IDIS marks 25th Anniversary by producing ‘tech’ innovations film

Surveillance solutions developer IDIS has marked its 25^th Anniversary (and cementing its position as Korea’s foremost in-country video manufacturer) by producing a celebratory ‘tech’ video and running a prize draw. The company also plans on making more donations to charities and other good causes, orchestrating a series of innovative ‘tech’ launches and introducing a Premier Partner Programme for systems integrators and distributors.

The celebrations kick-off this month with the release of the video, which commemorates a quarter of a century of innovations that have helped to improve lives for people and communities around the world, while at the same time delivering security and efficiency benefits for organisations operating across and within multiple sectors. The film also looks ahead towards future possibilities.

The video is running on the IDIS YouTube channel as well as on the company’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages, giving followers the opportunity to participate in the celebrations and offering the chance to win Amazon vouchers.

End-to-end solutions

Since 1997, IDIS has built a reputation for high-quality, end-to-end solutions and achieved consistent year-on-year growth through a strategy of close collaboration and mutual loyalty with a global network of partners.

IDIS now operates across 50 countries, with more than two million recorders and over 17 million cameras installed, and supports its end users with reliable single-source, true ‘plug-and-play’ ‘tech’. Through the years, the business has won the trust of distributors, system integrators and end user customers due to the delivery of a responsive personal service spanning everything from proof-of-concept demonstrations through to long-term customer support.

Since 2019, IDIS has also been praised for its ‘Create a Better World’ campaign, which has seen video equipment donations made to community groups, social welfare projects and charities. One of the latest good causes set to benefit is the Kurnell, the NSW Men’s Shed depression support-focused organisation, whose premises will now be protected by an end-to-end IDIS video solution supplied by distributor Hills Limited as it builds back from a break-in and the theft of equipment.

This year, IDIS has also donated Apple Watches to individuals for their outstanding actions during the pandemic, including those who administered vaccines, delivered COVID test kits to peoples’ houses and took meals to those who were sick or isolated.

Technology launches

Technology launches unveiled during this 25^th Anniversary year will include the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Retail Box release, which gives retailers all the benefits of AI-powered business and customer intelligence without the usual price tag, easy and affordable options for public display and spot monitoring, new parking management solutions and a range of edge AI cameras.

“As we mark 25 years of success,” commented Joon Jun, president of the Global Business Division at IDIS, “the whole IDIS family is coming together to celebrate and look forward to an even brighter future. We all know that imagining, designing and manufacturing the best solutions is a shared endeavour that involves many committed people working in partnership. All of us here at IDIS are looking forward to the next 25 years of delivering innovations and earning the trust of those whom we help to protect.”

*More information on IDIS’ solutions is available online at www.idisglobal.com

National Security Inspectorate makes final preparations for The Security Event 2022

The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) is in the process of making final preparations for The Security Event, which takes place from 5-7 April at the NEC in Birmingham. The specialist certification body for the security and fire safety sectors will be sharing important updates on industry standards with professional installers and integrators and also taking the opportunity to discuss specific queries on a one-to-one basis on Stand L20 in Hall 3.

Installers are invited to visit the NSI’s stand and spend some time learning how more than 2,000 companies across the UK are benefiting from the NSI serving as their not-for-profit, specialist certification body, helping them to improve their business’ performance.

Advisors will be on hand to explain the straightforward application process, costs and timescales.

NSI approved companies and invited guests attending the show on Tuesday 5 April will also be attending a private drinks reception taking place at 3.30 pm.

Matthew Holliday, the NSI’s director of approval schemes, and John Davidson (approval schemes manager for systems), will both be presenting in the Fire and Security Installer Theatre. Holliday will talk about ‘BS 8418:2021 for Detector-Activated Surveillance Systems – The Game Changer For Police Response’ (Tuesday 5 April at 2.00 pm) and ‘Cyber Security: Are Security Systems Affected?’ (Wednesday 6 April at 11.15 am).

John Davidson will be talking about ‘Fire Risk Assessments and Evacuation Alert Systems – A Certification Body’s Perspective on Demonstrating Competence’ (Thursday 7 April at noon). 

Holliday will also be participating in the opening panel session in The Security in Practice Theatre at 10.30 am on Tuesday 5 April, with the subject matter being ‘The State of the Industry: What are Today’s and Tomorrow’s Priorities?’

Continual improvement

NSI CEO Richard Jenkins commented: “Continual improvement is one of the most effective ways in which to raise standards within the security sector and we look forward to sharing knowledge and expertise at The Security Event in Birmingham. It promises to be a lively and informative three days for UK installers, showcasing the latest technologies, products, services and insights. Our own presentations have been carefully considered to give installers the latest information on topical subjects. We very much look forward to meeting industry contacts old and new.”

*Register for free tickets

*Find out more about The Security Event and co-located events

The NSI’s reach spans the four nations of the UK and Eire. It counts premium local providers as well as the UK’s premier security and fire safety providers among its clients.

The organisation delivers a robust and continuous audit regime of approved companies through a dedicated team of in-house experts to verify compliance with relevant British and European Standards, Codes of Practice and certification schemes developed by industry bodies and associations.

End users who choose to contract with NSI approved companies can be assured of security and fire safety services that will be delivered to the highest standards by businesses committed to quality and continual improvement. 

Vemotion issues multi-stream, multi-media hybrid video encoder and recorder

Vemotion Interactive – the UK manufacturer of low-latency, high-performance, ‘plug and play’ live video streaming solutions for systems integrators and OEM solutions providers – has just released the VB-36, a rugged MIL-SPEC, multi-stream, multi-media hybrid encoder and recorder.

Capable of delivering high-quality images combined with extremely low latency, the VB-36 encoder supports any mix of analogue, IP, HDMI and HD-SDI inputs. Capitalising on Vemotion’s V-TX transmission technology, the VB-36 delivers amazingly low latency and high-quality images transmitted at efficient bitrates, even within the most challenging of wireless (GPRS, 3G, 4GLTE, 5G, Wi-Fi and Satellite) or wired (UTP and fibre) network conditions.

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Suitable for a wide variety of video transmission applications, the rugged, aluminium-bodied MIL-SPEC VB-36 is ideal for use in harsh environments, such as on-board vehicles or extremes of operating temperature. Offering flexible performance, the encoder caters for additional input ports and PoE to provide power for multiple IP cameras from just one device.

In combination with the Vemotion viewer, users can choose a camera to view, using data only when viewed. Multiple cameras can be viewed in different split-screen formats – including mosaic and quad screen – from just a single stream. Furthermore, the VB-36 can accommodate more streams and more analogue cards (or an additional modem, etc) to provide flexible configuration in order to meet any advanced streaming requirement.

Definition of parameters

The VB-36 employs user-friendly set-up and features, and together with a local user interface, includes the ability to define on-board recording and transmission parameters for full-rate camera viewing and control (including recorded footage playback).

“The VB-36 delivers highly efficient video streaming on astonishingly low bandwidth video transmission,” commented Steve Haworth, CEO at Vemotion. “Easy to add to existing infrastructure, the VB-36 is a highly reliable, robust and flexible encoder and recorder. It’s suitable for a wide variety of professional video streaming applications.”

*Further information is available online at www.vemotion.com

Steve Riley appointed in key sales role for PAC-GDX and 3XLOGIC brands

Steve Riley has been appointed in key sales role for PAC-GDX and 3XLOGIC brands. Formerly with Risco for over seven years, industry stalwart Riley has joined the organisation with an ambition to grow market share across all brands by adding value to security solutions in the form of business intelligence.

On his new role, Riley commented: “It’s a very exciting time to be joining this organisation because we have several exciting product launches planned. I see so much potential in the integration of our brands and the resulting ability to offer solutions that very few companies can provide.”

He continued: “By harnessing the secure data which is on board many security systems already out in the field, we can provide valuable insights for end users, such as tracking how, when and where people move around buildings. This is the sort of information that can really assist with everything from COVID-19 procedures to energy savings.”

Steve Riley

Riley will also be re-shaping and re-energising the organisation’s channel engagement, developing new distribution partnerships and relationships with system integrators here in the UK and across Europe.

“Some of our brands have been associated with certain market sectors to date and they have dominated those sectors,” asserted Riley, “but interoperability across our brands and calibrating the right products to suit the application means that our security installers and system integrators can target any kind of business from SMEs right the way up to enterprise-level plcs.”

Welcoming Riley to the fold, Bill Hobbs (global sales leader for all brands) enthused: “Steve has joined us on the brink of huge growth potential for the company and his energy and management skills are a welcome addition at this exciting time.”

Genetec unveils ‘Innovate Everyday’ webinar series for end users and integrators

Genetec, the developer of unified systems for enhanced security, operations and intelligence, has announced a new series of webinars designed to assist end users and system integrators in navigating these testing times.

The sessions outline ways in which customers from various industries are repurposing their existing physical security systems in order to solve specific pandemic-related issues. In addition, they will cover ways in which Genetec is evolving its own solutions to address critical new requirements.

The details for the upcoming webinars are as follows:

Thursday 16 July

Privacy now and after COVID-19 Amid a public health crisis, the global pandemic is raising questions about privacy. How can technology help?

Tuesday 21 July

Physical security innovations to help during the pandemic In this session, experts will discuss the new reality and how technology is being developed and deployed

Tuesday 4 August

Delivering new innovations Experts from Genetec, Quanergy and HID will discuss collaborative innovations that are supporting end users in the current environment

Tuesday 18 August

Identity as the new perimeter Experts will discuss why identity is now the backbone to infrastructure management and the enforcement of security policies

Wednesday 26 August

Machine Learning: Making sense of data Data scientists will explain the use of machine learning to improve product performance, give users greater insights into their physical security data and enable organisations to more effectively automate their processes

*For more information or to register for any of these webinars visit https://www.genetec.com/innovate-everyday

**Watch the promotional video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=auYzGXGbxgE&feature=emb_logo

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.”

Good governance should be “differentiator and business enabler” for security integrators

Businesses are at risk of falling behind if they fail to see the advantages of good governance and the benefits it can bring. That’s according to Evolution, the integrated fire and security systems business.

Brendan McGarrity, head of risk and design at Evolution, argues that ‘box-ticking’ to meet a legal, regulatory or compliance obligation should not be the strategy to adopt and implement.

McGarrity informed Security Matters: “I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of ‘ticking a box’ either because we don’t understand or believe in something, but simply need to get it off our desk. I’m sure, also, that there are some of those with a security remit who do much the same when it comes to governance in relation to risk. There are clear advantages and true benefits to be realised from good governance.”

As an example, McGarrity quoted a Quality Manual. “To some, it’s a manual that, once completed, can sit on a dusty shelf or be lost in a drawer, never to see daylight again unless and until a quality inspection’s due. Then there are others who see it differently. They would view a Quality Manual as a proactive tool for instigating continual improvements to a business and its operations.”

Readily embracing quality

McGarrity notes certain sectors, such as the pharmaceutical or high-tech electronics industries, embrace quality readily, and realise the benefits such an approach can bring, but others are less willing until an event obliges them to see and think differently.

He also pinpoints the Surveillance Camera Commissioner as an interesting case and highlights the example of a major retailer who sought accreditation with the Commissioner, not because they had to, but because they realised the benefits from doing so.

“The business was not obliged to have Surveillance Camera Commissioner accreditation. It did not need to tick a box. It did so to demonstrate genuine leadership and strategic influence across the sector. The senior stakeholders were engaged and found to be suitably impressed, and their brand and reputation enhanced among stakeholders and customers alike. They also realised the commercial and operational benefits that Surveillance Camera Commissioner compliance could bring. Benefits that far outweighed the costs involved, not least an increase in public confidence in the way the systems were operated and managed.”

Compliance as business enabler

McGarrity added: “Though such compliance wasn’t essential to the business concerned, the organisation saw it as a business enabler and one that affords the company competitive advantage.”

For McGarrity, that’s the key point. “Good governance should be a differentiator,” he concluded. “High-end integrators see it as an opportunity to put distance between themselves and the volume-based installers who are perhaps not as focused on building long-term relationships. That said, good governance only becomes a differentiator if the true benefits are properly understood and realised.”

360 Vision Technology appoints Sara Fisher as business development director

360 Vision Technology, the UK CCTV company, has announced the appointment of Sara Fisher to the role of business development director.

Formerly sales and marketing director at AMG Systems with full responsibility for driving sales and marketing activities, Fisher’s new role will be geared to supporting end users, system integrators and security consultants in the ITS, local authority and oil and gas sectors within the UK and across international regions.

Sara Fisher

“Having worked with Mark Rees and the team for a number of years, I’m extremely excited to be taking on this new position,” enthused Fisher. “I’ve admired 360 Vision Technology’s innovative and high-performance camera and lighting technologies for some time now and cannot wait to start promoting another great British brand. Primarily, my aim will be to increase 360 Vision Technology’s global presence across a number of key market sectors.”

Rees stated: “Supporting the company’s continued growth plan, we welcome Sara as an excellent addition to the 360 Vison Technology team. Having worked with Sara in a technology partnership with her previous company, it was clear that her experience and tenacity was aligned with our own company’s ethos and aspirations. Sara’s role is set to lead us into new sectors, as well as strengthen those in which we’re already making inroads. I’m thrilled to have someone of Sara’s calibre and experience joining the team.”

VCA Technology launches “powerful” AI video analytics solution

VCA Technology, the provider of video analytics, has announced the release of VCA Server, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Deep Learning-based video analytics software suite providing a key upgrade to the company’s flagship VCA Core platform.

Offering simple integration with VMS and NVR manufacturers’ technologies, the new release ensures that sophisticated analytics can be set up and installed within as little as 15 minutes, allowing end users to significantly reduce false alarms with minimal disruption.  

Central to VCA Server is its Deep Learning filter which is pre-calibrated to immediately recognise vehicles and people, delivering an ‘instant analytics’ application. Its focus on ‘event filtering’ can, for example, distinguish foliage movement, shadows and changes in weather conditions from suspicious activity, enabling more accurate distinctions between true events and false positives. This makes it ideal for monitoring sterile zones and closed site installations, as well as managing perimeter protection remotely.

The VCA Core rule and feature sets are still available within the new release and, for high density sites such as airports and Shopping Centres that require a more comprehensive set-up, there’s still the option to use ‘Logical Rules’ alongside the extensive calibration features and the Deep Learning filter.

The new release is compatible with both remote and local servers and can produce basic data or more comprehensive metadata, depending on end users’ requirements.

Also available in a rack-mounted unit, VCA Server is suitable for projects from four to 64 cameras and ideal for applications with or without a VMS, where it would be used in conjunction with a local NVR, for example. This provides installers with an extremely cost-effective solution and enables them to use VCA Deep Learning analytics at a significantly lower cost than the industry standard.

Kevin Waterhouse, managing director at VCA Technology, explained to Risk Xtra: “There’s a misconception among integrators and installers that AI-based video analytics demand high processing requirements, making them cost prohibitive. However, our technology is compatible with all IP cameras of varying capabilities, as well as the most popular VMS and NVRs, greatly reducing cost and installation time. By quickly and seamlessly incorporating AI and Deep Learning into their existing portfolio, security providers can now future-proof their business by providing end users with intelligent and real-time video analytics.”

Waterhouse added: “For end users, the launch of VCA Server means that there’s now a more comprehensive solution that goes beyond just surveillance. With budgets being squeezed, companies are looking for surveillance solutions that can overcome industry bottlenecks and do more with less. This is where AI and Deep Learning significantly push the boundaries of standard video analytics.”

Allegion launches all-new ISONAS Pure IP access control solution to UK market

Security and fire safety products developer Allegion UK has launched the ISONAS Pure IP family of access control solutions in the UK. The underlying idea is that ISONAS believes access control belongs on the network and should have the ability to be managed from anywhere across an unlimited number of facilities. That’s precisely why ISONAS created Pure IP access control hardware.

Patented reader controllers eliminate the need for cumbersome control panels at every door, removing complex wiring and power supplies and meaning that this solution is simple to install. By dint of using standard category cabling, installation time is significantly reduced making it the ideal choice for integrators and their end users.Commenting on the launch, Trevor Ball (business development manager for Allegion UK and Ireland) stated: “Since Allegion’s acquisition of ISONAS last year, the latter is generating a huge amount of interest in the UK market. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of ISONAS is the ability to manage and administer devices across the globe. The ability to programme the system centrally and manage many different remote sites is an intrinsic benefit. This singular advantage is one of the reasons why many customers are choosing to invest in ISONAS Pure IP access control. With the flexibility, scaleability and accessibility of ISONAS, I’m certain that this is the future of access control.”

Built-in Bluetooth Low Energy enables a given door to be configured directly from smart phones and tablets. This permits them to be installed, managed and monitored remotely from one single device. Pure IP hardware also eliminates the need for a physical card, allowing organisations to efficiently manage an unlimited number of credentials and access control in real-time.

ISONAS’ access control solutions allow businesses to use their existing security network to bring intelligent decision-making to the forefront and embrace an open platform with both an API for third party software integrations and an SDK for integration of the patented Pure IP hardware.

*Full details of the ISONAS Pure IP access control solutions can be found at: www.isonas.com/