbourne City Centre) and South Yarra (in the south east) with 5 new underground stations. The southern portal for the tunnel is to be located to the south of South Yarra station. The tunnel will connect the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines with the Sunbury line, and allow these lines to bypass Flinders Street station and the City Loop while still stopping in the Melbourne central business district. The project will allow for the operational separation of various existing lines and increase the capacity of the rail network to metro-style frequencies. Most of the project would be built as a public-private partnership, with private sector investors funding
much of the estimated $A9 billion to $11 billion cost. In late 2017, sections of the Melbourne central business district, including City Square and parts of Swanston Street, were closed to enable construction of the tunnel and stations. The project was originally expected to be completed late 2025. Expressions of Interest for this EOI must be submitted via the Ariba Discovery portal here between 5:00 pm on 03/ May/2019 and 9:00 am on 17/June/2019. Only fully compliant offers will be considered. Please note, the first 5 responses are free. There after the cap fee on a response is $149.
THE PROJECT WILL ALLOW FOR THE OPERATIONAL SEPARATION OF VARIOUS EXISTING LINES AND INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE RAIL NETWORK TO METRO-STYLE FREQUENCIES.
SAPIO WORKING ON MILDURA CBD AND RIVERFRONT CCTV PROJECT Australian group – namely Interlogix and Kidde – and all associated brands under these units such as the LenelS2 portfolio, the Quell consumer brand and more. “It’s an exciting time for us here in Australia where Philip – with the backing of our leadership team and dedicated staff – positions us well to capitalise on what we have already achieved,” said Bradley Taylor, national sales manager said. “I’m looking forward to helping lead this already successful business to a new level for not only our customers, but also our staff. We want to be the workplace of choice for individuals, and also the partner of choice for fire and security solutions across the residential and commercial space.”
n SAPIO is working on an $A234,000 project it won last year to install CCTV in the Mildura CBD and along the Murray riverfront. The new cameras will be installed at key locations to provide Victoria Police with additional surveillance as well as act as a deterrent to potential criminal behaviour. The project includes earthworks, installation of conduit and poles to mount the cameras. The project and additional public safety lighting in the CBD was made possible through funding from the Victorian Government’s Community Crime Prevention Program. Councillor for Community Safety Gavin Sedgmen said 17 cameras would be installed in the vicinity of areas including Nowingi Place, Riverfront Powerhouse, Langtree
Avenue and Mildura CBD. Cr Sedgmen said the new cameras would serve several purposes. “Firstly, it will provide reassurance for our community in these high-traffic areas that these locations are being monitored,” he said. “It will also act as a deterrent, and in a worst-case scenario, if an offence is committed, these cameras will help identify those involved and provide information in terms of what occurred, which can be investigated by police.”
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NEWS JUNE 2019
VALE GEORGE SALMAN: WORMALD, CHUBB, TECOM, PACOM BELL, VANGREN, DAS & HILLS n GEORGE Salman passed away recently after a long health battle which he fought with the humour and dignity that marked all he did. A security person to the bone, George worked for a number of companies over a career that spanned decades, including Wormald, Chubb, Tecom, Pacom Bell, Vangren, DAS and Hills. It was a great career that began on the tools helping in the family alarm installation business and ended as national sales manager of Australia’s (then) largest electronic security distributor. “I remember George and I helping Dad (Sal Salman) doing domestic alarm systems when we were kids,” said brother, John Salman, of SE Security. “Dad had his own security company called SOS Security Systems – and this gave George the basis for his future career. “He started at Wormald Security around 1982 as a bank installation technician,” John said. “I think this was probably his favourite job – working with guys like Joe Fenech, George Fenech, Steve Munro, Bruce Jerram, Peter Guertler, Tony Grovic, Don Gibbon, Dave Gunst, Kevin
Taylor and Pierre Meunier – all great guys. “It was during this period that I worked with George myself – we actually spoke about these times the day before he passed away – he spoke of the fun he had working with those guys at Wormald Security and the great experience he got from it.” While George started out in the industry as an alarm installer, his people skills guaranteed he would work with customers one day. “In the early 1990s, George got an opportunity in the Chubb sales department – I know he loved this job and ate it up – it was as if he was born to be a salesman,” John said. “After the Wormald-Chubb merger, George was offered a role in Chubb Vision working with Peter Ashton. “He became sales manager for Wormald in 1996 and joined integrator Vangren Technology in 2000, working with Casey Van Engelen and John Green, before moving to access control manufacturer, Tecom, with Peter Floyd and Dean Riley. George later moved to Pacom Bell, then joined the Hills/DAS sales team in Sydney, finally becoming
Hills’ national sales manager.” According to BGWT’s general manager, Robert Meachem, the thing about George that made him such a wonderful person and friend was that he was a great listener. “George was always happy, genuinely interested in others and never had a bad word to say about anyone,” Meachem said. “Even in the years during which he dealt with the loss of wife, Jill, and his own health battles, he found a way to smile and find the goodness in life. He always deflected the conversation away from himself by looking you square in the eye and asking; “How are you doing, mate?”. “He was such a kind, generous, positive guy, and yet he was as tough and resilient as anyone I’ve met. Oh, and he loved a new car. That’s my friend George – that’s how I remember him. I miss him and I’m so privileged to have had him in my life… rest in peace, mate!” Risco’s Peter Mellino said George always had a huge affinity for his customers and a smile larger than life, while Innotec’s Rob Rosa
George Salman
Vlado Damjanovski
said working with George was a pleasure. “I worked with George at Vangren Technology in early 2000, and then for nearly 10 years at Hills,” Rosa said. “He was one of the most respectful, lovely and knowledgeable guys in the security industry.” Throughout his professional life, George’s emotional empathy was transcendent. He could talk about security technology, product, corporate strategy and
human frailty in the same sentence, while brandishing the latest photos of his kids on a smartphone. Even when fighting for his life George retained a huge capacity to care about the troubles of others. He was a beautiful human being. The Australian security industry may be diminished by his passing, but it was more deeply enriched by his life. Vale, George Salman. We are thinking of you.
SECURITY & GOVERNMENT EXPO 2019 SELLING FAST n SAGE 2019, to be held in conjunction with partner ASIS ACT at the Realm Hotel November 14, is well on the way to selling out. SAGE 2019 is the perfect opportunity for electronic security providers to get
their solutions in front of end users in government and commercial organisations in the ACT at the minimum cost. According to organiser, Monique Keatinge, exhibitors should move
fast to ensure they don’t miss out. “With last year’s exhibitors having had the opportunity to renew the spaces they had last year, the remaining floorspace is open to everyone on a
first-come, first-served basis,” Keatinge said. “SAGE always sells quickly – we’re only in the second week of promotion – and 50 per cent of spaces are already booked.” SAGE is a pop-up half-day expo that minimises down-time while maximising the opportunities for end users, integrators and consultants in Canberra to get quality face time with the latest electronic security solutions without leaving town. SAGE is about product, application and conversation – there are no complex built stands – just bring your latest security technologies, display stands, pull-up banners and come ready to talk.
SAGE ALWAYS SELLS QUICKLY – WE’RE ONLY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF PROMOTION – AND 50 PER CENT OF SPACES ARE ALREADY BOOKED.
Current exhibitors include Gallagher, HID, Panasonic, Inner Range, Saab, Sektor, BM Doors, FSH, Perimeter Systems Australia, Davcor, SRA Solutions and Honeywell. “Anyone interested in receiving the floorplan should call me on 61 2 9280 4425 or email monique@ bridgepublishing.com.au,” Keatinge said.
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NEWS JUNE 2019
WAIHI BEACH LIFEGUARDS GIFTED GALLAGHER SECURITY SOLUTION
DATIONS ABLED TO CURITY HE N AND NING ANCE
n AFTER lifeguard rescue gear went missing and 5 outboard motors were stolen from another lifeguard club in the region, Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services; Bay of Plenty, New Zealand; knew it was time to step up its security. Hamilton-based global technology company Gallagher was happy to get involved and donated an award-winning security system to protect the club’s vital equipment and to help manage access to different
parts of the clubrooms. “We are a charity that relies on volunteer support, donations and fundraising efforts for all of our rescue equipment, vehicles and supplies, so any loss is hard to recover from,” said Andrew Cochrane, Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services asset director, who has been with the club for 24 years. “The equipment is not only worth a lot of money – it’s crucial to saving lives. Losing
any of our lifesaving equipment hinders our ability to perform rescues and respond to other emergencies in the wider region.” The scope of the club is more significant than you’d think. Over 15,000 people pass through the building in a year, including school and community groups who use it as a venue. The club also has a 24/7 emergency call-out squad. Between Labour weekend and Easter, it provides
volunteer weekend patrols from 10am-5pm. During the busy summer season from mid-December to the end of January regional lifeguards are there every day to keep beachgoers safe and respond to emergencies. Lifeguards will now be issued with access wristbands to wear while they’re on patrol. Simply swiping the wristband at an access reader will unlock the door. When the day is done, the last one out can set the alarms with a simple exit button at the door. Gallagher’s Mobile Client gives club managers the flexibility to lock and unlock the doors from anywhere and check in if an alarm is triggered. Steve Cooke, Gallagher sales manager Central North Island, says it was clear to see how Gallagher could help. Parts of the clubrooms need to be open to the public, but access to the accommodation, office and storage areas needs to be tightly controlled. “We installed around $NZ10,000 worth of security equipment to enable all the doors to be managed appropriately. That’s just a small recognition of the enormous value the
DONATING THIS SECURITY SYSTEM CREATES A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND OTHER PEOPLE USING THE CLUBROOMS. lifeguards provide to the community,” Cooke said. Gallagher also supports Whangamata Surf Lifesaving, Raglan Coastguard and Waihi Coastguard – among up to 100 other community initiatives across New Zealand each year. “As a security business, keeping people safe is at the heart of what we do; as a result, we’re committed to helping community organisations and causes who share that value,” said Mark Junge, global general manager of Gallagher’s security division. “Donating this security system creates a safe and secure environment for staff, volunteers, and other people using the clubrooms – like school groups. It gives lifeguards peace of mind that their people, equipment and vehicles are safe and ready to use when an emergency occurs.”
FREDON WINS GENETEC PROJECT OF THE YEAR FOR 800-CAMERA SCG INTEGRATION n Fredon Security has been awarded Genetec Project of the Year Award for its CCTV upgrade completed at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The project involved upgrading the existing and installing 800 new high-definition and ultra-high definition cameras, including Axis and Sony models, linked to a state-of-the-art facility and monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year using Genetec VMS. The surveillance system is equipped with facial recognition technology and using PTZ cameras has the ability to record footage of every seat
inside the SCG, as well as zooming in on fans approaching from as far away as 1.5km, alerting authorities to banned patrons or persons of interest. The SCG Trust developed the new security operations centre as part of a $A3.5 million investment in safety and security at the SCG and Allianz Stadium. “We’re taking the decision here to ensure that every sports fan coming to our grounds is going to feel comfortable in the knowledge they’re being well looked after,” said SCG Trust Chief Executive Jamie Barkley after the security
operations centre was opened. “The SCG now boasts the most sophisticated control centre in Australian
sporting venues and one of the best of its kind worldwide,” said Danny Berkovic, managing director of Fredon Security.
“Well done to everyone who was involved in designing, delivering and maintaining this iconic project.”
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See the demo at the 2019 Security Exhibition & Conference, stand F38 avigilon.com/blue | asksales@avigilon.com Depicted product features and functionalities are not currently available and, if and when available, may not be as depicted Š2019, Avigilon Corporation. All rights reserved. AVIGILON, the AVIGILON logo, AVIGILON BLUE, and the AVIGILON BLUE logo are trademarks of Avigilon Corporation. Other names or logos mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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NEWS JUNE 2019
QUEENSLAND POLICE REPORT SHOWS DATA THE KEY FACE RECOGNITION COMPONENT n ACCORDING to a Queensland Police report obtained by the ABC under right to information the use of face recognition, at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 “…lacked the data to operate effectively”. The findings of the QPS report are of real interest to security managers and law enforcement personnel – as well as to suppliers. They highlight the organic nature of analytics and suggest planning and process are the key to meeting operational goals when defending high profile events. Vital for analytics to work effectively is data – the more, the better. For the Commonwealth Games, police records were included but images from Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads were left out. Effective use of the system was about more than
NOT HAVING THE LEGISLATION PASSED IN TIME FOR THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES, REDUCED THE DATABASE FROM AN ANTICIPATED 46 MILLION IMAGES TO APPROXIMATELY 8 MILLION.
software or integrating systems – it extended to legislation. “Difficulties were experienced in data ingestion into one of the systems with the testing and availability not available until the week Operation Sentinel (the Games security operation) commenced,” the QPS report found. “…not having the legislation passed, both
Commonwealth and state, in time for the Commonwealth Games, reduced the database from an anticipated 46 million images to approximately 8 million.” The facial recognition system used in Queensland during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games also had so few specific targets that it ended up being used for general policing from a mid-point
JAYSON BLAKE APPOINTED BDM FOR MOBOTIX AUSTRALIA n JAYSON Blake has been appointed as business development manager for MOBOTIX Australia. Blake brings with him a wealth of experience in the security industry, along with a fascination for CCTV cameras and the technology that lies behind them. Coupled with a strong background in sales and customer service, Blake says he is ready to apply his enthusiasm to help MOBOTIX to grow. Blake comes to MOBOTIX after almost a decade at Bosch Security & Safety Systems, where he regularly exceeded his
sales targets and helped the company to grow. “I’m looking forward to expanding the MOBOTIX footprint here in Australia through increasing market awareness of the company and its core technology. I also hope to drive expansion of MOBOTIX technology into new verticals,” Blake said. Ryan Fairclough, sales director APAC, welcomed Blake to the Mobotix Australia team. “MOBOTIX has evolved significantly over the last few years and there are a number of exciting new developments on the
of the operation. Only 5 identities out of the 268 requested could be established. “Given the limited requests from within the Games, opportunity to conduct inquiries for the general policing environment was provided to enable better testing of the processes and capabilities,” the report said. Face recognition in public surveillance applications
is still in its early stages of development and the capacity to handle the processing demands of simultaneous recognition across hundreds of cameras covering crowded places is not easy to achieve. The challenges faced by QPS are likely to provide valuable direction for law enforcement agencies looking to leverage face recognition solutions in the future.
Jayson Blake
horizon,” Fairclough said. “So, when it came to expanding our team here in Australia, it was paramount we chose someone with the drive to push things forward, but who would also fit in with our company culture and the MOBOTIX company values.” “Jayson is an excellent addition to our team. I am truly excited about the future of MOBOTIX in Australia and across the world, especially knowing that MOBOTIX is now well represented in one of our core markets.”
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SEN619_19.indd 1
E N T E RTA I N
SECURE
29/5/19 2:24 pm
● Case study
Bulli SLSC
SECURING BULLI SLSC
Bulli Surf Life Saving Club has installed AirKey, a wireless access control solution, that allowed the club to centralise locking and access control rendered challenging by layered mechanical keying systems. ULLI Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) has been serving the community of Bulli and surrounding regions for 100 years. Like most surf live saving clubs across Australia, Bulli SLSC has many activities and events in and out of the water. These activities mean Bulli SLSC must manage who has access in and out of their club, as well as securely storing lifesaving equipment. Paul Hennessy, director of administration, along with the other members of the Bulli SLSC management team, had to consider traffic of each door and access requirements of each type of user when planning an upgrade of their locking and access control solution. Bulli has a diverse locking system ranging from a restricted key system, padlocks, C4 domestic system, and mortice locks, all working with different locking functions based on the volume of door use. With the uncertainty of who has a duplicate key, constant loss of keys, no audit data, no timed access for certain members, and having to incorporate council access to certain doors; it became very clear that Bulli needed an access control system that was accommodating to many different types of users, yet offered the security and flexibility that was required to run a surf club. After analysing Bulli SLSC’s existing locking system, EVVA proposed AirKey, a simple and smart access control system that gives Bulli SLSC freedom and control when securing their doors and assets. With AirKey online administrator the Bulli SLSC team can manage who has access to their premises, track entry and exit times, and even remotely send temporary access to visitors and contractors. “The AirKey system from a lay person’s perspective is very impressive,” Hennessy says. “The AirKey cylinder is simple to use and discreet, in no way impacting on building aesthetics. The AirKey lock itself appears to be handling exposure to the ocean environment and adverse weather conditions well. There is little to no indication of rust or other staining on any of the EVVA parts. The EVVA cylinders are still in pristine condition and none appear to be in anyway faulty due to their exposure to these tough conditions. The same can’t
B
Paul Hennessy, Bulli SLSC.
AIRKEY HAS GIVEN ME, MUCH MORE CONTROL OF WHO GOES WHERE IN THE CLUB BUILDING THAN EVER BEFORE.
BY J O H N A D A M S
be said about exterior door frames and handles. AirKey has proven to be a great asset for us at Bulli Surf Club.” EVVA installed 15 AirKey cylinders across Bulli SLSC to variously replace and complement the existing locking system. The transition time to the new EVVA AirKey system was just 2 working days, with each door taking approximately 5 minutes to upgrade without any need to run wiring or electrical power to the AirKey cylinders. Being a council site, AirKey had to incorporate the council’s key system on 3 doors at Bulli SLSC. This was performed using a dual cylinder mortice lock which allows the AirKey cylinder to operate the lock in conjunction with a council restricted key, thus allowing 2 separate systems to work independently on the same door. Thanks to the import function on the AirKey online administrator, Bulli’s user list was transferred with a click. This simplified issuing people access as their name and contact information is uploaded to the AirKey system. There are currently 49 smart phones and 21 key FOBs registered for use at Bulli. Waterproof key FOBs were deployed for some members who did not have a smart phone or were training and required a waterproof option. Each door and lock were grouped into specific areas. Instead of granting a user access to each individual door, the Bulli team grant access to set areas such as ‘All Surf Club’. “When we have our surf competitions, we turn on office mode on the main door which allows us to have it unlocked all day and then it automatically locks at specific time at the end of the day,” Hennessy says. “As recently as last month, a women’s boat crew travelled from Tathra for a boat carnival at Bulli Beach and had arranged to spend that night in the Bulli club rooms. I was able to provide them with access to the club and the internal area where they were to sleep from the comfort of my home. Prior to AirKey, myself or one of my colleagues would have had to be at Bulli SLSC whenever they arrived to let them in. AirKey has given me, much more control of who goes where in the club building than ever before.” The AirKey system access for individual users has been programmed to automatically expire once a year to align with membership renewal. Once membership is renewed access can be simply reactivated. This simple process has driven timely membership renewal and vastly increased the security of the Bulli SLSC. Utilising the flexibility in AirKey has allowed Bulli SLSC to see complete audit logs of their premises, especially for visitors accessing their club. “We no longer have to worry about who may have access to our club, or even rekeying costs for lost keys,” Hennessy says. “Our investment in EVVA lets us focus on what we do best – serving the Bulli community and developing the next generation of Aussie lifesavers.” n
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SECURITY
EXHIBITION + CONFERENCE
24-26 JULY 2019 ICC SYDNEY DARLING HARBOUR STAND NUMBER: E14 • LEVEL 1
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29/5/19 pm 27.05.192:23 09:59
● Regulars
The Interview
Ann Wu, Sunell Ann Wu is founder and general manager of Shenzhen Sunell. We met Ann at the Sunell office to chat about the company’s history, latest technologies and to take a look at some product in the showroom. A warm personality with a quick smile and a global business sense, Ann is most at home talking product and technology.
Q: Sunell is one of China’s pioneering electronic security manufacturers – when did you start the business, Ann? A: Sunell was founded in 1997 – that’s 22 years ago. We are among the oldest Chinese CCTV manufacturers still in operation – many people probably don’t know we used to distribute cameras and alarm systems from Philips and Scantronics – we also supplied OEM products for Hills in Australia. We do DCN, public address (PA) and CCTV and for part of our history we were among the largest suppliers of many of these products in China.
analytics, our face recognition module – we have just developed a new one of these – everything is designed inhouse by Sunell.
Q: Does Sunell manufacture all its own solutions – hardware, software? A: We do everything ourselves – we always have. We run our own factory near Shenzhen, and we have our own R&D team in-house. That part of the business is the area that has grown the most, I think. Our R&D department used to have only 20 software engineers and now it has 167 software engineers out of a total of 206 in the R&D department. We also have a team of 230 in the factory - not so many as the bigger manufacturers but a reasonable size compared to manufacturers outside China.
Q: Could you walk our readers through the engineering and R&D parts of the facility? A: Absolutely – this area is for software development – getting a bit crowded now and we will need to expand to another floor. You can see we don’t have the perfect panoramic view for the hardware engineers to test cameras, so there have been requests to move this department to a higher level. To have water, buildings, trees in the camera views would be better. Over here is the testing room, which allows us to create different lighting conditions. We recently did a project for Australia and tested the cameras using Australian light temperatures. Outside the light is not much different between countries, but inside there is a significant difference in colour temperature. If you come through this door, you’ll see our R&D testing room. Every new
Q: As well as building your cameras and other security products, do you also design them yourselves? A: Yes, we design everything ourselves, from mechanical components, hardware, software, NVRs and our management platform and our thermal cameras and
Q: How many branches do you have around China? A: In terms of our operations in China we have 2 floors here in Shenzhen for R&D, product testing, sales and service, marketing and finance, as well as management, and we have our own manufacturing facility a little way out of town. We also have 6 branch offices around China.
WE TRACK EVERY ASPECT OF PRODUCT PERFORMANCE TO ENSURE THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE DESIGN – IF THERE’S AN ISSUE WE CAN TRACK IT AND THE ENGINEERS CAN RESOLVE IT.
product we develop goes in here for at least 2 months for testing before we get into production – it’s very hot inside! We track every aspect of product performance to ensure there are no problems with the design – if there’s an issue we can track it and the engineers can resolve it. Over here is our reliability lab. It’s for testing, burning in, water ingress testing, low temp, soak test to ensure we can install our products near beaches – this facility is constantly in use. We also have a small manufacturing facility for building samples to make sure the product is easy to install and to allow us to check engineering issues before production moves to the factory. And
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ANN WU WITH JOHN ADAMS
Ann Wu, Sunell , founder and general manager, Sunell.
we build thermal through here in our thermal camera production room – in this room we can produce about 480 thermal cameras every month – it’s a small space but it is very efficient. We have a full range of IP cameras – bullets, domes, PTZs. Q: What attracted you to the security industry as a business, Ann, did you see an opportunity back in 1997? A: Before we launched Sunell I had no idea about the security industry at all! My husband was general manager with an early Chinese security manufacturer. After this experience he decided we would enter the security market as a manufacturer. There was a lot of hard
work involved, but I think we were also lucky with timing. I came to Shenzhen after graduation from university and when my husband started talking about us founding a security business, I followed him into it - there was no plan on my part. There were just the 3 of us at the start and we grew. Q: What’s the structure of the business – is it just the 2 of you as owners? A: We are still the largest shareholders in the business, and we have one private investor. I do give small numbers of shares to employees to reward them for their efforts and to keep them working with us. It’s a good structure – there are
no internal politics, no conflicts, there’s no external noises and no bothering. We can focus entirely on the business. My husband has not been directly involved in Sunell for 4 years now, so at the senior management level I look after everything and make all the decisions myself. It’s a very simple family business and I’ve been lucky enough to retain all our top management for nearly 12 years. We are stable with key staff and that’s the way it’s been for a long time. Q: The current market is very competitive – what sort of challenges do you face as a smaller manufacturer? A: There have been challenges along
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● Regulars
The Interview
WE ARE GOOD AT THERMAL AND STRONG WITH INTEGRATION WITH THE BIG PLAYERS – IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S A DIFFERENTIATOR FOR SUNELL.
the way, but I think if we had not had to face those challenges, we would find it hard to face the intense competition right now. We are getting stronger – we may not be as large or successful as some other companies, but we are very healthy, organized, strong and we are not controlled by external shareholders or chasing after share prices. Q: What are the risks of the current market in your opinion? A: As an entrepreneur it’s possible to take too much risk – to mortgage shares in a successful but modest-margin business and reinvest this capital in areas where it seems easier to make money. This is not something we do. I am happy with a reasonable margin and stable growth based on clever products, and to focus on our core business without diversifying. We have a very different style to other companies. Q: Would you say you have more of an engineering focus? A: We can’t only focus on engineering – I would say that I prefer focusing on product and solutions that meet our clients’ requirements – even to the point of customisation. Being privately-
owned and with a flat organizational structure we can also move quickly to strategically plan and develop products or new technologies if we see decent opportunities, while still staying up with the main stream. We have done this successfully with AI, as well as with thermal and analytics.
Q: Are you most involved in government or corporate work? A: As a private company we deal with other companies and don’t get involved with government projects directly. We are very focused on making products and solutions to meet customers’ specific needs.
Q: You’ve mentioned thermal a few times – I didn’t know Sunell manufactured thermal but that’s obviously a big part of what you do? A: Yeah, it’s getting bigger – we have our own analytics for thermal cameras, too, and we developed those ourselves. Our solutions are robust and they’re affordable – it’s an area we are getting stronger in. Niche suppliers can do a decent job combining optical, thermal, IP and algorithms. Thermal is ideal for larger sites – particularly mining. Thermal is fully integrated with Milestone and Genetec, which makes it more appealing for end users protecting larger sites. We are good at thermal and strong with integration with the big players – it’s something that’s a differentiator for Sunell. It’s something we would especially like to highlight to Australia if we could find the right distribution partner.
Q: Given Sunell’s focus is the commercial sector, which verticals do you consider to be the core of the business? A: We focus on commercial and enterprise applications and don’t approach huge city level projects. For overseas markets our strategy is to work with channel distributors and not to get involved into projects directly. We can do this as we have the full range from optical, to thermal, and from analogue to IP, with some niche highlights. And have the RD capability to customize. Our market focus also depends on the country, but we have done well in education applications with our thermal solutions in China and in Europe. We install our thermal/optical ‘Panda’ camera with analytics in primary schools and kindergartens which allows management to provide a safe and
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● Regulars
The Interview the full range of solutions from optical to thermal, analogue to IP and we have some highlights, as I mentioned earlier. In Europe and elsewhere we differentiate by having only 1 national distributor, which is not the usual way for Chinese manufacturers. We take our time and select a very good master distributor then help them to develop sub distributors. I think in this way we are different. I am happy with steady growth – no one can push us for huge growth numbers. This means I can make decisions after taking time for careful thought and work to build the business without being desperate for numbers at any cost. We are not squeezed to have 50 per cent growth annually but we do our best to help partners hit reasonable targets. They make money and so do we.
secure environment. I love the design of this camera. It’s bi-spectrum with face recognition in the optical and thermal cameras, as well as body temperature detection for intrusion. It’s very popular in Scandinavia but in America they prefer a more industrial design. We are also strong in fisheye cameras – again we developed these ourselves. We make a lot of customised fisheye cameras designed for transport applications. We also supply speed domes to customers outside China – markets like Korea, Finland, Russia. And we also create products for smart community applications. We carefully select limited verticals in China while working with channels partners in the global markets we enter. Q: What’s this camera over here, Ann? That’s a seriously huge view! A: We designed that camera for shopping centres in Europe – it has a 720-degree angle of view. Q: Obviously AI and analytics are important for many security applications today – as is face
recognition. Are you developing face recognition solutions? A: We are doing a lot of face recognition development right now – we have shipped over 20,000 face recognition cameras around China so far. Our cameras use our own AI module that we developed here at Sunell. It’s certainly an area of growth, not only here in China but globally. Q: Outside China many perceive Chinese manufacturers as being interchangeable but having visited 5 in one week it’s obvious they are all very different in their focus and even in their business culture. Would you agree with that? A: Chinese manufacturers are very competitive with each other – each wants to do things in its own way and to be dominant at whatever it does. But certainly, they are each very different, as you say. Q: Although it’s a niche manufacturer, Sunell is a global business isn’t it - what’s your distribution model? A: Yes, we are global because we can offer
Q: Do you have plans to bring Sunell product to the Australian market? A: I certainly see Australia as a market with strong potential for the growth of optical and thermal solutions, especially thermal, particularly in areas like mining and government – big projects. I see the business in Australia as being similar to our business in European countries. There are a lot of me-too products being manufactured by many companies that are distributed widely. We are not making war in that space. Instead we look to differentiate - we see our bi-spectrum range as being a differentiator and a strength. Our products are capable and affordable. Q: Ann, what advice would you give to other businesses after your 22 years in the rapidly changing security technology sector? A: I have no right to give advice, but I could share my life experience: Have a stable responsible team and to be good with cash flow – that’s the key part. Be happy with stable growth in order to build the business and to build the businesses of your distributors – take a life-long view. Focus your efforts on the areas you are good at and that you really love. In our case, we have always concentrated on video and looking for niches where our mature systems, in-depth experience, quicker turn-around, high efficiency and business integrity give us an overall advantage over bigger competitors. n
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ATLASGENTECH.CO.NZ 29/5/19 2:21 pm
● Special report
CCTV
NOISE VS BLUR Amplification noise versus blur – which is more acceptable to integrators and end users when they are on the hunt for face recognition and license plates in low light? INDING a balance between motion blur and amplification noise is not easy but it’s worth the effort. Resistance to motion blur is primarily a factor of shutter speed but some cameras manage to do better at the lowest default shutter speed settings of 1/25th or 1/30th of a second commonly seen in IP CCTV cameras. This suggests that in low light, digital rebuilding of highresolution images stressed by elevated ISO may or may not increase frame-by-frame processing latency, depending on the design of the overall camera engine. This results in loss of raw data in the form of light reflected from fast moving objects passing through the scene – in short, the camera system can’t keep up with changes taking place in its angle of view. The higher the resolution of the sensor, the more important processing efficiency becomes. What
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BY J O H N A D A M S
all this means is that camera system processing capability is a vital aspect of IP camera performance and must be taken into account during the selection process. Making selection harder is the fact different camera models from the same manufacturer can be of significantly different capability with the same settings applied. In reasonable light it’s possible to reduce motion blur by setting shutter speed higher than typical defaults of 1/25th of a second. You can select 1/60th, 1/120th, 1/250th or 1/500th without too much impact on overall scene quality if there’s sufficient light reflecting from the scene. But there is a trade-off. You’ll definitely get somewhat more moving detail with a 1/500th shutter speed but as light levels fall, you’ll also get more noise as the camera processor brightens the image by including more white digital stuff. The difference in terms of the image’s appearance is not as large as you’d expect. Using 1/500th in a bid to get plates at night doesn’t work that well – you won’t get plates but you will get a percentage more detail closer in. Moving plates in low light are tough. A faster shutter does help with moving faces. Faster shutter speeds work best where there is some light say – 7-10 lux minimum – and you are looking for faces to about 12m with standard varifocal lenses. Past this distance, amplification noise robs the image stream of detail when you zoom digitally. Something to seriously consider is use of monochrome for face recognition in low light. Don’t be shy about using it. If the end user grumbles,
Monochrome with IR, reduced shutter, elevated ISO – face ID, no plate.
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● Special report
CCTV
show them comparisons – they will almost always be indisputable. As we saw at SecTech Roadshow Camera Shootout last month, muddy, noisy colour video streams are overrated. And there’s a point with colour where you are likely to get almost no detail at all. According to Vlado Damjanovski of CCTV Labs, the choice when balancing amplification noise and blur depends on what the user is trying to achieve. “I would argue that this choice comes down to what the intention of the camera system is,” Damjanovski says. “Amplified noise is a result of smaller pixels, lower light and higher temperature during camera operation. Blur is a result of the electronic exposure of the camera, which could be longer than the speed of movement of the object in front of the camera. If the camera needs to capture moving vehicles and read number plates, the motion blur would be more critical to reduce then the noise. Numbers and letters on a number plate are regular patterns, and even if I have higher noise I will be able to read the numbers as long as the electronic exposure (shutter) is fast enough to capture the plates with minimal blur. “On the other hand, if I have face identification system, and people are captured walking and looking straight to the camera, the blur from motion will be smaller (as they would move towards the camera) so having smaller noise would be preferred - just for the record, the ViDiLabs calc app has an easy motion blur calculation – the first in the industry!” According to Damjanovski, getting the balance right depends on pixel sizes. “If the pixel sizes is larger, e.g. ½-inch HD sensor, rather than a 1/3-inch 4K sensor, that would be a better choice for lower light,” he argues. “I think 10 lux should not be a problem if the pixels are larger. In some of my seminars, we do calculations of the amount of photons falling on a pixel for the duration of 1/25s and we compare them to the noise of electrons that exist in the sensor at the given temperature, and we also talk about the quantum efficiency of the sensors. “To minimise the blur, you need to calculate the average speed of motion at the object of pick-up, and based on that we can calculate the minimum allowed exposure setting, without reducing the frame rate (pictures per second). Taking this into account, you can decide if you require additional light, and how much. Personally, I am always against the usage of IR, as when IR is at eye level for the purpose of identification, I consider it is an OH&S issue. An optical camera with a good sensor should give you sufficient image clarity without motion blur.” For Scott Myles, amplification noise and blur are both annoying in an image stream and depending on the application the answer is subjective. “If I were to pick one over the other, from an
AMPLIFICATION NOISE CAN BE A MORE COMPLEX ISSUE TO RESOLVE WHILE BLUR CAN OFTEN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE INSTALLER GOING WITH DEFAULT SETTINGS INSTEAD OF SETTING THE CAMERA UP TO HANDLE THE APPLICATION.
identification perspective, I would choose noise, albeit from a situational awareness perspective you may argue that a lack of noise would be more desirable,” he explains. “Our methodology is to fully understand the application and the desired outcome and to provide the most suitable recommendation. “The effect of motion blur is something we experience quite regularly and as such, the effect of motion blur within sub 10 lux environments is taken quite seriously into consideration during the design phase. In alleviating this issue some of the techniques we have employed include additional lighting, either white light or infrared light, (pending on application). In addition, we have also employed physical attributes that are designed to reduce the velocity and direction of the target in an attempt to mitigate against blur. “Apart from backlight issues, we find motion blur is one of the most challenging issues that we face when designing CCTV solutions and for this reason becomes the catalyst for most of our on-site suitability trials, as each site presents its own idiosyncrasies and challenges that require addressing.” Doug Grant of CCTV Consultants says amplification noise and blur are an inherent problem in low light situations. “These characteristics are symptomatic of long exposure times vs short exposure times,” Grant says. “Noise is generated by image sensor transistors as they buffer signals in low light. In my opinion, improvements in algorithms and sensor technologies will go a long way to resolving these issues. For end users and installers in the real world, choose specialised low light 1080p cameras, tweak shutter speeds and even frame rates to suit the individual camera locations and take the time to explore different camera settings to offer improved performance.” Meanwhile, Luke Percy-Dove of Matrix agrees both motion blur and amplification noise are a serious challenge for installers and end users. “I am going to say amplification noise is most tolerable but both are unacceptable operationally,” Percy-Dove says. “Amplification noise can be a more complex issue to resolve while blur can often be attributed to the installer going with default settings instead of setting the camera up to handle the application. “In sub-10 lux external applications where motion blur is going to be an issue, camera placement is absolutely critical, as is the low-light and WDR performance of the camera. Where possible, have 2 capture points rather than just one. This may mean front and rear cameras for vehicles or multiple cameras on logical paths of travel for pedestrians. I almost never advocate IR because of the saturation you tend to see mid-scene, which reduces detail. At the same time, movement-activated lighting is almost never practical.” n
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29/5/19 2:19 pm
● Product review
Hikvision
BY J O H N A D A M S
HIKVISION AXIOM ALARM PANEL HIKVISION has released its new Axiom wireless alarm and automation panel in Australia, a hub-based solution with 32 wireless zones, support for TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, and 3G/4G wireless communications. Taken as a whole, Axiom is a professional alarm system that’s been carefully designed to cover many bases. XIOM from Hikvision is a hub-based alarm panel – it’s the first alarm panel the company has released onto the Australian market and the big question is how it stacks up against the competition. The word ‘axiom’ has its basis in a Greek word meaning worthy or fit for purpose and it’s an appropriate name for this solution. The core functionalities are certainly there. Along with 32 wireless zones, Axiom can manage 32 wireless outputs, 8 wireless keyfobs, 4 relays, 2 repeaters, 2 sirens, support up to 13 network users; including 1 installer, 1 administrator, and 11 users. Axiom has an integrated movement sensor that can be programmed to ring like a doorbell when it
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is triggered in disarmed status, there’s voice prompt, Wi-Fi app mode, management of via Web client or mobile client, and the system can push alarms via messages, or phone calls. There’s long distance 2-way communication with AES-128 of up to 800 metres line of sight – pretty solid performance there – as well as LED indication of system status. The 4520 mAh lithium battery gives a 12-hour backup power supply, which is nice to have in a hub solution. Axiom is ABS poly in black or white and there are a number of variations – these relate to the communications capabilities required. In terms of physical specification, the hub is compact at 155 wide x 155 high x 35mm deep. Power demand is 5V DC with a rated 10W maximum draw with HDD connected or 5.6W without, there’s an audio output of 1.5W for voice prompts, and bleeps and operating temperature is -10 to 55C. Axiom offers ISAPI, Hik-Connect, Contact ID, and NAL2300 for things like professional monitoring, self-monitoring, system configuration and system management. You can also manage the system via iVMS4200. Axiom also allows viewing of live video and sends emails of alarm linked videos via mobile client, push notifications, as well as uploading reports to an alarm centre. The app and the browser management installer and user experience are going to be a key element in the success of the product and running through the introductory demo online these seem modular and straightforward, without being the slickest on the market.
SETTING UP AXIOM My little Axiom kit is the 433MHz version and it contains the hub, a PIR, a reed switch, transformer and battery – no surprises going on there. As I’m pulling everything out of the box my first thought is that the system is going to be relatively easy to set up. In the hand this new gear from Hikvision has a nice feel – it’s all well made without any rough edges. The hub is compact and has an organic shape, the sensors are nicely designed and look modern without being obtrusive. To get the system operational, you open the back of the hub, connect the power from the transformer, install the battery, set the AP/STA toggle switch to
THE CORE FUNCTIONALITIES ARE CERTAINLY THERE. ALONG WITH 32 WIRELESS ZONES, AXIOM CAN MANAGE 32 WIRELESS OUTPUTS, 8 WIRELESS KEYFOBS, 4 RELAYS, 2 REPEATERS, 2 SIRENS, SUPPORT UP TO 13 NETWORK USERS.
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28/5/19 pm 29/5/19 12:51 2:19 pm
● Product review
Hikvision THIS IS A COMPETITIVELY PRICED ALARM SYSTEM THAT IS STRONG IN KEY AREAS LIKE COMMS, REPORTING AND REMOTE MANAGEMENT USING APP OR BROWSER.
AP, note the serial number, open Hik Connect on your smart phone, log in and then scan the QR code on the rear of the hub to create the device. The hub shows in the app as offline and to get it online you select connect to network, select wireless (make sure the toggle switch is set to AP!), enter the WiFi credentials, go through the wi-fi setup process, create a password, move the toggle switch from AP to STA mode and when the panel connects to the network select Finish. With the hub setup and online, it’s time to add devices. You take the backs off the sensors, power them up by pulling out the insulation strips under the battery contacts, hop into Hik-Connect again, select AX hub and select + to enter Add Devices mode and then + to add a device. As part of this process, you scan each device’s QR code to add it, select device type and then hit Add. To add a keyfob you go into Add mode and press any key on the fob to add it to the system. Give the fob a name and select finish. To add a tag, you get into menu and then Card/Tag management then hit + to add. You present the tag to the hub for pairing. You then give tag a name and hit finish – simple stuff. If you don’t want to use your smart phone to set up
devices, you can also add them via the hub’s function button – you press the button on the side of the hub to enter Add mode, then you trigger the device to enrol it to the system – this process is actually lower touch than the QR scanning route you take when using the app. You can access the hub via your PC browser to add video cameras from the same network – just enter the hub’s IP address, enter username and password when prompted, select system, then network cameras and select add. For VV you need the camera to be connected to the same network as the hub. Importantly, you link a camera to a zone by noting control panel channel number, then you select wireless device, then zone. You select the settings cog of the zone you want to add a camera to, then select the control panel channel number of the camera and click ok to pair the camera with the zone. When an alarm event occurs, the event is pushed to you via the Hik-Connect app and you select the most recent event in the event log to get into the notification log, then open the event and select playback to view footage – pretty simple stuff. Axiom supports dual path reporting of alarm events and notifications over a combination of 10/100 LAN, Wi-Fi, GPRS and via 3G/4G SIM, with a primary and a backup channel. There’s SIA-Contact ID protocol for professional monitoring by control rooms. Something I like is IVaaS Support up to 2 channels of video with 7 seconds pre/post alarm recording for video – you can use any Hikvision IP camera or select a 3rd party IP camera that supports ONVIF standards. The video functionality supports viewing of event video via mobile client and clips sent by email.
CONCLUSION Does Hikvision Axiom do enough to warrant consideration by installers? We think it does. This is a competitively priced alarm system that is strong in key areas like comms, reporting and remote management using app or browser. Axiom’s video verification capabilities are solid, too, with not only Hikvision but third party ONVIF cameras supported. The app could be more polished but it’s logical to navigate – higher touch but not more complicated. However, the ability to support 32 wireless zones, 32 wireless outputs, 8 wireless keyfobs and 4 relays is the key, in my opinion. It gives Axiom more than enough capacity to handle complex residential as well as smaller SME applications. n
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Now you can have video, access control and security - all in one place
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29/5/19 2:18 pm
● Special report
VMS
Jacqui Thomson
CHOOSING VMS What are the most important qualities of video management systems? We asked 2 providers and 2 end users what they thought were the most important aspects of video management systems. IDEO surveillance systems are complex solutions that bring servers, network infrastructure, surveillance cameras and integrated sub systems into a single workstation. Not all VMS solutions are the same and not all users need the same levels of functionality. For integrators and end users looking for answers, this makes it hard to pin down the most desirable qualities of a video management system. According to Larry Waite, who manages Ipswich Council’s SafeCity system, the most important qualities of a video management system aren’t strictly related to functionality.
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“A few qualities that I look for include the ability to expand, grow and integrate with 3rd party software applications, ease of use and availability of adequate training (and documentation) for operators,” Waite explains. “Support and product knowledge by the supplier and integrator – the product is only as good as the support available. A state-of-the-art VMS system should have an ability for substantial growth, resilience and be ever evolving with new technologies, applications and with the user’s needs.” Operators are rarely considered in VMS purchasing but what is vital for them, when it comes to VMS selection – what functionalities do they use most in Waite’s experience? “Speed is the key,” he says. “The quicker they can bring up a camera and access footage the better. Latency is unacceptable. The ability to control a camera’s speed when moving. Not necessarily faster, but a more controllable speed when required. Particularly when they are following or tracking a subject. “The hard thing for end users of VMS in my experience is support and ongoing costs. A difficult aspect of any VMS product is the add-ons, plugins (bells and whistles) available and the temptation to
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BY J O H N A D A M S
IN MY EXPERIENCE, SEARCH FUNCTIONALITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME EFFECTIVE TOOL TOGETHER WITH THE ABILITY TO ZOOM IN WHILST RETAINING VIDEO QUALITY.
purchase. Often announced and promoted to whet the appetite of the consumer, these may not actually be viable or available yet. “Another obstacle is that cost factors are not necessarily fully known or disclosed by the vendor,” Waite explains. “For example, an increase or additional licensing cost, additional hardware or a requirement to upgrade existing hardware that can have unexpected costs totalling tens of thousands of dollars or more to the end user. Other issues include ensuring the VMS is capable of supporting multiple brand cameras and has the ability for 3rd party software integration.” VMS integration with access control and intrusion, automation means it is becoming more and more PSIM-like. Does the future include VMS that offers users as much security management system functionality as they require? Waite is not entirely convinced. “It all sounds wonderful - an all you can eat VMS/ security platform,” he says. “It may work but I am a little cautious of putting all my eggs in one basket at this stage, particularly when it comes to security of assets. I’m interested to see where this goes in Australia – and to see how well these types of products are supported here by the manufacturers.” Perhaps the hottest topic in video surveillance is analytics/AI/IVA/VCA. It’s hard not to see such
developments as being a considerable help to security managers. Does Waite see a hunger for systems that can recognise behaviours, threshold/line breaches, even people? “Certainly – these are exciting times,” Waite says. “As a person who commenced exploring video analytics 20 years ago it has only recently really started to become a viable option for my purpose. Taking an existing camera feed or piece of recorded information and running it through analytics can pay off. From object matching, counting, colour identification and more, we have found some of these platforms to be an effective method of analysing footage in minutes instead of hours. “It is also capable of providing additional information presented as numbers and graphs that can assist in many other areas, such as traffic and pedestrian management, without compromising the integrity of the camera or VMS system. I think that the collection of actionable data, the use of AI and intuitive platforms will extend into other areas of IP-based security devices and that the industry will continue to leverage the benefits. “I see this type of technology defining how we interact, communicate and conduct our daily business. This has the capacity to benefit society (liveability, workability and sustainability), providing that correct measures are in place to ensure that data collected is utilised correctly and in a positive manner.” Something that is beginning to play out on large sites and in enterprise applications is the beginning of a shift to cloud and virtual servers. The question is, how far will this trend will go? Fully networked or hybrid, depending on application? “The cloud will play a big part for most CCTV systems in the near future,” says Waite. “As costs come down, connectivity and bandwidths speeds increase, the cloud becomes a viable option, as long as CCTV users can quickly and readily have access to their data when required. Hybrid networks should increase with more transmitting options now available. Interconnection of multiple basic topologies will increase and provide flexibility and cost savings for network management and interoperability.” In a world where almost anything was possible, what is the one feature they don’t yet have that you’d like to see video management systems offer? “Many items come to mind from asset and building management systems, access control, alarm monitoring, incident and event management although these are available now through a 3rd party application or VMS plugins and add-ons, I would like to see some of these features incorporated into a VMS without the hidden costs,” Waite says. “These inclusions may be what separates one VMS from another as a key selling point.” Jacqui Thomson, commercial asset manager, Asset Management Services, Tasmania, Knight Frank, manages Devonport Council’s integrated CCTV, access control, intrusion detection and automation solution on a daily basis. In Thomson’s opinion, the most important quality of
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● Special report
VMS
Larry Waite
A STATE-OF-THE-ART VMS SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE AN ABILITY FOR SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH, RESILIENCE AND BE EVER EVOLVING WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES, APPLICATIONS AND WITH THE USER’S NEEDS. a video management system is coverage and quality of vision for evidence capturing. “You rely on the experience and expertise of your installer to ensure there are no blind spots, to cover the key points in and around your facility and for advice on sufficient systems for quality, streaming and storage,” Thomson says. “There is no point having amazing tech if the systems don’t support it. Plus, you want the ability for expansion, extra cameras etc. We were very lucky that our security contractor, Stuart Mathews of Degree C, has 30 years’ experience with electronic security systems, that is priceless.” According to Thomson, there are features end users cannot do without. “In my experience, search functionality is the most important efficiency tool together with the ability to zoom in while retaining video quality,” Thomson says. “The speed with which the search functions help find footage when you have a large site is key. My favourite 2 search functions after date/ time ranges are ‘motion in area’ and ‘line crossing’. It’s very effective in narrowing down your clip results. “Other functionalities that are important are remote access features (mobile apps), which I use regularly in conjunction with the Inner Range Integriti Gatekeeper system management system here at Devonport Council. Being able to log in remotely after hours for building issues has been a regular occurrence in the start-up of the new building and settling in period. It has saved money
on after hours call outs of security and service providers.” Thomson says VMS is not as hard as it used to be for end users. “Systems these days are very user friendly,” she explains. “We’re just over 6 months in using this system and I’m pretty fluent and confident with it, enough to train other users. It’s a matter of playing with it to get to know and learn the available features. For example, just last month I learnt live tracking and face recognition features.” Thomson sees analytics as vital to VMS management in the future. “Powerful analytics in the security industry is very important for quicker results and policing,” she says. “There are people out there who can track someone in a crowd, even with clothing changes just by the gait of their walk or mannerisms. Imagine putting that AI in a system - the speed at which someone can be tracked for security, law enforcement or protection across all available cameras. For example: a missing child in a shopping centre, time is of the essence for the safety of that child.” In a world where almost anything was possible, what is the one feature VMS does not have that Thompson would like to see video management systems offer? “Voice control, taking multi-tasking to a whole new level,” Thomson says. “For example, to be able to tell the system to search for (time period, colour of clothing, license plate details etc) and keep track or pull up on screen those clips to view. I would also like to see tracking across cameras. I can currently track on one camera where a person goes, but for VMS to then capture and keep track when they enter the view of another camera would be beneficial.” When it comes to cloud use on large sites and in enterprise applications, Thomson argues that there are pros and cons based on quality of infrastructure. “At this point in time I don’t see it taking off until internet connections are gigabit speeds,” she explains. “For my site, considering the number of cameras we have, we’d need to have a dedicated internet connection and streaming live we’d possibly need to reduce the resolution quality in order to upload to the cloud simultaneously (like live streaming 65 Netflix movies on the one internet connection….it’s going to be slow). “Quality at the moment is too important for fast retrospective searches. Cloud storage costs, security, reliance on a 3rd party are all important factors to consider but if physical space, startup costs and future proofing are considerations, cloud has its benefits.” Milestone Systems’ national projects manager South Pacific Mike Metcalfe says the most important quality in a VMS revolves around openness. “You need the freedom and flexibility to choose industry-leading technologies that can quickly and easily plug into a VMS, allowing users to build and scale solutions with fit-for-purpose products, all based on their individual requirements and budget,”
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he says. “Choosing an open VMS which gives the user the capability to bi-directionally integrate multiple technologies and manage those processes in either user interface is becoming a standard capability, and one which the market is asking for. “When it comes to features, an end user should select a VMS that gives operators ease of use and great situational awareness. In other words, the ability to quickly and easily find what it is they’re looking for, either from a map or instant playback. Intelligent searching functionality or rules-based alerting and video wall notifications will then allow the user to note or bookmark the incident and seamlessly export the footage. This makes it extremely efficient to get that footage off to the relevant authorities, allowing them to make informed decisions.” According to Metcalfe, this is at the heart of operator requirements. “Operators need to be efficient and responsive - they require the ability to be situationally aware of what is happening in their site or multi-site deployment,” he explains. “This is key to them being able to manage incidents in real time. It also gives them the ability to rapidly respond to those incidents, keeping a running incident report, and the capability to quickly export footage from multiple cameras, in multiple formats, to multiple locations in a single export.” According to Metcalfe, there are challenges for VMS users in the process of selecting and learning to live with a new VMS but careful selection helps. “From a user perspective, probably the change that comes with learning something new,” he says. “When selecting a new VMS, there’s a lot of choice out there but they should be aware of falsehoods and incorrect competitive information. Test and trial the VMS where possible and ask questions before making the final decision. Nobody buys a car without test-driving it first.” Like the others, Metcalfe sees video content analysis of all types being important in the future. “These technologies will play more and more of a role in assisting operators and managers in making informed decisions and being efficiently responsive to situations,” he says. “Metadata associated with AI and having access to that data will turn the page on how integrated systems function. Automation of processes will have a big impact in assisting operators with their critical tasks, and this will start to become a standard requirement. We move at a fast pace and efficiency will be a key driver in day to day operations. Complete metadata-driven operations and smart searches using AI is something to look out for and is available in some VMS solutions already.” On large sites and in enterprise applications we see the beginning of a shift to cloud and virtual servers – how far do you think this trend will go? Fully networked or hybrid, depending on application? “Virtual deployments are here and now but we’re now starting to experience enquiries about having a hybrid setup, where footage is stored both locally,
then to a central on-premise location and then off to their cloud datacentre environments,” Metcalfe says. “What seems to be slowing this transition, with users generally only archiving to the cloud, is not so much the deployment costs, but the costs for storing and retrieving long-term archived footage. In the immediate future we will continue to see more of a ‘fog’ approach - or hybrid approach - until technologies and associated costs really allow for true cloud approaches.” George Moawad, country manager, Australia and New Zealand, at Genetec argues cybersecurity is one of the most important considerations when deploying a video surveillance solution. “A poorly secured camera, unencrypted communications between a server and client application, or out-of-date firmware can all be exploited by cybercriminals,” Moawad says. “It’s critical to have a VMS that employs a security strategy that protects your system against both physical and cyberthreats with multiple layers of defence including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and authorization. “When choosing a VMS, it’s also important to consider the future. Rather than merely looking at your immediate security concerns, consider how the choice of a VMS today will impact what you will be able to achieve as your security needs and video technology evolve over time. Scalability, deep integration of the latest IP cameras, readiness to support the computational needs of HD and 4K video, and adaptability to complex network topologies and new storage solutions are all important considerations when choosing a modern VMS platform. Mike Metcalfe
OPERATORS NEED TO BE EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIVE - THEY REQUIRE THE ABILITY TO BE SITUATIONALLY AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THEIR SITE OR MULTI-SITE DEPLOYMENT.
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● Special report
VMS
When it comes to features end users cannot do without Moawad argues that one of the most important aspects of a modern VMS is open architecture. “Will your VMS ‘play well with others’, or will it only communicate with products from its own manufacturer?” he asks. “A VMS must also offer deep support for a wide range of industry-leading cameras, encoders, and CCTV equipment. Third-party cameras and their features should be able to be programmed directly from within the VMS. Make sure the VMS can configure a variety of important parameters, including: discovering the camera or encoder on an IP network; IP address; frame rate; resolution; motion detection (within the camera or server based); bit rate; key frame interval; audio inputs/outputs; firmware update; PTZ protocols; and the like. No one wants to have to toggle between software applications to perform simple commands that should all be available in the VMS platform.” Operators are rarely considered in VMS purchasing but what is vital for them, when it comes to VMS selection? “The needs of the operators should be paramount when designing a system: they are after all the daily users of the systems and if the feature and interface don’t work for them, then the system fails,” says Moawad. “They need a user interface that is intuitive and easy to navigate and use. A positive customer experience is one of the most important factors in design and deployment of VMS solutions. Training is a key here. Multiple and regular training sessions give confidence to the end user. Lack of training is the main reason for challenges in navigating any platform.” A particular quality of Genetec’s Security Center VMS is lateral functionality that makes the system PSIM-like. Does the future include VMS that offers users as much security management system functionality as they require? “While the security industry is developing a variety of methods to bring separate solutions like video, access control, ALPR, communications, and analytics together via integration, the result remains a set of disparate systems with limited communication and interoperability among them,” Moawad explains. “Integrating separate security systems is a limited and costly approach. The most popular integration methods – network protocols, SDKs, etc. – have served their purpose. They provided a pathway for physical security solutions to become more efficient, but they continue to have several pitfalls that are inferior to a unified solution. “The better way is a truly unified system. Unification takes stand-alone components of a security solution beyond just being loosely or superficially connected via a software development kit (SDK), application programming interface (API), or physical security information management (PSIM). A unified physical security platform is a comprehensive software solution that manages access control, communications, intrusion detection, video, and analytics through a centralized open architecture,
A VMS MUST OFFER DEEP SUPPORT FOR A WIDE RANGE OF INDUSTRYLEADING CAMERAS, ENCODERS, AND CCTV EQUIPMENT.
built to provide complete access to all data. A unified platform goes above and beyond tagging or bookmarking video when an access control event occurs or unlocking an access-controlled door from the video surveillance user interface. “It’s a system that is coded from the ground up to not only work together but to purposefully intertwine functionality to offer a powerful user experience that includes built-in reporting and alarm management functionalities. With unification, it’s possible to configure and manage video cameras, access-controlled doors, print badges, monitor intrusion panels, and have everything at the security person’s disposal to ensure the level of security of a facility within a single software platform. “For example, our flagship system, Genetec Security Center, offers the only unified platform built from the ground up and coded together for seamless interaction and workflow right out of the box. Employees only have to get to know and use one system. Systems integrators and administrators save time configuring the system and only have one manufacturer to contact – Genetec – with any questions or issues, and cybersecurity protection applies to the entire system and not just one component.” How important will powerful analytics be to security managers in the future? “In a complex world, it is becoming harder to understand the everyday,” Moawad says. “An overload of sensors and devices as well as the volume of unstructured events and alarms all make it harder for you to know what is happening around you. Today, video analytics can already help deliver clarity, insights you act on, and eliminate the noise. Analytics can transform video into smart, actionable data. It improves security and operational efficiency, and can help take emotions out of a situation so you make the right decisions at the right time. “When it comes to AI, the hype is spreading faster than the actual science. Sure, machines are making huge steps forward. But, while they’re able to mimic behaviour on specific tasks, they’re not capable of thinking or acting like humans. In the physical security industry and elsewhere, there are a lot of claims about what current versions of AI are capable of. Like other forms of technology, if we don’t have a fact-based understanding of its potential, AI will fail to meet our unrealistic expectations. “Having said that, we are achieving increased accuracy using Deep Learning to solve structured problems—problems that involve knowing what the output of the data should generally be,” Moawad says. “For example, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) is a structured problem because, when we train our algorithms, we work with a data set of raw ALPR images, including letters, numbers, and symbols, to arrive at a classified output. In this case, the output is an image of license plate XYZ123. “We are actively using Deep Learning for purposebuilt solutions that rely on identifying trends and dependencies between features present in the data
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Qmini_poster.pdf
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2019. 5. 27.
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2MP/5MP Super-compact Cameras
Small yet Powerful
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Business Intelligence for Smarter Retail
Business Intelligence Features
99mm super-compact sized Q mini cameras have a business intelligence function such as people counting that offers retailers data to help them run their stores more effectively. By integrating the cameras with ‘Retail Insight’ software, users can analyze data collected from multiple stores and gain insight for successful store operation and resource investment.
People Counting
· Max. 2MP/5MP resolution · Max. 30fps at all resolution
Indoor Dome QND-6011/6021/8011/8021
www.eos.com.au
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IR Flateye QNE-8011R/8021R
· HDMI video output (QND-8011/8021)
Integration with Retail Insight S/W
hanwha-security.com
29/5/19 2:18 pm
● Special report
VMS
George Moawad
SOME VISITORS WILL LEAVE THEIR CARS IN THE CARPARK FOR EXTENDED PERIODS – WE USE THE SYSTEM TO FIND OUT WHOSE VISITORS THEY ARE. itself. For instance, we are currently using Deep Learning in AutoVu, our ALPR system, to increase the accuracy and veracity rates of license plate tag reads. By applying computer vision algorithms, we have greatly reduced false positive reads for law enforcement officers when they identify and stop a vehicle of interest. Similarly, KiwiVision Privacy Protector has also been working with deep learning to improve the accuracy of its anonymization tool. “Genetec Citigraf is another example of one of the products that leverages advanced machine learning algorithms to estimate how different types of crime influence the risk of other crimes occurring in the future,” Moawad explains. “For example, it can determine how close in time and space a robbery has to occur to your home to increase the risk of your home being robbed. In this case, there is no ‘ground truth’ in the original problem and the answers are learned from the data.” On large sites and in enterprise applications the market can see the beginning of a shift to cloud and virtual servers – how far do you think this trend will go? Fully networked or hybrid, depending on application? “While the cloud might have been considered hype at one point in time, more organizations are becoming interested in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model for video surveillance, access control and many more applications,” says Moawad. “There are various reasons why more businesses are turning to cloud solutions. On one level, adoption of the cloud is propelled by economies of scale. For example, installing IP video surveillance cameras and setting up the networks and hardware
components that facilitate transmission and live monitoring are costly endeavours. “Yet the most financially burdening aspect of any surveillance deployment is often procuring and maintaining the servers that are required for hosting applications and storing video surveillance archives. The fact remains that as organizations continue to expand their surveillance efforts, their private data centres will become difficult to manage, maintain and afford. “SaaS allows organizations to deploy surveillance systems for a cost-effective monthly fee, avoiding the approvals or sourcing of lump-sum capital expenditures to procure more on-premises servers. Cloud services also eliminate the need to find additional rack space, and to cool, power and maintain storage hardware, while freeing up valuable IT resources for other projects. Hosting the system in a public data centre also ensures additional offsite redundancy, as compared to local appliances that are susceptible to theft, damage or failure.” According to Moawad, Genetec is seeing an everincreasing number of government organizations with mission-critical and highly sensitive infrastructure leveraging cloud capabilities. “Understanding the vast computing and infrastructure capacities of the cloud, they continue to implement cloud-first policies which ask federal organizations to consider cloud-based options before building data centres on premise,” he says. “In response, cloud providers are building facilities and platforms that adhere to public sector security, privacy and compliance standards and to other stringent needs of governments all over the world. Having an entire security system running in the cloud is not the only option when considering cloud-based solutions. Instead, organizations can extend the functionality of on-premises serverbased systems by simply adding devices with cloudbased software and storage, implementing remote sites with cloud solutions, or running specific applications in the cloud. “Hybridization allows organizations to keep on premises servers for existing technologies and uses and to add other security and business components or systems on need-as basis,” Moawad explains. “The sheer flexibility and scalability of the cloud simplifies expansions by accommodating many different objectives, uses and durations. From a front-end perspective, nothing changes for the operator who can manage all components, whether cloud-based or hosted on-premises, from a central location within one platform.” In a world where almost anything was possible, what new feature would Moawad like to see video management systems offer? “A video management system that, with the help of analytics/machine learning, could predict an incident before it happens,” he muses. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” n
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COLOGNE CATHEDRAL SQUARE
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Proudly brought to you by
● Regulars
Monitoring
Your Monitoring Specialists
1300 130 515
www.bensecurity.com.au
Alarming Threats The systems of end users and installers are faced with the fact that alarm signals sent over the public internet are susceptible to all of the maladies of public internet – many of which impact on alarm communications, either deliberately or as a consequence of an attack on a network or infrastructure.
HERE are a swag of threats that might impact on cabled IPbased alarm communications. Denial-of-service attacks are a type of attack on a network that is designed to bring the network to its knees by flooding it with useless traffic. Many DoS attacks, such as the Ping of Death and Teardrop attacks, exploit limitations in the TCP/ IP protocols. For all known DoS attacks, there are software fixes that system administrators can install to limit the damage caused. But, like viruses, new DoS attacks are constantly being dreamed up by hackers. On the Internet, a denial of service (DoS) attack is an incident in which a user or organization is deprived of the services of a resource they would normally expect to have. Typically, the loss of service is the inability of a particular network service, such as an alarm IP receiver, to be available, or the temporary loss of all network connectivity and services. In the worst cases, a Web site accessed by millions of people can occasionally be forced to temporarily cease operation. A denial of service attack can also destroy programming and files in a computer system. Although usually intentional and malicious, a denial of service attack can sometimes happen accidentally. A denial of service attack is a type of security breach to a computer system that does not usually result in the theft of information or other security loss. However, these attacks
T
can cost the target person or company a great deal of time and money. In a DoS or DDoS attack, an IP-protocol communications system is suddenly flooded with such a volume of spurious commands that a sort of data roadblock is established, preventing genuine data traffic, such as an intruder alarm activation acknowledgement, from getting through. The result is the IPequivalent of a line failure in monitoring terms. By accident or design, DoS attacks can have the effect of blocking all transmissions to and from any security device or site within an organisation and/or the link to the 24-hour manned monitoring centre. In turn, this will reduce the effectiveness of response by the emergency services, key holder or the manned security patrol on-site. A hacker begins a DDoS attack by exploiting a vulnerability in one computer system and making it the DDoS master. It is from the master system that the intruder identifies and communicates with other systems that can be compromised. The intruder loads
PORT SCANNING IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT A CRIME. THERE IS NO WAY TO STOP SOMEONE FROM PORT SCANNING A COMPUTER WHILE IT’S ON THE INTERNET...
cracking tools available on the Internet on multiple - sometimes thousands of - compromised systems. With a single command, the intruder instructs the controlled machines to launch one of many flood attacks against a specified target. The inundation of packets to the target causes a denial of service. Teardrop Attack, this type of denial of service attack exploits the way that the Internet Protocol (IP) requires a packet that is too large for the next router to handle be divided into fragments. The fragment packet identifies an offset to the beginning of the first packet that enables the entire packet to be reassembled by the receiving system. In the teardrop attack, the attacker’s IP puts a confusing offset value in the second or later fragment. If the receiving operating system does not have a plan for this situation, it can cause the system to crash. Script Kiddies are persons not technologically sophisticated, who randomly seeks out a specific weakness over the internet in order to gain root access to a system without really understanding what it is they are exploiting because the weakness was discovered by someone else. A script kiddie is not looking to target specific information or a specific company but rather uses knowledge of a vulnerability to scan the entire internet for a victim that possesses that vulnerability. Port Scanning is the act of systematically scanning a computer’s ports. Since a port is a place where information goes into and out of a computer, port scanning identifies open doors to a computer. Port scanning has legitimate uses in managing networks, but port scanning also can be malicious in nature if someone is looking for a weakened access point to break into your computer. Types of port scans include: l Vanilla: the scanner attempts to connect to all 65,535 ports l Strobe: a more focused scan looking only for known services to exploit l Fragmented packets: the scanner
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Proudly brought to you by
Your Monitoring Specialists
1300 130 515
www.bensecurity.com.au
Stanley El Komala
sends packet fragments that get through simple packet filters in a firewall l UDP: the scanner looks for open UDP ports l Sweep: the scanner connects to the same port on more than one machine l FTP bounce: the scanner goes through an FTP server in order to disguise the source of the scan l Stealth scan: the scanner blocks the
scanned computer from recording the port scan activities. Port scanning in and of itself is not a crime. There is no way to stop someone from port scanning a computer while it’s on the Internet because accessing an Internet server opens a port, which opens a door to the computer. Zombie Attacks are made by a computer that has been implanted
with a daemon that puts it under the control of a malicious hacker without the knowledge of the computer owner. Zombies are used by malicious hackers to launch DoS attacks. The hacker sends commands to the zombie through an open port. On command, the zombie computer sends an enormous volume of packets of useless information to a targeted Web site in order to clog the site’s routers and keep legitimate users from gaining access to the site. The traffic sent to the Web site is confusing and therefore the computer receiving the data spends time and resources trying to understand the influx of data that has been transmitted by the zombies. Compared to programs such as viruses or worms that can eradicate or steal information, zombies are relatively benign as they temporarily cripple web sites by flooding them with information and do not compromise the site’s data. Many big sites have been brought down by zombie DoS attacks. Zombies are also referred to as zombie ants. Smurf attacks are a type of network security breach in which a network connected to the internet is swamped with replies to ICMP echo (PING) requests. A smurf attacker sends PING requests to an Internet broadcast address. These are special addresses that broadcast all received messages to the hosts connected to the subnet. Each broadcast address can support up to 255 hosts, so a single PING request can be multiplied 255 times. The return address of the request itself is spoofed to be the address of the attacker’s victim. All the hosts receiving the PING request reply to this victim’s address instead of the real sender’s address. A single attacker sending hundreds or thousands of these PING messages per second can fill the victim’s T-1 (or even T-3) line with ping replies, bring the entire Internet service to its knees. Smurfing falls under the general category of denial-of-service attacks security attacks that don’t try to steal information, but instead attempt to disable a computer or network. n
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● Special report
SecTech 2019
SECTECH ROADSHOW SecTech Roadshow – 23 Exhibitors, 5 Cities, 1911 Attendees!
Melbourne
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SecTech Melbourne moved to a great new space at the MCEC and the event drew more attendees than ever before – it was a great start to this year’s roadshow!
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CREATING THE FUTURE OF SECURITY . . . TODAY
The Security Professionals’ first choice for today’s security infrastructure, from one room to multi-location complexes around the world. Our reputation is based on a time-honored tradition of rock-solid quality, premium reliability and the integrity of DSX and our network of factory-trained, authorized dealers and support. When you are staking your reputation on a solution - choose the most powerful and intelligent access control systems in the world, choose the total security relationship with DSX.
• No “Per Seat” Licensing In System Pricing
DSX Access Systems, Inc.
• LAN/WAN Compatible
• Alarm Text Message/ E-Mail Notification
• Smart Card and Biometric Integration
• Hot Swap Redundant Communication Server
• Unlimited Access Levels Per Cardholder
• High Level Elevator Control Interface
• Integrated Photo ID Badging • Backup SQL Server
• Backwards Compatible Architecture
www.dsxinc.com
• Integrated Wireless Locksets
DSX CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS | 10731 Rockwall Road | Dallas, TX USA 75238 | 214.553.6140 | sales@dsxinc.com SEADAN SECURITY & ELECTRONICS | Unit 7, 170 Forster Road | Mt Waverley, VIC, 3149 | (03) 9263-0111 | seadanvic@seadan.com.au | www.seadan.com.au
Quality. Reliability. Integrity. The Security Professionals’ First Choice.
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● Special report
SecTech 2019
Sydney
n
SecTech Sydney was held at The Venue in Alexandria and while parking had its moments, the venue itself was outstanding – SecTech Sydney had its biggest day ever – it was a super effort!
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Back of House
Access Solution Geoff Plummer Executive Business Manager - Davcor Group
An opportunity for building managers and installers. A few years ago, I completed an Executive MBA. Classes were held Friday through Sunday once a month at a major CBD building. To access the building over the weekend our student card opened the main foyer side door, granted access via the lift to the designated floor and opened the main entry to the classrooms. I now sit here writing this thinking to myself about the countless service doors, side entries, fire escapes, service cupboards and other doors that were fitted with mechanical cylinders and the opportunity missed to provide access control for these doors. A quick memory ‘guesstimation’ count makes me believe that there were more than 10 service style doors on the floor I attended classes on without access control. I was on the 23rd floor and there were several more floors above me. So, if I assume there were 25 floors with 10 doors per floor, there are 250 service doors. The service doors are under the building owners’ control. They secure the back of house and need to be accessed by all manner of service providers and trades people. Added to which some doors such as electrical cupboards requiring strict control over access due to safety concerns.
Are you missing opportunities? I have now presented a problem: How do building managers control access to back of house service doors that do not have access control? Where trades and service people need to be site inducted, provided with keys, keys returned, lost keys replaced, locks rekeyed and above all, how do we stop the cleaner opening the electrical riser and potentially hurting themselves.
The solution is to install an electro-mechanical key system such as EKA CyberLock. EKA CyberLock makes a range of cylinders to suit most common locks in the Australian market. The Cylinders are opened with CyberKeys, both of which are managed using software in the same way as an access control system. The management software allows access to be granted when and where, or simply timed out or even revoked when required. The entire system can be audited and to make it even simpler can potentially be integrated with your wired access control system or your contractor management system. And if you are thinking can a lost key be deleted; the answer is yes. I see the installation of an electro-mechanical key system as an opportunity for both the installer and the building owners. For the installer, the project increases by 250 doors and for the building managers, a high level of control can be enforced for the back of house and the key system will never need to be rekeyed again.
EKA | CyberLock - Division of Davcor Group Pty Ltd. 1300 722 311 - WWW.EKACYBERLOCK.COM.AU
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â—? Special report
SecTech 2019
Brisbane
n
SecTech Brisbane was held at the excellent RICC at the top of the re-vamped King Street and the Queenslanders responded to a beautiful day by turning up in droves – it was our best ever day up north!
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Y OW O D RE N SOL S R CU SS CE EA SE PA N 3 Y RE T F E AS L
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24-26 JULY 2019 ICC SYDNEY DARLING HARBOUR
FOCUS ON
SECURITY THE 2019 SECURITY EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE:
WHERE YOUR SECURITY NEEDS ARE BROUGHT INTO FOCUS Gain insight into the newest innovations that are reinventing the industry. AI, biometrics and tech inventions are moving at lightning speed and smart technology is inspiring new discoveries every day. Industry leaders, new visionaries and expert users are all joining together to exchange ideas and developments. The Security Exhibition + Conference is Australia’s largest and most established commercial security event that cultivates innovation, solves problems and leads an industry to be the best in the world.
REGISTER FOR FREE EXHIBITION ENTRY BOOK YOUR CONFERENCE PASS securityexpo.com.au #security2019
Lead Industry Partner
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â—? Special report
SecTech 2019
Adelaide
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SecTech Adelaide is the friendliest event in the SecTech calendar and we had another great day in South Australia – once again attendance was a new record.
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Perth
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SecTech Perth has long been a roadie favourite with SecTech exhibitors. Located in a swish new venue in the Perth CBD, this year’s event pulled another record crowd and finished SecTech 2019 on a high note. A great effort – many thanks to roadies and to all our visitors – we’ll see you again in 2020!
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● Regulars
Products
Editor’s choice
What’s new in the industry.
HID RELEASES MULTISPECTRAL FINGERPRINT READER
JOHNSON CONTROLS ILLUSTRA PRO SMART WDR CAMERAS
l HID Global has released a new fingerprint reader that utilizes the company’s globally-patented multispectral imaging technology to bring biometric authentication to the door. The iCLASS SE RB25F fingerprint reader is said to increase image capture performance and fingerprint matching in under a second, reducing delays that were previously symptomatic of biometric solutions. HID’s multispectral imaging technology captures images from both the surface and sub-surface of the skin so that all types of fingerprints, from people of any age, can be read quickly and reliably in cold, dry, dirty, wet and other challenging environmental conditions. The reader includes built-in optical tamper protection and supports the Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP), as well as HID’s Seos technology for multilayered authentication between the reader and credentials. Security administrators can download the complimentary HID Biometric Manager, an on-premise software tool for configuring and managing one or many iCLASS SE RB25F readers.
l JOHNSON Controls has revealed its new Illustra Pro Gen3 mini-dome with smart wide dynamic range (WDR) that reduces install times. A smart WDR feature allows the camera to adjust contrasting and overall scene balance without operator intervention. Setup times are also reduced with the addition of configuration profiles, such as retail, gaming and indoor/outdoor scenes, where camera settings are automatically adjusted based on the environment, with a simple click of a button, according to the company. The Pro Gen3 mini-dome also automatically adjusts settings to the desired mount for ceiling or wall. There’s also Illustra IntelliZip bandwidth management, effective failover redundancy, cybersecurity and video intelligence analytics. These mini-domes are available in 3 and 8MP options, as well in wide field of view and narrow field of view options, and are not impeded by physical barriers such as a bubble housing. Video intelligence analytics allows users to offload analytic streaming from network video recorders to the edge on Illustra cameras.
Distributor: HID Contact: + 61 3 9809 2892
AVIGILON BLUE CONNECT l AVIGILON Blue integrates an on-premise Avigilon Blue Connect
device that supports local storage as well as Avigilon and ONVIF compliant cameras and sends critical events to the cloud for customers to view and verify from their web-connected device. Avigilon Blue is an appliance that allows you to record your cameras in the cloud saving storage and bandwidth. It provides easy and secure system access, smart notifications, system upgrades, and new features that will be pushed directly from the cloud. Powered by Microsoft Azure, Avigilon Blue leverages cloud services that are built, deployed, and managed through a global network of trusted datacenters, providing customers with enterprise-grade security and global scale. The Avigilon Blue Connect device enriches non-analytic IP cameras and analog encoders with Avigilon’s industry leading self-learning video analytics. When used with Avigilon Blue cloud, the system detects people and vehicles in defined areas and sends push notifications with a 10-second video clip. This enables you to identify the root cause of a security event and take the appropriate action. Avigilon Blue sends you the alarms that matter. Distributor: Avigilon – CSD Contact: 1300 319 499
Distributor: Tyco Security Products Contact +61 409140922
HILLS RELEASES NEXT GENERATION RELIANCE XRPRO PANEL l HILLS has released of the next generation of Reliance panels – the Reliance XRpro – featuring built-in IP communication, encrypted connections and 2 wireless ITI receivers, one for 60-bit legacy ITI wireless and the new 80-plus fully encrypted ITI wireless solution, with a vast array of accessories for each. Utilising Interlogix’s Ultrasync platform the XRpro provides a monitored path with multiple levels of redundancy, and as an additional security feature, customer codes are stored on the panel. A dual SIM 4G/Wi-Fi module adds 4G cellular communication capabilities, allowing alarm reporting and remote connections over the 4G mobile network via UltraSync. The module is supplied with SIM cards installed and will include ongoing subscription costs. Capable of monitoring up to 16 independent zones, expandable to a maximum of 176, the XRpro is the perfect security solution for residential, multi-storey, education, retail, government, aged care and warehousing applications and can manage up to 256 user pin codes. Camera integration is made easy with native IP camera support. Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487
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HIKVISION 5 SERIES 4MP CAMERAS
EKA CYBERLOCK FROM DAVCOR
l Hikvision recently releases 5 series 4MP range, featuring a new
l EKA CyberLock is an electromechanical master key system that’s next generation in access control that secures, controls and audits all assets, from the front door to assets in remote locations. It’s a hybrid product that has combined the attributes of conventional proximity or swipe card access control with those of a mechanical master key system. By eliminating the wire between the lock and the managing software, EKA CyberLock can be installed virtually anywhere. The convenience of a mechanical key system plus the access permission and tracking capability of an electronic access control system come together with EKA CyberLock. Securing an office door with current access control technology is easy.
large-sized image sensor and upgraded platform, which allow the functions of ultra-low light performance and support 140 dB WDR to be carried out simultaneously under a higher 4MP resolution. Meanwhile, 5 series 4MP cameras have various shapes, including bullet, box, indoor dome and outdoor dome supporting antiIR reflection, enhancing the adaptability of the whole series in different environments. A model with 8-32mm telephoto lens is additionally available, working with 4MP high resolution sensor, which can improve the performance of reading objects like plate numbers. Distributor: Hikvision Contact: +61 2 8599 4233
Distributor: EKA Contact: 1300 722 311
TVT – THE FUTURE IS FACIAL RECOGNITION
UNIVIEW WI-FI KITS AND CAMERAS
l TVT, distributed locally by CSM, is the first in the industry
l UNIVIEW has released its 2MP Wi-Fi Kits solution in bullet and dome configurations. UNV has optimized the Wi-Fi signal, which enhances the capabilities of its new wireless solution. UNV Wi-Fi Kits signal is far more stable than competitors and is tested to a range of 40m, even when blocked with 30cm of reinforced concrete. UNV Wi-Fi Kit has auto network adaption, which can automatically adjust the resolution, bitrate and frame rate in order to provide fluent live view. In addition to its signal stability, the Wi-Fi KIT has a safety feature called stream scramble, means stream during transmission is encrypted so video content is protected from unwanted visitors. The standalone Wi-Fi IPC is supplementary to UNV’s wireless solutions, which can directly use EZCloud P2P solution.
to provide affordable face recognition solutions for everyday business. CSM’s Wayne Trethowan says the company is proud to present TVT’s simple and effective solution comprising ‘Face detection by IPC + Facial Recognition by NVR’, making the surveillance easy to deploy and low cost. “Features include the capability to handle 10 faces simultaneously with 3-4 faces per second recognition, face VIP greetings, block list warning, face attendance, face check-in and a database hosting up to 10,000 faces,” says Trethowan. “The accuracy rate is significantly increased with ultra-starlight and white light illumination technology. The GUI is simple, user-friendly and highly effective. Real time alarms, face database management, face information and statistics make this technology a great choice for all applications.”
Distributor: C.R. Kennedy Contact: +61 3 9823 1555
Distributor: CSM Contact:
HANWHA MOBILE NVRS FOR HEAVY TRANSPORT l HANWHA has just released 2 new Mobile NVRs, available in either 4 or 8 channels. These machines are designed for heavy transport where a robust NVR is required, and the operating environment has rigorous vibrations and high temperatures. Adopting an embedded Linux operating system, these feature-rich Mobile NVRs provide powerful audio and video encoding for cameras with up to 8-megapixels resolution. With 4TB SSD storage, optional Wi-Fi wireless network transmission, secure data storage, hard disk vibration damping, and low power consumption makes these mobile NVR solutions from Hanwha applicable to a variety of surveillance scenarios such as public transportation, trucks, mining industry vehicles and watercraft. For more information, please head into your local CSD branch. Distributor: CSD Contact: 1300 319 499
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● Regulars
Help desk
Q: We had a nasty experience with an extension cord recently – one of our techs melted it after mistaking wattage for amperage – is there a simple equation when stepping between the 2 measurements? A: To calculate amps you divide wattage by voltage – in Australia that’s 240V AC. When using extension cords make sure you check the ampere rating of any tools you plug into them. But if you memorise a few numbers you won’t go wrong. Domestic extension cords are usually number 18 wire and should never be used with any appliance or tool that uses more than 7 amps. Buy heavy-duty extension cords with number 16 or number 14 wire and grounded 3-pronged plugs. If you’re not using your own extension cord, always check the cord for damaged insulation and the integrity of its plugs. When buying new power tools always purchase double insulated items in order to reduce the risk of electric shock and electrical burns.
Our panel of experts answers your questions.
Q: We have mostly installed wireless solutions but we’re starting to get into a few hardwired commercial applications. Running cable for these can be very tricky. Something we find is that using fish tape is difficult, too. Trying to wrangle fish tape, a cable that keeps jumping out of the eye of the tape – every run takes a dozen goes to get right. Last week we broke a couple of fish tapes. Are we messing it up or is this normal? A: Yes, it’s quite normal but there are tricks. Taking it from the top, you’re right to use fish tape – it’s an important tool for everything from pulling wires through a pipe to fishing wires from one end of a house to the other above a ceiling in an attic, or poking it up through a plumbing chase. One of the first challenges the novice fish tape user encounters is unrolling the fish tape. The secret is to hold the tape very tightly and to carefully walk out the entire length of the tape (stepping on it as you do so to keep it from getting out of control) and to then re-coil it with a much larger diameter loop. Secure this larger
coil by wrapping one end around the coil thru the centre several times, so that it locks against itself in tension. As anyone who has used fish tape knows, the end of the tape can be dangerous to eyes, so don’t leave a sharp end exposed. Take the end of the tape in a pair of pliers and bend it over 180 degrees. Crimp it down tightly so that the sharp end is no longer exposed. This loop on the end is also useful for hooking the fish tape at the far end when you are snaking in walls or ceilings and for providing a place to securely tie on wire or whatever you’re fishing. Twist it through the loop and then cover the whole thing with electrical tape to keep it from snagging and to help keep it secure. When fishing through walls or ceilings, a slight bend or offset in the end of the fish tape can help the tape move forward without it starting to coil up uselessly in the void of the ceiling/wall. Also, flipping it back and forth through 180 or 360 degrees can help avoid it coiling up on itself and avoid creating a helical twist. You can have a great deal of control over how a fish tape slides against the wall or
IF YOU’RE NOT USING YOUR OWN EXTENSION CORD, ALWAYS CHECK THE CORD FOR DAMAGED INSULATION AND THE INTEGRITY OF ITS PLUGS.
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ceiling in a typical residential wall/ceiling void once you get some experience. It’s not a bad idea to get the tape out and play with it just to work on your technique. A key element is to work out how far you plan to go in advance. Walk off or measure out how far you think you’re going to have to extend the fish tape, and mark that by wrapping a piece of electrical tape around the fish tape. That will help determine if you’re hitting an unexpected obstacle or if your fish tape has gone somewhere unexpected (a common occurrence when snaking through large voids like attic spaces), or if the whole thing is coiling up against an obstruction. There’s an element of feel to using fish tape. Take your time and if things go wrong, try again. Or try a more direct path. It’s worth bearing in mind that getting cable through any built structure is challenging. Q: When installing Cat-6 cable recently, I found that my nice neat work seemed to have reduced bandwidth. It sounds improbable but performance was better before I started looming. A: Yes – it’s possible the effect you describe is real. Cat-5 has no real trouble if you ignore the stated bend radius in cable runs or bind it into a bundle. And you can pull Cat-5e too – not the way you can pull coax, but you can drag bundles. Things are different with Cat-6 cable. If you don’t follow the guidelines with your Cat-6 installations it may perform worse than Cat-5e. The way to ensure the best possible performance from Cat-6 is to be a little sloppy with the installation. Avoid neat bundles and tight cinches – don’t pull Cat-6 cable, lay it. The looser your Cat-6 cable runs are, the better they’ll perform. Q: I found myself working with coax recently – the system has a couple of existing analogue cameras the client wants to keep, and I was having trouble working out how to troubleshoot a possible cable break. Is there an easy way to manage this? A: You can search for a coax break with
a simple capacitance tester. Capacitance is the property of a system of conductors and dielectrics that allows the storage of electricity when potential difference exists between the conductors. Its value is expressed as the ratio of a quantity of electricity to a potential difference and a capacitance value is always
positive. Simply put, capacitance is a measurement of a cable’s ability to store an electrical charge expressed in picofarads per foot (pF/ft). For the purposes of this test what you need to do is establish the capacitance of the coax (in the case of RG-59U it’s 53.1 picofarads per metre) and you multiply this figure by the known length of the cable run. Once you have the nominal pf value of the cable run, attach the capacitance tester to the end of the coax cable and then divide the reading you get by 53.1. If the reading is different from the total capacitance of the cable, the sum gives you the exact distance in metres from the point you tested to a break in the cable. Another technique you can use with a capacitance tester if you think the break may be at one end or the other, is to take a reading from each end of the cable. One end may show a large pf reading while the other end has virtually no reading at all. In this case the cable break is at the end with the small reading. n
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Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers JUNE 2019 ISSUE 410
events FACE RECOGNITION HONEYMOON OVER? l QSS Assets Acquired By Seadan l Amplification Noise vs Blur l The Interview: Ann Wu, Sunell l Monitoring: Alarming Threats
l Case Study: Bulli SLSC Goes AirKey l Scenes From SecTech Roadshow l Special Report: Choosing Your VMS l Review: Hikvision Axiom Alarm Panel
IFSEC London 2019 PP 100001158
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Date: June 18-20, 2019 Venue: ExCeL, London, UK Contact: ifseccustomerservice@ubm.com IFSEC International is Europe's leading integrated security event. IFSEC welcomes high-level security professionals from 113 countries who come to source specialist security equipment across IT, cyber, perimeter protection, access control and more. IFSEC 2018 attracted a record number of top-level decision makers and security industry elite, 34 per cent of whom held an annual purchasing budget of over £1 million.
Security 2019 Exhibition & Conference
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Date: July 24-26, 2019 Venue: International Convention Centre, Sydney Contact: +61 3 9261 4662 Security Exhibition & Conference offers Australia's largest showcase of cutting-edge security technologies from more than 150 exhibitors.
SECURITY & GOVERNMENT EXPO
Security and Government Expo 2019
Date: November 14, 2019 Venue: The Realm Hotel, Canberra Contact: Monique +61 2 9280 4425 SAGE 2019 is the perfect opportunity for government and commercial end users, as well as integrators, installers and consultants, to see the latest security products and technologies in the nation's capital city in a relaxed and informal environment.
SecTech Roadshow 2020
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Dates: May 2020 Venues: 5 city Australian tour Contact: Monique Keatinge +61 2 9280 4425 SecTech Roadshow in its 6th year takes leading electronic security manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers on a national tour.
DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY.
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Visual Alarm Veriication
for New & Existing Paradox Systems
IP65
Indoor HD78F
Up to 16 cameras on one site
Outdoor HD88
H.264
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CSD.COM.AU
ATLASGENTECH.CO.NZ
SCAN TO WATCH VIDEO
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