Leonid Levit appointed chair of ONVIF Steering Committee

ONVIF, the global standardisation initiative for IP-based physical security products, has announced the appointment of Leonid Levit as the new chairman of the ONVIF Steering Committee.

Levit serves as director of systems integration at ONVIF member company Axis Communications and brings to the chair’s role a strong technical background in tandem with more than a decade of product management, marketing and sales experience. He takes over as chair from Per Björkdahl, who’s stepping down after nine years.

“For the past decade, ONVIF has worked to facilitate the nearly universal interoperability of IP physical security devices and clients, enabling end users and systems integrators to have freedom of choice in their selection of video surveillance and access control products,” explained Levit. “I look forward to being part of the next evolution of ONVIF as it continues to support an evolving industry and the deepening relationships between analytics, the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and other technologies.”

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Focus on analytics

Prior to his role as director of systems integration, Levit (pictured, above) was global product manager for analytics solutions at Axis. He has also held roles at Sony Mobile Communications and Ericsson Mobile Platforms.

Founded in 2008, ONVIF actively drives interoperability for IP-based physical security products. The organisation has a global member base of established camera, video management system and access control companies, in addition to more than 19,000 Profile-conformant products.

ONVIF offers Profile S for streaming video, Profile G for recording and storage, Profile C for physical access control, Profile Q for improved out-of-the-box functionality, Profile A for broader access control configuration and Profile T for advanced streaming. The organisation continues to work with its members to expand the number of IP interoperable solutions ONVIF-conformant products can provide.

*Further information about ONVIF conformant products, including details of member companies and their conformant models, is available on the ONVIF website at: www.onvif.org

Quanika-Anixter global distribution deal set to streamline Axis Communications and Milestone integrations

What’s being described as a “landmark” global distribution deal signed between Anixter and Quanika opens up a ‘one-stop shop’-style supply route for major integration projects, making it easy to incorporate Best-in-Class Axis and Milestone video technology with Quanika’s access control and visitor management software. The deal enables off-the-shelf integration with a wide range of third party systems. 

The global distribution deal with Anixter streamlines delivery of major integration projects across both the private and public sector markets. ICT and security systems integrators can now purchase Quanika software direct from Anixter to integrate a full choice of vendor technologies, ensuring efficient procurement and giving them everything they need for project delivery.

Quanika software meets the security, safety and operational demands of companies ranging from SMEs through to corporate enterprise, Government and multi-site applications, duly enabling off-the-shelf integration with a wide range of vendor technologies and systems.

“The addition of Quanika software to Anixter’s global product portfolio provides compelling options for systems integrator customers to deliver end-to-end security and safety integrated solutions,” explained Phil Campbell, European sales director at Quanika. “With Quanika Enterprise, users are no longer constrained by having only a limited number of cameras and devices from which to choose. For the first time, Quanika allows integrators to scale-up AXIS Camera Station VMS to manage larger and multiple sites from a single user interface, while adopting powerful Milestone XProtect functionality for facilities and specific channels where it’s needed the most.”

Quanika’s solutions have been deployed and developed at high-profile sites across Europe, and the company has gained a growing reputation for being able to adapt its off-the-shelf software quickly, adding new integrations to meet site-specific challenges.

Campbell added that the agreement with Anixter will also help integrators and their customers to adapt to the challenges now facing all organisations. 

“Operational efficiency is now more important than ever, while our straightforward approach towards corporate-wide systems allows people to work more safely, flexibly and securely in today’s challenging environments,” he observed. “We now look forward to working with Anixter’s customers to deliver seamless solutions on major projects around the world.”

*For more information on Quanika’s solutions visit quanika.com or email info@quanika.com

AMG Systems continues expansion drive with appointment of two regional sales managers

Transmission solutions specialist AMG Systems has announced the appointment of Steve Dunning and Rob Kidd as regional sales managers.

Dunning’s new role will see him supporting the North of England and Scotland. His previous security industry experience includes systems integration, manufacturing and, latterly, sales roles at Pro-Vision and EET Europe.

Focused on the adoption and configuration of IP CCTV systems, Kidd’s career has developed by dint of working for companies such as Axis Communications, Anixter and Comnet. Based in London, Kidd’s new role encompasses supporting AMG Systems customers in the South of England and Ireland.

“Working closely with installers, system integrators, end users, specifiers and consultants, my focus will be to develop sales and increase the awareness of AMG Systems as a UK manufacturer of environmentally robust Ethernet, wireless and fibre optic transmission solutions,” said Dunning.

Kidd commented: “In short, I will be looking to establish AMG Systems as the UK’s ‘Go To’ manufacturer for industrial transmission equipment, helping to make advanced network configuration simpler for everyone.”

Commenting on the two new regional sales manager appointments, Steve Clarke (AMG Systems’ managing director) explained to Security Matters: “We’re welcoming Steve and Rob to our highly experienced team. AMG Systems is building a solid platform to implement its expanding portfolio of high-performance transmission products. The appointment of the two new regional sales managers will support our drive to deliver first-class customer support across all of the regions in which we operate.”

ONVIF reflects on year’s activities and achievements at 2019 Annual Membership Meeting

ONVIF, the global standardisation initiative for IP-based physical security products, recently held its Annual Membership Meeting to provide members with an overview of important activities that have occurred in 2019 and outline bold plans for the year ahead. Attendees heard presentations on the growth of ONVIF as well as plans for new Profile development.

ONVIF chairman Per Björkdahl highlighted the forum’s achievements over the past year, in particular focusing on the market’s continued support for the Profile concept, with the number of conformant products surpassing 13,000 earlier this year.

With six Profiles to choose from and additional ones in development, ONVIF Profiles have increasingly been included in various bid and specification processes in projects around the world, making it the de facto interface in the industry.

Björkdahl also noted the continued involvement of ONVIF in the International Electrotechnical Commission’s work on international standardisation, in addition to new proposals for cloud connectivity and interoperability between multiple systems.

Contributions recognised

In keeping with tradition, ONVIF recognised the contributions of multiple individuals from various ONVIF Committees. Steve Wolf, who served on several ONVIF Committees on behalf of Pelco, received the ONVIF Service Award, which acknowledges individuals who have provided a long-term commitment to the organisation. While serving on the Technical Committee, Wolf led the Security Working Group and was also an active participant in the Video Enhancement Working Group, contributing towards a number of improvements in how ONVIF approaches video.

Andreas Schneider of Sony received the ONVIF Distinguished Service Award, which recognises individuals who’ve made significant contributions to ONVIF over many years in multiple functions. Schneider’s long-term service to the Technical Services Committee has positioned him as a major facilitator of the ONVIF organisation, with contributions to multiple ONVIF Profiles.

ONVIF chairman Per Björkdahl

“The overarching goal of ONVIF is to provide the market with a single interface through which every system can operate,” explained Björkdahl. “Our award winners have shown significant and long-term commitment to our organisation, in turn making this goal a reality one Profile at a time. We thank both of our recipients for their innovation, hard work and service.”

Specification development roadmap

ONVIF Technical Committee chairman Hans Busch of Bosch spoke to members about the specification development roadmap, which highlights plans for future Profile development, as well as the continued alignment to the standardisation activities within the IEC TC 79 Working Groups for video surveillance and physical access control standards. Specifically, Busch covered what specifications are being examined for future Profiles and how they complement and further enhance existing ONVIF Profiles.

As chair of the Technical Services Committee, Sony’s Schneider gave an overview of the Committee’s work on new and existing Profiles, client and device test tools, updates to the conformance process and tools and the Developers’ Plugfest.

Shi-lin Chan of Axis Communications, who serves as chair of the ONVIF Communication Committee, provided a recap of ONVIF communication efforts in 2019 and discussed the organisation’s plans for the launch of a Mandarin website later this year.

Driving interoperability

Founded in 2008, ONVIF is a leading and well-recognised industry forum driving interoperability for IP-based physical security products. The organisation has a global member base of established camera, video management system and access control companies and, as stated, more than 13,000 Profile-conformant products.

ONVIF offers Profile S for streaming video, Profile G for recording and storage, Profile C for physical access control, Profile Q for improved out-of-the-box functionality, Profile A for broader access control configuration and Profile T for advanced streaming.

ONVIF continues to work with its members to expand the number of IP interoperability solutions that ONVIF-conformant products can provide.

 

Security industry specialists to demonstrate expertise at Axis Communications’ Partner Showcase event in London

Axis Communications’ upcoming Partner Showcase biennial will welcome delegates from across the security industry and highlight the very latest advances in physical security technology. The event is to be held on Wednesday 16 October at White Hart Lane, the home of Tottenham Hotspur FC.

Axis Communications will host 27 partners who’ll be providing product demonstrations, engage in seminars and offer Q&A sessions on key topics ranging from cyber security, Artificial Intelligence (AI)/machine learning, behavioural analytics and detection right through to cloud/hosted services such as Video Surveillance-as-a-Service (VSaaS) and Access Control-as-a-Service (ACaaS).

The much-anticipated Axis Communications Partner Showcase represents an informal opportunity for system integrators, security installers, distributors, security consultants and end users to learn more about the future trends that are shaping the industry. Joining the Axis Communications team of experts will be subject matter specialists from every field across many industries who will explain the technology and, as valued Axis partners, deliver integrated solutions that address the key security challenges of today.

Content highlights to be delivered on the day will include:

*Future technology trends and their impact on video surveillance and access control

*How Internet of Things technologies are integrating in the cloud and the benefits they offer

*How ‘as-a-Service’ solutions (eg VSaaS and ACaaS) are changing the way in which end users buy security

*The importance of leveraging partnerships to address industry-wide challenges

*How innovation in network video is helping to drive business performance

*Analytics: AI, machine learning, deep learning and their impact on today’s industry

Delegates will benefit from an invaluable experience to learn more about the physical security landscape, while also networking with security industry peers. The Axis Communications Partner Showcase event provides an opportunity to engage in discussions around the hot topics with learnings that can be taken away and implemented to improve efficiencies delivered through greater business intelligence.

Registered exhibitors include 2N, Briefcam, Camstreamer, Citilog, Dedrone GmbH, Facit Data Systems, Genetec,  Milestone Systems, Morphean, Observit, Quanika, Secure Logiq, Siemon, Siklu Communication, SimonsVoss, Sound Intelligence, Synectics, Total Security Stockholm AB, Vaxtor Recognition Technologies and Veracity UK.

*To register for the event visit the website

Genetec announces support of Bosch, MOBOTIX and EUKLIS cameras for Stratocast cloud-based VMS

Genetec (the technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations and business intelligence solutions) has announced that Stratocast, its cloud-based Video Surveillance-as-a-Service (VSaaS) offer powered by the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform, now supports new camera models from Bosch, MOBOTIX and EUKLIS.

Stratocast is designed to meet the needs of organisations requiring a reliable and cost-effective video surveillance solution without the expense and complexities typically associated with installing and managing on-premises surveillance systems. It offers a true cloud solution for enterprise customers that want to easily deploy video surveillance in smaller footprint and remote locations.

Stratocast also supports hybrid cloud deployments for those end users wishing to keep certain on-premise storage and infrastructure hardware while gradually transitioning everything to the cloud.

Thanks to Stratocast’s open architecture, the portfolio of supported devices is also continually expanding and, as stated, will now support cameras from Bosch, MOBOTIX and EUKLIS in addition to existing support for hundreds of models from Axis Communications and Vivotek.   

“A driving force behind Stratocast is to deliver a cloud-based video management system based on an open architecture with no need for a local bridge or recorders,” said Oktay Yildiz, product line manager for Stratocast at Genetec. “At Genetec, we want to offer users a non-proprietary solution in the cloud such that they have the flexibility to integrate a variety of cameras to address their specific needs.”

Yildiz added: “With Stratocast, end users can transition to a cloud-based infrastructure while potentially leveraging their existing investment in camera hardware or choosing to install new cameras from a variety of supported brands.”

Georges Tannous, director of global alliances at Genetec, commented: “The growing interest for video surveillance in the cloud is a key driver in partner integration to the Stratocast platform. We’re excited about partner participation and these new integrations by Bosch, MOBOTIX and EUKLIS. We’re looking forward to adding more brands and models as they become available.”

*For a Stratocast trial visit: https://www.genetec.com/solutions/all-products/stratocast/overview#LookingForMoreInformationOrALiveDemo?

**For a full list of Stratocast-supported devices access: https://www.genetec.com/solutions/all-products/stratocast/supported-devices

***Stratocast provides the same SLA as all other Genetec cloud services, which is a credit-backed uptime guarantee of 99.9%

Milestone Systems opens new UK Innovation Hub

Milestone Systems, the instigator of the open platform community in networked video management software (VMS), opened its new UK headquarters on Thursday 25 April at the Landmark Business Park in Reading, Berkshire.

The new Innovation Hub has been designed to support Milestone’s wider community of technology partners and features a new state-of-the-art Experience Centre complete with wall-to-wall screens for a fully immersive virtual presentation experience.

Attendees at the launch were able to witness the Experience Centre in use during a presentation by Dave Gregory, business development manager for Northern Europe at Milestone Systems.

Dave Gregory of Milestone Systems making a presentation at the launch of the company’s all-new Innovation Hub

The Experience Centre is the focal point of the new Innovation Hub and features six 65-inch screens as well as a video wall. The Experience Centre’s look and feel can be easily adapted to mirror that of the company brand using the Centre, and offers users a dynamic virtual presentation experience that captures the innovative nature of the Milestone community of technology partners.

The Innovation Hub has a working demo set-up of Milestone’s software and hardware solutions, together with some of its ecosystem partner integrations including – but not limited to – partners such as Axis Communications, BriefCam, Venzo, Nedap, Lenel and Bosch. This means that end users and channel partners alike can experience Milestone’s next generation open platform capabilities such as Artificial Intelligence-based video analytics (eg facial recognition) or user-friendly integrations for perimeter protection solutions like radars and intrusion detection systems.

A new training facility was also showcased at the launch event and will welcome up to 25 attendees at a time to take part in a variety of one-hour Continuing Professional Development courses in addition to Milestone’s certification courses that are already up-and-running. The training facility is also available to the Milestone partner community to use as training hub for a range of sessions.

Neil Killick briefs attendees at the official opening

Neil Killick, regional leader for Northern Europe at Milestone Systems, commented: “The launch of this new Innovation Hub in the UK is testament to the performance and dedication of the UK team. I’m proud to open this new facility that’s as much for our wider community as it is for the team here. Milestone’s open platform is the driver of innovation and collaborative solutions in the security space and beyond. The same spirit of openness is behind the launch of this new Innovation Hub.”

The overriding aim of the new facility is to nurture Milestone community partnerships, better showcase the open platform capabilities and introduce Milestone and its technology partners to vertical sectors beyond the security space.

ONVIF reflects on 2018 activities at 10th Annual General Meeting

ONVIF, the global standardisation initiative for IP-based physical security products, held its Annual General Meeting earlier this month, with an overview of important activities in 2018 and perspectives on the year ahead the order of the day. Attendees heard presentations on the final release of Profile T, an advancement which represents how ONVIF is keeping pace with technological advancements that affect product development and interoperability between IP-based physical security products.

In an acknowledgement of the organisation’s 10th Anniversary, ONVIF chairman Per Björkdahl highlighted the forum’s achievements over the past decade, including an overview of the six ONVIF Profiles, with a clear emphasis on the newly-released Profile T for advanced video streaming.

Collectively, the ONVIF Profiles provide support for more than 10,000 conformant products that are increasingly included in various bid and specification processes in projects around the world. Björkdahl also cited the continued involvement of ONVIF as part of the work of the International Electrotechnical Commission’s TC79 for international standardisation.

ONVIF also recognised the contributions of four individuals from various ONVIF Technical Committees for their work on different profiles and committees. Fredrik Svensson of Axis Communications and Dora Han of Hikvision were recipients of the ONVIF Award acknowledging individuals and companies who have made significant contributions to the organisation. As chairman of the Profile T Working Group, Svensson was a leading force in the development and successful final release of the Profile T specification. Han received anaward for her extensions to the specification, and also for supporting the development of other members’ extensions to the specification.

Distinguished Service Awards

One of two 2018 ONVIF Distinguished Service Awards was bestowed upon Baldvin Gislason Bern of Axis Communications for his role in developing and proofing the evolution concept as chair of the Technical Services Device Test Tool Evolution. Joining him in receiving this award was Dr Hasan Timucin Ozdemir of Panasonic, who served as chairman of the ONVIF Video Enhancement Working Group from 2009-2018. This Working Group is directly responsible for formulating and prototyping new features for the ONVIF specification.

“All of our award recipients have shown their significant and long-term commitment to the organisation as a whole, and in turn have directly and positively impacted the work of ONVIF,” enthused Björkdahl. “The success of our organisation would not be possible without the innovative contributions and hard work of our members. For that, we say Thank You.”

ONVIF Technical Committee chair Hans Busch of Bosch spoke to members about the specification development roadmap and its alignment to the standardisation activities within the IEC TC 79 Working Groups for video surveillance and physical access control standards. Technical Services Committee chair Andreas Schneider of Sony gave an overview of the Committee’s work on new and existing profiles, client and device test tools, updates to the conformance process and tools and Developers’ Plugfests.

ONVIF Communications Committee chair Tim Shen of Dahua provided a recap of ONVIF communication efforts in 2018. There has been a continued focus on market education about the specific Profiles through presence at industry events coupled with much media activity. Shen also reported on the success of the first-ever ONVIF Open Source Spotlight Challenge that took place earlier this year.

ONVIF chairman Per Björkdahl

Election results

The results of the annual elections for ONVIF’s committees were announced by Kevin Schader, ONVIF’s executive director.

Re-elected to the ONVIF Steering Committee were Mayur Salgar of Honeywell and Stuart Rawling of Pelco by Schneider Electric. For the Technical Committee, Hanwha Techwin’s Sujith Raman, Pelco by Schneider Electric’s Steve Wolf and Tyco Security Products’ Stephen Serplus were re-elected, while Hikvision’s Dora Han joined the Technical Committee as a new member.

Bob Dolan of Anixter and Giri Guntipalli from Honeywell were re-elected to the Technical Services Committee, along with new member Marwan Obeidat of Pelco by Schneider Electric.

Tim Shen of Dahua, Jens Berthelsen of Hikvision and Xinming Kang of Honeywell were re-elected to the ONVIF Communications Committee, while Cathy Zhou of Huawei joined as a new member. Founding members Axis Communications, Bosch and Sony automatically retain seats on the Steering, Technical and Technical Services Committees.

*Further information about ONVIF-conformant products, including member companies and their conformant models, is available on the ONVIF website at www.onvif.org

 

Inspiration in HR Award organiser SSR Personnel unveils shortlist for 2018 trophy

The Inspiration in HR Award recognises the work of Human Resources (HR) professionals. Now in its 12^th year, the award is open to either individuals or organisations. Judges are looking for Best Practice in HR management where an organisation recognises that HR is a business enabler. 

This year’s finalists are Axis Communications, Axis Security, CIS Security, Gratte Brothers, Helen Corbett (of The Security Institute) and Wilson James.

To reach the shortlist, the above organisations demonstrated that they are wholly focused on quality and have a pride in looking after and developing their workforce.  There’s a partnership in HR and operations management.

Peter French MBE FSyI CPP: CEO at SSR Personnel and Founder of the Inspiration in HR Award

Shortlisted companies consider that their HR function gives them a competitive edge. They clearly demonstrate going above and beyond any current standards. The Inspiration in HR Award is one that recognises a critical differentiator in business application.

David Clark CPP PCI PSP, chairman of ASIS International’s UK Chapter 208, commented: “This award is increasingly hard to judge, and this year has been even more challenging, I’m enormously pleased to see three organisations from outside of the security guarding sector, which usually comprises the majority of entries, making the shortlist. This is surely testimony to the prestige and expansiveness of this particular award.”

*The winning submission will be announced at the UBM-organised Security and Fire Excellence Awards Ceremony to be held at the London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane on Wednesday 21 November

‘Technology at the Edge’: Axis Communications unveils Top Five Trends to shape 2018

Surveillance specialist Axis Communications’ CTO Johan Paulsson has outlined the Top Five Trends that the company feels will shape the New Year. 

Paulsson stated: “As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: ‘The only one constant in life is change’. There’s perhaps no better example of this than the technology industry, where innovation is so rapid that even the most fantastic of imagined futures seem like they could become a reality in the not too distant future.”

Axis Communications has put together five top technology trends that the Lund-based business feels will have a great impact on the security and surveillance industry now and in the years to come, helping to facilitate a smarter and, of course, safer world.

Johan Paulsson: CTO at Axis Communications

(1) A move towards the edge

“Two of the greatest trends that have propelled our industry forward in recent years,” observed Paulsson, “are cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), both of which are delivering undeniable benefits to businesses and consumers alike. That said, they also come with implications, namely the rise in the amount of data being transferred, processed and stored. Going forward, we anticipate that ‘edge’ computing will become ever popular, alleviating this issue by performing data processing at the ‘edge’ of the network, closer to the source of the data. Doing so significantly reduces the bandwidth needed between sensors, devices and the Data Centre.”

(2) Cloud-to-Cloud

Paulsson observed: “Despite the move towards edge computing, the cloud will continue to play a significant role in IT infrastructures. As an increasing number of companies offer cloud-based services, the cloud ecosystem is increasingly becoming the preferred point of integration, rather than the traditional on-premise system. One benefit of integration between clouds is the significant potential reduction of in-house IT services required, in turn creating great cost benefits.”

(3) Deep and machine learning

According to Paulsson: “We’ve now reached a stage where the full benefits of deep learning architectures and machine learning can begin to be realised. The explosion of data available to analyse is helping businesses become increasingly intelligent. As applications develop, there are significant opportunities for predictive analytics which could facilitate incident prevention: from terrorist incidents to slip and fall accidents; from traffic issues to shoplifting and even the tragedy of rail suicides.”

(4) Cyber security

“Once again,” outlined Paulsson, “cyber security must appear on the list of trends for the next 12 months and beyond. The constant enhancement of cyber security will be a never-ending task. This is because well-resourced cyber criminals will never stop looking to exploit vulnerabilities in any new technology. As the number of connected devices grows, so too do the potential flaws that, if left unaddressed, could provide the opportunity for networks to be breached.”

Embellishing this theme, Paulsson said: “Legislation is being created to address these concerns. In the European Union, the forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation – the deadline for compliance for this being 25 May – will unify the protection of data for individuals within the EU, wherever that data is held or used.”

(5) Platforms to realise the full benefits of the IoT

In conclusion, Paulsson informed Risk UK: “The IoT has reached a point where it’s crucial to use scalable architecture to successfully collect and analyse data and manage the network of connected devices. Such an IoT platform allows equipment from different node vendors to co-exist and easily exchange information to form smart systems using existing network infrastructure. There are numerous companies, both well-established providers of technology and new market entrants, that are enabling platforms to support IoT devices. The next 12 months will see further maturation of this process.”

*Read more: https://www.axis.com/blog/secure-insights/technology-trends/