Security Electronics & Networks Magazine

PP 100001158

SEPTEMBER 2021 ISSUE 435

SEN921_1cover.indd 1

CLOUD: FRIEND OR FOE?

l Mod-2 Technologies Releases TAGGER l DNA Connect Teams With BlueChip l Q&A: IDEMIA Talks Face Recognition l Special Report: Affordable Access Control l News Report: Transparency Is Biometric Key l Special Report: Cloud Security Solutions l Case Study: Shore Junction Installs ICT l Security Management: Security In A Time Of COVID l Alarms: More-ish About Monitoring l Review: Hikvision DS-2CD2T87G2-L ColorVu Gen2

31/8/21 2:58 pm

SEN921_2.indd 1

26/8/21 3:16 pm

editorial S E CU RI TY E L ECTR O NI C S & NETWO R KS S E PTE M BER 2021 ISSUE 4 35

By John Adams

COVID-19 DELTA VARIANT PUSHES TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE OVID-19 Delta variant is technological C pushing change in the electronic security industry in a way we did not see in the initial outbreak, with many businesses pressed to incorporate additional strategies into security and safety procedures, which increasingly include vaccination status and no-touch authentication. Part of the issue is growing case numbers – late August they passed 1000 daily in NSW for the first time with no end in sight for the current lockdown. Increasingly, it looks like near global vaccination is going to be the only way to quash the virus.

During the past month, food manufacturer SPC has announced mandatory vaccination of staff, while Qantas, too, will require frontline staff to be fully vaccinated by November.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash said that while vaccination was free and voluntary, the Australian government strongly recommends that everyone gets vaccinated as soon as they can.

The Australian government’s unwillingness to make vaccination mandatory is not expressed at the corporate level, where directors exposed to suit should their strategies fail, are implementing it across multiple industries. Other countries are seeing the same trend. In the U.S. staff have been sacked at CNN for attending work without being vaccinated, while Australia’s Charles Sturt University said recently that student placement in 2022 would be very difficult for those who could not show proof of full vaccination.

Meanwhile in NSW, premier Gladys Berejiklian said workplaces have the right to mandate vaccination and if they decide they have a particular policy of who is allowed to work in their workplace under a pandemic during a lockdown, ‘that was

Australia’s biggest airline just wrote down losses of well over $A1 billion for 2020 and its directors will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to keep the kangaroo flying. a matter for them’. Victoria and New Zealand are also battling Delta variant outbreaks and it’s impossible to imagine they will not face tough questions around mandatory vaccination and managing mandatory vaccination over the coming months.

Meanwhile, a national cabinet plan agreed last month on plans to use digital records to verify vaccination status using a QR code to create a form of vaccination ‘passport’ and has said state governments which don’t participate will face reductions in federal financial support. All this is part of a trend pushing organisations towards stricter rules around vaccination and the pressure will only increase as case numbers climb, hospital beds fill, numbers of vaccinations increase, and businesses, workers and home-schooling parents groan under the strain of widespread lockdowns.

While politicians try to find a balance of right noises to steady their popularity as lockdowns bite, business owners and management teams cannot rely on appearances. Even if government is reluctant to break faith with more libertarian portions of their voter base, backed into a corner, private business will have no compunction, as the recent Qantas decision clearly attests. Australia’s biggest airline just wrote down losses of well over $A1 billion for 2020 and its directors will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to keep the kangaroo flying. Other business leaders are watching and they, too, will be forced to make decisions that will ensure the survival of their organisations, including mandatory vaccination and the need for vaccination management at the access control level.

For organisations looking to protect workplaces, vaccination rules managed by access control systems are the only way to seamlessly manage workplace COVID-19 vaccination. Other options are simply too cumbersome and expensive.

Many access management systems already incorporate demands for training and health status – that means slotting COVID-19 vaccination into the works won’t be complicated. While none of the access manufacturers are talking about it, there’s no doubt that behind the scenes, work is being done.

Something else that’s noteworthy on the technology front is the decision

by South Australia’s government to manage at-home COVID quarantining using face recognition technology. SA Premier Steven Marshall said it would be “implausible as borders open to have everybody in hotel quarantine… as the risk diminishes around the world, we want to do a trial for at-home quarantine”.

Marshall said geo-location and facial recognition software would be used to track people who were quarantining.

They will be contacted at random and required to provide proof of their location within 15 minutes.

“I feel very proud that in South Australia, we’re using technology to do what we can to manage this coronavirus,” Marshall said. “I think we’ve got the best QR code checkin app in the country…and I think this is another step forward using technology.”

If successful, it’s certain use of face recognition technology for home quarantining would be rolled out nation-wide, with subsequent positive impacts on user acceptance of the technology in other authentication applications. n se&n 03

SEN921_3ed.indd 3

26/8/21 4:44 pm

6TH ANNUAL

JOINING US ON THE ROAD SO FAR

www.sectechroadshow.com.au SECTECH DPS_JUNE21.indd 4

23/6/21 1:35 pm

SECTECH 2022 IS GO!

Coming to your city in May 2022 PERTH

ADELAIDE

SYDNEY

MELBOURNE

BRISBANE

W E D 4 M AY

T U E 1 0 M AY

T H U R 1 2 M AY

T U E 1 7 M AY

T H U R 1 9 M AY

PERTH CONVENTION

ADELAIDE SHOWGROUND

H O R D E R N PAV I L I O N

MCEC

BRISBANE RICC

CENTRE

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

LANYARD SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSOR

For more enquiries contact Monique@bridgepublishing.com.au SECTECH DPS_JUNE21.indd 5

23/6/21 1:35 pm

8

18

28

22: AFFORDABLE ACCESS CONTROL Affordable access control solutions used to limit integrators and end users to scant functionality, local management and reduced levels of security. The digital revolution has changed all that.

SEPT 21 8: MOD-2 TECHNOLOGIES RELEASES TAGGER TAGGER, from Australian electronic security developer Mod2, is a wearable personal duress device about the size of a Tic Tac container.

9: DNA CONNECT TEAMS WITH BLUECHIP TO CREATE ELECTRONIC SECURITY POWERHOUSE ANZ-based MSP/SMB specialist distributor Bluechip Infotech has merged award winning enterprise distributor DNA Connect to create a new powerhouse electronic security division.

18: FACE RECOGNITION In this SEN Q&A we chat about considerations of face recognition technology with David Tullipan, ANZ sales director of biometric devices business line, at leading biometrics developer, IDEMIA.

SEN921_6cont.indd 6

26: DATA TRANSPARENCY KEY Security integrators looking to specify access control authentication systems with elevated levels of security, as well as the safety of low touch, must think about biometrics, and understand user feelings around the technology.

28: CLOUD SECURITY SOLUTIONS Cloud solutions now cover alarms, access control, CCTV and automation, with traditional services expanding into cloud and new services being added all the time.

For end users there’s plenty to think about – not just functionality but return on investment and network security – while installers and integrators need to nail down cloud business models from top to bottom.

32: SHORE JUNCTION Shore Junction, a not-for-profit youth innovation hub at Takapuna on Auckland’s North Shore, has installed an ICT Protege solution integrating access control, alarms and CCTV. 34: LOCKING CONSIDERATIONS One of the challenges faced when choosing an electronic locking device is that different types of lock are often generally suitable for a range of applications, making it hard to work out which option is going to be best.

31/8/21 2:58 pm

48

44

22

32

regulars

36: SECURITY IN A TIME OF COVID Where should the focus of physical security management of commercial properties be in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?

It’s all about risk management and the thoughtful application of procedures.

40: HIKVISION DS-2CD2T87G2-L COLORVU GEN2 Hikvision’s DS-2CD2T87G2-L ColorVu Gen2 fixed bullet camera features a 2.8mm lens (there’s a 4mm option), 60 metres of white light and 8MP resolution, an all-alloy body rated to IP67, as well as the ability to handle strong backlight thanks to 130dB of WDR. Other features include H.265+ compression, a 102-degree field of view and an operating temperature of -30 to 60C.

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

38: MONITORING Most sites have a range of devices and systems that should be getting 24-hour monitoring, but they’re too often ignored – especially on small and medium sites. Sure, it’s important to monitor internal spaces after hours but there are many systems on a site that are vital to operations.

44: EDITOR’S CHOICE What’s new from our electronic security manufacturers.

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

SEPTEMBER 2021 ISSUE 435

PP 100001158

l Mod-2 Technologies Releases TAGGER

CLOUD: FRIEND OR FOE?

l DNA Connect Teams With BlueChip l Q&A: IDEMIA Talks Face Recognition l Special Report: Affordable Access Control l News Report: Transparency Is Biometric Key l Special Report: Cloud Security Solutions l Case Study: Shore Junction Installs ICT l The Interview: Mark Romer, DNA Connect l Security Management: Security In A Time Of COVID l Alarms: More-ish About Monitoring l Review: Hikvision DS-2CD2T87G2-L ColorVu Gen2

Publisher Bridge Publishing Aust. Pty Ltd ABN 11 083 704 858 PO Box 237 Darlinghurst NSW 1300 tel 61 2 9280 4425 fax 61 2 9280 4428 email info@bridge publishing.com.au

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

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

22 months A$195.00 (incl GST)

Subscriptions 11 issues per annum One year (11 issues)

Overseas 11 months A$220.00 22 months A$440.00

Australia 11 months A$110.00 (incl GST)

WEBSITE www.securityelectronics andnetworks.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form in whole or part without prior written permission of Bridge Publishing.

SEN921_6cont.indd 7

26/8/21 3:21 pm

NEWS IN BRIEF SEPTEMBER 2021

DNA CONNECT TEAMS UP WITH BLUECHIP TO CREATE ELECTRONIC SECURITY POWERHOUSE n ANZ-based MSP/SMB specialist distributor Bluechip Infotech has merged award winning enterprise distributor DNA Connect to create a new powerhouse electronic security division.

“The merger positions both companies to be stronger and accelerate growth by providing a more complete solution offering surrounding security deployments,” said Johnson Hsiung, managing director of Bluechip.

“Both companies will continue to operate independently until at

least the end of the year,” Hsiung said. “In the short term the absolute focus will be on maintaining our current levels of accelerated growth but also leveraging each other’s segments and services – there will be no disruption to the already excellent levels of service we both provide our partners and vendors.

“This merger of both companies, DNA’s technical expertise and our national support and warehousing capabilities, will see the DNA Connect Electronic Security Division benefit the most.”

Bluechip was founded in 2000 and provides an extensive range of solution and services optimized for vendors and channel partners focused on security integrators including hardware, software licensing, MSP tools and monthly recurring services such unified communications as a service.

“This is a very exciting time for me and my team – the electronic security landscape will grow significantly now that we have the might of Bluechip,” said Matthew

Harvey, head of sales at DNA Connect.

“It means improved localized support and stock holding, as well as offering the very best price

across the entire electronic security portfolio and, thanks to Bluechip, we can include the best brands for networking, Wi-Fi, UPS and HDDs.”

Johnson Hsiung, MD of Bluechip (left) with Munsoor Khan, ED of Bluechip Infotech.

MOD-2 TECHNOLOGIES RELEASES TAGGER n TAGGER, from Australian electronic security developer Mod2, is a wearable personal duress device and is about the size of a Tic Tac container. Like all personal duress devices there is an opportunity cost consideration between location accuracy and battery life that defines the size of the unit. Mod-2 believes it has got a good balance for the intended purpose.

Mod-2 has chosen BENS as its preferred

monitoring station because it is A1 accredited and more importantly has made available its IT team to facilitate the integration of the Tagger into its alarm monitoring system, AMS. With the integration BENS’ operators require no additional training to be able to handle situations from the Tagger and have at their fingertips map locations and commands that can be used with the Tagger.

Being managed and monitored by a Grade A1 security monitoring centre, the Tagger user can be assured that the service is handled by a professional service provider that is audited, accredited and complies with standards and procedures laid out by the security industry and by police. All signals received, actions taken, Tagger operations and responses are recorded in the history and never erased. All conversations are logged, recorded and stored securely Unlike other personal duress devices, Tagger does not track continuously. To allow

some freedom and privacy, Tagger tags the location periodically (2 hours). The timing can be restarted with a manual tag to allow/extend the period of ‘freedom’. The frequency of the auto tags can be adjusted to suit the user.

Tagger only accepts calls from BENS and one designated person/carer.

This prevents the device from receiving crank, malicious or accidental calls that may then eavesdrop the surrounds.

BENS can, where required/ requested, join third parties to the call made; so during emergencies loved ones can be connected.

Only calls involving BENS are recorded.

Tagger has all the functions available in other similar devices like SOS, fall detection, geo-fencing but we have added/improved some functions.

With SOS the user activates it with the button. This will be signalled to BENS which will then call the Tagger to assist the user. Mod-2 has added a new feature where the user can

activate ‘silent SOS’. With this, BENS will act by calling the device but listen in to the situation and will only speak if it is safe to do so. The user can also flag BENS with a prearranged signal/ code to send the police immediately. This signal can be non-vocal.

In collaboration with BENS, Mod2 has developed SafeZone, a variation to geo-fence which is fairly difficult to set up and administer. SafeZone can be activated on demand.

The user calls BENS to set up a safe zone. The current location is tagged as the centre and giving a radius between 100m to 2500m the safe zone is defined. If the Tagger is located outside the safe zone a ‘SafeZone Breakout Alarm’ is activated and will be actioned by BENS accordingly.

BENS can monitor Tagger offline. This is monitored if the Tagger is switched on and has lost communications (4 hours default). This can happen if the Tagger is out of 4G coverage for a lengthy period (greater than 4 hours) or if the Tagger is

UNLIKE OTHER PERSONAL DURESS DEVICES, TAGGER DOES NOT TRACK CONTINUOUSLY. TO ALLOW SOME FREEDOM AND PRIVACY, TAGGER TAGS THE LOCATION PERIODICALLY.

(made) inoperable while activated.

If the device has been misplaced or the user is lost, BENS can cause the device to beep periodically and provide an approximate location or provide the location without beeping. Beeping the Tagger provides a means of locating the device and person aurally and providing the GPS map location at BENS. By working with a local security monitoring centre, Mod-2 says it has made the personal duress work seamlessly with alarm monitoring services providing a more reliable service in line with general alarm systems monitoring.

08 se&n

SEN921_8news.indd 8

26/8/21 3:18 pm

Ambarella Announces Powerful New 4K SoC For CCTV p.12 VSP Opens Another Melbourne Branch, Grows Team p.13 Milestone Partnering With Melbourne’s M-View Live Video p.14

COMPILED BY JOHN ADAMS

GALLAGHER ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CHANNEL PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIAN MARITIME SYSTEMS GROUP n AUSTRALIAN Maritime Systems Group has joined forces with global security manufacturer, Gallagher, in a partnership which will roll out high security solutions for critical infrastructure in Australia.

AMS Group CEO, Nigel Bagster said the deal positioned the group as a national channel partner and allowed it to expand its sophisticated marine know-how and systems integration expertise.

“We are looking forward to making headway into

the multi-billion-dollar Australian security installation and critical infrastructure protection market, while also extending opportunities for Gallagher in the maritime industry,” Bagster said.

The partnership will look to capitalise on forecast growth of the market which is predicted to expand over the next 5 years as critical infrastructure and companies look to keep property, equipment, people, and assets safe.

Gallagher’s GM for APAC

and IMEA, Craig Schutte, said AMS Group’s heavy presence in marine and ports will allow it to extend its reach within critical sites across maritime and other industries.

“AMS Group has invested significantly in the security business to complement its current business model.

We are looking forward to working together to support critical infrastructure sites with their security needs,” Schutte said.

Schutte said AMS Group’s track record, cultural fit, and experience in providing complex, high integrity solutions particularly within critical infrastructure, maritime and defence industries made it a perfect partner.

Both organisations have a long history of working for government, defence, and other federal agencies in providing safety, security, and surveillance solutions.

MSS SECURITY OFFERS GIFT CARDS TO FULLY VACCINATED STAFF

n TO encourage its 6500 staff to get fully vaccinated by December 31st 2021, MSS Security has rolled out the MSS Vaccination Incentive Program. Employees who receive their second injection by year’s end will be presented with a $A100 gift card to go with the personal and family health benefits that come with full vaccination.

“MSS Security puts the health and wellbeing of our staff, their families and our clients, at the forefront of all that we do,” said MSS Security MD, Geoff Alcock.

According to Bryan de

Caires, CEO of ASIAL, the MSS Vaccination Incentive Program is an excellent initiative and he said ASIAL encourages all members to look for creative ways to protect staff.

“Avoiding the disease and staying alive should be incentive for anyone to be vaccinated,” de Caires said. “But the MSS plan adds a Christmas present to that incentive, as well as a timeline.

“It is in everybody’s interests for each of us to do what we can to protect our families and the community at large and help contain the spread of Coronavirus.”

CARRIER TO SELL CHUBB FIRE & SECURITY FOR $US3.1B n CARRIER reports it has agreed to sell its Chubb fire and security business to APi Group Corp for an enterprise value of $US3.1 billion. Carrier’s global fire and security products business is not part of the transaction.

The sale will enable Carrier to focus on core businesses and to allocate net proceeds consistent

THIS TRANSACTION DRIVES GREATER FOCUS FOR CARRIER AND ALLOWS US TO RE-ALLOCATE PROCEEDS FROM THE DIVESTITURE TOWARD OUR HIGHER STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES.

with its stated capital allocation priorities, including funding organic and inorganic growth, dividends, and share repurchases within a solid investment grade credit rating.

Chubb is a leading global provider of fire safety and security solutions for an array of vertical markets, including banking and finance, commercial and offices, education, government, healthcare and more.

“Carrier continually assesses all aspects of our global portfolio to ensure alignment with our strategic business priorities and optimal value for our stakeholders,” said Carrier chairman & CEO Dave Gitlin.

“This transaction drives greater focus for Carrier and allows us to reallocate proceeds from the divestiture toward our higher strategic imperatives. It also provides Chubb the opportunity to unlock new potential, building on its history and dedication to customer service excellence, its 200-year brand legacy and highly skilled network of global service providers and technicians. We look forward to seeing the growth potential Chubb will have under the ownership of APi Group.”

The proposed sale to APi Group Corp is subject to a consultation process and regulatory approvals, and expected to close in late 2021.

se&n 09

SEN921_8news.indd 9

26/8/21 3:18 pm

NEWS SEPTEMBER 2021

PANASONIC I-PRO FLAGS NAME CHANGE n RESPECTED CCTV camera manufacturer Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions will change its company name to i-PRO on April 1, 2022.

The company was established in October 2019 as a business separation from Panasonic Corporation, and incorporated the network camera brand i-PRO into its company name.

i-PRO’s subsidiaries will change their company names from Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Corporation of America to i-PRO Americas Inc., and from Panasonic System Networks Suzhou Co., Ltd. to i-PRO Sensing Technology (Suzhou) Limited on April 1st, 2022.

Panasonic iPRO cameras are distributed locally by BGW Technologies.

SHARYN PALMER QLD BRANCH MGR, EOS

Sharyn Palmer, EOS.

n SHARYN Palmer has been appointed EOS Australia’s new Queensland branch manager. Since joining EOS Australia 7 years ago, Palmer has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in the security industry and has met many new people along the way.

“I pride myself on good

communication, teamwork and strong customer relationships to ensure the growth of the business,” Palmer said. “I am excited about my new role with EOS Australia and ready for the challenge.

“It’s great to be part of a company that has been providing service and support in the security industry for well over 25

years. I will ensure that the QLD branch continues to grow and succeed for many years to come, together with the support of the EOS team.”

Based in Brisbane Australia, Palmer will work alongside Steve Thompson and Denis Dempsey to provide reliable and quality electronic security products backed by outstanding customer service.

“Sharyn has been an integral part of EOS Australia for a long time and has exhibited great managerial skills and support for our QLD team, I am excited to see Sharyn lead her team in serving our Queensland customers,” said EOS Australia’s managing director, Patrick Cha.

UAL

WE CAN AND ITH

Seamless Security 24 hour, full colour surveillance

• • •

Ultra Sensitive Low Light Performance IR Range from 30M - 100M Variety of Chassis and Colours

• •

IVS 2.2 Compatible- Human/Vehicle Detection Deep Control System Integration

Our STARVIS camera series provide high quality surveillance in challenging light environments.

LILIN Australia sales@lilin.com.au Sydney (02) 9646 4878 Unit 25/4A Bachell Avenue, Lidcombe, NSW 2141

www.lilin.com.au Melbourne (03) 9540 9756

ABN 64 107 084 008 3 Avondale Street, Springvale, VIC, 3171

10 se&n

SEN921_8news.indd 10

26/8/21 3:18 pm

Hills presents a VMS bundle.

Your complete security solution.

BUNDLE INCLUDES

1x Husky IVO150D Husky IVO 150D Desktop, Win10, 4TB

4x DC-D4811WRXA-3.3MM 8MP FIXD DOME 3.3MM

1x XPEXPLUSBL

4x XPEXPLUSDL

4x YXPEXPLUSDL

XProtect Express+ Base License (BL)

XProtect Express+ Device License (DL)

1 Year Care Plus for XProtect Express+ (DL)

ALSO AVAILABLE WITH INCREASED STORAGE OPTIONS

8TB | 12TB | 16TB

For more information on the Milestone IDIS VMS bundle and other best-in-class solutions 1300 HILLS1 (445 571) or hills.com.au Follow us on

|

Hills Limited

YO U C A N R E LY O N H I L L S SEN921_11.indd 1 Package SEN A4 v3.indd 1 210719 Milestone-IDIS

26/8/21 4:18 3:16 pm pm 12/8/21

NEWS SEPTEMBER 2021

AMBARELLA ANNOUNCES POWERFUL NEW 4K SOC FOR CCTV n AMBARELLA has announced the expansion of its AI vision SoC portfolio with the new CV5S and CV52S security families used in many CCTV cameras delivering analytics at the edge.

Based on the CVflow architecture and advanced 5nm process technology, the new SoCs support simultaneous 4K encoding and advanced AI processing in a single low-power design, which

provides industry-leading edge AI SoC performance per watt.

The CV5S family is designed for security camera applications that require multiple sensors for 360-degree coverage, over a wide area and with a long range, such as outdoor city environments or large buildings. Meanwhile, the CV52S family is designed for single-sensor security cameras with advanced

AI performance that need to identify individuals or objects in a scene, including faces and license plate numbers over long distances, such as ITS traffic cameras.

The new CV5S SoC family supports multi-imager camera designs and can simultaneously process and encode 4 imager channels of up to 8MP, or 4K resolution, each at 30 frames per second, while performing advanced

AI on each 4K imager.

These SoCs double the encoding resolution and memory bandwidth while consuming 30 per cent less power than Ambarella’s prior generation.

The new CV52S SoC family targets single-sensor security cameras and supports 4K resolution at 60fps, while providing 4x the AI computer vision performance, 2x the CPU performance and 50 per cent more memory bandwidth than its predecessors. This increase in neural network (NN) performance enables more AI processing to be performed at the edge, instead of in the cloud.

Additional features include: • Robust SDK created specifically for the security camera market • CVflow tools that are compatible across all security families • Dual Arm A76 1.6GHz CPUs with 1MB of L3 memory; a 2x performance gain over the prior generation for faster customer applications • Enhanced ISP with excellent HDR, ISO

lowlight, dewarping and rotation performance • On-chip privacy masking to block out a portion of the captured scene • New PCIe and USB 3.2 interfaces, enabling more complex, multi-chip security system designs than prior generation • Strong on-chip cybersecurity hardware to ensure secure IP cameras, including secure boot, OTP and Arm TrustZone technology • Multiple video inputs, with support for up to 14 cameras using MIPI virtual channels • SLVS-EC interface on the CV5S for reduced system design complexity • Support for LPDDR4x, LPDDR5 and LPDDR5x DRAM.

THE CV5S FAMILY IS DESIGNED FOR SECURITY CAMERA APPLICATIONS THAT REQUIRE MULTIPLE SENSORS FOR 360-DEGREE COVERAGE, OVER A WIDE AREA AND WITH A LONG RANGE, SUCH AS OUTDOOR CITY ENVIRONMENTS.

ALARM.COM INTRODUCES MACHINE LEARNING FOR MONITORING CENTRES n ALARM.COM has released what it calls ‘Ambient Insights for alarm response’, a solution that delivers contextual information to monitoring stations in the event of an alarm based on what the system senses is occurring around a property.

The idea is that operators can use this real-time data to prioritize alarms, as well as alerting police or emergency services faster, while false alarms are reduced.

Alarm.com said the system can determine whether the alarm may have been caused by unusual activity, and to advise operators of the likelihood an alarm may

be cancelled by a resident.

Contextual data is also provided by Alarm.com’s visual verification service and alarm response portal.

“Alarm.com has long applied machine intelligence to generate contextually aware insights proactively for property owners,” said Dan Kerzner, chief product officer at Alarm.com.

“Ambient Insights for alarm response are the next step in our multiyear vision to use AI and adaptive machine learning to define the next generation of smart monitored security. We’re especially proud of this solution as it allows for a better customer

experience and helps the industry reduce false alarm dispatches.”

Ambient Insights for alarm response uses Alarm.com’s Insights Engine, a proprietary machine-learning

capability that identifies patterns and insights in the growing set of data generated by devices and sensors in a connected property.

This is a key development from Alarm.com – it’s

great to see machine learning beginning to work its way into the alarms sector where it will assist monitoring centres, slash false alarms and raise customer security and safety levels.

12 se&n

SEN921_8news.indd 12

26/8/21 3:18 pm

GALLAGHER LAUNCHES CLOUD-BASED SME SECURITY SOLUTION IN AUSTRALIA

n GALLAGHER, has launched its dedicated small to medium business ‘Gallagher security for SMB’ solution in Australia.

Designed to simplify the security operations of small to medium businesses, the Gallagher security for SMB solution is a cloud-based security platform that provides business owners with the freedom to manage their security from anywhere, with an easy-to-use mobile app.

Its intelligent functionality enables users to arm and disarm alarms, lock and unlock doors, and manage incidents across multiple sites, all from their smartphone. Customers

can either choose to selfmonitor their site or opt for third-party monitoring.

“Through its cloud-based approach, Gallagher security for SMB answers the needs of Australian small to medium business owners looking for a simplified, yet high-quality security solution,” said Gallagher’s Karl Harris.

“It offers customers the highest level of protection and performance with the added benefits of cloud hosting.”

As a cloud-based security platform, Gallagher security for SMB requires no on-site server, and is automatically kept up to date with the latest security updates

and functionality. For businesses managing regular staff changes or temporary contractor access, unlimited user credentials are stored in the cloud and updates take effect immediately, so if a user is deleted, their security access is revoked.

Unlike if they still knew a valid PIN code to a keypad.

All data is stored safely, providing peace of mind that business information is always protected.

According to Gallagher’s Craig Schutte, the team has “applied the extensive knowledge and the awardwinning technology that Gallagher is so well-known for, to create a solution specifically for small and medium businesses”.

“Gallagher security for SMB gives business owners’ greater control in managing their security operations and provides reassurance that the business they’ve worked hard to build is protected by a reputable manufacturer that secures some of the world’s most critical assets and locations,” Schutte said.

Gallagher security for SMB is currently available in Australia and New Zealand and is expected to launch in North America later this year.

VSP OPENS ANOTHER MELBOURNE BRANCH, GROWS TEAM n BOUTIQUE security distributor, Video Security Products, will open a second Melbourne branch at Notting Hill in Melbourne, Victoria.

“We also have 3 new staff members we would like to welcome to our team,” said VSP’s Zaki Wazir. “Kate Moore has taken on the role of BDM in Melbourne, while Bryce Mackay has bolstered our technical support team in the Gold Coast branch and Jacob El-Chami has accepted a sales support role in the Silverwater (NSW) office.

“As growth continues, VSP wants to ensure that the support we offer clients is in line with the growth strategies. Support goes hand in hand with growth and one of the best ways

WHERE PREVIOUSLY OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES EXPERTISE WAS IN SYDNEY, WE ARE NOW ADDING ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL RESOURCES TO ALL OF OUR BRANCHES.

to support clients is by having local support.

Where previously our professional services expertise was in Sydney, we are now adding additional technical resources to all of our branches.”

According to Wazir, further additions to the VSP team will be announced shortly.

Zaki Wazir, VSP.

GENETEC, MILESTONE SYSTEMS, MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS ARE BIG 3 OF GLOBAL VMS n GENETEC, Milestone Systems and Motorola Solutions are considered the Big 3 suppliers of video surveillance software, video analytics and managed services, according to a new report from Novaira Insights.

According to Novaira, the world, excluding China, use solutions from Genetec, Milestone Systems and Motorola Solutions, as well as multiple other suppliers, each with a small market share of less than 3 per cent. China is served by domestic suppliers, such as Hikvision, Dahua and ‘AI

unicorns’ SenseTime and Megvii.

The report showed the market for of video surveillance software and managed services continued to grow in 2020 – growth in the Americas was highest, with revenues from video surveillance software and managed services increasing at 8.8 per cent for the period.

The report found many end-users took advantage of facilities being closed, to upgrade their software solutions, with special attention on back-end architectures, with a

shift towards cloud architectures and software managed services. These factors contributed to acceleration in the proportion of revenues from recurring spending.

The report forecasts high average annual growth of 12.1 per cent from 2020 to 2025.

According to Jon Cropley, at Novaira Insights, “Genetec, Milestone and Motorola grew their combined share of the world excluding China market for video surveillance software and managed services to 33 per cent in 2020”.

“Software continues to be a key differentiator in video surveillance system functionality and will continue to offer these and other suppliers high revenue growth opportunities in future years,” Cropley said.

“Furthermore, the bounds

of what is classified as video surveillance software, continues to expand with additional and sometimes specialist functionality, brought about by integrations of video analytics and other sensors.”

se&n 13

SEN921_8news.indd 13

26/8/21 3:18 pm

NEWS SEPTEMBER 2021

MILESTONE PARTNERING WITH MELBOURNE’S M-VIEW LIVE VIDEO n MILESTONE Systems has announced a partnership in Australia with Melbourne’s m-View Live Video (m-View), which specialises in providing live video streaming, 4G body worn cameras, in-carvideo systems, and digital evidence management solutions.

The partnership will expand Milestone’s market reach across Australia, with particular focus on law

enforcement and essential services requiring mobile video and government sectors. The partnership also allows Milestone Systems to expand its range of situational awareness solutions, a market that is growing exponentially due to the enforcement of Covid-19 safety measures in workplaces and public areas.

“We are excited to partner with m-View, a dynamic

local organisation that is innovating and producing an excellent range of complete, end-to-end solutions,” said Milestone’s Brett Hansen. “We enjoy the flexibility and the responsiveness when working with m-View.

More importantly, this partnership also allows us to maintain very close ties with the community as development is done locally.”

Milestone will collaborate with m-View on both the company’s vehicle and body-worn camera live streaming solutions, including the latest 4G embedded body camera, each of which provide GPS tracking functionality to end-users – a feature which can be critical during SOS or other situations where the wearer or driver is under duress.

“As a local company, we

understand Australian legislation, security and privacy regulations and are able to communicate effectively with local stakeholders,” said Matt Cameron, CEO of m-View.

“We have a proven track record of delivering our solutions to Australia’s largest emergency services organisations, which relies on our ability to meet cyber-security and privacy standards.

“We are seeing an increasing demand from customers who need to improve the safety of their front-line personnel.

Our body-worn cameras provide the smallest size, best battery life and ease of use in the field.

This makes it simple for organisations to quickly start realising the benefits that they bring to safety and situational awareness – the Milestone

community can now seamlessly add our body-worn, in-car-video vision into their existing X-Protect systems,” he said.

According to Hansen, video-as-a-service is a very important element of the security and safety landscape in Australia, and this partnership with m-View ensures that Milestone is engaged with an even broader range of cutting-edge solutions. “m-View is also wellattuned to privacy and the responsible use of body-worn and live streaming video, which matches Milestone’s very strict compliance with GDPR and data laws globally,” Hansen said. “We look forward to a great long-term partnership across government and other important sectors in Australia.”

THIS IS NOT A CAMERA

Contact +61-2-8507-2000 info-au@mobotix.com 14 se&n

SEN921_8news.indd 14

26/8/21 3:18 pm

YOUR WEARABLE LIFEGUARD WATCHED OVER BY

BY

SOS EMERGENCY FALL DETECTION SAFEZONE

CALLS TO TAGGER RESTRICTED ONLY TO BENS

AUTO TAG AND MANUAL TAG

CONFERENCE CALL CAPABILITY

3G/4G COMPATIBLE

LOW BATTERY ALARM

IP67 WATERPROOF

ML 409 213 896

MORE INFO: BENSECURITY.COM.AU SEN921_15.indd 1

26/8/21 3:16 pm

NEWS SEPTEMBER 2021

DRONESHIELD RELEASES DRONESIM DRONE SIMULATOR n AUSTRALIA’S DroneShield has announced the release of DroneSim, a lightweight and rapidly deployable unmanned aircraft system (UAS)/drone simulator that is said to be capable of mimicking common drone signals for the purpose of counterUAS system testing and validation.

The device can generate aerial (UAV), ground (UGV) and water surface

(USV) drone signals and being constructed within a ruggedized hard case with MIL-SPEC (defence specification) connectors, DroneSim is durable and requires minimal training to install and operate. When connected to a network, DroneSim can be operated remotely, allowing for faster system testing and system testing in environments where drones may be unable to fly.

According to DroneShield, an easy-to-use GUI allows the user to select between different drone/UAS protocols and requires minimal training to use and the product was developed in response to customer demand.

“We are excited to launch DroneSim as our entry in the important market for training and simulation systems,” DroneShield CEO Oleg Vornik. “As a global leader in the C-UAS space, DroneShield is well positioned to expand its solution ecosystem into this area.”

The product is expected to be of significant interest to a range of DroneShield customers globally across military, law enforcement and government agencies.

IDEMIA RANKED SECOND FOR PASSENGER ID BY NIST n IDEMIA’s solutions have been ranked second out of more than 100 algorithms for passenger identification in the latest testing by the National Institute of Standards (NIST), a result the company said confirms that IDEMIA’s facial recognition technology and algorithms are among the most accurate, fair and consistent in market.

The test focuses on ‘Identification for Paperless Travel and Immigration’ and is part

of the ongoing Facial Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) managed by NIST. The exercise simulated departing flights, populating galleries with photos of 420 arriving travellers at the airport, then measuring accuracy by running searches of photos at departure.

IDEMIA’s technology conducted 536 simulated aircraft boardings, without experiencing a single false negative, which translates to a secure and frictionless

boarding experience for passengers.

“As the market leader, IDEMIA’s technologies are based on over 30 years of expertise in deep learning and artificial intelligence and we see it as our responsibility to bring this expertise to the everyday traveller, keeping passengers safe across the world,” said IDEMIA’s JeanChristophe Fondeur.

“NIST’s results confirm the robustness of our technologies with regard to managing different demographics.

IDEMIA’s facial recognition technology achieves the most accurate results and delivers a key competitive advantage when handling complex scenarios.”

In addition to being ranked highly in the passenger simulation, IDEMIA has maintained the top spot on NIST’s FRVT ranking since first published in late March 2021.

GALLAGHER APPOINTS NEW TECHNICAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, SA n GALLAGHER has announced the appointment of George Dunleavy in the newly created role of technical business development manager for South Australia and Northern Territory.

Based in Adelaide, George has over 15 years of security industry experience and was most recently with the Department for Education as strategic manager for security and emergency management.

As a former police officer with the South Australia Police in Adelaide and the West Midlands Police in Birmingham, England, Dunleavy brings a wealth of practical incident and crisis management

George Dunleavy, Gallagher

experience through a variety of frontline policing roles.

“George’s knowledge and understanding of the unique security challenges faced by educational facilities will extend the success we have seen within this industry and support the demand we continue to experience,” said Gallagher’s Karl Harris.

VALE GAVIN GRAETZ, CRK, HILLS, QSS, PACIFIC COMMUNICATIONS n GAVIN Graetz of C.R. Kennedy and formerly of Hills, QSS and Pacific Communications, has passed away in Adelaide.

“On top of all the sad news in the world at the moment, we learned that our colleague Gavin Graetz died suddenly last month,” said CRK’s Phil Viggiano.

“Although only working with CRK for a short time, Gavin was a 30-plus year veteran of the South Australian CCTV industry – he was extremely well liked and will be sorely missed.”

A quiet achiever with a deep knowledge of video surveillance solutions and a strong focus on his

team and customers, Graetz spent 19 years at Pacific Communications before joining QSS in 2014, later moving to Hills, and more recently joining CRK. Rob Rosa of Innotec Security said he met Gavin in 2004 when he began working at Hills and was so impressed with him that he later offered Graetz a role at QSS. “Gavin was a true industry gentleman and always the consummate security specialist,” Rosa said. “He was also heavily involved with the SES in South Australia – that sort of community spirit was typical of Gavin – he will be missed by all who knew him.”

Gavin Graetz

16 se&n

SEN921_8news.indd 16

26/8/21 3:18 pm

SEN921_17.indd 1

26/8/21 3:16 pm

● Q&A

Dave Tullipan, IDEMIA

FACE REC Q&A In this SEN Q&A we chat about considerations of face recognition technology with David Tullipan, ANZ sales director of biometric devices business line, at leading biometrics developer, IDEMIA. JA: What are the most important aspects of successful face recognition applications, in your opinion? What should integrators and end users be on top of before they even start looking?

DT: Biometric terminals, with face recognition applications, are deployed based on a need for increased security to prevent intrusions, and once installed they will be in operation for years. This means the 2 important aspects to consider are the quality and performance of the technology. The key selection criteria of face recognition technology include its biometric accuracy – where one should assess whether the vendor’s algorithms been evaluated by neutral, third parties like NIST or DHS. Secondly, integrators should look at its performance when utilised – such as speed, convenience, and resistance to spoofing attacks.

JA: Taking the diversity of facial recognition solutions – SME access control, enterprise access control, VMS AI, etc – in account, what general features do the best face recognition systems have?

DT: Simple connectivity to PACS and VMS is essential. There’s indeed a great variety of needs and corresponding solutions that can be customised and deployed in different environments. For example, terminals installed on speed gates help manage high throughput, terminals installed outdoors are built to work in strong sunlight, or complete obscurity for nightshift workers, as well as having a software solution plugged onto CCTV/VMS systems to manage live alerts and be used for access control as well. In all cases, accuracy, performance and reliability remain the 3 key features to look for in choosing face recognition systems.

JA: Would you argue face recognition – low touch, highly and increasingly accurate – has the potential to be ‘the’ authentication technology of choice in the future?

DT: Yes, indeed. Face recognition is a biometric modality that has grown in interest due to its ‘touchless’ feature.

As many end users wear face masks

today, biometric terminals and its algorithms are recalibrated for higher accuracy, to authenticate users despite having their faces covered partially.

From IDEMIA’s point of view, our VisionPass, combining 2D, 3D and infrared cameras with algorithms, have been recognised by recent independent evaluations, and is well known for its high accuracy and efficiency with masks worn on the face, even when worn with glasses. It also offers a mask detection feature that prompts an alert message on screen if the user is not wearing a mask.

Besides face recognition, we also have MorphoWave contactless fingerprint scanning terminal that can scan one’s fingerprints with just a wave of a hand.

JA: What is the greatest challenge of installing and managing a face recognition solution?

DT: As a face recognition system requires deployment both physically and digitally, the installation process of terminals and its digital systems can be a challenge, if an end user is not partnering with an experienced vendor. For a smooth deployment, both from a timing and costing perspective, you need to select terminals that are already supported by the PACS system and speedgates/turnstiles that you are using or consider deploying.

IDEMIA’s terminals are supported by over 90 per cent of PACS vendors and the majority of gate vendors.

The design of terminals is equally important – our engineers pay special attention to the installation, be it for gate or wall mounting and cabling.

JA: Is it fair to say that over time, a face recognition-powered access control system might pay for itself through circumventing the need to manage expensive card libraries?

DT: We see it differently – the business case of biometrics is really around your fight against hacking and intrusions.

The access control credential should be determined by the security risk.

Dual factor authentication (card +

18 se&n

SEN921_18Q&A.indd 18

26/8/21 3:21 pm

D AV E T U L L I PA N W I T H J O H N A D A M S

THE BUSINESS CASE OF BIOMETRICS IS REALLY AROUND YOUR FIGHT AGAINST HACKING AND INTRUSIONS.

biometric) is more secure than single factor authentication. Ultimately, triple factor authentication (Card + Biometric + PIN) – also referred to as “something you have plus something you are plus something you know” – is most secure.

While users may not utilise access cards after biometric terminals are deployed, it is still a form of identification that is recognised by security managers and public areas. All of IDEMIA’s terminals work efficiently with cards, by putting the user’s biometric template into the card delivering 2-factor authentication with the device. In addition to that, the card can be saved virtually in your mobile phone. In the future, we can expect

more 2-factor authentication being used for a diverse range of applications.

JA: When it comes to the underlying software algorithms that deliver face recognition, how can integrators and end users ensure they get the best of the best?

DT: Unlike other industries where IDEMIA operates, such as the payments space where cards and terminals have to get functional and security certifications from payment schemes, there are no such frameworks for biometric terminals. As a result, many integrators and end users look at independent evaluations carried out by entities like NIST or DHS.

Integrators and end-users should assess whether the vendor had submitted its algorithms to such benchmarks, its ranking, and performance over time. Having concrete statistics and a detailed level of information about accuracy performances can help endusers better compare terminals and algorithms.

JA: There’s enormous flexibility in the application of face recognition analytics – not only for security but in terms of the ability to drive sub systems, report events and streamline investigations. In your opinion, what are the most exciting applications of the technology, and which might offer

se&n 19

SEN921_18Q&A.indd 19

26/8/21 3:21 pm

● Q&A

Dave Tullipan, IDEMIA TO ACHIEVE OPTIMUM PERFORMANCES IN FACE RECOGNITION, WE RECOMMEND HAVING AT LEAST 40 PIXELS INTER-EYES. databases, network protection, and penetration tests. This is true for every system that manages personal data, not only face recognition systems.

Regarding data protection, individual biometric data like fingerprints or face images are not stored by IDEMIA. The biometric data is reduced and changed into biometric point characters, with their own template and biometric code. This, in turn, is secured before processing. Only companies which install these devices have highly secure access to this data, pursuant to current regulations. We believe people need to know how their data is used, how long it is saved and why IDEMIA privacy-by-design solutions ensure that private data does not leak from government-authorized environments.

users the best return on investment?

DT: Flexibility is a key aspect of the video analytics solutions that we develop at IDEMIA. We research and develop new features to respond to the needs of companies looking to prepare for a safe and healthy return to the office. Augmented Vision is IDEMIA’s video analytics platform that helps protect buildings while ensuring people’s privacy with the highest level of data protection. The solution allows secure and frictionless access to authorized personnel by detecting and identifying multiple persons approaching an entrance, or point of access, placing a powerful layer on top of existing CCTV infrastructure.

The solution is also efficient with face masks, with the same features and performance as VisionPass. There are other features like physical distancing, contact tracing, overcrowding alerts which were previously not a customer

priority more than a year ago. We believe there is a big gap to fill in postevent analysis. Augmented Vision is able to analyse enormous volumes of recorded videos and images, classifying and extracting all relevant information to help security officers increase productivity and efficiency. This is the biggest ROI, and it will help to resolve the challenges that companies with CCTV systems are facing at this point of time.

JA: Securing face recognition systems – what’s the key here – how can security integrators and security managers ensure private data stays private – or are privacy fears overblown?

DT: Companies that install face recognition solutions must adhere to the security recommendations to combat against cyber threats, such as proper authentication, access rights, encrypted communications, encrypted

JA: How important is image quality when it comes to face recognition applied to CCTV systems?

DT: Very important! The image and camera quality required is dependent on the application and the distance of the person from the camera. For example, access control in a corridor where employees will be at maximum 2m away from the camera, is not the same as mask detection in a lobby where individuals are more than 10 meters away from the camera.

Nonetheless, to achieve optimum performances in face recognition, we recommend having at least 40 pixels inter-eyes.

JA: How interested is the end user market when it comes to face recognition – is there hunger for the technology?

DT: We have seen that end-users have a massive appetite for touchless solutions, be it face recognition or contactless fingerprint scanning.

Currently we see that end users remain vigilant on terminals’ accuracy levels and its ability to work efficiently with masks. Employee acceptance and compliance with data privacy regulations, which are 2 linked topics, are also a growing concern. n

20 se&n

SEN921_18Q&A.indd 20

26/8/21 3:21 pm

now I N T E G R A T E S with Y RIT U SEC UDIO IP A

AXIS

A COCCES NTR S OL

IP CA ME RA

M A N A G EM EN T

VI SI TO R

Camera Station

INTERCOM

Finally, two of the biggest brands in the Australian security market have a high level integration bringing two extremely powerful ecosystems together to form a super - system.

Cascade multiple Axis Camera Station servers to create a VMS with 1000’s of cameras Axis Camera Station live video and playback directly in the Integriti window Bidirectional event based control between Integriti and Axis Camera Station Associate cameras, intercoms and audio devices with entities in Integriti system Live video or playback on event or associated entity event from Integriti Control Axis PTZ, including presets from Integriti Trigger commands in Axis Camera Station from Integriti Receive events from Axis Camera Station to trigger events in Integriti Add cameras to schematic maps LPR number plates from Axis Camera Station for access or review Export video clips from Axis Camera Station to Integriti Evidence Vault

SEN921_21.indd 1

26/8/21 3:16 pm

● Special Report

Access Control

AFFORDABLE ACCESS CONTROL Affordable access control solutions used to limit integrators and end users to scant functionality, local management and reduced levels of security. The digital revolution has changed all that.

NLY 20 years ago, a simple access control solution was a basic affair – even if expansion was possible, there was plenty of functionality that simply wasn’t there.

These days affordable access control solutions use novel approaches to deliver performance that once reserved for the big end of town – customisable reporting, remote management,

O

high tech authentication technologies and integration with CCTV and other sub systems out of the box.

According to Don Tummillo of SFERE Group Australia, remote accessibility is key in today’s environment, allowing the issuing of credentials to users without the need of face-to-face contact.

According to Tummillo, clever reporting functions and remote management put big system features into affordable packages.

“Reporting is fundamental in all access control systems – that is the core reason behind having a system in the first instance,” he says.

“Automatically generated reporting is a key need, as it allows end users to have reports presented in a format that’s easy to manage by business operators.”

Tummillo argues cloud is a game changer in the SME market and he says it offers many advantages over stand-alone installations.

“Cloud is an absolute game changer in many cases,” he says. “Firstly, all data is stored and backed up to cloud. Security companies with technicians no longer need to install specific software on laptops and computers and ensure that software versions are compatible with computer hardware. Also, when technicians leave their employment with a security company, management can immediately remove their

22 se&n

SEN921_22access.indd 22

26/8/21 3:24 pm

BY J O H N A D A M S

access to the cloud service, preventing them from accessing the company’s customer base.”

From the point of view of installers and integrators, which are the key considerations around function, system design and configuration, presence of local support, in Tummillo’s opinion?

“Installers and integrators require full programming accessibility remotely of an access control system, including remote system diagnostics to ensure the system is fully functioning before dispatching a technician to the customer’s premises,” Tummillo says. “Being able to support an installer remotely while implementing a new system is a key factor, reducing lost time and frustration.

“Hybrid systems such as hardwired/wireless access control when implementing a system design is also just as important to an installer, as in a lot of cases cabling to doors or external gates, boom gates, could be challenging. Having a system that allows both technology also fits into affordability, because running cables could be expensive.

“Remote management and commissioning are some of the most powerful features of cloud access control systems – a cloud-based system should provide, at the very least, full system control, programming, commissioning, system implantation, immediate changes and system diagnostic resources.”

Something installers and integrators taking the cloud route will need to get their heads around is the process of managing a database in the cloud – that includes finding a secure, local cloud provider partner, according to Tummillo.

“It’s a critical requirement that cloud partners are fully compliant with the Australia requirements for cloud database management, and that they have a complete IT system cloud implementation infrastructure design in place with acceptable redundancy,” Tummillo says.

When it comes to the best affordable access control read/authentication choices offering high security, low contact, and low cost Tummillo favours personal smart devices.

“Mobile app access readers mean staff don’t need to touch anything other than their own personal mobile device,” he explains. “Range is also extended, allowing devices to be used away from the door, to allow a cleaner or delivery person access. Bluetooth, QR Codes are also very useful, but you need a mobile device for these. If you decide on contactless readers, a dual reader which allows users without a smart phone to access the premises may be the preference.”

According to Tummillo, COVID safety and COVID prevention functionalities like contact tracing and proximity detection and remote management are still important, even if access control solutions are affordable.

“Access control has been a winner when

AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED REPORTING IS A KEY NEED, AS IT ALLOWS END USERS TO HAVE REPORTS PRESENTED IN A FORMAT THAT’S EASY TO MANAGE BY BUSINESS OPERATORS.

it comes to COVID,” he says. “Customers are requiring more access tracing in and out of their premises, with daily reporting accessible on the fly from anywhere via phone, tablet, laptop, etc, and if needed, the ability to remotely lockdown the entire premises at the click of a button.”

What is it about SFERE’s affordable access control solution that makes it uniquely well suited to affordable access control applications?

“ProDateKey (PDK) access control is an anytime, anywhere, any device solution, that has the ability to take over access control systems without replacing the already installed readers and credentials,” Tummillo explains. “It has the ability to manage the entire system remotely and issue credentials to individual users directly to their mobile device and authenticate them remotely.

“This means saving installation time and travelling time – there’s PDK’s Proavtive Alert sent to users, managers, and integrators on system matters and or issues. Wireless connectivity products integrated within our system, offering high security readers if required, automatic cloud software updates, new features automatic ally available, importing of PDF floor plans directly on our platform with full reader/device location and interactive control and many more cost-effective features.”

Gallagher’s Steve Bell says a cloud-based access control system has a number of benefits for the SME market.

“SME customers have a smaller footprint, often with 50 or less people working at any one facility,”

se&n 23

SEN921_22access.indd 23

26/8/21 3:24 pm

● Special Report

Access Control

he explains. “It’s important that the administration of their security system; and the ability to add, edit, or remove staff and contractor access; is simple and not limited to one PC on the administrator’s desk, or worse still, undertaken by interacting with the system at an alarm keypad.

“A cloud-based system will securely allow those with an administrator role to make required changes on a web browser from either their laptop or mobile phone. Remember that often one owner may have several businesses across multiple sites. For example, a franchise chain of outlets are standalone in their own right, but may need to be managed together from one app. A cloud-based access control system can achieve this, providing increased flexibility and convenience for business owners.

For those using a cloud-based app for their security, there is an expectation for the user experience to be excellent,” Bell says. “Listening to the frustrations of those using older, standalone access control systems, it’s clear a cloud approach brings wide-ranging benefits to help make their lives easier.”

Do the cap-ex/op-ex numbers of cloud access add up, in Bell’s opinion?

“Many SME’s will be running several of their business functions in a cloud environment - Xero’s accounting system is a great example, where the SME’s administrator will manage the system without the worry of backups or other maintenance,” Bell explains.

“It is simple to get the accountant to have a look at the accounts and offer advice, all without the cost of a site visit. The same applies to a cloud-based access control system. If any support is required, a quick call to the installer and they can log in and help solve

the problem quickly and easily, usually without an expensive call out.

“So, when we are considering the op-ex costs of cloud-based access control systems, it is totally aligned to the benefits the technology provides compared to the challenges and frustrations of standalone systems and the ongoing onsite maintenance that comes with them.

“Often a cloud-based access control system will have an upfront capital cost for the initial purchase and installation of the hardware. But often an installer or manufacturer is happy to remove the upfront cost and include it into the ongoing subscription or finance charge over a defined period. Some SMEs will appreciate the removal of the upfront cost and move these to sit within their operational expenses.”

What is it about Gallagher’s solution that makes it uniquely well suited to affordable access control applications?

“Gallagher security for small to medium business (SMB) has been designed from scratch to meet the needs of smaller businesses,” Bell says. “A simple, yet powerful user interface, via a mobile phone app, allows users to arm and disarm alarms, manage incidents, and monitor users – both onsite and remotely.

“You can choose to monitor the system yourself, connect to your existing monitoring company, or even have it connected directly to a guarding company. If you have several SMB operations, the multi-site feature allows you to have all of your SMB facilities combined into one view, in the same app.

There’s also no need to worry about cyber security, software updates, or backups – it’s all done for you.” n

24 se&n

SEN921_22access.indd 24

26/8/21 3:24 pm

SEN921_25.indd 1

26/8/21 4:20 pm

● News Report

Biometrics

BY J O H N A D A M S

DATA TRANSPARENCY KEY Security integrators looking to specify access control authentication systems with elevated levels of security, as well as the safety of low touch, need to think about biometrics, as well as understanding user feelings around the technology.

N spite of the power of biometrics, not only to enhance the security levels of authentication, but to reduce cost of ownership and streamline system management, there can be pushback against the technology if privacy is seen to be threatened.

The situation is a curious one, given so many consumers cheerfully use face recognition in personal devices which are managed by a handful of huge technology companies whose privacy and business practises are utterly opaque.

At the same time, the latest biometric solutions exist at the edge, avoiding storing biometric data where it’s accessible, and often employ the biometric in smart personal devices to add a level of comfort to more or less uneducated users.

According to Gallagher’s Steve Bell, biometrics do have a future in smaller applications, giving high security authentication to low-cost solutions and he argues there are ways to make users more comfortable with the technology.

“Touch biometrics are great on personalised devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops,” he says. “They can also be accepted in domestic situations where there are small groups of people.

“One area of biometrics that makes people uncomfortable is the fact that a person’s biometric is part of their personal data (PII – Personally Identifiable Information). The feeling that some other party is holding this information or has access to it can cause discomfort.”

Bell explains that there are different architectures to the implementation of biometric systems, and each has a differing level of PII that is being held in business databases.

“Firstly, you can have biometric templates on a chip that people carry with them, for example, a smart card, smart phone, or passport,” he says.

“Transactions in this architecture are inherently 2-factor (something they have, plus something they are). There is an extra inconvenience of accessing the smart card, phone, or passport that prevents fast access.

“In some situations, with this architecture the issuer of the authenticator may also hold the biometric template in their database, as well as

I

WHEN IT COMES TO FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY, ORGANISATIONS HAVE FOUND THAT BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT HOW DATA IS PROPOSED TO BE USED IS A CRUCIAL STEP TOWARDS COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE.

issuing it to the chip. In general, this architecture will allow the person to have the most control over their biometric PII. “Secondly, some vendors of biometric solutions use an architecture where the biometric PII is stored in a central database and the edge device that captures the biometric at time of authentication will securely send the biometric to the central server for identification and authentication decisions.

These solutions are great when there is a very large population of people to be authenticated.

“Lastly, you have edge-based access decisions where fast throughput can be obtained on a reasonable sized database in the realms of tens of thousands of people with the latest generation of edge-based biometric readers. In this situation, the central database will store the biometric PII and distribute a template that prevents somebody who steals it from identifying any users.”

According to Bell, through Gallagher’s integration with IDEMIA biometrics, the company implements an edge-based access decision architecture that securely manages the downloading of templates to the edge-based readers.

“We also implement template on card with most of our IDEMIA integration solutions, should customers prefer the biometric PII wasn’t stored centrally,” he says.

Nirovision’s Jason Allen says that comfort levels with biometrics revolve around the transparency of data handling.

“When it comes to facial recognition technology, organisations have found that being transparent about how data is proposed to be used is a crucial step towards community acceptance,” he explains.

“This has been our experience too. If you clearly explain the reasons for using facial recognition, where data will be stored and what safeguards will be taken to protect that information, then people are more inclined to accept the technology.

“It’s also important to know the origin of the algorithms in use as a lot of products outsource the facial recognition component, which means the core technology is not under the control of the enterprise that is selling you. It’s best to enquire if proprietary tech is being used.” n

26 se&n

SEN921_26data.indd 26

26/8/21 3:23 pm

[Print]Hikvision Oceania 2-wire and IP-based Video Intercom Product AD.pdf

1

23/8/21

8:30 pm

2-WIRE and

IP-BASED

VIDEO INTERCOM PRODUCT Cloud

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

2 MP

Distributed by Australia

180° Fisheye

Moblie App

Night Vision

Live View IP Camera

Hikvision Oceania

New Zealand

www.hikvision.com.au Hotline +61 1300 976 305 salesau@hikvision.com www.csd.com.au

SEN921_27.indd 1

www.nesscorporation.com www.videosecurityproducts.com.au www.atlasgentech.co.nz

www.nfs.co.nz

Scan to know more

Follow us on |

Hikvision Oceania

26/8/21 3:15 pm

● Special Report

Cloud

CLOUD SECURITY SOLUTIONS Cloud solutions now cover alarms, access control, CCTV and automation, with traditional services expanding into cloud and new services being added all the time. For end users there’s plenty to think about – not just functionality but return on investment and network security – while installers and integrators need to nail down cloud business models from top to bottom.

LOUD is an old technology whose time has come. For end users and installers, the deepening support and lateral growth of cloud applications poses plenty of questions around functionality, return on investment, cyber security, the efficacy of business models, remote management, remote maintenance and more.

At a basic level, cloud computing is a PAYG ondemand computing service that covers key areas such as processing, apps and storage. Cloud may be private or public, but most systems drive over the internet.

There are mutual advantages to cloud models – users get functionality supported by high spec, highly secure hardware without capital expense.

For security providers, the same benefit applies,

C

Stanley El Komala, BGWT.

with the capital savings being invested back into development of enhanced functionality for the user interface.

There are serious benefits to cloud, including the fact there are no servers, there’s no more buying and maintaining software, there’s less need for elevated IT skills inhouse, new services can be rolled out complete, not in torturous stages, while there’s a hive mind benefit to an entire customer base using and polishing the same service through suggestions and requests that’s more manageable and leads to faster improvements than would otherwise be the case.

Powerful functions, like video and data analytics, can also be added on the fly.

As long as secure and robust internet connectivity can be guaranteed, something cloud delivers better than any other option in the medium term is continuity of service without requiring endless maintenance. Once local hardware is installed and pointed in the right direction, staff can access cloud services from anywhere, always.

Selecting providers requires thought because

28 se&n

SEN921_28cloud.indd 28

26/8/21 4:50 pm

BY J O H N A D A M S

CLOUD CAN OFFER POWERFUL INTELLIGENCE AT THE EDGE WITH ACTIONABLE DATA IN REAL-TIME WHICH IS A GAMECHANGER FOR END-USERS.

you’re not only choosing a security provider but whichever cloud provider stands behind their service – AWS, Microsoft and Google are the big players, with IBM, Oracle and Alibaba in the space, too. The smaller outfits tend to differentiate their services by delivering more functionality and that may be a consideration. But the biggest consideration for ANZ installers and end users is likely to be making sure the service is supported in local data centres so as to reduce latency, increase security and iron out issues of sovereignty.

According to Jimmy Patel of Sektor, there are significant benefits to cloud solutions when compared with stand-alone systems, including easier maintenance and higher security.

“True cloud systems don’t require on-premise servers,” Patel says. “Removing local server hardware simplifies the deployment and reduces ongoing maintenance requirements significantly. Cloud native products are also secure by design and adopt cyber security best practices at their core with secure protocols enabled out of the box and secure in storage, communication, and configuration. Most

traditional security products are capable of cyber security protocols, but most are not configured or using any of these protocols as standard, and are complex to implement securely.

“Cloud can offer powerful intelligence at the edge with actionable data in real-time, which is a gamechanger for end-users. Another common theme with cloud systems seems to be a more focused and intuitive UI. Many cloud systems are browser based and device agnostic while also offering automated updates to firmware on edge devices with little to no impact to operations.”

Of particular interest for installers and integrators is establishing business models when it comes to generating recurring revenue from cloud-based security solutions. Getting this part right is the key for cloud providers, as well as for installers looking to iron out wrinkles in cash flow.

“The cloud systems we work with delivers revenue based on edge device licensing,” Patel explains. “Typically sold in 1, 3 and 5-year blocks, this licensing becomes an annuity for service providers. For paying the license fees, end users enjoy constant system improvements/updates and ongoing hardware warranties. Using Ava Aware as an example, customers with Ava cameras which are paying the cloud license enjoy a 10-year camera warranty.

The challenges of cloud implementation from the point of view of installers and integrators also need to be considered – not only from the point of view of difficulty, but from the point of view of enhanced simplicity.

“Unlike traditional systems, the latest cloud solutions do not require specialist skills to commission and configure,” Patel says, “It could not get simpler than scanning a QR code and connecting to the internet - the new cloud experience is as simple as setting up a Netflix account or a smart home speaker.”

Something installers and integrators may not be across is the flexibility of cloud-based systems when it comes to size.

“There is significant flexibility,” Patel says.

“Consider these examples: 1. A fast food retailer with 700 sites with 7 cameras in each would like to deploy video with retail analytics. A cloud solution means we do not have 700 servers to manage, with a cloud solution we simply drop cameras into the environments as required.

2. A logistics firm with a large warehouse with 100

se&n 29

SEN921_28cloud.indd 29

26/8/21 4:51 pm

● Special Report

Cloud

cameras is expanding into the next building and needs to add 50 cameras. With a cloud solution, we add a camera at a time without any concern for server overheads or retention, etc.

“As well as increased flexibility, there are also direct cost benefits for end users, thanks to the elimination of servers and heavy bandwidth.

Solutions are also easy to deploy, easy to enhance, highly secure and always up to date.”

As Patel suggests, a key consideration of cloud applications is that they be secure - not only when it comes to local networks, but the laptops, tablets and smart devices used to access cloud solutions.

“Cyber hygiene is important for all organisations and their assets,” he says. “A demonstrable pedigree in cyber security techniques should be nonnegotiable when selecting cloud security brands.”

Secure local data centres are also important.

“Integrators and end users should use products and services that adopt best practices in this space,” Patel says. “Responsible manufacturers adopt ISO 27001 certification which requires organizations to implement controls to manage and monitor security services in common areas, such as logical/physical access control, secure software development, encryption technology and security incident handling.

When it comes to ensuring best performance from a cloud-based CCTV system, Patel says a common tripping point can be choosing a cloud ‘hosted’ solution on sites with limited bandwidth.

“In many cases, a cloud ‘managed’ or ‘hybrid’ approach can provide the most resilient deployment while dramatically reducing costs,” he says. “Cloud managed and hybrid systems can be very forgiving and do not require high bandwidth to operate, especially if operators are accessing video locally.

“Cloud solutions also offer feature rich performance, in many cases a much better experience than traditional systems. Using WebRTC in conjunction with edge and/or local recording, cameras can stream using available network resources, sending streams directly from cameras to clients and dynamically adjusting resolution/ quality. With the latest systems this can be achieved while recording at maximum resolution and frame rate.”

Over at BGW Technologies, Stanley El Komala, BGW Technologies says cloud benefits include that they make things easy for managing multiple sites from one location with remote management via the cloud; and allow programming to be managed from anywhere without requiring a visit to site.

Centralised auto software updates pushed out to devices is also a nice benefit.

“When it comes to business models delivering recurring revenue, best practice is the installers/ integrators becoming the approved dealer for the cloud platforms/systems.” El Komala says. “The SI

A DEMONSTRABLE PEDIGREE IN CYBER SECURITY TECHNIQUES SHOULD BE NON-NEGOTIABLE WHEN SELECTING CLOUD SECURITY BRANDS.

then manages everything from the cloud portal ranging from billing, activation, marketing, and business intelligence. In other words, the cloud provider, to SI, to end user with revenue based upon ‘and or’ connection and or data used/stored and or features used.”

How hard are cloud solutions to implement from the point of view of installers and integrators, according to El Komala?

“It really is so easy to implement from an SI perspective,” he explains. “Not only can it be done from a desktop computer but in many cases from a mobile device like a phone or tablet. What’s more, so much can be done remotely that site visits can be reduced, while seeing all your customers from one app makes management easy. The good cloud platforms have excellent online training and tools, including marketing and B2B tools all within the same platform.”

According to El Komala, these strengths flow into sales hooks.

“One platform, with access on any device, to multiple technologies (alarm, access and CCTV) and the ability to self-manage some parts of the system themselves with remote escalation to SI for more complicated issues or configurations – these are great features for everyone,” he says.

When it comes to choosing a secure local data centre, El Komala is circumspect.

“It can be important, but cost to deploy and maintain cloud in a secure and highly resilient environment should not be underestimated,” he explains. “This consideration of local vs off-shore data centres needs to consider what the cloud is being used for (large data retrieval vs small data retrieval), for example, live video vs stored video.

“Network speed and resilience continues to take quantum leaps forward and as such, providing the country and data centre you are using is of a trusted nature, then in many cases off-shore is more than adequate, nevertheless speed and latency is a horses for courses consideration.”

Would El Komala advocate a centralised or distributed cloud model (geographically remote or local external data centre), or does it depend on communications and requirements – for instance, distributed/local for CCTV and single centralised for access control and alarms?

“CCTV could record locally on the network recorder and when there is an event it will also be recorded in the cloud and pushed to the viewing device,” he says. “For access control and alarms the event is always stored locally on the access control and alarm panels and then gets sync to the cloud.

“These days the leading cloud solutions have great flexibility and are very scalable from basic systems to the large systems. But the sweet spot for cloud is SME and multi-site SME, especially with video.”

30 se&n

SEN921_28cloud.indd 30

26/8/21 4:50 pm

Something that is driving cloud uptake is COVID-19 and work from home models, with a growing focus on remote management that is bringing cloud to the fore in a way we have not seen before.

“Attending site is often not possible during the COVID restriction/lockdown period,” El Komala says.

“With remote management, maintaining or upgrading systems can be done remotely via the cloud. We certainly hear this has been a real upside for service and maintenance and is helping installers spend less time on site because they are doing configuration and commissioning remotely.

“Additionally, end users can more easily selfmanage sites and user configurations to juggle COVID-forced changes that are impacting operating hours and staff attendance.”

According to Eagle Eye Networks’ Dean Drako, there are serious benefits to cloud from a business perspective.

“Every day more integrators are standardizing on cloud video surveillance systems because the technology offers what their end users want, and because the business model is much more attractive,” he explains. “Cloud video can help integrators build a recurring monthly revenue stream, which makes their businesses more valuable and predictable.

“The business model for cloud is based on a monthly or yearly subscription. Business owners are used to paying for cloud-based subscription services like ERPs, CRMs, and email. Video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) is convenient and cost effective for the integrator and end user. These systems are centrally managed, which translates to lower labour costs for the integrator (fewer truck rolls, simpler installation and maintenance). There is no need for the integrator to go out and visit a site to update the local software.

“Cloud-managed on-premises devices have builtin cybersecurity, so cameras and LANS are protected from malicious hackers and malware. In many cases the existing infrastructure can be used, which means there is no need to rip and replace cameras or other infrastructure. The business model also offers integrators the opportunity to enhance their relationships with end users, to improve customer service, and to develop more trusted partnerships, building more value for all parties.”

Drako says cloud solutions are easy to implement.

“Traditional video security systems require substantial amounts of hardware, installations are often complicated and there is a constant need for software maintenance and management,” he explains. “True cloud video surveillance systems, on the other hand, are easy for integrators to deploy, remotely manage, and they seamlessly integrate with third-party systems. Integrators can rely on their cloud provider to provide continuous delivery of cybersecurity protection and other features to the end users’ system via the cloud.

When it comes to operational and cost benefits, Drako argues performance, simplicity and price are top.

“True cloud video surveillance systems have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than on-premises systems,” Drako explains. “Lots of things contribute to the lower TCO, and many are also operational benefits. For one, cloud video management systems require a lower up-front financial investment.

Monthly subscription costs are predictable and economical. End users are not locked into buying a certain camera brand or model. They can use the camera product/s they like, and they don’t have to rip and replace legacy cameras, because older cameras — even analogue cameras — and existing infrastructure can be reused in a new cloud system. In terms of retention, the data storage and video recording and processing are fully redundant, and cloud VMS offers robust cybersecurity including data encryption in transit and at rest.

“Both end users and integrators love the fact the integrator does not have to visit the customer site to do security and feature updates, something that has been of critical importance during pandemic lockdowns.

“If a business owner wants to add or subtract video analytics and other system capabilities, they can do it on-demand, and they only pay for what they use.

Similarly, if a business owner wants to extend the retention time, change the recording resolution or frame rate, they can do this instantly, on a per-camera basis, without having to make any on-premises infrastructure changes. Scaling up is simple when a business grows or when a new location is added.

“System downtime is extremely limited, and the training for staff is minimal. Cloud video surveillance can also be extremely helpful to customers with compliance requirements. Finally, end users are finding that video analytics help them improve security and business efficiency. The trend of artificial intelligence being applied in the cloud will bring even more features and operational benefits to business owners.” n

se&n 31

SEN921_28cloud.indd 31

26/8/21 4:50 pm

● Case Study

ICT

BY J O H N A D A M S

SHORE JUNCTION Shore Junction, a not-for-profit youth innovation hub at Takapuna on Auckland’s North Shore, has installed an ICT Protege solution integrating access control, alarms and CCTV. FTER a recent upgrade, Shore Junction, which offers free facilities for those aged 13-24 to try new experiences in areas such as technology, enterprise, and music, contains everything to equip the next generation for success.

And in a nod to its past, the dog tag memorial wall allows these youth to learn about the heritage of the former RSA site, preserving the memories of local returned servicemen and woman.

Central to this application were the ability to grant remote access, as well as remote checking of door status, disarm alarm, and viewing of video. The solution providers site management with a unified alarm and intrusion detection system delivering simple management of casual users, as well as flexible reporting for governance and funding requirements.

Shore Junction has been a youth-led community project from the beginning, driven by a co-design process. As a multi-use facility with both casual youth and business users, there were many requirements around safety, reporting, and remote access that needed to be addressed. And with a mandate to adapt to their users, it was important that any access control and intruder detection system fit the ethos of the living space and provide the flexibility to adapt to changing demands.

“We had to keep the space flexible as we didn’t know how it was going to be used,” says Shore Junction’s head of technology, Richard Ertel. “Working with ICT allowed us to build out a robust system that meets our dynamic needs – we can safely manage the space while providing secure access.”

According to Ertel, with safety a primary concern, Shore Junction can restrict access to certain types of equipment unless the user has been certified.

A

“We’ve got the ability to integrate with Protege GX, so for example, if the young person has completed training, we can grant access for the laser cutter on their card and they can present it to use the tool, while someone untrained can’t,” Ertel says.

As well as reporting, the Shore Junction management needed remote access to Protege GX. Initially this was so they could let users in after hours when they weren’t able to be onsite.

Centre director, Annaliese Hewitt says usage of the system has only grown.

“The great thing with Protege is we can log in remotely and check anything,” she explains. “I can check at any stage what doors are open. I can use the cameras to check who’s in the building, and I can set the alarm remotely if needed. And I can do everything from home.”

As a not-for-profit, Shore Junction is responsible for providing regular reports to their funders about the number of young people and visitors that have been into the building.

“With Protege GX, I can pull reports really easily and at any stage, I can check how many people have been in over the last day or month,” she says. “It keeps track of every young person using the check-in/check-out feature, allows me to pull reports on what doors have been opened, and shows when the alarms were set and disarmed.”

A multi-purpose space like Shore Junction has an ever-changing number of users, so it was important that the ICT solution was simple for everyone to use – from casual visitors, through to centre management.

And it was also essential that time spent on regular tasks, such as changes to schedules or managing users, was kept to a minimum.

Because Protege GX is a unified solution staff and external users can enter and disarm the building in one step. When they present their card to the tSec reader, they are granted access and the alarm disarms automatically with fumbling around for an alarm code.

And as Hewitt explains, this provides an additional benefit – there’s no need to share alarm codes with external users, which is great from a security perspective. This ease of use follows through to regular tasks she needs to perform in Protege GX. “Setting up new people on the system is really simple, whether it’s a staff or hot-desking membership,” Hewitt says. “And when new young people come in, I can quickly edit their details, add the new card number, issue it, and then they can access Shore Junction immediately.

“Youth workers are often studying so their lifestyle changes, which means we’re always having to remove access when they leave. With ICT, making these changes doesn’t become a chore. Everything in the Protege system only takes a few seconds to get sorted.” n

32 se&n

SEN921_32ict.indd 32

26/8/21 3:24 pm

There are easier ways to stay in the loop

SEN EDM NEWS I REVIEWS I TENDERS

Subscribe at securityelectronicsandnetworks.com EDM print ad_Sept21.indd 1

26/8/21 4:17 pm

● Special Report

Access Control

LOCKING CONSIDERATIONS One of the challenges faced when choosing an electronic locking device is that different types of lock are often generally suitable for a range of applications, making it hard to work out which option is going to be best.

HEN you’re making your electronic locking selections, think about the realities of your own site. Something to consider early on is the preload of an electric strike – in specifications this force is often measured in Newtons which are a value of force rather than weight or pressure. Essentially 1 Newton is the force required to accelerate a mass of 1kg at the rate of 1 metre per second, per second. If you find it easier to think of force in terms of weight measurements, a Newton is about 0.224809 pounds or 0.101972 kg of force.

This pre-load issue relates to jamming of electrically operated doors caused by pre-loads that are higher than the strike is rated to handle – a quality fire rated lock might have a pre-load rating of around 200N and the entire locking solution will need to match this.

There’s debate around pre-load, so you should talk to the experts and get your head around it as part of the process.

In addition to pre-load, high security emergency exit locks will offer side-load immune release mechanisms. You want this capability if your locks are going into egress points likely to carry large numbers of people in the event of emergency evacuation.

Emergency doors and egress doors should open outwards. Doors installed this way guarantee a crush of people on the inside of a locked door can never block an inward opening emergency exit.

Supporting this sort of installation, side-load immune locking mechanisms guarantee that no matter how much pressure panicked people put on the inside of an electrically locked door, the locking mechanism will still release in the event of a fire alarm and/or a fail-safe event.

Another fundamental question security managers and installers will face relates to whether or not the door is fire rated or simply an internal access point.

Fire rated doors need a heavy-duty strike that has a fire rating and is specifically designed for high use applications.

Adding to the security manager’s dilemma will

W

be the different types of door jamb – variations have differing needs and you’ll want to assess these requirements before deciding. The 3 most common jamb types are timber, aluminium and steel. You’ll most commonly run into timber and aluminium door jambs in front and internal doors, with steel jambs used for fire-proof doors.

Complexity is also going to be introduced by relevant building codes – some codes insist that in drywall installations (either metal or timber jambs) only internal solenoid locks are used, and must teamed up with tall faceplates that spread load to ensure minimum gouging of the wall itself.

Hollow steel or aluminium jambs will accommodate pretty much any electric strike of suitable size. Things do get complicated with aluminium-framed glass doors. The glass is usually encased in the 3-odd centimetre wide jamb surface of the jamb, making installing the strike particularly hard. This means the installer is required to put in a strike that’s compact

34 se&n

SEN921_34locking.indd 34

31/8/21 3:06 pm

BY J O H N A D A M S

enough to fit the jamb width without cutting the glass. Obviously, the most compact and the most secure strikes are not always the same thing, and in most cases, finding some sort of balance between architecture and protection will test security policy.

The same rules that apply for drywall installs should also be used as guidelines for concrete filled metal jambs – concrete is often used as a stabilizer in fire doors. Installs like this need a low-profile strike with an internal solenoid. Another thing to consider is the existing lockset. The lockset type will have a determining effect on the strike chosen.

Installers are usually expected to match whatever lock the interior designer or architect has chosen with the needs of an electric strike and seldom will the needs of the 2 mechanisms be met.

At the very least, security managers should make sure installation teams get the benefit of working with an ANSI lock style that is catered for by strike manufacturers. Trying to wring some sort of security from architectural locks chosen

on the basis of aesthetics will always compromise security. You’ll obtain a seal but only if no force is applied to the locked door.

The problem works in reverse, too. In the interests of coming up with the most competitive quote, a non-grade electric strike will be installed to keep a Grade 1 heavy duty lockset. These 2 will not be good friends. The problem is that the lockset is burdening the strike – especially if there’s any traffic using the egress point.

Any combination of heavy-duty mortise lock incorporating a steel 3-piece anti friction latch and an auxiliary dead latch feature; with a light duty electric strike complete with a narrow style zinc cast faceplate, a zinc cast latch keeper, and shallow cavity depth or height that’s designed for light applications simply builds in malfunction. Installers forced to team up this sort of combination on glass doors that lack room for a properly matched and graded electric strike should argue a case for electromagnetic locking solutions. n

se&n 35

SEN921_34locking.indd 35

31/8/21 3:06 pm

● Special Report

Security Management

SECURITY IN A TIME OF COVID Where should the focus of physical security management of commercial properties be in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?

It’s all about risk management and the thoughtful application of procedures.

LL workplaces are vastly different today, due to COVID-19, and will continue to be so for some time to come. But businesses don’t experience less risk when people aren’t at work – just different risk, needing different security methods. One of the most significant effects of COVID-19 has been a reduction of people in the community. While the natural assumption is that this may be a good thing from a risk perspective, it’s not all positive.

If you’re managing commercial properties, your security strategy must adapt to the change in operations and maintain consistency under all circumstances. We’re now 18 months into the pandemic in Australia and have mostly adjusted to life under the new controls and restrictions.

Given the pandemic’s course, the rules around our workplaces are unlikely to change for some time yet.

This means that security is going to need to continue to function in anything but a businessas-usual fashion for some time to come. So, what does this mean for managing risk and security in commercial properties? Essentially it means security may continue to have to function in an altered state for many months and possibly 12 months or more after the pandemic ends – that ending remains opaque.

This is because the security functions of commercial property were structured to deal with a set number of people, over a set number of hours each day. But now, workplaces are mostly empty and the security needs of our buildings and open spaces are very different. And even when workplaces reopen, the expectation is that the hours of operation could be vastly different to allow people to start and finish at different times. This will help with social distancing in the workplace by restructuring working hours to allow people to continue working from home, avoiding everyone being in the workspace at the same time.

A

THE QUESTION IS, HAS YOUR SECURITY STRATEGY ADAPTED TO THE CHANGE IN OPERATIONS? AND HOW DO YOU KNOW IF WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS EFFECTIVE OR NOT?

Either way, the days of maximising the available floor space through the use of cubicles and workstations appears to be over for the foreseeable future, and perhaps even permanently. As a result, our workplaces now and into the future, are quite different.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) plays a significant part in crime prevention by making people easily observable.

However, the whole philosophy of CPTED breaks down when people aren’t around to observe, and in turn discourage, criminal activity. We’ve seen a number of incidents over the last few weeks that we believe were contributed to by the current pandemic. These included: l An assault and bag snatch in a shopping centre that all but went unnoticed because of the low level of patronage l A shop front that was the target of a very brazen robbery that occurred on one of Melbourne’s busiest roads l An armed robbery undertaken by people wearing face masks as many in the community are.

Crime hasn’t stopped because of the pandemic.

In some respect, it’s lower in some categories but higher in others.

36 se&n

SEN921_36covid.indd 36

26/8/21 3:25 pm

BY L U K E P E R CY- D O V E *

We’ve also had to review incidents associated with rough sleepers, illicit drug use and opportunistic theft in places where we haven’t seen them before. We’re also attributing these activities to the inherently low levels of vehicles and pedestrians around town.

Our workplaces are different and the risks that workplaces are exposed to are also different. The question is, has your security strategy adapted to the change in operations? And how do you know if what you’re doing is effective or not?

Security needs to be as adaptive as the world we live in is unpredictable. And what is absolutely apparent, is that over the next 18 months, our world is going to continue to change as we strive towards a new version of ‘normal’. This means that the security strategies we deploy will need to be fluid enough to deal with the changing work environment, while maintaining a property’s risk position at an acceptable level. Two areas to focus your security management plan on right now include: l Update the standard operating procedures (SOP’s) for security officers: The operational security elements of the business are going to keep changing, which means that supporting documents should be continually revised in line with the changes.

SOP’s rarely get updated and will be the first thing

overlooked. Yet, they’re a key element of any functional security strategy. l Training and induction for security staff: Training and inductions for security staff need to keep adapting to the changes in security operations.

They’re also unlikely to adapt, because this is an area of the security industry that has always been under-managed by clients and service providers alike. During times such as these, when we’re operating with reduced resources and budgets, this will be one of the first things overlooked.

For security to be effective, it needs to adapt to both local and global changes. It needs to remain consistent under all circumstances.

And consistency is very difficult to achieve if we’re managing security and risk on the fly, as is happening in so many businesses right now. Risk has not gone away, it’s just different to what it was.

Are you managing your security and risk position effectively? n * Luke Percy-Dove is one of the most respected and highly regarded security advisers and security design consultants in Australia and has been a trusted key player in the security industry for more than two decades, delivering security solutions for hundreds of businesses and organisations nationally.

se&n 37

SEN921_36covid.indd 37

26/8/21 3:25 pm

Proudly brought to you by

● Regulars

Monitoring

Your Monitoring Specialists

1300 130 515

www.bensecurity.com.au

More-ish About Monitoring MOST sites have a range of devices and systems that should be getting 24-hour monitoring, but they’re too often ignored – especially on small and medium sites. Sure, it’s important to monitor internal spaces after hours but there are many systems on a site that are vital to operations.

HEN working to establish what you need to monitor on a given site, you need to conduct a detailed survey and put in place a plan that identifies key elements of your site and outlines strategies to support them.

These elements will be bigger than you think and might include comms, solar power generation, the fuel tanks of diesel generators, flood sensors, irrigation systems, HVAC, external lighting, automatic gates, UPS, external fire sensors and whatever else your site can’t function without.

Right up from, it would be a mistake not to think about the comms solution/s. That includes everything from wireless links to fibre optic connections and telecom equipment. Yes, you can include a wireless alarm reporting link in your overall security solution but it’s an unspecific and clunky way to keep an eye on telco connections for a large facility.

Likewise, if you’re protecting a major facility with significant network infrastructure, you’ll need to monitor power supplies – not just primary power supplies but remote supplies, generator

W

IT’S FAIR TO SAY, THE MOST VITAL SERVICE TO ANY SITE IS ELECTRICITY, WITH COMMS COMING SECOND.

and UPS support, too. You can’t monitor site power by waiting till the alarm system switches onto backup battery and rely on instructions from the monitoring station’s operators to inform you tens of thousands worth of lobster (insert your own scenario here) is melting on site.

Nor can responsibility for monitoring of key systems be palmed off onto SCADA systems at an operational level. SCADA systems – unless a site is managed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - will not offer an immediacy of response. And on smaller sites these overarching networks of data acquisition, management and control are not going to be in place. SCADA will monitor plant functionality, but it will not contact a 24-hour control room and call an emergency electrical contractor. SCADA is also vulnerable to simplistic cyber attacks so can’t be relied on for security and operational monitoring.

We’d argue there are 4 primary areas that need monitoring in the modern facility, and these can be identified in order of importance as power supplies – including AC, battery backups, UPS and generators. Next is comms infrastructure including telecoms panels (digital and analogue), as well as switches and routers, fibre optic patch panels and microwave dishes and panels. At this level you’d be thinking about monitoring elements of digital and networked video surveillance infrastructure.

It’s fair to say, the most vital service to any site is electricity, with comms coming second. Yes, the security system is important too but without these fundamental support infrastructures, security sensors, cameras and access control solutions represent dumb hardware. In their absence it will be mechanical locks, gates and physical target hardening strategies that will protect your site – the electronic security system will be worthless.

Another big deal is the fire alarm system.

True, on bigger sites this is a separate solution monitored by fire services, but

38 se&n

SEN921_38monitor.indd 38

26/8/21 3:27 pm

Proudly brought to you by

Your Monitoring Specialists

1300 130 515

www.bensecurity.com.au

you’ll want a finger on the pulse of this key system anyway. And on smaller sites, the smoke sensors connected to the security system may be the first line of defense after the sprinklers. Depending on your application, monitoring the fire system secondarily might include use of CCTV, or a flood sensor that detects sprinkler activation.

The operational elements of the video surveillance system have a place here as well. How you’re going to monitor this solution depends on the nature of the product you’re working with. You may need to consider it as a subsystem of the

overall security solution. You’ll want to consider power, HDD failures, RAID solution failures, cable plant integrity and camera power. Keeping an eye on network cabinet access points and server racks is key.

There are also environmental inputs that you’ll need to keep an eye on when thinking about network infrastructure and these include basics like temperature, the presence of water, air quality, and chemical sensors. Depending on the nature of the site, there will be an HVAC system and it might be modest or vast and

complex. Most big HVAC solutions are monitored and controlled by SCADA systems but there will be fundamental inputs you’ll need to monitor and whether you take these direct from the HVAC control panel or dig them out of SCADA RTUs is going to depend on HVAC system design, the cleverness of integrators and the pervasiveness of your overall monitoring procedures.

Whatever else you do as a consultant, security manager or integrator, don’t make the mistake of thinking monitoring is only conducted between alarm sensors/panels and receivers in a monitoring system. n

se&n 39

SEN921_38monitor.indd 39

26/8/21 3:27 pm

● Product Review

Hikvision

HIKVISION DS-2CD2T87G2-L COLORVU GEN2

Hikvision’s DS-2CD2T87G2-L ColorVu Gen2 fixed bullet camera features a very fast F1.0, 2.8mm lens (there are 4 and 6mm options), 60 metres of white light and 4K resolution, an all-alloy body rated to IP67, as well as the ability to handle strong backlight thanks to 130dB of WDR.

40 se&n

SEN921_40hik.indd 40

26/8/21 4:45 pm

BY J O H N A D A M S

IKVISION’S DS-2CD2T87G2-L ColorVu Gen2 is a capable fixed bullet camera with a solid specification, including a ½-inch sensor delivering 8MP (3840 x 2160 pixel) resolution, a fairly optimistic minimum scene illumination of 0.0005 lux in colour @ F1.0 with AGC on while unassisted, or 0 lux with white LED light activated, and a horizontal field of view of 102 degrees and a vertical FOV of 52 degrees from its fixed iris lens.

Central to functionality, the camera features Acusense technology, a deep learning algorithm able to distinguish pedestrians, vehicles and objects and report events based on rules around what they do.

With Acusense, video clips are sorted into categories – people and vehicles – and users click a category and use time or location data to locate the clip. We met Acusense Gen 1 a year or so ago and really liked it.

Smart features include motion detection (human and vehicle), video tampering alarm, exception (network disconnected, IP address conflict, illegal login, HDD full, HDD error), Smart Event Scene change detection, deep learning function, face capture, line crossing detection, intrusion detection, region entrance detection, and region exiting detection.

DORI numbers for the 2.8 mm lens are detect at 96m, observe at 38m, recognise at 19m and identify at 10m. As usual for Hikvision, we reckon these numbers understate performance and our experience with the camera bears this out, with face ID in good light achievable past 12 metres. The longer focal lengths will do better than this – the 6mm is perfect for choke points, while the 4mm will excel in street applications.

Video compression options include H.265, H.264, H.264+ and H.265+, with sub streams being H.265, H.264 and MJPEG, while the third-stream option is H.265 or H.264. Bit rate range is 32Kbps to 16Mbps, bit rate control is CBR/VBR and there’s scalable video coding and a single fixed region of interest in main and sub streams. There’s the usual Hikvision swag of protocols and the camera supports up to 6 simultaneous users on live view.

API options include open network video interface (Profile S, Profile G, Profile T), ISAPI and SDK, and the camera can be programmed for up to 32 users with 3 user levels, including administrator, operator and user.

Security is comprehensive and includes password protection, complicated password, HTTPS encryption, IP address filter, security audit log, basic and digest authentication for HTTP/HTTPS, TLS 1.1/1.2, WSSE and digest authentication for open network video interface. Network storage is for NAS (NFS, SMB/CIFS) or you can leverage a built-in memory card slot supporting microSD/microSDHC/ microSDXC/TF cards of up to 256 GB. It’s also possible to upload image streams to FTP/memory card/NAS, notify surveillance centres, trigger record, trigger capture, and send email on event.

There’s auto network replenishment (ANR) and client options include iVMS-4200, Hik-Connect and Hik-Central.

H

Depth of field outstanding

Here it is again.

Pedestrian at night.

Fast moving vehicle. se&n 41

SEN921_40hik.indd 41

26/8/21 4:45 pm

● Product Review

Hikvision

Plate with backlight.

And another...

Image settings include rotate, mirror, privacy mask, saturation, brightness, contrast, sharpness, gain, white balance adjustable by client software or web browser, and there’s day/night switch, day, night, auto, schedule, 52dB of signal to noise ratio, and image enhancements including BLC, HLC and 3D DNR. Basic event options are for motion detection (human and vehicle targets classification), video tampering alarm, exception (network disconnected, IP address conflict, illegal login, HDD full, HDD error), as well as smart event line crossing, intrusion, region of entrance, region exiting, including support for alarm triggering by specified target types - human and vehicle – and scene change detection. There’s a deep learning function and face capture.

Power demands are 12V DC with a current draw of 0.7A at a maximum of 8.5W, Ø5.5 mm coaxial power plug, reverse polarity protection, and PoE Class 3 with a current draw of 0.27A to 0.17A at a maximum of 9.5W. The camera is 385 x 190 x 180 mm in size, features IP67 rating against weather and dust, has a 0-355-degree pan a 0-90 degree tilt, a weight of 1.7kg and an operating temperature of -30 to 60C.

TEST DRIVING COLORVU GEN2 We are testing the Hikvision ColorVu Gen2 on SEN’s test subnet – there’s nothing else on the network.

The camera settings include a slight increase in brightness and slightly higher sharpness. I have WDR

off and white balance is set to auto. The first thing I notice looking at the camera on a grey morning is barrel distortion – it’s 9-11 per cent. This is a fixed focal length lens and looking through the scene, I’d say it’s a very simple lens equation - there’s nothing in way of chromatic aberrations. Meanwhile, colour rendition is true, perhaps a touch low contrast.

The next thing that strikes me is the camera’s high resolution. This is a 4k camera, and that means I have more than the usual depth of field and more than the usual amount of detail deeper, as well as excellent detail levels close to the lens in medium to good light.

This is going to give me better number plates and better face recognition. There’s serious depth of field, considering this is a fixed 2.8mm lens. I can see grass stems, layered reflections, can see through the window of vehicles on the street and look at what’s inside.

There’s a lot of detail of pedestrians, what they’re carrying what they’re wearing, what’s on their feet, their fingernail polish, wristbands and more.

The 2.8mm lens is a good choice for an application like this one on a 4K camera. It’s a wide view without being so wide pixels are spread too much, though it’s hard to spread pixels too much when you have so many. I’m not getting moving plates in this low light, but I can see pedestrians at 50 metres, and I’ve got tons of detail close up. The images are free of noise, artefacts and pulsing. You’d be pleased with this if this was your angle of view, particularly if your requirements were for high levels of detail within 25 metres, with quality situational awareness further out.

There’s a touch of compression towards the edge of the images thanks to that barrel distortion but it’s more than acceptable and it’s not affecting the amount of detail you get of footwear, clothing hairstyle, glasses, carried items. Back in the sweet spot towards the centre of the lens you’re still getting tons of detail out to 40m.

You can see what people are wearing, facial hair, skin tone, and when people are within 12m it’s really highquality court admissible imagery. There’s no question about ironclad face recognition – it’s excellent.

At one point I’m looking through the door of a ute where a tradesman is about tuck into his chips and hamburger – there’s nothing indistinct about the imagery – it’s pin sharp. A little later I have the tradesman taking a bite of his burger while another worker crosses the road with his lunch and yet another worker strolls up the street. Those whose faces I can see are court admissible to the 20m mark and the ones walking away from me show sufficient levels of detail in terms of footwear, clothing and carried items, to be identifiable. Deeper, I’m not looking into restaurant windows on the fast side of Albion Street, but I can see people moving around and there’s good situational awareness.

Next, I watch a person listening to headphones, taking a toke of his stainless steel vape, his face is court admissible behind a mask and in the background, I can see another person getting into a car. When a vehicle scoots by, I don’t have the plate, but elsewhere I can see

42 se&n

SEN921_40hik.indd 42

26/8/21 4:45 pm

footwear. Now there’s a woman going past with a dog, carrying a bag. Again, the face recognition is excellent at 2.8mm, and it would be even better at 4mm or 6mm with a tighter angle of view.

I keep being surprising by the levels of detail - in one image I can see the expression around a person’s eyes.

In the same scene, I can see there’s a delivery truck blocking Albion Lane 60 metres further up. Another image has 4 people in it separated by 30 metres. A lady is walking past masked, but detail is sufficient to recognize her. I can see bands around her wrist, she’s carrying a smart device and a cup of coffee. There’s another lady coming behind with an ID tag sticking out of her pocket while deeper in, a man is walking away carrying a bag with his lunch in it. On the other side of the road is a bearded tradesman in his 60s. He’s taking the paint off the front of the house, wearing an old blue polo shirt and gloves.

A small truck goes quickly past while a tradie crosses the road – he’s court admissible even half turned away from me. I can see there’s a passenger in the vehicle going up the road - the colour of his shirt is visible as his elbow is sticking out the window. Past them is another person walking a dog. A lady gets out of her car. I’ve got the plate of a moving vehicle going by and the face of the woman. The light levels have dropped – this image is not quite court admissible.

Next, a woman stands under the camera reading a map and everything she is wearing and carrying is highly resolved.

In the presence of stronger light – around 65,000 lux on the bright side of the street, the image can get a touch over exposed but after playing around, I prefer leaving WDR off and accepting the over exposure.

The hot side of the street holds together and I prefer the look of it to the work WDR puts on the image in this application. Regardless, I have loads of detail.

Static plates are a giveaway in terms of high detail, and I’ve got static plates to 25m - with a fixed 2.8mm lens it’s exceptionally good work.

Later in the afternoon we start to get variable light.

I’m not getting moving plates past 25 metres but a there’s lot of other detail in the scene. There are 3 people walking down the road. A lady wearing a duffle coat is court admissible, even masked, while a man behind her at around 13 metres is wearing Haviana thongs and tracksuit pants. He, too, is court admissible, though masked. And at around 35 metres from the lens there’s a man at a parking meter. A vehicle at about 18 metres offers me a plate.

Light fades away in the afternoon but camera performance is consistent. In full dark with white light activated I can see into the house across the road. The orange colour cast at the end of the street from the sodium lights is strong. Meanwhile, there’s a cooler but still warm-ish pink colour temperature nearer the lens from camera’s white lights, which are not the typical cool blue LEDs. At this point, a vehicle comes by. I don’t have the plate – I’ve found the bottom of the shutter at 1.25th of a second, but I can see the car is a

THE FACE RECOGNITION IS EXCELLENT AT 2.8MM, AND IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER AT 4MM OR 6MM WITH A TIGHTER ANGLE OF VIEW.

ubiquitous white Toyota Camry.

A man walks past on the street, and I have near face identification, and can see wearing a jacket, blue jeans, a T-shirt on underneath. A vehicle goes up the road - it’s a Corolla sedan, I don’t have the plate, but it’s a maroon colour. Next, a big white van goes by and again, I don’t get the plate.

Next, I turn off the supporting light, and I’m happier with the rendition of the image in this light level. I’ve got my grey tones back, and the image is sharper, cooler, perhaps a little truer – still with the deeper orange colour cast and with loads of detail. It’s easy to forget when looking at this scene that we are sub-4 lux.

A guy goes past over the road 20m from the lens. I can see he’s wearing runners, white socks, grey shorts, a white woollen jumper, a white polo shirt, has a haircut that’s clipped close around the sides, has dark hair, a mid-skin tone and is carrying a white plastic bag.

CONCLUSION This is a fine bullet camera for street applications.

There’s way more detail with this camera than you’d ever get with 1080p using a 2.8mm lens and it’s a big step up from the earlier Acusence turret. That’s important, because it offers huge support for the excellent analytic side, given the way the camera stacks events to make searches quicker. Better image quality makes Acusense even more capable, giving brilliant performance to 25m, even at night, and up to 40m during the day.

Build quality is typically strong – the housing is IK10 and IP67 – and this bullet is built and tested on one of Hikvision’s automated lines, so there’s no chance of sample variation. From the point of view of installers and end users who need something affordable and robust with no compromises in image quality, the DS2CD2T87G2-L ColorVu Gen2 is impossible to beat. n

se&n 43

SEN921_40hik.indd 43

26/8/21 4:45 pm

● Regulars

Products

Editor’s choice

What’s new in the industry.

DATAMASTER CABLES AVAILABLE NOW FROM HILLS

DAHUA RELEASES UPGRADED 2.0 NETWORK CAMERAS

l DATAMASTER cables from Hills are available in Cat6 Patch and Cat6 Slim Patch, and deliver an efficient connection between devices of a wired network.

The Cat6 Patch and Cat6 Slim Patch cables (tested and channelcertified by 3P, UL and ETL), are made with unrecycled bare copper wires to ensure quality performance that exceed other solid metal wires in the market. Both models are also made with low smoke zero Halogen PVC jackets, which prevents toxins being emitted into enclosed spaces in the event of a fire, unlike regular PVC. Datamaster cables come in a range of lengths up to 305 metres long. Hills now stocks selected cable colours to meet compatibility requirements for various industries. For example, green cat cables in the security industry are beneficial for checking faults in systems, while salmon pink is a colour of preference when installing cables in government buildings, including Department of Education and Department of Defence.

l DAHUA has recently released its upgraded full-colour 2.0 network 5x zoom cameras that offer brand new functions – including dual-lens, 4K colour image, vari-focal lens, and AI features – that can significantly optimize surveillance monitoring and benefit end users in terms of clear and colourful image output.

The upgraded colour 2.0 now offers dual-lens cameras with a large F1.0 aperture that collects 2.5 times more light compared with F1.6 apertures. Its Dahua Dual Light Fusion capability allows the camera to collect visible colour details and lightness information using separate lenses. These cameras are equipped with dual CMOS (1/1.8-inch and 1/2.8) sensors, providing a 36 per cent increase in brightness and 14 times increase in S/N ratio, according to the manufacturer.

With pixel-level frame-by-frame mapping, these dual-lens cameras present high image definition and vivid colours even when the supplementary white light is off, thus reducing light pollution and attraction of insects that can adversely affect the monitoring of the scene.

Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487

Contact: Dahua Distributors

MOBOTIX M73 HIGH PERFORMANCE IOT CAMERA FROM HILLS

INNER RANGE RELEASES SIFER READER ACCESSORIES

l MOBOTIX M73 high performance IOT camera is the latest innovation of the MOBOTIX 7 Generation with 3 modules. The M73 performs at a WDR of 120 dB and a world-first Ultra Lowlight 4 MP with superior SRV of 0.19 – making it 4x greater light sensitivity than 4K UHD. Available in 2 different colours, the M73 offers simplicity and choices as the camera can be used in range of applications such as indoor, outdoor, desert, or snowy conditions. Made from powder-coated aluminium, the M73 is resilient in any climate from -40C to 65C with mean time between failure rating of more than 9 years. Optional thermal radiometry lenses enable it to detect fire or heat sources which allows it to be used as early fire warning system.

The Mobotix Certified Apps highlight the M73’s level of innovation by ensuring all-round security meets precision. These Mobotix certified apps (30 days free trial) for various industry applications include visage face recognition, AI-intrusion PRO, AI-parking, Vaxtor license plate recognition, AI-loitering, and many more.

l ACCORDING to Inner Range, the growing popularity of its SIFER reader and card solution has seen a demand to install it in new and diverse environments – in response to this demand, Inner Range has released 3 new accessories.

These new accessories include a vandal resistant cover, a vandal resistant cover with an inbuilt spacer and a standard 10mm spacer. A spacer is recommended when RFID readers are mounted on metal objects, such as bollards or aluminium door frames, where signal bounce can cause a reduction in signal quality between card and reader.

When Inner Range’s 10mm spacer (999033) is used there will be an increase of signal quality and read range for readers that need to be mounted on metal objects. The spacer is the same colour and dimensions as the reader, which increases the aesthetics of the spacer and reader combination.

Meanwhile, the SIFER Reader Vandal Resistant Cover (999034) adds an extra layer of physical security to SIFER readers.

Manufacturer: Inner Range Contact: +61 3 9780 4300

Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487

44 se&n

SEN921_44prods.indd 44

26/8/21 4:23 pm

INNER RANGE LAUNCHES THE MULTIPATH IP WEBSITE l INNER Range has announced the launch of its new website www.

multipathip.com dedicated to Multipath IP secure ‘always-on’ alarm communications for residential, business and enterprise.

The site showcases software and hardware products, helping users make the right decision for their security system and equipment needs.

Visitors learn how Multipath IP provides easy and convenient management through the Multipath IP Client Software, the SkyCommand Dealer portal and the smartphone apps.

The video tutorials in the how-to guide walks installers through setting up the T4000 range with multiple devices. They can subscribe to the Multipath playlist on the Inner Range YouTube channel to keep up-to-date with the latest videos and technicians can also locate their nearest distributor and monitoring centres.

Manufacturer: Inner Range Contact: +61 3 9780 4300

BOSCH AUTODOME IP STARLIGHT 5100I AI PTZ l BOSCH Autodome IP starlight 5100i IR is a PTZ camera with a new 1/1.8-inch sensor offering IVA, 4MP resolution and 30x optical zoom.

Autodome IP starlight 5100i IR offers HDR X combined with starlight technology and integrated IR and white light. Externally rated, the camera includes an automatic rain-sensing wiper to maintain clear images during wet conditions, is IP66 rated against water and dust, and is vandal resistant, with IK10 housing.

Bosch’s Essential Video Analytics offer insights like the detection of moving objects help to create sterile zones, which establishes a boundary prohibiting any activity. These sterile zones enhance perimeter protection of buildings, parking lots and restricted areas, increasing overall safety.

The camera’s AI can also make it possible to retrieve the right footage from hours of stored video instantly and analyze the scene by providing different statistics so an operator can act faster and more efficiently to potential threats.

Distributor: Bosch Distributors

FHD RELEASES INTELIHEALTH ADVANCED MOBILE LITE PERS l Advanced Mobile Lite Series is a 4G/LTE PERS locator equipped

with Wi-Fi location tracking and incorporating fall detection distributed locally by FHD. Leveraging industry-certified A-GPS and Wi-Fi technology, Mobile Lite has improved location accuracy especially when users are inside the buildings. In addition to GPS & Wi-Fi positioning technologies, Mobile Lite Series has built-in fall detection (Mobile Lite-R15/R18 only), providing comprehensive care for all seniors.

Mobile Lite-R8/R18 is able to have RF devices integrated such as emergency pendants and wrist transmitters. The lightweight, portable Mobile Lite goes beyond typical emergency response products by integrating both safety monitoring and telecare capabilities. There are also remote firmware upgrades, geofence alerts can be generated when the user leaves a defined safe area and there are automatic check-in reports.

The positional information can be accessed via Intelihealth’s online platform ‘My GPS Alert’ on web portal or smartphone app, offering proactive engagement to users and their caregivers.

When there is a need, with raised guidance buttons and voice prompts, users can open 2-way voice communication.

NEW HANWHA EDGE=BASED ANPR SOLUTION l FF Group specialises in the research and development of intelligent automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) software and traffic management solutions.

Developing edge-based applications that can be loaded on to supported Hanwha cameras creating a Hanwha ANPR camera solution that up until now has not previously been available. The plugin can function as a standalone ANPR solution with a number plate watchlist or combined with multiple cameras can operate as a full parking solution.

The Hanwha ANPR cameras can be integrated with Hanwha Wisenet NVRs, Hanwha Wisenet Wave VMS and Milestone XProtect for detailed number plate or forensic searches and is available now from CSD. Distributor: Hanwha Distributors

Distributor: FHD Contact: 1300 663 905

se&n 45

SEN921_44prods.indd 45

26/8/21 4:48 pm

● Regulars

Products

Editor’s choice

What’s new in the industry.

INTEGRITI VERSION 21 CLICKATELL INTEGRATION

EOS AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES FUTURO 1 SOLUTION

l The integration of Clickatell One API in Integriti Version 21 allows Integriti users to send and receive messages on WhatsApp and SMS, without programming multiple channels.

With Clickatell, Integriti users can now easily communicate with their registered customers, staff and site visitors through multiple communication channels with a single integration.

During a building emergency, sending messages via multiple channels directly to staff gives clear and concise directives to evacuate quickly and safely. It’s also important to contact off-site staff to let them know not to come in.

According to Inner Range, while SMS remains the standard means of messaging, mobile applications such as WhatsApp have been playing an important role in the messaging app scene.

WhatsApp is the most used mobile messaging app in the world and the third most used social platform.

As communication methods evolve, additional channels will be added to the Clickatell platform.

This will ensure Integriti users are able to adapt easily to the latest communication tools as they become available.

l FUTURO IP has launched the FUTURO 1-SOLUTION KIT, featuring a 10-inch all-in-one indoor station that functions as the management centre for converging security solutions in homes and offices, including video intercom, IP cameras, and NVRs. FUTURO can connect to 8 POE devices (IP cameras, door stations or intercom monitors) through the built-in cloud-based device management application.

Futuro IP devices or sub-systems can be managed and monitored by the indoor station. Video intercom, IP cameras, NVRs, and other Futuro IP devices can be managed with a tap on the touchscreen, including unlocking doors, using the video intercom, video monitoring, and more.

The 10-inch indoor station IP cameras and door stations can be displayed in a quad or full-screen format. E vents from various products and sub-systems can be linked together by setting linkage rules through a built-in cloud-based.

Distributor: EOS Australia Contact: +61 2 9749 5888

Distributor: Inner Range Contact: +61 3 9780 4300

CAMOVERLAY APP AVAILABLE FROM VSP

TECOM TS1084 MEMORY EXPANDER

l CAMSTREAMER offers smart in-camera applications for Axis

l THE TS1084 Memory Expansion Module expands the user capacity of the Challenger10/ChallengerPlus panels to 65,535 users, from the standard 2000 users, all of whom can have personal identification numbers (PINs). The module contains 2 copies of its database: one active copy and one backed up to a microSD card (supplied). During normal operation the TS1084 will check the database on the microSD card to confirm that the active database is not corrupt. If a problem is detected, the module will attempt to repair itself and will continue functioning without interruption. This background self-healing is invisible to uses and provides stability.

The microSD card can also be used to quickly restore the user database in case of damage or failure of the TS1084 module.

Simply insert the populated microSD card into a replacement TS1084 module. Upon power up, the TS1084 module will restore the database from the microSD card into its running memory. The fact that no user interaction or downloading is required reduces an installer’s time on site.

cameras, including Axis CamOverlay App, which allows dynamic overlay graphics in video onto an Axis IP camera view. The app allows you to add weather info, sport results or your own dynamic and graphic overlay to your live stream in order to make operations faster or to enhance situational awareness during emergencies. Setup is easy and both presets, and custom options are available.

Functions include of CamOverlay App: * Display weather, including forecasts of snowfall, wind direction, sunrise times and more * Display text just like in a television broadcast such as time, temperature and location * Define the background graphics within your video stream * Combine graphics, CamOverlay App can view graphics from two sources at one time * Insert subtitles to speakers of videoconferences, lectures and studio broadcasts * Display the latest results of broadcasted sports events directly in your video.

Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487

Distributor: Video Security Products Contact: +61 2 9557 7946

46 se&n

SEN921_44prods.indd 46

26/8/21 4:23 pm

GENETEC RELEASES AUTOVU SHARPV ALPR l GENETEC has released the next generation of its AutoVu SharpV

ALPR (automatic license plate recognition) camera. This new version provides a future-proof fixed ALPR solution that can be deployed anywhere easily, remotely adjusted and features machine learningbased ALPR and vehicle analytics on the edge.

Designed for fixed ALPR installations, the new SharpV can be up and running in minutes, thanks to multiple features like embedded 4G/LTE/GPS and motorized lenses with zoom and auto-focus. With built-in illuminators, global shutter, and high-resolution sensors, the SharpV provides crisp, accurate, and greater than Full HD images at all times: day or night, in slow local traffic, or on fast highways.

Featuring ultra-wide sensors, the updated SharpV can capture license plates across 2 lanes of traffic with no loss in accuracy. This means fewer devices are needed to cover more locations, reducing total cost of ownership.

Featuring AutoVu MLC, an onboard machine-learning-based ALPR engine, the new generation of SharpV goes beyond license plate identification with a full suite of advanced vehicle analytics that includes vehicle classification, colour recognition, travel speed estimation, and direction tracking.

TECOM 4G COMMUNICATION MODULE RELEASED IN ANZ l NOW available in New Zealand, the Tecom 4G Communication Module is an expansion module which allows Challenger panels to communicate over 4G wireless networks.

These new models utilise the existing hardware of the existing Communication Module (TS1054), and now come pre-loaded with SIM cards to provide an easier solution for customers wanting to use 4G connectivity over UltraSync.

The new models utilise the existing hardware of the existing Communication Module (TS1054), and now come pre-loaded with SIM cards to provide an easier solution for customers wanting to use 4G connectivity over UltraSync. The 4G Communication Module connects directly to Challenger control panels and fits natively to the powerful Challenger communication path framework. This allows the 4G Communication Module to be used for multiple connection types (alarm monitoring and management software) and act as the primary or redundant connection.

Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487

Distributor: Genetec Contact: +61 400 782 685

HIKCENTRAL PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATES CCTV, INTERCOM, ACCESS, AUTOMATION l HIKVISION’S HikCentral Professional platform delivers integration and management capabilities for video surveillance, access control, video intercom and various specialty solutions such as under vehicle surveillance, along with a host of embedded intelligent analytics and system analysis tools.

The new platform delivers VMS operation with remote management across multiple sites, is scalable to accommodate users’ evolving needs and is designed for easy operation with user friendly drop-down menus, as well as detailed device, event and health monitoring features to ensure uninterrupted operation.

Features include visual tracking of individuals across the surveillance network, adaptive video display windows to customize administrators’ camera views, and map management of system devices with click to view capability and visual alarm identification. The platform offers advanced analytics, including motion analysis, line crossing detection, intrusion detection, people counting, queue analysis, heat analysis, personal article feature detection, temperature analysis and vehicle analysis.

MOBOTIX HUB OPEN VIDEO MANAGEMENT PLATFORM l OPEN video management platform MOBOTIX HUB can integrate all ONVIF-enabled MOBOTIX video systems and more than 10,000 additional cameras and devices at a wide variety of locations worldwide. In addition, the platform maps the constantly growing variety of intelligent video analysis tools and other functions.

MOBOTIX HUB provides the user with a central node and control point that connects all network components. All video and security systems are easy to control, giving the user the best possible overview. MOBOTIX thus offers its customers – in addition to the MOBOTIX CLOUD and the MOBOTIX ManagementCenter – 3 video management solutions covering the complete range of requirements, from small applications to the largest, highly security-oriented multi-site projects. In addition, customers using only MOVE cameras can use MOBOTIX MOVE NVR as an integrated storage and management solution.

MOBOTIX HUB integrates all elements of modern video systems – even in highly complex structures and across any number of locations.

Distributor: Mobotix Contact: +61 2 8507 2000

Distributor: Hikvision Distributors

se&n 47

SEN921_44prods.indd 47

27/8/21 2:40 pm

● Regulars

Help desk

Q: Are good CCTV lenses for full body cameras always expensive, or can relatively cheap lenses still offer a quality alternative?

A: Generally speaking, good CCTV lenses are going to be more expensive.

They’ll be made of glass, they’ll have coatings that resist internal reflection and they’ll have corrective internal lens equations. However, it is possible for a relatively low-cost lens to offer higher quality than its price might suggest.

The types of low-cost lenses that might offer good performance will generally be simple with less complex elements and they will come from experienced makers, like Fujinon, the maker of the excellent 15-50mm lens pictured above.

If there was one thing that installers should think about with low-cost lenses, it’s coatings. We see CCTV lenses with no coatings at all and that’s a strange thing, given they are not all that expensive to apply. Good coatings reduce internal reflection, which cause ghosting and flare, softens contrast and reduce resolution. A lens without coatings, even a simple lens with 4 elements or so, is going to suffer from major issues. More complex lenses without coatings will be horrible.

Typically, an uncoated lens can lose 8 per cent of light per element – that means fewer elements and less complexity is better if you are stuck with uncoated lenses. Of course, good lenses have corrective elements which enhance resolution and reduce chromatic and spherical aberrations.

Even relatively ordinary coatings

Our panel of experts answers your questions.

reduce reflection by 80 per cent and collectively, allow transmission of more than 95 per cent of light through a lens. A single layer of low-cost coating will reduce reflection from 4 per cent to 1.5 per cent, while a decent multilayer coating will reduce reflection to around 0.2 per cent.

When you’re holding a lens in your hand, tip it onto an angle to your eye and see if you notice a colour tint – green, purple, yellow, orange – that you don’t see looking directly through the lens. That’s the coating, the colour of which may influence your images with warmer or cooler hues.

There’s no doubt that sometimes low end lens makers accidentally get it right and create gems. The hard thing will be finding out which low-cost lenses are high quality, with minimal CAs, less complex distortions, fewer ghosts and sharper resolution edge to edge. There are few if any reviews of low-end CCTV lenses, so trial and error is the only way.

Q: How can we check if fuses are getting near replacement age? Or would you argue scheduled replacement is the best way to manage the process?

A: IT’S possible to keep a close eye on fuse health by measuring voltages over fuse circuit connections. If your multimeter doesn’t have auto-ranging, set its controls to a voltage that you know is greater than the known voltage source in the system.

Connect the multimeter’s probes to either end of the fused circuit’s connection.

What you’re looking for is either zero or

very low voltage. But any sign of positive or negative source voltage – typically the full supply – means it’s time to change the burned-out fuse.

You can also test fuse resistance – you will be looking for a very low resistance – touch your probes together and be sure you see 0 ohms and hear a beep, then with the fuse disconnected from the circuit, test again looking for the same reading. If you get 0L and no beep, there’s an issue with the fuse.

Q: What are the positives and negatives of hemispheric CCTV cameras – what are their ideal applications and what sorts of issues should installers and end users keep an eye out for?

A: Hemispheric cameras give 180-degree or 360-degree wide angle views, making them ideal for a range of applications from retail to foyers, and from lifts to transportation. Their lens characteristics are the key feature of hemispheric cameras. Among the first practical uses for fisheye lenses after their invention in 1906 was in meteorology, where they were known as whole-sky lenses and used to study cloud formation.

A fisheye lens uses visual distortion to create a hemispherical view – what this means is that these lenses don’t give rectilinear images – there are no straight lines. Instead, you get equisolid angles delivering a convex image. Hemispherical surveillance cameras use image correction to straighten out scenes when users zoom

48 se&n

SEN921_48help.indd 48

26/8/21 4:15 pm

into scenes. Some do this so well their digital zooms appear flawless, if a little softer than usual.

Things to bear in mind when comparing hemispheric cameras include the fact different fisheye lenses have different characteristic distortions and different lens mapping functions. There are also variations in image quality that are best directly compared by objective test.

Hemispheric cameras are capable for a range of internal applications where a complete synthesis of a scene is most desirable and where distances are not so great that face recognition is impossible – that means around the 5-7 metre range.

Single lens hemispheric cameras spread their pixels. Regardless of sensor size, this pixel spread will soften images from close in, so you’ll get faces between 5-10 metres depending on sensor resolution.

As light falls, fine detail will be lost earlier, too. Depending on what you are trying to achieve, this softness in larger applications may mean no court-admissible face recognition.

Alongside the serious compromise of pixel spread and shallow DoF comes a benefit.

Situational awareness will be profound and at no time will a subject in the target area leave the field of view – you’ll be able to view events with complete context and continuity. Furthermore, hemispheric lenses have a small hyperfocal distance, so everything in the scene will be more or less in focus. To make this sort of coverage work in court, you need your hemispheric view to be able to identify dress or general features of individuals you’ve already identified at an entry point using a longer lens with a much narrower angle of view – 8-10mm for a 1/3rd of an inch sensor.

There are other downsides. Any wide lens will be at risk of flare and fisheye lenses are more susceptible still. Hemispheric CCTV cameras also have lashings of an optical aberration called barrel distortion, which bends straight lines and means that magnification decreases the further you go from the optical axis. With a hemispheric, the presence of barrel distortion is a characteristic that might be corrected in software, but can’t ever be avoided.

Depending on your application, hemispheric cameras can deliver multiple

image streams from one camera – one view will be the full view and around it will be arrayed images where the curvilinear scene is adjusted to a rectilinear format in-camera for more intuitive display. There will obviously be some loss of detail at the edges, top and bottom where native angle of view is shorn off by software. Correcting software that relies on averages will also introduce softness to the final output.

Q: Is it viable to use typical PIR and dual technology sensors in external environments, or should this work be dealt with using externally rated PE beams?

A: An average inexpensive passive infrared sensor is fine in a stable internal environment. If it has well-designed circuitry then it’s going to be able to handle popcorn noise and all the other distractions that can cause false alarms indoors without drama. Go outdoors, however, and things are likely to get weird.

Some inexpensive PIRs have EMI, RFI and white light protection and with clever pulse count and/or sensitivity settings (you’d need to change these in summer) a good installer could handle covered external jobs. Sadly, the sun is not the only problem for PIRs. There’s rain, too. Anything you install outside needs to be able to handle greater insect numbers, wildlife, pets, damp, dust and physical abuse. Could you bind up a simple PIR with sealant (conformal spray the circuit board first) and use custom settings to get adequate performance outdoors in summer under covered areas? Perhaps you could.

The difference between higher quality PIRs and the run-of-the-mill units include things like digital signal processing, superior

circuit design, improved lens and/or mirror design, dust and insect proofing, high quality quad pyroelectric elements, and $30-70 in additional cost. A key question is whether PIRs that have been built to handle tough environments are going to be more capable outside than similarly priced dual technology sensors that may be relying on 2 technologies to support less purposeful designs.

Any sensor used outdoors must be water, dust and insect proof. Allowance has to be made for pets and wildlife – that means there will be a trade-off in terms of sensitivity. PIRs are not happy in strong sunlight but too much sensitivity tweaking with PIRs and you can walk past them without detection, too little and there will be false alarms. You also need to keep dual technology sensors away from perimeter fences where the microwave might pick up activity outside your chosen target area and spend considerable time in alarm. n

se&n 49

SEN921_48help.indd 49

26/8/21 4:15 pm

SEEKING PROFESSIONAL SECURITY TECHNICIANS?

Try SEN JobsMarket

events Security Exhibition & Conference & Integrate Date: 18 November, 2021 Location: ICC Sydney Contact: securityexpo@divcom.net.au Diversified Communications Australia is pleased to announce that the 35th edition of the Security Exhibition & Conference in 2021 will for the first time ever, be co-located with our sister show, Integrate Exhibition, Australia’s premier audio visual and integration exhibition.

S E C U R I T Y Security & Government & GOVERNMENT EXPO

Expo 2021

Date: 25 November, 2021 Location: Realm Hotel, Canberra Contact: +61 2 9280 4425 Held in partnership with ASIS ACT, SAGE and the ASIS seminars and ASIS dinner give government security managers and facilities managers, security installers, security integrators, and security consultants, the perfect opportunity to get a look at the latest security technologies at a relaxed one-day event in the nation’s capital.

securityelectronicsandnetworks.com ISC West Date: 22-25 March, 2022 Location: Sands Expo, Las Vegas, U.S. Contact: +1 203 840 5602 Taking place July 19-21 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, ISC West looks forward to welcoming the security & public safety industry back to accelerate market recovery and re-define the roadmap ahead.

SecTech Roadshow 2020 Dates: May 2022 Venues: 5 city Australian tour Contact: Monique Keatinge +61 2 9280 4425 SecTech Roadshow organisers have announced the dates for SecTech 2022 – Perth on May 6 at the Perth Convention Centre, Adelaide on May 11 at the Adelaide Showground, Sydney on May 13 at the Hordern Pavilion, Brisbane on May 18 at the RICC and Melbourne on May 20 at the MCEC.

IFSEC International Date: 17-19 May, 2022 Location: Excel, London, UK Contact: +44 (0)20 7921 8166 IFSEC International is an annual trade fair and conference for the global security industry. Organised by Informa Markets, it is held at ExCeL London alongside FIREX International, Safety & Health Expo and Facilities Show.

SEN921_50events.indd 50

26/8/21 4:16 pm

SEN921_51.indd 1

26/8/21 3:15 pm

CONTROL CENTRE

CAM 2

Hang Up

Security

CAM 2

Intercom

CAM 1

Video

connects

VIDEO, INTERCOM & SECURITY

into a single pane of glass providing the

ULTIMATE SECURITY PLATFORM

• Incorporates Hik-Connect Mobile App • Hikvision Gen 2 IP Intercom compatible • Hikvision IP Video connectivity • Hikvision AX Pro connectivity

7”

10”

• Standard PoE plug & play OR • DC powered with WiFi connectivity

SEN921_52.indd 1

HIK-KH9310-WTE1

HIK-KH9510-WTE1

26/8/21 3:15 pm