march 2017 Issue 385
Security Operation
PP 100001158
l Schneider Installs Infiniti at SCUH l Monitoring: Infrastructure Changing l The Interview: Sir William Gallagher l Management: Proactive Risk Analysis l Special Report: Alarms and Automation l Special Report: Selecting CCTV Cameras l New: Bosch Video Management System l Review: SPRT60XPM Digital Analogue l News Report: What’s New in 2017: Part 2
Š 2016 Genetec Inc. Genetec, the Genetec logo and the Mobius strip logo are trademarks of Genetec Inc., and may be registered or pending registration in several jurisdictions.
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Pixels need perspective
The details definitely matter, but security shouldn’t be short sighted. At Genetec we realize that systems that work are systems that work together. Our software is the only one to bring together video surveillance, access control, license-plate recognition and enterprise security applications via a unified, cloud-enabled platform. Whether you’re a security specialist, a police chief or a CEO, successful solutions see the whole picture, today and tomorrow.
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To see how Genetec and Hills can help with your requirements, call 1300 HILLS1 or visit hills.com.au/branches to find your nearest branch.
editorial s ec u ri ty e l e ct ro n i c s & netwo r ks ma r c h 20 17 i ssue 385
By John Adams
Our Networked Future Looks Even More Networked
OMBINING the thoughts of manufacturers and distributors in the first few months of 2017 with comments from integrators like Schneider Electric, as well as considering growing trends in the U.S. and Europe towards cloud services, it’s hard not to feel that we’re in for a wild ride in 2017 and beyond. Last month we talked about the growing prevalence of biometrics but the changeful feel in the marketplace is bigger than biometrics. It’s deeper and it’s likely to change things in every way. Something that’s notable in big systems is the U.S. Army’s decision to turn to cloud services, with a $US62 billion contract awarded to IBM. Then there’s the General Service Administration’s $US50 million infrastructure solutions contract, which will link all government agencies securely using a network built on continually-refreshed technology. Both these infrastructure investments are right now and they’re predicated on cost reduction, redundancy and secure comms. We could all use more of that stuff. Speaking with the Schneider Electric team that installed the Sunshine Coast University Hospital security and automation system recently has been instructive. The fact this Inner Range Infiniti system integrates 16 sub-systems is noteworthy – integration across multiple subsystems while delivering a coherent workstation experience is tough – but it’s the underlying architecture that bears most consideration and not only for its virtual environment and full redundancy. The Schneider Electric team’s biggest challenge
C
Hand-in-hand with an increasing dependence on and appetite for networked solutions of all kinds, we’re likely to get a look at pre-5G in Australia this year.
throughout the installation came down to slow implementation of the SCUH network. No network, no work. At the device level, we hear a lot about IoT these days and there’s little doubt this sort of network-connected device architecture will become more prevalent in many applications of the future. But when you consider some very large electronic security applications, which include thousands of doors, thousands of cameras and tens of thousands of alarm points, you can see that there’s considerable network complexity on single sites when integrators deliver solutions engineered in the most intuitive possible way. The point here is that not only do big single-site systems increasingly depend on network backbones, their network complexity and the technical skill required to build them, is almost open-ended. The better your engineers are at building networks, the more seamless and powerful your networked systems can be. Securing networked systems of all shapes and sizes – be they internetconnected DVRs, or enterprise systems is challenging – we’ll be delving into this topic at SecTech Roadshow in May. But something that is clear in the post Miraibot world, is that most well-made devices and software management solutions do have adequate protection mechanisms, it’s just that most people don’t know how to apply them. And while the connectivity of security systems today certainly exposes them to greater risks, most mobile devices can be hardened via settings. Late last year at the AWS Invent Conference, cloud security was not just front and centre, it was presented as a benchmark providers needed to meet, with certifications, best practises, guidelines and support in all directions.
Cloud security is going to be something users and providers share with each other in order to guarantee bullet-proof cloud services to protect the cloud business model. Hand-in-hand with an increasing dependence on and appetite for networked solutions of all kinds, we’re likely to get a look at pre-5G in Australia this year. When I first wrote about 5G a couple of years ago, with its 5GB mobile download speeds, I was sceptical. The specifications seemed too woolly and merely talking about IoT as an ideal application for 5G didn’t make much sense to me. Device data streams are hardly likely to demand GBs of download – not unless those devices are all high-resolution CCTV cameras. But lo and behold late February, Telstra announced that it will team up with Ericsson and Qualcomm for over-theair field tests of 3GPP-developed 5G radio technology in Q3 of 2017. This technology uses millimetre waves in the 29 and 39GHz bands, mid-band radio frequency spectrum, and advanced multiple aerial technology, to offer multigigabit per second data speeds. The 5G push this year is part of an $A3 billion investment in mobile technology by Telstra slated for 2017. What does all this networking stuff mean? It means IVA everything, an explosion of lateral applications for CCTV cameras, greater threat from malware that evolves faster, greater need for co-operation and a greater tendency for underlying services to aggregate in the hands of large cloud providers. For electronic security installers and integrators, it means being open to existing in a dynamic new ecosystem expanding so quickly in so many directions, you’ll have to run hard to keep up. n
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rich in anecdotes, who rarely takes his eye off underlying business principles.
mar 17 24: Walking on Sunshine Schneider Electric has installed an Inner Range Infiniti access control and automation solution at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) at Birtinya in Queensland. The integrated security and automation system includes thousands of doors, thousands of devices, 8000 cardholders, and integrates 16 sub-systems, including 360 Jacques intercoms and nearly 800 Pelco cameras. 42: Infrastructure Globally, infrastructure is changing. It’s not just that networks are getting faster. Major users are turning to cloud in larger numbers. The creation of powerful and secure new infrastructure will define electronic security solutions and security monitoring in the future.
52: Proactive Risk Analysis Do we need to prove that a risk exists before moving to minimise it? The tragic events in Melbourne’s Bourke Street last month highlighted the difficult choices we face when an extremely rare but high-impact event has devastating consequences. 54: Alarms and Automation Alarm systems and home automation systems are becoming indivisible, giving installers and end users considerably more functionality and manageability than ever before. But how often are the capabilities of such solutions really shaken out in the real world? 58: Camera Choice Selecting CCTV cameras is no easy task. There are many factors to consider, including performance, application, customer preference and cost. The best surveillance camera selections are those that best balance multiple competing interests.
46: The Interview: Sir William Gallagher
62: Bosch BVMS
Sir William Gallagher heads up New Zealand electronic security manufacturer Gallagher, a company that is unquestionably a world leader in access control and automation solutions. Sir William is a witty and erudite lateral thinker,
Bosch Video Management System (BVMS) is an enterprise IP video security solution that provides seamless management of digital video, audio, and data across any IP network. It’s designed to work seamlessly with Bosch CCTV
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64: SPRT60XPM Digital Analogue
Latest business, product and technical news from Australia and around the world.
SPRINT Intercom’s SPRT60XPM day/night bullet camera offers 4 format digital analogue streams giving TVI, AHD, CVI and CVBS via a 1/2.9-inch 2MP Sony CMOS sensor. There’s a 2.8-12mm motorised, autofocus zoom lens, de-fog, up-the-camera setting of on-screen display and 60m of IR. But how does it stack up against 1080p IP cameras?
40: Monitoring Globally, infrastructure is changing. It’s not just that networks are getting faster. Major users are turning to cloud in larger numbers. The creation of powerful and secure new infrastructure will define electronic security solutions and security monitoring in the future.
70: What’s New in 2017: Part 2
68: editor’s choice
Part 2 of what’s new in electronic security solutions for the year ahead – speculation is one thing. Getting a handle on what manufacturers and end users are planning on releasing gives us a better sense of what’s on the horizon.
MARCH 2017 ISSUE 385
SECURITY OPERATION
PP 100001158
l Schneider Installs Infiniti at SCUH l Monitoring: Infrastructure Changing l The Interview: Sir William Gallagher l Management: Proactive Risk Analysis l Special Report: Alarms and Automation l Special Report: Selecting CCTV Cameras l New: Bosch Video Management System l Review: SPRT60XPM Digital Analogue l News Report: What’s New in 2017: Part 2
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What’s new from our manufacturers. 72: helpdesk Our team of electronic security experts answers your tough technical questions. Editor John Adams Advertising Manager Monique Keatinge Contributors Luke Percy-Dove Customer Service Annette Mathews tel 61 2 9280 4425 annette@bridge publishing.com.au
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news in brief
Genetec Growing at CAGR of 28 Per Cent For 5 years p.14 Video Alarm Technologies and Honeywell Join SecTech p.16 Securecorp Appoints New Paul McDonald as Australia MD p.18 Kiwi Access Manufacturer ICT Appoints Distributor for Italy p.22
c o m p i l e d b y j o h n a d am s
MARCH 2017
Ness Corp Celebrates 45 Years of Business
Australian National Maritime Museum Tenders For Security Integrators
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THE Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour released an RFT in February for the provision of regular and reactive maintenance services for the electronic security system installed at the museum, which includes CCTV, access control and intrusion detection. The Australian National Maritime Museum is large, with significant internal and external spaces, 2 major wharves and multiple vessels, including a decommissioned RAN destroyer. The museum building was designed by Philip Cox, Richardson Taylor & Partners and its 25m high corrugated iron roof was shaped to invoke the image of billowing sails. The museum has a floor space of 8500 square metres and covers 6 galleries. The 2 wharves to the east of the main building have moorings to support the largest fleet of in-water historical vessels in the world, including the RMS Endeavour replica. The tender closed late February.
Hikvision President Jeffrey He Clarifies Hikvision Ownership Jeff He
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n ACCORDING to Hikvision (North America) president, Jeffrey He, Hikvision is a public company that is partially owned by 2 SOEs. “In China, there are millions of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) at the state, provincial and city level,” He told Security Sales and Integration. “Hikvision is not itself an SOE but like many other companies in China, it is partially-owned (42 per cent share) by 2 SOEs. “While they’re much less common here, the U.S. and Canada have many companies with some
contractual ties to the government. For example, there’s Boeing Aircraft, which sell 26 percent of its products to China.” He was responding to ongoing speculation in the video surveillance market about Hikvision’s ownership structure and its relationship to the Chinese government. He also rejected talk of coded backdoors inserted into Hikvision products. “We have not received any reports from any country that Hikvision products put out a backdoor to any government,” He said.
NESS Corporation, one of the oldest electronic security manufacturers and distributors in Australia, celebrates 45 years in business in 2017. Just as many successful companies have been launched in humble circumstances – Amazon, Apple, HP and Google were all birthed in family garages – Ness Corp began life above the Circosta family fruit shop in Seven Hills in the early 1970s. The Ness 5000 alarm panel was the big breakthrough for brothers Naz and Larry Circosta. Ness used modern surface mount manufacturing methods, the latest technologies and a clever integrated housing and keypad design to create what became the benchmark in the domestic and small commercial alarm panel market. Ness still manufactures security controllers and sensors at its Seven Hills HQ, and has expanded into automation within its own well-proven solutions and in its distributed ranges. The company is one of a handful of electronic security manufacturers in Australia with a full surface mount production line. Ness has survived acquisition and management buyout, and its continued success underscores the truism that quick-stepping tech houses work best when their owners work in the business.
Naz Circosta
Axis Communications Appoints Sektor as New Zealand Distributor
Edinburgh Defence Precinct Electronic and Physical Security Upgrade m n AUSTRALIA’S Department of Defence DSRG (Defence Science and Technology Group) is seeking an upgrade to its security and video surveillance systems, as well as ongoing maintenance support. Located 25km north of the Adelaide CBD, Edinburgh Defence Precinct is a key national defence research, manufacturing and sustainment hub housing RAAF Base Edinburgh, the Defence Science and
Technology Group and major defence companies including BAE Systems Australia, Lockheed Martin Australia, Airbus Group Australia, Raytheon Australia, CAE Australia and Meggitt Training Systems. The precinct encompasses major Australian Defence Force capabilities, manufacturing and sustainment capabilities of national importance including the maritime strike capability, Jindalee
Operational Radar Network and 1st Brigade Adelaide. The application is likely to be large. The site is also home to the No. 92 Wing and its Lockheed AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, No. 87 Squadron Air Force Intelligence, as well as 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and other units. The daily working population of RAAF Base Edinburgh alone is greater than 4500. The tender closes on March 28.
n AXIS Communications appointed Sektor as New Zealand distributor. Under the agreement Sektor will distribute the entire range of Axis network cameras, access control, IP audio and video products. “Sektor provides us with new market opportunities in the IT realm plus the comprehensive support of their market leading distribution capabilities,” said Wai King Wong, Axis country manager, South Pacific region. “We’ve been really impressed with Sektor’s professionalism and drive. They are a great match for Axis as a company and the innovative products we have in the pipeline.”
Axis is the most technologically advanced brand in the market and continues to lead the world with video innovation
According to Sektor’s GM Security, Andre van Duiven, Sektor sees video technology combining with big data for some major growth in the coming years. “Axis is the most technologically advanced brand in the market and continues to lead the world with video innovation,” van Duiven said. “We have been working on several industry specific solutions and combining these with Axis presents major growth opportunities for our reseller partners and Axis alike.” Sektor went live as an NZ Axis distributor with full product support and inventory on February 1. The Sektor NZ team reports that there will be a nationwide roadshow in the coming months.
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news MARCH 2017
SEEKING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TASMANIAN PORTS SECURITY SYSTEMS UPGRADE The Tasmanian Ports Corporation (TasPorts) is an important link in trade for Tasmania and Australia, with 99% of Tasmanian freight passing through its ports every year. Tasports operates major shipping ports in Burnie, Bell Bay, Devonport and Hobart, as well as a number of smaller ports across Tasmania. TasPorts is also the operator of the Devonport Airport. In 2017 TasPorts is embarking on a significant security technology upgrade program. This upgrade will support its operations well into the future and provide state of the art capabilities for security monitoring and access control management. Technology requirements include a new Video Management System, IP Cameras, Access Control and Alarm Integration, and Intercom Systems to be rolled out across the state. Additionally, the state operations centre for security will be redeveloped to house the security personnel and the upgraded equipment. This upgrade represents a significant investment into the security of Tasports controlled ports across Tasmania, and is expected to provide meaningful functional improvements over the existing system. Tasports is now seeking expressions of interest from experienced suppliers interested in working with TasPorts to supply, install and maintain this equipment. For more information on this opportunity go to www.tasports.com. au/developmentopportunities
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Genetec Growing at CAGR of 28 Per Cent For 5 years n GENETEC has achieved a CAGR of 28 per cent year-on-year over the past 5 fiscal years, with significant growth in North America as well as Latin America, Caribbean, Middle East & Africa, Europe and APAC. “We are growing,” Genetec CEO Pierre Racz said at a recent press conference in Montreal. “In 2017, we expect to welcome our 1000th employee in one of our 9 offices around the world. The company is expanding and renovating its headquarters here and recently moved its Paris office to a larger space. “A lot of what we are focusing on here during the summit is that video management is not our only trick,” he said. “Video is certainly integrated very tightly into everything we do, but we also have emerging products, such as Synergis for access control, and we are certainly going to be one of the top 10 access control companies this year.” Racz also pointed to the success of Genetec’s Mission Control, a decision support system that provides organizations with heightened levels of
Pierre Racz
situational intelligence, visualization, and complete incident management capabilities, and Genetec Clearance, a collaborative case management system designed to speed up investigations by enabling organizations to collect, manage, and share any kind of multimedia evidence. “We have moved the discussion away from pixels to the bigger picture, so hence the slogan we came up with — pixels need perspective,” Racz said. “A big focus is helping our customers to be able to do a lot more with less, which is what Mission Control does, increasing the productivity of security personnel.”
Alan Whitehead Steps Up as State Manager QLD, BGWT n ALAN Whitehead has been appointed to the role of state manager, Qld, at BGWT, with additional staff also sought. Whitehead has been with BGWT as a BDM for approximately 2 years and prior to this held management and sales roles with Chubb and Merit Lilin. Alan Whitehead
“Alan has been a wellknown and trusted person in the QLD security market for over 20 years and along with Alan’s work ethic, positive attitude and high level customer service made the appointment and promotion to state manager an easy one” said Robert Meachem – GM for BGW Technologies. “We are also recruiting for 2 additional roles in QLD to help service the upswing in customer and market activity. This adds to the further announcement earlier this month of additional people being recruited for NSW, VIC and SA.”
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news MARCH 2017
Honeywell and Video Alarm Technologies Join SecTech Roadshow n VIDEO Alarm Technologies and Honeywell Fire and Security have joined SecTech Roadshow, which hits Sydney on May 4, Melbourne May 9, Brisbane May 11, Adelaide May 18 and Perth, May 23. SecTech Roadshow includes a seminar on securing network-connected security devices as well as a series of camera shootouts – including 30x PTZs in Sydney. SecTech Roadies now include Camera Shootout sponsors Hills and Genetec, as well as Video Alarm Technologies, Honeywell Fire & Security. Bosch Security Products, LSC, CSD, Pelco, Video Security Products, C.R. Kennedy, Hikvision, ICT, Dahua, Mobotix, Tyco Security Products, BGWT, NX Witness and Q Security Systems. In the wake of attacks
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against hundreds of thousands of networked connected devices, including cameras and controllers, network security is the topic of the moment yet little understood by many in the electronic security industry. SecTech’s seminar will be built around a panel of experts who will discuss risk and present layered mechanisms to prevent, deter and detect attacks on networked electronic security solutions. From app-based mobile management of access control, security and automation solutions, to cloud-based alarm systems and networked video surveillance, this is a deep and complex area. Installers and end users seeking mitigation of risk should lock in the date SecTech visits their city! SecTech Roadshow is all about putting together
product and people in a relaxed and informal environment, with brilliant technology and masses of great prizes. SecTech visits 5 cities in 2 weeks, drawing more than 1500 installers,
integrators, consultants and end users to see the latest electronic security solutions. There are now just 3 exhibitor spaces left – call Monique Keatinge on 61 2
9280 4425 and don’t miss this great opportunity to take your products nation-wide. SecTech visitors – hop onto www. sectechroadshow.com.au and pre-register now!
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news MARCH 2017
Securecorp Appoints New Paul McDonald as Australia MD
Tony Dabbs Joins QSS as General Manager, Sales
n SECURITY and integrated services provider, Securecorp has appointed Paul McDonald as its new managing director in Australia. McDonald will oversee the company’s 2020 growth strategy. McDonald has more than 28 years’ experience working with several of the largest local and global security services firms in Victoria, NSW, ACT, NT and New Zealand. Securecorp was established in Australia 1989 and grew
n TONY Dabbs has joined
Securecorp was established in Australia 1989 and grew into a leading provider of services to some of Australia’s most high-profile organisations and events.
into a leading provider of services to some of Australia’s most highprofile organisations and events. The company has annual revenues of more than $A250 million, employs more than 4000 staff and has offices in every capital city. More recently, Securecorp was purchased by China Fire & Security for around $A150 million in 2016 and folded into the company’s global security provider, Guardforce Group Limited, which is headquartered in Hong Kong and has operations in Macau and Thailand. According to global CEO, Terence Yap, a core value of Guardforce’s operations is to employ local experts and personnel to the enterprises it acquires in
line with its global growth strategy. “A fundamental strength of Guardforce is incubating ideas and innovations at the regional level and applying them with the best local knowledge and talent available,” Yap said. “I am delighted to welcome Paul to lead our Australian operations and look forward to his input into our global 2020 strategy.”
Paul McDonald
Q Security Systems as general manager, sales. For the past 10 years Dabbs has worked with Hills, initially managing the Pacific Communications Victorian Branch, then holding a national business development role. “Since completing a Bachelor of Engineering, Tony has worked for security integrators in technical deployment and support roles, moving through to sales and management roles,” said QSS MD, Rob Rosa. “Tony is proficient in integrated end-to-end systems including CCTV, networking, computer hardware, video analytics and access control.” Dabbs said he was looking forward to the challenges of
his new position. “Having a background in both system integration and product distribution provides a great mix of experience for my new role at QSS,” he said “I’m excited to join the team at QSS and I’m looking forward to growing the business in my new role as general manager sales.”
Tony Dabbs
Sektor Conference Shines in Paradise n THE 2017 Sektor Conference early February at Hamilton Island in Queensland drew 300 ANZ partners and showcased team green’s growing strength in the IT and networked security markets. Along with 300 partners from Australia and New Zealand, Sektor hosted
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more 50 vendor delegates from the industry’s leading brands, many of which provided sponsorship to the event and presented the latest technologies and trends in the marketplace. There were 3 presentation streams on the conference day covering topics across retail technology,
mobility/AIDC, healthcare, networking and security. Forum sessions were also held to allow group discussions on topic specific industry issues. Delegates were encouraged to shift from room to room to gain the relevant areas of knowledge of interest to
their business. According to Sektor’s Tom Kinkade, the right balance of conference and leisure time allowed the guests to fully enjoy all the island had to offer, including playing a round of golf on Dent Island - a PGAcertified golf course, or a boat trip to Whitehaven
Beach and snorkelling and diving in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. “Feedback on the event was overwhelmingly positive from both the vendor and reseller delegates with plenty of positive comments from conference attendees,” Kinkade said.
Open the door to a new integrated user experience T RU ST E D T EC H N O LO GY
news MARCH 2017
CSD Partners with RightCrowd Workforce Assurance & Visitor Management
n RIGHTCROWD has partnered with CSD and Inner Range to bring customers the best in Continuous Workforce Assurance and Visitor Management, delivering a solution fully integrated with Inner Range’s Integriti Platform. This solution, which is also compatible with Gallagher (Cardax), Lenel and Tyco, provides significantly improved security, safety and compliance for an organisation’s visitors and workforce. Available in 3 editions, Visitor Essentials, Workforce Essentials and Elements. RightCrowd
Visitor Essentials provides both streamlined and modern visitor management processes reducing time and costs. While Workforce Essentials builds on features of Visitor Essentials and includes contractor and employee management processes. For custom solutions, RightCrowd Elements gives customers the freedom to select only the RightCrowd modules they need to tailor a solution to their unique applications. For example, requirements for requesting and approving access to site, dealing with visitors, emergency musters, or
even making sure people are trained to access a site safely. RightCrowd Elements can provide a solution for one or all such applications. According to CSD’s Mark Edwards, with a RightCrowd Essentials solution, all levels are catered for. “Users will have the latest in sophisticated, high quality, visitor and workforce management solutions at their fingertips,” Edwards says. “Additionally, RightCrowd’s integration with Integriti Pro is both comprehensive and intuitive, meaning RightCrowd’s pre-configured solution essentially takes the hard work out of the installation. However, users will still have freedom to configure the system with their own custom settings, with the usual full support (manuals, tech support) available from CSD.”
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but I think the laws already possibly stop this sort of thing happening.” Meanwhile, MBRC’s mayor Allan Sutherland said the system would boost community safety. “Moreton Bay Region now has the ability to not only see what’s going on, but to be able to hear what’s going on,” he said. “We don’t listen on a daily basis; as requested if the police come along and say: ‘Can we have the footage (then we provide it)’.”
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n MORETON Bay Regional Council has installed a comprehensive video surveillance solution monitoring high risk locations in the council area but the revelation audio is also being recorded from 330 cameras has attracted the attention of Queensland’s privacy commissioner, Phil Green. After the cameras began recording audio on Monday, February 6, Green said he was in the process of enquiring to see if the use of the technology breached privacy laws. “I’m still in the fact-finding mode — I obviously don’t act rashly, I’m trying to look into this and have a rational, good public debate on the issue,” Green said. “If the public isn’t happy with this sort of development, then the State Government can enact laws,
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Moreton Bay Council CCTV Camera Audio Recordings Causing Big Noise
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l This is one of the first to move to the new codec technology. We suspect the large brands (HikVision and Dahua) will follow suit soon. One the updated SDK is available we will upgrade their interfaces.
Cloud Stage- 2 Solution:
l Running Evolution in on a virtual cloud desktop l Moving more of the software and communication to the cloud.
S IGN UP TO OUR NE WSLE TTE R FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND I NFO! EMAI L KATI E@CSTECH.BI Z TO SI GN UP NOW! CS Tech 1-2H ad_V2.indd 1
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28/02/2017 8:40 am
news MARCH 2017
QSS Distributing Senstar Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems n SENSTAR, the world’s largest manufacturer of perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDS), has appointed Q Security Systems as the exclusive distributor for its lineup of security products in Australia. Q Security Systems will offer the complete suite of Senstar Perimeter Security products to its customer base. “We see Q Security Systems as an important partner to enhance our growth, with their capability to offer turnkey solutions for systems integrators as well as its national footprint,” said Gord Loney, vice president Asia Pacific, at
Senstar. In addition to the partnership, the business has been further strengthened with the engagement by QSS of Tom Knowles who was previously the Senstar sales and support representative for Australasia. Knowles is widely considered as one of
the world’s leading experts on perimeter intrusion detection systems. “This is an exciting time for both our companies” says Rob Rosa, CEO for Q Security Systems. “Having a world class product such as Senstar and having Tom on the team will certainly be a significant addition to great products.”
Kiwi Access Manufacturer ICT Appoints Distributor for Italy n INTEGRATED Control Technology (Europe) has announced an exclusive distribution agreement with HESA SpA in Italy. ICT said the agreement will enable both companies to cater to the growing demand for integrated security systems incorporating access control, intrusion detection, CCTV, biometrics, perimeter detection, elevator control, offsite monitoring, and building automation, all from one easy to use scalable and modular solution. According to ICT, HESA has an acclaimed track record with over 40 years in the industry, boasts a nationwide network of authorized dealers and
installers, and has longstanding partnerships with the principal makers of security systems. Such features make HESA the top-ranking company in the market. “We are very happy to be working with a company of HESA’s reputation, and this partnership will help meet increased local demand for the industry leading Protege GX and WX platforms,” said Ian Henderson, nonexecutive director of ICT Europe. “We believe that HESA is uniquely positioned to further develop our Italian customer base, and that with its market presence and sales and support network, together we can make a real impact.”
“In an industry with such dynamic needs, it is vital that security professionals have the most innovative and advanced product solutions available on the market” said Andrea Hruby, managing director at HESA SpA. “We see the ICT product range as an ideal addition to our portfolio, and are looking forward to being able to promote, market, and sell it to our customers.” According to ICT, this partnership is another step in a strategic plan aimed at developing ICT into a premier global supplier of access control solutions, as well as meeting increased demand for the ProtegeGX and WX platforms across Europe.
Hills Offers Unbeatable Prices on Xtralis Perimeter Protection n HILLS is offering special pricing on the Xtralis ADPRO range of perimeter detection solutions. Hills product manager, Tonie Kearns said the ADPRO range was a cost-effective alternative to using active beams. “The ADPRO PRO E PIR detectors are easy to install, resilient in harsh environments, and are compatible with most security systems,” Kearns said. “The range delivers innovative features such as 220m detection range, tamper-proofing, oneman commissioning and maintenance as well as wireless communication. “They are suitable for a wide range of applications but especially for longrange perimeters such as carparks, gas pipelines and airports.” “They offer a reliable security trigger for perimeter protection, theft,
APAC Access Control Market Growing at Nearly 17 Per Cent n PERSISTENCE Market Research reports the global electronic access control (EAC) systems market is forecast to increase from $US15.4 billion in 2013 to $31.2 billion in 2019, growing at a compound annual growth (CAGR) of 12.6 per cent. According to the report, the Asia-Pacific EAC systems market is expected to record the highest CAGR growth of 16.7 per cent to reach $9.6 billion in 2019. Usage of EAC systems in the commercial sector (the largest end user in 2013) increased by 13.9 per cent CAGR during 20092013 to reach $4.6 billion
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and shrinkage prevention, triggering camera monitoring, recording, and local response at the earliest point of detection,” Kearns explained. “Xtralis invented the industry’s first motion detection systems and has been at the heart of multisite, remotely monitored security for more than 25 years. From perimeter security solutions to video management systems, ADPRO by Xtralis helps you see the bigger picture and transform your security strategy from reactive to proactive. “ADPRO PRO E-Series PIR detectors are available in a variety of models to address your perimeter, performance and budget needs and for a limited time, Hills is offering special pricing for ADPRO range – contact your nearest Hills branch or visit www.hills. com.au”
in 2013. Terrorist attacks, vandalism and violence in public places, such as city centres and educational institutions are some of the factors leading to increasing demand for EAC systems, says Persistence.
Juniper Networks The family is stronger than ever and FOX Sports. With 14 branches and a strong network of people and products, Hills is the best choice to guide your Interlogix security solutions into the future.
FOX SPORTS is Australia’s leading sports producer and broadcaster, broadcasting an average of 23 hours of LIVE sport per day into 2.3 million homes around Australia with over seven million potential viewers through FOXTEL, AUSTAR and OPTUS TV. FOX SPORTS also provides the FOX SPORTS NEWS channel via IPTV through FetchTV, produces a dedicated FOX SPORTS NEWS TV mobile phone channel and provides mobile content to all three major Australian telcos.
Challenges
Solution
In moving from SD to HD production, the impact on capacity and performance of contribution and production networks is significant. Increasing the amount of native HD content for FOX SPORTS subscribers meant the existing FOX SPORTS delivery and contribution solutions needed a major review and critical assessment. For program contribution, FOX SPORTS typically used a combination of one-way-satellite and telco digital video network (DVN) services. However, these solutions are generally bandwidth restricted, requiring heavy video compression and encoding, which can severely impact the overall broadcast quality delivered to subscribers.
The FOX SPORTS solution comprised two elements—portable outside broadcast (OB) equipment and a fixed-service router deployment. FOX SPORTS deployed two Juniper EX4200 Ethernet switches in a Virtual Chassis configuration to each of its 12 OB units. The OB units travel with the main broadcast production vehicles, allowing interconnection of the venue media and data services to the FOX SPORTS TV center. The OB units remain parked in the sports venue for the duration of the match with the Juniper EX4200 switches connecting to the FOX SPORTS network using especially rugged optical interface cable and connectors. FOX SPORTS deployed two MX240 routers in its Sydney TV center as well as the Juniper Networks Network and Security Manager solution. According to Tomkins, the EX4200 switches were the ideal solution for FOX SPORTS, offering the high availability and carrier-class reliability of modular systems with the economics and flexibility of stackable platforms.
Big on features. Small in size.
FOX SPORTS’ desire was to secure high-capacity services in key sporting locations, removing costly satellite capacity and eliminating the need for heavy video compression. In addition, FOX SPORTS also wished to deploy a converged video, data and communications solution to enable full two-way communications between the various venues and the TV station. The net result would be a huge increase in its HD capability and quality, while streamlining back-end HD broadcasting production processes. To achieve this, FOX SPORTS decided to deploy its own private network • Customer Call Centre infrastructure over fiber carrier services and upgrade its existing network environment. This enables FOX • Quoting, pre-sales &solution staging support SPORTS to transmit multiple streams of HD and SD video, • voice Post support and andsales data content from multiple locations over a single, homogenous network. It is a huge amount of data with • Dedicated Tech Support 1800 252 213 a requirement for very high levels of quality of service (QoS) and reliability. To build its new virtual private network, FOX SPORTS required a new Ethernet switching and routing layer on the existing fiber network.
ChallengerLE offers the quality you expect from a Tecom Challenger solution in situations when space or budget is tight.
“Unlike most deployments, our switches are installed in cases that move around the country, so we needed a solution that’s very reliable—bomb proof,” said Tomkins. “When you’re in the business of live broadcasting, the availability of your network and the reliability of your network infrastructure is critical.”
With features like native ethernet, mobile app support, CBus integration, Contact us today for 3G communication support and management software connectivity, “The EX4200 is robust and very fault-tolerant hardware,” ChallengerLE just makes sense. a competitive quote Tomkins continued. “It offers a redundant power supply to ensure we remain operational even during a power outage. Its scalability was also a draw card. It comes with 24 ports, so it can support our future requirements as we grow.”
Visit www.interlogix.com.au for more information.
To see how Hills can help with your requirements, call 1300 HILLS1 or visit hills.com.au/branches to find your nearest branch. T RU ST E D T EC H N O LO GY
â—? Case study
SCUH
Walking on Sunshine Schneider Electric has installed an Inner Range Infiniti access control and automation solution at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) at Birtinya in Queensland. The integrated security and automation system includes thousands of doors, thousands of devices, 8000 cardholders, and integrates 16 sub-systems, including 360 Jacques intercoms and nearly 800 Pelco cameras.
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UNSHINE Coast University Hospital (SCUH) at Birtinya in Queensland is one of the most significant electronic security integration projects of the past 10 years. At SCUH, a chorus of 16 sub-systems is conducted by a single workstation, giving the security team profound operational sensitivity. But as gripping as this integration is, it’s only a single tributary of an application that pours out at you. A late start, a tight budget, a young team unfamiliar with each other and the products they would be installing, a huge site, an IP network that arrived too late and an access control manufacturer determined to carve out a niche in enterprise solutions.
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by j o h n a d a m s
Complexity is everywhere. In terms of floor space, SCUH is the equivalent of five 25-storey towers and even the development of the site has layers.
Operationally, hospitals are complex beasts. A multiplicity of vital subsystems, even core systems, orbit an immutable gravity; the delivering, nurturing and saving of human life. It’s an imperative that feeds into design at SCUH, where meticulous modelling and input from medical staff was used to plan an open architectural design that offered a pleasing environment and fast movement of patients through the hospital. This operational truth permeated the greenfield installation, leeching into build priorities and pressing the Schneider Electric team’s planning through schedule alterations and design variations. Complexity is everywhere. In terms of floor space, SCUH is the equivalent of five 25-storey towers and even the development of the site has layers. SCUH is not only a hospital but an educational facility and is Queensland’s first public hospital to be constructed under a Public Private Partnership - developed by Exemplar Health, a consortium comprising
Lendlease, Siemens, and Capella Capital, with partners Spotless Facilities Services. This collective has undertaken to build and run SCUH for 25 years. Flying into Maroochydore to meet the installation team, I had a strong sense of the scope of the system but those preconceptions didn’t prepare me for the actuality of a site in the last stages of commissioning before an official opening in March. It’s big – I expected that. But the system itself is very tough to get your head around. In fact, everything about this job was epic – the lead time, the site geography, the network topology, the lateral nature of the huge integrated system with its clever bespoke coding. At SCUH, nothing is simple and everything is entwined. Russell Blake from Inner Range meets me at the airport and as we head to Birtinya, we chat about SCUH. It’s a conversation we’ve been having for years and it’s nice to be finally getting to grips with a site I’ve heard so much about. “When it comes to the timeline from our
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SCUH
Mike Wood
We didn’t have much time to undertake all the backbone designs, the schedules and take-offs but we got them done and that was vital.
perspective, Schneider Electric won the security and building automation contracts with Lendlease back in 2014 and after a lengthy evaluation process, we were selected to supply an enterprise management solution using our Infiniti hardware and software,” Blake explains. “Schneider has installed our products in the past, but this is the first time we’ve worked with them on a major construction project. And this really is a major project. While the University of Western Sydney system is the largest Inner Range site, with 3500 doors and 500 buildings in five locations, in terms of complexity, SCUH takes the cake.” Arriving at the SCUH precinct and settling into a café across the road, I meet the Schneider Electric team behind design and implementation of the integrated security and automation solution. Project manager David Brennan was first to arrive late 2014. A few months later he was joined by security program engineer Mark Armstrong and site manager Mike Wood - over time the team expanded to nine and managed 50 contractors. Brennan, Wood and Armstrong have a strong dynamic, presenting the same over-arching operational focus but quite different strengths. All three completely own the application and as we talk I get a powerful sense of the journey they’ve been on. This interview feels like a mission debriefing after a tough campaign. Later I realise it’s a finely balanced crew. Logical planning and levelheadedness from Brennan, strong drive through the intense focus of Wood, and behind these two, all the operational promises and endless complexities of aggregating thousands of devices quietly and meticulously crafted by Armstrong and the software engineers. “That early time was challenging,” Brennan explains. “At that phase of a project, construction is
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happening but all of the services are going through some heavy design reviews with input from consultants – every few weeks we would get a new set of drawings for a whole level. With these kinds of jobs, it’s a moving target, making planning more difficult and more vital. “I’d come from a project with a similar complexity and there was a huge amount of change - I came into this job expecting heaps of changes and when we started we implemented a bunch of stuff to track what we were doing. It’s a lot of paperwork, but as the changes take place planning pays off. Careful planning gave us confidence that we were not missing cabling, missing a door, or that there was a drawing out there that was incomplete.” As well as operational planning, a system design was required. “The first thing we needed to do was quantify the scope of the job,” says Wood. “We had words on paper, but that was about it. Something to consider is that Schneider Electric had won the job very late. We came in cold with very little planning and our team was tasked with making the system happen on a small budget. We didn’t have much time to undertake all the backbone designs, the schedules and take-offs but we got them done and that was vital.” Sitting behind the planning and installation was Inner Range and distributor, CSD. For Inner Range, this application is a watershed – the first major enterprise application of its Infiniti solution. To ensure success, Inner Range maintained an opendoor policy all the way through to R&D for the SE team. Meanwhile, CSD provided all the hardware – not only controllers but locks, cabling, the works. According to Brennan and Wood, this intense partnering was a vital contributor to the success of the project.
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SCUH Sifer on glass
Marc Phillips
One of the biggest learning curves is knowing what access rights and levels can be given to people in certain roles.. According to Ash Ramanayake, who handles enterprise systems at CSD, the initial stages of the contract from a CSD perspective came mid-2014 and involved putting expressions of interest to SE. “We offered not only the Inner Range portion of the installation, but all the locking infrastructure, the hardware peripherals - everything was put together in one package. It took a lot of work to meet the requirements,” Ramanayake explains. “When it came to onsite support we facilitated with Inner Range more than anything else. All the training was handled at our offices – all the equipment and hardware is there. Being a wholesaler, we have warehousing and so the process of working out what is needed was easier for us – we can make sure we have the necessary stock and fine-tune the order with our suppliers as we go along. The whole process from initial pricing to delivery was close-knit – CSD had a lot of involvement with SE around that.” From the point of view of Schneider Electric, supply was a key factor in the smooth running of the installation process. “One of the time savers for me was being able to bundle all the access control together from the one supplier. There was only one order – it made a difference to the process of managing the order and the equipment flow of the order,” says Brennan. “CSD allowed us to fine-tune the quantities so I would order everything we needed for the ground floor and when it came time to order for the first floor, I would factor in what was left over from the ground floor and order less – I constantly reviewed quantities as we were going and tweaked the overall order.” According to Wood, as the job progressed, Inner Range and CSD put extreme effort into meeting the order. “We decided about a quarter of the way through to install Inner Range RS-485 SIFER readers and dumped an order for thousands of SIFER readers
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on Russell’s lap,” Wood says. “It wasn’t until I went down to Inner Range in Melbourne that I realised what the team there was doing to supply us with more than 2000 card readers. On the front line of a job you don’t always see the big picture - you are just pushing and pushing but behind the front line there are people trying to get equipment ready. A lot of overtime went into keeping us supplied.”
The SCUH System The SCUH site is large, with multiple buildings spread across the campus. Vital to the security system is the network - it’s full Cisco, including switches, design, configuration, engineering and commissioning. The backbone is fibre supported by two main core switches, one in the Facilities Management Centre (FMC) building and one in the Hub building to ensure full redundancy. The verticals sit on top of this fibre and devices are cabled horizontally on each floor in copper. The nature of the network had its own influence on the way the system was built, as did the speed of its delivery. Something that’s tough about SCUH is quantifying the security and automation system. It incorporates so many vital subsystems integrated using low and high level interfaces, that you can’t really define it as a security system at all. At heart, it’s an Inner Range Infiniti security management system supporting a distributed network of 140 controllers and daughterboards handling more than 2000 accesscontrolled doors, thousands of alarm points, as well as seamless, single workstation integration of those 16 sub-systems. Inside the hospital, door access is handled by SIFER readers, while 15 Prisma terminals arm and disarm security areas. Subsystems integrated into the security management system include a Pelco CCTV system comprising 800 cameras and Endura storage, Jacques intercoms, the BMS (BACnet/IP),
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SCUH
Ground floor was the most challenging, being the most inconsistent floor in terms of design. Nursecall, Stanley RTLS (mother-baby matching, asset tracking, patient wandering, mobile duress), KeyWatcher KeySafe, 44 HLIs for the Otis lifts, the fire system (BACnet/IP), SNMP management, web interface, pneumatic tube delivery system, the automated guided vehicle system and more. It goes without saying that there are some areas of Infiniti that were specifically designed or enhanced for this project. Russell Blake puts it best when he describes Infiniti as an automation hub. “Infiniti receives and sends information that’s relevant to the integration or service you are providing – it’s a data gathering point for all these different subsystems,” he explains. “The whole purpose of all these individual integrations to Infiniti is to create one operator interface. “It means operators don’t have to go to Pelco software, then go to Infiniti software, then go to Jacques software and Stanley software. Everything is done through Infiniti – the graphical maps, the alarms, the integrated camera views, the ability to control locks, and mother-baby matching everything.” In the network room, the integrated security system sits in two racks, with most of the real estate taken up by the CCTV solution’s 720TB of storage, which gives 30-day real time recording of 800 720p HD cameras. A pair of Dell servers supports the security management system, including Infiniti, Jacques and KeyWatcher. The mirrored servers form a fully redundant virtual environment, built around Microsoft Viridian and incorporating an
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Infiniti controller
Infiniti workstation
SQL database. Operationally, three virtual machines sit on each server fully replicated in real time, with dual power rails on different supplies and UPS and generator backup. Floor distribution rooms in which controllers and expanders were located formed a vital part of the system. “Right from the start we had to address what was urgent when it came to getting cables and conduits into walls, but we were also trying to work out the product we were using, how it worked and how it would fit into floor distribution rooms that we knew were short on space – it was a real juggling act,” Wood explains. “We knew we could not use the standard Inner Range panel layout for a couple of reasons – one being space, two being that the consultant had included some IP ratings around the housings, which meant we needed to use Rittal IP65rated enclosures. “Using these 600 x 600 x 300mm enclosures also meant we needed to go to a full custom panel housing design. To achieve this, we went down a path of standardisation with that customisation because it gave us a standard template and we could customise by putting in or taking out controllers – no box was slated for a particular spot – we could go and build 50, take any one and put it wherever we needed it to be. This was important because we did
Key watcher cabinet
installation height is restricted to 2200m. We had to take this into account when selecting box sizes – it needed to be big enough to fit all the hardware, while being small enough to fit into the rooms.”
Installing the system
not have a build sequence we could rely on.” According to Wood, the backplanes were fully customisable. “We weren’t allowed to use any self-drilling screws on the backplane, they all had to be drilled and tapped – that’s a big process,” he explains. “Drilling and tapping onsite would be a phenomenal amount of work given the number of parts involved so we had this work done at a machine shop. We designed the backplane so it has 150 hole configurations and can incorporate Infiniti Controllers and expanders – that gave plenty of flexibility. “At SCUH there’s always a main controller in a box and if we need more capacity we install a slave box which includes SLAM (two-door) controllers. Each main controller can be supported by a slave. The way the system is designed, you can just keep adding on. We have flavours of single boxes. There might be one box with a controller and a couple of door controllers hanging off, all the way up to eight boxes in a room. “We used the Inner Range double stack hinged flaps – we had to use these and if we had not done we would not have had room to build the system – in some of these areas we have taken all the wall space that was allocated and some boxes are installed so close to the ground that to fit off techs had to lay down on the concrete. The rooms themselves have plenty of height, but the trays are very low so the
Getting a handle on the installation involves getting a sense of the scope of the site. It includes the Hub/ Sunshine Coast Health Institute, including a lecture theatre; the main hospital broken into two parts, the back half with six levels, and the front having three levels divided into hospital and education. Each level has 11 floor distribution rooms but the top floor, which has 10. There are multiple carparks out the back with a childcare centre. There’s facility maintenance. There’s a mental health wing and a mortuary as well. All these parts are linked into the security and automation system, as well as multiple subsystems. “It was a difficult job in terms of size and layout,” says Brennan. “There was no easy way of carving up the main hospital into coherent parts that could be dealt with one at a time and nothing was replicable the way it would be in a design like a prison. At SCUH, all parts of the site are different, interwoven and lead into each other.” Because of this, Brennan says the team divided the site on the basis of floor distribution rooms where controllers are located. “Everything that could be brought back to that room we considered a section,” he explains. “These distribution rooms form a natural aggregation point for the security and automation system, with each distribution room supporting all the doors and devices in a 90m radius around it. The builder had fit-out zones which had arbitrary zones between departments and pushed to finish those fitout zones, whether they suited us technically or not. A system this size needs to be broken into manageable chunks so you can progress through to completion in design, install and commissioning. “The architecture design made each part of the site unique so it had to be designed from scratch. With sites like prisons, there are design repetitions and there are efficiencies with that repetition but there’s virtually no repetition on this job, nothing compared to a multi-storey. Ground floor was the most challenging, being the most inconsistent floor in terms of design.” The scale of the cabling was staggering. “We ended up pulling in 400,000 metres of cable just for the card readers alone and that was using RS-485 daisy chains,” explains Wood. “If we’d used Wiegand star config on this site you would not want to think what the cable quantities might be.” According to Wood, the team worked hard during the design process to simplify the installation down so it was as easy as possible. This included
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SCUH Challenges of the application
Russell Blake demonstrates the technology at SCUH.
building ‘flavours’ of controllers that could then be located where they were needed. Different flavours incorporated selections of SLAM expanders and backplane configs, depending on what was required. “The theory was that we would do almost all the installation of controllers and expanders at SE, including fitting the hardware into the floor distribution rooms so sub-contractors only had one point of termination,” he explains. “The subbie then simply terminates the wiring and takes inputs up to the controller. “We used Inner Range smart power supplies as much as possible to give us more control and easier and quicker installation and commissioning. Where we have had to step up the output on power for mag locks we have had to use some third-party power supplies. All the panels are installed with battery backup internally, and mains power is supported by UPS and generators.” According to Wood, every powered device, including locks and PIRs, sits on a fuse connected to a fire relay allowing the security and automation system to fail open in the event of fire. “This site is designated as a gathering point for the public in the event of a disaster so it’s seismically and environmentally rated,” he explains. “This meant that across the site, as well as in the floor distribution rooms, there are installation rules we needed to conform to.” When it came to the physical installation, Wood says the toughest part of the job was the Hub building because it had the most architectural flair. “It was difficult to run cable and in some places, we had to mount readers on glass panels.”
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You expect big applications like this one to have challenges and SCUH is no different. “At the start of the project the biggest challenge was that everything was new – we were pulling together a new team, dealing with working for a new company, learning about products we’d never used while planning for an application that was at once enormous and nebulous,” Brennan says. “We really were scrambling and fortunately Inner Range gave us great support through that. They must have been sick of all the questions but we were given access to the developers and got excellent support. I don’t think we could have dealt with that period as well as we did without that level of engineering support.” As the build progressed, the biggest difficulty for the team was ensuring they got network support where and when they needed it. “Our security system runs on multiple VLANs on a huge converged network,” Wood explains. “It was our biggest problem and risk having the ICT contractor managing the converged security and automation network. The backend of the project was a constant battle with the network – primarily delays in waiting for network points to be made available. In part, it’s understandable when you consider the co-ordination of getting a very expensive network installed into a messy and complicated construction site so we could start installing and commissioning an electronic security system – it’s very tricky.” According to Wood, an issue from a planning perspective is that the builders on the ground did not understand the impact the network had on everything else. “October 2015 was meant to be the network finish date, but the builder’s understanding of what constituted a complete network was that the data centre was built - no switches, cabling, configuration – just bricks and mortar. “The completed network was meant to finish at the same time as services providers, so technically the ICT cabling guys would be pulling the last camera points on the same day we were supposed to have the last cameras commissioned and operational,” Wood says. Sifer reader
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UTC Fire & Security Australia Pty Ltd trading as Interlogix is part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security. Š 2016 United Technologies Corporation, Inc. All rights reserved.
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SCUH
Dual servers
“The difficulties extended to working out whose network points were whose was an issue here – it was a jumble of points without a schedule and we all just had to work out which was whose. Not easy. “The network was peppered with flaws as well – it was by far the worst part of the job from multiple different aspects and that hurt us badly.” Brennan agrees. “The network was our biggest challenge – at times we couldn’t simply commission or test,” he explains. “There was a lot of time spent on coordination and any fault we found that was not ours took a long time to rectify. Many stakeholders, including Cisco and its engineers, were not in Australia so everything was difficult. You might spend an hour finding a fault in an adjacent network component, but you’re not allowed to touch it even if you can see what’s wrong and you know how to fix it. This was a major challenge. “It’s a tricky situation because on major sites like this everything is IT, everything is networked, there are more and more devices. The network needs to be the central aspect of everyone’s planning for big jobs – the network, the rooms that support the network, the cable path, the fibre runs,” he says. According to Wood, there were operational complexities, too, and these fed into development of the management system, in particular, the database and its permissions. “Spotless is managing the site as a sub-contractor, but Spotless doesn’t know what each person’s role and permissions are around the site - the hospital just tells Spotless what these are,” he says. “The client wants to have permissions tied to job titles, but they
At one point, there was six weeks during which we could not source new cable and we chewed through our stock, getting down to the last 10,000m before re-supply.
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Automated guide vehicle
need to consider the risks involved – that database will need to be 100 per cent maintained. “We are contracted to the builder, but Spotless is our customer operationally speaking so they were very interested in the best possible operational outcomes over the long term and then they would support what we wanted to do. But it’s tough – everyone involved has different goals – especially as the job winds down. The builders want commercial acceptance and we are having more interfacing with end users and trying to keep both happy.” Another issue for the team was cable supply. “At the time, we started working on this job there was an undersupply of cable around the country,” Wood says. “At one point, there was six weeks during which we could not source new cable and we chewed through our stock, getting down to the last 10,000m before re-supply. When you consider we were pulling 5000m of cable every week we came very close to grinding to a halt.”
Security Control Room
Jacques intercom
We set off for the security control room and as we go I get a chance to take in the site. It’s huge. There are strong architectural characteristics impacting on the application – cameras must deal with intrusive design and the slat-based design features create lines of sunshine and lines of shade that challenge my DSLR. There’s a lot of internal light, large areas of glass, vaulted ceilings. At the security control room, I ask SCUH Spotless security manager Marc Phillips how things have been going. “The site is obviously not open yet but the security and automation system is working well,” he says. “Our security team of 30 staff better understands the intricacies of the system. One of the biggest learning curves is knowing what access rights and levels can be given to people in certain roles. The more access they have the more they can do and we may not necessarily want them all to be able to do it – that’s been one of the biggest things for us when it comes to security management of the site.
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SCUH
“Even though the site is not fully operational as a hospital, the system is busy logging staff and contractor movements. The system allows us to stay on top of doors being propped open which dilutes the effectiveness of the access profiles – as we move into an operational environment we may get fewer alerts, as the system will be used as intended and the activations will not be false alarms generated by workers moving around the site. In that context, education of site users is a big thing – they need to understand what the consequences of their actions are and the events their actions may instigate. “Moving forward, we will integrate the Stanley RTLS solution next,” Phillips says. “Given the nature of the system, mobile duress is just another software package that comes up on our management workstations. Certainly, our preference is to run everything from this software – we don’t want multiple pieces of software. Aggregating events also means we only see the events we need to see.” According to Phillips, in the lead up to the official opening of the hospital, the security team has undertaken comprehensive testing of the security system. “We’ve tested every duress alarm on at least four occasions and there are more than 600 physical duress alarms – it’s been no mean feat and was complicated by the fact many areas of the hospital have been clinically cleaned so you can’t access them without scrubs and clearance from the area
Consistency of testing has also been a big thing for us. You might test in one way the first time and get a result, but test in another way the next time and have issues.
director,” Phillips explains. “Consistency of testing has also been a big thing for us. You might test in one way the first time and get a result, but test in another way the next time and have issues. “This testing is vital because the Spotless security team report to Queensland Health on the readiness and effectiveness of the system and the only way we can be certain of what we are appraising them of is by testing. Once the hospital is fully open there’s a test schedule we must adhere to for mobile and fixed duress points and that will be even harder once the hospital is fully operational.” When it comes to system management, Phillips says everything is pretty much up and running and configured and ready to go. “What we like most is the centralised management on our authorised workstations,” he says. “As well as being able to see alarm events across the site with associated video footage, we have integrated photo ID cards. In the future it’s possible that our cards will become multi-technology and incorporate access control, photo ID, drug cabinet access, library access, as well as being a payment card for vending machines.” The control room, which is a narrow-ish L-space incorporating the video wall, which supports 780 cameras, 180 of which are located on the ground floor. The video wall is comprehensive – there’s SIP integration of intercoms – when they are activated a light comes on, the relevant camera view is called up on screen as the PTZ goes to a preset at the intercom, all done through Infiniti, Jacques and the CCTV system. There are two SMS workstations with Infiniti software, the Pelco software and the Keywatcher software on them, one of which is the main terminal the security team works from. There’s also a dedicated CCTV workstation that can be used by police if they are on site and need to undertake investigations locally. The control room also houses a Keywatcher cabinet – it’s one of three located around the site – two solely controlled by Spotless directly and one controlled by Queensland Health. There are three types of intercoms here – the audio slave, the video slave and the video master. “The Pelco system has been solid – we’ve only had issues with 1 camera throughout the entire application, which is good performance,” says Wood. “This control room is the place we did all the programming and configuration for the system – it wasn’t as tidy as this back then, believe me.”
Overview of the management system
Remote Pelco workstation
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It goes without saying that the Infiniti management system is the heart of this solution and our next port of call is a security operations desk adjacent to the Emergency Department, where the team gives me a run-through of the integrated system. According to Brennan, Infiniti has considerable programing
● Case study
SCUH
Cabling in the network room
flexibility that the team used wherever possible to simplify the installation, its commissioning, as well as future maintenance. “Mark and Jeremy didn’t just build a database – the schedules they built took into account multiple different things right down to the current draw out of each panel so that as they entered the door types and the hardware associated with doors, the system would alert them to the fact power to that door was being over-used and the panel would need to be upgraded,” he explains. “It was not just about how many slots there might be on the panel, but the number of devices associated with a door. We automated all that using formulas so when you entered fields around a door, it would give you that information immediately based on previous calculations.” This programmability infuses everything about Infiniti. Mark Armstrong is driving the Infiniti software using a map-based GUI and I can see how densely populated it is. According to Wood, SE focused on the maps as the primary user interface and worked hard to make sure the maps the engineers built for Infiniti were customised so they looked similar to the BMS. “We wanted the system to be map-based and to look like the BMS to make it as easy as possible for operators using both systems to navigate the site,” he explains “The results speak for themselves. For instance, I don’t know where Medical Imaging is in the hospital but if I click here, the system will take me there via the maps or I can get there by search. There are hundreds of maps and they pop up instantly in the event of an alarm.
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We wanted the system to be mapbased and to look like the BMS to make it as easy as possible for operators using both systems to navigate the site.
“The buildings are clickable from the main site page – you click through to buildings and then drill down into the system either graphically, or via the tree directory,” Wood says. “Each floor plate bubbles up alarms. For instance, if there’s a duress alarm you click on the building that’s red, the floor that’s red, the section that’s red, the room that’s red in order to find its location. And we can undertake lockdowns of individual locks, of departments, of floor, of the entire hospital. “With Infiniti maps, there’s no latency – with other products there might be a 20-second delay – maps are not opened in multiple windows, they open one map at a time so you don’t get lost. The flexibility is fantastic and operators can contrive their own ways of viewing and managing the system.” Woven into the GUI is access control, alarms, CCTV, intercoms, BMS, Nursecall, Stanley RTLS (motherbaby matching, asset tracking, patient wandering, mobile duress), KeyWatcher KeySafe, Otis lifts, the fire system, pneumatic tubes (just releasing of the canister) and automated guided vehicles. “Stanley’s RTLS handles mobile duress, asset tracking and baby-mother matching that automatically manages access control,” says Wood. “Each baby has a worn tag and the maternity ward has 13 low level interface doors. When an unauthorised baby approaches an exit point, the Stanley system sends our system a signal and Infiniti locks down that door then unlocks when the baby moves out of the field of the door reader. And if someone tampers with a baby tag, the whole ward goes into lockdown until someone acknowledges the alarm on the Stanley system.” The duress alarm allows Armstrong to demonstrate some customised features that Blake calls ‘bespoke enhancements’ of C sharp code that apply logic to create in-software tools able to save integrators hours or days of work. In this case, when a duress alarm is activated and called up in the management software, the system brings up a customised box that includes things like a CCTV clip of the event with pre-event and post-event recording and a notebook. “One of the beauties of Inner Range is that you don’t have to build everything individually – we can create a duress point type and then apply it to multiple locations instead of having to create hundreds of duress points,” explains Armstrong. “Same with changes to these points – you don’t change points multiple times but only once – that’s wonderful and it allowed us to simplify the programming. For instance, we have a number of different door types and instead of going to a door and programming it to a type, we go to a type and select the type we want doors to be. “We created a lot of backend tasks to make things work – we don’t want people to come along and adjust our backend tasks. We can achieve this by pulling areas across to the backend so it can’t be accessed. Something else that’s great about the
● Case study
SCUH
Russell Blake (left) Mike Wood, David Brennan, Mark Armstrong and Ash Ramanayake
Infiniti system is how customisable it is. You can change things all over the screen – move boxes, change colours, you can add more information. You have full CCTV control allowing you to pan around; you have so much flexibility through one box.” According to Wood, from an operational point of view, this is so much more powerful and flexible than a traditional video wall. “In an event, a camera view might be thrown up on a wall but what does it mean, what is the operator trying to see? How do they manage the event?” asks Wood. “The way the SCUH system has been put together is interactive and tailored. Investigations are also easy. You click on finalised alerts, find the date and time and then click and you have the event, you can see the operator that actioned an event. “With typical access control systems, you install it and walk away from it – it can unlock doors and you can change how doors are unlocked and who can unlock them, but you are not watching the system 24 hours a day. This system is meant to have someone sitting at a workstation and having full view of the entire site and full control of the site – multiple events across the site simultaneously, on two screens with one instance of software.” According to Wood, Inner Range’s custom engineering was a big help for the SE engineers. “For instance, we needed to programme 60 SIPs (Security Information Points), so Inner Range built a bespoke enhancement that essentially says ‘if you see this, do this’ and we just have to put a couple of fields into the bespoke enhancement and all those 60 integrations are done instantly,” he says. “Creating code is beyond us and Inner Range saved our bacon – it allowed us to get on with what we do well.”
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It’s a tricky situation because on major sites like this everything is IT, everything is networked, there are more and more devices. Conclusion Sunshine Coast University Hospital is a beautiful, purpose-built facility that was designed with considerable input from medical staff to be one of the most efficient hospitals in Australia. The security and automation solution is cutting edge, contriving to merge multiple sub-systems into a single workstation while retaining layers of redundancy, as well as full off-network distributed intelligence. The process of installation was intensely challenging and was pulled off by a young team thanks to excellent planning, considerable drive and a stack of technical nous. “Schneider Electric has done it right at SCUH,” says Blake. “When it comes to the physical layer, they have enterprise-grade dual redundant servers and all the best hardware. The team took the bull by the horns from an engineering perspective. They fundamentally understood how the system was built and they configured it in such a way that they got the best bang for their buck. They built all 221 of the maps in Infiniti from scratch. This site is incredibly complicated, but the Schneider Electric team distilled it down so it’s very simple and very manageable for operators.” Meanwhile Wood has plenty of praise for Infiniti. “The product is fantastic – we could not have done the job with a lesser quality product and nor could we have done the job without the support we got from Inner Range – that support really opened our eyes,” he says. “The speed this thing was moving, if we had had roadblocks in support we would have been overrun but we consistently got the most complex issues sorted out very fast. We started behind the eight-ball in terms of time and money and pulled it together thanks to this product and the people that support it.” n
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Infrastructure
Globally, infrastructure is changing. It’s not just that networks are getting faster. Major users are turning to cloud in larger numbers. The creation of powerful and secure new infrastructure will define electronic security solutions and security monitoring in the future. LARM monitoring has been changing for many years but there are underlying shifts moving through the landscape of networking that are going to press home the most profound changes yet. Outspoken supporters of cloud, including Genetec’s Pierre Racz, the folks at Risco and DSC, and local providers like Suretek and SCSI are going to be proved right over the next 5 years as we see more and more computing power bound up in data centres linked to clients by superfast, highly secure and fully redundant networks. Signposts are really starting to stick out and they’re based on decisions that are all about cost efficiency. Something recent was IBM’s $US62 million contract to provide private infrastructure as a service to the U.S. Army. The contract should see the U.S. Army migrate 35 separate applications to cloud in the first 12 months. Important to note is the closeness of the relationships. Army and IBM are going to be partnering very closely. The project requires Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Impact Level 5 provisional authorization, which allows dealing with controlled, unclassified information, which IBM won for its IaaS in February. The contract builds on IBM’s existing relationship with the Army, which last year adopted an IBM hybrid-cloud offering for its worldwide operations, connecting the U.S. Army’s on-premises computers to IBM’s cloud. But it’s not a one-horse race. Microsoft’s Azure Government has just won provisional authorization for Impact Level 5. The U.S. federal government is one of Microsoft’s biggest on-premises software customers, last month signing a $US927 million contract to provide technical support to DISA. And AWS’s CloudWatch Logs, which monitors,
A
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stores, and accesses log files from Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances and other sources — has provisional authority to operate at the FedRAMP High baseline within AWS’s specially dedicated GovCloud (U.S.) region. Adding another layer is news recently that America’s General Services Administration, which provides multiple services nationally for federal government agencies, is investing $US50 billion in a 15-year enterprise infrastructure solutions contract that will create a shared communications network for government agencies built on continually refreshed technology. According to Amando Gavino, executive director of the telecommunication services office for GSA’s Federal
Acquisition Service, the EIS will bridge old technologies with leading-edge telecommunications solutions that will cost less, improve connectivity and strengthen security. “The expectation behind EIS is that we’ll be able to offer digital services anytime, anywhere, securely,” says Fred Haines, GSA’s program director for EIS. The GSA contract means federal government agencies in the U.S. will be able to seamlessly update to nextgeneration network technology, including software-defined networking (cloud) and 5G wireless networks. Same as Army, this contract is not some naval gazing fluff ball. The first solutions installed under the EIS are going to roll out in the next few months and they will make a major difference to
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the way government agencies generate and share information. Here in Australia, uptake is a little slower and we’ve not seen the sort of paradigm shift that GSA’s EIS project represents. Local spending on public cloud services – both infrastructure and applications – was estimated to have reached $A5.58 billion in 2016 – there’s more aspiration than cloud consumption. Even so, Gartner forecasts public cloud services are growing at 14.4 per cent, a little less than the 17.2 per cent globally, but increasing strongly, nevertheless. Meanwhile, Gartner expects the Australian enterprise software market will grow 10.32 percent and reach A$10.6 billion in 2016. Hyper-scale cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure are thought to be taking market share from physical hardware. Gartner predicted that the Asia Pacific server market declined 8.6 per cent ($US1.79 billion in 2016), while the region’s external
controller-based storage market fell 1.9 percent to $US3.68 billion. According to Gartner, IT modernisation is the top driver of public cloud adoption, followed by cost savings, innovation, agility and other benefits. “There’s no question there is great appetite within organisations to use cloud services, but there are still challenges for organisations as they make the move to the cloud. Even with the high rate of predicted growth, a large number of organisations still have no current plans to use cloud services,” said Sid Nag, research director at Gartner. Perceived security risks also remain a barrier. “Gartner’s position on cloud security has been clear – public cloud services offered by the leading cloud providers are secure,” said Ed Anderson, research vice president at Gartner. “The real security challenge is using public cloud services in a secure manner. More education is needed to
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help organisations overcome the hype associated with security concerns. This should be a key area of focus for providers in working with their clients to unlock the benefits of public cloud services.” Even though the Australian market appears to be slightly slow on the uptake – perhaps as a result of low quality and high cost broadband services, as well as confusion over the endless roll-out of the NBN – the sorts of changes we see in infrastructure use internationally are certain to be mirrored here as many of the challenges and fears around cloud applications are shown to be unfounded. “Cloud computing is a game-changing architecture that provides improved performance with high efficiency, all in a secure environment,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Ferrell, the U.S. Army’s CIO when announcing IBM’s $US62 billion contract. “With this project, we’re beginning to bring the IT infrastructure of the U.S. Army into the 21st century.” n
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The Interview
Sir William Gallagher
Sir William Gallagher heads up New Zealand electronic security manufacturer Gallagher, a company that is unquestionably a world leader in access control and automation solutions. Sir William is a witty and erudite lateral thinker, rich in anecdotes, who rarely takes his eye off underlying business principles.
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Q: How old were you when you first started on the factory floor at Gallagher, Sir William? A: SCUBA diving was my thing when I was young – I was still at school and was running a little business making SCUBA regulators. I was about 22 when I joined Gallagher – it was a 10-man band back then and now we have 950 staff on the direct payroll and about 1100 staff in total. We’ve certainly grown a bit. Q: What do you put the growth of the Gallagher business down to? A: Customer demand is the key. If you are going to be successful in a global sense, you need to come from a market with the most demanding customers. In one part of our business it’s agriculture
J o h n A d a m s w i t h S i r W i l l i a m G a l l ag h e r
From our perspective, it’s about establishing what a customer wants to achieve and establishing whether there a better way of achieving it
– New Zealand would be the only country with a western standard of living and an economy based on unsubsidised agriculture. When it comes to electronic security, New Zealand is not the most demanding market as we don’t have that much crime here. But we do have significant involvement in countries around the world where crime rates are higher, which pushes us to be at top of our game. There are also many competitors in the ANZ access control market considering the market size and that has really driven technology ahead. As an example, we find many more of our system features are used inside ANZ than outside. Q: Does satisfying those requirements
mean customisation of Gallagher solutions to meet the specifics of lateral applications? A: Often and we have a 12-person customisation team to support customers and integrators in this area. It’s certainly a key area of the business that feeds into system functionality. When you get into some of the big mining projects, a feature will be well worth a customer spending money on – in one case, a software development costing $NZ100,000 ended up saving a large mining company $6 million a day. From our perspective, it’s about establishing what a customer wants to achieve and establishing whether there is a better way of achieving it. After our team receives a request, we will come back with a proposal outlining what we will do, the estimated cost and the time it will take us to create the customisation. Obviously, once a development has been created for one customer, it’s much less expensive to include this IP in subsequent releases of our management system. Over time we have evolved a powerful product by meeting customers’ operational requirements. In another recent example, a development for a client in the U.S. involved automating a lockdown function at a school. Using the old manual system, it took about 20 minutes for a response to develop after an alarm event. Our customisation is so proactive an active shooter was caught between the secure layers of the school and quickly arrested. Q: When you get into process control, automation, streamlining of core operational structures, the return on investment is considerable, particularly spun out over many years? A: Yes, return on investment is a huge thing for some of our big customers and it’s an area we’ve been focusing on for a long time. Many of our features are driven by what I call ‘customer demand development’ and a lot of it is
streamlining business process, not just security, which may not be the biggest goal of half our customers. For example, we can manage and enforce health & safety procedures. Health & safety policy manuals can be very difficult to apply but at the same time, H&S has a larger budget. When you get into health and safety compliance, especially here in NZ and Australia, where there is directorresponsibility on H&S, it really focuses the attention. Elsewhere, return on investment comes from automation that leads to operational efficiency. I’ve just been to Zambia to visit the copper mines there and they are using our access control and automation system for process control via an integration with the SAP’s enterprise resource planning system. This allows them to manage the movement of copper ore in 250, 350 and 400-tonne trucks. In this case, the load number and weight all comes up on the Gallagher management system in real time allowing monitoring and report generation. These big mines also manage staff competencies which are included in an HR database that populates our system. It allows warnings to be generated at the reader, informing cardholders that without undertaking refresher courses, qualifications will expire in a certain number of days, after which the worker won’t be able to enter the mine. There’s also messaging and mass notifications where you can send a cardholder a message and if there’s no response the message can be elevated to a supervisor to ensure a worker is not denied access for not following the instructions from the system. Q: Would you say that much of the functionality of the latest iterations of the Gallagher solution are reflections of the requirements of the end users over many years – evolution by application? A: Yes, they are – over many years we’ve automated aspects of our customer’s access control and automation functions.
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The Interview every reader in a system almost instantly. I don’t think anyone else can do that. For competitors, if a reader upgrade is required, they need a tech out there to power readers down, take readers of the wall, flash the chips, reinstall and then re-power them. If you have a few thousand readers, that’s months of work. We can do it virtually instantly. And we have a read range of 38mm – we were the first to pass.
If you have a few thousand readers, that’s months of work. We can do it virtually instantly. And we have a read range of 38mm – we were the first to pass. An application I mentioned earlier involved a mine that was using manual tag boards to manage blasting, which was taking an hour-and-a-half twice each day. Customisation of our system got this down to 10 mins per blast and saved our customer 3 hours a day. Given the mine costs $2 million an hour to operate, that’s a daily saving of $6 million - it makes me wonder if the bill for our customisation was a bit small. Q: When it comes to technology, what do you think makes Gallagher’s solutions so strong in the high security market? A: It comes down to how long we have been working on the high security aspects of our solutions. We’ve been focusing on these areas for decades, while competitors are only considering them now. What we’ve got for the PIV market in the U.S. – that’s public key/ private key for very high level card systems – is a perfect example. In this case, we had a consultant come down from Boston to look at the
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Gallagher system for an application and our architecture looked as though it had been specifically designed for the high security application the client required. This was coincidental in one sense but given our long focus on endto-end security, it was not unexpected. Our system structure is very different to what has been developed in the U.S. where most solutions are a 3-play – there’s the head end guys who do software management solutions, behind these are Mercury panels and HID handles the card readers. In some cases, the connecting technologies are 30 years old. We’re quite different and our solution is holistic and built around secure communications. When you come to PIV (public key/private key interchange), you have a lot of data. Weigand is a one-way protocol so it won’t work. Now many systems use an RS-485 bus which communicates at 38k but we now talk via our H-bus readers at 1Mb, which is very different to 38k. For many manufacturers of cards and readers something like end-to-end encryption is rocket science but we’ve been doing it for 15 years. Because we are strong in card communications we have developed things like downloadable code – this thing is changing like steam – we can download code from the head end through our 1Mb links and upgrade
Q: Are other manufacturers continuing to get it wrong when it comes to secure card communications? A: Some are. When it comes to card security there are still plenty of 125 card readers being used in high security applications, such as law enforcement. For a few dollars, it’s possible to buy a device that duplicates these cards. Mifare 13.56 is so much more secure but it can be a hard sell in some markets to convince customers they need to upgrade – integrators often have to demonstrate the ease of duplication first hand to make their point. Q: Keeping up with technology these days is a never-ending battle – where is Gallagher focusing its attentions? A: Technology does move fast and cycles more quickly than it used to. For instance, with Windows 10 there are changes to underlying functionality. Does that mean you go and write your client software again? Everything we do is designed to keep our customers and their IT teams happy. We recently released our Bluetooth readers for getting security staff mobile. There will be ongoing development there. Longer term, cloud is a trend we must continue to work on. We are working on credentials as a subscription model, which is a bit different. When it comes to cloud, the provider we are using for the Bluetooth credential is AWS. We are provisioned out of Australia but we can expand anywhere in the world based on demand. We store almost nothing in the cloud but we can keep what we store in the local area, which meets some people’s concerns. ANZ is our largest density of systems, so we are starting there. Q: How receptive is the market to the latest technologies? A: We get a lot of people interested in our new technologies – there’s been
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I certainly do believe we are at the stage where we are the best in the world – especially at the high security end. a lot of discussion about the card subscription model. Even talking about a subscription model for credentials is a big change for our team and it’s a big change for the channel. Of course, our integrator partners all have contracts with their customers for ongoing maintenance, so it’s not completely unfamiliar. We’ve also been getting as many customers as we can signed-up to our software maintenance and that is quite interesting because everyone who is used to software maintenance, including some of our channel partners, sees the value in that. We’ve got several customers signed up for 5 or more years, so it’s a mutual commitment. It works well when you’re dealing with the IT department but when you working with the security department you might be dealing with a former military or police officer and they may think they do not want or need software maintenance. Certainly, the IT department looks at software maintenance as a tick box – it’s normal for them. Q: What is the percentage of systems you install that are governed by the IT department? A: It comes down to size – the small ones are handled by the security department but past a certain size, all the larger ones are managed by the IT people. Q: Do you think the best technology companies are smaller and often privately owned because a corporate MBA-style of business management that focuses on things like acquisitions
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and share price performance breaks management’s connection with end users, installers and integrators disconnects management from the fundamentals of the business itself? A: One of my observations is that most our competitors began as relatively small companies like ourselves – some of them still are smaller manufacturers – but many others have been sold to big corporations for an unrealistically large sum of money. The way it seems to work when you are run by bean counters is that you fire half the R&D team, which adds to the bottom line and makes someone a hero for a little while. We look at some of our large competitors overseas and they are slipping behind – just to keep up with the platform changes, let alone advance the management system, is very difficult. R&D is vital to success, which is why we continue to invest heavily in ours.
cyber security testing and all the customers we know about have been happy to share the results. That’s one of the trends at the moment. We have taken on an in-house IT engineer who is looking at the development process early to make sure we figure out any cyber security issues before release. We want to have the system doors tightly locked before products get out there.
Q: The access control market is becoming more price competitive, too. Is that impacting on the business, or are you making in-roads there? A: We are competitive in very competitive markets. We win a lot of big, simple buildings (commercial blocks, residential towers) in China and the Middle East based purely on price. We must be price-competitive because everybody can open and close doors - a big simple building is not complex.
Q: What advice would you give managers and business owners in electronic security – what should they focus on to ensure their own success? A: You must have a user focus and make it your priority to satisfy your customers’ requirements.
Q: You may be doing well in big simple buildings but at the top end of town with enterprise access control and high security sites Gallagher seems to have become the benchmark, hasn’t it? A: I certainly do believe we are at the stage where we are the best in the world – especially at the high security end. We are very strong in complex sites like mines, airports and seaports. We have about 44 seaports and 82 airports. We have some big airports – Beijing terminals 1 and 2 and Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia, among many others. We are not just strong in larger systems, we’re good at dealing with large customers, too. Q: What about cyber security? There’s been plenty of talk around that area of electronic security systems lately. How are your customers responding? A: Over the past 12-18 months more and more customers are putting us through
Q: Could you put your finger on the biggest challenge you’ve faced since starting in the business? A: Sales is always the challenge – production is usually the easy bit. Another way of looking at it is that technology is the football and it’s really the team that plays the game – you can have the best mousetrap in the world but unless you can get it into the hands of your customers, you’re not going anywhere.
Q: As a company, Gallagher is a philanthropic powerhouse, especially in healthcare. What was the catalyst for this unseen side of the organisation and how important is it for you as a business person to support local community? A: One of the benefits of being successful is being able do the right thing by the community and that is what we do with our sponsorships and charities. Sports would be the biggest focus and that also has some benefits for staff and customers, but it is much wider than that. Also, being a private family company we don’t have the limitation of outside shareholder approval. Q: You’re not at all bored, are you Sir William? What keeps you interested in the business? A: The thrill of the chase, to close sales, see new places, face life’s challenges, keep busy and interesting, do different things, keep learning, never being quite satisfied, in business for fun and profit and to do the right thing by the community, associates and family. n
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● Security management
Risk management
Proactive Risk Analysis Do we need to prove that a risk exists before moving to minimise it? The tragic events in Melbourne’s Bourke Street last month highlighted the difficult choices we face when an extremely rare but high-impact event has devastating consequences.
AST month in Melbourne, 6 pedestrians L were killed when a man drove his car down the Bourke Street Mall. Could this risk have been mitigated? In our industry, evidencebased reporting is a key component of security risk management. This means that unless we can find evidence of a threat and can link that threat to a vulnerability, there is no risk. That is the theory, anyway. We are expected to demonstrate that a threat exists, or could exist, under certain circumstances. Then we link that threat to a vulnerability of the property we are reviewing. For example, a client who operates a high security facility recently asked if they needed to worry about intruders dropping into their property by helicopter. Evaluating the threat, we identified that: l The property is relatively remote. l There is no recorded activity of any helicopter flights in the immediate area. l There is no history of helicopter incidents or any other serious episode associated with the property. l There is no evidence of similar attacks anywhere else in the world on facilities like this using helicopters. l Local crime rates and pedestrian and vehicle movements around the property are low. In essence, there are no indicators of a helicopter attack threat. Our final report touched briefly on the threat from helicopters and then moved on.
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When the client quizzed us further we said there was no evidence of such a threat, so how could we recommend an improvement? And what would the improvement be? How do you secure the airspace? Last October, we wrote about the need for security measures to perform a given function. To be of any real value, they must either deter, detect, delay, deny or aid response. Otherwise what is the point? Security risk management is not an exact science because we can only plan for what we can see or foresee. There are so many variables outside our control – the big one being people. Some people just do crazy things that, even with the best of intentions, we simply cannot do anything about. Most of the properties we advise on are privatelyowned. We typically work in the commercial and industrial property market. To put this into context, many properties we assess will be comparable in size to the average office tower or manufacturing plant. They do not extend to the streets and footpaths that people use to access them. The January 20 Bourke Street tragedy is a classic example of people doing crazy things. It occurred despite police being present and highlighted the difficulty of predicting an extremely unlikely event. In last month’s article, we spoke about the risks associated with motor vehicles, which are readily available and easy to operate. As shown here and overseas, they can inflict significant damage when we are not prepared for them. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I can’t help but imagine how we would have assessed the threat of a man who was allegedly mentally unstable and drug affected deliberately driving a vehicle into the crowded Bourke Street Mall. If we had qualified the threat, what countermeasures would we have recommended? And more importantly, would the client have been happy to accept them? Melbourne is teeming with motor vehicles of various types and sizes. Many travel fast near people and we’ve had numerous examples of vehicles ending up on footpaths, hitting people and property. Until now, however, they have all been accidents rather than intentional acts. Overseas, the use of vehicles as weapons is
by L u k e P e r cy- D o v e
widespread. Anybody who has studied terrorist incidents will know that anything from small cars to trucks and buses has been used with devastating effect. In the Bourke Street Mall, there is ample evidence that the weapon (a car) existed and was close to people. Furthermore, there are few countermeasures in place to prevent vehicle/ pedestrian impacts. How should we treat this threat, if at all? Using the industry standard method for determining risk, I suspect we would have concluded that the likelihood of an intentional act was “rare” and the consequences “major” or “severe”. This would have resulted in either a medium or high risk rating that would suggest improvements are needed. Because the consequences are so high, it can create an imbalance in the risk rating. We often see this in counter-terrorism risk assessments that find even a mildly successful attack would cause potentially catastrophic damage to the business. This can lead to an inflated risk profile for an event that will probably never happen. We then have the challenge of explaining the risk to the client. More often than not, we will recommend what would be classed as reasonable improvements relative to the likelihood of the event occurring. Rather than large-scale capital expenditure, they will mostly be operational enhancements. Sometimes the formal risk management processes do not tell us the whole story. This is partly due to the process methodology but also because we simply cannot pre-empt some events, regardless of
The rule in risk management is this: Threat plus vulnerability equals risk.
*Luke Percy-Dove is the Director of Matryx Consulting. For 2 decades, Luke has been delivering strategic security solutions for hundreds of businesses and organisations nationally. He is a recognised expert in solving complex security challenges including counter-terrorism security and is passionate about all things security.
how thorough the review process. That is because evidence of event X occurring on Y premises does not exist. Few people could reasonably foresee that it will occur anywhere, let alone at a specific location. Moving forward, and not just due to what happened in Bourke Street, we will include a ‘sleep’ consideration in our reviews. These recommendations may be based on little more than a gut feeling and the need for both us and our clients to sleep comfortably each night. We may not be able to substantiate them using evidence-based reporting, but sometimes instinct or even a vibe tells you something real. The rule in risk management is this: Threat plus vulnerability equals risk. If there is any hint of vulnerability that could even remotely contribute to a catastrophic incident, regardless of whether a threat is present, we will document it. Peace of mind is an enormous part of good security risk management and something we have touched on before – I would argue that security is a state of mind. Sometimes the formal processes we use don’t always support the decisions we want to make. If that’s the case, we may need to complement them with a gut feeling or even a vibe. If nothing else, it will help everyone involved get a good night’s sleep. n
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● Special report
Alarms & automation
Alarms and Automation Alarm systems and home automation systems are becoming indivisible, giving installers and end users considerably more functionality and manageability than ever before. But how often are the capabilities of such solutions really shaken out in the real world?
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LARM systems and home automation solutions are increasingly hard to separate, with many recent arrivals governing inputs and outputs in increasingly intuitive ways. While delineating between an alarm system and an automation system can be a little challenging, there’s some value blurring the distinction in order to supply customers with the best possible solution to their application. According to James Layton at Bosch there’s a natural cognitive bias in the electronic security industry to see the alarm panel as the centre of the system even when from an operational perspective, it might be better to reverse this polarity. “One of the common problems that our industry experiences is that because we tend to focus on
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BY J O H N A D A M S
security products, we see security technologies as the centre of a complete solution, with automation being an add-on component,” Layton explains. “It would be more true to see the automation system as the core intelligence behind a solution, with security technology being just one of the many satellite components attached. “Automation systems and security systems are very similar – both are built on the concept of turning data collected by input devices into actions on outputs devices, with a layer of computational logic in the middle,” Layton explains. “For a security system, the inputs are motion sensors, cameras, etc; and the outputs are alarm communications, sirens and recording. “Conversely, in an automation system the inputs are switches, apps, and triggers; and the outputs are lights, A/C controllers and locks. The core intelligence in the middle remains quite similar. Keeping this in mind, the secret to success in this market is not to highlight the line of delineation, but rather to realise that there is no line, and each technology is just a component of a much larger potential solution.” Something that remains difficult to establish with surety is the level of market penetration when it comes to automation solutions, as well as the volume of automation functions that are being accessed by end users in the real world. According to Layton, regardless of appearances, a lot of automation work is going on. “There are several companies already out there in Australia that are doing extensive work in the field of home automation – very few of these companies, however, are involving themselves in security technology, except for the basic sensors and cameras sold by automation distributors,” Layton says. “For existing security integrators, automation is still a relatively unknown commodity. This means that those integrators stepping into the automation technology sphere are doing so very tentatively. It does seem to me that for the most part, automation is viewed as a method to sell more conventional security systems, rather than a way to create a more dynamic solution for the end-user.” There’s a lot of talk about home automation around the electronic security market but there’s arguably a stronger case for automation in the SME market, as well as commercial and government applications, where automation offers a measurable ROI. According to Layton, the appetite for automation from commercial clients is something Bosch is taking seriously. “While most integrators default directly to the term home automation, we’ve specifically worked to drop ‘home’ from the title, as we want our customers to consider applications in the commercial space,” he says. “In commercial applications, lighting and HVAC control are 2 of the most commonly sold automation components, and these systems have just as much import in the commercial world as the residential
As automation systems become more advanced, it is likely that most developments will complement the core intelligence of the controller. James Layton
one. After all, most business owners would like to be sure that once their site’s alarm system is armed and sealed, the air conditioning is not running all weekend cooling or heating an empty office. “While the concept of recurring revenue is certainly interesting to a lot of integrators, and these solutions are more easily sold in to a commercial application, the simple fact is that the automation market is still finding its feet – there are as many free products as there are billed ones, and no single business model has yet risen to the surface.” When it comes to the most common home automation functions Bosch clients are interested in, Layton says the requirements are consistent and relatively simplistic. “In 2015 a survey was conducted on North American tenants and home owners about what features of a home automation system would be most beneficial to them,” Layton explains. “The top 3 responses were checking to make sure the door was locked after leaving the home, checking to make sure the lights were off after leaving the home, and checking to make sure a given appliance was switched off after leaving the home. “The truth is that not a lot seems to have changed since 2015 and most people now see these systems as a smart phone-driven remote control, rather than a truly automated device. While many systems offer ‘scenes’ – the ability to have system triggers automatically drive outputs, most users are only using their system to control one device at
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● Special report
Alarms & automation
End users expect technology to keep up with the pace of life and to bring together all the elements that make up their home. Rob Lucas
a time through their smart phone (such as turning on a light or arming an alarm panel). “The good news for installers and integrators is that all of the systems on the market today already have a lot of under-utilised features such as the aforementioned scenes, as well as geofencing, and video verification. It seems to me that a paradigm shift in user expectations is likely coming.” Layton argues integration within the electronic security industry is becoming more pervasive – bringing together alarms, automation, access control, CCTV, intercoms. “These technologies are already offered in some capacity by existing automation systems,” Layton explains. “In Australia, we have standards that govern security technology, and some of simplified devices available from automation manufacturers rarely meet these standards. The good news is that more and more of the core automation systems are now integrating with existing established security brands across all system types – intrusion, video, access control and other functionalities. “One of the advantages of this sort of open architecture is that the automation systems can create cross-functionality between disparate technologies and brands. Brand ABC intrusion may not integrate with brand XYZ access control, but both may integrate with an automation controller, which can then be used to create logical links.” When it comes to the future trend of automation Layton says consumer awareness is a big factor. “More and more, end-users are becoming quite knowledgeable about what technologies are available and what potential solutions they may
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be able to utilise. This growing intelligence is likely to be the catalyst to the coming paradigm shift,” he explains. “As automation systems become more advanced, it is likely that most developments will complement the core intelligence of the controller. Right now, most of these systems use conventional If/Then logic, but systems are starting to be released that allow more advanced Boolean logic including And/Or/NAnd/NOr. Once these technologies mature, we can expect to really see true automation.” Meanwhile, CS Technologies Chris Fitzpatrick says the difference between alarms and automation can be established by the nature of an application. “It depends on where the automation system is used, for instance in homes or commercial office buildings,” Fitzpatrick says. “Home automation has grown greatly in the past 10 years because of the computerising of home entertainment functions, as well as energy saving, lighting and air conditioning control, among others. As home security is a relative simple application that includes some PIRs, door contacts, local screamers and external sirens, connected to a dialler or TCD internet alarm transmission to a monitoring station, it can be absorbed into home automation functionally very well.” Fitzpatrick, too, argues that automation has potential in commercial and government applications where it can have a measurable impact on ROI. “Automation of commercial and government applications are far more complex than domestic applications,” he explains. “The requirements of sites that are multi-tenanted and have air conditioning control, energy management controlling lighting, as well as lifts, security, access for visitors, couriers, staff, parking control, the servicing of the building by contractors, etc, are far more complex. While all these functions can be automated, many of the different systems are very complex and tend to be standalone rather incorporated on one operation system. We see automation in energy management, safety of tenants and visitors to reduce litigation.” Fitzpatrick takes both sides on the question of whether or not integration is becoming more pervasive, with alarms, automation, access control, CCTV and intercoms being brought together. “Possibly,” he says. “The reality is that most access control, alarm and CCTV and intercom systems are becoming more and more intelligent and sophisticated in their own areas but are not tending to have an open interface or SDK allowing them to integrate and react to each other. As far as the automation of a building is concerned, it would tend to draw on these specific systems to provide information to the automation management system – interoperability is a stumbling block to seamless integration. I think the future of
automation will be as controlling software programmes for complex security and energy management systems.” At QSS, Rob Lucas sees automation as an attempt to meet both manufacturer desire to increase revenues and end user appetite for new technology. “For these reasons, the security industry has entered the world of automation and combined its offering with what has been for many years, traditional security,” Lucas says. “Let’s face it, today’s alarm systems aren’t the same as they were 5 years ago. We also need to be reminded that home security doesn’t mean home automation. Security is just that – to keep out unwanted intruders and to protect our assets which include family and property. “Home automation is literally the automation of the technology in your home – nothing to do with protection. The real question is “what does your customer want and what do they expect that their system is capable of doing”? “Most people have a very basic idea of what it is that they are expecting their system to do and in most cases, it falls in line with a basic alarm on/ off operation that can either be locally or remotely controlled. “Those that specifically want to turn lights on and off, set and control air conditioning temperature and operate door locks and garage doors look for all the bells and whistles from a panel that is more than just an alarm system. I believe that there is a place for both, with most people electing to have remote control over both options as a must.” According to Lucas, there are some functions that are expected from any automation system. “From data collected over the past years, for the majority of end users automation means remotely turning on and off certain items in the home – strangely enough the alarm appears high up on the list, followed by lights inside and outside the home,” he says. “As users become more familiar and accustomed to their existing options; they then consider adding more functions and operations to their systems. As soon as Z Wave devices are developed by the key manufacturers; a call is made out to distributors to make them available to the eagerly waiting end users. The process for release is often delayed; as so many factors have to be integrated from software to hardware, to approvals and importation and often changes and updates to the systems that operate them.” Lucas argues that automation is not as prevalent in commercial applications as it is in domestic environments. “To be honest the take up for automation within these SME, commercial and government applications is probably less than for residential use,” he says. “Most users of automation would see the need for interaction via a mobile device; which may not necessarily appeal to commercial
Automation of commercial and government applications are far more complex than domestic applications Chris Fitzpatrick
users or certainly government use. Video is entirely different and perhaps totally opposite in functionality for residential use where the home is considered private and out of bounds to video being viewed. “Surprisingly enough, the cost of automation is no longer as prohibitive as it once was; hence the growth in the residential entry level of home lighting control combined with basic remote alarm control. QSS customers are most commonly interested in lighting control and having the ability to remotely control the alarm system. Garage door opening and perhaps un-locking doors are next in line for popularity.” Regardless of the state of the market, Lucas believes that integration of alarms, automation, access control, CCTV, intercoms and other functions is becoming more pervasive. “I certainly do believe that it is,” he says. “End users are asking for one interface to control all their devices. No one really wants 4 remotes to watch TV, listen to the sound system, and connect with their Netflix or Foxtel. “End users expect technology to keep up with the pace of life and to bring together all the elements that make up their home. Your home automation, access control, CCTV and home security systems can work perfectly well on their own, but when connected with each another, chances are that you’ll be able to increase your home’s protection and efficiency significantly. More importantly, home automation is about choices; so even if you choose to combine some or all these applications, you have full control.” n
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● Special report
CCTV
Camera Choice
Selecting CCTV cameras is no easy task. There are many factors to consider, including performance, application, customer preference and cost. The best surveillance camera selections are those that best balance multiple competing interests.
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OR end users and installers, camera selection is a tough call. Cost is probably the greatest limiting factor for many applications and this leads to camera types being installed in areas for which they were not designed. Given that recording court admissible video images of people and events is the operational point of CCTV systems, poor camera choice is something no serious security manager or integrator should tolerate. According to Graham Clark of distributor BGWT, there are many factors to take into account when it comes to camera choice. “You need to identify the area to be monitored and establish the desired outcome of the system on a camera by camera basis,” Clark says. “Once the outcome is known, you can consider what factors
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in the scene will impact the desired outcome. There are many camera features that help improve the image quality in challenging environments and your camera choice needs to take these into account. For example, if the area has low light, the inclusion of IR can assist, or if the scene has extreme light variations, a camera with high levels of WDR will provide a better result.” Clark says another key aspect is the distance from the lens to the target area of the scene. “The distance the camera will be installed from the scene impacts your lens selection,” he says. “Next, you need to take into account the environment the camera is to be installed in. Cameras come in many form factors and mounting options; the install environment often determines what the preferred option would be. For example, the potential for tampering or vandalism may encourage you to consider a vandal resistant dome over a box camera in housing. Aesthetics is also important in certain situations; this can be improved with flush/in-ceiling mounting or cameras with a smaller form factor.” When it comes to the qualities a very good CCTV camera should have to ensure it can handle a range of expected conditions Clark believes that starts with the manufacturer and the quality of the support network available. “Selecting a brand that has a long history and proven performance in the market place can eliminate a lot of risk,” Clark explains. “I would also be looking at build quality, operating temperature range, picture clarity, low light performance, ease of installation and warranty. “With such a large variation in the cost of cameras available, it’s important to determine what the customer’s budget is, and to point out the less tangible features such as reliability, warranty, brand and local support.” According to BGWT’s Nigel Bond, price is one of the biggest issues facing the electronic security industry at the moment. “The perceived value of a camera has been reduced due to the volume of cheap imports,” Bond says. “The tier one-branded manufacturers have spent years developing features and functions within their cameras that add value to the customer. Tier 2 and 3 camera manufacturers have entered the market and reduced the perceived value of these items. But customers’ expectations are still based around what a tier 1 manufacturer would deliver – for instance, service, support and valuable features that effectively lower the cost of ownership for a customer. The R&D that goes into some of these features adds value to the product. A lower cost product has to come with sacrifices in performance and quality. The saying ‘you get what you pay for’ has never been more relevant. According to Bond, fixed domes seem to be the favourite choice for system integrators at the moment, with bullet cameras often installed externally.
You need to identify the area to be monitored and establish the desired outcome of the system on a camera by camera basis. Graham Clark
“Full body cameras seem to be dropping off in favour of the more easily installed fully-featured bullet cameras,” he says. Meanwhile, BGWT’s Mark Shannon says evolutionary change is guiding CCTV technology. “Evolution seems to be the norm over the last few years and I think that trend will continue,” Shannon says. “It’s difficult to see a huge paradigm shift or a revolution of technology in the short term. However, this doesn’t mean things are mundane. H.265 compression is becoming the standard in most new cameras today and there are larger HDD capacities, greater processing power and greater networking speeds as standard, with 10Gbps speeds appearing more regularly. 10Gbps bandwidths and multi-core cabling offering a backbone for IP surveillance systems that is making it easier for integrators to build them. Even wireless communication has jumped up in speeds for point-to-point and multipoint connections, catering for more and more cameras on the one link. “Utilising 4K cameras for entry points to capture critical facial detection or identification purposes and then using 1080p within the premises seems to be more realistic operationally. As we know, some camera manufacturer’s 1080p cameras are far better than others with higher resolution – you shouldn’t just go by the numbers. “Cyber security is another important area end users and integrators need to be thinking about. Companies like Panasonic are building protection into their cameras, while Milestone is putting a 2-step authentication into their clients.” Over at Sony, Steve Charles says price seems to be the catalyst for much camera selection. He also
A lower cost product has to come with sacrifices in performance and quality. The saying ‘you get what you pay for’ has never been more relevant. Nigel Bond
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● Special report
CCTV
argues that when it comes to selections based on performance, resolution is too often used as the sole yardstick of image quality. “We are frequently seeing in the market the use of higher resolution megapixel cameras such as 4,5,8 and even 10MP,” he explains. “Fact is, none of these high megapixel cameras are video standards compliant. Higher resolution doesn’t necessarily mean better picture quality as these are still image formats. Video standards such as FHD (2.1MP) and 4K (around 8MP) are video standards compliant and end users and integrators should look for this compliance. When it comes to the qualities a very good CCTV camera should have, Charles says reliability should be one of the very first things anyone takes into consideration. “Next, look at resolution, accuracy of colour reproduction, wide dynamic range and ease of installation,” he says. “Other things like cyber protection are also important (Sony is pro-active in this area to address the potential of cyber threats). Then there’s the challenge of low light operability. Sony technology is addressing this with the next release of Generation 6 Full HD cameras, which include the ultra-high sensitivity technology in extreme low light conditions including being able to identify objects in full colour.” Charles agrees price is a major factor in the current market. “Absolutely - price is a factor,” he says. “Certainly, the best camera for an application could very well be a low-cost camera given the quality requirement for that application,” he says. “However, it seems in a lot of cases price is the overriding factor in installations where higher quality and performance is definitely required.” When it comes to the next big things in CCTV
technology, Charles points to processing. “Sony’s technology is in its sensors (Exmor R) and image processing (IPELA and Bionz X processors, for example) and give Sony the ability to produce cameras with high resolution and ultra-high sensitivity (as high as 409600 ISO), with accurate colour reproduction for forensic purposes and detail in all lighting conditions and no noise or artefacts,” he says. “Advanced analytics of the type we currently have under development, higher efficiency codecs at full frame rate along with intelligent bandwidth management and scene management without motion blur combine these and you get a clearer sense of the future.” Hikvision’s Cliff Simmons says the wide variety of cameras available actually makes it easier to choose the correct camera for an application. “Factors for integrators to consider are the environment – for instance, indoor or outdoor and local conditions, including available lighting and susceptibility to vandalism,” he says. “Customer objectives need to be taken into account, too. For instance, should the camera be small and blend in or should it be obvious and provide a deterrent? Available mounting points for cameras also need to be considered. “Depending on what the customer is looking at achieving, the resolution of the camera is also important. For example, wide angle views sometimes call for higher resolutions to provide greater digital zoom capabilities. Dome cameras, which are increasingly popular, keep everyone guessing as to where the camera is pointing, while traditional cameras (full body camera in housing, or bullet style) are pointed in one direction only. “Good cameras will have quality lensing, good low light sensitivity with low noise, day/night
It’s difficult to see a huge paradigm shift or a revolution of technology in the short term.
With advances in technology, we have seen video analytic performance start to deliver on expectations and it’s now included as a standard feature in many cameras
Mark Shannon
Cliff Simmons
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it seems in a lot of cases price is the overriding factor in installations where higher quality and performance is definitely required.
Specifically, a very good CCTV camera should have a good colour reproduction, edge description (sharpness) and the ability to handle low light.
Steve Charles
Andrew Cho
operation, smart IR, the ability to adjust camera angle, whether internally or externally, a varifocal lens, a wide dynamic range, vandal resistance and a wide operational temperature range,” Simmons says. “Form factor is changing, too. Full body cameras were once the preferred product due to being able to include a lot more advanced technology on the boards inside. Today, the same technology with various lens focal length combinations, including motorised zooms, are incorporated into bullet cameras. Bullet cameras also tend to provide clearer, sharper images than dome cameras and we find that IR technology is superior in bullet cameras, as dome cameras tend to suffer from IR flaring.” When it comes to price, Simmons makes a good point. “Like all electronic technology, we are seeing advanced features becoming available in entry level products,” he explains. “With the volumes being produced, economies of scale kick in, and we are seeing prices dropping significantly so the value for money factor is truer than ever.” Simmons sees analytics as the next big thing in CCTV technology. “In the past, video analytics underperformed and was overpriced,” he says. “With advances in technology, we have seen video analytics performance start to deliver on expectations and it is now included as a standard feature in many cameras. This means that cameras can be used as intelligent devices for applications such as marketing analysis where business intelligence is required. IVA means cameras are being used for people counting, heat mapping (customer dwell time analysis), queue backlog, gender analysis, facial recognition, as well as being used in conjunction with access control, car
model identification and more.” According to Andrew Cho, when EOS designs or assists the customer the team concentrates on 4 key details - infrastructure, budget, expectation and expandability. “Based on the infrastructure we decide which technology to use whether it is analogue, AHD or IP,” Cho explains. “Then we consider budget, as well as expectation and choose the right resolution and cameras with the right features. During this process, we provide the right option based on the future expansion of the site. “Specifically, a very good CCTV camera should have a good colour reproduction, edge description (sharpness) and the ability to handle low light. You want good WDR, a motorized lens, and more. For IP, it’s now crucial for a good CCTV camera to have an outstanding bandwidth utilization technology as well as various settings to control the bitrate to meet customer’s expectation. WISESTREAM technology from Hanwha (SAMSUNG) Techwin is a good example of great bandwidth utilization technology. The future will also see the implementation of H.265 codecs, VR (virtual reality) technology, drones, and metadata mining.” Cho says while customers can purchase a reasonable quality camera at a cheap price, there is definitely a price/performance cross-over point. “That’s why most of global manufacturers have cost-effective camera ranges and premium performance ranges,” Cho explains. “On most small to medium size installations, the cost-effective range seems to offer enough technology and benefits. But when it comes to designing a larger project, cameras require better streaming performance and other functionalities, which requires expensive components such as chipsets and materials.” n
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● New product
Bosch
Bosch BVMS Bosch Video Management System (BVMS) is an enterprise IP video security solution that provides seamless management of digital video, audio, and data across any IP network. It’s designed to work seamlessly with Bosch CCTV devices but offers interfaces and standards to integrate other systems and manufacturers. OSCH BVMS is equipped with embedded resilience to keep operations up and running if management and recording servers fail. Edge intelligent video analysis and Bosch recording technology can manage up to 2000 cameras with a single server, reducing the total cost of ownership. When installed in an enterprise application, Windows-based BVMS offers multi management server requirements for metro, airport and other large industrial facilities across different time zones. It supports controlled monitoring across different legal entities, with monitoring of up to 10,000 cameras across 10 subsystems per user group, managing 200,000 cameras in total. BVMS can also handle up to 30 subsystems per user group for <100 cameras per subsystem, allowing each operator to access events, alarms, live and playback from up to 30 management server computers simultaneously. A maximum of 2000 ONVIF cameras can be supported per management server with live PTZ control and recorded video of up to 9999 sites with Bosch DVR recorders, DIVAR IP 3000/7000 and single management server systems. BVMS includes operator client software, a mobile video service based on transcoding, mobile app for iPhone and iPad, web client and a Bosch video streaming gateway. Bosch Video Recording Manager (VRM) provides a distributed network video recorder
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solution, eliminating the need for dedicated NVRs and the use of multiple client workstations offers great scalability.
Operational Functionality BVMS includes a flexible image window (patent pending) that allows any combination of video window sizes and layouts without the need of preconfigured layouts. Any live image pane can be switched to instant playback (not valid for transcoded streams), or there can be multiple instant playback image panes displaying live video or instant playback video, text documents, maps, or web pages. Enhanced map features mean allow device states to be indicated on icons; special state events (for example motion alarm) can be highlighted by defined colours or by blinking; thumbnail of camera appears on mouse over; alarms of devices can be accepted and pre-sets can be accessed via context menu. Camera selection is handled by double-click or drag and drop from site maps, logical tree, or favourites tree and decoders can be organized in monitor walls from within operator client and monitor walls can be controlled without connection to a management server. Meanwhile, control of analogue monitors can be connected to decoders via drag and drop and there’s automatic stream switching depending on image pane size and digital zoom level in live mode. The favourites tree can be individually configured per user, allowing operators to call up favourites with a click, include complete views with image pane layouts and camera assignments. Intelligent tracking enables the camera to assist the operator by following an automatically or manually-selected object (PTZ camera or fixed cameras). There are zoomable sitemaps with links, devices, sequences, and command scripts providing excellent overview, and there’s automatic map positioning of a camera in a map when this camera is selected. There are 2 audio listening options – selected channel only or multiple simultaneous channels, audio intercom functionality and when operating from a remote access point, the operator can retrieve live and playback via low bandwidth using transcoded video or TCP for reliable connection. Using the region of interest feature saves network bandwidth when zooming into a section of the camera image. Intelligent video analytics is the state-of-the-art method that reliably detects, tracks, and analyses moving objects while suppressing unwanted alarms from spurious sources in the image. There’s a priority threshold defined for each operator group for escalation management, a selective auto-popup on alarm with alarms displayed in separate alarm window and up to 5 Image panes per alarm with live or playback video, sitemaps, documents, or web pages displayed in an ‘alarm row’, with highest priority alarms on top. There also 1 audio file per alarm. n
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● Product review
Sprint
SPRT60XPM Digital Analogue
SPRINT Intercom’s SPRT60XPM day/night bullet camera offers 4 format digital analogue streams giving TVI, AHD, CVI and CVBS via a 1/2.9-inch 2MP Sony CMOS sensor. There’s a 2.8-12mm motorised, autofocus zoom lens, de-fog, up-the-camera setting of on-screen display and 60m of IR. But how does it stack up against 1080p IP cameras?
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BY J O H N A D A M S
PRINT’S SPRT60XPM is a solidly made IP66-rated bullet camera with a metal body and an adjustable plastic sunshade. It’s an OEM product manufactured by Shenzhen SECTEC, an established manufacturer founded in 2001 in Shenzen China. Perhaps the most interesting feature of this camera is its ability to deliver 4-format digital analogue streams - TVI, AHD, CVI and CVBS. It’s a quality that allows the camera to be used with pretty much any digital analogue DVR, including the Dahua DHI-XVR5116HS penta-brid DVR I’m testing it with today. The catalyst for this detailed review was a test of the Dahua DHI-XVR5116HS last month, during which I noticed the digital analogue SPRT60XPM sent over by Seadan Security Electronics was performing considerably better than the other cameras I had hooked up to the Dahua DVR – its sharpness, colour rendition, WDR capability and overall external specification cried out for a closer look. Something else I wondered was how this digital analogue camera would stack up against IP cameras, which are often criticised for excessive latency and a tendency to blur motion at higher resolutions and slower shutter speeds. Furthermore, analogue digital cameras are making something of a comeback. Many manufacturers now carry them and they combine quite good performance qualities with low cost. Should we be seeing more of them in end user shootouts, given the deplorable performance of very low cost IP cameras today? Yes, I think we should. The race to the bottom in IP video really has given digital analogue a second life. In terms of performance and specifications, the SPRT60XPM delivers 1280 x 960 resolution at 25fps and uses high profile H.264 compression. It draws 800mA from a 12V DC power supply – I’m powering it locally and not through the DVR. There are 46 LEDs in the 60m IR array, which is mounted behind a flat plexiglass plate. This cover is not shared by the lens, which has its own front element in the centre of the array that’s separated by a black rim. Other features include sens-up, HLC, adaptive colour enhancement, WDR, 15-zone privacy masking, 2DNR, 3DNR and smart noise reduction functions. There’s also a de-fog function. Signal to noise ratio is 50dB, there’s auto white balance; low, middle and high WDR settings; and an operating temperature of -20 to 50C. When it comes to range, digital analogue kicks butt - transmission range over coax is up to 500m, though you do need local power supply. This sort of range make digital analogue ideal for large commercial and industrial sites. Weight is around 1kg courtesy of that metal body and physical dimensions are 275 x 91 x 80mm. The camera body and mount feel like solid aluminium and everything is coated in thick white paint. There’s not much to confuse installers about the SPRT60XPM. There are only 2 flying leads
protruding from the mounting base – BNC and 12V DC – and no ports or slots. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
S
Test driving the SPRT60XPM The first thing you notice when testing the SPRT60XPM is how easy it is to set up. I’m using the Dahua DHI-XVR5116HS 16-input DVR and setup is silly easy. It’s a fact I don’t often acknowledge but too often I spend almost as much time trying to set up an IP camera on the SEN network as I do testing it. There are different pieces of software required to crack open the latest cameras and modern VMS,
4.5mm – plates and faces to 20m
Low motion blur in good light
Getting blur as light falls
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Sprint
Strong colour in low light
BW image is good
Blooming is a factor
powerful and wonderful thing that it is, has become more complicated through a process of necessary evolution. My overall setup process goes like this. Power to DVR, VGA from DVR to workstation monitor, remote 12V DC power to camera, BNC to camera and BNC to DVR, double click 4-way display for full screen live view. It’s very easy. I set the camera to default with a few per cent extra brightness, the DVR records all inputs in real time and overwrites automatically. The functionality of this DVR doesn’t give me all the capability of the motorised zoom and autofocus on the SPRT60XPM, or I fail to find that capability (there is PTZ control) but fixed performance is solid.
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Something I get a sense of during my time with the SPRT60XPM, is that the camera engine is not interfering with the image very much. Sony makes nice sensors as we all know and this 1/2.9 Sony CMOS is serving up nice performance that’s untrammelled by digital intervention. No doubt the analogue signal is digitised 4 ways inside the camera engine but it’s not over-wrought. Some digital cameras deliver representations of the real world – especially when they are under pressure from extreme lighting conditions. When you’ve not looked at an analogue video stream for a while you lose touch with what might be called ‘analogue reality’. Sitting down in front of the monitor I note a complete lack of noise, I see barrel distortion of about 7 per cent, colour rendition is good but it’s a little muted, there’s a tendency to over-expose which is most noticeable in our street scene at about 40m at which distance from the lens there’s also a tendency to softness. Latency is considerably less intrusive than digital but still observable – it’s 200th of a second, I think, most of it’s coming from the DVR processor. General WDR ability seems strong at default. Motion blur is difficult to call immediately, as snap shots are quite low res – between 200-300kb, which makes for an unfair comparison. Moving plates are possible in good light. Low light performance is good and virtually noise free. At default settings, colour is held until around 7 lux and then the camera pulls across the motorised cut filter and shifts to night mode. The live view is generally very strong, though digital zoom at 1080p is always going to have its shortcomings and pixellation occurs after a few turns of the mouse wheel. There’s some blooming from the sensor with car headlights – enough to suggest this is a last-gen sensor. At full screen, this camera is at least as good as any 1080p IP camera. It’s strongest from the hyperfocal distance of less than half a metre, to about 12 metres and it holds onto nearly all of its quality towards 20 metres, giving pretty easy static plates at a slightly wide focal length of around 4.5mm. Past 20m in my application, the image falls away into softness and there’s overexposure in full sun at 40m. A stand-out feature of this digital analogue camera viewed live is a complete lack of that odd pulsing you get flowing through IP image streams as they’re updated. Something else that’s indiscernible is general image noise. With IP cameras, there’s often underlying noise that ebbs and flows with changing light levels and is visible as shimmering around contrast points and areas of movement. With some cameras, the entire surface of an image trembles. Nothing like that is going on here. The best word to describe this image stream is
The stand-out feature of this digital analogue camera viewed live is a complete lack of that odd pulsing you get flowing through digital image streams as they’re updated.
stable. It’s a quite consistent image across the frame in variegated lighting – the sensor is doing a very nice job of handling adjacent light changes from 8000 lux to 78,000 lux. Depth of field is ok, too, considering the focal length, the 1280 x 960p resolution and the overexposure that’s going on towards Albion Lane, where the camera is looking from shade into full afternoon sun. The lens has the usual magnesium fluoride coating on the front element and is notable for a complete lack of chromatic aberrations – there’s no sign of purple fringing at all with this 2.812mm motorised lens – that’s a very good sign and suggests a good design with high tolerances. I am getting about 7 per cent barrel distortion at 4.5mm, which is a bit higher than usual. You’d expect distortion to be reduce considerably between 6-8mm. Aside from that zoom-focus issue, the Dahua DVR makes things easy. It’s a neat unit at the price – very compact and light, with a tiny footprint for a 16-input machine and a reassuring 36-month warranty. You use a CCTV system to find and view events and the XVR makes this easy. Calling up search is right click for main menu, click for search. You pick a time you want to search from and click on the timeline, click the motion search icon, select the grid squares you want to search, then click the icon again. The little DVR then goes through every event that crossed those tiles and you can save
snapshots, save clips or pause the search whenever you like. It all happens so fast that even in my busy street scene I can dash through a morning’s events in a few minutes. Should this digital analogue camera be compared with the leading IP bullets of the day – cameras like the Bosch 5000 MP bullet or the Samsung SNO8081R 5MP bullet? If your setup can handle digital analogue, then yes, they could be. Performance differences are nowhere near as clear-cut as you’d think. Both the Bosch and the Samsung have more resolution and that counts a lot with digital zoom. Bosch and Samsung also have superior colour rendition. The Samsung is best with backlight. The Bosch’s digital zoom and focus is sheer operational brilliance. This SPRT60XPM is superior when it comes to lack of noise, low light performance without IR, latency and reasonably low motion blur, particularly as the afternoon wears on into evening. But the comparison that jumps out at me is one of price. Not when compared to bullet cameras like the Samsung and Bosch, which are high quality and have wide-ranging functionality and excellent support that justifies higher cost. Think about low end IP bullet cameras costing less than $A200 to the trade. We’ve reached a point with low cost IP cameras where performance is impacted by miserable specifications. There are also good manufacturers competing in the basement of the IP camera market by re-badging cameras their own engineers would never dream of designing. Are capable digital analogue cameras like this SPRT60XPM better performers than low end IP cameras of the same price? Yes, they are miles better. n
Features of the SPRT60XPM camera include: l
4-format TVI, AHD, CVI and CVBS digital analogue
l
2.8-12mm motorised, remote autofocus lens
l
IP66-rated metal housing with 60m IR
l
Weight around 1kg, size is 275 x 91 x 80mm
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Adaptive Colour Enhancement, WDR, HLC
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15 privacy zones
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1280 x 960p resolutions, H.264 compression
l
Very competitive price.
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Products
Editor’s choice
What’s new in the industry.
Hikvision Blazer Express l HIKVISION’S Blazer Express is an all-in-one intelligent video management station that comes pre-loaded with the IVMS-5200 on a Windows 7 embedded operating system. With Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and Point of Sale (POS) licences included straight out of the box, the Blazer Express is equipped to respond to the requirements of modern retail environments. In addition to the easy-to-use surveillance monitoring platform, Hikvision’s Blazer Express can also provide business intelligence features such as people counting and heat mapping. Scalable across multiple sites with its cascading feature, this solution enables centralised management of multiple network video recorders. A cost-effective and easy one-stop solution which perfectly suits medium-sized retail chains, Hikvision’s Blazer Express is available in 2 models supporting up to 16 or 32 network cameras. Distributor: CSD Contact: 1300 319 499
Wisenet Analogue HD+ l HANWHA Techwin (formerly Samsung Techwin) introduces Wisenet HD+, a complete range of AHD cameras and DVRs which deliver 1080p Full HD images over existing coax cable. Wisenet HD+ is competitively priced and provides end-users with the ability to capture and record Full HD 1080p images while utilising existing cameras. Wisenet HD+ comes in a wide range of cameras and DVR models to provide easy installation and affordable upgrade paths for old analogue systems, as well as new installations. Distributor: EOS Australia Pty Ltd Contact: +61 2 9749 5888
Panasonic Launches i-PRO Extreme Gen 2 l PANASONIC has launched its next generation i-PRO Extreme surveillance technology platform, a native end-toend H.265 system designed to maximise the performance and cost-effectiveness of video surveillance systems, whilst protecting against cyber security threats. The new platform will be rolled-out across a new line-up of Panasonic cameras, recorders and video management software (VMS) in 2017, delivering advanced enhancements in image quality, data compression and security, reliability and embedded intelligence. “The i-PRO Extreme will meet our Australian customers’ needs for high quality surveillance imaging while lowering bandwidth requirements, reducing data storage expenditure and protecting their data - vital in today’s demanding and ever changing business environment. This demonstrates our commitment to offering integrated solutions that provide maximum ROI for our customers,” said Daniel Sultana, national sales manager, security, Panasonic Australia. The Panasonic i-PRO Extreme range of cameras also provides a highly secure protection layer and robust authentication to guard against cyber threat with a PC-level IP data security suite via Panasonic Secure Communication technology, and Symantec Device Certificates. Distributor: BGW Technologies Contact: +61 2 9674 4255
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NEW Bosch value DIVAR network recorders l DIVAR network 2000 (16 channels), 3000 and 5000 (both 32 channels) are cost-
effective ways to invest in a future-proof IP video surveillance system that can be scaled as business grows. Bosch DIVAR network recorders feature single file video export, making extracting recorded images simple. Thanks to a built-in power over ethernet (PoE) switch, connecting IP cameras to these network recorders requires no separate power adaptors, making installation quick and easy. The PoE switch can supply power to a maximum of 16 connected cameras. Each camera automatically receives its IP address from the recorder to enable simple plug-and-play operation. DIVAR network recorders enable easy monitoring and configuration - watch live footage, playback recorded content, or reconfigure local unit settings anytime from anywhere. This can be done via the DIVAR Viewer app, on smartphones (iOS and Android), and via the web browser. The app can also be used to control pan, tilt and zoom functions. The Bosch DDNS service enables users to create a name for their recorder free of charge, making it easy to find the recorder without using an IP address when using a web browser. Contact Bosch distributors and Certified Partners. Distributor: Bosch Security Systems Contact: 13000 BOSCH (26724)
Sektor Announces New PT-Series HD FLIR PTZs l MAKING its first public appearance at Sektor’s Hamilton Island Conference, The
PT-Series HD features a new high-performance 4x optical zoom thermal lens with autofocus. This new lens technology provides a wider zoom range and improved imaging performance compared to previous generation lenses. In addition, FLIR’s PTSeries HD introduces new, fixed focal fast lenses options. The camera sees clearly in complete darkness, in bright sunlight, through smoke, dust or even light fog, providing superior situational awareness, regardless of the lighting and environmental conditions. In addition to the industry leading thermal imaging, the PT-Series HD has high quality, visible-light imaging. Offering 1080p high definition resolution, the camera’s visible light sensors also come with 30x optical zoom with auto-focus, and .01 lux low-light capabilities. The PT-Series HD is scheduled for release by Sektor on March 31 2017. Distributor: Sektor Distributors Contact: 1300 273 586
Skyguard Interactive Gateway Module l SKYGUARD Interactive Gateway Module means existing accounts with aging systems won’t disappear from an installer’s client list. Retrofit these older systems using Inner Range’s new SkyGuard Interactive Gateway Module (IGM) to enable a range of home automation and monitoring options. Unlike many other 3G modules, the SkyGuard IGM utilises Z-Wave technology and a smartphone application to deliver home automation services to the end user. With full smart phone and tablet security offered via the Apple and Android platforms, the Skyguard IGM app allows the user to control their video monitoring and push notifications as well as lights, locks and even home appliances. Incorporating a toggle switch which allows the installer to field-configure the device based on the type of system it is to be installed on, the SkyGuard IGM is compatible with a range of panels including the Paradox MG5050, Honeywell Vista, DSC PowerSeries or the NX. Distributor: CSD Contact: 1300 319 499
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New in 2017
What’s New in 2017: Part 2 Part 2 of what’s new in electronic security solutions for the year ahead – speculation is one thing. Getting a handle on what manufacturers and distributors are planning to release gives us a better sense of what’s on the horizon.
LECTRONIC security technology continues to change, with sweeping shifts in underlying technologies. There are shifts in security electronics, too, sometimes these align themselves with advances in infrastructure and other times they represent ongoing evolution of detection and surveillance technologies that have been decades in the making. Over at C.R. Kennedy, Phil Viggiano says Dallmeier’s range of Panomera cameras will be given an upgrade during 2017 with new Ultraline TOPLINE models featuring new 4K sensor technology to deliver higher resolutions, and improved low light performance. “Of special interest is the totally new Panomera W8 which shares a design similar to that of a PTZ housing yet can deliver 360-degree real time resolution equivalent to 75 megapixels,” Viggiano says. “It’s far superior to traditional PTZ’s or panoramic fisheye cameras. In other parts of our range, this year Uniview has already launched U-Code across their range of NVR’s and cameras. U-Code technology can reduce bandwidth and storage up to a staggering 95 per cent.” According to Viggiano, the building trends of 2017 include price. “CCTV price performance continues to improve dramatically,” he says. “These days even low cost cameras provide very good image quality, so the focus for 2017 will be on providing smarter, more complete solutions to the market. Of course, higher priced cameras deliver more than just good HD image quality – they also provide edge analytics, 4K resolution, superior low light capability and so on. With the ever-increasing demand for remote viewing, image stream efficiency from IP cameras and recorders is becoming more and more important to end users.” Importantly, Viggiano says C.R. Kennedy is expecting continued growth in 2017. “We expect growth will probably exceed 20 per cent this financial year,” he says. “C.R. Kennedy has already employed 4 new staff in the CCTV division with more to come.” Over at surveillance storage specialist, Quantum, Australian country manager, Adrian Sharkey says 2017 is going to be a busy year in security surveillance but he says the team sees a big future
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the focus for 2017 will be on providing smarter, more complete solutions to the market. Phil Viggiano
for lateral applications, too. “In 2017 we see video surveillance continuing its growth trend for security, as well as for retail and traffic management applications, and in support of the wider IoT trend,” Sharkey explains. “Industry analyst IHS projects that in 2017 video surveillance will capture nearly 6000 Petabytes of data, and by 2019 3.3 trillion hours of surveillance video will be captured daily. Video is also being retained longer for many reasons, including for use as evidence by law enforcement, or to use with advanced analytics in retail environments. Based on our interactions with customers and partners, we anticipate key developments. “We think end users will store more video data for IVA applications,” he says. “Organizations need to become more adept at leveraging unstructured data to identify patterns and trends. Surveillance data – or, more accurately, video-based data – will be increasingly used for business purposes, too. No longer just for keeping people and property safe; video surveillance will yield greater financial returns. “Highly sophisticated video analytics applications will see greater adoption to make better business decisions. Today, 50 per cent of analytics are for non-security purposes. To support these analytical functions, video must be retained for longer periods.” Sharkey also expects to see more CCTV cameras with embedded intelligence. “2016 saw a surge in camera counts - especially HD cameras yielding considerably more data to manage,” he says. “In 2017 we expect the adoption of cameras with wider panoramas, higher resolutions, and more sensors will accelerate. Watch for more installations to transition from analogue and SD cameras, with a demand that more surveillance capabilities – compression, streaming, storage, and analytics – be bundled into cameras for greater value.” Healthcare is another area of growth for surveillance systems. “The Affordable Healthcare Act and federal security mandates coupled with hospital organizations most common challenges—workplace violence, drug related crimes, gang violence, infant/ child abduction threats, natural disasters, terrorism, and more will require healthcare organizations to make significant surveillance upgrades or complete
system over-hauls,” Sharkey says. “80 per cent of hospitals are in need of an upgrade of access control systems and CCTV (IAHSS). “For example, to protect against litigation in slip/fall lawsuits, it is recommended that healthcare facilities retain video data for at least 2 years. In addition, controlled observation rooms may soon exceed the number of security cameras, extending the ability of nursing staff to monitor patients and improve overall care.” Biometric applications employing face recognition are also likely to become more prevalent in 2017, according to Sharkey. “Today, facial recognition is used to identify criminal suspects,” he says. “Healthcare organizations will increasingly add facial recognition to their security arsenal. We anticipate greater adoption of applications for counting people to help transportation organizations reduce congestion and improve services. Increasingly, biometrics is helping to prevent the major data breaches that have become common. Public and private entities will embrace more sophisticated cyber security. “The Cyber Security Alliance in conjunction with The White House launched an initiative advising the use of fingerprints and one time codes as a way of authentication. Facial recognition is another growth area, where biometric technology is now available for use with body-worn cameras. Both technologies hold great potential, and will require intelligent multitiered storage to keep the costs of the required data in check.” Something else that’s likely to move front and centre over 2017 and beyond is IoT sensor and video management of IOT video data. “Watch the Internet of Things emerge as one of
Facial recognition is another growth area, where biometric technology is now available for use with body-worn cameras. Adrian Sharkey
the top culprits for data growth,” Sharkey says. “The real challenge for IT managers will be to merge this data with large and diverse file types such as video surveillance to enable collective business intelligence. This will create a data management challenge for state and municipal IT departments. “Add to this the growing list of benefits made possible by the correlation of video data with input from smart devices, and the demand for storage—and storage integration—explodes. Embedded sensor technology will allow cities to become smarter, and data from that sensor input will be integrated with video data and analyzed to help make urban communities more attractive. Look for vehicle and pedestrian traffic to be more aggressively captured and integrated with sensor input from trains, buses, and subways to cut congestion. Parking facilities can be monitored and the video combined with input from smart meters to reduce bottlenecks and to improve consumer satisfaction Something else that Sharkey sees coming through is video surveillance-as-a-service. “As we see smarter cameras and more types of sensors integrated into them, there’s been a movement toward more in-band analytics. This confluence of factors is laying the foundation for surveillance-as-a-service,” Sharkey explains. “Smaller deployments will be aggregated into this service model. For example, commercial campuses can centralize surveillance services if they use smart cameras with in-band analytics and other sensors, in order to automate functions that took multiple personnel and enable a more proactive approach to surveillance, and bridge the gap between a prosecution model to a more preventative system.” n
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Help desk ■ Below are the approximate recommendations for rest times (complete rest, that is) between sets according to your goal, per the National Streng th and Conditioning Association (NSCA). *Note that since fat loss depends primarily on diet, there is no official rest-period prescription for it, although we feel that both short and long rests work, depending on the program.
Q: How important is attention to focus with CCTV lenses, given many are wide angle lenses with very small hyperfocal distances? Shouldn’t everything in the field of view of such a lens be in focus? A: With a wide lens, everything past the hyperfocal distance of a wide lens will be more or less in focus but that doesn’t mean focus will be as good as it could be for your operational requirements. There are plenty of compact cameras with fixed focal lengths and non-adjustable lenses out there - fixed lenses of around 4mm are becoming a trend. Most do an ok job but you only have to look at performance in the real world to see that they still have a focal sweet spot around 8-10m that gives maximum sharpness. With a wide varifocal lens at the widest setting, the same general rule applies – there will be a sweet spot in the centre at a particular distance and the rest of the image will be generally in focus. But you can improve focus in your application by tweaking. The longer the focal length, the more care needs to be taken. We’ve mucked around with many varifocal lenses and focus really does count – especially if you want to place your point of focus deeper into a scene. If you focus on some junk on a shelf in the workshop 5 metres from the lens, don’t expect to get best performance at 12m on
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Our panel of experts answers your questions.
the street. You need to commission for the application with the camera installed. Focus for face recognition is important, too. We’d recommend longer focal lengths for faces – the longer the less distortion, the less aberrations (generally speaking), the less irrelevant pixel eating image components – walls, windows, ceilings, trees, sky, opposite street front, roadway or carpark. Q: We’ve installed a job in which we used a lot of PVC conduit and found it very challenging in some places to get the conduit to cooperate when going around corners. Is there a trick to this, or is conduit always a huge hassle? A: Getting PVC cable conduit around corners is never easy. If you’ve got the system planned out and the bends are uniform, then it’s going to be possible to buy fittings to get the job done. In the real world, things are seldom easy and there will be odd bends required that no fitting you can buy will be able to handle. In such cases, you’re going to need to bend the PVC yourself. It’s important to point out right now that mixing PVC and any kind of heating instrument is an inherently dangerous business. Always do your bending work outside, never in an enclosed space. While we don’t recommend it, we know that some installers use naked flame to bend PVC. The danger when you put flame onto PVC pipe is that before long it will start merrily spewing out vinyl chloride gas. This carcinogen causes liver cancer and that’s something we can all do without.
The answer is never to use a naked flame – go for a heat gun or a heat blanket (between $A150-300) or a glycerine heating tub instead. The beauty of heated PVC is that when it reaches a certain temperature it becomes as flexible as rubber – you can do pretty much whatever you like with it, including bending, stretching or widening the gauge so one pipe fits over another without the need for a connector. Just tip a cup of water slowly onto it to lock the PVC into its new shape when you’re done. If you’re using a heat gun you can just shape and mount the pipe as you go and it will cool on the wall. You need to be cautious until you get experienced enough to judge just what you can do with PVC - expect to ruin some conduit while getting the knack. Not only will you save lots of money on connection fittings in the long term, you’ll also be able to get around unexpected obstacles without having to drag down to the hardware store. Just be sure to wear gloves at all times, as the temperatures required to bend PVC will burn your fingers. And for safety’s sake, no naked flames near PVC, Never, ever. Q: Do digital analogue cameras really offer better performance than the best IP cameras? A: Our experience with digital analogue technologies is limited but from what we have seen, these technologies offer strong performance and low latency with low levels of blur. We’ll need to do some comparative testing and get back to you – this is something we will take a look at
during SecTech Camera Shootout in May. Q: There have been a number of violent attacks recently – one on public space at Bourke St Mall in Melbourne and another in Quebec City on a mosque. Is there any guaranteed way to deter or fend off these sorts of attacks? Isn’t electronic security responsive and therefore powerless against such events? A: The events you mention are quite different. Considering each separately, physical barriers, including raised pathways, paved and stepped earth mounds remain the best defence against vehicle attacks but they cannot protect all aggregations of people in a city, whether this be at a set of busy traffic lights, a suburban strip mall or a playground. Bollards or concrete barriers would have saved lives on Bourke St and we should expect to see more of them in our cities and at our events. It’s certainly possible that in a smart city environment, retractable bollards could be located at key points of vulnerability and then activated using IVA-governed automation or operator intervention from a central control room. Every major city in Australia has the capacity to monitor such events in real time and respond in such a way. The Bourke St Mall attack took time to develop and if the infrastructure was in place, automatic bollards could have been raised. Such infrastructure is expensive, however. In Quebec, the mosque had installed CCTV after earlier instances of harassment but there was no access control, which would have delayed entry and might have allowed time for worshippers to flee. This said, at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, there was access control and an armed police officer was on duty inside the building but a staffer was threatened with an automatic weapon unless she entered the access code (there was no panic code that activated an internal alarm) and the duty officer was subsequently taken by surprise. Generally speaking, electronic security is reactive if installed in isolation but when installed in support of physical barriers, including dual-purpose spaces that double
as panic rooms, it can enable emergency response and emergency evacuation. Procedures need to be woven with technology to engender the right response, as was the case at the Louvre, where tourists were hurried to heavily built rooms which were locked while police secured the museum. Procedures needs to start at the gate. At the Louvre police told a person they could not enter the museum with a bag and were then attacked with a machete pulled from the bag. The simplest procedures count. Security staff who challenged suicide bombers at Stade de Paris saved many lives.
Q: We’re having trouble with noise in a comms room we share with every service – that includes some electric motors. It’s an old site and everything is a real mess. We’re having trouble with what we think is noise in our cable path – what would SEN recommend? A: When you’re up against a serious EMI path problem on a client’s site you first need to establish the victim equipment, what it is and where it’s located. Find out all potential sources of EMI and work out their exact frequency range. Next, ascertain every possible coupling path between the source and victim. You must consider every possible path, including grounding points and bonding points in which there may be poor conduction. Just as important will be looking at some of the more obscure possibilities. If there are capacitors involved in the pathway, remember that they will become inductors in the presence of high frequencies, while inductors can switch into capacitors. Try to establish whether the problem is constant or intermittent, whether it occurs at a specific time of day, or whether it occurs in the presence of any possible cause that can be re-generated to allow repeated assessment. n
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MARCH 2017 ISSUE 385
events ISC West Date: April 6-8, 2017 Venue: Sands Expo Centre, Las Vegas Contact: www.iscwest.com/Show-Info/ The International Security Conference & Exposition – also known as ISC West – is the largest event in the U.S. for the physical security industry, covering access control, alarms and monitoring, biometrics, IP security, video surveillance, networked and physical security solutions.
SECURITY OPERATION
PP 100001158
l Schneider Installs Infiniti at SCUH l Monitoring: Infrastructure Changing l The Interview: Sir William Gallagher l Management: Proactive Risk Analysis l Special Report: Alarms and Automation l Special Report: Selecting CCTV Cameras l New: Bosch Video Management System l Review: SPRT60XPM Digital Analogue l News Report: What’s New in 2017: Part 2
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SecTech Roadshow 2017 SECURITY & GOVERNMENT expo
Date: May 4-18, 2017 Contact: Monique Keatinge on 612 9280 4425 SecTech Roadshow takes up to 20 of Australia’s leading distributors and manufacturers on a national tour – a simple and highly targeted touring tradeshow covering 5 state capitals over 2 weeks during the month of May. In 2017, SecTech Roadshow will visit Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
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2017 Security Conference and Exhibition Date: July 2017 Venue: Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour Contact: +61 3 9261 4500 Next year we’re heading back to Sydney to the brand new International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour and the anticipation is palpable! Our whole team is looking forward to reuniting the industry in sunny Sydney, we look forward to seeing you there in 2017.
SECURITY & GOVERNMENT expo
= DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY.
Security and Government Expo 2017
Date: November 2017 Venue: The Realm Hotel, Canberra Contact: Monique +61 2 9280 4425 Security and Government Expo is a one-day expo with space for 20 companies to promote their technologies and products in the nation’s capital. SAGE brings together government and commercial end users, consultants, integrators and installers in Canberra and the ACT to see the latest security solutions in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
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PRESENTS
Integrated SolutIonS natIonal Inner Range has recently released 5 new awesome integrations which we are excited to present, directly to you, in order for you to experience the latest innovations for the Integriti security management system. In one location we will gather a team of experts, from our suppliers, to give you an opportunity to see and hear about our newest technology releases. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss this fantastic opportunity!
Cliff Simons
5 AWESOME INTEGRATIONS
Andy Singh
by
Damian Vassallo
1
Ryan Fairclough
ROAD SHOW EACH CITY
Ash Ramanayake BRISBANE
Tuesday 7th March 1.30pm - 6pm Paddington Room, Suncorp Stadium 40 Castlemaine St, Milton QLD 4064 R SV P TU ESD AY 2 8 t h FE BRUARY
ADELAIDE
Thursday 16th March 1.30pm - 6pm SACA Committee Room, Adelaide Oval War Memorial Dr, North Adelaide SA 5006 R SV P TH U R SD AY 9 t h M ARCH
SYDNEY
Thursday 9th March 1.30pm - 6pm Steve Waugh Room, SCG Moore Park Rd, Moore Park NSW 2021 RS VP T H U R S D AY 2 nd MA R C H
MELBOURNE
Tuesday 14th March 1.30pm - 6pm Glasshouse Room, Holden Centre Olympic Blvd, Melbourne VIC 3000 R S V P T U E S D AY 7 th M A RC H
PERTH
Thursday 23rd March 1.30pm - 6pm Barry Cable Room, Domain Stadium Subiaco Rd, Subiaco WA 6008 RS VP T H U R S D AY 1 6 th MA R C H
PLEASE
RSVP
TO
roadshow@csd.com.au
1300 319 499 csd.com.au VIC: Mulgrave, Tullamarine NSW: Northmead, Waterloo ACT: Fyshwick QLD: Loganholme SA: Marleston WA: Balcatta