Security Electronics & Networks Magazine

Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers

& Networks

NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE 426

AFFORDABLE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS l Innotec Security Integrates Gallagher, Axis, Milestone l SAGE 2020 Latest Products, Map, Seminars l Access Control Reader Technologies For SMEs l Face Recognition: Possibilities & Complexities l Special Feature: Affordable Situational Awareness l The Interview: Rob Meachem on BGWT’s 10th Birthday l Product Review: Gallagher Operator Training l Alarm Monitoring: Security Risks Of 5G l Product Review: Dahua 3MP Dual Lens l Special Feature: Choosing Intercom Solutions

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editorial S E CU RI TY E L ECTR O NI C S & NETWO R KS NOVE MBER ISSUE 4 2 6

By John Adams

SAGE 2020 GIVES SECURITY PEOPLE MOMENT OF SYNTHESIS

here’s no point pretending 2020 has not been the strangest of years, with the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting global lockdowns of air transport, hospitality, events and more, pressing security managers and providers to shape their operations and product offerings in whatever ways necessary to support critical internal procedures and customers whose business models are evolving in real time.

Alongside the challenges of keeping up with operational and customer requirements are other challenges, too. Not being able to travel and gather in groups has meant security people haven’t been able to get face time with the latest solutions or with the teams that develop them, and this makes it harder to synthesise our best and brightest technologies at precisely the moment we need that holistic comprehension most.

Something that flows from this division between people and product is a feeling of personal disconnection, insularity, of inertia – almost as though the world is on hold – there’s a tension, a frustration in this feeling – a sense of no longer being able to see the road ahead as darkness falls and it starts to rain. With our minds isolated, too many questions of the moment are going unanswered, lost in a more pressured, more pressing version of everyday life.

While we are reaching out to each other in other ways, anyone who thinks it’s possible to stay up with the latest technological developments staring at humble brags pouring down the drain of social media feeds is fooling themselves. These fragmentary touch points have a certain value to the in-group, but they are not enough to meaningfully reach those outside it. Really getting

T

This year, the best – the only opportunity – to get yourself and your team across the latest security technologies is at SAGE2020. your mind around technologies, especially integrated technologies, takes personal engagement, not only with hardware, but with management systems and with human designers, too.

The best and fastest way to comprehend complex technologies is with the product in your hand, with the management system in front of you and with the designer at your shoulder, steering you towards new paths and answering emergent questions, allowing end users and integrators to shear through an otherwise linear information flow to touch operational points that are of most concern to your operation, or the operations of your customers.

While it’s vital to be able to do this with a key supplier, the chance to do so with nearly 30 suppliers in one room is a chance not to be missed. Security & Government Expo, sponsored by Gallagher, will be held at the Realm Hotel Canberra on November 12, and this quickfire halfday event gives security people their one chance to snatch that moment of synthesis for 2020. Make no mistake, the speed of development in key areas of many proven solutions makes grabbing this moment more important than ever before.

At SAGE you’ll see the latest iterations of the best solutions, including the latest COVID safety developments of proven systems on which many organisations depend.

COVID is not going to go away quickly and that makes it vital that organisations which typically might have a relatively slow cadence of security upgrade, think fast, move fast, and act fast to enlist the assistance of the providers of best solutions the security industry has to offer.

Exhibitors, including AISM, Milestone, Inner Range BM Doors, ASIS ACT, EZI Security Systems, OSD, Bosch, Avigilon, SRA Solutions, Axis, CriticalArc, CIC Technology, Honeywell, EKA/EVVA, Perimeter Systems, Warrgambi, Saab, Deploy Security, Allegion, Geutebruck, Sektor, Traka, Gallagher, HID, Rhinoco, AMS Australia and Argent are all bringing their latest solutions to SAGE 2020.

Adding to the learning experience at SAGE are ASIS ACT seminars, featuring speakers including Geoffrey Askew, Julian Talbot, Major General Dr Marcus Thompson, Raymond Frangie, Nicky Finn and Scott Taylor, variously speaking on topics including cybersecurity, aviation security management, smart building threats and opportunities, access control threats and the role of security advisers. And there will be opportunity to speak further with colleagues after the event at the ASIS ACT dinner.

Security people are fortunate. Many of our technologies are purposebuilt for low touch, for subsystem integration, enterprise integration, remote monitoring, remote control, and remote management, and they feature advanced cyber security functionalities. In the past some solutions and some pieces of functionality have had an uncertain value proposition, but no more.

Today, end users and integrators are reaching towards each other to empower upgrades and solutions that will allow them to manage procedures in ways that ensure the highest levels of safety and security in the most economical ways possible. This year, the best – the only opportunity – to get yourself and your team across the latest security technologies is at SAGE2020. n

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consultants, integrators and installers get to check out the latest security solutions in the one place – the question you need to ask yourselves is what do you want to see?

NOV 20 14: INNOTEC SECURITY INTEGRATES GALLAGHER, AXIS, MILESTONE FOR MYOB HQ Innotec Security has delivered an electronic security solution for the new MYOB HQ in Melbourne, Victoria, integrating Gallagher access control, alarms and automation, Axis CCTV cameras and a Milestone XProtect management solution.

18: SAGE 2020 MAP Don’t miss the latest products at SAGE 2020 – exhibitors include AISM, Milestone, Inner Range BM Doors, ASIS ACT, EZI Security Systems, OSD, Bosch, Avigilon, SRA Solutions, Axis, CriticalArc, CIC Technology, Honeywell, EKA/EVVA, Perimeter Systems, Warrgambi, Saab, Deploy Security, Allegion, Geutebruck, Sektor, Traka, Gallagher, HID, Rhinoco, AMS Australia and Argent.

20: READER TECHNOLOGIES FOR SMES What are the best reader technologies for SMEs in the current environment and what should installers and integrators have front of mind when making safe, secure and future-proof decisions for their customers?

26: FACE RECOGNITION – POSSIBILITIES & COMPLEXITIES Face recognition is at once the jewel in the crown of video analytics and the technology most likely to attract the attention of privacy advocates who fear it may be mismanaged. We spoke with providers about whether there was a risk that failure to utilise face recognition technology will impact on the effectiveness of video surveillance solutions in the future.

32: A FIGHTING 10 This month Australian security distributor BGW Technologies turned 10 – in this month’s interview, SEN speaks with the company’s general manager Robert Meachem to get a feel for the BGW Technologies’ plans for the future.

36: REVIEW: GALLAGHER OPERATOR TRAINING Gallagher’s online operator training course ushers users into the company’s integrated security solution, building an understanding of viewer panels, toolboxes, cardholder management contextual reporting, alarm management and effective use of site viewer in a way that delivers a real synthesis of software and hardware.

22: WHAT TO SEE AT SAGE

40: AFFORDABLE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Security and Government Expo 2020 is going to be the only opportunity security managers, security

Situational awareness is one of the toughest operational outcomes to deliver – there’s no one layer

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56 44

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regulars

of planning, procedures and technology can bring it together. The PSIM-like complexities that come with delivering situational awareness seem to preclude affordability – or do they?

8: NEWS

46: REVIEW: DAHUA 3MP DUAL LENS

Latest business, product and technical news from Australia and around the world.

Dahua’s Dual Lens DH-IPC-HDW8341X-BV-3D 3MP WizMind Starlight camera, distributed locally

by C.R. Kennedy, features a relatively fast F1.6 aperture, fixed focal length lenses and features IP67 weather and dust proofing, IK10 vandalism protection, H.264 and H.265 compression, 20 metres of smart IR and a bunch of other features, the most interesting being layer upon layer of highly manageable artificial intelligence.

44: MONITORING What are the security risks inherent with 5G communications – are there specific issues installers, monitoring stations and their end user customers are likely to face?

52: EDITOR’S CHOICE What’s new from our manufacturers.

50: CHOOSING INTERCOM SOLUTIONS

56: HELPDESK

There are a lot of intercom solutions on the market, from upmarket glitz to basic polycarbonate. You need to have a clear idea of what you need from an intercom before you assist your customer in making a selection.

Security Managers ◆ Integrators ◆ IT Managers ◆ Installers

& Networks

NOVEMBER 2020 ISSUE 426

AFFORDABLE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS l Innotec Security Integrates Gallagher, Axis, Milestone l SAGE 2020 Latest Products, Map, Seminars l Access Control Reader Technologies For SMEs l Face Recognition: Possibilities & Complexities l Special Feature: Affordable Situational Awareness l The Interview: Rob Meachem on BGWT’s 10th Birthday l Product Review: Gallagher Operator Training l Alarm Monitoring: Security Risks Of 5G l Product Review: Dahua 3MP Dual Lens l Special Feature: Choosing Intercom Solutions

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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

Our team of electronic security experts answers your tough technical questions.

Editor John Adams Advertising Manager Monique Keatinge Customer Service Annette Mathews tel 61 2 9280 4425 annette@bridge publishing.com.au

Design Tania Simanowsky e: tania@ taniasdesign.com.au

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LOBAL T THE G IN W WE EWLY ING

NEWS IN BRIEF

VIVOTEK Debuts INSIGHT Series Driven By OSSA p.10 Gallagher Proximity And Contact Tracing Report Wins OSPA p.12 AI Tops SIA Security Megatrends List p.14 Inception V4.0 Increases Cyber Security, Usability p.16

Incep

NOVEMBER 2020

COMPILED BY JOHN ADAMS

ISCS DISTRIBUTING VANDERBILT’S SPC ACCESS CONTROL PANEL n International Security Control Solutions (ISCS), part of the ARA Group of Companies, has signed an agreement with Vanderbilt, a global access control and intrusion detection manufacturer. The agreement, which takes effect immediately, means ISCS is now distributing the complete range of SPC

by Vanderbilt solutions through its Australian branch network.

“The SPC product range has not only perfectly filled the void in our product portfolio, it also adds a bullet

proof access control and security panel with a ‘no system shall be left behind’ philosophy,” said ISCS managing director, Stuart Harmer.

“I was amazed to learn that every single SPC panel ever made can still happily participate in SPC’s online internet-based environment (SPC Connect), offering amazing integrator visibility, as well as appbased control of any SPC system – we look forward to SPC quickly becoming the integrators’ panel of choice.”

Vanderbilt’s region manager

APAC, Tony Lau, said the company is passionate about meeting customers’ demands and its innovation in the security market is driven by customer needs and expectations.

“Our cloud-based products are customer-focused and enable instant access and remote management of tasks to help save time and expense on otherwise laborious tasks and we understand the issues customers are facing,” Lau said.

“We are very much looking forward to the cooperation

WORMALD SECURITY EXTENDS GALLAGHER PARTNERSHIP, EXPANDS INTO QLD n To keep up with the growing demand for High Security Type 1A and Access Solutions, Wormald Security is extending its partnership with Gallagher and expanding into Queensland.

According to Dave Gavan, security business division manager for Wormald Security, Wormald Security is one of the longeststanding, most experienced and respected Gallagher Type 1A partners in Australia, and the business has built a reputation for quality and customer service.

“Everyone in our team enjoys what they do, they are proud of every project and they individually take

ownership of their work, which is testament to the amount of repeat business we are seeing at the moment,” Gavan said.

“This immense pride, together with the quality of our work, is inherently fuelling growth. Our expansion into Queensland is a natural progression for Wormald Security, as we are now able to increase our support and invest in our customers’ growing requirements.

“Wormald Security works on some of Australia’s most prestigious sites which means much of the work our business delivers is not made public due to the nature of the environment and the need to ensure the

installation is protected.

However, Wormald Security is gaining a reputation for delivering complex projects in the integrated systems market, which is appealing to clients who value a quality product and ongoing service,” Gavan said.

Due to its current business growth, Wormald Security continues to proactively recruit across the business.

“To support our business growth, Wormald Security currently has technical, business development and estimation roles for those who are well versed in the security profession and enjoy contributing and making a difference,” Gavan said.

with ISCS which has proven already in the start-up phase to open many opportunities for our intruder detection and access control systems. We

are confident that the great level of cooperation shown will continue and benefit Australian customers for integrated security solutions.”

Vlado Damjanovski

JAMES LAYTON JOINS HILLS AS GENERAL MANAGER, CATEGORY MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES

James Layton

n Hills has announced the appointment of James Layton as general manager category management and technical services.

Returning to the Hills’ fold, Layton said he was looking forward to once again working with Hills’ partners, as well as working with the company on its new directions. With more than 20 years in the industry, James experience is second to none and perfectly complements Hills’ security focus and

strategic direction.

“We are extremely excited to have James on board,” said Hills CEO & MD, David Lenz. “We have streamlined the business this year and seen some great successes from our focus on the security and ICT portfolios, even in these tough times.

“Having someone of James calibre on board strengths the senior leadership team and provides the business with a strong leader who has considerable industry knowledge – that’s a hard to find asset.”

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NEWS NOVEMBER 2020

VIVOTEK DEBUTS INSIGHT SERIES DRIVEN BY OSSA n VIVOTEK has launched its iNSIGHT series fixed dome camera, the FD9392EHTV-O, and AI-box, the IE9111-O, driven by the Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA).

OSSA’s technology stack for video security devices that prescribes an open and standardized platform for security and safety solutions. These 2 products represent the future of implementing an open platform approach in physical surveillance products, enabling system integrators, software application developers and users to cooperatively create in an open, efficient, and intelligent video age.

The new iNSIGHT series products adopt Qualicomm SoC, encompassing machine learning and edge computing to deliver computing power through devices. In addition to advanced versatility

and flexibility, the new iNSIGHT series was also designed based on an open IoT platform system supported by Security & Safety Things, making it easy for users and system integrators to download and install various apps with intelligent video content analytics on the AIoT fixed dome camera, FD9392EHTV-O. Meanwhile, for existing security systems, VIVOTEK has introduced its edgecomputing AI-box, the IE9111-O, allowing system integrators to connect existing network cameras and transform the whole array into an AIoT intelligent system.

“In the past, manufacturers and software developers were forced to expend resources on making their systems compatible to one another,” said Steve Ma, of VIVOTEK’s Open Platform Business Division.

“From the day we joined the Alliance, our mission has been to create real value through technological innovation. Launching the iNSIGHT series camera and AI-box ‘Driven by OSSA’ is our first vital step as we envision the promising value and business opportunities of what lies ahead. We have received positive feedback in several pilot run projects of retail and parking applications.

Together, we can lead the industry to the next level.”

Johan Jubbega, President,

Open Security & Safety Alliance said it was extremely rewarding to see the Alliance’s vision coming to market in the form of these very first ‘Driven by OSSA’ products.

“We are delighted that these first products originate from VIVOTEK, one of OSSA’s founding members,” said Jubbega. “We are proud to collaborate with industry leaders that understand this collaborative, open platform philosophy spurs innovation beyond the limits of a single

organization to ripple benefits outward for greater market potential and a more intuitive, customized user experience.”

THE NEW INSIGHT SERIES PRODUCTS ADOPT QUALICOMM SOC, ENCOMPASSING MACHINE LEARNING AND EDGE COMPUTING TO DELIVER COMPUTING POWER THROUGH DEVICES.

P R O U D LY S U P P LY I N G

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NEWS NOVEMBER 2020

GALLAGHER URGES ORGANISATIONS TO BE CYBER SMART n Rated as one of the top concerns for businesses around the world, cyber crime is on the rise and security systems are high on the list of potential targets.

To bring attention to the risks, Gallagher has been advocating for Cyber Security Awareness Month.

Through a range of online activities and content, Gallagher has highlighted ways organisations can be cyber smart and protect

DURING OCTOBER, OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON HELPING ORGANISATIONS UNDERSTAND CYBER RISKS AND IDENTIFY WAYS THEY CAN ENSURE THEY ARE PROTECTED.

themselves against constantly evolving cyber threats.

“With the increasing interconnectedness between systems, programs, and networks, it’s vitally important to ensure your security solutions are cyber secure,” says Steve Bell, chief technology officer at Gallagher. “Weak cyber security puts your whole system at risk of attack. During October, our focus has been on helping organisations understand cyber risks and identify ways they can ensure they are protected.”

Gallagher has produced several cyber-focussed resources in recent weeks, including episodes of their ‘did you know’ video series, a soon-to-be-published white paper on recognising cyber-

responsible vendors, and regular social media polls, posts, and updates designed to get organisations thinking

GALLAGHER PROXIMITY AND CONTACT TRACING REPORT WINS OSPA n Gallagher’s Proximity and Contact Tracing Report won Outstanding New Security Product at the 2020 United States’ Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) last month.

Gallagher was also a finalist in 2 other categories: Outstanding Security Equipment Manufacturer, and Outstanding Security Training Initiative for their Security Portal for Online Training.

This is the third award win for Gallagher’s Proximity and Contact Tracing Report,

which was released in May this year. The report enables organizations to quickly and accurately identify areas where a person with a contagious virus has been on site. At the same time, it identifies all other cardholders who shared these areas and therefore may have an elevated risk of infection.

The application is developed using REST API and the reports are outputted as .csv files (viewable in Microsoft Excel or similar). The utility connects to Command

Centre using the Gallagher REST API connection parameters. The application is not a licensed feature, but it does use the REST API licenses (RESTCardholder and RESTEvents).

The application provides a user interface that allows a user to enter the following parameters: • The origin cardholder • From and To dates • Maximum in-zone time • Surface risk time • Maximum contact generation • Personal data fields.

about their approach to cyber security and whether they meet best practice.

A special cyber edition

of Gallagher’s Security in Focus podcast series, recorded by Steve Bell, was released late last month.

VIVOTEK DELIVERS NEW FACIAL RECOGNITION EXPERIENCE VIA CYBERLINK

n VIVOTEK reports it has enhanced software integration between VIVOTEK’s Video Management Software (VMS), the VAST 2 and CyberLink’s FaceMe Security facial recognition software, which will enable users to monitor and manage facial recognition results for a wide range of security applications.

Through VIVOTEK’s enhanced VMS VAST 2, users will encounter a smoother installation process due to the centralized interface for camera settings, and receive accurate instant alerts based on preset blocklists, VIP and

employees. Moreover, a series of matched videos filtering by VAST 2 database profiles empower security operators with a seamless facial recognition management experience.

According to VIVOTEK, ideal applications include contactless access control management in commercial buildings, factories and hospitality, as well as security monitoring across campuses. VIVOTEK says it will co-host a series of online webinars with CyberLink in Taiwan, Japan, Latin America and the USA in the near future, to demonstrate how its AI facial recognition will transform smart security.

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NEWS NOVEMBER 2020

INNOTEC SECURITY INTEGRATES GALLAGHER, AXIS, MILESTONE FOR MYOB HQ

n Innotec Security has delivered an electronic security solution for the new MYOB HQ in Melbourne, Victoria, integrating Gallagher access control, alarms and automation, Axis CCTV cameras and a Milestone XProtect management solution.

MYOB designed its new 5800-square metre office

in Victoria’s Cremorne tech precinct with COVID safety as the priority – the result is an office space that incorporates 51 meeting spaces and 27 collaboration spaces.

The new MYOB HQ also features touch-free access controls throughout the building, the presence of cleaning materials and all workstations and a

comprehensive procedures manual governing team etiquette to ensure COVID safety.

Innotec Security’s Rob Rosa said the Innotec team was proud of the solution provided.

“We’d like to thank MYOB for choosing Innotec Security and we wish the MYOB team all the best in their new HQ,” he said.

GOOGLE DISCONTINUES NEST SECURE DIY SECURITY SOLUTION n Google has discontinued the Nest Secure DIY security and automation solution, according to a report in The Verge. The move comes after Google paid $US450 million for a stake in ADT in August.

As part of the partnership with ADT, Google will act as the new platform for the company’s smart security offerings, which will see ADT replace Pulse, Command and Blue alarm and home automation controllers with Google

Nest cameras, Google Home Hub and newly developed solutions.

“We are building a smart home platform, which is going to allow us to extend the capabilities in a whole bunch of ways so you can connect your security system to all your other systems inside your house, with the entertainment system, the energy systems, communication systems,” said Rishi Chandra, vice president of product and

general manager, Google Nest.

“If we want to really breakthrough and start addressing pain points inside the home we need to think end-to-end – that’s an awesome opportunity between combining all the great Google technology we’re building, and the huge investment we’re making across ambient computer technology with Google Assistant and all our AI capabilities inside Google.”

AI TOPS SIA SECURITY MEGATRENDS LIST n The Security Industry Association 2021 Security Megatrends report has identified AI as the top megatrend for 2021 and the SIA said it would make the electronic security systems of the future more efficient, effective and responsive.

Input from survey participants and from focus groups and interviews indicated that AI — along with AI variants such as machine learning, deep learning and artificial neural networks — were in the product roadmaps for nearly all security technology solutions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) rose from the second ranked Megatrend in 2020’s report after rising from the fifthranked position in 2019’s report. The cybersecurity of physical security systems and solutions was ranked second, behind AI. Given the impact of the pandemic, respondents’ input also placed the trend of touchless/frictionless on the top 10 list of trends; the frictionless trend had previously been identified as a micro-trend.

Also new to the 2021 ranking of trends was the trend of predictive data analytics, which would assist in providing meaningful insights into the volume of data that IoT devices and security and software systems can create, and the trend of responsive environments and intelligent spaces – indicating the application of technology solutions to automate and elevate environments such as homes, buildings and cities.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ROSE FROM THE SECOND RANKED MEGATREND IN 2020’S REPORT AFTER RISING FROM THE FIFTH-RANKED POSITION IN 2019’S REPORT.

The 2021 Security Megatrends are: • Artificial Intelligence • Cybersecurity of Physical Security • Predictive Data Analytics • Connectivity and the IoT of Everything • Cloud Computing • Touchless & Frictionless Solutions • Facial Recognition • Responsive Environments & Intelligent Spaces • Emphasis on Data Privacy • Move to Service Models.

“AI is the underlying trend driving future technological advancements in the security industry, and ultimately AI offers the promise of making security and safety solutions more effective, efficient, automated and responsive to users and customers,” said Pierre Trapanese, chair of the SIA Board of Directors.

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NEWS NOVEMBER 2020

INCEPTION V4.0 INCREASES CYBER SECURITY, USABILITY n Inception V4.0 has been released and according to the Inner Range team, it includes significant changes and enhancements aimed at further improving the security and usability for integrators and end users.

Inception now supports 2-factor authentication for logins through the web interface which is enabled through the Google authentication app or other apps that supports TOTPbased 2FA codes

2-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of protection to Inception, significantly decreasing the chances of cyber criminals and other unauthorised people accessing the system. 2FA has many variations but is generally a combination ‘something you know’ such as a pin code/password and ‘something you have’ which in this case is an authentication app on your smartphone.

“This update helps Inception move closer to becoming a market leader,” said Inner Range’s Mark Cunnington.

“The introduction of 2FA with Inception 4.0 gives endusers a significant increase in security and allows integrators to differentiate themselves from the competition.

“Most other access control or intruder products on the market do not have this option. Most end-users are aware of the risk of cybercrime and see the value of this feature for any device connected to a network – especially so with security devices.”

The tamper state for SIFER and Wiegand readers can now be monitored with this release. This allows you to configure the system to alert a monitoring station if any of the compatible readers have been tampered with.

The event reported will be based on the door it is

connected to, such as a ‘door reader tamper event on the front door’ to help in identifying where the event occurred. In addition, like other system tamper states (cabinet, siren), all areas will go into alarm, regardless of whether the area is armed or not and will need to be disarmed to stop strobes and sirens sounding.

This response can be disabled within the system programming.

A new system warning has been added for when one or more doors are in the ‘held open too long’ state. The warning can be resolved by closing the affected doors or unlocking them.

A new system message has been added for when a user is denied access to a door or lift car. The message includes the user’s name, the name of the door or lift car, the time of the access attempt, and the reason why access was denied.

This message ensures

attention is drawn to the fact someone attempted to access something they did not have permission to. New ‘access denied because user expired’ review events have also been added for doors and lift cars. These events are also included in Access History Reports generated from the Reports page.

In addition to the security upgrades a number of features have been added which enhance the usability of the system such as; • Bulk import users via CSV file stored on network • Upload and resize/crop user photos via the web interface • Automated Actions – Reader Triggers • Automated Actions – Door Triggers • Areas – Auto Arm Inactivity Time Schedule • LCD Terminal Profiles – Hide Greeting • LCD Terminal – Jump to Area Control.

CARRIER CONSOLIDATES INTERLOGIX PRODUCTS UNDER ARITECH BRAND

RING HOME SURVEILLANCE DRONE UNVEILED

n Carrier has consolidated its intrusion and video brands into a fully integrated suite of security solutions under the Aritech brand.

This includes the Tecom ChallengerPlus alarm, access control and automation panel and TecomC4 software, distributed locally by Hills,

n Amazon Ring has unveiled a home surveillance drone which can be pre-programmed to fly regular tours, as well as responding to alarm events by sending footage to users through Ring’s app.

The idea of the ‘Always Home Cam’ drone is that it allows coverage of every room in the house when there’s no one home, but it does not mean there’s a camera in every room, something end users are uncomfortable with.

According to Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff, the inspiration to design and market the advanced home security camera came from from customer’s saying they wanted the ability to view in their home remotel but did not want permanent cameras installed in every room.

“It’s not practical to have a camera at every angle in every room of the home,”

which said that while the name has changed, the powerful integration capability remains the same.

The TecomC4 security management solution supports the latest ChallengerPlus control panels and provides a way to monitor staff, visitors, and physical assets

from a single interface, even for multiple sites.

With Tecom C4 intrusion events can be verified through integrated CCTV cameras, and access can be modified to meet any threats. TecomC4 software also supports third-party alarm and access control systems.

Installers and integrators can securely connect a range of Aritech products via UltraSync – from fully configuring a panel, to sending push notifications.

Residential customers can use UltraSync at home with Zerowire, which is purpose-built for the home, allowing control of security systems as well as lights, air conditioning and more.

“Hills is proud to partner with Carrier Fire & Security to bring you Aritech integrated security solutions,” said Hills’ David Lenz.

Siminoff said. “What I love about the Always Home Cam is that it really does solve this problem of being one cam for all — it allows you to now see every angle of the home, in every part of the home.”

Always Home Cam is 9 x 13cm and integrates with the Ring Alarm app, so users can receive alarm events and HD video on mobile devices. The camera only records when the drone is in flight and when docked the camera’s angle of view is blocked by its charging station. The device is set for release in 2021.

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GAIT RE USES B WALKIN IDENTIF EVEN IF IS OCC OF THE RECOG TECHN WITH T POTEN DISTAN SCENA

INDUSTRY PIONEERING POWERFUL 3-IN-1 CAMERA TECHNOLOGY

Dahua, an industry pioneer of smart surveillance devices, is the first to market with this powerful 3-in-1 solution.

This proactive system features a red/blue light and a warning siren to warn off intruders, all of which can be automatically triggered before any crime has been committed.

THREE-IN-ONE CAMERA (TiOC) TiOC, also known as three-in-one camera, integrates 24/7 full-colour monitoring, active deterrence and AI into one smart and innovative solution, greatly saving time and financial costs for system integrators and installers. TiOC can accurately identify potential risks and effectively warn off intruders, effectively protecting life and safe-guarding property.

Active Deterrence Warn off intruders with built-in speakers and red/blue light

More vivid, brighter and detailed images under low light conditions

Artificial Intelligence Identify humans and vehicles by filtering out leaves, wind, rain and other interference

Dahua TiOC DH-IPC-HDW3549H-AS-PV 5MP Full-color Active Deterrence Fixed-focal Eyeball WizSense Network Camera

S114296 (DH-IPC-HDW3549HP-AS-PV-0280B) For more information on Dahua 3-in-1 technology, and other best-in-class solutions 1300 HILLS1 (445 571) or hills.com.au Follow us on

|

Hills Limited

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SAGE 2020

● Special Event

SECURITY

& G OSVEE RCNUMRE NI TT EYX P O & GOVERNMENT EXPO

Thursday 12th November, 2020

Expo guide 19 Milestone

23 Rhinoco Technology

26 Ezi Security Systems

12 Inner Range

11 BM Doors

STAGE

8 ASIS ACT

24 AMS Australia

20 OSD

18 Bosch

13 Avigilon

10 SRA Solutions

5 Axis

3 CriticalArc

25 Honeywell

21 EVVA | EKA CyberLock

17 Perimeter Systems

14 Warrgambi

9 SAAB

6 Deploy Security

4 Allegion

2 CIC Technology

1 Geutebruck

27 AISM 22 Sektor

16 Traka

15 Gallagher

7 HID Global

KITCHEN

TOILETS

SYDNEY ROOM

Elevators

TOILETS

ENTRY AND EXIT

Elevators

SEMINAR AND GUEST SPEAKER VIDEO STREAMING AREA MX 40 SEATS

MELBOURNE ROOM 28

29 Argent

Void to ground floor 30

31

SAGE REGISTRATION Cloak 1

Cloak 2 SEMINAR ROOMS

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November 12, Canberra Bringing the latest security products and technologies to government and commercial end users, installers and consultants in the nation’s capital. www.securityandgovernmentexpo.com.au

Exhibitors 1. GEUTEBRUCK

15. GALLAGHER

2. CIC TECHNOLOGY

16. TRAKA

3. CRITICALARC

17. PERIMETER SYSTEMS

4. ALLEGION

18. BOSCH

5. AXIS

19. MILESTONE

6. DEPLOY SECURITY

20. OSD

7. HID GLOBAL

21. EVVA | EKA CYBERLOCK

8. ASIS ACT

22. SEKTOR

9. SAAB

23. RHINOCO TECHNOLOGY

10. SRA SOLUTIONS

24. AMS AUSTRALIA

11. BM DOORS

25. HONEYWELL

12. INNER RANGE

26. EZI SECURITY SYSTEMS

13. AVIGILON

27. AISM

14. WARRGAMBI

29. ARGENT PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

TM

ACT Chapter

L A N YA R D S P O N S O R

INDUSTRY SPONSOR

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● Special report

Access Control

BY J O H N A D A M S

READER TECHNOLOGIES FOR SMEs What are the best reader technologies for SMEs in the current environment and what should installers and integrators have front of mind when making safe, secure and future-proof decisions for their customers?

HEN it comes to selecting reader technologies for SMEs, the usual considerations apply – future expansion, budget, security levels and legacy infrastructure, but COVID safety and the intrusion of new technologies, including face authentication and smart devices as credentials are now serious considerations, too.

What level of impact they have on a given installation depends on existing solutions and risk profiles, but for some applications touch free access control will be worth thinking about.

Importantly, proximity readers can be touch-free, so tweaking user technique is another option, though in this case, it’s worth bearing in mind that 13.56MHz readers and cards have a comparatively shorter read range, although they are to be preferred over lower security 125Hz readers. It’s a question over whether it’s best to avoid Wiegand in SME applications – required security levels and budget will dictate choices there. It’s impossible not to consider wireless solutions like Salto, which move system data around a network using credentials and their owners as carriers. Such solutions are affordable and effective.

What’s interesting when speaking to manufacturers about the sorts of reader functionalities they consider to be most important is finding that system communications is right up at the top of the list, while low touch also features in the wish list.

According to Andrew Zafra of Hills if he was installing an SME access control solution today, a key consideration of reader technology would relate to communications to ensure flexibility in the future.

“There are a vast number of different reader technologies available,” Zafra says. “What I believe a reader technology should have is OSDP functionality, it should be Bluetooth-ready and must feature multitechnology. This allows the option of the spectrum of different credentials in the market, allowing transition and adoption of new technology future proofed.”

SALTO’s Scott Fraser agrees.

“For a future-proof and secure solution, businesses need to consider platforms that support the latest

W

WHAT I BELIEVE A READER TECHNOLOGY SHOULD HAVE IS OSDP FUNCTIONALITY, IT SHOULD BE BLUETOOTHREADY AND MUST FEATURE MULTITECHNOLOGY.

encryption technologies in a single reader to meet whatever requirements they have now, as well as in the future,” Fraser says.

“They should be able to, for example, upgrade to mobile key credentials without having to swap out every reader. That is why SALTO builds into every reader Mifare, Desfire, NFC and Bluetooth communication protocols.”

Gallagher’s Karl Harris also says if he was installing an SME access control solution today, flexibility would be a key element, with a sharp eye kept on reader communications’ security levels.

“I would be installing a reader technology that offered choice of credentials, like our multi-tech readers that can do 125KHz through to DESFire EV2 and Mobile Connect BLE credentials, giving SMEs the flexibility to grow their sites with secure credential technology,” Harris says.

“A great example of this is a Gallagher solution to a high school in South Australia where the students were provided with DESFire cards that doubled as their bus pass, giving a lot more value to a credential.

I would strongly recommend not providing 125KHz or MIFARE Classic technology to clients. These credentials are compromised and able to be copied from devices purchased from eBay or an Android phone.”

Meanwhile, Steve Mitchell of Inner Range says frictionless access control is the current hot topic.

“Being able to utilise technologies such as facial recognition or mobile credentials looks to become very popular as it has the potential to reduce the transmission of viruses,” he says.

“For this to be effective it would be essential to also have automatic door openers. AI could play a big part in future access control systems. It could be used to intelligently detect behaviours such as patterns of access which could be used to allow or deny access, rather than the traditional time-zones which are used today.” n

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● Special Report

SAGE 2020

WHAT TO SEE AT SAGE Security and Government Expo 2020 is going to be the only opportunity security managers, security consultants, integrators and installers get to check out the latest solutions from 26 of Australia’s leading security manufacturers and suppliers in the one place – the question you need to ask yourselves is what do you want to see?

HIS has been an unusual year but something 2020 has underscored very clearly is that security solutions have a serious role to play in managing everything from site protection, to process control, and much more in between. A quality security solution now has a lateral capacity to protect and manage facilities locally and remotely, and this capability is ever more vital in a less certain and more challenging world.

At SAGE you’ll get the opportunity to check out some of the latest security technologies – not

T

only electronics, like access control and CCTV, but locking, perimeter protection, artificial intelligence, mass communications of safety messages, body cameras, PSIM solutions, key management and lots more. Importantly, many of the solutions at SAGE have COVID management features, including proximity detection, contact tracing and low touch access control. With no chance COVID is going to disappear, security managers need to manage their organisations differently and you can find out how at SAGE. Gallagher will be showcasing the soon-to-bereleased Command Centre v8.40 – SAGE attendees should drop by the Gallagher stand to discover the feature-rich software at the heart of Gallagher’s integrated security solutions and see how v8.40 can give even greater flexibility with Mobile Connect Digital ID. From cardholder management to critical incident response, attendees will see first-hand how Command Centre allows them to manage their sites in their own way and deliver even more power reports.

Flexible configuration functionalities include the ability to set door and entry rules, configure guard tour checkpoints and arrival times, set entry

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BY J O H N A D A M S

and exit delays for intruder alarms, use schedules to automate access and alarm state changes and deliver centralised site visibility and monitoring ensures situational awareness for all buildings and the perimeter on both local and remote sites.

The system also allows security managers to challenge cardholder identities anywhere, anytime using the Command Centre mobile app, trust in encrypted peer-to-peer communication with access system controllers, check door and zone status in real time, monitor video surveillance, manage cardholder information and set access rights and responses at individual cardholder or group level, and undertake live operation and monitoring of onsite guard tours.

Something else Gallagher will be showing at SAGE are its high security solutions, which the company says are scalable, flexible, and trusted to protect sensitive sites worldwide. With government approved products in the UK, US, CA, NZ and in Australia; Gallagher is the only manufacture of equipment fully endorsed to protect premise from Zone 1 to Zone 5.

For instance, Gallagher PIV solution is an intelligent smart card that contains a certificate and private key which is used for logical and physical access control identity to secure federal government facilities and IT systems. Rather than the typical MIFARE access credential, PIV transfers certificates between the access control system and the card, through the contactless reader for granting or denying entry.

Meanwhile, Gallagher’s Class 5 is a fully encrypted, authenticated, and compliant solution that has been independently certified by an IANZ approved test facility and is capable of protecting high-value assets from physical security threats. And the company will also show products to Type 1A 2008 alarms standard and approved by the Security Construction and Equipment Committee (SCEC). Gallagher’s Type 1A solution manages alarms, monitors sensors, and defends system integrity for the highest security Australian Government sites.

For external applications, Perimeter Systems Australia will be showing the new INTREPID MicroPoint-POE-S Fence Detection Systems at SAGE. These IP-based POE intelligent perimeter intrusion detection solutions are ideal for fence applications with cut-or-climb intrusion risks. MicroPoint-POE-S employs proprietary digital signal processing algorithms to precisely locate intrusion attempts to within 1.1 m (3.6 ft.) while ignoring harmless disturbances caused by wind, rain or vehicle traffic.

MicroPoint-POE-S combines 2 decades of fieldproven MicroPoint fence sensor performance with simplified, secure TCP/IP network integration via a single Ethernet cable for power and data transmission. The system’s inherent POE capabilities and IP connectivity for communications translate to measurable cost and time-savings benefits to both systems integrators and end users. MicroPointPOE-S maximizes the ability to mitigate intrusion risk, simplify security infrastructure and manage a

MANY OF THE SOLUTIONS AT SAGE HAVE COVID MANAGEMENT FEATURES, INCLUDING PROXIMITY DETECTION, CONTACT TRACING AND LOW TOUCH ACCESS CONTROL.

sensor from any location by any authenticated PC or handheld device connected to the network.

An interesting solution at SAGE is from AISM, an independent and privately-owned security specialist founded back in 2008. AISM will be showcasing Neuro, a newly released facial recognition system. This addition to AISM’s technology portfolio is powered by autonomous AI. According to AISM, Neuro is an essential tool for organisations to protect and empower their people, customers and operations.

While artificial intelligence tools have traditionally been expensive, complex and out of reach for many smaller organisations, AISM says Neuro has disrupted the market with its worldleading facial recognition software and approach to privacy, making it perfect for Australian government agencies and business owners. According to AISM, Neuro helps address the rapidly emerging challenges of technology, privacy, safety regulations and now COVID-19. Neuro also only requires 50 per cent of the face for accurate recognition, works in all light conditions and from elevated camera angles, is ethnicity neutral, matches historical images up to 30 years old, scans hours of footage in minutes, and works seamlessly with existing surveillance cameras. It sounds well worth a look.

At SAGE, the Honeywell team will be showcasing Honeywell’s powerful integrated security management platform – the Honeywell Command and Control Suite (CCS). This physical security information management (PSIM) system for government infrastructure is specially designed for mission-critical life safety and security operations.

CCS increases operational intelligence and orchestrates people, technology and processes to help manage everyday operations and incidents in complex environments.

Powered by Honeywell’s Enterprise Buildings Integrator core platform, CCS integrates information from all an organisation’s essential subsystems, including security, fire, life safety, energy and others, as well as edge devices, and presents aggregated information through an intuitive graphical user interface. Security operators have real-time situational awareness across a facility and can respond rapidly to incidents using prescribed workflows based on standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The CCS technology platform is built on open industry standards, enabling the development of specialized applications and seamless integration with edge devices and third-party solutions. It integrates with more than 600 solutions for critical environments, empowering facilities to adopt best-in-class technology while ensuring seamless interoperability.

Optical Systems Design will show its PoE media converters, layer 2 managed switches and new ethernet solutions to SAGE. OSD’s latest PoE media converter solution was developed in association

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● Special Report

SAGE 2020

with AFL for installation in a smart pole or other confined space. You’ll also get a chance to see OSD’s range of Australian-made layer 2 managed switches and the latest products supporting IEEE802.3bt PoE. Importantly, as well as securing networks through its product range, OSD can also undertake custom work. Something else to check out at OSD’s stand will be the company’s new ethernet-focused brand, OSD Networks.

At SAGE Traka ASSA ABLOY, a leading provider of unified key and equipment management solutions, will demonstrate how organisations can securely manage, control and audit all types of items within their environment. Traka’s solutions manage access to keys and equipment, which have the ability automate management processes, minimise effort, enforce security protocols and provide a complete audit trail of the system activity, events and alarms.

Traka solutions deliver this functionality 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with features such as curfews and email notifications, fault management, multiple authorisations, access schedules and release all doors.

Traka will also demonstrate how to improve control of items within an organisation’s environment through its real-time update service and its ability to integrate with existing third-party systems, such as access control. Traka’s Asset Return Assurance ensures critical keys, equipment and other items cannot be removed from the organisation’s premises.

At SAGE this year, Warrgambi will be showcasing its integration offerings, including electronic key management, entrance technologies, drone surveillance and surveys, CCTV and access control and intruder detection systems. The Warrgambi team will also be available to discuss professional services, including consultancy, fire and emergency design and consulting as well as customised training solutions.

Another interesting offering at SAGE this year is from RhinoCo Technology, which will be exhibiting

its next generation of solar CCTV and security LED lighting solutions. Featuring either 4G or long-range Wi-Fi communications, and combined with a PTZ camera with artificial intelligence, you’ll be able to see what the market leaders now have available.

RhinoCo will also showcase its new lockable vertical rack mount cabinet, ideal for securely housing CCTV, alarm equipment or access control hardware.

HID Global will be showcasing a ‘return to work’ theme at SAGE. Check out HID Global’s comprehensive contactless access control solutions and dynamic real-time location services solution, as well as experiencing the HID FARGO Connect solution, which is a cloud-based card issuance platform that simplifies complexity, bringing together all the elements of a secure card issuance program into a centralized and integrated system. SAGE attendees with also get a chance to find out how HID SAFESoftware solutions can streamline physical identity management across their organizations.

Axis is bringing its body-worn camera solution to SAGE this year. The Axis body worn solution includes a lightweight and robust camera, docking stations (8-bay or 1-bay), and a system controller.

Implementing open standards, the solution is easy to integrate with any video management system (VMS) or evidence management system (EMS), including users’ existing systems. The modular design of the system controller ensures a flexible and highly scalable solution. All data is encrypted both at rest and in transfer using AES256 and TLS. In addition, video data can be fully end-to-end encrypted with specific integrations.

Another Axis product well worth a look is the AXIS P3715-PLVE dual sensor multidirectional camera with 360-degrees of IR coverage. AXIS P3715-PLVE offers 2 channels of video, with 2MP resolution per channel at a frame rate of 30 fps. This multidirectional camera offers costeffective installation and flexible positioning of both varifocal camera heads. Each head can be controlled individually, so you can capture scenes in 2 directions in wide angle or zoomed-in views. It features Axis Lightfinder and Axis Forensic WDR for true colours and great details in challenging or poor light. Meanwhile, remote zoom and focus capabilities ensure fast and accurate installation.

Zipstream with support for H.264 significantly lowers bandwidth and storage requirements.

At SAGE, EVVA will be showcasing it’s SCECapproved (including SL3 rated products) 4KS maximum security master key system providing up to 133 billion possible lock combinations and patented till 2035. Another neat new product at SAGE is EKA CyberLock, the next generation of access control without the wires. The team will also be showcasing its latest IP68 rated padlocks fitted with electronic cylinders and utilising the innovative and third

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generation CyberKey Blue3 with the CyberAudit Link mobile app.

SafeZone is transforming how large organizations provide for the safety and well-being of their people and CriticalArc will be showcasing its SafeZone solution in a live environment at SAGE. Experience first-hand the ability to call for help or receive mass communications. View the command console to learn how a manager can view the availability and location of their team, openly communicate with them, coordinate their response, confirm actions have been taken, and issue new commands–all in real time, with a common operating view.

SafeZone provides response teams with a complete common operating view, to enhance the protection of dispersed people, facilities, and assets, while delivering big efficiency savings. The SafeZone App enables users to call for help in seconds, while providing safety and security teams with their information, which can speed response by 50 per cent or more.

SafeZone also supports mass notification, enterprise safety protocols and enables people to quickly summon help with their smartphone wherever organizations have duty of care. SafeZone increases the overall efficiency and effectiveness of security and response teams across large and dynamic environments at any location globally.

Through real-time visualization, communications and response coordination, SafeZone creates a new benchmark for protecting your community that streamlines operations, is easy to use and quick to deploy to meet current and future challenges.

At SAGE you will experience how a field responder can act with full situational awareness and see firsthand how an individual in duress can interact with his/her responder – this solution is worth a closer look.

Argent is a leading bespoke Australian manufacturer of server racks, cabinets, enclosures and server room solutions to the Australian data and communications industries. At SAGE Argent will show a selection of its products, which are designed and built in Australia to strict design and manufacturing standards.

“Our secure data storage solutions are 100 per cent reliable and our complete single-site Australian design, manufacture and supply service enables us to give a 10-year warranty for 30, 40 & 50 Series racks and storage units,” Argent says.

Argent’s SCEC endorsed wall & floor cabinets can be found across the country in many defence installations.

Exhibitors at SAGE 2020 include AISM, Milestone, Inner Range, BM Doors, ASIS ACT, EZI Security Systems, OSD, Bosch, Avigilon, SRA Solutions, Axis, CriticalArc, CIC Technology, Honeywell, EKA/EVVA, Perimeter Systems, Warrgambi, Saab, Deploy Systems, Allegion, Geutebruck, Sektor, Traka, Gallagher, HID, Rhinoco, Argent and AMS Australia – don’t miss the opportunity to see their latest solutions at the Realm Hotel, Canberra, 11am-6pm, November 12! n

SAGE ASIS ACT SEMINARS Once again ASIS ACT has created an excellent seminar for the event including: lS eminar speaker 1, Geoffrey Askew, AM,

Principal, Askew & Associates, and former Senior Executive (Security and Emergency Management), QANTAS Group, who will speak on “Rethinking Australian Aviation Security Management and Funding” at 10am in the seminar area.

l Speaker 2, Julian Talbot, ASM, co-author,

Security Risk Management Body of Knowledge (SRMBoK), who will speak on “Enterprise Security Risk Management” at 11am.

lS peaker 3, Keynote Address by MAJGEN Dr

Marcus Thompson, AM, Head, Information Warfare Division, Australian Defence Force in the main Expo Hall at 12 noon.

lS peaker 4, Raymond Frangie, CISA, CISSP,

cybersecurity expert, who will speak on “Smart Buildings: Cybersecurity Threat or Opportunity” at 2pm.

lS peaker 5, Nicky Finn, agency security adviser,

National Indigenous Australians Agency, who will speak on “The role of Agency Security Advisers, Accrediting and Certifying Authorities” at 3pm.

lS peaker 6, Scott Taylor, CPP, JP, chief operating

officer, Southern Cross Group, and NSW ASIS Chapter Chairman, who will speak on “Defeating Access Controls Using Social Engineering” at 4pm in the main Expo Hall.

As in previous years, the seminar format will be presentations on the hour every hour from 10am (except lunch break at 1pm) for 30 minutes, with up to 15 minutes for questions, then a 15-minute break until the next speaker.

Refreshments for visitors starting at 3.30pm will be available within the expo area as well as the Melbourne and Sydney foyers – the entry and exit points for the expo hall.

ASIS ACT will hold its annual dinner at the Press Club and all attendees are invited to attend on a first come, first served basis as long as tickets are available!

SAGE EXPO PROGRAMME

l 9.30am

Registration for ASIS ACT seminars opens, including registration for Expo

l 10.00am

ASIS ACT seminars start

l1 1.00am

Expo Hall opens

l 12.00pm

Keynote address by Major General Dr Marcus Thompson, AM, Head, Information Warfare Division

l7 .00pm

ASIS Annual Dinner, National Press Club, Canberra.

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â—? Special feature

Video Analytics

FACE RECOGNITION POSSIBILITIES & COMPLEXITIES Face recognition is at once the jewel in the crown of video analytics and the technology most likely to attract the attention of privacy advocates who fear it may be mismanaged. We spoke with providers about whether there was a risk that failure to utilise face recognition technology will impact on the effectiveness of video surveillance solutions in the future.

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BY J O H N A D A M S

ccording to Vic Verizon’s Fraser Larcombe, there’s a definite risk that putting face recognition technology to one side will have an impact on the potential performance of the CCTV solutions of the future.

“In these times of global pandemic when more people are becoming unemployed, there may be an increase in theft,” Larcombe says. “Utilising the best technology to mitigate against shrinkage will have a big impact on loss prevention, and can certainly help to keep companies trading efficiently in leaner times.

“There are also applications of face recognition technology which have a strong connection to social change, and helping people. An example of this would be stopping people who have placed themselves on self-exclusion lists from entering clubs/casinos if they want to curb their gambling habits, which is very difficult to do without the right video surveillance technology.”

Something that is challenging for end users is finding a balance between the power of FR and privacy but Larcombe argues there is a middle ground.

“With the right face recognition system in place, the only faces that can be stored are the ones of interest, rather than recordings being made right across the board,” he explains. “The big issue with most face recognition systems is that they store every face that comes through the system’s field of view, and nobody knows who recorded individuals are. However, this information can be stored as metadata if needed (certainly with Imagus software), which means no faces are stored other than the enrolled people of interest.”

“The most workable applications of face recognition technology include event searches, biometric access control, alerts to watch lists, and biometric access control, which should be closely used in conjunction with dual authentication.”

Something that’s clear in spite of the privacy concerns around FR is that the public is ok with self-managed face recognition in self-owned smart devices. The questions is, can this comfort with users holding the biometric be leveraged to ensure increased security and increased privacy in a number of different applications? Larcombe argues it can.

“Most people we talk to are fine with facial recognition,” he says. “The point comes back that if they haven’t done anything wrong then there is no need to be concerned about it and that FR can only enhance security and ease of use when used for access control. Obviously, privacy is still a big issue for some organisations, not just for the user but the overriding issue of how the public perceives facial recognition. This is the biggest hurdle to overcome.

“However, the way people currently perceive face recognition technology is quite far from the truth.

As opposed to many people’s perception that it is

A

watching them, the technology doesn’t know who you are, unless you have been added to a list by a system owner for a specific and valid reason. There is no floating information above everyone’s head showing their name, passport number and bank details, like you tend to see in spy movies. This generalised discomfort is certainly a deterrent for our FR customers, and in turn their own customers, and something we need to overcome through better education, and through open discussions about face recognition technology.”

There have been issues with some face recognition algorithms tending to generate more false positives with some groups of people – is it possible that such performance flaws can be eliminated with further research and development, according to Larcombe?

“These issues are starting to be eliminated with software models now based on many ethnicities this discernment will only get better with time,” he says.

Something else that needs consideration is that video content analysis is valuable regardless of whether facial recognition technology functionality is present – should system users take care to avoid throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

“Yes, absolutely, video content analysis can be used for so much more, whether this is demographic information, counting of people, occupancy counting and much more,” Larcombe says. “For instance, marketing applications in retail stores (where users are shown in-store promotions that apply best to them) will become more of a key over the next 18 months and the ability to show information critical to the business will only help those businesses grow again by being more focused on their customer traffic.”

Milestone Systems’ Brett Hanson agrees that facial recognition promises to enhance the ability of video surveillance solutions in a way that was inconceivable a few years ago and he argues ignoring the technologies potential will impact on system capabilities in the future.

“There is no doubt that facial recognition technology, if used responsibly, can solve a lot of security challenges,” Hanson says. “There are a lot of very positive ways in which it can be deployed, and these often tie in with other technologies as well, so I do agree that ignoring the technology will impact the effectiveness of video solutions in the future.

“As a Danish company, we are acutely aware of data privacy and have taken many steps throughout the organisation to ensure we adhere to GDPR regulations worldwide. In 2017, we joined over 150 representatives from technology companies around the world to author and sign the Copenhagen Letter - a declaration that calls on tech companies of all types to put people first rather than business and profits when designing and using technology.

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● Special feature

Video Analytics

“At Milestone, we live by the values outlined in the Copenhagen Letter, and we want our global community of partners and customers to do the same. In our product releases, we place high focus on the responsible use of technology by providing a range of GDPR-compliance tools for our customers, and by embracing the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights for our platform’s use.

“There will always be a fine balance between the responsible use of technology, the power and innovations available in modern integrations, and the broader requirements of private and public sectors but as a technology company, we believe that we exert great influence and we must always encourage, protect and nurture the potential to do good.”

Is it possible for face recognition technology to enhance security operations while ensuring privacy is maintained – if so, how do you think this can be achieved?

“This technology is not only applied to the recognition of individuals faces, it can be utilised in facial detection, gender verification, age, facial expression and face mask detections,” says Hanson.

“These applications can further enhance the organisation’s ability to manage health and safety, operational capability, and retail data without recording an individual’s biometric profile. As we have started to see, there are developing situations whereby facial recognition technology is having a very positive impact.

“For example, Milestone Systems recently worked with BOSS Security and Vix Vizion to deploy a solution at Carina Leagues Club, and another at Churchill’s Sports Club, to help people who have placed themselves on the self-exclusion register for problem gamblers. This is an opt-in service that relies upon employees recognising when a person

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A FINE BALANCE BETWEEN THE RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, THE POWER AND INNOVATIONS AVAILABLE IN MODERN INTEGRATIONS, AND THE BROADER REQUIREMENTS OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR.

who has opted into the scheme tries to enter a venue, or part of a venue that they have restricted themselves to.

“The technology takes the onus off staff to remember each person individually and recognise them if they try to enter and allows management to calmly and diplomatically intervene. There are plenty of situations like this, that point to facial recognition as a force for good rather than being an invasive technology.

“Security and surveillance have been around for ages, without which, we our buildings and premises will never be secure. I would argue that the middle ground is for organisations to recognise that in this data-driven environment, we all have the responsibility to protect customers and the society at large.

“When it comes to the most workable applications of face recognition technology, Milestone’s experience indicates that alerts to a watch list act as a very effective way of using the technology, often removing, or at least reducing the risk of human error or oversight and allowing staff to focus on higher level activities, rather than staring at monitors.”

When it comes to the public’s comfort with face recognition technology thanks to exposure to the technology through smart devices, Hanson says this has altered feelings, but only up to a point.

“While the use of facial recognition has gained greater societal acceptance, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we see that there’s still a significant portion of the population that is unfamiliar with the purpose and benefits of such solutions, especially when they’re leveraged by third parties,” he explains.

“Consumers remain vigilant about how businesses are using their personal data – this means organisations must prioritise data protection and practice full transparency to build greater trust in such solutions. To help system integrators and end users design, implement and operate video surveillance systems that are compliant with such privacy regulations, Milestone provides a holistic set of tools, including privacy guides, best practices and training resources to build privacy awareness.

“Technology is always evolving, and this is a particularly innovative and dynamic facet of video technology. There is always scope for technology to be refined and improved, and facial recognition is no different, especially as other elements of the ecosystem become more sophisticated, and video analysis integrates more and more deeply with artificial intelligence and machine learning tools.

“We are frequently engaged in projects with our partners and customers that involve this technology, and we see it appearing in more diverse and sophisticated deployments all the time. There are many other effective ways to plan and deploy an effective security, safety or general optimisation solution as well, so customers many viable options to any business challenge.

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Visitor & Site Management Solution SecurePass Pro Mobile sign in access utilising IOS or Android Fixed kiosk application Staff & Visitor manual or automatic sign in Integriti Integration Contractor manual sign in Fire evacuation Fully customisable user interface Email notiications & lone worker support Evacuation and mustering role call

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29/10/20 2:20 pm

● Special feature

Video Analytics

“What our customers know is that our open VMS gives them the flexibility to integrate with smarter, new technologies, but incorporating security, convenience and privacy does not have to mean that these are mutually exclusive. You can have a secure system that leverages the best practices of IT system design, and that system can be built and operated within regulation guidelines and in protection of individual privacy.”

Would Hanson agree video content analysis is valuable regardless of whether facial recognition technology functionality is present?

“Yes, very much so,” he says. “There is an everincreasing array of technologies, applications and plug-ins that make video content analysis a powerful tool – but with great power always comes great responsibility.”

According to Uniview’s Edward Qiu, there is a risk that failure to utilise face recognition technology will impact on the effectiveness of video surveillance solutions in the future, but he argues we can make efforts to avoid it.

“For example, a creation of industry associations like ONVIF to set standards for face recognition utilization,” Qiu says. “We can study together on how to apply facial recognition technology without expanding the infringement of citizens’ privacy and reach a consensus on the norms – for instance where should we keep face data, who can access the face database, what kind of network security level we should apply on face database, etc. Wellmanaged face recognition technology will be an innovation of video surveillance in the future.”

Qui argues it is possible for face recognition technology to enhance security operations while ensuring privacy is maintained.

“With network security and a well-managed face recognition system, face recognition solutions will work well, while resolving privacy concerns,” he explains. “As I mentioned before, we can set common norms, or more specifically, we can set different levels of standard for products and reflect the privacy security levels on datasheet, which is similar with IP level. Different privacy security levels could meet different customers’ needs in different scenarios, allowing customers to know the privacy security level of the face recognition product they buy – this would be a useful way to assuage privacy worries.”

According to Qui, face recognition functionality self-managed in self-owned devices is workable in security applications – and he argues performance flaws found in some solutions can be eliminated with further development.

THERE IS AN EVER-INCREASING ARRAY OF TECHNOLOGIES, APPLICATIONS AND PLUG-INS THAT MAKE VIDEO CONTENT ANALYSIS A POWERFUL TOOL – BUT WITH GREAT POWER ALWAYS COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.

“For private use or company, self-managed face recognition in self-owned devices is workable and can ensure increased security and increased privacy for an area of a building,” he says. “When it comes to performance issues, face recognition algorithms never stop evolving. For example, through providing more data from which to learn, deep learning algorithms delivering face recognition perform better and better.”

When it comes to the most workable applications of face recognition technology, Qui argues there are many possibilities, including some that are not generally considered.

“Cooperation with home automation can be a workable application,” he explains. “Face recognition can be incorporated into our daily lives.

Imagine your house through its CCTV system can recognize you and knows when you arrive home and will turn on the air conditioner and music for you in advance.”

Like the others, Qui agrees video content analysis is valuable, regardless of whether facial recognition technology functionality is present.

“I agree on that,” he says. “Video content analysis give you more choices and methods to set alarms, which allows you to focus more on what you are considering. What’s more, if you can combine VCA with face recognition, you will get even more useful information from surveillance system.” n

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29/10/20 2:20 pm

● Regulars

The Interview

A Fighting 10 In October security distributor BGW Technologies turned 10 – in this month’s interview, John Adams speaks with the company’s general manager, Robert Meachem, to get a feel for the BGW Technologies’ plans for the future.

JA: BGWT launched back in 2010 - the business has just turned 10 – how big an achievement is that, given the challenges of the past decade?

RM: Starting a business from ground up and achieving a 10-year anniversary is a massive credit to everyone involved.

The security distribution market is tough, highly competitive – even more so in the last decade. With so much change and the ongoing challenges, it is a credit to the owners to have persevered – those challenges make our success and our 10year anniversary that much sweeter.

JA: BGW is a big organisation with deep roots in the electrical and plumbing trades but that doesn’t guarantee success in the electronic security market, does it? What do you put the company’s success and longevity in electronic security down to – does it come down to culture, relationships, and management – something else?

RM: You are right! While the electrical and plumbing wholesale trade business are similar in terms of selling and distribution products to the trade, that is pretty much where it stops. It’s the realisation of the uniqueness of the security distribution segment by Brian, John and Laurie (owners and management), that has allowed this business to forge its own path. Our success is all about people.

This includes everyone from our owners, management, staff, suppliers and customers.

We haven’t always got it right, but we are always trying to insure everyone understands our values, behaviours and what we are trying to achieve. When this happens, we typically get alignment with our goals and more importantly, with all stakeholder’s goals. These values,

behaviours and goals create a culture where trust and relationships can flourish over the long term.

JA: Looking back 9-10 years what struck me in BGWT’s early years was the company’s ability to get key brands on board and to retain them for the long term – do you think this distributorsupplier loyalty is a key part of the BGW Technologies’ story?

RM: I certainly think continuity plays an important part in anything a successful organisation does. The business has worked really hard on our supplier relationships and we feel lucky and genuinely privileged to have the suppliers we do. Suppliers are a critical part of our overall business and we think very carefully before we partner with a new supplier and we always refer back to our values, behaviours and goals to ensure these are aligned on both sides.

What’s more, we know that business is cyclical, which means things don’t always go to plan, sometimes people make mistakes and sometimes things get tough - this goes for us and our suppliers.

BGW Technologies has had wonderful times and some tough times over the last 10 years, as have our suppliers, but what allows us to get through is having a shared understanding, so we can work through any issues that arise to ensure we come out the other side stronger. Like any relationship, the true test is when things don’t go to plan.

JA: Is it possible to distribute too many products? How important do you think finding the right suppliers and the right balance of product is for your installer/ integrator customers?

RM: Yes, it’s possible to have too many

brands and products and getting that balance right is really important. I think this a great question for suppliers and for security integrators, too, in terms of how they view their distributors. My experience tells me that if you have to carry too many brands and too many products, then suppliers feel like they don’t get adequate attention and staff get overloaded with too much to do. As a result, customers can’t get answers, because everyone is a generalist and no one is an expert.

Of course, as a supplier and distributor it depends on your strategy. That old saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none” often rings true and unless you have huge resources and crystal clear structure and process, which very few do – the Jack of all trades saying tends to ring true in lower quality and lower value. We have tried to take the path of ‘less is more’ and to align ourselves with high quality suppliers, supporting these products through expert people and high-quality service. This sometimes means we have to give up the promise of short-term growth for more sustainable growth and predictable value.

JA: BGW often highlights that it is Australian-owned and that it’s a family business – how important is that family connection in an intensely relationshipdriven market like electronic security?

RM: I think that working for an Australian family-owned business gives people a great sense of pride. The owners’ values and behaviours are ingrained in what we do, and having BGW group being in business for 30+ years, you know those values are carved in stone. Beyond this, the more practical element of an Australian family ownership are that they understand the market, they understand what makes Aussies tick, the profits stay in Australia and the taxes go towards supporting this country. And over time, I certainly think the COVID-10 pandemic will highlight how supporting local is important to us all.

JA: Technology has been running wild over the past 10 years – trying to keep up with it and trying to position the business to take advantage of the slowly unfolding digital paradigm shift – how challenging has that been to manage while ensuring the business remains profitable and the team remains focused?

RM: It has always been challenging and I don’t think it is any harder this decade vs

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ROBERT ME ACHEM WITH JOHN ADAMS

the last. It all comes down to having good people, being agile and being prepared to invest in training. Much of the BGWT team has been involved in the analogue to digital, and digital to IP technology transitions, so we think that experience keeps us in good stead to deal with it. Of course, some might argue this statement just demonstrated how old some of us are!

JA: In your mind, what are the most important areas of the BGW Technologies’ business – where does your future success lie in terms of product spread and verticals?

RM: We have always focused on and been known for the Tier 1 project CCTV space as our core business. We have a high-quality access control product, and in the last 3 years, we have entered the intrusion, smart home, intercom and commercial access markets. We have experienced good growth in all these areas, yet we believe there is still significant growth potential in our core business and the more recent segments we have entered.

JA: When it comes to expertise within the team, which areas do you think are most important right now?

RM: That one’s easy – technical know-how and understanding the customers of each segment we play in. We pride ourselves on having very technical people who are not only qualified but have also had experience in the field. Many of our people have been technicians, installers, service techs and project managers. It goes to the heart of our entire company and understanding and our culture of helping customers. Our owner is a sparky, I’m a sparky and security technician by trade, and this theme runs through the BGW Technologies business. COVID and the resulting economic climate puts massive stress and pressure on our customers and their staff and our having better firsthand experience and being very technical makes us easy to deal with.

I am very grateful to have such a great crew of people in our business – they are at the very core of our success.

JA: BGW Technologies attracts good staff and hangs onto them in a way usually

seen with smaller niche distribution businesses – how does the company manage to achieve low turnover of key people?

RM: I think our culture, a family business mentality and focused market segment approach is probably the reason we have attracted and retained people better than most in the industry. Nevertheless, we have lost a few people over the journey, many of which have been good people, so it hurts when this happens, and we certainly must keep working on this.

I hope our strong people retention is due to us caring for our people and each other, good job security and everyone knowing their part in what we are trying to build as a business and a team. We also have a few staff benefits at BGW that are rarely seen in other companies. I guess the other thing is that we have a long-term strategy which means we are not constantly changing direction when things don’t go to plan. We see some companies change strategy from quarter to quarter……that isn’t us.

JA: Where do you see the business going

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29/10/20 3:19 pm

● Regulars

The Interview by government’ winds back. Obviously, Melbourne people have felt this more than anyone and the stress is acutely higher here. All we can do is help each other, be prepared to ask how people are going, listen and offer up support.

I’m an optimist and as such I think the security industry and Australia in general will navigate our way through this COVID crisis, as I see that as the only option, right?

in the next decade – what is electronic security distribution evolving into, in your opinion?

RM: I still see the fundamentals staying the same; supporting our suppliers, providing good service and developing long term valued relationships with customers who see value in their distributors. I do see some level of systemising our engagement via a quality online strategy in the form of website and customer portal. I think some customers like to be able to serve themselves, so we need to invest in this. Our electrical and plumbing businesses have a done a great job of implementing this and the feedback from their customers, including their admin and operations teams, has been very positive. We will launch this to our customers in the next 12 months.

But I do believe a greater majority of customers will always want personal engagement and, as such, we will keep enhancing this as it seems to have been a major competitive advantage since starting up 10 years ago. The reason I say this is because for 20 years now, some people have been saying customers aren’t loyal, customers just want the cheapest price, online will take over, margins are too small and distribution is dead, yet look at what we and others have achieved.

JA: BGWT has a strong client list of excellent integration businesses – given the pressures on integrators around price and partnerships, would you argue it’s harder for distributors to retain

customers than it has ever been – what’s the BGW Technologies’ secret?

RM: We do have some wonderful customers who have become loyal over time, but we have had to earn it.

Our experience is that customers are loyal if you are doing the right thing/s consistently. In other words we don’t think customer loyalty has changed but many distributors have forgotten what created loyalty – it was trust, quality, support knowledge, service, relationships, value, etc. When customers lose too many of these things then they have no reason to be loyal – I guess it’s cause and effect.

JA: How tough has the COVID pandemic been for the team – Australian states have had different experiences – but how has the business handled the challenges, how have the majority of your customers fared?

RM: COVID has affected people, businesses, and industries in different ways and everyone has a different story. As of today (mid-October) I have been amazed at the resilience of our people, customers, suppliers and the entire industry. I’m grateful our business remains in good health and this has only been possible due to our customers and suppliers doing the same.

The customers I have spoken to have in the main prepared and managed the issues over the last 6 months or so really well. But you can hear in their voices they are tired, and concerned about what is to come, as the propped-up ‘economy

JA: Agreed – and on that resilience you mentioned, do you think in a way COVID has highlighted the power of our industry’s solutions – underlined their ability to support complex business operations from anywhere – will this make electronic security an even more important investment for end users in the future?

RM: I think we were heading that way already and I’m not sure yet if COVID will accelerate it, but I certainly think electronic security will be used in operational, safety and business intelligence more than ever before.

Unfortunately, I also think that with tough economic times ahead, base-line security needs will have a bigger requirement due to crime increasing.

JA: Which achievement do you think the BGW Technologies’ team should be most proud of looking back over the last decade?

RM: Simple, starting a business from scratch and now employing over 30 people! We have built something; we have created a business which creates opportunities for people and their families. To have achieved this through the actions that have been taken over the last 10 years should give all the people who have been involved a great sense of pride in being a part of it all. I hope our customers and suppliers are also proud to have been a part of this good story.

JA: What message would BGW Technologies like to give the Australian electronic security market on its 10th birthday?

RM: That’s another easy one; we’d like to say a big thank you to our suppliers and to the customers who have stuck by us, supported us and been patient as we have become more valuable to them. Now - let’s get cracking on building our businesses and hiring more people over the next 10 years and beyond! n

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29/10/20 2:20 pm

● Review

Training

GALLAGHER OPERATOR ONLINE COURSE Gallagher’s Operator Online Course ushers users, operators, installers and integrators into the company’s security solution, building an understanding of viewer panels, toolboxes, cardholder management, contextual reporting, alarm management and effective use of site viewers hand-in-hand with a hardware simulator. It’s a conceptual integration that delivers learning with a real synthesis of software and hardware. allagher Operator Online Course is an online environment the company developed and launched in 2019 to provide channel partners and end users certification and recertification. Built into the same cloud portal, the operator training course was launched in June this year for Gallagher end users. It goes without saying that 2020 has been a year of change, with global lockdowns restricting travel and changing the way people work – that applies to training as well. Importantly, market acceptance of the course has been huge – there have been 5500 registrations through Gallagher’s online courses over the past 12 months and from September to the present, 2700 technicians and operators have completed the course and achieved certification - the equivalent of 160 classroom courses.

G

According to Gallagher Training Solutions’ Brendan Smith, there was an 18th month R&D process required to come up with the design of the online courses.

“All our courses are structured in a way so that there’s content that can be navigated through in a modular way that is easy to digest – we wanted to ensure a smooth customer journey from when they register, when they log in, to when they start absorbing course content, to when they start doing their certification and get their ID card and are qualified.

“We now have 3 cloud systems supporting our online training offer – the security portal for online training – it’s a global cloud – there are partners in 160 countries – we are able to get certification to countries to places we never could before – Nigeria, the Middle East, Russia, South America – it’s given us reach and scale we just did not have with human trainers. An advantage for learners is that they don’t have to wait – for the trainer to come, for the kit to arrive. We will still run classroom-based training, but this gives us reach and scale – and does so economically.”

Because there is responsiveness and latency to consider, the courses are housed in 2 cloud locations - a data centre in Ohio in the U.S. for the Northern Hemisphere and another in Sydney, Australia, for the Southern Hemisphere.

“There are 100 virtual machines sitting in the data centre in Ohio and 100 machines in Sydney, so we can accommodate 200 students simultaneously working on the platform,” Smith says. “As they go through the course – we can see the student’s sessions and can tweak the sessions.

We learn from what they get wrong and we can give them feedback on where they are going wrong. It’s a learning tool as well as an evaluation tool – better to get it wrong in training than on a customer’s site.

“We do give a lot of videos but there’s also a workbook and we ask students to do it themselves – they have to go and perform some exercises and configure a solution on this virtual platform – there’s a verification tool – step 1 do this, step 2 do this, etc, to configure the exercise so they can check their work as they progress. We want people to have a practical engagement with the software because when people engage with the software, that’s when the learning happens.”

OPERATOR COURSE Although I’d had a chat with Smith before I got stuck into Gallagher’s online operator course, I

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BY J O H N A D A M S

was a wee bit apprehensive about the density of information that might come my way. Software management solutions can be layered, I fretted. But this portal eases you in with simple introductory explanations, circling back to touch on key points a second, even a third time. It wasn’t long before I was very comfortable with the course modules. Almost as soon as I got into them it was clear that new operators would seriously benefit from having this resource at their elbows for reference at any time, saving them from reaching out to a supervisor or supplier.

Part of the comfort level comes from interacting with the software-based hardware simulation – you meet this during the introductory video and there’s a certain magic to being able to drive contacts to complete ‘hardware’ circuits on one side of the screen, while those same events are being reported in the software viewer alongside. Combining a sense of field and management components, Gallagher’s team has contrived to demystify the highly evolved Gallagher Command Centre management system through simple explanations of complex functions.

The core elements of the course are built around modules, which include Navigating Viewer Panels, Tile Toolboxes for Viewers, Cardholder Management, Mifare Card Assignment, Alarm Management, The Monitor Site Viewer, Reporting and Contextual Reporting. And the course concludes with that practical simulation, I mentioned, allowing students to undertake predetermined exercises in a safe training environment to enhance comprehension and develop their skills.

The course starts off with navigating viewing panels. I sat down wondering how I was going to get on but the process of being led through system functionality was straightforward – a few points

GALLAGHER’S TEAM HAS CONTRIVED TO DEMYSTIFY THE HIGHLY EVOLVED GALLAGHER COMMAND CENTRE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THROUGH SIMPLE EXPLANATIONS OF COMPLEX FUNCTIONS.

came and went that gave me pause to consider I’d need to revisit to commit them to memory but if the process was simple. In part, this is a testament to Gallagher Command Centre, which is a thoroughly mature product with any rough edges long smoothed away by the lapidary of updates based on customer experience.

Functions are accessed via viewers, including alarm viewer, cardholder viewer, monitor site viewer and campus, and key processes like tweaking cardholder information fall readily to hand via the cardholder viewer. While everything you might need to manage is front and centre, Command Centre is designed to allow you to minimise and maximise viewer functions you are not working on - this allows you to peel away complexity and focus on specifics like assignment of competency, assignment of access, all the while cardholder history and event trail fall readily to hand.

There are some shortcuts, too, including Delete Cardholder and log out, while typically fiddly aspects, such as creating a cardholder after first searching for potential duplicates, are all easy to achieve. Choices like assigning card type, adding an image, setting authorisation dates, adding PINs, adding personal data and assigning access rights from existing access authorisation levels are low touch and once it’s all done you can use broadcast notifications to send a message to the cardholder advising them their card is ready.

Next comes alarm viewer, which allows operators to manage alarm events – alarm event lines include icons to indicate to operators what’s going on – active alarm, escalated alarm, images of an alarm – you click on an alarm to get the event history and it’s also possible to call up a site plan showing the location of

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● Review

Training

the sensor in alarm. This would be extremely useful in complex environments like hospitals. Neat, too, you can scale the alarm event list up and down at the pull of a mouse if you don’t need additional information.

The alarm viewer will display cardholder information related to an alarm event and there’s additional information shown for alarms like door open too long.

Notes can be added to alarms, or authorisations can be tweaked to allow scope for legitimate operations that are causing alarm events.

Monitor site viewer will show alarm events, event status of alarm events that have been resolved and there’s easy access to reporting. Monitor site viewer also allows access to camera views and documentation like an emergency preparedness plan can be slotted into the viewer. Another neat feature is tag board, which allows operators to establish who is in an area at a given time. And the reporting system is easy, too – you click through the report viewer and a list of reports is displayed including options like ‘Blocked Access’, ‘Today’s Alarms by Priority’ and ‘After Hours Cardholder Activity’. You select a report, click run and it’s done.

Another viewer function of interest is Campus – this where you drive global functionalities like site lockdowns – these are super simple, too. In the case of this training module there’s Building A Lockdown and Building B Lockdown, there’s also Site Lockdown and Cancel Lockdown. On more complex sites like education, defence or healthcare, there will be more of these options, but the functionality remains onetouch, which is important given operators will only drive them under conditions of extreme stress.

HARDWARE SIMULATION According to Smith, like the training course, the hardware simulation is hosted in the Gallagher cloud.

“We wanted to make sure we had a secure solution – it had to be secure because it’s a live working copy of Command Centre and if you look at the virtual panel you can see there’s a door module here – it’s hardware that students doing the course can interact with,” he says. “This version of Command Centre will communicate with this virtual panel which we

GALLAGHER’S OPERATOR ONLINE COURSE IS AN EXCELLENT LEARNING TOOL AND ITS DEVELOPMENT PERFECTLY MESHES WITH THE CHALLENGES OF THE TIMES.

call the training simulator. As they practise in the software, they can see what’s happening with the hardware – badge a card, etc, it shows access granted – very interactive.

“If I force the door open for instance, I will get an alarm on the panel, I can look at the site plan, drill down and see what the alarm was, I can acknowledge the alarm – it’s a live working system, I can add some cardholders. There are various bits of functionality that the learner can go in and play around with and have a live working copy of the system. We can create different templates – this is the operator end user template – and we have tailored the content of each module to match what they need to learn.

“In the techs platform you can configure hardware, bring controllers online, programme controllers and do inputs and outputs – it’s the nuts and bolts of the system. As you build things, you can interact with them – so the value of the learning is high – having the software connecting to the hardware like this makes it so much easier to understand what’s happening in the system – when you have the 2 on screen together you can really see the corresponding alarms and see what’s going on.”

From the point of view of the student experience of the simulation that’s exactly how it is, too. You build the system one piece at a time and can check the functionality of each component as it’s added and do so in multiple ways. At all times you can check if your creation is functional with the click of a button.

There’s no doubt this is a great way to help students conceptualise field components during the training process, building in an intuition for the geography of controllers and the topology of systems that will pay off in the field.

One of the big challenges of building any complex electronic solution is holding it your mind long enough to understand wider issues when troubleshooting, or when undertaking unexpected customisation of system design in the field due to inevitable but unforeseen circumstances. This Gallagher simulation pulls techs and operators forwards, giving them a sense of field experience it would otherwise take time to build.

Gallagher’s Operator Online Course is an excellent learning tool and its development perfectly meshes with the challenges of the times. Best of all it manages to deliver an holistic feel of a Gallagher system to students.

“We were aware that our audience learn by doing – they want to get their hands on the gear, they touch and feel - it’s a very important aspect of how technical people learn,” Smith says. “We thought, how can you achieve this in an online environment? That recognition is why we have the practical component of practising and configuring what we are teaching using the online training simulator. We were trying to give technicians that practical exposure, which is exactly what they will need when they are bringing a Gallagher system online.” n

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Wormald Security Security offers offers end end to to end end tailored tailored non-proprietary non-proprietary Wormald solutions for for Critical Critical Infrastructure, Infrastructure, Defence Defence and and Corporate Corporate solutions clientele. clientele.

Specialising in: Specialising in: h SCEC Type 1A solutions h SCEC Type 1A solutions h Class 5 Gallagher solutions h Class 5 Gallagher solutions h Legacy Type 1 maintenance and h Legacy Type 1 maintenance and transition planning transition planning h Door hardware and locking systems h Door hardware and locking systems h Physical barriers h Physical barriers h Service and maintenance h Service and maintenance h Access control h Access control

h h h h h h h h h h h h h h

IP CCTV video management systems IP CCTV video management systems Integrated solutions - PSIM Integrated solutions - PSIM CAD design and engineering CAD design and engineering Prefabrication Prefabrication I.T lifecycle planning I.T lifecycle planning Health check and remote support Health check and remote support System monitoring System monitoring

1300 556 015 1300 556 015 security@wormald.com.au security@wormald.com.au www.wormaldsecurity.com.au www.wormaldsecurity.com.au

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● Special Report

Situational Awareness

AFFORDABLE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS Situational awareness is one of the toughest operational outcomes to deliver – there’s no one layer of planning, procedures and technology that can bring it together. The PSIM-like complexities that come with delivering situational awareness seem to preclude affordability – or do they?

HEN you think about the modern security solution, which combines local, wide area and public networks, core services like power supply, local and remote storage, physical security and related automation systems, the delivery mechanisms onsite and via mobile networks, you start to get a sense of the challenges.

According to Mathieu D’Arsigny, Genetec’s director of Enterprise Unification Product Group, situational awareness can be essential to an end user, depending on its field of operation.

“A classic example of this is the use of mapping software to display cameras, doors, audio devices

W

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BY J O H N A D A M S

THERE NEEDS TO BE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT WILL MAKE THE OPERATOR MORE EFFICIENT VERSUS OVERWHELMING THEM WITH TOO MUCH DATA OR MANUAL STEPS TO PROCESS.

or any other sensors that surround the location of an alarm or incident,” D’Arsigny says. “This provides the tools for the operator to react and respond quickly to the incident. For end users who operate across a large territory, like government or a law enforcement agency, knowing the location of an emergency and being able to quickly assess the surrounding environment can be vital.

“So, providing as much reliable contextual data and information as possible can help improve the efficiency of operators. This contextual data can be sophisticated (such as data on a map) but can also be very simple, like showing the camera monitoring a door if there is an alert, or the camera surrounding a perimeter when an alarm is triggered around this perimeter.”

According to D’Arsigny, part of the challenge of many integrations is identifying the key elements of effective situational awareness – those system functionalities or procedural outcomes that end should users be focusing on.

“There needs to be the right balance between providing information that will make the operator more efficient versus overwhelming them with too much data or manual steps to process,” he explains. “That’s why the ability to setup a response environment based on the trigger is essential.

“It’s certainly more complex to configure the system to react to events and alerts, but if this complexity drives efficiency for the operators there’s a large long-term gain to be had. The ability to filter the noise to trigger alarms only on relevant scenarios means the operators are better able to prioritise important situations. Finally, the ability to guide the operator based on what they observe or can analyse from the alert is also something that can help achieve greater efficiency.”

A key element of situational awareness in most people’s minds is integration of multiple sub systems in such a way that it’s possible to attain a snapshot of a site or multiple sites via a single interface but D’Arsigny says this is only a first step.

“If the system is not able to filter and display information and assets that are relevant to the operator then this approach can lead to information overload,” he explains. “With the example above we could decide to only display all the sub-system assets based on a notification and let the user access these assets based on their judgement. But how about going one step further and, based on the type of notification, the system can then automatically display the relevant cameras to the user, so they don’t need to act upon receiving an alert. This is key to making operations more efficient for the end users.”

In D’Arsigny’s opinion, is it possible to deliver situational awareness for large, even enterprise, operations without an expensive PSIM using the functionalities of existing management systems and integrating existing security solutions, including alarms, access control, automation, lifts, CCTV, fire, etc?

“Yes, definitely,” he says. “And the key to this approach is unification. There needs to be an abstraction layer – but on the backend and not at the frontend like a PSIM. All sub systems, such as CCTV, fire, etc should talk to a data conduit that allows sophisticated operations such as policy

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● Special Report

Situational Awareness

enforcement, automation and visualisation. The unification approach is especially appealing to large organisations, because it not only provides a single interface for operators, but also a single platform to maintain and a single application to train operators and administrators on.”

“The pros of this approach include both cost and time savings in terms of user training, of IT maintenance / configuration process to implement since one core system is needed. It also means that as the operators are using a single application, they have a single way of working, which is more efficient,” D’Arsigny explains.

“The cons of this approach are the limitations in terms of what systems can be brought into the unified platform. As this integration resides on the backend it requires a bit more architecting to include in the unified environment when compared to a user interface integration from a PSIM. So, while the UI integration can procure a larger feature set and flexibility, this comes at the cost of providing a standard operational method. Providing such a standard operational method or workflow can mean having to compromise and apply, in some cases, limitations in feature set.”

For many users, there may be a growing sense that the best way for smaller single site operations to deliver situational awareness affordably is via cloud solutions but D’Arsigny argues that this depends.

“Cloud is one approach to delivering a solution and has its pros and cons depending on the solution the end user needs,” he explains. “This is why we believe in a hybrid approach. We advocate supporting cloudbased, on-premise and hybrid (interconnection of on-premise components with cloud components) to better provide a solution to the end user. If the single site is a remote facility where no on-site personnel can provide maintenance, then maybe this is a good candidate for a cloud system.

“But if another site is isolated and doesn’t have bandwidth to provide services such as video streaming, then an on-prem system can be better suited. And if we push this application to the next level we can add the capability of both types of site to be interconnected through the cloud, so a supervisor

can access both – this is the flexibility that we believe is needed in a modern security platform.”

Something that’s central to delivering situational awareness is the interface, according to D’Arsigny. But while mobile apps can be useful, they may not have the required capabilities and careful design is the key.

“The user interface is vital in providing situational awareness to operators,” he says. “A mobile app, whether on a phone or tablet, can be used to manage that if the system applies the logic mentioned previously, try and filter the information and provide what is necessary for the user given the context.

Mobile devices are a challenge for UX designers as they offer limited real estate to display content.

“Displaying relevant information in a clear and intuitive fashion is key. But any complex scenario can be adapted to a mobile environment; start small and add layers as you go. This is like the newspaper approach - you start with the frontpage, then sections, and finally articles, by letting the user ask for more information at their own pace.

“We also adopt the most commonly used UI pattens and mobile gestures into the app, as most users intuitively know the more they swipe up the more detailed information they get, like searching for a restaurant, you see it in the map and as you swipe up you see the address, then the menu, then images of the food, using this muscle memory we can give security users the same experience, they see the camera in the map, swipe up and you see a thumb nail, keep swiping and you go full screen with PTZ control for example. This all leads to greater efficiency in situational awareness.”

Over at Inner Range, Steve Mitchell agrees that situational awareness is important for many end users when it comes to security and business operations.

“Proper situational awareness helps to assess the severity of a situation and to react accordingly,” Mitchell explains. “Situational awareness also helps inform the initial response to an event, as well as the ongoing responses as the event unfolds. With adequate scope, a solution that delivers situational awareness can also allow seemingly unrelated issues to be identified and addressed early before they escalate into major problems.”

When it comes to delivering effective situational awareness, the system functionalities and/or procedural outcomes end users be focusing on include aggregating information from multiple sources into a single location, proper prioritization, allowing more important issues to be handled first and the delivering of live, up to date information to allow operators to properly judge and react as an event evolves.

A key element of situational awareness in most people’s minds is integration of multiple sub systems in such a way that it’s possible to attain a snapshot of a site or multiple sites via a single interface – is this conception correct, according to Mitchell?

“Yes – information can come from many sources, but if multiple different systems need to be accessed

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then the response can be slow or some of that key information is missed,” he explains. “A central interface allows a current event to be focused on, while ensuring other issues aren’t missed.”

Mitchell argues it is possible to deliver situational awareness for large, even enterprise, operations.

“Systems like Integriti can achieve a high level of situational awareness without the price tag of a typical PSIM,” he says. “Integration has become common place now, so many of those components offer high level interfaces, and were likely already integrated for the day-to-day running of those sites. The functionality gap has closed significantly between enterprise systems like Integriti and the traditional PSIM solution.”

When it comes to the pros of a non-PSIM approach, Mitchell says it’s less expensive, puts more power in the hands of integrators needing to tailer a solution to the needs of their customer, instead of requiring the PSIM manufacturer to make the changes.

“Meanwhile, the cons are likely to be that it will be harder to replace the system, though at the enterprise level, this was already going to be hard,” he explains. “It will also require more effort on the part of the integrator to deliver the solution.”

Could the best way for smaller single site operations to deliver situational awareness affordably be via cloud solutions? Mitchell argues that remotely accessible on-site solutions are likely to be more cost effective and more reliable.

“At the smaller end, dedicated on-site solutions that can be remotely accessed provides a more reliable solution, especially when integrating different systems,” he argues. “Such solutions will be more cost effective and reliable than cloud, in my opinion. Importantly, the small site’s internet connection should not be a core component for

DISPLAYING RELEVANT INFORMATION IN A CLEAR AND INTUITIVE FASHION IS KEY. BUT ANY COMPLEX SCENARIO CAN BE ADAPTED TO A MOBILE ENVIRONMENT; START SMALL AND ADD LAYERS AS YOU GO. proper situational awareness – you want the system to be able to function seamlessly if the internet goes down – communications modules like T4000 and other 4G backup solutions can help maintain remote connectivity.

“When it comes to on-site solutions, high or lowlevel integrations can help increase situational awareness while minimising the potential points of failure. There isn’t the option for multiple redundant servers, fully battery-backed IT infrastructure and so on in a small site – for such applications smaller yet still powerful systems that can combine several components, like Inception, which has access control, alarms and automation, paired with a T4000 for remote connectivity, can ensure events get raised so a user can start investigating events in real time as they unfold.”

When it comes to the interface required for affordable situational awareness, Mitchell argues this depends on the size of the site. In some cases, existing workstations will be more than adequate for the task.

“Smaller sites are generally limited to simple alarms, video verification and event histories, while sites with more information to analyse and interpret may need a dedicated interface, scaling up to dedicated on-site guard houses in bigger operations,” he explains. n

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Proudly brought to you by

● Regulars

Monitoring

Your Monitoring Specialists

1300 130 515

www.bensecurity.com.au

Security Risks Of 5G What are the security risks inherent with 5G communications – are there specific issues installers, monitoring stations and their end user customers are likely to face?

ECURITY issues around 5G are the same issues we face now, just turbocharged – faster connectivity will mean faster propagation of the same risks. It’s just not that 5G brings new threats – existing threats will undergo considerable lateral expansion and amplification as multilayered network points hold hands – that’s going to make management harder.

New threats might include virtual identity spoofing but some of the older threats are going to get much more difficult to manage. The first risk relates to the nature of the platform. 5G is lateral and supported by virtualised distributed network infrastructure which increases the area of exposure open to attackers.

5G is meant to be open in all directions, across multiple layers, for it to function at top speed.

The simplest threat is one we’re all familiar with – the more connected everything is, the more intense will be the risks from distributed denial of service attacks driven by billions of devices (21.5 billion by 2025) on IoT networks. Many IoT device employ a client-server model which has a minimum of security and is likely to be deployed by users with little knowledge of cyber security. It’s a simple equation.

The more devices, the bigger and faster and more widespread the networks, the more colossal DDoS events will be. Possible security fixes include validation of devices using Blockchain authentication.

Software-defined network (SD-WAN)

S

vulnerabilities will also be amplified by 5G as SD-WANs are increasingly used to support mobile and IoT devices. Here, the threat is vulnerabilities in the SDN layers likely to be deployed to support industrial and home automation, self-driving cars and management of consumer services. The SDN-WAN risk highlights the fact security in a 5G environment must be layered and no layer can be ignored.

Another threat will be proximity service intrusions which compromise necessarily simplified devicedevice communications. The idea of proximity services is a good one – data will propagate in all directions through any network point, lowering latency, maintaining bandwidth and communication speeds and allowing vital services to be supported with greater redundancy. But bringing edge devices into networks means edge devices must be secure and must be capable of managing their own security real time – that means more processing power and greater power use. There’s something else, too. If edge devices can support 5G networks in emergency situations, they will be relied on to do so – that creates risk.

Something else that needs to be covered off is the Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA), which enables 3G, 4G and 5G networks to trust each other. AKA enables a user to shift usage charges to another user. It’s possible to use AKA to find nearby phones and track them. Only an update will resolve these

issues. 5G devices are also going to be optioned to use 4G or even 3G networks when a 5G signal is not available and when they do, they will be vulnerable to protocol flaws, as well as to gaps in the handover procedure.

Something else that should be of concern to users, installers and integrators, and authorities, is the fact the 5G infrastructure model operates on a shared infrastructure that makes it possible for multi-network failure. This is quite different from the relatively isolated nature of existing core infrastructure.

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Proudly brought to you by

Your Monitoring Specialists

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THE KEY SECURITY ISSUE AND THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WITH 5G IS GOING TO BE FORMULATING GLOBAL SECURITY STANDARDS THAT ARE BUILT INTO 5G MODULES AND DEVICES OF ALL KINDS.

The vast numbers of 5G devices in lateral applications from security, to automation, to process control, healthcare, vehicles, smart cities and many more, in many cases residing on virtual networks, will make security strategies trickier. Just wrangling the interest groups will be a process certain to take considerable time. And while there will be industry standards - 3GPP ETSI and the IETF are all working on 5G standards and specifications governments are like to need to mandate around standards to ensure security

levels are attained and maintained.

All this said, 5G has more security potential that 3G or 4G – it is more evolved and has improved encryption. Valuable, too, the more flexible architecture of 5G is going to deliver operators security insights in real time – networks traffic will be visible and attempts to interfere with communications – that includes interception – will be able to be monitored.

The key security issue and the biggest challenge with 5G is going to be

formulating global security standards that are built into 5G modules and devices of all kinds – this is going to be an ongoing process and you’ll need to ensure you purchase hardware that conforms with best cybersecurity practise and then configure and manage it to the same standard.

From the point of view of security people, 5G will pose challenges and opportunities that are going to need to be seized with both hands as this technology begins to trickle into the infrastructures of customers. n

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● Product review

Dahua

DAHUA 3MP DUAL LENS Dahua’s Dual Lens DH-IPC-HDW8341XBV-3D 3MP WizMind Starlight camera, distributed locally by C.R. Kennedy, features a relatively fast F1.6 aperture, fixed focal length lenses, IP67 weather and dust proofing, IK10 vandalism protection, H.264 and H.265 compression, 20 metres of smart IR and a bunch of other features, the most interesting being layer upon layer of highly manageable artificial intelligence.

AHUA’S Dual Lens DH-IPC-HDW8341X-BV3D 3MP WizMind is a day/night camera with IP67 ratings against weather and water, IK10 against vandalism, and tough build quality.

During manufacture, the camera passes a series of strict tests on dust and soak, including soaking in 1m of water for 30 minutes, and withstanding 5 impacts from a 5kg hammer falling from a height of 40 cm with a 20J impact.

Out of the box this camera is compact and comparatively weighty, with a metal housing. The camera specifications are strong, too, with IR support for night work and plenty more, including a 30 per cent variation in voltage, which makes marginal installations more reliable.

There’s a question to answer here – with the lenses separated by most the body of the camera, does the Dahua Dual Lens have 2 camera systems?

If not, how does the camera engine make use of 2 lenses to enhance functionality? Regardless, the real story with this camera is deep learning-based video analytics, including stereo analysis to deliver fall detection, people approaching detection, people numbers, stay detection and violence detection.

There’s also face detection, perimeter protection

D

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BY J O H N A D A M S

against people and vehicles, along with a swathe of smart events, including abandoned object, tripwire, detection of fast movement – even detection of facial expressions, like anger.

Before we go on, let’s take a closer look at the specifications. This 3MP WizMind Dual-Lens camera has a 3MP, 1/2.8-inch CMOS that dishes up 2048 x 1536-pixel image streams at 30 fps.

Minimum scene illumination is 0.005 lux at F1.6, the signal to noise ratio is 56dB and IR illumination is 20m, which gives you a general idea of the depths of field between which this camera is designed to operate best.

Something interesting about the pair of fixed lenses is their focal lengths, with the first being 2.8mm and the second 3.6mm. The field of view of the 2.8mm lens is 96 x 70 degrees, while the 3.6mm lens has a field of view of 79 x 57 degrees.

Operationally, 2 lenses with different focal lengths allow the camera to offer an enhanced depth of field with no moving parts and no need to zoom and refocus. In the field, it’s surprising how effective this capability is - we expect installers and end users will see more of this camera design in the future.

Within its external housing, the entire body of the camera tilts up to 70 degrees and in practise, I find this is ideal for my street scenes, with the camera mounted at around 2.6 metres above the ground. Video compression options include H.265, H.264, H.264H, H.264B, MJPEG (sub stream), Dahua Smart Codec Smart H.264+ and Smart H.265+. Bit rate is controlled by CBR and VBR, as well as digital WDR, backlight compensation, white balance options, including auto, natural, streetlight, outdoor, manual, regional and customer, auto and manual gain control, 3D digital noise reduction and 4 areas of motion detection and ROI. Along with the smart illumination, there’s defog, 4 areas of privacy masking, a built-in microphone and speaker for duplex audio from the control room – real time voice or recorded messages. Audio compression options include G.711a, G.711Mu, G.726, AAC and G.723. Protocol options are as extensive as you would expect them to be, with IPv4, IPv6, HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, UDP, ARP, RTP, RTSP, RTCP, RTMP, SMTP, FTP, SFTP, DHCP, DNS, DDNS, QoS, UPnP, NTP, Multicast, ICMP, IGMP, NFS, SAMBA, PPPoE, 802.1x, SNMP – there’s also interoperability with ONVIF (Profile S/Profile G/Profile T), CGI, Milestone, Genetec, P2P and RTMP. There are 2 alarm inputs/outputs, an audio in and out, a 485 port, BNC, support for 256GB microSD cameras, support for Dahua ePoE for longer range communications, there’s siren active deterrence, 8 built-in user import of custom voices. Alarm events can be set for no SD card, SD card full, SD card error, network loss and IP conflict. But the most interesting alarm events are supported by AI functionality and include illegal access, motion detection, video tampering, tripwire, intrusion, fast moving, abandoned object, missing object, loitering detection, people gathering, parking

Full screen.

The composite image screen.

Handles variable light well.

Easy face ID.

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● Product review

Dahua – whether in retail, healthcare, aged care, corporate or educational applications – there’s a lot of operational power here.

SMART FUNCTIONS

Stereo analysis drawn in.

Person detected.

Set up is easy.

detection, scene changing, audio detection, voltage detection, external alarm, face detection, people counting exception detection, fall detection, people approaching detection, violence detection, stay detection and safety exception.

According the specification, stereo analysis is used for fall detection, people approaching detection, people number error, stay detection, and violence detection. A collection of intelligent alarm functions like this, combined with a dual lens design that enhances depth of field without adding complexity to the camera system, is what makes this Dahua camera special. From the point of view of an end user

Alongside the hardware specifications, software is a key element of the Dahua Dual Lens camera.

Advanced deep learning algorithms support the cameras intelligent functions, including people counting, queue management, stereo analysis, perimeter protection and face detection. Being able to dispense with this functionality in a paragraph doesn’t do the functions due credit, so let’s dig further. When it comes to face detection, the camera can detect, track, capture a series of face images then select the best of these images and store it as a snapshot, as well as emailing it to the security team.

The camera’s perimeter protection functionality is able differentiate between people and cars, allowing alarms to be generated in the event cars are detected in pedestrian areas, or vice versa. One of the strengths of this functionality is that it means tripwire, intrusion, fast moving, parking detection, loitering detection and gathering detection events are shorn of false alarms from the most common causes.

Stereo analysis is another key piece of functionality that’s supported by the additional scene data provided by the second lens, which according to Dahua, allows the deep learning algorithm to create a 3-dimensional image of a scene in order to assess the behaviour of people in the field of view. There are a range of key behaviours that stereo analysis allows the camera to distinguish – these include fall detection for aged care facilities, violence detection for corrections facilities, stay or gathering detection for educational facilities and public surveillance applications. Should such events be detected, the camera will generate an alarm event.

There’s also smart event functionality that covers a swathe of situations allowing the core CCTV monitoring function to be outsourced to the camera itself. Many of these functions are not new but some are cutting edge and will have real appeal to understaffed operations – aged care springs immediately to mind – but almost any operation would benefit, particularly in challenging moments when the security or management team is distracted in real time.

Smart events include abandoned or missing object, tripwire, intrusion, fast moving, loitering, people gathering, parking detection. Next there’s face detection, face tracking, face optimisation, face snapshot, highest quality image, face attribute extraction, face expression extraction - anger, calm, happiness, sadness, surprise – gender, age, glasses, beard, etc. Stereo analysis delivers fall detection, people approaching detection, people numbers, stay detection, violence detection and there’s also intelligent search, which team up with a Dahua Smart

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NVR to refine intelligent searches, to extract events and to merge event videos.

DAHUA DUAL LENS Getting a sense of performance with a camera with this level of capability in the back end takes time, but the first box that needs ticking is baseline performance. It’s clear as soon as the camera is installed out the front that underlying performance is solid - the stereo analysis really does let the Dahua Dual Lens camera do interesting and unexpected things that enhance situational awareness.

Raw camera performance is strongest within about 20 metres, which is what you would expect from a solution like this one, which is designed to support applications like aged care, where its fixed relatively wide-angle lens delivers strong detail across the frame and its smart functionalities alert staff to incidents like falls or wandering.

When viewing this camera as a split screen in real time, something that’s very appealing is the ability to digitally pan and zoom within 3 scenes, with the 4th scene forming a schematic, as well as displaying an overall view of the scene. During my test I use this functionality extensively and in the close and midranges to which the camera is best suited, I don’t find myself longing for greater resolution.

The performance of the camera on the street is solid. Colour rendition is a strength, with subtle variations of tone and contrast that deliver higher levels of detail. There’s also excellent sharpness and the depth of field is pleasing – it marches deeper into the scene than the 20m IR range mentioned before – there are high levels of detail to 30m and strong situational awareness further still. But there is a limiting factor and that’s tilt. If you want to see underneath the camera in the direction the lens is facing, you impose a limit of scene depth through framing. In my opinion, that’s no issue – the camera is framed to 25 metres up the slight grade towards Albion St and that plays to the strengths of the Dahua Dual Lens.

As the day rolls along, I get a good sense of the camera’s abilities. It’s slightly less strong with blur, including fast moving plates, and stronger with people – faces, attire. Part of this comes down to the widish focal length but the modest resolution is feeding into the equation, too. I get good face recognition in the field of view from the Dahua Dual Lens – this performance is very uniform, not only at varying depths of field but in the presence of strong backlight – 70,000 lux in the morning – and in low light in the evening.

There’s some blur around and behind pedestrians at night in monochrome but the camera contrives to deliver useful faces anyway, as well as attire, carried items and associations between groups of people moving around each other. On the street with variable scenes there’s a touch of over exposure on the bright side of the street when the near side is in deep shade

Night work with IR.

but this is not an uncommon characteristic and as the day goes on, it evens out nicely.

But it’s the performance with setting up smart events that’s most important with the Dahua Dual Lens. There’s no question that this solution is very intuitive. Dahua’s Smart PSS (you can also use an NVR to support this camera) makes the process intuitive, simple to understand, and offers easy management of powerful functionalities via tree directories that open setup options for the event settings. Once you’ve opened an event – let’s say it’s fall detection in the Stereo Analysis function – creating, setting and saving rules is very easy, as is drawing the detection zone on the camera image that pops up to the left of the settings panel.

The same simplicity applies to all these smart functions, whether it’s fall detection, people approaching, people standing and more. The settings allow plenty of tweaking, from sensitivity control to duration, repeat alarm, recording, alarm delay, send email, play count with file type for video verification snapshots. Once you’re familiar with the process, it’s quick and simple enough that an authorised operator could create rules on the fly in response to unfolding events.

CONCLUSION The SIA’s Security MegaTrends report released recently fingered AI as the number 1 trend of 2020 – manufacturers like Dahua have been working on AI for a number of years, creating solutions with a pointy operational focus that are designed to enhance security and efficiency. The Dahua Dual Lens delivers in this regard. It’s a rugged camera designed to survive in the worst conditions while actively assisting security teams manage challenging applications.

Importantly, the baseline camera performance is sound – that makes the comprehensive AI functionality even more useful in the real world.

Something else that’s worth pointing out is the ease with which this functionality can be delivered to a field of view. The interface offers simplicity and power, and combined with the camera’s solid imaging credentials, those integrated smarts make this Dahua Dual Lens camera well worth a look. n

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● Special Report

Intercoms

CHOOSING INTERCOM SOLUTIONS There are a lot of intercom solutions on the market, from upmarket glitz to basic polycarbonate. You need to have a clear idea of what you need from an intercom before you assist your customer in making a selection.

NTERCOMS are a growth market in electronic security – some are tough as nails, while others are so beautiful it seems a shame to mess them up with fingerprints.

But there’s a catch. Intercoms must combine looks with ease of use and flexibility of operation. And in industrial and commercial applications, intercoms need to be seriously rugged – the fewer moving parts the better.

There are 2 key physical elements of the intercom – the call panel at the front door or in the foyer of the building, and the handset within the residence or apartment. Of these 2 components, the call panel in the foyer is the most important operationally and you should devote a significant amount of time establishing its credentials before you make a choice. This call panel will be used and abused. It’s also the component that, if it fails, will throw what is essentially a user-controlled access management system into total disarray.

Depending on the application, abuse won’t just come from users. In extreme environments there’s going to be rain, dust, electrical disturbance, vandalism and the entropic process of wear to contend with, all of which will challenge your intercom’s call panel.

In order to be sure of performance, you can’t just read through a set of glossy specs in a brochure and accept them at face value. You need to take a long, hard look at the system – preferably with the building manager or developer of the property present to raise their concerns or issues. Also of benefit is to visit a site with the system you’re keen on actually installed to check how it’s performing.

And talk to users and installers of the system and get their impressions. Nothing tests a product like operation in the real world – if the system is as reliable as the manufacturer says it is, there should be no problem with you getting a list of customers to call. All this might sound a bit extreme but if you’re pitching for a job in which 4 call panels and

I

50 or 100 handsets are to be installed, along with their associated cabling and subsequent maintenance, then you want to be sure of what you’re getting into.

When you think about the vandal resistance of call panels, you’re balancing resilience and cost. You could buy something that would resist a sledgehammer but if it costs 5 times as much as the polycarbonate alternative you’ll miss out on the contract. It goes without saying that this cost element will colour your choice but we’re going to assume the property developer/building manager is sensible enough to accept your suggestion the call panel be able to handle real-world vandalism and still function.

This means you need a device built of high impact polycarbonate or of stainless steel. If the unit can handle a blow from a hammer, that’s good. Although beautiful shiny finishes that would be at home in a posh kitchen are the current flavour, you should bear in mind that shinier call panels are more likely to get attention from vandals. Matt finishes are easier to clean when they’ve been spray painted and they don’t look so bad after they’ve been set alight.

It’s also best not to pick a huge external call panel that looks like the cockpit of a jumbo jet. Look at the call panel as something that will assuredly suffer assault. Pick a solution that is simple and functional.

If possible, go for something that flush mounts – it will be harder to pull of the wall. You want no screw heads in sight and all fixings coming in from the rear (this will come with its own set of challenges), and be sure all the metals involved in constructed are matched in nobility on the periodic table. If some silly soul has chosen a more or a less noble metal for screws or bolts in the interests of saving a few cents, when it rains, the attachments will turn to powder.

Pay special attention to microphone and speaker apertures. These are where the vulnerabilities lie.

And be attracted to potted electronics and coated boards – these qualities will save you money in the long term.

If there’s a camera present, you want the lens or the glass over the lens to be scratch resistant. The camera needs to be big enough to do the job without being so large it becomes a weak point. In terms of camera performance, seek the functionality to allow identification without going over the top. Obviously 720p is good but even now, D1 is fine on a compact screen. Call stations generally have the optimum angle and depth of field for facial ID at close range in good light using a fixed lens. Lighting might be an issue, so prefer something with low light capability or IR support.

Other operational features to look for include a door-propped open alarm and a tamper alarm –

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neither of which will be of any use unless they are monitored. Have a look at all the buttons on the panel. Underneath these buttons you want a fluid and dust resistance membrane. That membrane should also isolate the buttons from the call panel’s electrical circuit. The last thing you want is someone shorting the system through the metal buttons on the call panel.

Your task will be made easier if the manufacturer has gone to the trouble of getting a NEMA 4X or IP54 or IP66 rating. There might be a lower IP rating – IP44 for instance – don’t use this sort of panel in a totally exposed external location or its life might be shorter than the 7-year guarantee the builder gives the development. Under a roofline, however, IP-44 should be fine.

Something else to think about with the latest video intercoms is integrated face recognition. This can work very well indeed and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic it can offer no touch or low touch access control that will increase the safety of residents, as well as offering a worthy sales hook, depending on your point of view.

Handsets or panels installed inside resident apartments don’t have the same need for bulletproof operation, but they should still be of robust construction and designed to handle the rigours of regular use. They’ll need to be of tough polycarbonate able to handle bumps.

One of the key attractions of a modern system is how big the CCTV monitor is and how clear the image of the visitor will be. While all this is nice,

FEATURES THAT ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAT OVERSIZE SCREENS INCLUDE EASY OPERATION AND A CONNECTION THAT ALLOWS EASY RE-POSITIONING SHOULD THIS BE REQUIRED. there are other more important elements to an intercom solution. Features that are more important that oversize screens include easy operation and a connection that allows easy re-positioning should this be required. Another good feature is an off switch that allows residents to sleep in or ignore visitors if they want to.

You also want 2-way communication initiated by the resident, not the other way around. You need 2-way so the resident can question the visitor should this be necessary. In addition, you want the front door release button to de-energize the strike on the front door for a limited time – not to jam it open for a whole day. While call panels should always have microphones rather than handsets, resident handsets are fine, taking into account the fact they will not be as reliable in terms of MTBF as a microphone-based call station.

The latest systems feature snazzy options like 2-wire comms and power, VoIP, remote management apps and maintenance software, network addressability – even integrated biometric authentication. Your selection in relation to these will be guided by the infrastructure and requirements of the site. n se&n 51

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● Regulars

Products

Editor’s choice MASK DETECTION, OCCUPANCY MONITORING INTEGRATED THROUGH WISENET WAVE 4.1, INNER RANGE INTEGRITI l HANWHA has introduced a new mask detection feature and an

occupancy monitoring application to its range of AI cameras and this functionality is now integrated with Inner Range Integriti.

According to CSD’s Mark Edwards, these new features help protect staff and visitors by identifying people not a wearing mask while remaining compliant with government’s social distancing guidelines. These features integrate seamlessly with Hanwha WiseNet Wave 4.1 where automated actions can be triggered through the WiseNet Wave rules engine.

“Integration with Inner Range’s Integriti and Inception access control and security solutions allows for access to be granted or denied dependent on the analytic from the Hanwha AI camera,” Edwards said.

“A single workstation for security, operations, or facility management staff offers users the ability to monitor video and support the verification of system alarms and access control events.”

What’s new in the industry.

OPTICAL SYSTEMS DESIGN MANAGED SWITCH SHOWING AT SAGE 2020 l OPTICAL Systems Design will show its PoE media converters, layer 2 managed switches and new ethernet solutions at SAGE 2020, November 12, at the Realm Hotel in Canberra (pre-register here).

OSD will demonstrate its latest PoE media converter solution developed in association with AFL for installation in a smart pole or other confined space, as well as OSD’s range of Australianmade layer 2 managed switches and our latest products supporting IEEE802.3bt PoE. It will be a great opportunity to discuss how OSD can support your secure network with its existing product range or work on a custom solution. There will also be a first look at OSD’s new ethernet focused brand, OSD Networks.

Distributor: Optical Systems Design Contact: +61 2 9913 8540

Distributor: CSD Contact: 1300 319 499

DSC POWERSERIES NEO FROM BGW TECHNOLOGIES

ASSA ABLOY N SERIES INTEGRATES WITH LENELS2 BLUEDIAMOND APP

l POWERSERIES Neo from BGW Technologies combines the flexibility of a modular, hardwired system with the simplicity of a wide range of wireless devices and peripherals, resulting in a comprehensive and versatile hybrid system suited to small business structures through to large-scale commercial applications.

“There are 4 control panels, ranging in capacity from 16 to 128 zones and each provides PowerSeries Neo with a reliable heartbeat to cater to a range of security system installations with even the most demanding partitioning requirements,” said BGW Technologies’ Stanley El Komala. “These panels fully integrate with the extensive selection of PowerG- enabled devices which have been created with simplicity of installation and userfriendliness in mind.

“A wide range of devices leverage the most innovative technologies to capitalize on the convenience, versatility and superior capabilities which the 2-way wireless PowerG technology offers.”

l ASSA ABLOY has partnered with LenelS2 to enable mobile access to IP-enabled IN Series access control locks via the LenelS2 BlueDiamond app. Through the app, users can pre-load their most frequented pathways to enjoy streamlined access to doorways; use their phone as a badge even while it remains in a pocket or bag; and utilize voice commands on their smart phone or other connected device to conveniently unlock and open doors. Enhanced security helps prevent unauthorized access of information.

IN120/IN220 locks work with ASSA ABLOY IP-enabled Access Control Partner software, allowing straightforward integration into new or existing access control systems. These integrations allow for easy changes to access rights, detailed transaction history and other advanced functionality.

IN120 and IN220 are ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 locks available in cylindrical, mortise, multi-point and exit device configurations.

They are offered in a wide range of finishes and decorative levers that complement any design style.

Distributor: BGW Technologies Contact: +61 2 9674 4255

Distributor: ASSA ABLOY Australia Contact: +61 3 8574 3888

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COMPLETE RANGE OF BOSCH 8000I CAMERAS l THE Bosch 8000i line-up is now complete with a full range

of 2MP, 6MP and 8MP motorised dome cameras. This range delivers excellent image quality for highly detailed images even in challenging and extreme low light conditions. The camera’s remote commissioning functionality makes sure installation and commissioning can be done in very little time. Using a PC or a mobile device with the Bosch Project Assistant app, you can pan, tilt, roll and zoom (PTRZ) and point the camera to the required field of view with a single click - without ever having to touch the camera or lens. They deliver excellence in video security and data management and have built-in state-of-the-art intelligent video analytics as standard. Its rugged and aesthetic design makes the camera suitable for any indoor or outdoor installation.

Distributor: CSD Contact: 1300 319 499

MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS UNVEILS 3 NEW AVIGILON H5 CAMERAS l MOTOROLA Solutions’ Avigilon H5 camera platform is introducing 3 new cameras – the H5 Pro, the H5A PTZ and the H5A corner camera.

According to the company, each of the 3 cameras is embedded with next-generation video analytics for enhanced objection detection, tracking and classification, unusual activity detection (UAD), a number of pandemic response technologies and support for FIPS 140-2 certified cryptography and Avigilon Appearance Search technology to proactively flag critical events for quicker, decisive responses.

The Avigilon H5 Pro camera has a 61MP sensor and 10K HD resolution, and according to Avigilon, it delivers “stunning image detail, simultaneously providing maximum scene coverage, while minimizing bandwidth and storage consumption through its patented high definition stream management (HDSM) 2.0 technology”.

The Avigilon H5A PTZ delivers security operators 360-degree views in 2, 4 and 8 MP. Manufacturer: Motorola Solutions Contact: +61 3 9847 7500

SENSTAR INTEGRATES ACCESS CONTROL SOFTWARE WITH HID AERO CONTROLLER l SENSTAR reports that its Senstar Symphony Access Control (AC) software now integrates with the new HID Aero Controller platform.

Senstar is providing HID Aero controllers as part of its access control offering. Available controllers include the HID Aero X1100 intelligent controller, X100 door/reader interface module, X200 input monitor module and X300 output control module.

According to HID Global, its Aero platform extends flexibility and access control choices to a wide range of businesses, while futureproofing an organization’s investment as requirements change.

Senstar Symphony Access Control is a complete integrated electronic access control management software solution. The module provides a full set of access control functions, including enrolment, scheduling, monitoring and reporting, according to the company.

Access control events can be used in the Symphony VMS as triggers for rules, surveillance camera call-up and alarm generation. Each alarm can be linked to a map location and multiple video feeds.

Distributor: BGWT Contact: +61 2 9674 4255

PAXTON NET2 CHECKPOINT CONTROL FOR COVID-SAFE SITES l PAXTON, distributed locally by Security Distributors Australia, reports its latest software update for Net2 includes a new feature called Checkpoint Control, which supports COVID-secure sites by monitoring and approving people as they enter buildings.

The Checkpoint Control functionality follows Paxton’s introduction of Net2 Occupancy Management and integration with thermal scanning hardware in July. These features work together to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 around populated buildings, according to the company.

With Checkpoint Control, specific doors or areas of a building are designated as checkpoints, such as the main entrance or reception. End users are then given access to that checkpoint using their normal access token, with the limited access point managed via the access permissions feature within the Net2 software.

Access can then be verified manually in person or by using technology to support automated validation. The automated process works by identifying a person via their access credentials.

Distributor: Security Distributors Australia Contact: 1300 882 101

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● Regulars

Products

Editor’s choice

What’s new in the industry.

NEW MOBILE APP INTEGRATES IDIS RECORDERS, CAMERAS AND VMS l IDIS, distributed locally by Hills, has announced the release of its Mobile Plus app, which integrates the company’s IDIS Mobile app with its network and digital recorders, network cameras and IDIS Solution Suite VMS. The app enables up to 4K live streaming on remote mobile devices, with high image quality in H.264/MJPEG and H.265 formats. Recorded footage can be played back in the same high definition that operators and managers use in from their control rooms or client software, according to the company.

Users can choose from a range of viewing options, including portrait or landscape, dark mode, simultaneous 1/4/9/16 split screens and a 4-channel synchronized 2 x 2 split screen mode to quickly receive multiple camera events. The IDIS Mobile Plus app can be configured to receive push alarms based on event and time lapse queries, and gives users the ability to use 2-way audio, QR codes for fast device registration, and image capture while on the move.

Security, safety and loss prevention personnel can also remotely respond to and investigate incidents or suspicious behaviour using notifications generated by alarmin, motion detection, trip zones, video loss and text-in functions. The new app also incorporates the benefits of IDIS’s Smart UX Controls, with full pan/ tilt/zoom control of DirectIP and DirectCX cameras, as well as calendar search, playback and bookmark functions.

Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487

CYBERKEY BLUE 3 BLUETOOTH SMART KEY FROM CYBERLOCK l CyberLock’s new CyberKey Blue 3 was designed with a mobile workforce in mind. This latest Bluetooth-enabled CyberKey is designed for controlling access to isolated sites and sprawling facilities.

Blue 3 enhances system security by supporting temporary access and delayed activation, extending precise access control features to the most remote of locations. With CyberKey Blue 3, users can request access permissions within cellular range, cache the permissions within the CyberAudit Link app, and later activate their key outside of cellular range.

CyberKey Features: • Contains a unique ID that cannot be changed or duplicated • Has the ability to store thousands of access events • Lock ID • Date & Time • Event Type • Carries access schedules for the specific key holder • Retains encrypted access codes that bind the key to a specific system • Includes a battery which energizes both the key and each lock it touches.

NEW AXIS DUAL SENSOR CAMERA FROM CSD l IN addition to the current multi sensor range, AXIS has now introduced the new dual sensor camera AXIS P3715PLVE which offers two 2MP channels at a frame rate of 30 fps. With its unique peanut-shaped dome design, this multidirectional camera offers flexible positioning of both varifocal camera heads. Each head can be controlled individually, so you can capture scenes in two directions in either wide angle or zoomed-in views. It features AXIS Lightfinder and AXIS Forensic WDR for true colours and great details in challenging or poor lighting conditions.

By offering remote zoom and focus capabilities, installations are fast and simple, reducing the need to return to site for small adjustments. AXIS-01970001 is a cost-effective solution reducing VMS licencing costs and is perfect for corridors and hallways in many sectors including schools, train stations, airports, just to name a few. Count on excellent overviews and detailed coverage thanks to the brilliant design of AXIS P3715-PLVE dual sensor camera.

Distributor: CSD Contact: 1300 319 499

Distributor: EVVA / EKA CYBERLOCK Contact: 1300 722 311

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RISCO LIGHTSYS 2 RESIDENTIAL INTRUSION KIT FROM NAS l Available now from NAS Australia, the RISCO LightSYS 2 Residential Intrusion Kit, complete with Main Panel, LCD Keypad, 12v 7Ah Battery, Internal Top hat Siren, External Siren Strobe and 2 x Texecom Digital PIR Sensors.

Texecom’s Premier Compact detectors are designed to provide optimum performance levels in any type of residential environment.

Digital PIR with advanced signal processing. Digital temperature compensation provides class-leading performance in hotter conditions, perfect for Australia.

Features include: • 15m volumetric range • Digital signal processing • Interchangeable lens library • Built-in EOL resistors • Mounting height alignment • Digital temperature compensation • Remote LED disable • PD6662:2010 Grade 2 Class II. Distributor: NAS Australia Contact: +61 7 3015 8700

HID GLOBAL NOW INCORPORATES NYMI WORKPLACE WEARABLE WRISTBAND l HID Global reports that its next-generation Seos credential technology will enable Nymi Band 3.0 users to seamlessly open doors and authenticate to systems, devices and machines.

The Nymi Band is a workplace wearable wristband that, once authenticated, offers the convenience of continuously authenticating the identity of the user until it’s removed from the wrist. This delivers zero-trust security principles and access control using convenient fingerprint and heartbeat biometrics to users seeking touchless authentication.

In addition to physical and logical access use cases, Seos technology enables the Nymi Band 3.0 to be used for applications ranging from secure intelligent print collection and social distancing and contract tracing to contractor and visitor management, canteen and vending machine payment, and secure remote working.

Operationally, the HID Seos applet is loaded onto secure elements inside a Nymi Band so they can carry security keys and encrypted firmware. Seos credentials are sent to the wristbands over a near field communications connection. Users enrol their fingerprint one time to the Nymi Band and the Nymi Band is matched to the user identity.

At the start of the day, the user authenticates the band with their fingerprint, and the Nymi Band is enabled with strong assurance after it detects a heartbeat. Meanwhile, native support in HID DigitalPersona software also enables the wristbands to be used for Windows login with both Seos and FIDO2 password-free authentication.

SMARTLINE MINI BLE UNIVERSAL READER FROM SEADAN l According to Seadan’s Tony Lagan, the SmartLine (SL) Mini BLE universal reader from is “the perfect solution for a non-contact access control system”.

“This product also gives you the ability to use your smartphone as an access credential and you can adjust the BLE distance to suit your requirements,” Lagan said. “The reader has 3 different coloured covers to choose from (black, white and grey) and comes with an LED status indicator.

“If you’re looking for an access control system that is simple and convenient to install AND doesn’t require the users to touch the device, then the Smart SmartLine (SL) Mini BLE is a perfect choice.”

Smart SL Mini BLE Universal Reader features include: • Mobile credentials • NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) • Adjustable BLE distance (0.1 - 15 m) • Supports multiple formats of 125kHz RFID • Adjustable Wiegand interface • IP65 water, dust protection rating.

Distributor: Seadan Contact: +61 3 9263 0111

Contact: HID Distributors

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● Regulars

Help desk

Q: What is pre-load in relation to electric locking devices?

Can doors really jam through a combination of pressures and surface friction? Is pre-load a serious risk and what steps can be undertaken to ensure it does not occur?

A: A loose definition of pre-load is the combined friction of environment and components on an entry door.

Pre-load is caused by multiple factors relating to a door, a door frame and its environment, which can create friction or sticking in the operation of an electric strike. Often the issues are caused by deformed doors, falling doors, loosening of lock componments like the strike plate over time, the addition of door seals that change mechanical characteristics, operation of airconditioning and other factors that create pressure on a door.

Air pressure, or stack pressure, is a complex science and is governed by wind, HVAC systems and local thermal air currents. Stack pressure can test the best engineers, especially in high rise applications, where it can make doors very hard for people to open and impossible for automatic closers to shut. If this is the issue facing your installation team, you need to ensure management understands the issue has nothing to do with access control hardware.

Our panel of experts answers your questions.

It’s fair to observe that if the locking components have been correctly installed, pre-load often represents a collection of issues that don’t relate to access control hardware at all.

Regardless, pre-load does exist in electric locking and in mechanical locking applications, too. When you add preload to door weight, air pressure and the resistance of door closers, the force required to open a door may be greater than a child or an elderly person could manage.

Overcoming pre-load is usually possible by shaking the door but this isn’t an acceptable fix in a professional application. Installers need to ensure their locking devices – strikes and plates – are installed perfectly. If door or frame needs trimming, this should be undertaken.

Many strikes are sold with pre-load ratings that guarantee they will operate reliably over millions of cycles despite preloads of 25kg or more. While such reliability is worth having, overcoming causes of pre-load is just as important - in most applications, this should be possible for professional installers and locksmiths to achieve.

If pre-load is still a problem, it should be taken away by installing a mechanical lock with lever handles in addition to the strike to remove pre-load pressure from

the electric strike. Alternatives include automatic sliding doors and automatic opener/closers. There may be some applications that benefit from the use of magnetic locking devices. If pre-load cannot be removed, pre-load-rated strikes guarantee operation even when a door is under constant heavy load.

Q: Are blown fuses a sign of a spike or a short circuit?

A: If you find a blown fuse in a circuit or piece of equipment pay attention to the fact this represents a symptom – it’s not the cause of the problem. Blown fuses mean either a spike has been induced into the circuit or a circuit has reached overload because a higher wattage device or component has been connected. And if this occurs when you’re upgrading a circuit to carry a higher wattage, be sure you check the wire size before you start beefing up the fuse circuits. The last thing you want is a fire.

Blown fuses might also indicate an overload caused by a short in the circuit that is bypassing whatever load exists.

When you’re searching for a short, consider that damage to cable is most likely to occur wherever there’s highest resistance in the circuit. To find the short circuit, take off the load component of the circuit and test it looking for a zero

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or close to zero ohms reading across its terminals. If you get such a reading it means the short is in the load but if there’s a normal reading, the short is in the circuit itself.

Leave the load out of the circuit and replace it with your DMM with power and battery disconnected. With power disconnected you are looking for a reading of zero ohms – anything more indicates a short in the circuit. It’s not too hard to pinpoint a short in a circuit by exploiting a switch or break in circuit.

If a break in the circuit has no impact on the meter reading, the short exists on the meter side. If the meter reading goes to O.L when the circuit is opened, the short is on the other side of the opening.

Q: Is C-Bus a viable solution for home automation in your opinion? How reliable is this technology and what is the expansion capability?

A: C-Bus is a distributed control system operating across a common Cat 5 unshielded twisted pair cable, or ‘bus’.

Bus networks are simple and robust.

The C-Bus network operates at a SELV (safety extra low voltage) of 36V DC and carries duplex control signals and control unit operating voltage between networks of control devices.

Control devices installed on a Cat5, C-Bus network feature in-built microprocessors, non-volatile memories and a resident operating program, with each control unit talking to an automated device, whether digital and/or analogue.

Because each control device is able to function independently of all others, C-Bus is tough as nails. Regardless of whether any device on the network fails, all other control units continue to function.

On a cable run of 1000m, installers can install up to 100 C-Bus control units, and an open topology structure allows connections to loop between units or to be branched at any point. What this means is that depending on the number of control units already on the system, should you need to add another control, you simply build a branch and port into the bus without needing to mess around reconfiguring the system, or even pull power.

BECAUSE EACH CONTROL DEVICE IS ABLE TO FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY OF ALL OTHERS, C-BUS IS TOUGH AS NAILS.

One C-Bus cable connection is able to handle what the manufacturer calls a practically unlimited number of devices, and expansion is modular. Should you have more than 1 network of 100 control units on a C-Bus of 1000m, it’s possible to link networks to make one overall system.

In fact, it’s possible to link 255 such networks to make one very large system.

Q: What Is ‘double knock’ With PIR sensors?

A: PIR sensors and dual technology detectors work on the principle of double knock – or in some cases triple knock – after threholds have been crossed and before an alarm is signalled. With double knock, one sensing element within a detector picks up the presence of an intruder – but the triggering of the second sensor (and the third in more advanced designs), is required before an alarm contact is opened to report that intrusion.

With dual technology, sensor designers allow that even if the PIR portion of the sensor is compromised by a big increase in heat, the presence of the microwave component still provides adequate protection.

With dual technology the quality of this sensing technique rests firmly on the nature of each of these 2 sensing technologies. PIR elements sense the level of IRE changing between zones over a set time at a set speed. There aren’t many environmental disturbances that mirror this sort of activity but heat

sources – especially warm air currents – can spell trouble for PIRs. Some other issues with PIRs include the fact the reflected IRE signals their pyro elements receive are so minute. The low signal level means that amplification and filtration processes must be well engineered in order to achieve quality signals and this necessary processing slows response times slightly, as well as limiting coverage.

It’s worth noting that double knock is not limited to PIRs and dual technology sensors, but can draw in any sensing technology that serves to affirm an event in a way that enhances situational awareness sufficiently to clarify an alarm event. Considered in this light, double knock includes video verification, the state sensors on access-controlled doors and plenty more.n

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SIGNO UNLOCKS A NEW WORLD OF CONNECTED AND ADAPTABLE ACCESS CONTROL

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