Life Emotions - CEO Joel Reis Cedia Interview

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HOME TECHNOLOGY FOR

BETTER SECURITY Home surveillance represents a big market opportunity for technology integrators. Here, CEDIA talks to four industry experts to find out their opinions on surveillance in the home technology market.

What makes surveillance such a good business opportunity?

Mark Tibbenham GJD

Jaime Freyria Sutcliffe BASENXT

Joel Reis Life Emotions

Jason Hill LILIN UK

MT More and more homeowners who are now well-versed with smart devices are looking for more than simple plug and play integrated surveillance systems for their residences. IPenabled perimeter security products that seamlessly integrate with custom integration systems (Control4, RTI, Crestron) immediately warn of a potential intrusion, and this is a big attraction for end users. They’d rather know that a would-be burglar is at the fence rather than in their home.

JFS In many ways, surveillance in the home is a great business opportunity.

Today, all our clients want to have control over their homes even when they are not there. We are able to integrate products to provide a solution that allows homeowners to know what’s going on their home, and receive alerts if something happens.

JR The IoT and DIY product range is growing every day, and these products demand that our market needs to improve the know-how and deliver a better solution for our customers.

JH We already see significant market data that suggests that at least 90% of automated homes have

surveillance systems or cameras fitted.

End users love being able to see their home from their phone. Within five years, most detached residences in the UK will have cameras in them. The manufacturers of DIY cameras struggle to make good external cameras because Wi-Fi is not reliable and the significant majority of cameras we sell are external with IR illumination, so the market for professionally installed cameras remains significant and is growing.

What are the main components of an integrated surveillance system in the home?

JR It is essential to have good quality cameras that work well during the day and in the evening. The system needs to be able to archive footage, provide video analytics, and respond accordingly with audio and lights. To achieve this, you also need to install sensors.

MT Outdoor motion detectors and IP-enabled illuminators are the linchpins of integrated home surveillance systems.

The motion detector is the main device that detects when an intruder is outside the home. It can be used to control cameras, connect to alarm panels, and communicate with lighting control

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systems. It can also provide other data, such as the outside temperature and lighting levels.

JFS The main components are alarm systems, CCTV cameras, and access control. Wireless alarm systems communicate to a main panel and provide homeowners with the confidence that their home is safe.

Internet-connected CCTV cameras allow users to watch and record what is happening in their property, while access control lets the homeowner grant access to their home when they are not there.

JH In its most simple format, an IP camera with a built-in SD card will provide a great level of functionality. If good HTTP/IP drivers are available, then additional functions can be “opened” to the control system, such as Audio Detection or Tripwire crossing, as an alert. A conditional email notification with snapshot is possible with some automation systems. When the camera count increases over three, then a recorder brings the system together.

Typically a Network Video Recorder (NVR) is an appliance in the rack with an HDMI output and an array of large Hard Disk Drives. The system also requires a good PoE network switch to handle power and data.

How can homeowners benefit from an integrated approach compared to a standalone installation?

JR We offer a solution that includes video analytics and virtual fences. When the virtual fences are triggered, the system responds accordingly — DMX lights turn on in the garden (police scene), the irrigation starts, a barking dog is heard through the garden speakers, and the interior bell rings on the security system to guarantee that the guard sees the action. This is all possible because the surveillance system forms part of a wider install.

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MT Standalone installations don’t provide customisation to suit the homeowners’ lifestyle. The integrated approach enables homeowners to choose specific areas to be monitored and which actions to take in the event of an intruder. Clients can use apps to control their entire home at any time and from anywhere in the world. This integrated approach enables the user to monitor the perimeter of their property and remotely illuminate an area from their mobile. Homeowner’s minds are put to rest and life is made easier as customised home security provides day and night notification to the owners’ smart home device.

JFS When you have an automated home, you can control everything from one app on your phone or device, instead of opening several apps to control every system. We use Creston as our main control system and this provides our clients with the opportunity to control the alarm, CCTV cameras, access control, lights, shades, audio, and more from one device.

JH While 90% of smart homes will have cameras, a much smaller percentage are integrated. To provide an integrated smart solution, the surveillance cameras should have HTTP/ IP drivers for the automation system.

Most importantly, the recording device (usually an NVR or DVR) should also be able to be operated from the user’s remote controls so that they can perform playback of recordings on their televisions as required. A good integration of the NVR will allow a selection of split screen displays, frame

We already see significant market data that suggests that at least 90% of automated homes have surveillance systems

advance, fast forward and rewind at various speeds, and the ability to select specific time and dates to start playback from. Integration also allows camera-based events to be enabled or disabled based on whether the user is at home or not. The utilisation of the audio functions on many cameras can provide PA type announcements, “listen in,” or even provide two-way communication to keypads in the home through SIP integration.

How would you describe the current market for integrated surveillance systems in your business?

JR For us, the market is complicated, as there are so many companies that sell alarms for 30€/month and the customer doesn’t see the big picture.

This decreases the number of requests for integrated security solutions.

JFS Today, surveillance is important all over the world. Every project that we work on, our clients want to have a surveillance system and that’s a great business opportunity for us.J

What issues and challenges do you face with surveillance system integration?

JR Managing customer expectation is the biggest issue that we face with regards to surveillance systems.

JFS The biggest challenge for us is working in a property that is already finished. We are used to working on projects from the very beginning, when we have the opportunity to install and hide necessary cables and systems.

When we work on refurb projects, this becomes an issue.

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