Security & Safety Things launches second App Challenge for development of creative customer solutions

Security & Safety Things has announced the launch of its second App Challenge to spur additional creative development in video analytic applications. Participating developers now have the opportunity to submit proposals for apps designed to address specific security, safety and business optimisation use cases in the retail, transportation, sports stadiums, entertainment and healthcare verticals.

The apps will be designed to run on smart cameras using the Security & Safety Things open camera operating system and the open Internet of Things platform, which enables cameras to run a variety of applications simultaneously to perform different functions. The camera OS is based on the developer-friendly Android Open Source Project.

“While many vertical markets share a core set of operational needs, individual organisations also have unique requirements based on the nuances of their location, customer base or other circumstances,” explained Adam Wynne, head of the Security & Safety Things Innovation Accelerator based in Pittsburgh. “We are calling on the collective creativity and unique perspectives of the developer community to help solve distinct customer challenges, whether that’s a standalone solution or one based on a combination of different applications.”

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Different use cases

For this year’s challenge, a variety of systems integrators responded to a Security & Safety Things survey asking for customer needs and challenges in four vertical market categories. Based on this feedback, developers will be tasked with creating innovative video analytics applications to address a host of different use cases, including:

*Unmanned aerial detection for drones and other flying objects in stadiums or during large events

*Suspicious behaviour analytics for the detection of fighting or stealing

*Customer conversion and ‘out of stock’ analytics in retail spaces

*Cargo protection for the detection of vandalism and theft in car parks and other facilities

*Hygiene and PPE checks in healthcare facilities, as well as anomaly detection for unusual behaviour in Care Homes

Three winners will be chosen by an invited panel of 20 prominent integrators and awarded individual prizes. Winners will also be invited to showcase their solution at the Security & Safety Things stand at escon 2021 (depending on the COVID-19 situation). All participating developers will be able to benefit from various co-marketing opportunities with Security & Safety Things throughout the duration of the challenge.

The winning apps from the 2020 App Challenge provided solutions for retail and commercial buildings, transportation and Smart Cities, manufacturing and also logistics categories. Overall, the challenge resulted in 20-plus new applications being added to the Security & Safety Things Application Store.

Timeline for entries

Developers can submit multiple proposals for more than one vertical by 26 April. Proposals will be reviewed and the most promising will be chosen by the panel to proceed with development. Developers will have from 29 April until 31 July to create their solution(s).

Once developed, the apps will need to be uploaded to the Application Store by 31 July. Security & Safety Things and the panel will test and review the apps.

Winners will be selected by the end of August.

*Developers can apply by submitting their proposals online at: https://info.securityandsafetythings.com/app-challenge

Synectics to highlight value of ethical surveillance tools at Global MSC Security Conference 2019

This year’s Global MSC Security Conference and Exhibition, which runs at The Bristol Hotel in Bristol on 11-12 November, will see Synectics explain how advanced technologies and evolving features can support those practitioners tasked with ensuring that public surveillance is undertaken legally and ethically.  

Over 150 delegates from the fields of security, law enforcement, Government and academia are due to attend the two-day event, which will focus on the ethical challenges presented by the growing use of CCTV, ANPR, drones, facial recognition and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the public realm. Risk Xtra is the Official Media Partner.

Speakers include Tony Porter, the UK’s Surveillance Camera Commissioner, who’ll be joined by senior representatives from police forces, Fire and Rescue Services and other organisations focused on public safety, crime prevention and national security.

‘Building Ethical Capacity into Surveillance Technology’

Synectics’ Martin Bonfield joins the event line-up. His detailed seminar will highlight how public concerns regarding surveillance ‒ especially those around the use of emerging technologies such as facial recognition and AI ‒ are shown to be greatly reduced if robust and demonstrable safeguards are in operation.

Those attending the session will gain a clear understanding of the tools available to help ensure that any public surveillance data can be captured, managed and shared in accordance with existing and evolving demands. 

The session will look specifically at solutions designed to support users in four key areas: the use of facial recognition, regulatory compliance (with, for example, the General Data Protection Regulation), data protection (cyber security) and evidence management.

Under the spotlight

To showcase emerging capabilities, Synectics will be demonstrating how its Synergy 3 Command and Control platform supports a wide range of safeguarding and compliance mechanisms, including comprehensive digital audit trails, automated workflows aligned to standard operating procedures and time-limited data storage.

The role played by highly secure, cloud-based evidence lockers ‒ which support secure, real-time authorised access to data ‒ will also be discussed, specifically in the context of inter-agency data-sharing.

Martin Bonfield

Bonfield informed Risk Xtra: “Synectics has been at the forefront of global surveillance solutions for over 30 years. We work closely with customers to tackle the complex issue of ethics surrounding CCTV use, data capture and monitoring, as well as the robust management of digital evidence. I’m looking forward to showing delegates examples of the smart technology available to ensure surveillance operations are effective, secure and compliant with legal and ethical frameworks – today, and years from now.”

As a premium sponsor, Synectics (exhibiting on Stand 15) will be showcasing its leading-edge technologies. Live demonstrations will run throughout the event to demonstrate how the tools explored in the seminar can be applied within a range of practical evidence management and incident response scenarios.

Johnson Controls opens interactive showroom and training facility in Ireland

Tyco, the security products division of Johnson Controls, has announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art interactive showroom and training facility in Ireland.

Located in the Ballymount area of Dublin, the new showroom facility provides the opportunity for system integrators and their end user clients to witness live demonstrations of the features and technology built into the latest generation of access control and video surveillance solutions supplied under the Tyco umbrella.

“In addition to in-depth demonstrations of specific products or software, we’re now also able to show how easy it is for end users to benefit from a totally integrated security solution via an interactive operational system,” said Colm O’Brien, Tyco’s access control and video surveillance business manager in Ireland.

“By way of an example, we’re able to demonstrate the full capabilities of Victor, our unified video management application, which synchronises video surveillance with access control, fire protection, BMS, drone detection and mitigation, radar, gate automation, intrusion and other systems into one powerful and intuitive interface.”

The new facility also has a fully-equipped training room with hands-on workstations to enable system integrators to learn how to offer their end user clients maximum value from a wide range of solutions, including American Dynamics’ Victor and VideoEdge video platforms, Exacq’s video management software, Illustra cameras, Software House’s CCure access control solution, CEM’s access control systems and, of course, Kantech’s access control platforms.

Drone give-away by Inner Range at IFSEC International 2019

Access control solutions developer Inner Range will be rewarding lucky visitors to its stand with a drone on every day of this year’s IFSEC International, which runs at London’s ExCeL from Tuesday 18 until Thursday 20 June.

Delegates who watch a demonstration of an Inner Range product will be invited to enter their details into the manufacturer’s flagship product, Integriti, and the system will randomly select a winner at the end of each day.

Winners will receive a Holy Stone Mercury 3 racing drone, which can travel at 45 km per hour and transmit HD video and aerial photos in real-time. The camera, which has a 120-degree wide-angle lens, is easy to install or remove, while the drone is designed to reduce wind resistance for more stable filming conditions.

Inner Range has two demonstrations linked to IFSEC’s official ‘Show Me How’ series of presentations and trials. The first showcases how Inner Range’s entry-level access control system, Inception, can now integrate with the Milestone XProtect video management system. The integration allows the Inception controller to become the security and access mechanism supporting the Milestone system.

Inner Range’s enterprise-level intelligent integrated access control system, Integriti, will also feature in the ‘Show Me How’ series. Delegates can see how ‘user qualifications’ can boost Health and Safety procedures, or ease car park credit renewals by alerting users when qualifications or credits are about to expire.

Tim Northwood, general manager at Inner Range, said: “We love showing what our products can do and will happily demonstrate any aspect of our systems that people are curious about. To add an element of fun, anyone who has had a demonstration can enter our prize draw to win a racing drone. IFSEC is full of technology enthusiasts and drones are the latest gadget, whether people use them for serious business purposes or fly them just for fun. We hope delegates will like them.”

Inner Range’s Stand IF1030 will include eight large screens to demonstrate the manufacturer’s access control systems and software in action.

Percepto to operate live overseas autonomous drone missions from IFSEC International

Percepto, the autonomous industrial drone solutions developer, has announced that it will operate and broadcast live overseas autonomous drone missions from Stand IF2146 at IFSEC International 2019 (which runs at London’s ExCeL from 18-20 June). The company will also launch the next generation of its industrial and enterprise grade ‘Drone-in-a-Box’ system solution, including new software improvements and an enhanced all-weather base station.

This is the first time that Percepto has brought its autonomous drone solution to the UK and Europe’s leading security event. The company will afford security practitioners the opportunity to discover how current drone technology can be used to improve security and safety, reduce risk and optimise operations.

On Wednesday 19 June at 11.00 am, Percepto is hosting an exclusive media event including a live broadcast of an autonomous drone mission being carried out in Israel. There will also be a Q&A session with Ariel Avitan, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Percepto, who informed Risk Xtra: “We will demonstrate how the Percepto solution delivers aerial surveillance through patrols, real-time detection and tracking of humans and vehicles, as well as anomaly detection, all without the need for an on-site operator or pilot.”

Visitors to IFSEC International will witness how Percepto’s Sparrow drones take-off automatically to perform pre-scheduled missions such as patrolling a perimeter. Should a drone detect an object of interest (ie a person or a vehicle in a restricted area), an alert is automatically triggered and the Control Room operator is able to instantly view the real-time camera footage as the drone tracks the object.

Sparrow drones can also be used as first responders when launched on-demand by an operator or when triggered via an integrated system such as a smart fence.

Once a mission has been completed, the drone returns to its base station – a highly secure enclosed weather-proof box stationed in the field – where automated post-flight checks and fast battery charging is completed, ensuring the drone is primed for the next mission. Percepto’s all-new base station is a key feature of its next generation release and will be on display for the first time at IFSEC International.

“Drones will become part of the fabric of security and surveillance operations,” added Avitan. “Whether deployed stand-alone or fully integrated with the Control Room’s VMS or other security systems, Percepto’s drones provide today’s security teams with a level of aerial surveillance that was once inconceivable and unattainable for the majority of large-scale enterprises.”

Global Security Exchange accepting applications for 2018 Innovative Product Awards

ASIS International is now inviting exhibiting companies to enter the 2018 Innovative Product Awards: a competition designed to recognise “the most groundbreaking offerings” on the Global Security Exchange (GSX) expo floor. Winners will be announced and recognised at the 2018 GSX, which takes place from 23-27 September at the Las Vegas Convention Centre and is expected to attract more than 20,000 security professionals from over 100 countries.

“While there are many awards programmes out there, the Innovative Product Awards stand apart because the judges are security practitioners,” said Howard Belfor CPP, co-chair of the awards programme and a member of the ASIS Board of Directors. “They are the individuals who use these products every day. They bring tremendous expertise to the judging process. For attendees, this means that award winners offer peer-distinguished products that address industry trends and are well worth exploring on the GSX expo floor.”

Formerly the ASIS Accolade Competition, the revamped Innovative Product Awards will spotlight the leading products (encompassing hardware, software, testing materials, practices and thought leadership) designed to tackle current and emerging global security risks and threats. A team of judges representing security practitioners, thought leaders and industry experts will select up to ten winners based on their level of innovation, unique attributes and specific benefits offered to the security industry. In addition, one product will be named ‘The Judges’ Choice’.

The Innovative Product Awards provide an opportunity for companies to demonstrate new products and services at the show and across the security marketplace.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 3 August. Winners will be honoured at the GSX and given time to showcase how their product addresses market needs on the new X Stage. This is a learning theatre located on the GSX expo floor where esteemed industry experts will present future-forward sessions on topics such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics and drones.

*For complete entry details visit the Innovative Product Awards web page at https://www.gsx.org/highlights-events/awards/ or e-mail exhibits@asisonline.org

IFSEC organiser UBM previews ‘The Future of Security’ Seminar Theatre powered by Tavcom Training

In partnership with Tavcom Training, the provider of accredited security systems training courses, IFSEC International organiser UBM has unveiled some of the detail behind ‘The Future of Security’ Seminar Theatre. Sponsored by Panasonic UK, this will deliver a range of essential CPD-accredited presentations on the very latest in security technology design and integration when IFSEC 2018 runs at London’s ExCeL from 19-21 June.

Physical security systems are now heavily dependent on IT-based platforms. This intersection of technologies has opened up significant potential for security installers and engineers to offer even better solutions for their end customers. To reflect this demand, ‘The Future of Security’ Theatre will focus on these opportunities in offering a full set of free seminars. The sessions will expertly target key areas addressing cyber security, IT Best Practice, practical IP networking, integration and system design plus a wide range of additional core areas. All sessions will be delivered by specialist Tavcom trainers.

Delivering insight into the major security challenges, the cyber security sections will look into how robust approaches can strengthen an existing physical security system, providing the end user with even greater resilience to cyber threats.

From an IT security aspect, the sessions will include sessions on understanding firewalls and identifying vulnerabilities which can be inherent in the installation process. In addition, there will be exclusive sessions on the use of drones in security and how this technology is both a benefit and a hazard.

‘The Future of Security’ Theatre will be a major element in the new ‘Show Me How’ project at IFSEC International 2018, which will identify education opportunities and exhibiting companies as key destinations where visitors can go to learn about Best Practice and capabilities. Exhibitors will host technical experts on their stands to ensure visitors gain a direct understanding of the products and solutions and making sure they leave fully equipped with the right knowledge.

At the event, all ‘Show Me How’ areas and exhibitors will be clearly signposted to help visitors make the best possible use of their time at IFSEC 2018.

With cyber crime being an ever-present threat exploiting business weaknesses around storing data in multiple locations, Panasonic UK is proactively taking action to thwart such threats by expanding its cyber offerings. In particular at IFSEC International 2018, the business will focus on how integrators and installers can bring additional value to end users by providing ‘cyber safe’ environments.

Paul Tennent, sales director at Tavcom Training, stated: “As a leading training provider for the security and fire installer sectors, Tavcom is excited to be part of the new position IFSEC is taking as a major education provider. Its been interesting to see the insights and research IFSEC has gained over the past year, particularly so in regard to the expectations and direct needs of the installer community. It’s also acutely apparent that growth areas and technologies in and around cyber security are becoming critical, so we’re happy to lend our expertise to the wider IFSEC audience.”

Gerry Dunphy, brand director for IFSEC International, responded: “We’ve been through an extensive research programme over the past 12 months which has provided IFSEC with a clear set of directions, matching the direct needs of our customers. They’ve told us they have a need to understand the future. They need guidance on areas such as how cyber security impacts on physical systems and they need to hear from specialists they can trust. Working with Tavcom Training on ‘The Future of Security’ Theatre is the perfect solution given Tavcom’s history and expertise in these core areas. Our customers have told us what’s keeping them awake at night and it’s IFSEC’s duty to help them rest more comfortably.”

*IFSEC International 2018 is co-located with FIREX International, Safety & Health Expo and The Facilities Show, offering a strategic blend of related business to business events focusing squarely on the protection and management of people, property and assets

GJD to showcase advanced IP and laser technology at inaugural Dahua ‘Technology Showcase’ event

GJD, one of Dahua’s UK Technology Partners, will be exhibiting at Dahua’s first ‘Technology Showcase’ event on Tuesday 17 October at Lillibrooke Manor in Maidenhead. GJD will demonstrate seamless detection integration of its range of IP-based outdoor detectors and illuminators with Dahua Technology’s NVRs. GJD will also present its award-winning laser technology and show how it’s helping to protect sensitive sites – such as prisons and airports – from increasingly popular drone intrusion.

Dahua will be running four ‘Technology Showcase’ events throughout October and November. These events are designed to offer the latest cutting-edge security technology in a brand new event format. Instead of the usual theatre-style presentations, there are eight key ‘Technology Zones’ featuring fully-interactive, hands-on product demonstrations for attendees.

GJD’s security solutions rapidly identify genuine alerts, reduce false alarms and optimise the call-out of responders, making their products a truly valuable asset to both people and properties in all industry sectors across the world.

Greg Stuttle, GJD’s business development manager, commented: “We’re delighted to be one of Dahua’s UK Technology Partners and to be exhibiting at the company’s first ‘Technology Showcase’ event. We will showcase our latest technology solutions and demonstrate how they improve security for a wide range of sectors and applications”.

During each event, GJD will be giving away a 30 metre outdoor IP motion detector (D-TECT 2 IP – GJD230). The D-TECT 2 IP provides end users with real-time remote monitoring access via a secure web-based interface, enabling them to monitor from any location and at any time.

All four events are open from 9.30 am with last entry at 4.00 pm. Delegates have the freedom to arrive at any point during the day. Numbers are limited so pre-registration is advised in order to avoid disappointment.

*To register to attend the Dahua ‘Technology Showcase’ events visit: http://178.62.99.221/dahua-roadshow/

Five key security scenarios for OPTEX’s sensors at IFSEC International 2017

At IFSEC International 2017, sensor manufacturer OPTEX will be exhibiting a range of different products and solutions centred around five key security scenarios from perimeter protection and tailgating detection to Internet of Things (IoT)-based alarm systems.

Within a high security perimeter protection zone, OPTEX will showcase its Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure-approved fibre optic fence detection system. The Fiber Sensys FD-322 Series solution detects intruders climbing or attempting to cut through a fence.

OPTEX’s REDSCAN RLS-3060 can create another layer of security around the perimeter fence to warn if anyone or any vehicle is approaching.

The perimeter intrusion detection systems have been fully integrated with the GEMOS PSIM platform and can trigger video surveillance drones to fly to the point of intrusion and send a live video stream to the Security Control Centre.

In a second zone, OPTEX will be showcasing its time of flight technology, allowing visitors to IFSEC gain a better understanding of its capabilities. This technology allows a scene to be mapped in 3D and give an accurate representation of the objects present. It’s used in Accurance 3D, OPTEX’s tailgating detection system for interlocks, and could also be used for other applications such as object protection.

The award-winning laser scan detector REDSCAN RLS-2020 will also be at the show, with OPTEX representatives demonstrating its ability to protect assets and detect people jumping over turnstiles or climbing through skylights. This solution is already proven in identifying small objects or thrown objects being smuggled into restricted areas.

For both commercial and residential security, OPTEX will be demonstrating its new wireless infrared beam (namely the SL-TNR) that works with universal batteries (CR123) and can be partly hardwired, as well as its new range of pre-built beam towers.

The last zone will include live demonstrations of how OPTEX’s wireless outdoor sensors, including the new VX Shield Series, are ideally suited to IoT applications, sending alarms and other data via the cloud to a smart phone or remote monitoring station.

Jacques Vaarre, managing director of OPTEX, stated: “We feel that the live demonstration route is the best way to show the range of applications that can be achieved with our sensors. In addition to exhibiting at IFSEC International 2017, we’ll also be making presentations in the Borders and Infrastructure and Security Management Theatres to discuss innovations around access control systems and deliver Case Studies focused on protecting critical infrastructure against intrusion.”