Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers May 2013 Issue 343
the Age of Reason l Darwin Airport Cyber Solution l DRS WatchMaster IP Elite l ISC West 2013 Show Report l Open Platform VMS Solutions l Salto Clay Cloud Access Control l BRS Labs AISight Analytics l Risco’s New Agility 3 Panel
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editorial sec u ri ty e l e ct ro n i c s & netwo r ks
may 2 01 3 i ssu e 3 43
Windows Chelan for CCTV cameras
I
It’s pretty obvious given the rather generic specifications, that Lynx is not meant to the best surveillance camera the world has ever seen – that’s not what this solution is about. Instead it’s potentially the most flexible video surveillance camera the world has ever seen.
SD may have struck a harder blow for open platform video surveillance solutions than ONVIF ever did with its release of Lynx, a 1080p HD dome camera that offers multi-streaming at 30ips in an IP66 housing. That’s because this camera is an edge device running Microsoft’s Chelan – Windows Embedded Compact 7. ISD’s Ian Johnston said the company’s development team sprinted to market with a solution it knows will change the world. Time will tell if this observation is correct but it’s hard to dispute the attraction of a camera that will run on Microsoft Windows for some users. Personally, I think the attraction is going to be greatest outside the security industry, at least in the short term. Chelan was released early in 2011 and it’s actually a tablet OS designed to drive demanding stuff like smart phones and industrial automation gear, as well as tablets and slates. According to Microsoft, Win7 Compact is a consumption device rather than a creation device like full Win7. What this means is that it allows access to services and its own functions, rather than running demanding creative software applications. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of creativity in Chelan. One of the strong things about a Win7 camera like Lynx is support for ARM v7. Because ARM processors are RISC-based they’ve got more bits on fewer processors which means less heat and less power draw. Typically such advanced processors allow low power system on chip designs that include memory, interfaces and even wireless (WiFi) all on the one engine. Something that’s a seriously big deal is that Win7 compact has a bunch of new development and design tools for the kiddies to play with. These include Silverlight for Embedded. If this doesn’t mean anything to you, Silverlight allows OEMs, including enterprising 12 year olds, to create their own custom interfaces with XAML and Native C++ coding languages. XAML is a declarative markup language that is
By John Adams
applied to the .NET Framework programming model where it simplifies the creation of user interfaces. Interesting. Meanwhile Stroustup’s C++ is a turbo charged C programming language which boasts features like classes, virtual functions and templates. All this is fun stuff – dangerous in a serious security solution arguably – but fun. There’s also symmetric multiprocessing, support for x86 & ARM, MIPS, a multimedia player with a customizable UI, a new version of Internet Explorer based on IE 7 with some performance updates from IE 8. And there’s NDIS 6.1 support for improved connectivity to PCs and servers. It’s pretty obvious given the rather generic specifications, that Lynx is not meant to be the best surveillance camera the world has ever seen – that’s not what this solution is about. Instead it’s potentially the most flexible video surveillance camera the world has ever seen. It’s not that there are no other cameras on the market that end users can’t fiddle with – Pelco Sarix was the first camera I saw with this functionality – but Lynx takes it to another level. Anyone doing computer studies at TAFE can get into this camera and have fun with it. The fact the camera is IP66 rated is telling, too. You can install Lynx anywhere you like and if your terminations are good you can expect it to be rock solid. There’s a WDR option, though no word on low light or IR support at this point, the latter of which would have really rounded out the unit. Of course, a lot of installers aren’t going to want to muck about with programming languages, not a bit of it. They want plug and play. They also need a business model that has some profit in it, so how big a splash we will see in our market is up for some debate. Regardless, the appearance of a CCTV camera with a mobile device operating system embedded inside it should not go unnoticed by users and installers. This is the baby step of a powerful new generation of video surveillance cameras. zzz
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se&n 03
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40 76
18 44: ISC West Show report
may 13 Independent Locksmiths & Security has installed a Cyberlock access control system and a Morse KeyWatcher key cabinet at Darwin International Airport. The $A250,000 system incorporates 3G reporting and solar power at multiple remote locations across the site.
52: the age of reason BRS Labs’ reason-based AISight, distributed locally by Open Platform Systems, is the only solution in the reason-based generation of video analytics.
24: Extroversion
34: DRS WatchMaster IP Elite Watchmaster IP ELITE is a compact and affordable networked thermal imaging solution that detects heat not light allowing it to provide intrusion detection in darkness, over water in fog, smoke and rain.
50: Clay cloud Access control manufacturer Salto has launched a new cloud-based access control solution called Clay. Designed for SMEs, Clay is designed to be easy to install, easy to use and easy to manage remotely.
18: Cyber space
Open systems VMS solutions are a niche all their own and getting a feel for how key manufacturers and distributors see the future of their market is an interesting exercise. All the companies we spoke to have adopted an open-ended business philosophy. Whatever the market needs, they will be.
AT ISC West around 180 exhibitors showed 1000 brands across a floor space reported to be 40 per cent larger than last year. Those improved numbers are very good to see from the industry’s perspective.
62: Risco shows Agility
34
NEW from Risco is Agility 3, a domestic and small commercial alarm panel with mobile app management that offers 32 wireless detection zones, including support for 8 eyeWave wireless PIR cameras for video verification. 70: Endangered habitat Milestone Systems’ open-platform, IP, video management software has been installed with Samsung network cameras in a surveillance system that has brought peace and confidence to the citizens of a neighborhood in Eastern France affected by criminal disturbances.
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10: news
Latest business, product and technical news from Australia and around the world. 44: monitoring Readers will have to forgive me. Of late, as the flow of home automation solutions across the Pacific starts swelling, I can’t help seeing the future of the domestic alarm and alarm monitoring business flashing before my eyes. 76: editor’s choice What’s new from our manufacturers. 80: helpdesk Our team of electronic security experts answers your tough technical questions.
Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers May 2013 Issue 343
the Age of Reason PP 255003/08027
l Darwin Airport Cyber Solution l DRS WatchMaster IP Elite l ISC West 2013 Show Report l Open Platform VMS Solutions l Salto Clay Cloud Access Control l BRS Labs AISight Analytics l Risco’s New Agility 3 Panel
Publisher Bridge Publishing Aust. Pty Ltd ABN 11 083 704 858 PO Box 237 Darlinghurst NSW 1300 tel 61 2 9280 4425 fax 61 2 9280 4428 email info@bridge publishing.com.au
Editor John Adams Contributor Ryan McGovern Advertising Manager Monique Keatinge Customer Service Annette Mathews tel 61 2 9280 4425 annette@bridge publishing.com.au
Design Tania Simanowsky e: taniasdesign@ optusnet.com.au Subscriptions 11 issues per annum One year (11 issues) Australia 12 months $A104.50 (incl GST) 24 months $A188.00 (incl GST)
Overseas 12 months $A155.00 (incl GST) 24 months $A270.00 (incl GST) WEBSITE www.securityelectronicsandnetworks. com.au No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form in whole or part without prior written permission of Bridge Publishing.
// news /
i nd u stry d eve lo pme nts // business p rofiles // industry develop ments // busin ess p rof i l es //
Alarms, CCTV best deterrents: Study
Bosch To Release 4K Ultra HD 8MP Camera l BOSCH has announced that it will be bringing the next generation of highdefinition imaging to the video surveillance market with the development of a new 4K Ultra HD video solution. “The time is now to start moving to 4K,” said Willem Ryan, senior product marketing manager for video systems at Bosch in a press conference at ISC West. 4K imaging delivers 4,000 horizontal and 2,000 vertical pixels to produce 8-megapixel resolution. “I think more pixels is better in general,” Ryan said. “4K gives you the ability to do a few things better.” When asked if the current surveillance infrastructure of most users could support a
move to 4K Ultra HD technology, Ryan said that 4K consumes about twice the amount of data of a 1080P camera. Though he said that H.264 can currently handle 4K, Ryan indicated that as the industry transitions to H.265 technology beginning in 2014, that will provide 50 per cent more compression, thus easing the burden this new HD imaging technology will place on an organization’s surveillance backbone. “4K will change some of the ways we approach security,” said Jeremy Hockham, president of sales, Americas, at Bosch. “We are at the start of something very interesting and very exciting.” Ryan said the timeframe for the launch of an Ultra HD solution will be around the end of 2013.
Pacom Systems takes honors at SIA l The 8002 Pacom-Edge Controller won at the Security Industry Association’s 2013 New Product Showcase (NPS), winning the Best of Convergence and Integrated Software and Solutions Award at the NPS awards ceremony at ISC West on April 10, 2013. The 8002 is Pacom Systems’ new generation hybrid security controller that provides intrusion, access control and unprecedented third party integration. With dual Ethernet and optional GPRS and PSTN modules, the 8002 is capable of signalling over multiple communications paths to a host or central station – making it ideal for multiple site and remotely managed applications. “Each year, the companies competing in SIA’s New Product Showcase at ISC West present the leadingedge security solutions that are shaping the industry,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “These new technologies and solutions are the drivers that are moving the security industry forward, and I congratulate Pacom Systems on its win at this year’s NPS.”
08 se&n
l AT the Electronic Security Association (ESA) Leadership Summit in Orlando, Fla. recently researchers revealed the preliminary results of ‘Understanding Decisions to Burglarize from the Offender’s Perspective.” The AIREF-sanctioned study was conducted by criminal justice professors from Eastern Kentucky University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Western Illinois University. This new project is based on surveys of more than 400 incarcerated burglars who violated both domestic and commercial properties. The objective of the study was to answer the following five questions: 1. What motivates burglars to engage in burglary? 2. What factors are considered during target selection? 3. What deters burglars from specific targets? 4. What techniques do burglars use during the commission of their crimes? 5. Are there gender differences in burglary motivation, target selection, and techniques? The initial report includes several positive and compelling findings. For example, when asked about alarms: 60 per cent said an alarm would cause them to seek an alternative target. Meanwhile 83 per cent would try to determine if an alarm was present before attempting a burglary; and if a burglary was initiated and an alarm was found, half would discontinue the attempt. The study found alarms and surveillance cameras topped most other types of deterrents, including dogs and steel bars.
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// news /
i nd u stry d eve lo pme nts // business p rofiles // industry develop ments // busin ess p rof i l es //
ISD releases world’s first Windows-based HD camera l ISD has launched the next generation platform – the NDV-AF1080P netSeries miniBall, the first physical security camera in the world to run Windows embedded Compact 7. This is the first in a line of ISD cameras that embraces the Microsoft technology stack and has been designed to unite the demands of the physical security community and the regulatory and compliance demands of the IT groups. Features of netSeries miniBall include Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7OS for enterprise IT management, 128GB edge storage capacity with dual microSDXC card slots, IP66 Vandal Resistant enclosure and 3 axis multi-position. There’s simultaneous full time analogue and IP digital multistreaming, integrated motorized 3-10mm lens for effortless installation, remote IR configuration interface, multistreaming individually configurable video streams and a WDR option available (NDV-AF1080PWDR).
10 se&n
World’s largest USB drive l KINGSTON has announced the DataTraveler Hyper X 3.0 1 TB USB 3.0 flash drive, which is the world’s largest USB 3.0 stick. With respective read and write speeds of 240/160MBps, the DataTraveler Hyper X 3.0 features data transfer rates that are on par with some low to mid-range SSDs. “Our new DataTraveler HyperX Predator 3.0 allows users to store their entire digital world on a portable USB 3.0 Flash drive,” said Andrew Ewing, Flash memory business manager, Kingston. “The large capacity and fast USB 3.0 transfer speeds allow users to save time as they can access, edit and transfer applications or files such as HD video directly from the drive without any performance lag.” The drive is backed by a five-year warranty and free technical support. There’s no word of a 1TB SD cards at this time but their development is inevitable. Affordability will be a key issue. It’s likely it will be 5 years before costs fall to acceptable levels.
NEW FC-Series S
Don’t call security. Call FLIR for the complete picture. Compact D-Series
If your security system is all bells and whistles but can’t show you whether it’s a possum or a person climbing your perimeter fence then FLIR’s new range of thermal imaging security cameras will give you a much clearer picture. Available in a wide range of performance models including the new FC-Series S and the new Compact D-Series outdoor domes, the FLIR network-ready camera range is now more affordable than ever for your surveillance and security applications. Whatever mother nature dishes out - blinding sun, fog, smoke, pouring rain or complete darkness - FLIR fixedmount cameras deliver the sharpest thermal images known to man, day or night. Here’s how:
Your vision
640 Crisp Thermal Images - More pixels allow the user to see x High contrast scene with standard AGC algorithm applied.
480 more detail in even smaller objects at a greater distance.
320 x
Choose which resolution of crisp image quality you need: 640 x 480, 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 pixels. 160 x 240
Thermal image without Wide Dynamic Range (WDR).
120
Excellent Range - FLIR thermal imaging cameras can detect targets several kilometres away. Digital Detail Enhancement - Providing high contrast imagery in almost all weathers optimised for video analytics software. Wide Dynamic Range - Delivering high quality images even when full sun is in the field of view. Ideal for working with video analytics. DDE applied – all targets can be observed simultaneously.
Thermal image Thermal image with Wide Dynamic Range (WDR).
www.flir.com For more information about the about the new FC-Series S and Compact D-Series or any other FLIR thermal imaging camera please contact: FLIR Systems Pty Ltd. Free Call AU: 1300 729 987 NZ: 0800 785 492 Email: info@flir.com.au ISO No. FLIR20873 Disclaimer: Images for illustrative purposes only. Specifications subject to change without notice.
// news /
i nd u stry d eve lo pme nts // business p rofiles // industry develop ments // busin ess p rof i l es //
Seadan-Sprint Now Distributing Avigilon Australia-wide
Avigilon’s Sean Borg
l Seadan Security & Electronics has been appointed as a national Australian distributor for Avigilon, an innovative global vendor of Megapixel IP Video hardware and software. “Seadan-Sprint was seeking to build upon our rapidly growing range of H.264 IP Surveillance products in order to help our customers expand their businesses” Bruce Maxwell, national CCTV division manager said. “As well as delivering leading-edge video technology, Avigilon has strong integration with most access control systems popular in Australia, which enables our customers to bid for much larger projects than before” he added. Seadan will stock Avigilon products at its offices in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, to ensure fast roll out of projects and nationwide technical support. Integrator accreditation requirements will be maintained by Seadan. “The choice of Seadan was fairly natural for us as we needed to partner with a distributor with a national footprint, and one whose growth matched that of Avigilon,” said Sean Borg, general manager for Avigilon Asia Pacific.
Wireless is an energy monster l BASED on current trends reported by CISCO, wireless access technologies such as WiFi and 4G LTE will soon be the dominant methods for accessing cloud services. And research by ABI Research suggests that the number of wireless cloud users worldwide will grow rapidly to just over 998 million in 2014, up from 42.8 million in 2008 – an annual growth rate of 69 per cent. Wireless base stations, more commonly referred to as mobile phone towers, consume many kilowatts. That’s because each antenna on the tower needs to radiate radio waves that are strong enough to cover a wide area. Yet only a tiny fraction of the power in the radio waves is picked up by user device – a highly energy-inefficient process. “Our team at the Centre for EnergyEfficient Telecommunications (CEET) set itself the task of finding out how much energy the wireless cloud will consume in 2015 compared to 2012,” says Kerry Hinton of The University of
Melbourne. “We analysed product specification sheets, publicly available reports and white papers, peer-reviewed journal articles, and used all of the available information to create a wireless cloud energy consumption model. “Our energy calculations from this model show that, by 2015, wireless cloud will consume up to 43 terawatt hours (TWh) worldwide, compared with only 9.2 TWh in 2012. “That’s a 460 per cent increase in just 3 years. In terms of approximate carbon footprint estimates, this is an increase in carbon footprint from 6 megatonnes of CO2 in 2012 to up to 30 megatonnes of CO2 in 2015 – the equivalent of adding 4.9 million cars to the roads. “We found 90 per cent of this consumption is attributable to wireless access network technologies (WiFi and 4G LTE). Data centres account for only 9 per cent, with the remaining 1 per cent accounted for by the network.”
ALARMCORP
12 se&n
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i nd u stry d eve lo pme nts // business p rofiles // industry develop ments // busin ess p rof i l es //
Polaroid Enters Video Surveillance Direct To Integrators
l POLAROID has announced that it will enter the commercial security video industry and was looking to appoint regional managers, sales and training managers is and interviewing integrators to manage their own protected territories. The company plans to open for business in the U.S. in the early summer, with product shipments following a month later. Polaroid will provide enterprise-class solutions Mark Pratley that are also cost-effective for small, multilocation organizations including analogue, digital and IP cameras; NVRs, DVRs and hybrid DVR recording devices; Video Management Software (VMS) and wire
and cable – all carrying the world-famous Polaroid logo. “Polaroid looks at video surveillance differently than most surveillance organizations,” explained Nathan Needel, COO and executive vice president. “We have identified how video analytics, video management software and the current generation of high performance cameras can change the way we all look at surveillance. “We think of the camera as a sensor which can be used for an unlimited number of applications, ranging from business intelligence to smoke detection, customer service improvement, corporate policy
enforcement and if people are in danger, among others. With Polaroid surveillance hardware and software, customers will be able to produce information, not just evidence, instantly.” Product highlights include mini dome cameras with up to 10MP resolution; LPR cameras, small bullet cameras with a 700 line analog, 1MP, 1.3MP, 3-12 MP resolution; mini-PTZ cameras with a 2 MP resolution, 360 degree cameras with 3, 5, 10, 14 and 20 MP resolution; the Polaroid VMS is compatible with over 1800+ cameras from 80 different manufacturers; and, best of all, is a 10-year warranty. Polaroid is the only company to offer such a long-term warranty. Polaroid will employ an integrator-centric channel strategy. There will be regional Polaroid sales managers along with technical and sales training managers offering CEUaccredited courses. The Polaroid regional sales managers will hire and direct Polaroid sales representatives who will administer their protected territories, selecting and managing Tier 1, Polaroid-certified, security integrators.
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14 se&n
Magazine: Security
Electronics & Networks Magazine
Innovative Solutions
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// news // news / /
i nd u stry d eve lo pme nts // business p rofiles // industry develop ments // busin ess p rof i l es // S H OW RE P O RT SECURITY 2 01 2 industry developments // business profiles //
DVTel Quasar HD Another standout product at the show was with IR Videofied’s XTIP710, a hybrid alarm system with video verification that now reports alarm events and status using GPRS and IP. We’ve like Videofied’s products for a while now and think they offer you installers a great up-sell or panel replacement option. Using reliable spread spectrum wireless devices, the company has a real track record of l SONY has announced a new 3 year warranty for all video visible success. ONE massive Texas district recently due to the number of employees that tend to products purchased sinceschool April 1st 2013. Sending alarm events alongsecurity with video footage in such ahas large upgraded its video surveillance system in an move from campus to campus l SEADAN finalised 2012 saw a number of ground-breaking developments is pretty much Rolls Royce performance and prior to the Video effortincluded to keep the up with advancements in Web integration of Sony. These announcement of its award- school system. Russell saysthe Videofied has 450-odd arrests from under its belt thanks administrator platforms. Austin Independent Speed Intercom & winning IPELAmanagement Engine signal processing technology, the Insight implementation his VMS to its ability to identify burglars. When you consider of time with user School District – thevideo America’s 38thcameras, largest spent a considerable amountSecurity, a Brisbane first ever line-up of IPELA Engine security most alarm systems are blind and cannot assist of users a school – has replaced its existing maintenance. “With this number based security and the launch of thesystem landmark Generation 6 (G6) range. video management system with Video Insight reliable Web client is more economical than operators by doing more than reporting multiple distributor, into its The new warranty represents an increase from 1 to 3 years, software. Encompassing 230-square miles, installing (and uninstalling) thick VMS clients on adjacent alarm events, Videofied’s capabilities and will be supported with an industry-leading advance There was plenty morenational to see atwholesale the show and in Austin ISD has 86,000 students, 11,000 each PC, which also overburdens our already stick out even more. distribution branch many replacement service. this and subsequent issues we’ll be reviewing employees, 124 campuses and more than 3,000 taxed VMS administrators,” he says. network. Where an issue cannot be resolved by the PrimeSupport ofThe the switch stand-out solutions. forresulted the editor’s to Video InsightAs has in pick for video surveillance cameras. Ian Harris Speed system Intercom & Helpdesk, Sony will arrange for awith replacement unit to we be SE&N’s an improved video management “We were unhappy the platform that Best Product at Security 2012 –for I chose the Security offered a wide range of alarm, shipped to anhad agreed address. Speed of service is a top Austinsolution ISD in many including: invested in and we needed a more practical Snap fromrespects, Network VideoLittle Surveillance intercom, locking and access control priority, with same day despatchthat being target whenever to no training employees; increased video For its solution – something wasthe easy to use,” says distributed byforPacific Communications. systems and components to astorage; customer an issue is diagnosed before CET Monday to Friday. camera image quality; more efficient Austin ISD Police15:00 Department Representative to automatically wrangle the power of in performance; Brisbane, North Queensland, Sony is offering this replacement all resellers as ability faster base system variety in camera Wayne Russell. “We policy neededtosomething that thousands existing cameras in challenging Territory, PNG, Indonesia and the real part of the Video Security Programme, offers choiceNorthern and of LDAP integration. The 3,000-plus didn’t requirePartner an incredible amountwhich of CPU world environments, it has to be my pick Pacific Islands. installers a range of benefits, including price discounts, processor power that could also serve as a fully- camera system is monitored by the AISD policefor SE&N’s in “Bringing Show. dispatch 24-hoursSpeed a day,Intercom seven days week, functioning Web client.” intoa the Seadan training and technical support to help set them apart fromBest particular attention during peak After an exhaustive bid process, Russell found paying network a lotBosch of sense fortimes our 144 alarm the competition. Up there withmakes it is the Solution to camera feeds in and the panel bus off and pick up the solution in Video Insight. customers thedrop customers of Speed,” and access control with neat features like during breakfast and Directors. “Video Insight was the only software solution areas, said Ian Harris, one of Seadan’s pre-builtcafeterias garage door control and a lunch succession of and in hallways during class that worked seamlessly with our existing time, playgrounds company’s customers now have readers“Both and expanders. The Solution 144 is just Administrators monitorofcameras atand cameras and it offered a very dependable Web changes. access to a wider range products We’ve spent a bit of time looking at Videofied that a solution. Thought through fromtobeginning each– school campus, but they report incident client,” Russel says. technical expertise than before” he said. alarm event footage. Image streams are currently end, I think willhave resonate with Bosch AISD policeitwho the sole to installers A fully functional Web client application was tothe Meanwhile, Mike Fisher of authority Speed Intercom black and white for low light performance clip and export video. very and important to Austin ISD, says Russell, looking to give their customers more capability & Security said that joining Seadan allows in optioned for low bandwidth but they’re still large domestic and small commercial applications. the company’s customers to benefit from l FLIR and its subsidiary Lorex Technology, a TorontoACCESS control solutions provider ASSA excellent what they are.of Greensteel Twin SIMs an NBN-proof recentand technologies such as network IP CCTV. comms based video surveillance provider, aims to deliver ABLOY has for purchased assets Now the product under port built a medium-sized alarm panel “Theinto strength of SEADAN’s support and itswith imaging cameras to the home market. Industries Ltd., word a metaliscommercial doorthermal anddevelopment will maker. incorporate the latest advances in enterprise-grade video frame comprehensive stock holdings will allowaccess us Lorex sells video products through 16 doors of biometric, prox and keypad The Greensteel products now be better marketed toYes, grow more rapidly,” he said. the identification security channel under the brand name Digimergecontrol? compression givingwilleven please. and manufactured under Baron and Fleming Seadan Security go & Electronics is a national and itself sells video products through retail outlets for Special ability day and night. mentions to the Axis 5544 for brands, ASSA ABLOY Executive Vice President security wholesale distributor businesses As far as I’m concerned all small alarm systemsand homeowners. The company hasconceptual awesomeness, the Axiswith 1604 WDR for Thanasis Molokotos says. branches in ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC and WA. of customers. should work the way Videofied’s hundreds does andofI thousands can’t its total obliteration of backlight, the Takex PXB“This acquisition will enhance our ability Seadan’s diverse product range spans the FLIR President Andy Teich said the company’s aim is out non-residential why more alarm have 100ATC which takes affordable perimeter security towork provide door manufacturers opening entire spectrum of security equipment to offer a low-resolution thermal imaging camera that not seized on this customers,” combination of technologies level, FSH FEW3800 for being greenest, solutions to our he says. including the recently introduced CCTV is affordable for Canadian the average homeowner. The cost eventually could be as low as $US200, saidto a new Established in 1932, Greensteel Industries their Giving the same great and C.R. Kennedy’s Dallmeier Panomera, which Division which has already achieved Billfor Klink, FLIRown VP ofsolutions. business development. operates in Winnipeg, Canada. catch withinfrared the combination the furthest andinsaw the mostest. Finally, growth all branches. Teich saidperformance FLIR’s goal is have technologyof beGPRS “ultimately ubiquitous” in the way that lookedsignificant It’s an interesting lateral move from ASSA and onboardis.IPGPS, connectivity in its latest XTIP710 honours are The improved Speed teamproduct will moverange into Seadan’s GPS technology he said, answers the question, “Where am I?” and thermal imaging the most ABLOY, which is a significant player in the solution is just icing on what was already a very branch officeand in Newstead. answers the questions “what’s out there”. shared by Vivotek Merit LiLin. Nice work, folks. Australia domestic locking and commercial tempting Videofied zzz access control markets. cake.
Speed Intercom Sony launches 3-year warranty & Security system now on end-to-end HD 3000-camera school of Seadan– deploys web-based part solution Sprint Group
Special mentions go to the Axis 5544 for conceptual awesomeness, the Axis 1604 WDR for its total obliteration of backlight, the Takex PXB-100ATC which takes affordable perimeter security to a new level...
assa abloy buys Greensteel FLIR says thermal imaging Could industries Fall to $200
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darwin international airp ort
Cyber space
Independent Locksmiths & Security has installed a Cyberlock access control system and a Morse KeyWatcher key cabinet at Darwin International Airport. The $A250,000 system incorporates 3G reporting and solar power at multiple remote locations across the site.
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ARWIN International Airport (DIA) is NT’s largest airport and the 10th busiest airport in Australia, serving in excess of 2 million passengers every year. Importantly from a security point of view, the airport shares runways with the Royal Australian Air Force’s RAAF Base Darwin. The airport terminal is utilised for both international and domestic flights, with separate cargo handling facilities. The site also supports a number of retail outlets and cafeterias. As with all airports, the airfield site covers a considerable area and many of the sites can be remote. Overcoming
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the challenges of distance was a key aspect of this access control installation. According to Nikkie Harley, systems coordinator DIA, the central objective of the Cyberkey installation was to strengthen the security of the airport and mitigate the risks associated with a mechanical key system. Harley says the new system gives important capabilities to Darwin Airport. “We found our conventional mechanical masterkey system had a lot of security risks associated with it such as lost keys and the lack of oversight as to who was accessing doors and gates and when such access was occurring.” says Harley. “We were looking for a robust system that was user friendly, met all of our unique aviation security requirements and could withstand the harsh climate of the Northern Territory. Being able to control individual access privileges and pull audit trails has allowed us to strengthen the security of our airport. “The fact that we can now easily and quickly block lost keys means we can eliminate potential security breaches of unauthorised access to secure areas, something that is just not possible with mechanical masterkey systems.”
By John Adams & Ryan M cGover n
The fact that we can now easily and quickly block lost keys means we can eliminate potential security breaches of unauthorised access to secure areas, something that is just not possible with mechanical masterkey systems.
terminals this transmission is over Ethernet cabling but on the perimeter of the airport in remote locations where cabling could not be achieved, the 3G network has been used for the communication between the server and the key updating authorisers.” Inside the terminal Independent replaced normal oval, round rim and lockset cylinders. The Cyberlock cylinders, like the keys, have a circuit board inside them that stores lock information and audit trail information of keys used to open it. The Cyberlock cylinder is not powered and gets power from the key when it touches the cylinder. “Outside the terminals there was a requirement to have access control on padlocks,” says McGovern. “Only wireless access control systems can satisfy this requirement and the Cyberlock system excels in this area. The padlocks were on gates at the perimeter of the airport runways. Part of the requirement was to have access control at these points. Some of the people who used these gates never visited the terminal so they had to have a way to update their keys. “There were no network points or power sources at these gates so a solution had to be engineered. The DIA staff including IT manager Tim Woods initiated the concept of running solar-powered units using the 3G network to communicate with the server.” Other stakeholders at the airport such as the Airport Fire Service needed a way to update their keys but they were not on the DIA network. To cater for this a web station communicator was connected to the existing internet connection.
To meet the needs of Darwin Airport, Independent Locksmiths and Security installed a new Cyberlock access control security system and a Morse KeyWatcher key cabinet. 182 Cyberkeys have been allocated to staff and stakeholders such as airline staff. The system is supported in part by the existing data network and partly by remote solar-powered 3G links. Independent Locksmiths & Security was tasked to prove this concept would work. After bench testing the concept Independent sent a key authoriser and key to DIA that communicated with the company’s server in Sydney in real time. Once this part of the puzzle was confirmed, DIA accepted the concept and had the solar units built and erected, ready for fit off when the installation team arrived. According to Independent’s Ryan McGovern, the nucleus of the Cyberlock system is the Enterprise server where traditional access control rights are determined such as Door Lists, People lists, Time Schedules, Access Matrix and Location Graphics. “The database is installed on an HP server using a Linux operating system,” McGovern explains. “The information from the database is transmitted to the key update authorisers using TCP/IP protocols. In the
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Installation process
The Darwin Airport installation comprises 194 Cyber lock cylinders including Oval Cylinders, Round Rim Cylinders and Padlocks. Around 182 Keys were allocated as part of the initial roll out. A pair of key authorisers was installed in the terminals and connected to the LAN. Provision has been made for another 6 authorisers to be installed after the completion of renovations. These have been allocated in the database and will be plug-and-play when the airport is ready to expand the system. Meanwhile, 3 solar-powered key authorisers installed at the airport perimeters and a Cyber web station were installed to allow system management. A separate local area network was established to cater for the Cyberkey security system. The server was installed in a rack in the communications room and connected to a network switch. The key authorisers fitted in the terminal were cabled back to the network switch. An internet connection was included so the solar-
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darwin international airp ort
powered 3G authorisers could communicate with the server. The server has a built in web server so any browser or connected device such as iPad or smart phone can connect to the server to make alterations to the system or generate reports. While the installation itself took only a few days there was plenty of planning in the lead-up. Independent Locksmiths & Security started talking to DIA 12 months ago. The first direct contact with DIA was to fly Ron McMah, business development manager of Independent Locksmiths & Security, to Darwin to conduct a site survey. “Once we knew quantities of product required then a price could be submitted for the project,” says McGovern. “We then ran proof of concept tests for the 3G communications and the project was accepted. Electronic Keying Australia, the distributor of the Cyberkey product, then supplied the product. After this we scheduled a suitable time for all parties concerned to implement the solution.” To conduct the physical installation, Independent Locksmiths and Security sent a team of 2 including project manager Wayne Eagles (special keying manager) and Adam Farugia (electronic security technician) along with Steve Moller (IT support leader – EKA). Also helping with the installation was Darwin-based Mobile Locksmiths’ Oshen Gleeson. It’s obvious the installation was a team effort. McCah surveyed the site then he and McGovern priced the system. McGovern also worked on the technnical side, ensuring the system would do what was required. Wayne Eagles then project managed the installation with support from his team. “DIA staff were also heavily involved, including systems coordinator and project manager Nikkie Harley and IT manager Tim Woods, who initiated the concept of running solar powered units using the 3G network to communicate with the server,” says McGovern. With DIA being so far away from Sydney, Wayne Eagles built the system in the Independent Locksmiths & Security office before it was shipped. The server was built and the management system installed and all of the cylinders, keys and authorisers were enrolled into the system based on door
With the price of industrial 3G modems becoming affordable this DIA project demonstrates how these low-cost modems can be implemented to enable IP communication with edge devices across the internet.
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darwin international airp ort
Making the job faster was the fact that the solar/3G stations were already in place and the authorisers had been cabled.” Independent Locksmiths & Security will be responsible for the maintenance of the system into the future. The company’s contractors in Darwin, Mobile Locksmiths, will carry out routine maintenance to ensure the system works correctly. Meanwhile, Darwin Airport’s IT and security staff will look after software systems.
Managing the system
locations, peoples’ names and IP addresses provided by DIA. The result of the pre-commissioning effort was that time on site was minimised. One of the benefits of pre-commissioning was that McGovern never doubted the system could be finished in time and would function as it should. “Because we ensured the system was working on the bench in our office before it was shipped we had no doubts it could be done in the time allocated,” he explains. “The only issues that could have stopped us from completing the installation on time would have been on site issues.” The team did face some challenges on the ground but these are typical for technical teams working in airports. In this case installers could only fit locks in secure areas when there were no flights arriving or departing. Aside from timing issues, he says the biggest challenge was to get the solar authorisers to talk over the 3G network. “While the whole job took about 150 man hours, once on site the roll-out only took 3 days,” says McGovern. “Cyberlock is deployed very quickly as it replaces existing cylinders with new cylinders.
“A really neat part of the management system is the ability to use location graphics to show where the locks are located in the facility. From this graphic you can extract the Lock audit trail information.” 22 se&n
The management system installed at Darwin Airport is CyberAudit-Web. All the keys, locks and Authorisers are entered into this database system. To enter the key and lock information into the system you use the Grand Master key (programming key). “You touch the lock with the key that extracts the unique identifying number from each of the locks,” says McGovern. “You then touch the key onto the authoriser which places the information into the database. Once the information is in the database you can name the locks with the door location, put them into door lists and place a symbol on a location graphic. “In a similar way, each key is touched on the authoriser which brings the unique information into the database. These keys can then be named with a person’s name or role. People can then be put into groups known as ‘Tags’.” These Tags make programming the system easy, you can allocate a People Tag (group of people such as ‘Managers’) to a Lock Tag (group of locks such as ‘All Locks’). Cylinders can be part of multiple lock tags. People (Keys) can be parts of multiple people tags. In the management system you can choose a Person (Key) or a Lock and instantly retrieve an audit trail from them.
Products used at Bareilly’s How Cyber lock works
“And if a key is lost, then the Grand Master key is used to record that key as lost on a black list and the cylinders that the key was authorised for need to be touched to block the lost key from gaining future access,” McGovern explains. “A really neat part of the management system is the ability to use location graphics to show where the locks are located in the facility. From this graphic you can extract the Lock audit trail information.” In terms of day to day running of the system, DIA’s own security staff handle management. “Security coordinator Renee Overend is now owner of the system, she pulls reports, monitors, adds new keys etc, with risk assessments conducted by our security manager Matt Cocker,” says Harley. Speaking to McGovern about the site after the installation he makes an interesting observation, pointing out that Darwin International Airport is an example of machine-to-machine communication that is showing an intense global uptick. “To me this project shows that the security market will be part of this growth,” McGovern says. “We are all accustomed to M2M in the electronic security industry as we’ve been supplying alarm monitoring and access control solutions for decades. “But this is something different, something bigger. With the price of industrial 3G modems becoming affordable this DIA project demonstrates how these low-cost modems can be implemented to enable IP communication with edge devices across the internet. “The 3G communication path coupled with solar power shows that we can supply and install security systems anywhere at all. We are no longer restricted to expensive and limited cable runs. This really is a game changer.” zzz
Cyber lock is a deceptively simple solution. Users at Darwin Airport are issued a Cyberkey that has a component board inside and is powered by a battery. Each key has a unique identifying number and when it is presented to the Key Update Authoriser it initiates communication with the server. As an extra level of security the authoriser can be set up to require the key be inserted and a PIN number be inputted prior to the communication commencing. At this stage access rights are assigned to the key. As part of this process the audit trail of which locks the key has touched is extracted from the key and is stored in the server database for reporting purposes. Where Cyberlock differs from traditional access control is that normal door lock cylinders are replaced with Cyberlock cylinders. This means that each door does not have to be cabled, saving the customer money and allowing more doors to be on the system for the same budget. A Morse Keywatcher was also installed at Darwin Airport as part of the solution for mechanical key management. Keys are stored in the Keywatcher for users of the system who are not permitted to take keys off site. These users, such as contractors, would present to carry out work, extract a key from the key watcher and use a local USB connected authoriser to update the access control rights for the key. When they completed their work they would return the key by first presenting the key to the USB key authoriser to extract the audit trail of which locks the key had touched and return it to the cabinet. The keywatcher could then track when keys were issued and returned.
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vms solutions
By Joh n A dam s
Extroversion Open systems VMS solutions are a niche all their own and getting a feel for how key manufacturers and distributors see the future of their market is an interesting exercise. All the companies we spoke to have adopted an open-ended business philosophy. Whatever the market needs, they will be.
W
HEN everybody else started madly making hardware with RJ-45 ports on its rear end, one group of companies went in a different direction, focusing instead on the paradox of open software VMS. Instead of clutching proprietary code to its chest, such solutions depend for their power on their extroverted personalities. Their strength lies in their ability to support thousands of cameras and hundreds of NVRs and off the shelf servers. Beneath the surface of such systems huge teams of software engineers labour unceasingly to keep open VMS solutions attuned to the hardware that constitutes
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their natural environment. This necessarily fearsome sensitivity to changes in their ecosystems is what makes VMS solutions such an important bellwether when it comes to picking CCTV’s early market trends. One of the most important companies in this market is Genetec. Privately owned and governed, the company seems to be constantly reaching for next-gen operational paradigms. It’s a way of being that sounds exhausting but in such a fluid market guessing the key shifts is vital to a company’s survival. Genetec has spent a number of years integrating multiple subsystems into its overarching security management
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solution – access control, video surveillance, building automation. I asked Charles Cousins managing director, Asia Pacific, if he thought this was the way all solutions will be in the future. “Yes, exactly,” says Cousins. “The primary vision for Genetec is to offer a fully unified and open platform, via internet protocol (IP), that brings together all the elements of video surveillance, access control, and license plate recognition. “A ‘unified’ approach provides a common platform that simplifies the life of users while Genetec also develops the solution to open up the possibility for many more extensions, such as Plan Manager which provides interactive mapping functions to better visualize any security environment, or support third party solutions.”
Cloud
Does Genetec see the cloud as a way to bring smaller solutions incorporating SD-based edge recording into a full digital future? I ask. And could cloud ever be used as a model for big systems or do the limitations of bandwidth argue against it? “The cloud is clearly the next logical step to the future of IP video management surveillance (VMS), especially for the small & medium business SMB) market as it enables these companies to take advantage of enterprise-grade video surveillance functions at a price point that makes sense for this type of business,” Cousins explains. “SMB organizations are empowered to continue to leverage edge-based recording features but are now in the position to extend their security off their premise by pushing video footage to the cloud for safe archiving. They are no longer vulnerable to on premise damage or vandalism to their DVR or edge device that could threaten their ability to pull footage if required. “With Stratocast, our clients simply install the cameras and enrol the edge device to the video surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS). This takes very little time for integrators and users can get up and
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running very quickly with very little training.” According to Cousins, the cloud is also an opportunity for large systems allowing enterprise customers to extend their security perimeter to satellite offices using the cloud, without having to install ‘on-site’ servers or storage racks. “Satellite offices can be federated into the enterprise’s existing Security Center implementation so that it can be centrally monitored – all via the cloud.” All this talk of cloud leads me to wonder where is the profit in the cloud for a company like Genetec. Is it RMR-based and if it is, does a successful business model mean alliances with telcos and data centres? “Cloud-based sales are based on recurring monthly revenue (RMR) therefore working closely with our channel partners to close annual subscription business is very important,” Cousins says. “Alliances with telcos or datacenters may be a new channel that is viable to open up new markets that are presently under served.” As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest challenges with open VMS solutions is making sure they keep up with latest developments and Cousins says plenty of work goes into the process. “We update our VMS software solutions, including our unified flagship product, Genetec Security Center, currently in version 5.2, throughout the year with feature enhancements and optimizations to keep our customers current with the latest advancements in unified physical security. “We also offer and maintain one of the most open-platform software developer kits (SDK) in the industry, for our integrators, partners, and customers to create customized plug-ins and feature-friendly tools, specialized for any market segment we serve. “Customers who are part of our software maintenance agreement (SMA) program, also get all software updates complimentary, as part of an annual maintenance agreement.” Cousins says the company’s latest development is Genetec Stratocast - a new, affordable and easy-to-use Cloud-based video surveillance solution, leveraging Windows Azure cloud server for small & medium business market (SMB). As for the greatest challenge facing Genetec as a maker of open VMS solutions Cousins cites the need to develop and to lead the market towards new technology, like cloud.
With Stratocast, our clients simply install the cameras and enrol the edge device to the video surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS). This takes very little time for integrators and users can get up and running very quickly with very little training.
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s p e ci al f eat u r e
vms solutions
“Our challenge will continue to be to find new and valuable approaches to physical security that will not only help our users secure their business but will also help them to optimize their operations in ways we have yet to imagine,” Cousins says, “We love challenges.”
Future market
Something that must confound many end users is the plethora of IP-based solutions available. We currently have system models that include onboard storage and smart app or browser management, cloud storage and smart app or browser management, along with more traditional method of managing LAN-based NVR and server systems. The big question of course, is which of these models is most likely to prevail, or is the reality of a digital environment a place where any solution that functions well can survive. “I think it’s too early to confidently say a particular type of system will not succeed,” says Mark Shannon of Pacific Communications, distributor of DVTel. “What we do know is cost, ease of use, practicality and usability are all extremely strong factors to determine products’ lifetime.” Is analytics coming? I ask. And if so what sort of analytics are we talking about? Is it fair to say analytics is a capability of digital surveillance systems that will never stop being enhanced? That it should be seen as a work in progress? “Analytics is already here,” Shannon says. “However, it is always a work in progress with algorithms being tweaked and enhanced. All the common algorithms from the analogue product are basically in the IP range. “Common algorithms include Motion Detection, Object removed/abandoned, ‘Trip Wire’ etc. There are also newer or unique algorithms being created around the world that integrate into IP systems, SNAP surveillance with its Force Multiplier being one.” DVTel was one of the pioneers of open platform VMS. Do you feel the hard yards are now done, that open platform VMS is seen by the market as being the benchmark for surveillance system management? “The team at Pacific Communications don’t look at it from a perspective of resting on what has been achieved, nor does DVTEL,” says Shannon. “Realistically, VMS systems have their space and technology developments can change the landscape. It is a never-ending development and learning cycle to continue to strive for innovation and technological enhancements and find out what makes a difference.” Something that is noticeable in the market is the simplicity of IP-based solutions. Products like DVTel Meridian really make life easy for installers – an NVR with a built-in PoE switch, embedded OS and an auto camera find is really hard to argue with, isn’t it? Shannon agrees. “Installation companies are demanding products that are easy to set up,” he says. “In fact, you could say that they want a product that looks and feels like a DVR but is an IP camera equivalent.”
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Cloud technology is already implemented by Exacq as it utilises virtual servers which run on the VMware platform – so it is a reality and not a future. Benefits of open platform
Another interesting discussion revolves around whether it’s right that open platform VMS is intrinsically the best option from the point of view of being future proof, and being supported adequately by developers on a full-time basis. According to Josh Simmons of ONSSI distributor, BGWT, as a VMS-only manufacturer, developers can 100 per cent concentrate on development of features and 3rd party integration. “Importantly, they don’t need to share R & D resources and funding with the hardware team,” he explains. “They also have the ability to continue developing additional features, while maintaining a platform that can be upgraded in the future. “In my opinion, OnSSI is the ultimate in futureproof software. Software upgrades are covered by a software upgrade plan and if you want to upgrade to a higher model, the original software has a trade in value.” What does Simmons think are the key improvements in the latest VMS solutions – what would he argue they do better than they used to? “The list of integration partners continues to grow exponentially which ultimately provides customers with further choice and including best of breed products as part of their solution,” Simmons argues. “A number of recent integrations were announced including a high level interface to Gallagher/Cardax and the recent launch of Ocularis-X mobile at ISC West. “The new Ocularis-X Mobile application for handheld devices enables the monitoring of live
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s p e ci al f eat u r e and recorded HD video streams at full resolution and frame rate, from up to 16 megapixel cameras over limited bandwidth networks (3G/4G, broadband and Internet). “What makes OnSSI’s Ocularis-X work so well is its innovative High Definition Interactive Streaming (HDIS) Technology. It enables delivering multiple HD video streams with no reduction in image resolution or smoothness of playback, with full control over each camera stream. To the user, the look and feel is the same as OnSSI’s award-winning Ocularis Client.” So if you were an end user looking for a top open VMS platform, what features would you value most? “I’d be looking for a solution with intuitive, scalable software and a very comprehensive list of 3rd party integrators,” says Simmons.
Market growth
Something else that’s of interest is where growth is coming in the market and whether the overall market is still growing. According to Daniel Dunbar national product manager at CSD, distributor of exacqVision, the IP surveillance market is definitely a growing sector with growth that can be observed in several different areas. “First of all, IP camera technology is now more reliable and comprises a plethora of features that are continually improving each year,” Dunbar explains. “These include not only camera resolution, but also picture quality at night, lower noise levels, improved WDR features and reliability. “All of these features combined with solid IP architecture offer flexibility and allow high end projects to rely more fully on IP technology. In addition to this improved quality and reliability, IP cameras are also becoming more affordable which makes the technology an increasingly attractive solution for midrange and entry level projects.” But Dunbar says one point to note is that in some lower level installations an entry level skills barrier still exists. He argues that although this barrier will disappear in the long run, at present it stops some customers from more actively utilising IP solutions.
vms solutions
Our challenge will continue to be to find new and valuable approaches to physical security that will not only help our users secure their business but will also help them to optimize their operations in ways we have yet to imagine.
Another interesting development with VMS is mobile management apps. Something that’s intriguing is unravelling just how many installations deploy this capability? Does every system go with mobile apps, or only a few? “For most people, smartphones with their numerous capabilities and applications have become a part of our everyday lives. Based on our observation nearly every Exacq system deployed in the field is complimented by Exacq mobile applications which run on both Android and iOS. “Utilising SSL encryption for the highest security standard and a variety of the features including live monitoring, intuitive playback, alarm activation, multi server login, PTZ control and camera layouts recall; mobile apps allow Exacq customers to have full control of their surveillance enterprise while being completely mobile and dynamic.” Then there’s the question of cloud – people are talking about it but how realistic is it really? Given users’ love of higher resolutions and higher frame rates, is it possible cloud can offer a solution that truly reflects the capabilities of modern systems in terms of performance? “Cloud technology is already implemented by Exacq as it utilises virtual servers which run on the VMware platform – so it is a reality and not a future,” Dunbar tells me. “With Australia’s capital cities in the process of receiving a major infrastructure boost with roll out of the NBN and 4G networks we believe that in 2-3 years time most of the IP surveillance servers will be moved to virtual servers allowing system owners to utilise the functionality of megapixel video security without the headache of managing hardware and downtime.” Finally, where is an open VMS company like Exacq putting its investment efforts when it comes to future developments? What features does exacq see as being vital to a competitive future? “Exacq engineers are doing a great job at staying connected with all the latest security and IT trends,” says Dunbar. “A great example of this is Exacq’s edge technology which converts every single camera into a standalone enterprise type recorder and decentralises the whole system. “Additionally, at a time when everyone in the IT industry is talking about virtualisation Exacq has released the new exacqVision Virtual system which is a pre-configured virtual appliance that can be deployed in minutes on a VMware host server. This is what makes exacqVision a true VMware-ready product.”
The open ecosystem
One of the deceptive things about open platform VMS is that while it’s conceptually simple, behind the scenes it’s a lot of work, according to Milestone’s Angelo Salvatore. “It’s all about the ecosystem and the benefits that it brings,” he explains. “Being open should not be about conforming or some afterthought, it should be about
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s p e ci al f eat u r e
core beliefs. At Milestone this is what we believe. It is in our DNA, we are the Open Platform Company. “Users are demanding more from their devices and technology today. You only need to look at smartphone apps - it is these apps that enable the phone to become a productivity tool rather than just a communication tool. “Milestone has a wide range of ecosystem partners from Manufacturing Alliance Partners(MAP), Milestone Solution Partners(MSP) and Milestone Technology Partners (MTP) that have transformed the way we look at video from a single purpose security product to a productivity and business tool.” Ensuring compliance with all possible devices would be a never ending task. It’s hard enough to keep up with new releases in the local market let alone integrate them all into an open VMS that works with complete reliability. What’s involved? “When Milestone pioneered Open Platform VMS a decade ago, you could not have imagined how successful and large the ecosystem would grow and how closely we would work with those partners,” says Salvatore. “Today, Milestone has direct driver support for more than 2000 IP cameras and encoders from over 100 MAP partners, 150-plus integrated software solutions from hundreds of MSP partners and a growing number of Milestone Technology Partners(MTP) partners such as HP, Netapp and Pivot 3.
The challenge facing open platform manufactures is to live up to and even exceed the integrator and customer expectation... Gone are the days where a customer is locked in to a proprietary hardware product.
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vms solutions “To ensure the quality and interoperability between eco system partners Milestone has tried and proven processes which are tailored for each of the 3 types already discussed. MAP,MSP and MTP. MAP partners request drivers for their cameras, i.e. Sony. “Our MAP driver team will write, test, document and certify that driver operates, right down to the specific firmware version. The Milestone MAP team will then work with the MAP to provide requested updates as the firmware changes in the camera,” Salvatore explains. “Typically, a new device pack is released every 6-8 weeks. Milestone also tests ONVIF conformant cameras on request to ensure the compatibility of the devices against our own ONVIF frame work. Such a certification is then documented and labelled as tested by Milestone and/or by the manufacturers.” Would Salvatore say a lot of companies are leveraging their existing infrastructure, integrating legacy analogue and early IP cameras into open VMS solutions? “Initially this was not the case, but more and more business/customers are looking for efficiency gains and the ability to extend the life of their analogue systems that they have already heavily invested in,” he says. “This allows them to possibly enter the IP market earlier and to take advantage of the best that a true open platform VMS can offer. It is a fair compromise in their eyes. In addition the customer is much wiser now, they do their research and the internet has made information more readily available.” Something that’s interesting is what open VMS makers think about the hybrid market - how long do they think it has to run, for instance. Some commentators say analogue will be gone in 10 years – could it be longer? “It is difficult to say,” replies Salvatore. “What I believe is that analogue’s new sales will continue to decline and the revenue per sale will continue to fall into the low touch mass market. “For current installations the investment in existing infrastructure and/or the physical barriers to installing IP will extend the life of the hybrid market for the short term, but as Milestone has discovered, the speed of innovation cannot be slowed and many customers who rely on the cameras purely for security will be like phone users that only use their phone for making calls.” And what is the greatest challenge facing open VMS manufacturers in Salvatore’s opinion? “The challenge facing open platform manufactures is to live up to and even exceed the integrator and customer expectation,” he says. “Gone are the days where a customer is locked into a proprietary hardware product. “We as an industry are finally becoming more accountable. A true open platform VMS is just software, so if we as a manufacturer do not deliver to an integrator or end customers expectation, then we are replaceable.” zzz
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DRS WatchMaster IP Elite
DRS WatchMaster IP Elite Watchmaster IP ELITE is a compact and affordable networked thermal imaging solution that detects heat not light allowing it to provide intrusion detection in darkness, over water in fog, smoke and rain. 34 se&n
By John Ada m s
A
VAILABLE from local thermal imaging tech house Infratherm, the DRS WatchMaster IP Elite thermal camera offers integrators and security managers the awesome fundamentals of thermal images – the ability to detect and confirm intrusion at very long range with no support from expensive-to-run lighting sources. And all this in a compact form factor and at an affordable price. I like thermal cameras and the more affordable they get the more I like them. They won’t give face recognition but what they do give is confirmation and general identification of intrusion at extreme ranges and in appalling conditions. They can see in total darkness, peer over water courses or bays and carve through rain, mist, fog and smoke. This new Watchmaster IP Elite is a particularly good example. It’s built by specialist thermal manufacturer DRS. It’s weatherproof, tamperproof, networkable, can be integrated into ONVIF compliant VMS solutions or NVRs or just fire you an email or text intrusion alert. I’m checking out the camera with Infratherm’s John Robinson, Brad Ballesty and Matt Nolan at the company’s office and workshop at Castle Hill in Sydney. We view images on across a LAN connected to a camera mounted on the outside of the building and looking across the carpark. But before we charge into the specifications and performance of the WatchMaster IP Elite, I can’t help dropping anchor over the distributor for a moment longer. Based in Sydney, Infratherm has spent decades building up a portfolio of high quality solutions including forward looking infrared cameras, infrared thermal cameras, HD thermal imagers, thermal imaging, and radiometric systems and analytics. According to Infratherm’s CEO John Robinson, something that makes the company special is the fact it’s not a single source supplier. Instead it carries a gilt-edged basket of products from makers like General Dynamics, Opgal, ExacqVision, OD Security, Jenoptik, RVision, Controp, Nova Sensors, L3, SRI International, DRS, NEC, Santa Barbara Infrared, Meprolight and JetProtect Corporation. Unlike single source suppliers restricted to their principal’s range of products only, Infratherm matches customers’ needs from a global network of suppliers to provide a specific and cost effective solution. What this means is that instead of trying to fit square pegs into round holes, Infratherm focuses on offering customers a selection of options closest to their needs, allowing them to select on the basis of product strengths. The company then hangs around and makes sure the solutions work and it specialises in tough niche applications. It’s an interesting business model for a number of reasons but for me what’s most striking is that it’s based on an elevated level of customer service and support that’s likely to become more common as suppliers try to differentiate themselves from their competition.
If we decide we need to form a relationship with a supplier we do it very early. This ensures we have a good understanding of the technology and we can set customers expectations correctly in terms of time and performance, which is very important to us. “We try to stay ahead of the technology curve, to understand what are the emerging technologies,” explains Robinson. “We’ve done that for 20 years. If we decide we need to form a relationship with a supplier we do it very early. This ensures we have a good understanding of the technology and we can set customers expectations correctly in terms of time and performance, which is very important to us. “We also have a history of training people on how to use technology properly and helping them to maintain their solutions – and we don’t carry anything we can’t fix. That’s just the way we do things. You can see old cameras around the place we are in the middle of repairing. This stems from the fact that when the business began, our clients depended on very expensive equipment for their livelihoods.”
WatchMaster IP ELITE
Now we know the distributor a bit better, let’s take a look at DRS’ WatchMaster IP Elite thermal camera. This unit is tubular, 25cm long and with a 9cm diameter. There’s a snub-nosed poly sun shade that pops on and off using hand pressure. Overall the housing is simple. On the rear are analogue (NTSC/PAL) and RJ45 (H.264/MJPEG)
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Infratherm’s Brad Ballesty
ports and a bracket attaches to the base of the camera for installation. And that’s pretty much the ball game. All the other adjustables are softwarebased. The housing feels in my hands to be a particularly heavy poly. There’s no window to this housing. Instead the metal black-coated lens is exposed, an unusual design element in a thermal camera and something that contributes to its low cost. The housing colour is security industry beige and weight is 1.5kg. The camera comes in 3 lens configurations, the smaller the number the longer the range, the more expensive the camera. The lens options are 40-degrees (effective focal length 7.5mm), 16-degrees (19mm) and 9-degrees (35mm) and each is a fully sealed, hard carbon-coated athermalized fixed-focus lens with horizontal field views supported by a 4x digital PTZ. While the marketing material doesn’t say it, WatchMaster IP probably employs DRS’ proprietary umbrella-configuration antiresonant microbolometer. As opposed to the singlelayer standard configurations of some other manufacturers, the umbrella has 2 layers and to increase pixel fill-factor, the absorbing layer is separated from the readout circuitry. The result is a somewhat more complex optical stack that’s formed between the absorbing layer, readout layer, and the substrate layer. The substrate layer is coated with a metallic reflector to create a gap with the absorber layer, while the gap spacing between the readout layer and the other 2 layers can be fabricated to further optimize the spectrum. In this case DRS is using a proprietary uncooled microbolometer with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels (the 640 x 480 is being released this month at ISC West), a Vanadium Oxide (VOx) readout layer offering a detector pitch of 17um and an undefined dielectric absorber. This configuration offers broad absorption of >50 per cent, a relative spectral
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DRS WatchMaster IP Elite
response from 8-14um and a minimum sensitivity down to 50 milliKelvin. Frame rate can be configured up to 30fps or fixed at 9fps and importantly, the camera has 2GB local storage onboard which is supported by basic video motion detection. There are also 16 programmable regions of interest. Once connected, the camera can be viewed and controlled using the DRS web interface (which is what we use in this demo) or any other ONVIFcompliant video management system. Adjustments include an Image Contrast Enhancement (ICE) functionality to provide additional contrast and edge enhancement to bring out all image details including distant objects. Image polarity is software selectable between white hot and black hot. From the point of view of the installer, WatchMaster IP ELITE is a fixed-mount, fixed-focus security camera with a standard mounting hole pattern. It’s pretty much plug and play, too, with Power over Ethernet (PoE), 802.3af compliance. Power consumption is a measly 12.95 watts over a single CAT-5e cable. This is pretty amazing given the 1000m range (for motor vehicles) and 400m range (for people) the camera offers. “This is our entry level thermal camera,” explains Infratherm’s Brad Ballesty, who joined the company 6 months ago and shows clear signs of thoroughly enjoying the flexibility and product-wow factor he’s found in his new role. “Watchmaster IP is a DRS camera – DRS has been in the thermal business for 50 years, mainly as a military supplier but about 3 years ago it decided to take its technology to the commercial market.” According to Ballesty, the 40-degree view of the camera we are looking at will pick up a human shape (1800 x 500mm) at 370m and identify arms and legs at 70m. Just as impressively, the WatchMaster IP Elite can detect a vehicle at 1000m. “The price has come down substantially and because of the enormous range of these thermal cameras there is a commercial market in modern CCTV applications,” Ballesty says. “The detection distances with thermal are excellent. You can go past a large distribution centre and see dozens of PTZs supported by expensive to run lighting around a massive perimeter. With thermal, I can put 4 cameras on the same perimeter with no lighting and cover more area in a wider range of conditions.
Watchmaster IP is a DRS camera – DRS has been in the thermal business for 50 years, mainly as a military supplier but about 3 years ago it decided to take its technology to the commercial market.
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DRS WatchMaster IP Elite
“And if the thermal cameras are installed on the building itself – which they can be given the greater range these cameras possess – there is no trenching and no perimeter cabling, no need to take network links to the perimeter and mess around with fibre or wireless links. “Thermal cameras cost more but you save everywhere else,” Ballesty explains. “There are no poles, lights, trenches, perimeter cables for power or network. And the cameras take the place of a perimeter detection system.
With WatchMaster Elite, when a car or a person appears, the camera adjusts the contrast of the entire screen a bit like WDR on a CCTV camera giving much clearer images. “These cameras can be used to activate recorded warnings, provide an alert before intrusion – before there’s a no fence cut, before alarms have gone off. These cameras can also pick up fires at very large distances – including bushfires – and they can detect a build up of heat in electrical plants.” Especially useful, the WatchMaster Elite IP can send emails and inform security managers, control rooms or business owners of an intrusion event via a text or an email, with messages including a jpeg image of the event. There’s also a PTZ version available with presets, once again with storage and IP66 rating, as well as a heater. I only see an image of this unit but it’s nice looking and has all the same fundamental specifications of the fixed camera. “One of the things that DRS has done is gotten away from using a sacrificial germanium window, which lowers the cost again,” Robinson tells me. “The windows are more expensive than the lenses and this is another item to add to the total cost of ownership and the initial install cost. Matt Nolan agrees. “A lot of the competition have sacrificial windows and they also have non-sealed housings so you don’t have the ability to purge them of the air mix and eliminate humidity,” he says. “When the housing heats up and cools down you get a different dew point and this changes the performance characteristics of the camera. “What this means is that with other manufacturers you actually need an expensive additional housing if you want the camera to work properly in IP66 environments and it might cost 10 times as much to have a nitrogen-filled housing fabricated for a oneoff application.” Something this latest version of the WatchMaster IP has is a lap control that allows the set up of automatic contrast control. “What you see with all thermal cameras is that in a constant scene, the image washes out a bit,” says Robinson. “With WatchMaster Elite, when a car or a
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person appears, the camera adjusts the contrast of the entire screen a bit like WDR on a CCTV camera giving much clearer images.”
Performance
We have a look at the WatchMaster IP product using DRS software that links us directly to the camera. The images are contrasty in the monochrome settings we look at. There’s no ID possible here but you can see people, vehicles, details quite clearly. It’s obvious where the buildings are, the windows, doors, shrubs. You have to come to thermal cameras with a different mindset. These cameras are perfect for fundamental detection of intrusion – if you need to know there’s someone there, then thermal cannot be beaten, day, night, rain and shine. The image is actually better at night, according to the boys. And it has more heat contrast at dawn and dusk. We look at the images. While depth of field is great – the scene is maybe 35m wide and 70m deep - there’s also a pretty good sense of depth of field. What I mean by this is that the sense of distance perspective is good. All thermal cameras tend to have a 2-dimensional quality about them on-screen, especially when the scenes are devoid of midfield detail. The WatchMaster does a good job of displaying depth perspective in the scenes we view. Watching the traffic in the carpark you get a strong sense of the value of thermal imaging in perimeter applications and in support of manned sites where security teams respond to confirmed detection. And, as ever when viewing thermal camera scenes, I can never help lateral-thinking myself into a monitoring station control room. In these applications thermal cameras could give operators vital confirmation of intrusion allowing immediate police response instead of the strange, even dangerous situation which sees keyholders acting as mutual first responders to unconfirmed alarm events in commercial premises. zzz
Features of the WatchMaster IP Elite include: l Multiple input power options (24VAC,12VDC,POE) l ONVIF compliant for integration ease l Range – 370m for people, 1000m for vehicles l Resolution 320 x 240 pixels (higher resolution available) l Spectral response from 8-14um l Minimum sensitivity down to 50 milliKelvin l Frame rate up to 30fps l 2GB onboard storage. l Basic on board analytics – VMD and ROI l IP66 rated housing with sunshield l PTZ Version Watchmaster IP Ultra currently available l 640 x 480 version available in April with 5 different FOV lens arrangements
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BY JOHN A DAMS Your Monitoring Specialists
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Monitation Readers will have to forgive me. Of late, as the flow of alarm and home automation solutions across the Pacific swells, I can’t help seeing the future of the domestic alarm and alarm monitoring business flashing before my eyes.
I
’VE always had a bit of a thing for alarm systems. I like the robust nature of their solid state architecture and their ability, when combined with quality sensors, to be extremely effective when it comes to detecting and reporting intrusion events. And there have been a number of improvements in the past 5 years that have made domestic and commercial alarm systems superior. I’m thinking of wireless monitoring here, particularly multi path solutions that combine IP and 2 wireless carriers. There are people in the industry who love dialler – the reliability of DTMF and its genuinely high speed and low power usage do make it appealing. But PSTN is now yester-tech. Digitisation has led to an ecosystem that invites lateral development and when IT industry open
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standards are applied to product and management solutions in this alarm market space, things are going to get very interesting indeed. I’d like to go on the record and say that I have great belief in the RMR model of alarm monitoring. It’s a great business model that has a real future but as each new product release hits American streets I wonder just whose future that’s going to be. In a very real sense and after a period of hiatus, IP has all of a sudden become the alarm industry’s HMS Dreadnought, a new technology that renders everything that came before it obsolete, unstitching the technical advantage of established players. We are moving into a technology cycle in the alarm and alarm monitoring
... IP has all of a sudden become the alarm industry’s HMS Dreadnought, a new technology that renders everything that came before it obsolete, unstitching the technical advantage of established players.
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alarm m oni tori ng / segm ent
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industry where start-ups, telcos, venerable alarm panel manufacturers and huge IT service providers are all starting out together and the results are going to be interesting. For instance, at ISC West last month there was a solution from Qolsys called IQ. It’s built by the world’s largest electronics manufacturer Foxconn and can be managed via Alarm.com or Android apps. Importantly, the Qolsys IQ Panel will be professionally installed and monitored – it’s not going to be an owner-monitored toy. The 7-inch touch screen is claimed to be the first panel that has open compute elements in it. It’s designed to hang on a wall like a piece of art, and the slim white panel is app-friendly so users are already familiar with using it. IQ has 6 onboard wireless technologies — CDMA, WiFi, SRF, Z-Wave, image sensor and Bluetooth, as well as support for 5 image sensors. Again important, the IQ panel has dual-path connectivity for redundancy and to make upgrades easier and these software upgrades are ongoing as new features are developed. The IQ Panel also has a camera onboard that will stream video during an alarm event. The panel holds education videos, too, as well as information and operating instructions. This feature is designed to reduce calls to installers’ customer service centres. The panel has text-tospeech features and is embedded with 5 languages. I think it’s the open-ended nature of this alarm panel that strikes me most. It’s agnostic to wireless tech and new firmware can be uploaded for the life of the panel. That’s a seriously big deal, even if the first couple of generations have some bugs. An alarm panel that is futureproof from the point of functionality really is a new idea. It’s probably tempting to conclude that products like IQ Panel and AT&T’s security and automation solution Digital Life, which has just been expanded into 15 new markets, spell doom for traditional panels but I think in many ways that’s the wrong way to see the technology. Fact is, our alarm installers need something sexy to sell end users. They
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What’s very important to consider here too, is that while the hardware and the firmware are changing the business model is not. can’t come clumping up the driveway pretending 3-line LCD, which was cool in 1993, is still high tech when 5-year-old kids are downloading Curious George Goes to the Zoo from appstore on mummy’s 2048 x 1536 pixel iPad touchscreen. What’s very important to consider here too, is that while the hardware and the firmware are changing the business model is not. It’s still monitoring-based, driven by RMR but there are many more bells and whistles with which to decorate the bottom line. Just to put this into commercial context, AT&T is offering 2 packages with it’s IPbased security and home automation solution. The first is Simple Security. It includes 24/7 home monitoring, 24hour battery backup, a wireless keypad, keychain remote, recessed sensors and an indoor siren for $29.99 a month plus $149.99 for equipment and installation. That’s not expensive but it’s not a lot of kit, either. Next is Smart Security which includes all the features of Simple Security plus a choice of 3 of the following features: motion sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, glass break sensor, smoke sensor or
takeover kit. Smart Security begins at $39.99 a month plus $249.99 for equipment and installation. Most people will go for this option and it’s much more pointedly priced. Customers can also add other automation features, such as cameras and thermostat control, for additional monthly charges that range from $4.99 to $9.99 per device. I think we’d generally agree these are fairly consistent numbers, given prices in the US for electrical kit and installation work are significantly lower than they are in Australia. It’s fair to concede that changes will take time to flow through but we see the signs already with products like the Honeywell Tuxedo and Risco’s Agility 3 system, which combine alarms, video verification and automation manageable via app. But the big thing for me is this. There are hundreds of thousands of old tech alarm systems installed across Australia. There’s been no great incentive for customers to pull out their 20-year-old analogue alarm solutions and replace them with something inherently superior. Until now, that is. zzz
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s p e ci al re p o rt
isc west
By Joh n A dam s
ISC West t r o p e r w o Sh
AT ISC West around 180 exhibitors showed 1000 brands across a floor space reported to be 40 per cent larger than last year. Those improved numbers are very good to see from the industry’s perspective.
I
T’S the global security industry’s largest exhibition of new product and it takes place in the world’s largest security market, making ISC West the perfect place to get a sense of where we are at. And not just in 2013 but in which direction manufacturers will be pushing over the coming years. The buzz at the show seemed to centre around video analytics, mobile management of video, growth of integration and the buzz at the show. The mood was universally positive though not surprisingly some people griped about a lack of new product. This is a hangover from the past 5 years of tighter margins which have reduced stray venture capital and pressured spending on R&D. A slowdown in new product is also something that’s indicative of a maturing market.
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One observer noted there was no ‘new iPad’ technology – in other words nothing with the wow factor digitisation of electronic security has led us to expect at every show over the past 10 years. The fact people wanted to be amazed is a good sign in my opinion. But there were new things and there were hints of new things to come. It goes without saying that video surveillance was big. ISC West saw excellent camera releases including Panasonic’s new SmartHD and Sony Gen6 with IPELA ENGINE EX among others. There was talk about video analytics being used in domestic applications for intrusion and smoke detection. There was also a lot of talk about cameras presumably owned by the wider public being generally accessible on smart devices through apps. And there was talk about the issues surrounding access control going mobile.
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There was the spooky release of the world’s first Win7 video surveillance camera. There was Raytec’s IP-based Vario lighting solution. There was Avigilant Robots’ Vigilus Mobile Camera Platform. This Dalekish unit comes with a price tag of around $US20,000 and patrols 10 hours between charges. Worth considering for sites with 1 or 2 onsite security officers. There was a lot of talk about cloud from many serious players. There was Bosch’s revelation it was developing a 4K camera. I think that’s a good move from Bosch – 4K is coming. There was the noticeable push of home automation into the domestic alarms market, which is nice to see at long last, and there was lashings of IP alarm reporting. Axis talked about partnering with Boston’s Wentworth Institute of Technology in a move that will see students designing apps for cameras that can be viewed on smart phones. At the show an app said to function in 3D – no I don’t quite understand that either – allowed the camera to alert an owner to events in the scene. Bosch launched 110 new video products at IFSEC and previewed that 4K Ultra HD camera, NICE Systems showed its Situator solution which manages protection for critical infrastructure and Avigilon showed the new bullet camera we reviewed last issue. Milestone was showing the company’s new Arcus product, a streamlined VMS that’s only for Milestone technical partners to embed. Partners at the show were Veracity and LenovoEMC (formerly Iomega), with LenovoEMC NVR and Razberri’s Netswitch appliance. Arcus runs on Linux, Mac OS and Windows and allows Milestone partners to sell a preconfigured, pre-installed, simplified VMS. Samsung was showing off its new 6000 Series which is driven by a core WiseNet II chip. This camera is 2.4MP 1080p HD and has analytics including defogging to get rid of smoke or fog. Meanwhile Genetec was talking about it’s new cloud-based
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video surveillance as a service solution for small and medium-sized businesses with 6-12 cameras. DMP showed a new intrusion, access control and fire panel. FLIR plans to sell low resolution thermal cameras to domestic users using the Digimerge brand of its subsidiary Lorex. And System Sensor was displaying the i4 Series Combination CO/Smoke Detector and Integration Module, said to be the first low-voltage, system-connected, combination smoke and carbon-monoxide detection solution on the market. At the show alarm and automation manufacturer 2GIG announced it has shipped 1 million Go!Control system panels since the company was launched. Remember that Nortek, the parent company of Linear which helped develop the 2GIG Go!Control product, recently announced the acquisition of 2GIG for $US135 million. Moog was showing EcoKit, a remote solar and wind power generator for surveillance systems. The company also just released its EXO GeminEye highdefinition network thermal and HD visible imaging system. March Networks released a next-gen retail platform. Inovonics is focusing on “people protection” as a part of physical security with its Enterprise Mobile Duress System, while Ingersoll Rand’s NFC technology is being adopted on campuses nationwide, making smartphones into access control credentials. Polaroid was at the show and is getting into CCTV in a big way. Vice president Nathan Needel said a full line of surveillance solutions will be offered to end users starting June 1. The solutions come with a killer 10-year warranty and there will be an ‘integrator dedicated to every user’. There’s obviously an RMR model behind that sort of talk. Interlogix was pushing the migration from analogue to IP and BRS Labs’ was talking about its behavioral recognition offerings over rules-based cameras. OnSSI’s Moshe Levi emphasized the importance of mobility in security surveillance. Among other products, its LiveVest, worn by SWAT teams and security guards, contains 3 cameras. DVTel hosted a series of video analytics sessions and released Latitude 6.3 video management software (VMS), which incorporates advanced Google Earth functionality, integration with ShotSpotter and advanced mapping features. IQinVision (distributed locally by Infratherm) released new IQeye camera models featuring Wide
Axis talked about partnering with Boston’s Wentworth Institute of Technology in a move that will see students designing apps for cameras that can be viewed on smart phones.
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Dynamic Range (WDR). This enhancement will be available in the company’s Alliance-pro, Sentinel, and 7 Series camera lines and is offered in 720p, 1080p, and 3.1MP resolutions. Meanwhile, OPTEX released Fiber SenSys FD508 APU, an 8-zone fibre perimeter solution with an 800m range, as well as the REDSCAN REDWALL IP detector portfolio with an integration with the HawkEye Site mapping module, which creates a custom GPS map within minutes by precisely placing cameras and REDWALL sensors/detectors on a blueprint or satellite image of a facility.
Best in show
There were 84 products and services across 21 categories. The Lynx from Innovative Security Designs (ISD) scored the Best New Product Award at ISC West. Yes, that’s the same ISD that won best new product award at Security 2012 in Sydney with its Jaguar camera. Lynx is an edge computing platform for video surveillance that runs Microsoft Embedded Windows 7, delivers high-definition (HD) 1080p resolution, multi-streaming, at 30ips, all encased in an IP66 dome enclosure. CCTV people can be excused for feeling slightly nervous about the medium term outcome of a Win7 camera platform but it’s impossible to deny such a product has potential in cloud and domestic applications and it will be welcomed by IT technicians everywhere. The camera performance specifications don’t look particularly amazing but the win at ISC obviously revolved around the idea of a camera that was a Win7 edge computing device. Meanwhile, 3M Cogent won Judges’ Choice Award with MiY-Touch indoor biometric touch screen. Described as one of the lightest readers in its class, the access control reader is compact and fast. In other areas, the Access Control Hardware & Software award went to DAQ Electronics, with Entro-Watch with an Honorable Mention to HID Global’s iCLASS Seos Credential. The Access Control Products Wireless award went to the MEDECO M100 and the Biometrics, Identification and Credentialing Award was won by SRI International Sarnoff’s, IOM PassThru. The Commercial and Monitoring Solutions Award was won by Louroe Electronics, IF-PX with an Honorable Mention to Vigilant Robots for its Vigilus Mobile Camera Platform. The Convergence and Integrated Software and Solutions Award went to Stanley CSS’s Pacom Systems 8002 Pacom-Edge Controller. Emergency Notification Systems Award went to Firelite Alarms’ Emergency Command Center, with Entry/Exit Screening Systems and Asset Tracking going to the Stanley CSS AeroScout MobileView Locator for iPad. The Fire/Life Safety and System Sensor Award was won by the i4 Series Combination Carbon Monoxide/Smoke Detector and Interface Module and the Green Solutions Award was picked up by RBH Access Technologies’ High Density 32Door PoE Fault Tolerant Controller.
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One observer noted there was no ‘new iPad’ technology – in other words nothing with the wow factor digitisation of electronic security has led us to expect at every show over the past 10 years.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Solutions was won by Bosch Security Systems for its B Series Control Panels, while the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Solutions Wireless went to Honeywell’s LYNX Touch 5100 with an Honorable Mention to Inovonics’ Area Control Gateway. In Locks/Safes/Hardware ASSA ABLOY Americas Securitron M380 Series Magnalock won, while in Network Support Solutions Quest Technology International won with LocJack. Outdoor Perimeter Protection went to TOTUS Solutions, while the Outdoor LED Secured Wireless Surveillance Platform Residential and Monitoring Solutions went to ipDatatel with its IPD BAT CU. The Video Analytics award went to BriefCam, VS Enterprise V2.4, the Video Storage, Distribution and Management award went to NUUO’s NVRsolo and the Video Surveillance Advanced Imaging Technologies was picked up by Axton’s True Hybrid IR & White Light Illuminator with an Honorable Mention to Samsung Techwin America, SCP-2370RH. In the Video Surveillance Cameras HD (Megapixel) segment the award went to the Innovative Security Designs (ISD) Lynx. I’ve not seen this camera working but I was a wee bit surprised to see the award going to a camera on the basis of characteristics not related to outright performance. I thought Sony or Panasonic deserved this one in 2013 after their recent releases. Compounding my sense of weirdness was the fact the Honorable Mention in HD cameras went to StarDot Technologies for its Multi-Channel Long Distance Coaxial (MCLDC). I guess that’s industry awards for you. Finally, the Video Surveillance Hardware and Accessories award went to Nuoptic for its True Hybrid Varifocal Illumination System. It was a pretty good show technically and a very good show in terms of mood. The broader U.S. market is experiencing the long awaited bounce. The talk is that recovery will be slow and sustainable, fuelled by real profit, not by credit. And that’s good news for all of us in the Australian security industry. zzz
Camera 1.
Camera 2.
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Clay cloud Access control manufacturer Salto has launched a new cloud-based access control solution called Clay. Designed for SMEs, Clay is designed to be easy to install, easy to use and easy to manage remotely.
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LAY is a ground-breaking product that brings electronic solutions to SME’s, providing vastly better functionality and performance than is possible in a traditional mechanical solution, and with a flexible management system that requires no cumbersome software installation or cost of a fullywired electronic product. Until now many SME’s have been unable to take best advantage of many of the top technological solutions in access control largely because of the cost and complexity of those systems. Clay combines a cloud-based intuitive software platform that is easy and fast to understand and manage, with high quality and design hardware that is easy and quick to install, providing the same features as wired systems at less than 70 per cent of the cost. Its increased security comes from users being able to easily and intuitively establish, consult, change and cancel specific access rights by person and place and time, and all in real-time, thus eliminating the problems and limitations of their existing mechanical solutions, such as the costs associated with changing locks, keys, and cylinders when keys get lost. 50 se&n
Clay incorporates SALTO Systems’ wireless hardware, capitalising on SALTO’s outstanding products that have seen the company become one of the world’s top electronic lock manufacturers, with more than one million electronic locks installed globally. The key hardware element is the Clay IQ that serves as the hub between the wireless lock and the cloud, and is so simple to set up, users need only plug it into a standard electrical socket. Neither router configuration, nor any other cabling is required. “SALTO has grown to be the market leader in Data-on-Card and wireless access control solutions by focusing on and delivering what the market needs” says Jennifer Stack, vice president marketing SALTO Systems. “Our new Clay product utilizes the versatility of the cloud to give owners of SME businesses the ability to control their building access remotely and manage it in real-time via any device with an internet connection, providing security that is both flexible and future-proof.” Australian access control integrator Ryan McGovern of Independent Locksmiths and Security saw Salto Clay at ISC West in Las Vegas recently and was impressed. He described Clay as a genuine game changer that would put cloudbased access control solutions firmly into the hands of locksmiths and smaller access control installers. zzz
Visit Axis at Security Exhibition & Conference: Booth E22 July 24-26 Darling Harbour Sydney
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the Age of Reason BRS Labs’ reason-based AISight, distributed locally by Open Platform Systems, is the only solution in the reason-based generation of video analytics. 52 se&n
By John Ada m s
V
IDEO surveillance has a fundamental problem. It’s a reactive solution that allows investigators to see who did what, when - all this in the past tense. Such capability is beaut from the point of view of convictions. If your system is all about resolving lines of corporate investigation, then event recording may be all you ever need. But if your site has higher security requirements, or if you have a group of higher risk locations you need to monitor live, then you are going to want something more. And that something cannot be dozens of CCTV operators hunched over screens alert to the tiniest incident. Running a dedicated video surveillance division around the clock is painfully expensive – only casinos can afford it. The solution is something we’ve all heard plenty about over the past decade, something we’ve all given up believing in – video analytics. The conundrum is that no video analytics solution we’ve seen in Australia has worked effectively. It’s been too expensive, too limited, too prone to false alarms and plain too hard to manage. Now BRS Labs says that its reason-based technology resolves the issues of the rules-based past. The company’s AISight video analytics solution never false alarms, never misses unusual events and costs far less than manned control rooms. AISight is a server-based product that can handle 30 inputs, optical or thermal, in H.264 or MPEG4 compressions. The system can report to workstations or mobile devices and that can handle multi-platform applications including 32 and 64-bit Windows and Linux. Essentially AISight incorporates learning and analysis engines that combine to allow the system to observe events, analyze them, and remember them in the same functional way the human brain makes and stores memory. This ability to recall means that when new events differ from AISight’s memory, it can judge that a suspect event is occurring and trip an alarm. AISight currently covers many US railways, as well as being used by intelligence and federal agencies that have used analytics and given up on it despite still needing to watch huge numbers of cameras. And that’s the main issue for video surveillance systems, according to Ray Davis founder, chairman and CEO of BRS Labs. “There are just so many cameras out there wasting away,” Davis says. “To use all these camera systems proactively in real time you have to have an operator per camera 24/7 or use a system that emulates a person 24/7. AISight is that system. It doesn’t go to sleep, blink, doze-off or day dream.” There’s no doubt that video analytics was seen to have significant potential after 9-11. “About 20 companies ran at the market after 9-11,” Davis explains. “They took the quickest way to the product with a rules-based technology. With rulesbased systems you have to hard code or program everything. If you have a camera and you want to
Rosetta translates each frame of video into a language – a language the computer understands. We then pass that language to an artificial neural network that simulates a human brain and what this language does is identify every facet of each video frame and send it to a computer. catch a guy jumping a fence you have to draw a line around the fence, program everything you want to catch in each scene of each camera.” According to Davis, that caused serious problems. Manual setup was time-consuming and expensive. Another problem was maintenance. When cameras move, objects in the scene move or the season changes, the system must be reprogrammed. Third and most drastic, according to Davis, is false alarms, and he says this is because if you set up a rule then it’s a yes/no hard-coded rule and any variation in the scene will trip the alarm, whether it be headlights, shifting shadows or moving foliage. “You can typically get from 100 to 3000 false alarms per day, per camera,” says Davis. “So while rules-based analytics was designed to watch thousands of cameras, instead what it has done is create thousands and thousands of false alarms. It may catch the bad guy but you’d need a huge staff to filter the false alarms – that defeats the whole purpose of analytics.” The failure has not been without its benefits for BRS, which arrived in the market in 2005 as a relative latecomer. “We were fortunate,” says Davis. “We were not only able to see the past products, we were also able to perceive the future – to see what video analytics was going to need and what rules-based video
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“Rosetta translates each frame of video into a language – a language the computer understands,” Davis says. “We then pass that language to an artificial neural network that simulates a human brain and what this language does is identify every facet of each video frame and send it to a computer. “The computer is able to understand the temporal nature of each frame coming through, compare what is different between frames so as to understand objects and their attributes, like mass and colour, and to classify objects into different groups – humans, trains, cars, animals, birds, plants. “The system recognises the behaviour of those objects – down to recognising the normal paths joggers would take through a park or swimmers would take in a swimming pool, how a car drives – how fast, where does it park, which direction does it usually go.” According to Davis, by inventing this technology and finalising 88 patents in 40 countries, BRS Labs has locked up reason-based processing for video analytics. “The U.S. security industry now sees us as the only video analytics that works, and the only reasonbased analytics provider,” he says.
How AISight works
analytics was not going to be able to deliver. We quickly realised artificial neural networks were the only way to make the technology work.” According to Davis, the central object of video analytics is to have a computer watch a camera and tell security staff when something is important enough to look at. “But rules-based analytics doesn’t watch the monitor,” he says. “Instead it sets up rules-based zones and if a pixel crosses a zone, then the system generates an alarm. Fact is, the only way to watch a camera is to have a simulated human watch a camera - that’s artificial intelligence, machine learning, artificial neural networks.” Davis concedes AI is a broad term. “When I use the term AI here what I’m talking about is extremely advanced machine learning capability – something that can see an event, memorise, reason about it then apply this learning to other events,” he explains. “Early analytics companies could not achieve this. There’s no way for a computer to understand a video. If you think about it, an email can be read textually, but there is nothing that understands a video. You can’t just have the computer tell you what’s happening.” To resolve the problem BRS created a piece of software called Rosetta.
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Perhaps the neatest thing about AISight, and I should point out here that I did not see the system running live but viewed multiple situational demos, is its ease of installation and setup. Once the software has been started, it connects to a video network and begins to monitor the environment and activities going on in each assigned camera view – up to 30 inputs per server. Each of the camera views is stored as a separate memory. Elements that are always present in the environment become part of the recognised background of a scene. Meanwhile, objects that enter the field of view are analyzed based on appearance, classification and interaction within its environment and other objects. This classification is important. Objects might be adjudged cars, trucks, humans, pets, birds. As BRS explains it, the newly set up AISight
We were not only able to see the past products, we were also able to perceive the future – to see what video analytics was going to need and what rules-based video analytics was not going to be able to deliver. – Ray Davis
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software analyzes the structures, sizes, shapes, locations, velocities, accelerations, paths of objects and other characteristics of all objects within the scene and forms memories about them over a few days. It also records time stamps for these events and remembers during what times of day or days of the week events most frequently occur. The more objects and behaviors are observed, the more weight these memories are given. The less frequently the system has observed an event in the past, the weaker its memory will be about the event and the more unusual it will deem a particularly uncommon activity. This might include a human figure on a runway or freeway, or a car on a railway track. Unusual activity is immediately reported to security personnel to enable a proactive response to potential threats, but normal activity is ignored. And even when AISight has learned to ignore certain activities, it can still be told to alert security personnel of those activities regardless of how often they occur, if needed. Because of its ability to learn, remember, and slowly but never entirely forget, AISight’s ability to provide currently relevant, accurate alerts evolves alongside the environment. It adapts to moving vegetation, lighting changes, repositioning of furniture, weather patterns, and myriad other changes that challenge rules-based video analytic systems.
AISight functions
AISight has a range of monitoring capabilities that include things like classification anomalies. In such
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brs cases AISight recognizes when subject types match no known pattern of appearance/properties and issues an alert to that effect. The system can also report on position-based activities and motion. It does this by learning to recognize where it is common for things to appear, disappear, enter, exit, stop, start, turn, move quickly/ slowly, accelerate quickly/slowly. AISight uses spatial memories (position-based maps) to recognize anomalies for behaviors that violate the learned patterns regardless of where they occur in the scene. The system also uses its temporal (time-based) memories to issue alerts on anomalies for behaviors that violate the learned patterns based on timebased maps. This allows for normal activity that occurs on one day of the week, but never on another, to be tracked and reported. Importantly AISight achieves autonomous maturity recognition – AISight determines on its own when it has achieved sufficient scene knowledge and then begins alerts by itself. While there aren’t any systems installed in Australia yet, there are plenty in the US, including a system that tracks 150 objects and activities at 12
AISight has a range of monitoring capabilities that include things like classification anomalies. In such cases AISight recognizes when subject types match no known pattern of appearance/properties and issues an alert to that effect. MTA train stations in San Francisco. Its capabilities includes spotting unusual loitering, detecting bags left behind or people crossing the tracks. According to public records, the system is also being installed at the World Trade Centre and is the system of choice for the safe city surveillance installation in Houston Texas. Other successful applications include port security in Louisiana and water treatment plants in El Paso. According to Ray Davis, AISight is the revolution the market has been waiting for. “It has no false alarms and it catches the bad guy every time,” he says. “We can even catch behaviour leading up to a crime, whether it be in the minutes leading up to a car theft or the days leading up to a bank robbery.” I think it’s fair to say that the entire video surveillance market would love to see a video analytics solution that works – a solution that energized our huge investment in CCTV. Whether AISight is used to handle all the cameras on a high security site or deployed to sharpen the reflexes of a selection of key camera views on less secure sites, there’s no doubt every security department would love to have this technology at their side. zzz
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Bareilly Medical College and Hosp ital
medical records Bareilly Medical College and Hospital in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a northern state in India, has a new HikVision digital video surveillance solution installed by Coral Infocom.
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OR Deepanshu Girish Gupta’s Coral Infocom this is a the second HikVision IP solution the company has installed at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh but Bareilly’s Medical College and Hospital is a larger facility and represents a larger challenge. Specifically, in this case, a solution encompassing over 1 kilometre of campus space was required. As such, Gupta devised a solution utilizing Hikvision components and the beauty of this solution is the fact that it is specifically designed to grow. “We’ve just completed Phase One of this project. Everything has gone so well that this client has already ordered a large number of additional Hikvision camera units for the next phase,” Gupta explains. An excellent example of this growth is the DS7216 HVI-ST Standalone DVR. “This DVR was perfect for the initial requirements of the project. This hospital had a number of pre-existing CCTV cameras that
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they did not want to simply discard. As such, features such as up-to CIF/QCIF real-time resolution and up-to 4CIF resolution recording were perfect. “Additionally, up-to 16-ch synchronous playback, dual stream support, and up-to 1024×768 VGA output resolution make this a quality product.” With the introduction of these new, highquality Hikvision cameras, an additional Hikvision DVR model was called for, the DS-7316 HFI-S Embedded Net DVR. An easyto-operate and user-friendly menu allowed security employees to easily access features such as up-to 1024×768 VGA output resolution, the support of live view, backup/playback of high definition images; and digital zoom in live view/playback through the use of a mouse in PTZ control mode were all quickly utilized. Additionally, features such as redundant recording and hard disk group management are also available. According to Gupta, the key
This camera’s IR functionality serves dual purposes.... obviously, it gives us great coverage in the evening. But, equally important, it also allows us coverage if there is a power outage - an unfortunately common occurrence in India.
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“This room is largely surrounded by glass. As such, it suffers from extreme lighting challenges, and many cameras simply were not able to adjust to the bright days and dark nights. enhancement is improved resolution. “Our new requirement put a premium on sharper resolution, and this was achieved through the DVR’s 4CIF resolution real-time recording, as well as HDMI and VGA output at up-to 1920×1080P resolution.” In turn, this new emphasis on greater resolution allowed Hikvision’s DS-2CC572P-M 540 TVL 1/3 inch CCD Day & Night Camera to really shine. Located throughout the interior on the hospital, the DS-2CC572P-M utilizes its compact structure design and is placed on both ceilings and walls. With features like a 1/3 inch SONY CCD, day / night auto switch, a low-illumination ability of 0.1Lux @ F1.2, and an auto white balance, auto gain control, electronic shutter control and backlight compensation; this dome camera prevents the common nuisances of pickpocketing and the theft of costly medicine at the pharmacy, as well as improving the vital administrative function of tracking the movement of patients throughout the various wards. “From both crime-preventive and logistical standpoints, this Hikvision dome has already improved security and efficiency,” Gupta says. Guarding the main entrance gates, and providing 30 meters of coverage, is Hikvision’s DS-2CC1192P(N)-IR3 650 TVL CCD IR Weatherproof bullet camera. Specifically, this bullet IR camera is placed on outdoor security guard
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Bareilly Medical College and Hosp ital stations at a height of 3.5 meters. “This camera’s IR functionality serves dual purposes,” Gupta explains. “Obviously, it gives us great coverage in the evening. But, equally important, it also allows us coverage if there is a power outage - an unfortunately common occurrence in India - allowing our camera operators the ability to see who is comingin and coming-out regardless of time or the functionality of this hospital’s external lights.” Additional bonuses, such as an IP66 weather rating come in very handy in the daytime heat and significantly cooler evenings. From a technical standpoint, the camera specifications include a Sony Exview HAD CCD II, 0.001 Lux @ F1.2 (0 Lux with IR) minimum illumination, auto white balance, auto gain control, electronic shutter control and backlight compensation, as well as internal synchronization. Conversely, providing coverage in the hospital’s smaller but administratively vital reception rooms is the DS-2CC5132P-BL 500 TVL DIS dome camera. These areas rely on this dome camera’s support of a 4-9mm varifocal lens and 3-axis (pan/tilt/rotation) adjustment positioning to allow for optimum camera rotation and placement to “get the perfect angle,” as Gupta puts it. Finally, the DS-2CC197P(N)-A 540 TVL 1/3” CCD WDR ICR Day & Night box camera is tasked with manning the main Out-Patient Department (OPD). Because of this particular area’s lighting conditions, a special camera was needed. “This room is largely surrounded by glass. As such, it suffers from extreme lighting challenges, and many cameras simply were not able to adjust to the bright days and dark nights,” explains Gupta. The Hikvision box camera employs a powerful 160× Wide Dynamic Range – perfectly suited for strong backlight environment of this OPD. According to Gupta, WDR was absolutely vital for this location, and Hikvision technology really came through in the Bareilly Medical College and Hospital application. Complementing the WDR is auto white balance, auto gain control, electronic shutter control, and backlight compensation. zzz
Products used at Bareilly’s Medical College and Hospital: l DS-2CC572P-M 540 TVL 1/3-inch CCD day & night cameras l DS-2CC1192P(N)-IR3 650 TVL CCD IR weatherproof bullet camera l DS-2CC5132P-BL 500 TVL DIS dome camera l DS-2CC197P(N)-A 540 TVL 1/3” CCD WDR ICR day & night box camera l DS-7316HFI-S embedded net DVR l DS-7216 HVI-ST standalone DVR.
Satisfaction.
The Yarra Honda four-story dealership in Melbourne, Australia focuses on customer service with help from Milestone XProtect® Enterprise. Staff use the video surveillance software to identify showroom customers who need help and receptionists monitor if employees are at their desks before transferring incoming calls. Proving again Milestone can solve problems that are more than security.
Milestone XProtect® is the world’s leading IP video surveillance management software and is reliable, future proof and easy to use. It supports the widest choice in cameras and seamlessly integrates with business and security solutions such as video analytics. Which means your possibilities are unlimited and you can keep your security options open. Learn more about our new product offerings at: www.milestonesys.com and at Security 2013: D22.
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Risco shows Agility NEW from Risco is Agility 3, a fully wireless domestic and small commercial alarm panel with mobile app management that offers 32 wireless detection zones, including support for 8 eyeWave wireless PIR cameras offering video verification for self-monitoring as well as for monitoring stations.
A
few months ago we reviewed Risco’s new LightSYS alarm panel and in the course of that review mentioned the video verification capability offered by the panel’s big brother, Agility 3. Now Agility 3 is available to users
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in Australia it’s impossible to resist taking a closer look at what is essentially a very big wireless alarm panel with the bonus of home automation and video verification. Risco, which is the manufacturer of the highly regarded Rokonet sensors, has put plenty of thought into Agility 3 and the company’s engineers have come up with a solution that’s easy to install and easy to use while offering the alarm industry’s gold standard for intrusion detection, video verification (VV). In fact, this is the first affordable domestic alarm panel that does VV. Interesting to me is the fact that Risco’s corporate self awareness highlights 4 key areas of business - integration, integrated video, access control, and intrusion. As we ran through the demo of Agility 3 I couldn’t help feeling all these areas were represented in this single domestic alarm product. It has alarms, integrated video, integration of home automation via I/O and X-10 modules.
By John Ada m s
Access control, you ask? Well – not exactly - but the prox-enabled keypad does allow arming and disarming of the system by presentation of key fob to keypad. And little jewels of functionality like this are strewn throughout the system. In terms of specifications, Agility has 32 wireless zones, 8 of which can be wireless PIR cameras, as well as supporting up to 3 bi-directional wireless LCD & LED keypads, one for each of the 3 possible partitions. There’s also bi-directional audio, 32 user codes, as well as a 250-event log. There are also cool modules like PERS, and there’s a wireless home automation module with 4 wired zones and 4 outputs, which includes an X-10 transmitter. Sensors – well – these include all the intrusion wireless sensors Risco makes from internal PIRs to external multi-technology sensors, as well as safety detectors that include smoke, gas, CO and flood detection units. Support for wireless sensors is backwards compatible, too. Meanwhile, panel
comms options include any combination of PSTN, IP and GSM/GPRS. I got a demo of Agility 3 at the SEN office with Risco Australia’s Tim Prag and after we stop talking about the upcoming Ashes cricket series, Prag opens up a sales case and pulls out the system’s module components. First up there’s the panel housing which contains the control board, battery and comms modules. Once I get it into my hands I find the housing relatively heavy and this is mostly thanks to the weight of the large 3.2 Amp battery as well as the heft of the polished polycarb bodywork. The housing has some telltale LEDs located on the face, including an LED ‘tick’ icon which allows installers to check system status at a glance. If the icon is green, woohoo, if it’s red, then there’s a problem. Connections to the panel itself are simple as can be. There’s power through the usual plug pack and there’s RJ-45, allowing the panel to clamber onto a network via a local router so as to gain access to the Web for management and alarm reporting. The keypad comes out next and powered up is blue backlit. It’s a nice looking interface in shiny white poly with a 3-line LCD display. Cool too, the keypad can be removed from its bracket and installers or users can tote it around for convenience of operation and programming. The standard Agility 3 panel comes with keypad, 2 PIR cameras and a pair of remotes for $A500. I’m impressed with the remotes. I have a habit of judging tech by its ancillaries and these remotes have great size and hand feel. They’re a wee bit bigger than normal but are still compact. The plastic is light charcoal yet has a ferrous glint to it that’s distinctly upmarket. As if to prove their beauty is more than microndeep, Prag tells me the wireless fobs not only manage the security system but can also be used to drive a remote I/O module and handle cool stuff like lights and air conditioning. These fobs can also drive the system wirelessly (up to 8 keyfobs can be assigned to a single system) or you can enter a PIN into the keypad.
...the company’s engineers have come up with a solution that’s easy to install and easy to use while offering the alarm industry’s gold standard for intrusion detection, video verification. In fact, this is the first affordable domestic alarm panel that does VV.
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risco
Tim Prag
Everything I get my hands on is well made with no nasty gaps, bulging seals or rough cut-offs that might suggest poor quality manufacture. Same as LightSYS and all the rest of Risco’s gear, Agility 3 is manufactured in Israel and quality control there is obviously tight. Risco’s warranty is 2 years, which is on the better side of industry standard. According to Prag, nothing compares to Agility 3 when it comes to video verification – in part because there’s very little competition in this area. In fact, Agility 3 is the only domestic and small commercial alarm system that sends images direct to the end user. Given the fact the new Agility system owns this part of the market, it’s worth spending a bit of time getting a handle on just what the VV component of the system actually is. For a start, you don’t get video clips with Agility. Instead you get snapshots, one pre-alarm and 6 post-alarm.
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The eyeWave PIR camera responsible for video duties incorporates a QVGA (quarter VGA) board camera with 320 x 240 pixels and an 85-degree field of view. Neat, there’s an IR flash that pulses on detection giving the camera the ability to capture images in total darkness with a depth of field of 10m (the PIR component offers wide angle detection up to 12m). Something else that’s thoughtful is that images are stored locally on the camera until they are entirely transmitted to the panel. The eyeWave PIR camera is available in both wide-angle and petimmune versions. Video verification is driven by a GPRS unit built into the control panel that transmits images to Risco’s secure cloud server. From here images can be passed on to users via the smartphone app and to monitoring stations including 1 pre-alarm image and up to 7 post-alarm event images. The system sends an alarm message and 2 snap shots at intervals after an alarm event, with the intervals programmable between 0.5-2 seconds. If users want to check images from the cameras during the day to see if kids are home, for instance, they can just jump onto a camera via a smart app that runs on mobile phones and tablets or web browsers. The app lets authorised users management alarm systems remotely, as well as viewing real time images from PIR cameras or checking up on alarm activations. While the Risco Cloud is proprietary, it’s free of charge so there are no hurdles or odd complexities to navigate here. Yet at the same time, enterprising installers can supply panels with SIM cards already registered and up-sell users to advanced services that generate RMR as part of monitoring services. Important for video and intrusion alarm functions, Agility’s wireless is dual core, and there are 2 channels, each with its own antenna. One of these channels handles control and diagnostics, while the other takes care of video transmission. Part of the thinking behind this division of responsibility is quicker response times for video transmission but perhaps of more importance given the modest file sizes of the snap shots taken by the PIR cameras, is extending battery life as well as anti-collision between wireless devices.
Important for video and intrusion alarm functions, Agility’s wireless is dual core, and there are 2 channels, each with its own antenna. One of these channels handles control and diagnostics, while the other takes care of video transmission.
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ability to port in a 4-input wireless I/O module allowing the integration of existing wired alarm sensors. In such a case an old alarm panel would be removed and key zones terminated to the remote I/O module which would then report zone status to the Agility 3 panel via wireless. The I/O module also has an X-10 adaptor so you can do incorporate extensive home automation as well. Management of automation is mirrored through the management app where there’s ability to toggle I/Os for home automation. There are full logs so you can see who armed the system and when. And as you scroll through events, anything with a camera icon next to it is an alarm activation with associated captured images.
Installing the system
Separating video and alarm management allows the PIR cameras’ optical assembly to go to sleep when the system is disarmed, which is important in battery-powered wireless sensors. Other features of the 2-way wireless include a technique to reduce signal contention between devices, synchronised comms and encryption of signals to improve security. Like keypads, system keyfobs can also report system status and receive request confirmation. The 2-way wireless supporting the remaining 24 alarm detection sensors is 433MHz FM with an output of about 10mW and Agility 3 supports all Risco’s wireless sensors – indoor PIR, outdoor multi technology detectors, flood, smoke, CO detectors and more. The breadth and quality of Risco’s sensors is a great strength of the product, in my opinion, and they’re priced pretty well, considering the quality. While this is an all-wireless system there is the
The first thing I would do if I was installing the system is find the best location for the main panel and its integrated transmitter and receiver...Wireless systems are a beast of their own. A solution is only as good as the design of the installation.
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Once we’ve pawed over all the bits and pieces we go through the process of installation which is a simple. Interaction with the panel is by voice audio and the messaging is straightforward and easy to follow. All events are acknowledged by the panel’s annunciator. “First up, you put power to the panel and if the system is healthy a pair of LEDs on the fascia glow green and there’s a ‘tick’ that indicates all the zones are clear,” Prag tells me. “When it comes to the SIM card, all the installer needs to establish, aside from ensuring the SIM is supported by a carrier, is the APN – that’s the code for the relevant network provider. It’s an unlock code that allows the panel to get through the SIM providers servers. The panel has a unique ID number that allows the Risco cloud to identify it.” By now Prag is hard at work programming zones in the system. “As soon as we power the system up we take it into engineer mode, go into the communication function and we enable what features we are using – say it’s an alarm receiving censor, we enable configuration software so we can dial in remotely to do upload and download,” he says. “I’ve got the Follow Me function enabled – that allows us to send text messages to up to 16 mobile phone numbers or emails to 16 email addresses. And I’ve enabled Cloud – we always activate that. Next we go to Communication and we chose the method of alarm reporting, which is GSM, and we then go to the GPRS section and put in our APN code. Prag says once this is done, the panel will make a connection to Risco Cloud. “The default IP address is www.riscocloud. com so once comms are powered up Agility 3 immediately connects to our server, the server recognises the panel ID and says ok, I know you and here’s a permanent connection to the Risco Cloud. “Now, depending on your business model, a monitoring station might change the default IP address to the monitoring station’s proprietary
server IP address which would handle the video verification on behalf of their customers. “From an installer and monitoring station point of view, if they control the SIM they control the video verification service to the client through their own server. The panel ID is also locked to a SIM so a panel can’t be re-registered to another SIM.” Prag says there are a number of ways to install wireless sensors. Firstly remotely from config sotware, the installer connects to panel, programs the device code into the system so the panel is expecting the device to be enrolled. When the sensor is installed on site and the lid is closed after the installation, the sensor sends a signal to the panel and the panel recognises its code. The second option takes place on site. “If this button on the panel housing is held down for 5 seconds it puts the panel in learn mode and I can then go around with all the devices, in the order I want them enrolled in the system and install them. When the batteries are installed and the lids put on the tampers will close. “Instantly, the sensors will send a message to the panel which will know what kind of device they are based on the code. The first sensor detected will be zone 1, the second will be zone 2, etc. Each detector is recognised according to type and is automatically assigned. “Something neat the keypad can do as you go around is check background interference – this ensures the installer is not installing the sensors in an environment where they will false alarm,” Prag says. “You check background noise then add 10 per cent on to it so there’s some room for more interference without the sensor signals disappearing beneath the noise floor.” Prag goes through the process of testing the noise level at the SEN office. “Look, you can see in this office we only have 10 per cent background noise,” he says. “In this case a careful installer will change the 10 per cent to 20 per cent just to build a buffer into signalling in case of an increase in noise in the future. “Subsequently it is necessary to check the signal strength received from the installed accessories, which ideally should be 10 per cent above the assigned threshold. A weaker signal strength will require a relocation of the accessories in order to improve communication quality” As a former installer, Prag never gets too far away from the process of installation and his observations are insightful. “The first thing I would do if I was installing the system is find the best location for the main panel and its integrated transmitter and receiver,” he says. “Wireless systems are a beast of their own. A solution is only as good as the design of the installation. “The best location for the control panel is going to be somewhere central and as physically high as
Agility 3 is the only domestic and small commercial alarm system that sends images direct to the end user.
possible. Not necessarily on the second or third floor but up high in an access controlled or secure room. Just make sure it’s not in the basement or the cellar. “It’s a real problem with hybrid systems or systems that are retrofitted with wireless capability. With retrofits the wireless modules are always installed alongside the original hardwired modules in a steel reinforced concrete room in the underground carpark and people then wonder why they are having signal trouble! The wireless receiver must always be located in the place that suits the system.” Given Agility 3 is all about video verification, what are the images like? Well they’re surprisingly good given they’re 320 x 240 pixels. You get decent colour in daytime and good monochrome in the dark thanks to that clever IR support. We view the images on an iPhone5 and they’re quite clear – small, as you’d expect – but definitely very useful. There’s no pinch/spread zooming or rotation with these images but what you get is what’s important. These scenes are fine for general identification of known individuals and they would give a good idea of the appearance of an unknown intruder. You can clearly see details like clothing colour and hair colour. Overall viewing angle is good, too – you’re not peering through a keyhole. As regular readers would be aware, SEN is a strong advocate of video verification. We think it’s the way of the future and Agility 3 is a reflection of that future. And because it’s new, smart alarm installers are going to find it an excellent way to spice up their worn and weary sales pitches. zzz
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Cabling alarm systems These days there are more wireless alarm panels being installed than ever before but many installers still prefer the reliability of hardwired zone loops. In this feature we take a look at the basics of cabling alarm systems.
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OST installers build their cable plant in the ceiling and drop wires down to their wall-mounted sensors as they go. Other alternatives include running the cable under carpet, under floorboards or around skirting boards. It’s highly likely most installers will favour the technique with which they’re most familiar but there are always installations that will throw a spanner in the works and get you scratching your head. A big issue will be whether you can get onto the site during construction and get your wiring into place. There are some big advantages to this and some pitfalls. For a start, it’s going to be a far quicker and easier installation if you’re able to cable up before the walls go in. The only negative is the fact you’ll have to go back a second time and hang your controller, program the system and install sensors. In many cases though, you’re going to be installing your cable in an existing domestic or commercial premises and that means you’re going to have to go either through the ceiling or under the floors. When installing systems in units and commercial premises you may find you need to stay at floor level – hopefully in proper cable trays. I’m no fan of ground level cable runs of loose wire. These days if you’ve got a site that can’t be supported by an above-ceiling cable plant I believe you should install wireless sensors especially in commercial environments. A zone loop that runs around a skirting board is asking for trouble, especially in older systems that may not alarm if power to a zone loop is lost. Even in a modern system, all you’re going to get is a trouble signal indicating voltage loss. There won’t be any sign that the cable has been cut during an intrusion. There are other ways to bridge a star configuration zone loop if it’s easily accessible. If you need to put in a zone loop in an exposed situation, and sometimes you do have to, hide it under the edge of the carpet, put a slim conduit around it or glue or tack a strip over the cable if you can do so with putting too much stress on the cable. Be certain volumetric detection covers the exposed cable section and be sure to explain any vulnerability to the property owner. It’s good practice to outline deficiencies site and budget force onto your installation in a commissioning report. One copy of 68 se&n
this report needs to go to the client and the other into your own files. Another problem you’ll run into if you cable along skirting boards is crossing doorways. If the floor is polished timber or tiling then you’re going to have to take the cable over the doorframe where it will be even more exposed to attack or accidental damage. In such cases, you may be able to install a rubber draught strip over the cable. If there’s carpet, you can run under it but take care to tuck the loop into a cable groove or an enlarged crack in the floor. A cable laying directly on a concrete slab will gradually be worn over a period of years, especially if heavy furniture is dragged across it, or high heel shoes step directly onto the spot it’s laying. Should you be running wiring at ground level or under the floor be sure to install your reed switches down low - never take cable all the way up the door frame to a top mounted reed switch just because everybody else installs reeds on the top corner.
Pulling cable
There’s subtlety required when pulling cable. Sometimes a sticking point will give way with a little extra pressure and other times you’ll only damage the cable if you use too much force. Take care. One thing you should try to avoid doing is hauling an entire light gauge cable through a route from the far end or from the origin of the run. While this may be easier than shifting the cable in stages the end result is likely to be damaged sheathing and wiring with the cable. Pulling a cable into a route using an existing cable run you’re replacing has some obvious advantages and some clear weaknesses. One thing you’re never going to know is at precisely what point the cable snagged, at just what point the exposed wiring could touch metal studs in roof beams. Installation by hand (where possible) is your only assurance of a quality cable run. Putting in cables this way will allow you to follow contours more accurately, to protect cable by taping the sheath for additional protection from ragged surfaces or corners. You’ll also be able to ensure the cable is running over the top of pipes not underneath them, and you’ll be certain that any mains cabling is nowhere near your cable run. The idea is to ensure cabling is installed in the most secure, direct, economical and reliable way. zzz
These days if you’ve got a site that can’t be supported by an above-ceiling cable plant I believe you should install wireless sensors - especially in commercial environments.
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cas e st u dy
MULHOUSE Habitat
Endangered habitat
Milestone Systems’ open-platform, IP, video management software has been installed with Samsung network cameras in a surveillance system that has brought peace and confidence to the citizens of a neighborhood in Eastern France affected by criminal disturbances.
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ULHOUSE Habitat is a social housing complex in the Les Coteaux quarter of Mulhouse, France with plenty of the high-rise buildings, common around the outskirts of big cities in France. Most of the inhabitants had long been victims of intentional violence and degradation committed by a minority. They wanted a better environment with peace and security. The group of buildings, with nearly 100 entrances where many problems concentrated, is managed by 3 companies. These zones were easy for delinquents and drug traffickers to compromise through the destruction of lighting, access control and video surveillance systems, turning them into hot points shielded from the eyes of security patrols and outdoor cameras. Depending on the logistical needs of the traffickers, certain entrances had a higher concentration of problems. Attempts at renovation and better lighting
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had poor effect, and isolated success would be met by migration of the problems to other entrances. In the scope of securing the property and bringing more peace to the residents, Mulhouse Habitat decided to renovate all of its building entrances and equip them with new, video protection. This operation received subsidies from the Interministerial Fund for the Prevention of Delinquency (FIPD) for the entrance video protection and from the National Urban Renewal Agency (ANRU) for the replacement of entry doors, mailboxes and intercoms, bringing the electrical installations up-to-standard, and repairs in the corridors and stairwells. The housing company called for bids to furnish the new, video system with fixed IP cameras, a data transport network, and a local storage and processing solution, as well as a centralized management system.
The French systems integrator, Spie, was retained for several reasons. According to Steve Lohr, sales manager for security systems at Spie East, “we answered this with top names in video surveillance. Milestone, a world-leader in open-platform, IP, video-surveillance software, and Samsung, renowned for its high definition (HD) and megapixel cameras that integrate numerous functionalities based on Samsung processors. Spie responded as a complete solution provider with video surveillance, electricity and intercoms.” The system is a scalable solution, the specifications requiring expandability to allow for the later addition of at least 25 per cent more cameras and 30 per cent more capability in data processing and storage without additional cost, other than that of new cameras and their wiring connections.
Cutting-edge technology
In all, 134 IP cameras were installed over 31 entrances. Each entrance holds 1 outdoor camera incorporating infrared lighting that films only the intercom plates and the front of the entry hall. Other cameras were installed inside and in elevators. The chosen Samsung iPOLiS IP camera models are vandal-proof, fixed-dome SNV-5080R and flatdome SNV-5010, both with 1.3 megapixels and HD 720p progressive scanning in H.264 format. Housed in solid, cast-aluminum cases with polycarbonate domes, they are very resistant to vandalism, dust and water spatters. The SNV-5080R domes are effective, even in the dark, thanks to 15 infrared LEDs, and feature a motorized, variable-focus, glass lens. The flat, SNV-5010 domes have a fixed-lens with a wide field of view that is perfect in elevators. Both cameras have SSDR-extended, dynamic range; BLC, back-light compensation; SSNR III noisereduction; and integrate intelligent, video-analysis
algorithms for the detection of scene changes, line crossing, entering/leaving a zone, and appearance/ disappearance of objects. Since the buildings under surveillance, are scattered far from the recording and processing locations, the new cameras were connected to a fiber-optic network that was already in place for the parking lot cameras. On-site, the cameras are connected through network switches, and the cables are protected by metal or armored ducts. Milestone was chosen for its ability to work with a large number of cameras and devices in the network, which ensures great expandability to the system, and for its high-performance in large installations with multiple servers; the software optimizes the bandwidth usage by reducing the amount of data throughput in the network. Continuous recording is done by the Milestone XProtect Enterprise software running on Windows’ servers, installed in a secure bay. The video images are retained for 2 weeks and set to be automatically deleted thereafter. Milestone XProtect software also fully supports the Samsung HD and 1.3 megapixel images. Milestone XProtect provides functionality for quickly finding an event in the recordings, which saves a lot of time and conserves operator resources better allocated for surveillance. Furthermore, transfer of encrypted, video evidence to CD guarantees the authenticity of images, and includes a software viewer that enables the police to use or share them easily.
Pooling surveillance resources
A full surveillance centre is operational, with admittance through an airlock chamber with access-control. The centre is operated and managed cooperatively by a non-profit organization created by the 3 neighborhood housing companies, along with several associations of tenants and residents, the board of a neighborhood condominium, and the City of Mulhouse. The viewing screens are monitored 24/7. The clients are extremely satisfied, according to Philippe Alves, operations manager at Mulhouse Habitat. “The new video surveillance system fulfills our expectations,” he says. “The visibility is optimal by day as well as by night; the viewing angles are sufficiently wide. The Samsung, vandal-proof domes are solid and fit well into our environment. The image quality is fantastic and allows us to see precisely by zooming into the image. “When we had damage, it was possible to recognize the people quickly. And, thanks to the functionality of the XProtect software, we can easily export the images and save time.” Alves says the people of the neighborhood are very happy to have the cameras and feel protected. They are now gradually taking back the common areas. Crime has been reduced, and the security operation serves as an example of efficiency between human surveillance teams and technology. zzz
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Network connection devices Because a network structure can’t afford not to focus on connection devices, we’re going to have look at them here, taking special note of their capabilities when it comes to maximising performance.
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By John Ada m s
C
OMMON connectivity devices installers will encounter on networks include repeaters, gateways, hubs, brouters, switches, bridges, routers and gateways. The most common network devices on larger sites are repeaters, especially if the network is employing Cat-5 to get around a relatively large multi-story facility. Repeaters are essential if a larger network is going to operate effectively. These devices connect different sections of the cable plant, receiving the signal and pumping it back up to full strength to combat attenuation caused by cable impedance. This done, the signal is then sent on its way. Think of repeaters as existing in the physical layer of a network where they support network media comprising the cable plant. Depending on how much you spend on repeaters, there are 2 different ways to buffer a signal – first you can re-amplify it. This is an effective technique, especially if there are not too many repeaters in the system. The trouble with amplification is that it will also boost noise associated with the signal so that over time a re-amplified signal will degrade. Baseband systems re-amplify signals by kicking in power as the signal passes through the repeater. The best repeater method is signal regeneration. This is easier for digital systems because they’re built around a digital code and signals can be completely recreated and then re-transmitted as fresh as if they’d just left the originating NIC. Broadband systems always regenerate signals. Next come bridges, routers and brouters. A bridge is a device that links network segments and represents an integral component of both segments. When you think of network geography go back to the moment we first headed out of the network card and set off along the network. A NIC and the network device together comprised a node, with a number of local nodes connected to a hub. Once signals travel through the hub, the next piece of hardware they’ll come to is the bridge. Imagine 2 groups of nodes, each connecting to their own hub and network cable running from each hub and into a bridge. The bridge operates on the network’s data link layer. In terms of network geography, this bridge is a component of both network segments – it has an address on both parts of the network and all the packets of data sent from all the nodes attached to both hubs will pass through the bridge. They’ll then be passed on to other bridges responsible for different network segments. Inside the bridge is a list of addresses and the bridge uses this list to check whether an incoming packet is destined for one of its nodes. If so, the packet is passed to the appropriate node NIC for processing. Bear in mind that bridges aren’t the perfect answer on large networks though they work fine in smaller or carefully designed architectures. Routers are similar to bridges in some ways and function by breaking a large network into segments.
A bridge won’t transmit a frame it receives until the entire signal has been received and this cuts down on collision time on both side of the device. Yes, there’s a slight delay in transmission but the delay is worth it. The beauty of a router is that it can not only direct traffic to nodes on its own segments – it has a full list of network addresses and is able to direct traffic to the right location wherever that might be on the network. In a large system, maintaining router tables is virtually a full time job, as every router on the network needs to have a fully updated version of all addresses on a LAN. These addresses will include those related to DVRs and security management servers, though in many cases these systems may be running on a local VPN between a select number of machines. Routers pass information between themselves using either router information protocol – that’s the RIP – or the open shortest path first protocol (the OSPF). When RIP is employed the connected routers pass their entire routing table between themselves, while OSPF updates variations to the table only. Meanwhile brouters function at both the data layer and physical layers of a network. For these devices operation depends on the protocol that
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reaches them across the network. Routable protocol packets are routed, while non-routable packets are sent on their way using the physical address of a node is a connected subnet – it works the same way as a bridge. Last of all the network connecting devices is the gateway, which converts signals from completely unrelated networks and allows communication between them. Such devices exist in the form of software on a server and might translate communications between a Cat-5 PC-based network and UNIX-based operating system for instance.
Switches, bridges and routers
The 3 types of devices we’re going to look at in more detail include switches, bridges and routers. If you’ve always been confused by these product types as an installer, don’t worry. Even the manufacturers seem a bit unsure and capabilities seem to blur. The idea is to carefully scour spec sheets once you’ve got a solid feel for what it is you need in the network you’re building. Let’s look at bridges for a start. As we know, these are devices designed to join different LANs that are running the same network protocol – such protocols might be Fast Ethernet, for instance. The connection can also be one that links Cat-6 and Cat-5 and coax LANs. Bridges are a simple in that they operate at the OS2 layer and they’re only able to function in situations where their presence isn’t really needed – this obviously doesn’t include bridges that join LANs operating on different media. In terms of system structure, every network segment connected to a bridge will employ the same subnet mask – this allows machines on the segment to ‘see’ each other. Also important when you’re building busy networks, is exploiting the fact that bridges aren’t like basic network repeaters that just hand over frames. A bridge won’t transmit a frame it receives until the entire signal has been received and this cuts down on collision time on both side of the device. Yes, there’s a slight delay in transmission but the delay is worth it. It’s this very characteristic that defines the basic strength of a bridge. It’s the perfect device for cutting networks into collision domains that micro-manage transmissions and ensure that general comms between machines won’t slow down the entire system. All bridges are now what used to be called ‘learning bridges’ and this means they incorporate microprocessors and memory that allows them to establish which machine is connected to which of their ports and from which of these machines signals are being transmitted. Thanks to these smarts, bridges are able to do things like ensuring that frame packets are only passed on to the relevant port of connection. The bridge will also do a general send to all ports if a signal arrives and is addressed to a NIC the bridge
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has not been programmed for. In addition, dormant addresses will be automatically dumped from a bridge’s address table. Bridges are also smart enough to be connected into loops – this is the sort of connection that could lead to mayhem if each bridge in a loop started sending back every packet received from every other bridge endlessly. Bridges get around this by organizing themselves into a spanning tree that breaks connections with bridges until loops are sorted out. If you don’t see the advantage of this think of redundant wiring – something you’d be very likely to build into a big surveillance network. With redundant wiring in place the cutting of a cable or the failure of a device could be a real problem. Happily the bridges sort out the issues on their own and will make a new spanning tree with no input from administrators. The weakness of a bridge is that if the address of a packet received is not on the network segments that bridge holds addresses for, it will send out a network broadcast looking for the address of the homeless
packet. In a quiet network such an event is generally not an issue but if there are many such packets loose in a network then mass signalling can cause performance drops. Switches are just like bridges only they’re smarter still. Or maybe they’re like hubs but smarter. It’s not always easy to tell as many of these devices are now multitasking. As soon as you hook a switch up to your LAN’s segments you have what’s called a switched LAN. This switch is similar to a bridge in a lot of ways. It connects network segments, filters packets – sending them only to the segment of their address – it also runs on OSI Layer 2 so it has no control over the actual data being sent and nor can it connect two different kinds of LAN. Your switch, like your bridge, is only capable of functioning when it’s operating on a network for whom its presence is not necessary. A switch is capable of carrying a LAN on every one of its ports, or carrying segments of a LAN on its ports. If each station has its own switch port the network becomes a dedicated LAN. More expensive switches can have Layer 3 capability and are able to handle routing or provide firewalls between network segments on their ports. These protected groups might include things like DVRs. In addition, better switches allow these virtual LANs to share a particular IP subnet. Bridged groups elsewhere in the network can use other subnet types. There’s also capability to give allow the virtual LANs access to each other just as if the switches are routers. In terms of switch operation there are 2 options – cut-through or store and forward. Of the 2, cutthrough is the latest and it has a fairly simple operation, only checking out the MAC addresses of frame headers and passing frames on. The strength of cut-through is that it will reduce traffic on a network but there’s a weakness in that cut-throughs don’t pay any attention to packets inside frames. That means they can let things get out of hand in the event of a malfunction when masses of packets can clog a network to failure. Also bear in mind that when under serious load a cut-through filter will buffer traffic – this slows things down at the extremes. Meanwhile switches with store-and-forward operation are more traditional. They’ll take a look at a packet before shunting it down the line and that means transmission is slower but any flawed packets are dumped. A switch will only buffer packets till its memory is full. Once this point is reached packets are unceremoniously dumped and there’s no warning for sending NICs that their signals aren’t getting through. Routers are like bridges in that they link networks but they’re different in that they’re very clever indeed. Because they run at OSI Layer 3 they are aware of physical and logical addresses and that means they can recognize errors and modify
packets if need be to ensure they get to the right destination. They may also send packets to a different address if this is required. The beauty of routers is that given an updated network address book they can almost always find a way to get a signal through to a connected machine with no need for administrator involvement. Routers are able to flick-pass transmission to other routers and they focus on the network number of a machine rather than the host number. This lets them leverage the bandwidth and processing capability of local routers which can get a signal to a machine in their own neck of the woods – all this speeds things up. But routers are slower than Layer 3 switches whose operations focus specifically on devices around them. Routers are more likely to be found in larger networks or supporting elements of the Internet. But just to make things more complicated there are also Internet switches with can handle routing as well as doing the address-lookup thing. Internet switches act like routers when sending messages on to unfamiliar addresses and they do
A switch will only buffer packets till its memory is full. Once this point is reached packets are unceremoniously dumped and there’s no warning for sending NICs that their signals aren’t getting through. this by crunching numbers. This processing slows things down but not enough to be a problem. You might use a router/switch in a network surveillance application if large traffic volumes used the same paths constantly. We should also mention the importance of getting backplane architecture in switches and bridges right in order to ensure adequate bandwidth. In simple terms a backplane is a board that allows the connection of other boards, cards or network devices. . In any case, the key thing is to make sure that you calculate the aggregate bandwidth of the system or segment and be sure that the backplane is capable of delivering all the bandwidth you want. If you get the total right then every connected device will be able to operate at full speed so long as network architecture is properly laid out. Mess up the switch/bridge backplane bandwidth and there’ll be performance problems – the sort of problems that may be a hassle to iron out later. Because the backplane is not necessarily the first place a technician will think of checking when performance falters, it pays to get this right up front. zzz
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new pr o d u ct s h owcase / new p roduct showcase / new p roduct showcase / n ew p rod u
editor’s choice
What’s new in the industry
New thermal cameras from FLIR FLIR Systems has released the FD, FC-Series fixed network cameras and the Compact D-Series which is now available as a network-enabled enclosure. It can be mounted in ball up and ball down position, giving you more flexibility. The D-Series outdoor dome enclosure provides precision pan/tilt control while providing fully programmable scan patterns and radar slew-to-cue and slew-to-alarm functionality. Fully enabled for control and operation over digital and analogue networks, D-Series systems deploy a 320 x 240 thermal imager along with a daylight/ lowlight 36x zoom colour camera. The extremely affordable FC-Series S network-ready camera allows you to see intruders and other threats to your facility clearly in total darkness and in bad weather. Fully enabled for control and operation over digital and analogue networks, FC-Series S thermal imaging cameras are available in high-resolution 640 × 480, and 320 × 240 formats. n Distributor: FLIR Systems n Contact: 1300 729 987
Geutebruck’s new re_porter-IP/XRdB GEUTEBRUCK’S new re_porter-IP/XRdB is designed for situations where it is necessary or desirable to review image data outside the network. Its 2 2TB hard disks are configured for RAID level 1 so they store identical data. One disk is built in, but the other sits in a sturdy hot swap mount which can be removed with the system still running. This hot swap facility enables you to evaluate the whole database at another station, completely separately, away from the CCTV system and the network. The GSCSpeedView-XRdB evaluation and playback station has been specially conceived for this purpose. With one hard disk removed, the re_porter-IP/XRdB continues to operate storing all video data on its fixed disk until a new HDD is inserted and it can automatically mirror the data onto the new HDD. If an incident is reported at a remote location monitored by the re_porter_XRdB then the video surveillance operator informs the police or other security service provider. An officer goes to the site, taking along an empty hard disk unit. To swap the hard disks over, they press the button on the front, waits a second or two until the flashing light goes out, then use a special key to release the disk unit, which can then be pulled out and replaced with the empty one. n Distributor: Geutebruck Australia n Contact: 1300 855 291
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Bosch HD 60ips starlight camera
WITH DINION starlight HD 720p and FLEXIDOME starlight HD 720p RD, Bosch Security Systems has now introduced cameras that are specifically designed for high performance in extreme low-light conditions. According to Bosch, the cameras will show colour images where others can show only black and white and showing black and white where others show no image at all. The 60 fps frame rate helps capture fast-moving objects in applications such as traffic and casinos. The starlight cameras come with Content Based Imaging Technology (CBIT). This Bosch innovation intelligently combines information from the sensor, image pipe, encoder and intelligent video analysis (IVA) to dynamically optimise the image for every scene. By using intelligent noise reduction technology (iDNR), the image clarity is improved, and the storage requirements are reduced significantly. The 720p starlight HD camera requires up to 30 per cent less bandwidth than other 720p and SD cameras. n Distributor: Bosch Security Systems n Contact: 1300 1 BOSCH (26764)
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VIVOTEK launches IP8130 and IP8131 cubes VIVOTEK has launched 2 new compact size cube cameras IP8130 and IP8131. The IP8131 is especially suited to low-light situations with a removable IR-cut filter for day and night functionality and built-in IR Illuminators, effective up to 6 meters, securing excellent video quality under completely dark environments. IP8130 and IP8131, both equipped with 1-Megapixel CMOS sensors, are able to capture 1280 x 800 resolution video at 30 fps. Also, by supporting industrystandard H.264 compression technology, bandwidth and storage consumption can be reduced significantly. Each has a built-in microphone able to record sounds within a 5 meter radius. With the bundled ST7501 multilingual 32-channel recording software, users can set up an IP surveillance system with IP8130 and IP8131 easily. Driven by mobile device trends and a demand for more intelligent applications, VIVOTEK also provides a smart phone application, iViewer, for both iPhone and Android platforms, enabling users to monitor live video off-site in real time.
New Geutebruck G-Cam/E cameras GEUTEBRUCK’S new G-Cam/E range of HD cameras are designed for quicker, cheaper, safer installation and adjustment. There are box, bullet, fixed dome and PTZ dome models for all types of professional monitoring applications, for indoors or out, with or without one-click AF. All have 1/2.7” CMOS image sensors, support H.264 and MJPEG, offer HD1080P resolution and day/night operation with removable cut filters for optimum light sensitivity and colour reproduction. Not only are these cameras simple to install, but you can set them up without taking your laptop up the ladder. After drilling holes and mounting a G-Cam/E series camera, you just plug a tiny pocket-sized service screen into its analog output and set the viewing angle. Then you can close the housing and adjourn to the relative comfort of a workstation or control room. There you assign the IP address, take advantage of the remote-controlled motorized lens to adjust the image quality, and run the Geutebruck video system’s CamCheck feature to create a reference image from each camera. This image not only lets you document the installation for approval purposes, but also in the longer term, facilitates quality control checks and system quality certification. n Distributor: Geutebruck Australia n Contact: 1300 855 291
IndigoVision launches new 20 Channel Encoder INDIGOVISION’S 20 Channel Encoder, makes it even easier, and even more cost effective, to upgrade existing analogue security systems to a world class IP security management solution. This new 20 Channel Encoder makes the move to IP easy. Designed specifically for installation in a rack cabinet, this double density encoder requires 50 per cent less rack space and uses over 60 per cent less power, per channel, due to IndigoVision’s latest encoder technology. n Distributor: Integrated Products n Contact: 1300 055 164
n Distributor: Altech n Contact: +61 2 8622 8049
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new pr o d u ct s h owcase / new p roduct showcase / new p roduct showcase / n ew p rod u
editor’s choice
What’s new in the industry
LiNC-NXG from Chase LiNC-NXG Browser Enabled is an add-on option to the standard powerful LiNC-NXG desktop solution. An easy to use browser enabled interface allows the managing of essential common functions for cardholders, time periods, authorization groups, locking and unlocking of doors and more. Additionally, the browser based option eliminates software installation and maintenance requirements of application software for those browser based users. LiNC-NXG, is a fully integrated Physical Security Information Management system (PSIM). The LiNC-NXG solution provides a choice between an intuitive user interface (GUI), or a browser enabled interface making learning and using the system, second nature. All system functions are accessed via easy to use icons. The standard LiNC-NXG GUI allows opening of more than one application window, providing ease of-use and a higher level of system flexibility. LiNC-NXG includes embedded features for high security needs, such as; UPL (User Programmable Logic), Supervisory Control, 5 state Alarm Monitoring, Event Control/ Process, TPMOR (2 Person Minimum Occupancy Rule), Escort Management, Cardholder Actions and more. Any PCSC user can use simple tools to upgrade their database and system to the latest PCSC system. The FT architecture delivers unparalleled reliability and responsiveness for LiNC-NXG and its controller network. n Distributor: Chase Security n Contact: 1300 793 316
New Pelco Sarix IL10 boxes and domes SCHNEIDER Electric has released its new Pelco Sarix IL10 Series mini box and micro dome cameras, first of more than 50 new Sarix fixed IP products for 2013. Part of Pelco’s Value Range of IP cameras, the Sarix IL10 Series cameras produce highquality, color HDTV video, and the integrated fixed focal length lens enables sharp scene alignment and easy installation. The series, which comes in four models, is suitable for a variety of indoor environments. Features of the Sarix IL10 Series include convenient Power: The PoE models easily integrate with PoE-enabled network switches or power injectors, eliminating the need for separate power supplies and cabling. The 24 VAC models are also offered for installations where 24 VAC power already exists. The cameras use a standard Web browser that allows for easy remote setup and administration. Users have an easy one-step camera configuration for features including color, exposure, flicker control and streaming. In addition, a one-click shutter allows users to capture JPEG images of the live view for documenting, positioning or easy event recording. And 2 simultaneous video streams can be compressed in H.264 format, allowing the streams to be individually optimised between highest quality and bandwidth/storage efficiency. In addition, the cameras support text overlay with options for time, date and camera name. n Distributor: Scneider Electric n Contacts: +61 2 9125 8000
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Genetec Security Center 5.2 SECURITY Center introduces new threat level management features that allow users to quickly respond to changing security conditions and potential threats as they develop. At the click of a button, security operators can activate pre-defined threat levels that automatically restrict entry through access-controlled doors, move PTZ cameras to specific positions to increase the coverage of a situation, and automatically change the recording quality and frame rate to guarantee the highest quality video for investigations, operators can even activate a complete lockdown in extreme cases. With these and many other customizable actions, organizations will be better able to fine-tune threat level management to meet their specific goals and requirements, for both access control and video security applications. With the introduction of its new software-based video wall and display sharing functionalities, Security Center enhances collaboration in control rooms and throughout an organization for a fraction of the cost of specialized hardware. Software video walls can be easily assembled and configured using standard displays; the remote control and sharing of displays further augments video monitoring, access control and alarm management activities while providing organizations with a truly unified experience. n Distributor: Open Platform Systems n Contact: +61 3 9646 9004
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SALTO Swiss profile cylinders and doors SALTO has developed and launched a brand new SALTO GEO (Global Electronic Opening) Swiss profile cylinders range for doors with a Swiss round profile cylinder mortise lock. Designed for use in applications such as switch solutions for garage doors or elevator panels, the new SALTO GEO Swiss profile standard cylinder is available with an inside thumbturn option or for doors where extra control is needed a double control (entrance & exit) function. It also has different cam options: 15mm cam for Swiss profiles, 10 teeth cog wheel cam and 13 teeth cog wheel cam. The new SALTO GEO Swiss profile half cylinder is IP66 certified against dust ingress and corrosion and offers a choice of RFID carriers including: iButton, Legic Prime, Legic Advant, Mifare, DESfire , Mifare Ultralight C. Contactless versions are also NFC compatible. Six colur finishes are available: satin chrome, polished chrome, polished brass, satin brass, black satin chromiun and a BioCote antimicrobial coating finish. n Distributor: Electro-Com n Contact: 1300 130 806
Hikvision DS-2CD2112-I / DS-2CD2132-I Hikvision recently introduced the DS-2CD2112-I 1.3MP IR mini dome camera and the DS-2CD2132-I 3MP IR mini dome camera specially designed for small-to-medium-sized applications that require extra illumination at night, such as retail stores, office buildings and residential communities etc. Featured compact design for flexible installation, the two feature-rich cameras contain a variety of advantages, including full HD video resolution, super low-light (up-to 30m IR visibility), DWDR (Digital Wide Dynamic Range) and 3D DNR (Digital Noise Reduction), which ensure that superb quality images can be captured and recorded regardless of the lighting or environmental conditions. n Distributor: Security Merchants n Contacts: +61 3 8545 9813
DVTEL Latitude integrated with ShotSpotter and Google Earth DVTEL has announced the integration of the Latitude network video management system (NVMS) with ShotSpotter gunfire alert and location technology. Integration with ShotSpotter provides seamless archiving and monitoring tools for events created by the gunfire alert and location technology. DVTELhas also enhanced its integration with Google Earth virtual globe, map andgeographical information program. The ShotSpotter system involves covering wide areas with collaborative sensors that triangulate the precise location of a gunshot anywhere within a designated coverage area. The DVTEL-ShotSpotter integration module sends event notifications to Latitude to provide operators with a situational overview of any gunfire incidents. Appropriate actions can be programmed in response to each type of incoming gunshot detection event, and users can view and react to incoming gunshot events. n Distributor: Pacific Communications n Contact: +61 3 9676 0222
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Our panel of experts answers your questions.
This means you’re going to need to check the entire circuit and all its components. To do this, set the multimeter to DC and test the circuit components by putting your probes on either side of the component. If you find loop voltage then you have found the break. If you can’t find a break at any component then you’ll need to search for voltage between load and ground and load and the positive terminal of the power supply/battery.
Q: What’s the easiest way to find cable breaks in normally open circuits? A: FINDING a break in a normally open circuit can be a bit of a fiddle but there are procedures you can follow that will ensure fast trouble shooting. Remember there should not normally be any current in a normally open circuit such as an alarm zone loop. To find a break, make sure all switches are on – if you leave a switch off you’ll build another break into the circuit. Check all the fuses in the circuit and ensure circuit breakers are not tripped. Now, with your multimeter set to DC volts, measure the load voltage by placing the red probe to the load’s positive and black to negative. If the measured voltage is 12V any break is internal to the load. In such a case check the load’s internal fuses, disconnect wires from the load and make sure all the load’s internal switches are on before you measure load resistance with a multimeter set to ohms. Almost every electrical load will have resistance (fluoro lights are an exception). If you find a reading of infinite then the open circuit is the load – try reversing the test probes and check the results. If your reading is 0 volts at the load – then there’s no current reaching the load and the trouble is some other place on the circuit.
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Q: I used heat shrink in an external application and to my surprise the wires under the shrink turned into a clump of blue powdered corrosion after about 8 months. Are there different levels of heat shrink? A: Some heat shrinks are better than others for external applications. There are 3 different types - thin wall, dual wall (thin wall with an adhesive) and heavy wall with a sealant. Regardless of what the guys at Dick Smith say, thin wall heat shrink provides insulation against shorts but zero in the way of weatherproofing. Use thin wall inside under ceilings where things are always going to be nice and dry. The way dual wall and heavy wall work is that the adhesive is forced out the ends of shrink on application. Once squeezed out, the adhesive dries and creates an excellent barrier to moisture. If you only need weatherproofing go for the dual wall shrinks. If your environment is on a pole, in
the wind, chafing will be an issue. Go for the heavy wall varieties. Q: I’m actually writing this as a gripe to all installers of larger solutions in commercial environments. Please leave schematics of your installations in panels! Maybe some system plans once existed in the bottom drawer of the facilities managers desk but if the diagrams are not kept with the system then 10 years later, no one has any idea what the system configuration is. We’ve been working on a system with a couple of hundred alarm inputs and 45 doors and thanks to the lack of schematics the process has been a nightmare. A: Yes - with large systems incorporating hundreds or thousands of alarm points, you need to take a completely different approach. For a start, it’s vital that the project manager develops a columnar zone schedule form recording zone numbers, as well as device type, EOL location and zone response. Part of the zone schedule should include a floor plan of the site with sensing devices included. One copy of this schedule should be kept by the security/facilities manager, while another copy should be retained by the integration company for maintenance purposes. Keeping a copy inside the secure panel housing could be challenging depending on the size of the document. Maybe a major site may have 5000 or 10,000 alarm points and failure to keep track of which sensor relates to which EOL, in which panel, could add up to a maintenance technician’s nightmare a few years down the line.
ANY time you are installing PTZ cameras and housings in high wind areas (whether it be motorized or fixed) seriously consider side-mount configurations. You need to make sure the camera is symmetricallymounted in line with the horizontal rotating axis. This reduces imbalance on the horizontal tilting axis ensuring a significant decrease in wind loading. Q: We’re having trouble with an installation in Tassie with high wind causing movement of a pole supporting a camera and the image being unstable when the camera is zoomed in – it’s the usual story. There’s no budget to repole and our present feeling is to install a camera that has image stabilisation. What do you think. It’s a tough call. Is there something else we could try first? A: ANY time you are installing PTZ cameras and housings in high wind areas (whether it be motorized or fixed) seriously consider side-mount configurations. You need to make sure the camera is symmetricallymounted in line with the horizontal rotating axis. This reduces imbalance on the horizontal tilting axis ensuring a significant decrease in wind loading. You’ll also find this configuration has no requirement for springs and counter balancing weights. Obviously, reducing wind loading will decrease vibration and mean an improved picture. Try to keep
the poled equipment as small as possible to reduce wind resistance. Q: Is it vital to test the light levels in a scene or can cameras be relied on to handle most conditions humans can see in?
the nature of your installations you may need to go for more expensive, more sensitive lightmeters. These will give accurate measurements for low light performance when working with internal emergency lighting, exterior lighting or ambient street lighting. When making light measurements you need to be a little scientific, depending on the camera’s ability to handle a scene. Don’t just measure directly under the light source and expect this reading will be the scene’s average illuminance. If you want to find the average illuminance you’ll need to divide the room up into squares. The idea is to take a measurement of each square, add the measurements together and divide by the number of squares to obtain a mean measurement. You can be less pedantic than this, however, in most compact scenes by making 2 or 3 measurements. Don’t just measure the middle of the room, either. Measure the amount of light at the camera lens, too. And obviously, take into account that light levels vary in a temporal way so come back at different times and repeat your measurements. Light at 9pm and at 4am is going to be about 0 lux, depending on artificial sources. The best camera cannot see in total darkness if unsupported by light sources, no matter what it says on the packet. Make sure the client knows this to be true. zzz
A: To some extent, yes. A modern camera has the ability to handle a range of light conditions but given the patchy light conditions in most applications over a 24 hours period, we’d still argue that a lightmeter that allows installation teams to establish the amount of light cameras have to work with is well worth the couple of hundred bucks investment. As a rule a lightmeter’s cell will have a range from 10 lux to 5000 lux but its accuracy will be wayward unless careful calibration is regularly carried out. A poorly calibrated lightmeter can be out by 15-20 per cent in either direction, while regular calibration may allow accuracy of 5 per cent either way. Depending on
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Date: May 13 -16, 2013 Venue: National Exhibition Center, Birmingham, United Kingdom Tel: +44-20-7921-8057 Taking place on the 13-16 May 2013 at the NEC Birmingham, IFSEC International is the largest event for the security industry, bringing together the entire security buying chain in one place. Celebrating our 40th year, we’ve been at the centre of the security industry, ensuring excellence and innovation at each ground breaking event.
Security Canada West 2013 Date: June 6, 2013 Venue: River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, Canada Tel: 905-5130622 Security Canada International Security Conferences and Expositions are the leading security industry events in Canada. Security Canada is produced and managed by the Canadian Security Association (CANASA). We've been bringing buyers and sellers together from coast to coast and internationally for over 30 years.
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Date: July 3 - 5, 2013 Venue: Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center, Bangkok, Thailand Tel: 2-2802-7728 Secutech Thailand covers surveillance, access control, intrusion alarms, security guard services and intercoms, as well as fire protection, fire resistant materials, smoke detection, disaster prevention & response, public address, rescue equipment and industrial safety.
Security 2013 Date: July 24 - 26, 2013 Venue: Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre Contact: +61 3 9261 4504, ahaughton@divexhibitions.com.au Security 2013 will showcase products such as access control, alarms, barrier protection, biometrics, CCTV, clothing and accessories, computer and communication security, critical infrastructure, detection and control devices, entry/ exit systems, fencing/ perimeter security/grills, fire/safety, home automation, ID systems/supplies, IP technology and IT security.
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Security in Government Conference 2013 Date: August 12-14, 2013 Location: National Convention Centre, Canberra Contact: Fallon Smith +61 2 9254 5000 The SIG Conference targets senior executives responsible for managing security in agencies, officers from all levels of government who contribute to the development of security capability and response and security practitioners from the public and private sectors who provide services to government and critical infrastructure providers.
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