JULY 2021 ISSUE 433
THE NEW NORMAL
l 8K CCTV: Fact Or Fiction? l DHA Releases $A10 Million For Safer Communities l Review: Digifort VMS V7.3 Review l The Interview: Chris Whiting, Aotea Security
PP 100001158
l Tech Report: Using White Light In CCTV l Review: Dahua IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV Bullet l Selecting Monitoring Providers l Review: AXIS Q3819-PVE Panoramic l New Product: SALTO Neoxx Padlock
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editorial S E CU RI TY E L ECTR O NI C S & NETWO R KS J U LY 2021 ISSUE 4 33
By John Adams
THE NEW NORMAL
t’s a good time to think about the state of play in I the electronic security and wider technology markets as we move into the second half of another pandemic year. More than ever, it’s clear that COVID-19 has been disruptor and catalyst, sharpening the functionality of many of our solutions, clearing undergrowth around hidden niches, and liberating existing solutions from the constraints of technology as an expression of cultural habit. Much of what constitutes the ‘new normal’ from the point of view of technology is not new at all – instead, it’s mature technology let off the leash. Viscous oozings like cloud, face recognition and video analytics, some of which have been our favourite vapourware for a decade and more, are now the subject of operational musings among serious end users and their trusted consultants, suppliers and integrators. But that’s not really the path we want to go down here. We’ve prated on about accelerationism and the 4th industrial revolution long enough. Instead, there’s a wider social new normal that looks increasingly likely to impress itself onto our expositions of security technology. That social new normal is what will impact the sorts of solutions users want in the future – solutions that are flexible, cybersecure, operationally beneficial, protective of privacy and human rights, and kind to the biosphere. Something about this new normal – it’s going to need to take the concerns of users into account in the development of solutions. These concerns are multifaceted and COVID has changed their shape. They include fears about unregulated technological monoliths, fears of technology in the hands of government, privacy issues and feed into the business ramifications of lost trust.
Much of what constitutes the ‘new normal’ from the point of view of technology is not new at all – instead, it’s mature technology let off the leash. The new normal is also likely to see a greater social divide, hybrid education and training models, and flexible workspaces. Some pandemic business practises – think remote medical services - will not revert. The pandemic has accelerated trends in areas like touchless access control and has centred security solutions, including access control and video surveillance, placing it at the heart of BMS, but which aspects or collections of our technology will offer business opportunity through delivery of real operational value is still unclear. Whatever that value is, it’s certain security providers will be the ones who decide. Something else that’s increasingly pervasive among commentators is recognition of the negative potential of pervasive technology applied without constraint. This is less about the more real threat of widespread automation taking jobs and more about opaque notions of social control. That technology is already used by corporations to discover the preferences of users with every click is less of a concern than the application of biometric authentication technologies in closed working environments. Artificial intelligence is going to empower some workers. When it comes to assisting security officers, security operators and security managers make sense of a cavalcade of inputs from cameras and sensors in real time, these technologies have a lot to recommend them. But AI needs to be carefully applied and as far as possible, transparent in its underlying operations – easier said than done. In the new normal, many elderly Australians aren’t going into aged care unless they must. That means medical alarms, home automation solutions handling lighting, notifications,
automated watering, and other functions, all have a role to play. IoT is going to be less about monitoring whitegoods and more about monitoring life safety, health, quality of life – and about informing family of incidents unfolding in real time. You can’t talk about IoT without bumping into privacy and that’s going to be important, too. When you combine AI and IoT with biological feedbacks and face recognition in areas like remote medical diagnosis, you really are creating a recipe for social heartburn. How these conflicting necessities are managed in secure and responsible ways will be key in the new normal. We read fears of hacked pacemakers but from a provider perspective, the real issues are going to express themselves as a lack of consumer trust and slow uptake of services. The new normal is also likely to see examination of the centralisation of cloud services, especially for mission-critical applications. And governance of AI in surveillance and establishment of AI ethics – maybe even for home automation - is going to find itself on the table. We’re also likely to see trends towards data minimisation, data ephemerality, and data rights impacting on security system parameters. There’s also evidence of the increasing intrusion of (cough) sociology into discussions around security technology. There can be a disconnection between the sprawling opinions of sociology and the falsifiable mechanisms of empiricism that makes its baldest assertions hard to bear, especially when they present as emotional reactions to outdated data. But this doesn’t mean we won’t have to thoughtfully address these assertions in the new normal. n
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38 released $10 million in funding as part of its Safer Communities Fund – Round 6 – infrastructure grants, funding allocations ranging from $10,000 and $500,000 with the maximum allowed per location of $250,000.
JULY 21 8: 8K CCTV: FACT OR FICTION? Video surveillance applications have been nudging into 4K resolutions (3840 x 2160 pixels) for some years now, but in more recent times there’s been talk of 8K (7680 x 4320 pixels) in the consumer market, which poses the question whether or not this technology is ready for security consumption. 9: LOCKSMITH TURNED TEACHER FINDS NEW NICHE After running her own business across Victoria, locksmith Natalie Ball has found a new niche applying her locksmithing skills as a TAFE teacher through Melbourne Polytechnic’s ‘trainer under supervision programme’, which offers hands-on experience in the classroom. According to Ball, TAFE teaching has been an opportunity for her to share her craft and pass on many years of on-the-job experience to the next generation of locksmiths in a practical setting. 10: DHA RELEASES $A10 MILLION FOR SAFER COMMUNITIES Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has
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18: DIGIFORT VMS V7.3 REVIEW Digifort is a VMS developed in Brazil in 2002 that has enjoyed 2 decades of constant development. The latest version, Digifort V7.3, includes full VMS functionality along with an LPR module, video analysis, mobile monitoring, forensic analysis and Digifort Insight. 28: CHRIS WHITING, AOTEA SECURITY In this month’s interview, Chris Whiting of NZ security integrator, Aotea Security, talks about the nature of the NZ security market, what end user’s want from security providers, what integrators need from their security suppliers, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, how the Aotea retains staff and the vital importance of training. 32: WHITE LIGHT IN CCTV Something we’ve noticed over many years of camera testing is the benefit of ambient light and directional light in challenging CCTV applications. But is white light a white flag when it comes to outright camera performance? 34: DAHUA IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV BULLET Dahua’s IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV WizSense bullet camera features 8MP resolution (3840 x 2160), intelligent functions including perimeter protection and smart motion detection, active deterrence with
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a built-in siren and light, and a voice alarm, IP67 rating against water and dust, and a 2.8mm fixed lens, offering a strong angle of view. 40: AXIS Q3819-PVE PANORAMIC The AXIS Q3819-PVE panoramic day/night camera featuring 14MP resolution and a 180-degree angle of view, has four 1/2.5-inch sensors, a combined resolution of 8192 x 1728 at 30ips, and features Axis Forensic WDR and minimum illumination numbers of 0.02 lux in colour and 0.06 lux in monochrome. 44: NEW NEOXX PADLOCK FROM SALTO SALTO’s new Neoxx padlock series offers an additional level of security to control doors like gates or storage areas, with security enhanced by removing the mechanical key and adding mobile app operation and contactless smart keycard managed by an advanced web-based access control technology platform.
JULY 2021 ISSUE 433
THE NEW NORMAL
l 8K CCTV: Fact Or Fiction? l DHA Releases $A10 Million For Safer Communities l Review: Digifort VMS V7.3 Review l The Interview: Chris Whiting, Aotea Security
PP 100001158
l Tech Report: Using White Light In CCTV l Review: Dahua IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV Bullet l Selecting Monitoring Providers l Review: AXIS Q3819-PVE Panoramic l New Product: SALTO Neoxx Padlock
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
Latest business, product and technical news from Australia and around the world. 24: MONITORING For integrators and end users it’s not easy to make the right choice when it comes to monitoring providers. Is bigger better? Can a local station provide better service than a national? Are graded stations superior, or is Grade AI less important than a fast response? 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.
Editor John Adams Advertising Manager Monique Keatinge Customer Service Annette Mathews tel 61 2 9280 4425 annette@bridge publishing.com.au
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NEWS IN BRIEF J U LY 2 0 2 1
8K CCTV: FACT OR FICTION? n VIDEO surveillance applications have been nudging into 4K resolutions (3840 x 2160 pixels) for some years, but in more recent times there’s been talk of 8K (7680 x 4320 pixels) in the consumer market, which poses the question whether or not this technology is ready for security consumption. There’s no question that 8K could offer typical CCTV applications extra grunt but that would come with certain issues. For a start, the 8K association has proposed specifications around the technology – 7680 x 4320 pixels of resolution, 600 nits brightness, H.265 and more importantly, H.266 (yes, there are hardware caveats) Versatile Video
Coding encoding and support for HDMI 2.1. According to Vlado Damjanovski of VidiLabs, it’s interesting that most in the photographic/ videographer world these days are talking about 8K resolution. It’s this market that steers technology, thanks to its hunger for improved performance. “8K is a very good middle ground for both photography and videography,” Damjanovski explains. “That’s because 33MP is sufficiently good for both still images and for high resolution video. In this instance though, the sensors are typically full frame (36 x 24mm), with pixels of around 4.6 microns.” What Damjanovski highlights here is vitally
important for the possible future of 8K CCTV. Should CCTV camera sensor sizes stay at their present size of around 1/3rd of an inch, with smaller pixels of around 2 microns, 8K performance is going to be seriously hampered in low light conditions. There will also be issues with lensing – low quality plastic lenses
SECTECH ROADSHOW 2022 DATES ANNOUNCED n 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. SecTech Roadshow is a simple and highly targeted touring security tradeshow that covers 5 state capitals over 2 weeks during the month of May, and attracts 2000 high quality visitors with annual spending authority of more than $A417 million. The compact size and
SECTECH ROADSHOW IS A SIMPLE AND HIGHLY TARGETED TOURING SECURITY TRADESHOW THAT COVERS 5 STATE CAPITALS OVER 2 WEEKS DURING THE MONTH OF MAY.
convenient local venues make SecTech Roadshow the perfect opportunity for integrators, installers, consultants and end users across Australia to get quality face time with the best suppliers and manufacturers and their electronic security solutions in a vibrant halfday. SecTech Roadshow is a combined roadshow jointly promoted by all exhibitors, and by Security Electronics
and Networks Magazine, with all logistics handled by us. You deliver your show crates to us, and we’ll get them to your stand in each city, help you setup and help you pack up. Space at SecTech is limited and with more than 20 exhibitors already on the truck, you need to call Monique Keatinge on 61 2 9280 4425, or email monique@sen.news to guarantee your spot!
are not going to be fine enough to support 8K resolutions. Other issues to consider include monitor resolutions. Even 4K monitors would be insufficient to display the full glory of 8K, though digital zooming would be far superior given the additional pixels at the
mouse wheel. So, is 8K the mid-term future of quality video surveillance cameras? It could be, if users are prepared to pay extra for big sensor cameras required to adequately support it. On current trends does the market have that willingness? We’d say not…
FACIAL RECOGNITION BANNED IN BALTIMORE n BALTIMORE’S City Council Public Safety Committee has unanimously passed a temporary total ban on the private use of facial recognition in the city. The move bans all applications of facial recognition that are not deployed by city police and will be taken to a vote of the city council early June, where it’s likely to pass. Other U.S. cities to ban facial recognition technology include Boston, Portland and San Francisco, and it’s likely others will follow. For CCTV people, this means public surveillance applications managed
by police will have exemption, but privately owned applications will be impossible. The bans are broad enough that they cover face recognition in access control applications. The Security Industry Association (SIA) expressed its concerns over the ban to Baltimore’s Public Safety Committee, pointing out the issue was “…much broader than the concerns raised around law enforcement and government applications” but to no avail. If passed into law, SIA says the ban will criminalise all consumer applications of facial recognition technology.
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Immervision Wins Patent Challenge Against LG Electronics p.10 Monatrix Wins Gallagher Best New Channel Partner p.12 Only 4 Spaces Remaining For SAGE 2021 p.14 DHA Releases $A10 Million For Safer Communities p.15 Innotec Security Wins Council CCTV Contract p.16
COMPILED BY JOHN ADAMS
EASYGATE SPT INSTALLED AT GUNYAMA n GUNYAMA Aquatic & Leisure Centre at Green Square in Sydney has installed Centaman EasyGate SPT entrance gates. The largest pool complex built in Sydney since the 2000 Olympics, the facility has had a steady number of visitors since it opened its doors in the rapidlygrowing Green Square neighbourhood on February 1. Facility designers chose Centaman Entrance Control’s EasyGate SPT to
automatically keep visitors flowing through the busy $106 million complex. Centaman Entrance Control’s Michael Bystram said architects intended entry to the centre to be like an urban living room, and movement through the centre is carefully orchestrated to create separate zones. “We wanted to work with the architects to provide entrance control gates that matched their vision,” Bystram said. “The complex
has 2 sets of 3-lane gates at the main reception and one at the gym entrance on level 1 of the building, with each set having 2 lanes for entry and 1 for exiting.” Fitted out with Centaman’s Magnetic Direct Drive motor, the SPT model offers quiet operation and fast opening and closing times, for speedy throughput and high security. The gates have waist-height glass barriers, rather than the common 1.8m height, so they do not detract from
the building’s aesthetic, which was inspired by the beach pools of Sydney. More than 30,000 new residential dwellings are expected in Green Square by 2030 and the Gunyama centre, which sits at the heart of the urban renewal area, is part of City of Sydney’s development plans. The aquatic and recreation centre features a 50m outdoor pool within a large, irregular-shaped ‘beach pool’, indoor pools and a gym, all set within a park that has play equipment, a boardwalk and native landscaping. “Leisure centres often select the EasyGate SG, but the large Gunyama centre opted for the premium SPT model,” Bystram said. “It has worked well for the busy Gunyama centre, which needed a highsecurity option that could keep up with the traffic.” When members sign up to the state-of-theart gym or pool, they are issued membership cards or radio-frequency identification tags that can
be scanned at the entrance gates for instant access. The EasyGate SPT works with the facility’s leisure management system and is future-proofed with the possibility of setting up an iPad point-of-sale system. Self-service kiosks help to ease customer congestion at reception and allow staff to help customers with queries and membership sales. The kiosks have been invaluable for the facility while Covid-19 is in the community because they help to reduce queues make social distancing easier. Colour-coded lights alert users when they can safely pass through the gates and differentiate between entry and exit points.
IT HAS WORKED WELL FOR THE BUSY GUNYAMA CENTRE, WHICH NEEDED A HIGH-SECURITY OPTION THAT COULD KEEP UP WITH THE TRAFFIC.
STS AND SIEMENS PARTNERING ON INTEGRATED SECURITY SOLUTIONS n SIEMENS reports high end security integrator Secom Technical Services has become the first Australian partner for it’s smart infrastructure building security portfolio, Siveillance. Secom Technical Services offers engineering design, installation and maintenance of access control, CCTV systems and Type 1A solutions, and the partnership will focus on offering open, modular, and fully scalable solutions for critical infrastructure, including defence facilities, correctional institutions, government department and agency buildings. The Siveillance portfolio is already in use across key sites in Australia, including
within the ports, healthcare, correctional, and premium office vertical markets. Solutions encompass the entire Siemens Smart Infrastructure security portfolio, Siveillance Suite, which includes integrated access control technology, IP video management software and an incident management workflow engine specifically designed to support security management at critical infrastructure sites. Siveillance Control Pro not only ties together all the sub-systems currently used to protect and manage a site, but also allows security policies and procedures to be integrated using workflows and automated actions.
Jeff Connolly, CEO of Siemens Australia, said that there has never been a more important time for mid to large sized industrial customers to assess how they manage risk, while reducing operational costs. “Critical infrastructure facilities are no longer passive assets – more and more, they are digitally connected,” Connolly said. “This has changed the building security landscape, and we are seeing greater demand for flexibility, as well as open, scalable security architecture that reflects the rapidly changing needs of the market. “With a long history of providing security solutions to government
departments, Secom’s experience in public sector security is second-to-none. We welcome Secom as a solution partner and look forward to focusing together on the critical infrastructure market which requires robust security technology in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.” Chris Anlezark, director at Secom Technical Services said the team was excited to partner with Siemens. “Secom is an agile and innovative company reputed for providing solutions that match rapidly evolving market requirements and we’re pleased to partner with a like-mind company,” Anlezark said. “The
combination of our local knowledge and expertise in this space and Siemens’ technological prowess and breadth of solutions is a win-win for customers and the market.”
Chris Anlezark of STS (left) and Jeff Connolly of Siemens.
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NEWS J U LY 2 0 2 1
LOCKSMITH TURNED TEACHER FINDS NEW NICHE n AFTER running her own business across Victoria, locksmith Natalie Ball has found a new niche applying her locksmithing skills as a TAFE teacher through Melbourne Polytechnic’s ‘trainer under supervision programme’, which offers hands-on experience in the classroom. According to Ball, TAFE teaching has been an opportunity for her to share her craft and pass on many years of on-the-job experience to the next generation of locksmiths in a practical setting. “I love engaging with people and making a difference,” Ball said. “As a teacher, it’s been rewarding to be able to help people. Teaching is a continual challenge, which is exactly what I need to stay stimulated.” Ball’s passion for locksmithing came from a childhood spent in her parents’ suburban hardware store and her father inspired her to pursue a trade after seeing her thrive with the practical experience in the shop.
Ball undertook her qualifications aged 21, studying nights at Melbourne Polytechnic. After trade school, she went on to secure a position with Chubb Safes as a safe technician. A woman establishing herself in a maledominated industry, Ball reflects on some difficult times. “I grew up surrounded by males – with my dad and brother in the hardware store, I was used to that environment – but it’s confronting when you’re thrown into a maledominated setting,” she said. “I found myself laughing my way through times when I should have stood up for myself and said “no, that’s not right”. As a result, Ball is no stranger to challenges in the workplace, but she says there were advantages to being a woman in a maledominated profession. “I’ve found in locksmithing you have to navigate people and very different situations,” she explains. “It could be a domestic violence situation, where
a woman might feel more comfortable with another woman doing their locks for them. “Being able to address sensitive situations like this is a very good skill to have and you’re earning people’s trust. That side of locksmithing involves being compassionate, using people skills and social skills. Having all of that really does give you a huge confidence boost, knowing that you’re capable of doing all those sorts of things.” During Ball’s early years of work, she remembers a culture of leaders insulting their young tradies in a misguided attempt to get them to work harder. Instead, it would often make them feel worthless and doubt their abilities. “Thankfully, things have changed now, and I’m also glad there’s more support for women who are coming into the industry,” she says. According to Ball, locksmithing is a diverse profession. “A lot of people think it’s just cutting keys – it’s not,” she says. “You can specialise in automotive,
Natalie Ball, locksmith and teacher.
or being a safe technician, or working on houses or commercial alarms. There are so many different areas of locksmithing that you can go into and not be bored with. Your skillset is very broad.” Ball says returning to Melbourne Polytechnic to teach has been a great option for her as an industry expert wanting to pursue a new career path.
“My favourite thing about being a teacher is how fun it is,” she says. “I find it rewarding when a student has hit a wall and, with some patience and gentle encouragement, they improve in leaps and bounds. You can really see that they’re proud of themselves and that for me is a fantastic thing to be a part of.”
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WE CAN AND ITH
IMMERVISION WINS PATENT CHALLENGE AGAINST LG ELECTRONICS n IMMERVISION has defended its machine vision system patent against challenges made by LG Electronics. Immervision’s advanced wide-angle vision system combining optics, image processing, and sensor fusion technology, are used in applications,
IMMERVISION’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND PATENT PORTFOLIO REPRESENT TRUE INNOVATION AND ARE DEFENDABLE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME THAT WE CAN PROTECT OUR CUSTOMERS AND WORLD-WIDE LICENSEES WITH OUR IP.”
spanning consumer electronics, transportation, robotics, security, home devices to IoT, and defence, among others. In November 2019, LG petitioned the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, challenging the validity of one of Immervision’s key patents (U.S. Patent No. 6,844,990). However, several weeks ago, the board (PTAB) unanimously ruled that the claims LG challenged were not unpatentable over the cited prior art references. “Immervision has spent the past 2 decades innovating, licensing, and implementing its vision technologies to multiple industries,” said Pascale Nini, president and chief
executive at Immervision. “Immervision’s intellectual property and patent portfolio represent true innovation and are defendable. It is very important for me that we can protect our customers and world-wide licensees with our IP.” In 2018, Immervision filed a civil complaint against LG for patent infringement over several Smartphone models with wide-angle camera technology. LG responded by challenging the validity of Immervision’s patent at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The PTAB panel confirmed that LG had not met its burden to show the challenged claims were unpatentable.
When Immervision develops an optical design, the company defines specifications to obtain smarter pixels combined with image processing that will give the best
results for applications in machine vision. The company said it was now thinking about the future of machine perception, connecting visual data and other sensors to feed AI.
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VIX VIZION PARTNERS WITH CRADLEPOINT ON WIRELESS FACE REC n CRADLEPOINT has announced a partnership with Vix Vizion to provide wireless network solutions and remote cloud management for Vix Vizion’s facial recognition devices. Deployed in over 80 per cent of the gaming venues in South Australia, the new solution is part of the state’s gambling law reforms to protect the community from the potential harmful effects of gambling. “We had several critical capabilities that our wireless network solution must meet to support our facial recognition devices,” said Fraser Larcombe, Vix Vizion. “It must be
robust, bullet-proof secure, with the ability to access each machine from anywhere. We got it all from Cradlepoint and LTE.” The South Australian state government established a law reform to consolidate banned individuals lists into a single governmentmanaged list. It enabled the government to mandate facial recognition technology in all gaming facilities, including pubs, clubs and casinos with more than 30 machines in a venue. The law reform aims to protect the community and groups within the community by identifying people at risk of gambling-related harm and
MONATRIX WINS GALLAGHER BEST NEW CHANNEL PARTNER n MONATRIX has been presented with a Best New Channel Partner awards from the Gallagher Security team in the UK. “The whole Monatrix team has demonstrated great engagement at every opportunity with our teams, from sales and engineering through to service and support,” said Gallagher’s Richard Huison. “Actively promoting our
intervening to help people at risk. The facial recognition technology provided by Vix Vizion captures an image of people walking into a venue. It matches it to a digital database of banned and selfexcluded individuals held by the South Australian government. “Through NetCloud, our back-office is connected to every one of our facial recognition devices that are fitted with a Cradlepoint router, enabling us to monitor the devices 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Larcombe said. “When a device or a whole venue loses its hardwired Internet connection, the Cradlepoint router automatically switches to 4G connectivity, enabling continual remote access to and management of the machines and ensuring that devices remain online
without losing the ability to meet state regulatory requirements.” Previously, gaming venues had hard copy photographs obtained from various lists of banned people and relied on security staff to recognise these individuals and keep them from entering the venue. Using Cradlepoint NetCloud and 4G-enabled routers, Vix Vizion provides a distributed and connected facial recognition system that automates this process. Its software matches visitor images with the government-managed database. Since admitting banned individuals is an offense, identifying these individuals beforehand is paramount for gaming venues. The company’s facial recognition technology, along with biometrics, can also pick
up personal changes in people’s appearance, achieving detection rates of over 90 per cent. If a blocked individual does find a way into a monitored location, the Vix Vizion software sends an alert flagging the need for security staff intervention. “We applaud the South Australian government’s initiative to use technology to protect communities,” said Cradlepoint’s Gavin Wilson. “As technology infuses every aspect of our lives, including gaming, it’s important to leverage technology to help ensure the safety and support of people in need. Cradlepoint is proud to play a role in helping to curb gambling access for banned individuals across South Australia by providing secure and reliable wireless connectivity for Vix Vizion facial recognition machines across many sites.”
CALIBRE WINS IRON BRIDGE MAGNETITE PROJECT
solutions and ensuring every project delivered meets their customer’s expectation, the team at Monatrix has been easy to work with and has set the standard all the way. “Congratulations to Paul Gillings, Barry Doak and the team at Monatrix – Jason Hunter and Matt Page at Gallagher are looking forward to an exciting future building the partnership.”
n CALIBRE Professional Services has won a contract to provide a video surveillance solution for the Iron Bridge Magnetite Project. The contract involves supply, configure, test CCTV system; testing and integration of overall CCTV with PCS system; develop HMI screen, software programming, accessories supplied and integrate (as required), and
mandatory pre-qualification requirements. The Iron Bridge project is a magnetite mine in Western Australia. It is owned by a joint venture (JV) between FMG Fortescue (69 per cent) and Formosa Steel (31 per cent). The mine is currently being developed and expanded under a $A2.6bn project (stage 2), which follows the successful completion of
the $500m stage 1, which involved the construction of large-scale pilot and demonstration plants. Calibre Professional Services is a provider of infrastructure and built environment solutions, working across multiple markets and industries. Projects include Barangaroo, Queen’s Wharf Precinct, and Pentridge Prison in Australia and Hobsonville in NZ.
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Protecting your world with automated contact tracing and contactless access control
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NEWS J U LY 2 0 2 1
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA SPEEDS COVID-19 VACCINE WITH AUTOVU ALPR n WHEN the University of Arizona (UA) was chosen as a COVID-19 vaccine point of dispensing (POD), management wanted to put in place a distribution process to get vaccines out to as many people as possible as quickly and efficiently as possible and turned to Genetec solutions from systems integrator, Routel. “We had already heard about how ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition) could be used for tolls and monitoring traffic flow, and we were eager to see if the ALPR cameras could help us automatically track vehicles entering and exiting our POD,” said Jim Sayre, director of operations – Parking and Transportation Services, at the University of Arizona. To build a solution that would not only offer valuable insights about their POD operations but would also be affordable and easy to set up, UA chose to implement the
Genetec AutoVu Managed Services (AMS) solution with 4 ALPR cameras installed throughout the POD. This was paired up with the Genetec Traffic Sense Travel Times module within Security Center for added insight and functionality. Having mounted the poles and set up the cameras beforehand, the actual set up was completed in under 2 hours on opening day. Because the entire Genetec solution is hosted in the cloud, the university is able to use the software for as long as the POD remains open without draining budgets. Using AutoVu, the UA operations team can see exactly how long it’s taking vehicles to get through the POD and for people to get vaccinated, and then identify what they can do to get them through faster. All ALPR data is sent back to Security Center, where the Travel Times module automatically analyses
data and delivers insights the UA team can act on. This helps them immediately identify if there are random delays or potential issues that need to be further investigated. As a healthcare-related operation, UA made sure the Genetec solution complies with all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements. According to Sayre, “The cameras don’t know who the driver is, or the people
ONLY 4 SPACES REMAINING FOR SAGE 2021
n NOW in its 7th year, Security & Government Expo, to be held at the Realm Hotel November 25 and sponsored by Gallagher, has only 4 spaces remaining, according to organiser, Monique Keatinge. “SAGE has always been a
sold-out event, so potential exhibitors wanting to nail this one chance to show their latest solutions to an eager market in 2020 need to jump in now to secure a spot or they will definitely miss out,” Keatinge said. Security & Government Expo gives government
security managers and facilities managers, ACTbased security installers and integrators, and security consultants, the perfect opportunity to get a look at the latest security technologies in the nation’s capital with no travel expenses. Meanwhile, SAGE ASIS Seminars run alongside the expo and everyone is welcome to attend sessions of their choice. After SAGE, the annual ASIS dinner will be held and it’s the perfect opportunity for SAGE people to continue networking with government security people in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere. For more information visit SAGE website or call Monique Keatinge on +61 9280 4425 to ensure your exhibition space. Attendees – remember that date – November 25!
in the vehicle. And we’ve made it clear that we’re not running this against a motor vehicle database or anything like that, so we’re ensuring privacy.” Thanks to the Genetec solution, the UA team discovered early on that various team leaders had different processes for appointment check-ins. When UA standardised those processes, they could consistently get vehicles through the POD faster and maximise the number of vaccinations.
The team also noticed that on certain days of the week, cars were taking longer to get through certain points in the POD. After an initial inquiry, they realised those days often had mostly new volunteers who were still learning the ropes. The UA team was then able to adapt the volunteer schedule to ensure experienced personnel were always onsite to assist newbies and keep the throughput of vehicles high.
AOTEA SECURITY OPENS NEW HEADQUARTERS n AOTEA Security’s team recently celebrated the opening of the new cooccupied headquarters it shares with Aotea Electric at Nelson in New Zealand. The design, joinery and finishing for the space was created by The Custom Space in Nelson and fitted out with the latest lighting and technology by the Aotea team. According to Aotea’s Mike Allen, the security team has settled in nicely to its
new space and is enjoying giving customers the grand tour. “Our Nelson/Marlborough Security team is local and national market leaders, providing businesses with cutting-edge security and IT solutions,” Allen said. You can contact Aotea Security’s team on 64 3 547 5765, email marlborough@ aoteasecurity.co.nz, or visit 4 Vivian Place, Annesbrook, Nelson.
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FACE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY IS RACIST, SAY DEMOCRATS CALLING FOR FEDERAL BAN n DEMOCRATS in both chambers of U.S. Congress have equated face recognition technology with racism and reintroduced legislation that would ban the use of facial recognition – and other biometric technologies – by the U.S. federal government. The Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act was first introduced in 2020 and aims to ban use of facial recognition technology, voice recognition and other biometrics by federal agencies. Financial grants from the federal government to local entities, including police, would be conditional on local bans of biometric technologies. “This legislation is about rooting out systemic racism and stopping invasive technologies from becoming irreversibly embedded in our society,” said Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass). “We simply cannot ignore the technologies that perpetuate injustice, and that means law enforcement should not be using facial recognition tools today. We do not have to forgo privacy and justice for safety.” According to Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.); “Facial recognition technology is not only invasive, inaccurate, and unregulated but it has
also been unapologetically weaponized by law enforcement against black people across this country. “This legislation will not only protect civil liberties but aggressively fight back against racial injustice by stopping federal entities from using facial recognition and biometric surveillance tools while stripping (financial) support for state and local law enforcement departments that continue its use.” NIST, which assesses face recognition technologies annually, has found that false positive and false-negative rates of the leading algorithms using mugshots, application photographs from individuals applying for immigration benefits, visa photographs, and images taken of travelers entering the United States, have ‘undetectable’ differences between demographic groups. When NIST thresholds were set for false-positive rates of 0.01 percent for white males (1 in 10,000), more than half of the 17 most accurate algorithms had false-positive rates of 0.03 per cent or better for black males, Asian men, and white women (3 in 10,000). However, NIST’s testing did find poorer performing algorithms exhibited greater demographic bias. On Wednesday, the
Security Industry Association (SIA) released a statement opposing the legislation. SIA said the legislation would impose a blanket ban on most federal, state and local use of nearly all biometric and related image analytics technologies, which threatens the legitimate, documented benefits of facial recognition technologies used by law enforcement, including: • Identifying individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 • Reuniting victims of
human trafficking with their families and loved ones • Detecting use of fraudulent documentation by non-citizens at airports of entry • Aiding counterterrorism investigations in critical situations • Exonerating innocent individuals accused of crimes. “Rather than impose sweeping moratoriums, SIA encourages Congress to propose balanced legislation that promulgates reasonable
safeguards to ensure that facial recognition technology is used ethically, responsibly and under appropriate oversight and that the United States remains the global leader in driving innovation,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. King County, Washington, Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Jackson Mississippi, Boston, as well as the states of Virginia and Vermont have already banned the facial recognition technology from use in government applications.
DHA RELEASES $A10 MILLION FOR SAFER COMMUNITIES n AUSTRALIA’S Department of Home Affairs has released $10 million in funding as part of its Safer Communities Fund – Round 6 – infrastructure grants, funding allocations ranging from $10,000 and $500,000 with the maximum allowed per location of $250,000. According to DHA, this round of the Safer Communities Fund gives schools and pre-schools, places of religious worship, community organisations and local councils grants
of up to $500,000 for crime prevention initiatives aimed at reducing crime, violence, anti-social behaviour and/or other security risks driven by racial and/or religious intolerance. Project activities can include the installation of security infrastructure such as: • Fixed or mobile CCTV cameras • Security lighting • Fencing and gates • Bollards • External blast walls and
windows • Security and alarm systems • Public address systems • Intercoms and swipe access • Security doors. For registered schools and preschools, project activities can also include employing or hiring security guards, licensed by the relevant state or territory agency. Applications for funding close on August 5 and projects must be completed by 31 March 2024.
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NEWS J U LY 2 0 2 1
GALLAGHER WINS 2021 FORTRESS CYBER SECURITY AWARD n GALLAGHER has been recognized in the 2021 Fortress Cyber Security Awards as a winner in the Authentication & Identity Category for its MIFARE DESFire key migration enhancement. The US award recognizes the world’s leading companies and products that are working to keep data and assets safe amidst increasing threats from hackers and Gallagher’s solution was designed in response to the growing sophistication of cyberattacks upon credential security. The MIFARE DESFire key migration enhancement helps organizations mitigate the risk of cardcloning or tampering, through an improved management of key encoding used to read card credentials. This intelligent enhancement allows for cardholder credentials to be silently updated with newly defined site-specific keys for a secure and seamless cardholder experience. “There’s no doubt that cybercrime is evolving rapidly, and this is a
Steve Bell, Gallagher
growing concern for many organizations around the world,” says Steve Bell, chief technology officer at Gallagher. “What was produced a decade ago, may present weaknesses today. This was the basis for developing the DESFire key migration enhancement – to give our customers an easy way to securely migrate site access control keys.” As part of its commitment to cyber security, Gallagher’s security solutions are fully authenticated and encrypted to meet global
INNOTEC SECURITY WINS COUNCIL CCTV CONTRACT
n INNOTEC Security has won a CCTV contract worth around $A190,000 for the supply and installation of CCTV at the Sunshine Activity
Centre at Brimbank. The Sunshine Activity Centre precinct comprises 19 hectares designated for mixed-use development, set to become a prime
standards, including the FIPS-201 standards in the United States, Type 1A in Australia, and the UK Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure’s CAPSS (Cyber Assurance of Physical Security Systems) standard.
TERRY YALLOURIS APPOINTED ULTIMATE GM n TERRY Yallouris has been appointed general manager of Sydneybased security business, Ultimate Security Australia. “I’m very excited to announce that I’ve joined Ultimate Security Australia as general manager of the Electronics Division,” Yallouris said. “I’m looking forward the new adventure ahead. “What makes Ultimate Security unique is our approach – we have long held the view that
our business units should work in unison to provide clients with a comprehensive security package with innovation at its heart.” Ultimate Security is a privately-owned Australian company with founded more than 30 years ago. The company delivers integrated, multilayered security solutions to corporate, commercial, government and domestic clients, with services covering electronic security, guard services and alarm monitoring.
THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT CYBERCRIME IS EVOLVING RAPIDLY, AND THIS IS A GROWING CONCERN FOR MANY ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.
shopping and industry centre, located around 14km from Melbourne’s CBD. The precinct is positioned to take advantage of the multi-billion-dollar Regional Rail Link and upgrades to Sunshine Railway Station, ensuring people in Sunshine can travel quicker to Melbourne and across Victoria. Innotec Security is a Melbourne-based electronic security integrator specialising in access control, CCTV, alarms, automation and more, with a range of high end suppliers including Gallagher, Allied Telesis, Panasonic, Genetec, Tecom, Hikvision, Avigilon, Milestone, Juniper Networks, Inner Range, Hanwha, Dahua, Axis, Bosch, FLIR, Mobotix and Pelco.
LUKE KAVANAGH JOINS ULTIMATE SECURITY AUSTRALIA n LUKE Kavanagh has been appointed sales manager – emerging technology, for growing security provider, Ultimate Security Australia. “I’m excited for my new adventure and looking forward to working with our team, customers & partners,” Kavanagh said. “Security is such Luke Kavanagh
an exciting space to be in as we find more ways to drive customer value and provide insightful business intelligence through multilayer security infrastructure capability. “Emerging technology like ICT/IoT/security convergence is also helping to accelerate our capability and potential to help people and businesses.” Ultimate Security is a privately-owned Australian company with founded more than 30 years ago. The company delivers integrated, multilayered security solutions to corporate, commercial, government and domestic clients, with services covering electronic security, guard services and alarm monitoring.
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CONTACTLESS ACCESS CONTROL
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● Product Review
Digifort
DIGIFORT VMS V7.3 Digifort is a VMS developed in Brazil in 2002 that has enjoyed 2 decades of constant development. The latest version, Digifort V7.3, includes full VMS functionality along with an LPR module, video analysis, mobile monitoring, forensic analysis and Digifort Insight. IGIFORT VMS is a deep study. But for all its raw power and capacity for integration, the most compelling takeaway from my recent demo with Andrew Cho and Kang Lu at EOS Australia was how shallow its functionality lies. There’s no scrabbling through layers of tabs for a function
D
you half recall in a moment of panic – everything is right there in the cockpit, actionable via classic MS drag and right click. It’s always nice to demo a solution that’s revered by its distributor and that’s certainly the case when it comes to EOS and Digifort. This is a long relationship – EOS first saw the Digifort solution in 2008 when only available in Brazil, and the team immediately saw potential for the Australian market. Now distributed through 120 countries globally, that potential is fully realised as a solution tailor made for integration. Vertical and lateral integration has always been central to the Digifort ethos, and it seeps through every monad of its being. That integration isn’t just about supporting the 10,000 cameras and devices in its current list - it’s also about supporting adjacent security systems and subsystems as well using simple HTTP commands. Central to liberating its power is that 99 per cent of Digifort’s functionality can be driven through an API, empowering third party integrations of all kinds. In an operational sense what this means is that Digifort’s core functions of VMS, LPR, video analytics, mobile camera streaming, transcoding slave server and face recognition, are natively integrated, not external. This means
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BY J O H N A D A M S
LPR is searching LPR databases within Digifort, and people counting is handled within Digifort – the system is not having to address a third-party system to deliver on internal operations. At the heart of this is ActiveX creation of HTML pages and communication exchanges using HTTP, which makes integration between Digifort and third-party applications very easy. “Another advantage of the way we integrate is that communications are very fast – communications need to be handled instantly in critical areas, 1-2 seconds latency is far too long,” explains Andrew Cho of EOS Australia. “As well as point of sale and access control integrations, Digifort also integrates Briefcam’s Video Synopsis module, which allows hours of video to be reviewed in minutes by simultaneously showing events from different times linked back to original video. It’s perfect for crowd management or monitoring traffic, as well as making investigations faster.” Digifort V7.3, which I see during this demonstration, comes in 4 grades, including DGF Explorer for smaller applications, DGF Standard for SMEs, DGF Professional for large sites and DGF Enterprise for enterprise applications, with all versions compatible with one another. Explorer is
for use in small applications where it connects with DVRS, NVRs and encoders. Standard supports applications up to 32 cameras and include advanced features, like the integrated web server, and mouse control of PTZ cameras. Professional is for bigger clients seeking PTZ control by joystick, synoptic maps, up to 16 unique user profiles and unlimited connections, a web server, camera view via a cell phone, integration with optional Digifort modules. Professional also offers integration of alarm and automation modules and Digifort Evidence, giving a complete monitoring, alarm and automation solution. Top of the heap is Enterprise, which offers unlimited tools and functionality, alarm solutions, access control and automation. In addition to the features available in other versions of the software, this edition offers integration between alarm and automation modules, supports an unlimited number of cameras, and features IP filters and server status reports. Included in the demo solution I see are the VMS, an LPR module, video analysis, mobile monitoring, forensic analysis and Digifort Insight. Like every demo, the process of revelation is organic, and we dip in and out of the key pieces of functionality as we go along, always with a focus on the latest upgrades to the core system. With a system capable of such lateral expansion, getting hold of anchor points isn’t easy. Points of interest Cho touches on include the fact V7.3 can undertake LPR using standard cameras at up to 250kmph using camera or NVR-based video analytics. Another enhancement is POS integration, which supports tracking of people and events, as well as perimeter detection using CCTV cameras or intrusion detection devices. There’s also a consolidated cloud management platform, which allows all databases to be located in the cloud and accessed remotely. There are ongoing developments in face recognition, including integration with SAFR, which will support watchlists in line with new gambling regulations. “Digifort software is very light - it’s written using
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● Product Review
Digifort
fiber database engines – there’s no Microsoft SQL, which enhances affordability,” Cho explains. “This allows us to support multiple integrations on a single platform without having to go to different providers of applications.” According to Kang Lu, licensing is another area of difference with Digifort. There’s a once-off license for unlimited cameras based on use of a dongle, instead of machine code. “The benefit is if the server fails, instead of needing to undergo a lengthy rebuild process, all you have to do is unplug the dongle and then plug into a new server,” he explains. “This makes recovery from server failure very simple and because the dongle can license unlimited cameras, it’s cost-effective as a solution grows. “Additionally, there’s no cost for Active Directory, no cost for mobile client, no workstation client cost, no virtual matrix cost. The fact there are no extra licenses makes it a lot easier for customers to calculate their return on investment.” The simplicity of Digifort extends to deployment. “This is a very quick and easy system to deploy or to upgrade - it won’t take more than 5 minutes, even though it’s a whole new edition,” Lu explains. “And that lightness is evident in processing, too. It’s up to 50 per cent less demanding than competitors and this means that you can support double the cameras on the same type of server, or downgrade the server to save money with no loss of performance. “Often when organizations upgrade their cameras to the latest high-resolution devices, they have to upgrade their server as well. That’s not required with Digifort because the system requires much less processing capability – we describe ourselves as the lowest CPU-consuming BMS in the world.” Another key aspect of Digifort is the simplicity and malleability of the interface. There’s plenty of
power – you can create 400 camera divisions on a single monitor, or you can manage 3200 cameras on a single workstation. There are also multilayered maps, thanks to Google Maps integration. They work simply, too. All you need to do is type in your coordinates, place the map and superimpose cameras onto it. “Digifort is one of the few VMS solutions that has a native keypad to control the system. There’s also thumbnail search, smart search, audio detection at high levels and low levels and the system can detect the cessation of noise, so if machinery shuts down when it should be running that event will be detected. “On the recording side, we can send data to a third party, as well as recording via NAS. We can also archive to the cloud. Quick Sync is also supported, as well as IPv6.” According to Lu, the whole ideology behind Digifort is that everything is designed to be very simple and clean. “As an operator, all you see is the menu on the left-hand side of the screen,” he explains. “You don’t have to go anywhere else looking for additional information – nothing is hidden, everything is right there on the left side. From the point of view of the camera registering process, it’s very simple. You click and can go through to many integrated manufacturers, and you go through their camera models. We get a lot of questions from customers wanting to know whether cameras are integrated. With Digifort, it’s not complicated - everything is listed, easy to find and not hidden away.” When it comes to setting up the interface, users can group cameras by drag and drop and then pull things into different folders. They can also segregate whether things are indoor cameras outdoor cameras, or separate them by location. “The live interface is where 90 per cent of users would manage the system,” Lu says. “There’s simple drag and drop and click-based building of custom interfaces and nothing’s hidden. If you want any cameras on the screen, you just drag and drop then click the add button. You have the freedom to create any style you want, you can just customize it by using a mouse. No functions are hidden. If you want to remove a camera, it’s just as simple. “The same goes for maps. You just find them in their folder and then upload them and that’s it. And then once the maps open, you just drag cameras and drop them onto the map. There’s nothing complicated about it. If you want to playback, you can right click on the icon to open multiple playback options, including instant playback, the last 30 seconds, and more.” According to Cho, something you often see with other VMS solutions is that they’re tab-based. “Being tab-based requires operators to drill down through layers to find functionality,” he explains. “But with Digifort, everything is right there at your right mouse click. Digifort is known for right mouse
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● Product Review
Digifort
WHEN IT COMES TO SEAMLESS INTEGRATION, DIGIFORT IS PERFECT, AS IT HAS ONE OF THE BEST SDKS IN THE MARKET. click functionality. It’s everyday Windows usability very simple, very intuitive. “The simplicity extends to operating more complex cameras, including PTZs and fisheyes. For a fisheye, just click it and then start moving the view around. With PTZs you just pull the PTZ onto the map, open it via the icon and then you can drive the camera immediately. Neat, too, events based on motion or sensor activation can also drive the PTZ to presets and display the event on screen. “You can also create your own viewing windows in whatever style you like, or you can create viewers for use by all operators, or operators can make their own and save them in their names. The whole idea is to make working easier for operators. Any number of icons can be added, and they can be made transparent so they don’t get in the way but will appear when the mouse hovers over them.” At this point Cho points out a feature called object link, which allows groups of cameras to be linked together in a way that makes it possible to move from one camera to the next as an event unfolds simply by clicking on an arrow on a map in the direction the event has taken. The beauty of this is that operators don’t need to remember adjacent camera numbers, especially beneficial in more complex sites. “You can just click the next arrow/link and go straight to the next camera view,” Cho explains. “And when the event is finished, you click the icon again and go back to the original camera - it’s like an easy investigation feature that makes action easy to follow. And the moment the action finishes, you can save the entire sequence to support later investigation. “If I choose to save and then do a video export of the events, when I play back the footage, it plays
back with the exact same screen layout it was captured on – the entire playback screen interface is duplicated. And if you undertake reports, all the information is stored – who the operator was, the file can be encrypted, you can add a watermark – there’s general information about server status, server authentication, your login details, every action undertaken – everything is recorded here and available for later audit. It’s fantastically simple and powerful. Digifort has been around a while now but I’m still very impressed by it.”
VIDEO ANALYTICS Integrated video analytics is a core feature of Digifort – it’s inside the system, meaning it’s lower latency and less complex and less costly to manage. “When it was first introduced, Digifort analytics was designed for the retail market, so it’s very discerning,” Cho explains. “For instance, it has the ability to detect up to 80 objects – not only people or cars but a phone, a motorcycle helmet, a vest, a knife, a gun and lots more. You hear about AI a lot in the market, but we differentiate between normal AI and security AI like this: If I do a line crossing analytic and if doesn’t matter what kind of object as long as it fits within the minimum and maximum size criteria activates the alarm, then it’s normal AI. But if the AI module first needs to recognize the object/subject and the line crossing rule only applies to that recognized object, then that’s security AI. “This Digifort capability is very powerful with analytics like people counting. We no longer get false alarms because of shadows or because of a big person or a smaller person, or because of a person reflected in a window. Digifort recognizes a human much more accurately. That applies especially to perimeter detection where there are rabbits, kangaroos, foxes, deer and shrubs all triggering line crossing false alarms. Digifort will only trigger if a human crosses the line.” According to Cho, Digifort’s integrated analytics module is from IPX in Brazil and was developed by a former Digifort staff member, so there’s plenty of synergy in the partnership. Importantly for operators, any event triggered by LPR or analytics will be recorded in the Digifort event log, which gives the ability to look back on when an event occurred and then click on an event to playback the footage. You can also search for events by time and date but the integrated event log inside the operator interface makes the process much quicker and easier. “Everything’s integrated – the data is received and you’re able to search for it within Digifort without leaving the screen, and the same process works with license plate recognition,” Cho says. “If a license plate is detected, then the event will be stored, and listed license plates can generate an alarm event. “The software will tell you the number plate and it will tell you what state it’s from. Or you can
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undertake a quick search by typing in a number plate of interest. Digifort will then give you a list of events involving that license plate with thumbnails of video you can play. Alternatively, you can create a filter, and do a search – let’s say it’s based on time and date. When you search, every event will be thrown up and you just playback the video. “Great with this functionality is that there’s a reporting function built into the same section – you can create a PDF report as a document based on the investigation requirements of the company procedures. And if you’ve had an event flagged on a camera and you want to take a look at the adjacent cameras it’s all in the same interface – you just click on the next camera in the same screen and there’s the view, you don’t have to go anywhere else to look for it – object link is still working in the background.” Next Lu shows me sequence exporting, which allows an operator to export a series of events as one sequence. “As you are clicking arrows in the sequence to reveal relevant cameras, there’s screen recording of everything in sequence. When you stop the video, that becomes the sequence,” Lu explains. “And when I back it up everything is saved showing the cameras following an event as it unfolds, all the way through the different cameras to the point the event is no longer visible.”
DIGIFORT INSIGHT Digifort InSight is another cool feature of the solution. Fundamentally, it’s a screen capture module capable of operating on any computer running the Windows operating system, which functions as an IP camera, encapsulating a camera license and generating a video stream to the Digifort server containing the live video of the screen of the desktop where it is running. Insight allows visualization in the monitoring client of Digifort as well as of the monitor of the workstation on which it is installed, and can display a set of screens in the grid interface, simulating a Video Wall. It also allows recording of user actions on the screen in the form of video, as well as monitoring and access of stations in places with little access. The system even provides remote control of the workstation, allowing it to operate multiple systems from a single screen. It’s a powerful piece of functionality that allows the system to support remote sites in a global context. “It’s like they bought built TeamViewer into Digifort,” Lu explains. “It gives you control over how you want things to operate, there’s also an embedded web page feature if you ever want to control anything via a web page. It’s perfect for applications where a camera or device might be separate from the security network. Using Insight, you can connect to everything to anything so long as you have Digifort installed on the system. Insight runs deep. If parts of the platform are web-based, and operators want to do record reports there’s an embedded web page so they can only
access those web-based reporting functions through Digifort itself. Because it’s through Digifort, you can control what the operators can see in terms of LPR and analytics and other modules. It’s also possible to send camera views to remote workstations to inform team members of unfolding events.
CONCLUSION Digifort is a light-footed, yet powerful solution that handles integration in unique ways – the use of Digifort Middleware to undertake access control and alarm integrations is a case in point. Using TCP and built around HTTP commands, Middleware will handle communications between field devices and Digifort, allowing it to generate events, bookmarks and more, using multifarious layers of communication. Operators can drive the system using drag and right click, or they can employ the Digifort keyboard controller DGF-KB1000, which was developed exclusively for the Digifort system. The system also has an alarm and event management platform, with the recognition of alarms created by any device that has been connected in the cameras or video servers. In integrated systems, operators can be alerted to alarm events by alerts, with relevant video always to hand. According to Cho, many big organizations want everything integrated and consolidated through a single platform, but they don’t always get what they want. “Users want seamless integration, not only from a video management perspective, but also access control, sub systems, IoT devices, with everything managed through a single platform, but very few solutions offer it,” he explains. “When it comes to seamless integration, Digifort is perfect, as it has one of the best SDKs in the market. It wasn’t originally designed to meet current trends, simply to be an open platform – a system capable of integrating many cameras and many platforms. In some ways, the market is still trying to catch up with Digifort, not the other way around.” n
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Selecting Monitoring Providers For integrators and end users it’s not easy to make the right choice when it comes to monitoring providers. Is bigger better? Can a local station provide better service than a national? Are graded stations superior, or is Grade AI less important than a fast response?
HERE are fundamentals you want from any monitoring provider – fast response to events, excellent communications, openness to supporting new technologies, highly secure communications, reporting, event recording, the ability to get patrols to site fast in the event of an incident and plenty more. But trying to find a balance isn’t easy because some boutique control rooms – especially those that are privately owned by perfectionists and have highly experienced teams – offer excellent service as well. According to Rob Rosa of Innotec Security, choosing the right monitoring provider is vital for a security integrator. “The answer to the question of how to choose the right provider revolves around what technology they monitor from an intrusion/duress and video capability, right through to specialised services like duress watches,” Rosa said. “Further, are they a reputable and proven company that won’t let us down as an integrator, given this reflects on our reputation.” Finding a balance between parameters like grading, cost competitiveness, and/ or a more relationship-based model will definitely come into play. “When it comes to monitoring for Innotec Security clients we won’t compromise on standards, so a Grade 1A monitoring station is essential but the relationship is not unimportant and our account manager keeps us updated about their strategies, any technology they are implementing and upcoming changes to
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WHEN IT COMES TO MONITORING FOR INNOTEC SECURITY CLIENTS WE WON’T COMPROMISE ON STANDARDS, SO A GRADE 1A MONITORING STATION IS ESSENTIAL.
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services. She continually keeps in touch with us to ensure we are happy, and our clients are happy – so yes, a relationship does play an important part as well.” Are some monitoring stations better than others - are bigger stations better than small? “The easy answer to the first question is that in our experience, yes, some monitoring stations are better than others,” Rosa explains. “But bigger isn’t always better. Take a few of the comments that I have made and if a smaller control room ticks all the boxes and more, then they are a good fit for you and your clients. Again, I have known of control rooms who were fairly large and when they called, they wouldn’t even ask for a voice code for an activated duress alarm. The reality is, if a control room can’t operate with strict SOPs, then I would steer clear, because this reflects (directly or indirectly) on the integrator using their services.” What does Rosa think, generally speaking, is the most secure comms path in 2021? “We have come a long way from the old days,” he says. “The fact that we are all using either NBN-associated comms or wireless devices that use 3, 4 and 5G, is truly telling the story. Redundancy is built in with many wireless solutions using dual SIMS, and if we are talking about the average comms solution, then we would assume this covers the multitude of applications.
“When we start looking at high grade security applications then we start looking at dedicated comms types from basic systems all the way through to mesh, utilising technology with encrypted data comms at edge. We find most applications use inbuilt comms inhouse through their own IT infrastructure, or we utilise the wireless style box solutions. “As for Innotec Security, we tend to use one control room – that’s SMC,” Rosa explains. “They provide a great service, they’re responsive and they actually continually communicate with us via our account manager. Reports are easily attainable, and we can log into a client portal and retrieve much of the information that our clients ask us for.” According to Lee Chua of bureau monitoring specialist, BENS, end users, installers and integrators looking for the best monitoring providers should seek a comprehensive Secure Web Service providing reports, stats, live feeds, etc, a service that is at arms-length from other services, including installation and response, so as to avoid conflicts of interest. “When it comes to the benefits of boutique monitoring providers, speaking for BENS we have an active IT department developing services and interfaces to new IP products in the market,” Chua says. “BENS is also working on a service that will be a web/app portal for all alarm panels. In our opinion, users are becoming
averse to proprietary apps and would see the advantage of a universal app for alarm services.” When it comes to key trends in alarm monitoring right now, Chua says it’s video verification - not CCTV or virtual patrols - which he explains are labour intensive. There’s also a trend towards personal duress. “Video Verification uses AI in cameras and NVRs that is event-driven, so it’s less resource intensive,” he explains. “Something else that’s important to get across for users and integrators is provision of personal duress services. “BENS has collaborated with MOD-2’s Tagger to provide a personal duress service natively in the BENS AMS (Alarm Management System) where operators can directly connect to persons under duress and have a 2-way, or a manyways voice communications to all stake holders, including loved ones.” While Chua says end users and integrators should look for the providers offering the latest technologies, he doesn’t believe AI-powered controls rooms will be one of them. “AI will not be able to replace human handling of alarm situations, but it can help in some situations,” he explains. “For example, AI in cameras might be able to replace traditional alarm panels in some cases - BENS is currently working on such a system at the moment.” n
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Try the 'Batch Configuration' function to add three or more new devices, and get free Annual Health Monitoring Packages for 3 devices. The offer ends on 30th July 2021. C
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24/6/21 2:06 pm
● Regulars
The Interview
Chris Whiting, Aotea Security
In this month’s interview, Chris Whiting and Mike Mckim of NZ security integrator, Aotea Security, talk about the nature of the NZ security market, what end users want from security providers, what integrators need from their security suppliers, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, how Aotea retains staff and the importance of training. JA: You’ve got an impressive list of supplier partners - what does Aotea Security value in a supplier partnership – how important is it that technology partners understand the needs of security integrators and their end user customers? CW: Our team would hope to be low maintenance on our supply partners, we are in the long game and want to be in relationships with all our suppliers through the highs and the lows of the market together. Having a strategic and trusted supply partner is key, especially if they are very proactive and receive the greater share of our overall spend. Where we see the difference in local suppliers and manufacturers is when things get tough, and are not going to plan. Aotea will always step up and it’s great to see our partners stand up with us to solve problems. We encourage our suppliers to communicate with our end users, which allows them also the opportunity to understand their needs and purchasing cycles. Our customers have to build business cases for funding and need to be educated on risk and technology controls in order to effectively communicate these business cases to the leadership level – a side often unseen by suppliers. Aotea Security values honesty and an open mind willing to try new things. We also like to engage with businesses that listen and understand working with a national business that also operates regionally. This requires some strategy and rules of engagement. JA: Tell us more about Aotea Security
– there’s a long history stretching all the way back to 1997 – how did Aotea Security come about, who owns the business and what is the business ethos? MM: The Aotea story goes back over 50 years. The modern Aotea Security was formed in 1997 against the backdrop of a trade-based business, where there has always been an expectation of quality and high standards. Founded in Dunedin NZ, Aotea Security has grown to 16 regions operating from 14 branches, but we remain headquartered in Dunedin. We have enjoyed year-on-year growth since 2014, with annual sales in excess of $NZ30 million since 2019 and total staffing in excess of 160 people. The amalgamation of Aotea’s standalone security operations in 2014 into the single company that is Aotea Security (NZ) Ltd set the company on a rapid growth curve and established us as credible nationwide providers of scale, while retaining local focus at branch level. We are proudly both local, and national. Despite popular competitor propaganda, Aotea Security (NZ) is neither a franchise nor a trading division of an electrical contracting company. Our people are central to our business and our company is owned jointly by our key people via Aotea Security Holdings Ltd - 51 per cent (the vehicle for key employee ownership), and Aotea Group Holdings Ltd - 49 per cent - (the umbrella company that invests in all Aotea Group companies). JA: Aotea Security tends to hold onto its techs for decades – what do you put that down to?
MM: The tenure and the low attrition of our tradesman says a lot about our culture and vision. Having had the consistency, hands-on management and tireless drive of our chief executive Alistair Hogg, from inception to the present day, has meant the foundation is rock solid and we are still doing the basics right all these years later. Our leadership team is also relentless in its drive to grow people and culture and, as our single biggest asset, the technicians that are the life blood of our business. We work tirelessly to support them the best we can through technology and leadership. An additional layer is our longterm customers, some go back over 15 years in the education, hospital, banking, government and infrastructure sectors, which provides the highest level of achievement for our technicians working with the best platforms, integrations and customer environments. Our customers help attract more experienced technicians who want the next challenge. In recent months 2 of our original technicians retired, being shareholders throughout their Aotea Security journey we currently have 40 staff shareholders at Aotea Security (NZ) Ltd. JA: What are end users in the NZ market looking for in a security integrator – and in a security solution – what characteristics do they insist on, what technologies are they hungry for? MM: What we see from customers is simple, they want their integrators to do what they say they will do, face up when things are tough and deliver on their promises. Mature customers want to see layers of support and not an organisation leaning on 1 or 2 individuals. Fit goes without saying, “can we work with this team over the long term?” We spend a lot of time at work, and no one wants to have forced relationships on either side. Meanwhile, we ask ourselves; how can we adapt Aotea’s offering to fit the needs of these organisations? The customer also wants to know more about our purpose and the drivers behind our business approach and, in turn, wants to see a similar engagement with our supply chain. Often a customer is using our teams as an extension of their business units, and we represent them at the coal face, so they want to know that our staff are competent and capable with the tools and support to carry out those
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25/6/21 10:46 am
CHRIS WHITING WITH JOHN ADAMS
Chris Whiting, Aotea Security.
tasks every time. When it comes to technology, they insist on value for money and the assurance of driven innovation, and a supplier prepared to listen to their needs and adopt features that enhance the product for all. Our industry has a wide range of technology and, through API’s, most systems coherently communicate. Customers utilise integrators as part of their decision-making journey with technology - this privilege means it’s important to remain brand agnostic. JA: What has the response of NZ companies been to COVID-19 in terms of enhancing their electronic security solutions to meet the demands of contact tracing and proximity detection? CW: Manufacturers based in New Zealand who are driving innovation stepped up their ability to natively contact trace within their applications. It has been great to watch manufacturers and suppliers pivot their business. We think it has
been one of those times where business continuity came to the forefront very quickly and we had ‘the test in anger’ to measure resilience and capacity of our business to adapt and safely continue to support our customers. We have seen heavy reliance on access control and visitor management for managing contact tracing and occupancy. It’s at these times we see the benefits in having an up to date and upgrade-ready infrastructure able support deployment of new software and features to support the changing environment. We had seen a dramatic drop in video system installation and a greater investment in access control, preventative maintenance, and asset life cycle replacements through 2020, but this has now moved back to previous levels. JA: Would you agree the pace of change in the electronic security industry has accelerated in recent years, and even more quickly post-Covid-19 outbreak? CW: We certainly see that customers
are asking greater questions of their integrators and systems probably not seen since we went through the last GFC. Customers who traditionally had not gone to market for security integrators were all of a sudden reaching out to the market, whether it was to find savings or just because time was available to work through an RFP, which is time consuming. COVID for Aotea Security is proving a time for reflection and reset - it created a moment to undertake tasks uncompleted due to the demands of years of growth. We do agree that the pace has accelerated and the opportunity to put into practice business improvements made in mid2020 is paying dividends for our business now. JA: What sorts of challenges does rapid technology change – especially around management solutions, analytics and communications – pose for businesses like Aotea Security? CW: For Aotea Security, the problem is just the vast options and choices available to us, not only from a customer perspective but also the running of our business. How do we see every supplier and manufacturer to assess their technologies? If we accepted every invitation, we would not see our people or customers, therefore we partner more closely with manufacturers and suppliers we have greater synergies and tenure with. Our job as an integrator is create solutions but most importantly, to resource and support these solutions. The majority of our revenue comes through our work force, which requires job management systems, communications, and mobility of systems. We do need to cater for both private and government organisations, where cloud provides huge efficiencies for Aotea. We use a hybrid approach for storage and information management. We are in the business of risk identification and prevention. We cannot forget the basic principles of what we are working to achieve for our customers. Understanding the technology trends and turning these amazing features and benefits into a business case is an art in itself – just describing this technology is not for the uninitiated. For the customer making the decisions, it’s essential to guide them towards best practice – towards use cases where technology se&n 29
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25/6/21 10:46 am
● Regulars
The Interview
has improved controls and given the assurance required. We always start with the basics when it comes to protecting a customer’s golden egg, whether that’s information, people or assets. JA: How important is training when it comes to managing turbo-charged technological change? CW: Without rehashing the old chestnut of skills shortage, it’s really about doing what we say we are going to do, Training is not negotiable, like health and safety it’s part of our overhead and it’s not about locking our people in through contracts and agreements on paying back the training. Instead, it’s about trusting our people, upskilling and investing in them to ensure they stick with us long term. It would be very rich for a business like Aotea to expect to not invest in our people, yet expect to take the returns on offer from a healthy electronic security industry. We are in a very privileged place – to have the capacity to upskill a large portion of security technicians. We don’t take this task lightly. Not forgetting we need the managers, and sales and administration teams resourced across the industry to stay relevant and competitive. We have found that recruitment of the non-technical positions in Aotea Security can be challenging at times, due to the nature of the technology we install and support. JA: Something many businesses in ANZ face is splintered and inadequate educational paths. The heaviest load is borne by big integrators and quality manufacturers and suppliers who just got tired of waiting decades for a response from professional educators – is this Aotea’s experience? CW: Our experience is that there is no point expecting change to occur without some pain or self-reflection. Education is also a business, but has barriers introduced through compliance, funding and political agendas. If we look closely there are individuals trying in vain but who perhaps don’t have the exposure or influence needed to hold the industry accountable. When you look under the hood of our educational pathways on offer, the NZ government is funding free apprenticeships for Level 3 and 4 qualifications until December 2022. We can’t complain about that. Potentially the gap is how integrators are handling
the new entrants into the industry and not using trainees as commodities and ensuring they get the support to train and complete their qualifications. In our case, being a private business, we not only have the resources, but we have the reach and ability to influence change. JA: What’s the answer? How can businesses in the electronic security industry create powerful training pipelines that bring in talented youngsters to replenish the ranks of older techs, and how can they retain them? CW: Watch this space. JA: What sorts of young people do you think would do best in an industry like electronic security, with its melding of networking, communications, optics, electronics, cabling, sensors, locking, software management solutions, apps, cyber security, fire systems and the multifarious building sub systems? CW: The new generations have much different drivers, they want to know how and why before they do things. For generations, an apprentice was pushed into the trenches to do their time, the hard yards and the dirty work. While it’s not unreasonable to ask apprentices to carry out these tasks, it’s important that they understand the reasons, the bigger picture and their contribution. They are our children and next generation’s children, but they need to be given the opportunity to understand. It is key to recognise that the next generation looks at this work in a different light, analogue is gone, digital is here, and they have been on tablets and computers from very early ages. What was complex for an analogue CCTV technician is bread and butter for a young technology-savvy trainee. We believe it’s about understanding the drivers and the mediums from which the youth are forming their decisions. We need to demonstrate opportunities that relate to what the future technicians are looking for. Maybe it’s not corporate, maybe it is, maybe it’s vibrant and neon, as opposed to dull and tired - we just need to engage the right people who understand this change. JA: Aotea is a big integrator with a good– sized team – how have you managed training through the COVID-19 epidemic – do you see online training replacing
WE ARE IN A VERY PRIVILEGED PLACE – TO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO UPSKILL A LARGE PORTION OF SECURITY TECHNICIANS. WE DON’T TAKE THIS TASK LIGHTLY. face-to-face, or do you think in the future a hybrid model will prevail? CW: COVID provided a great opportunity for manufacturers of systems to show off their innovation and agility in providing online access for technicians to upskill or re-certify. Through COVID we did not need to lose any staff, but we did relocate staff to other regions. It was essential where staff did not have work available that we made sure training was set-up and we could measure the success and uptake from staff. The outcome was 3500 hours of online training for the L3 and L4 period in NZ. JA: Is it inevitable in niche business segments that the industry must take responsibility for bringing youngsters through, rather than expressing concerns and waiting for others to intervene? CW: At this point we can see it will take individuals more than businesses to push past this old narrative, some get up and go, passion and giving back to the industry that empowered these individuals in the first place. Without excusing business owners, just keeping the bills paid and keeping staff busy is a full-time job for most. If individuals can collaborate and lead the way, eventually business, too, will see the benefit of being a part of the movement to bring the next generation through. One of our vision statements for Aotea Security is “attracting, building, empowering and exciting the very best talent”. JA: What advice would you give a young technical person considering a career in the electronic security industry in 2021 and beyond? CW: Look for a security business that aligns with your ‘why’ and your purpose. If you do not know what that is, look for mentors or individuals within our industry that you can look to for guidance and whose achievements you can aspire to. Also be patient with the old guys, give them some respect for going before you and perhaps they will let you in on some of their secrets. n
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24/6/21 2:42 pm
30 s er nie g Ov mpa itin b co xhi e
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& GOVERNMENT EXPO THURSDAY 25TH NOVEMBER 2021 The Realm Hotel, Canberra Bringing the latest security products and technologies to government and commercial end users, installers and consultants in the nation’s capital.
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28/6/21 1:16 pm
● Special Report
Technology
WHITE LIGHT IN CCTV
Something we’ve noticed over many years of camera testing is the benefit of ambient light and directional light in challenging CCTV applications. But is white light a white flag when it comes to outright camera performance?
OR security managers dealing with operational demands like face identification, observation in deep and challenging scenes and recognition of moving plates, camera performance is a serious matter. The challenge is finding CCTV cameras that can deliver such performance yet are affordable enough for widespread installation across complex sites. There’s no question that ambient lighting has long been an important element of many CCTV applications, given its ability to keep shutter speed up, reduce motion blur and minimise amplification noise, as well as serving to keep cameras operating in colour in sub-10 lux. Even a small amount of light, or the reflectance of ambient light using light-coloured surrounds can make a difference in challenging applications. Taking this benefit to a logical conclusion, some camera manufacturers are employing white light LED arrays in CCTV cameras in a bid to better capture facial identification, number plates and event sequences when affordable bullet cameras are deployed. A key question is whether or not white light-assisted cameras perform better than top end low light cameras operationally, and are able to do so at significantly reduced total cost of ownership. SEN’s experience with white light-enhanced cameras is that they may improve performance on the street and should be considered as part of the mix in applications where they can be shown to offer operational benefits at a given budget. Such applications might include laneways, entries and covered areas that are in deep shadow. Matt Terrey of Panasonic agrees there are applications where white light might be preferred over IR or pure low light performance. “White light has strong merits, especially when
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BY J O H N A D A M S
used with specific alarming and analytics processes, particularly in generating a forcible live deterrent for intruder situations,” Terrey explains. “This is useful in domestic applications and certain perimeter security and city safe applications, however, is not a one size fits all capability. If leveraged under VMD applications, white light will provide identification options, especially when colour rendition, or reduced shadowing are key aspects in the desired outcome.” Hikvision’s Ryan Shi says use of white light offers an alternative to traditional IR. “In some cases white light may greatly help target the suspect in the scene with colour information in low light, when compared to IR,” Shi explains. “Low light performance can also be enhanced by adopting a larger aperture lens and sensor. White light fits most SMB applications, as well as some commercial scenarios. Advanced features like target classification are now also available in this kind of camera.” However, Vidilabs Vlado Damjanovski is less impressed with integrated white light as an innovation. “Even as a photographer I was always against the use of a flash, as it makes objects 2-dimensional, without proper shades and details,” he explains. “If you have to use additional illumination in a project it should not be integrated into the camera for best performance – even using the built-in IR on the camera itself is inferior to placing real separate IR illuminators on the sides of a camera. “Using external illumination means you get better coverage, ensures that insects are not attracted to the area in front of the camera lens, means there’s no need for additional power, and delivers video streams in which subjects have a more realistic appearance.” n
IN SOME CASE WHITE LIGHT MAY GREATLY HELP TARGET THE SUSPECT IN THE SCENE WITH COLOUR INFORMATION IN LOW LIGHT, WHEN COMPARED TO IR.
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24/6/21 2:12 pm
Now available from P 02 9194 5101 E sales@edsales.com.au www.edsales.com.au
SEN721_33.indd 1
24/6/21 2:06 pm
● Product Review
Dahua
BY J O H N A D A M S
DAHUA IPC-HFW3849T1AS-PV 8MP BULLET Dahua’s IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV WizSense bullet camera with active deterrence features 8MP (3840 x 2160) resolution. intelligent functions, including perimeter protection, smart motion detection and active deterrence. AHUA’S IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV WizSense 8MP bullet is a compact, well-constructed day/night camera that combines excellent resolution, a wide view, strong underlying specifications and what Dahua calls active deterrence, which is a set of features that works in concert with the camera’s AVS to communicate with intruders using audio messages, live voice, white light and flashing emergency lights. This might not sound a big deal, but this active deterrence is sufficiently intrusive to get the attention of everyone walking around when the siren is activated. Built of cast alloy with a poly sunshade, the camera has a 1/2.8-inch CMOS image sensor, delivers its 3840 x 2160-pixel stream in H.265 or H.254 compression options with a maximum bitrate of 8192Kbps, has an integrated warm white
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illuminator with a range of 30 metres, and supports sound and light linkage that can be activated via security sensors or AVS rules, like tripwire or secure perimeter. There’s alarm in and alarm out, support for 256GB microSD cards, built-in microphone and speaker, 12V DC and PoE power, 56dB signal to noise ratio, and a 2.8mm fixed lens (there’s a 3.6mm option) with relatively fast aperture of F1.4 and horizontal angle of view of 107 degrees with vertical angle being 56. The IVS analytics-based perimeter protection functionality includes tripwire; intrusion (classifies vehicle and human), as well as intelligent search when the camera is working with one of Dahua’s Smart NVRs to refine intelligent search, handle event extraction and merge event video streams. There’s CBR/VBR bit rate control, image settings include backlight control, HLC, 120dB of WDR and white balance for auto, natural, streetlamp, outdoor, manual, regional and custom. There’s 3DNR noise reduction, 4 areas of motion detection, 4 areas of region of interest, smart illumination, image rotation 0/90/180/270 degrees, mirroring, 4 areas of privacy masking, audio compression options including PCM, G.711a, G.711Mu and G726. Alarm event notifications including no SD card, microSD card (256GB) full, SD card error, service life warning (supported by Dahua card), network disconnection, IP conflict, illegal access, motion
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28/6/21 1:54 pm
SEN721_35.indd 1
28/6/21 8:25 am
● Product Review
Dahua
detection, video tampering, tripwire, intrusion, audio detection, voltage detection, external alarm, SMD, safety exception, light alarm, and sound alarm, including 11 built-in sounds and custom voice messages.
Daytime with WDR activated.
TEST DRIVING DAHUA IPCHFW3849T1-AS-PV As usual, the camera is located on SEN’s Dell Optiplex 9020 server and arrives via the Netgear 108SP PoE switch. There’s a bunch of cameras in the office at the moment but the camera is alone on the network. First impressions are that this new Dahua WizSense bullet camera delivers strong baseline optical performance. Static face recognition in daylight is out to 10-12 metres, while moving faces are court admissible between 8-10 metres. My daytime test at around 9am is faced with hard shadows and more than 60,000 lux on the opposite side of the street. This challenges standard settings, with identification made difficult in shaded areas. As soon as I activate WDR, the issues are resolved. Dahua’s WDR performance in this application is exceptional, with excellent colour rendition and light balance across the disparate regions of this challenging scene. As you’d expect, activating WDR does put some work on the image and I lose a little fine detail – before activating WDR I have plates at 12-15 metres and after activating WDR I’m interpreting plates at the same distance. This is fairly typical with WDR activated. The nature of your own application will decree what the priorities are. Regardless, WDR doesn’t impact on pedestrian face recognition, which remains strong. The DORI numbers for this camera are detect at 87.7 metres, observe at 35 metres, recognise at 17.5 metres and identify at 8.8 metres. We tend to think these numbers are a little over optimistic at longest ranges in challenging conditions and a little pessimistic at the closest ranges in challenging conditions, which is how you’d want things to be from an operational perspective. Something worth touching on is the solid depth of field conferred by the 8MP resolution – DoF is very strong, and I have good awareness well past 80 metres in this scene. Outstanding for an affordable bullet camera. Analytics options are activated, and I notice they do a good job, picking up activity much more deeply into the scene than I was expecting. Dahua’s AVS is comprehensive, as well as being easy to drive in Dahua’s camera browser. I have a border drawn around a secure area on the left of the scene and a tripwire across the street and there’s no question of this camera missing any events. Something interesting happens during my test – people keep looking up at the camera mounted on the balcony rail despite the fact it’s a very compact unit. I can’t understand this until I open the door to greet a group of passersby standing and staring up and they point out the blue and red flashing lights on the front fascia. While these lights are not intrusive, they are noticeable, especially at night or out of full
Night performance is good, too.
sun. I also try the siren once and it’s extremely loud – there’s no doubt that this camera offers excellent deterrence. The 30-metre white light functionality also has an impact on camera performance, offering good range and spread. It activates relatively early in the evening and remains activated in colour or in black and white modes. In low light the performance is noteworthy for huge depth of field, high levels of detail and strong low light performance deeper in, despite the smaller pixel sizes decreed by 8MP. There’s a little amplification noise, as well as some tone mapping around fast-moving vehicles but when it comes to pedestrians, face recognition remains possible within 10 metres and there are instances of near recognition much further out where I was not expecting to see them.
CONCLUSION
I TRY THE SIREN ONCE AND IT’S EXTREMELY LOUD – THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THIS CAMERA OFFERS EXCELLENT DETERRENCE PROPERTIES.
Dahua’s IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV WizSense bullet camera with deterrence functions is a solid performer. It does well in this application, delivering situational awareness deep into scenes day and night. In challenging sub-4 lux scenes, especially in monochrome, I’m able to dig deep seeking pedestrians. Bitrate with H.265 – which I use exclusively in this test – is excellent considering the 8MP resolution – between 3500 and 4500Kbps regardless of movement. AVS is central to this camera’s operation and its analytics features, combined with its deterrence functionality and robust build quality, makes the IPC-HFW3849T1-AS-PV bullet camera an excellent security tool, especially when installed on private property where its siren and security messaging functions can be fully liberated without alarming the neighbours. n
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28/6/21 1:54 pm
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23/6/21 1:29 pm
● Product Review
Axis
AXIS Q3819-PVE PANORAMIC The AXIS Q3819-PVE panoramic day/night camera featuring 14MP resolution and a 180-degree angle of view, has four 1/2.5-inch sensors, a combined resolution of 8192 x 1728 at 30ips, and features Axis Forensic WDR and minimum illumination numbers of 0.02 lux in colour.
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24/6/21 4:32 pm
BY J O H N A D A M S
XIS Q3819-PVE Panoramic’s 4 camera heads feature relatively long fixed focal lengths of 5.89mm with an aperture of F1.88, which is quite fast considering lens length, and the 180-degree wide views have a vertical depth of 38 degrees, making this camera ideal for large areas. However, it’s going to be a narrow vertical plane in our jam-packed street application. Other features include PTRZ, Zipstream compression with H.264 baseline, high and main, H.265 compression and Motion JPEG. This is a robust unit – the casing is rated IP66/IP67 and NEMA 4X against water and dust, and IK10rated for impact-resistance. The cast aluminium body has a polycarbonate hard coated clear dome with a dehumidifying membrane and the camera has an operating range of -40 to 65C. It’s not light for a dome, either, as I discover when shoehorning its 2.4kg bulk onto the Magic Arm and draping it over the balcony. A key piece of operational functionality is built-in motors for remote pan, tilt and roll. These aren’t just handy for tweaking angles of view, they help with quirky installations, too. There’s Axis Zipstream, H.264 and H.265 (I stick with H.264), and Motion JPEG, and bitrate is configurable. It’s possible to mount 2 cameras back-to-back for a complete 360-degree overview using the AXIS T94V01C Dual Camera Mount and that would be epic, though displaying it might stretch a standard video wall. Image settings include saturation, contrast, brightness, sharpness, advanced WDR imaging of up to 120 dB depending on scene, white balance, day/night threshold, exposure mode, compression, dynamic text and image overlay, orientation aid, exposure control, noise reduction, fine tuning of behavior at low light, and polygon privacy. There’s audio input/output, with audio encoding options including 24bit LPCM, AAC-LC 8/16/32/48 kHz, G.711 PCM 8 kHz, G.726, ADPCM 8 kHz, Opus 8/16/48 kHz, 44.1 kHz ACC-LC and LPCM. On the security side, there’s password protection, IP address filtering, HTTPS encryption, IEEE 802.1X (EAP-TLS) network access control, digest authentication, user access log, centralized certificate management, brute force delay protection, signed firmware, protection of cryptographic keys with FIPS 140-2 certified TPM 2.0 module, and Axis Edge Vault with Axis device ID. AXIS Object Analytics are comprehensive for humans and vehicles, with trigger conditions including line crossing and object in area, with up to 10 scenarios. There’s metadata visualized with colour-coded bounding boxes, polygon include/ exclude areas, perspective configuration, and ONVIF motion alarm event. Applications include AXIS Object Analytics, AXIS Fence Guard, AXIS Motion Guard, AXIS Loitering Guard, AXIS Video Motion Detection, active tampering alarm, audio detection, advanced gatekeeper, and gatekeeper.
A
Power is PoE IEEE 802.3 at Type 2 Class 4 with a typical draw of 12W maxing at 22.5W with the integrated heater activated. There’s microSD/ microSDHC/microSDXC and NAS support. Operating temperature range is -40 to 65C, which is outstanding. Dimensions are 170 x 195mm as tested here – with the weathershield it’s 221 x 206mm. Recommended mounting height is 4 metres – we are at about 3.5 metres in this application. I have Zipstream set to low. We’re also using a different switch – it’s a 16-input Ubiquiti with PoE on all ports.
TEST DRIVING AXIS Q3819-PVE My first impressions of this Axis camera are its massive angle of view. It really reaches from one end of the street to the other through 180 degrees. It’s stupendous and it takes a long time to get used to it. This is one of those cameras that makes me hate the little Benq 1920 x 1080-pixel monitor. I need a video wall to appreciate what I’ve got going on here – you could fill 4 large monitors with this view. And while angle of view is strong, depth of field is right behind it. You’d expect DoF to be strong when you’ve got 4 camera heads, each offering reasonably high resolution, but I’m still surprised by the fine detail of its performance. For a horizontally shallow street view like this, the vertical angle of view I have to play with is a little shallow at 38 degrees – this camera is better suited to larger areas, but it still does an amazing job. Over the far side of the road, I can see people’s lower legs going by if I want to see most the near-side
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x Monster viewing angle.
Night performance is solid.
pavement, but it’s possible to tilt and get one or the other – this comes down to my application – depth of field opposite the camera is only 20 metres. There’s a rectilinear curve in the centre of the image on the near side but it’s giving me more of the scene I need. Something I’m able to do every time I return to my workstation, is survey the entire street at one glance. It’s an amazing ability and the stitched image is very seamless, with uniformity of camera performance also strong. I find myself thinking about the quality of performance at the edges, but they are not edges of sensor and lens in the way we would think of
them, thanks to those 4 camera heads. Operationally, I’m able to see all the way down the North end of Bellevue Street where traffic is moving on Albion Street. And I can see all the way down to the South end to Foveaux Street – that’s variable levels of situational awareness from 200 metres end to end. On one screen I can see people sitting at the pub. I can see people moving in broad contact with each other at 70 metres, I can see vehicles turning a corner, while pedestrians are crossing the street. Something to bear in mind here is that I’ve got this performance across the entire angle of view, all the
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time. Simultaneously, I see someone leave the pub, while another person walks into the university building to the left and someone is paying for a parking ticket 40 metres away at the opposite end of the street, and there’s a bicycle going by on the far side of the road, while a car approaches from the opposite end. This situational awareness is just so impressive – the Axis Q3819-PVE will really please operators in applications that suit it. Meanwhile, the optical performance of the camera is nicely balanced – colour rendition, sharpness, resistance to noise – these are all very good. As the
I NEED A VIDEO WALL TO APPRECIATE WHAT I’VE GOT GOING ON HERE – YOU COULD FILL 4 LARGE MONITORS WITH THIS VIEW. day transitions into night the image holds together well. Faces and plates aren’t easy but there’s no difficulty working out what sort of car that you’re looking at – the make, the model, the accessories. There’s also no excessive blooming or flaring. I note some motion blur with this camera when vehicles
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move at right angles but that’s to be expected. Monochrome performance is solid – tone is contributing to sharpness, depth of field is excellent. There are no dark holes in the scene. When a headlight points straight at the camera I don’t have any blooming, or smearing, though I do see wee bit of blooming around a streetlight in the distance, though perhaps this is a coma aberration. By now the shutter speed will have come back to its minimum – it’s set for 1/25 of a second. I try for face recognition with light almost gone but can’t snare it, even quite close to the lens when people are moving. But I’ve got a lot of detail in terms of clothing, accessories
and footwear and ascertaining if one person is masked and another is not. Overall, motion blur is well handled, and I don’t see too much in the way of tone mapping – no one’s dragging a tail. There’s not much in the way of amplification artefacts. It’s a busy night and I am missing nothing on this street. From the point of view of monitoring and investigations, there’s full context and I can see where people are in relation to each other. That’s great supporting evidence, though you’d need some tighter angles of view from cameras at choke points for face recognition. Switching back to colour, there’s some colour
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FUNDAMENTALLY, THE Q3819-PVE IS A STORYTELLER, WITH THE ABILITY TO FILL IN KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN A WAY TIGHT ANGLES OF VIEW NEVER CAN.
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colour image, I think that maybe monochrome gives me slightly better sharpness deep into the scene, but the colour image is still good, and it pays off in other ways with extra detail. Something I’ve been doing throughout the test is dipping into applications, setting loitering alarms and line crossing alarms. While no one activated the loitering detection zone I set up around the uni entryway, it was a simple process and it’s nice to know that you have video analytics bases covered in Axis Camera Companion. Next morning, I spend some time checking out WDR performance – this is the only time I notice any variation in the stitched images – in this case the camera on the far left has a slightly different hue as it wrestles with 65,000 lux. This should come as no particular surprise. Once full sun shifts out of the frame, the stitched image returns to its composite ways. During this part of the test, I focus on the near side pavement and again enjoy that epic angle of view. You just don’t miss a single thing with this camera, and I can’t help wishing I could take it down to Darling Harbour to try it out on a bigger scene. Something else I find in full daylight is that I am able to get court admissible faces and static plates to about 10-12 metres from the lens – closer is better. This comes down to the fact the 8192 x 1728-pixel resolution is being spread across the entire scene.
CONCLUSIONS
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casting from the low-pressure sodium lamps at either end of the street but generally, this is a relatively low contrast night-time image. It’s not overwrought, the reds are a little dark, but I should point out again that it’s sub 4-lux at the lens. It’s about quarter to seven in the evening and deep winter here in Sydney, so light is scarce. Looking at vehicles going past I’m not getting plates but I’m getting everything else, colour, model, make. I try to snare a plate close to the lens but can’t. Regardless, I can see it’s a silver Mercedes SUV. As before, I’ve got strong depth of field all the way from Albion to Foveaux Streets. Looking at the
The AXIS Q3819-PVE Panoramic camera is a relatively specific surveillance tool that’s designed for applications in public surveillance and on large sites where operators need full situational awareness to facilitate fast and fully informed decisions. The camera’s ability to deliver awareness across 180-degrees is epic, day and night. The camera is rugged – it’s designed mix it in the toughest environments. It would be as happy dockside monitoring the unloading of a ship as it would be installed under an eave monitoring a public square. Fundamentally, the Q3819-PVE is a story-teller, with the ability to fill in knowledge gaps in a way tight angles of view never can. It’s only a slight exaggeration to say it ensures operators miss absolutely nothing in a scene, allowing them to track multiple incidents in real time on a single camera, while delivering zero-latency updates to security or law enforcement teams on the ground. If you need a wide view, especially in live monitoring applications, this camera comes highly recommended. n
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Products
Editor’s choice UNV PRIME-I SB SERIES AI CAMERAS l UNV Prime-I SB series AI cameras offer resolutions of 4MP, 5MP
and 8MP and Lighthunter technology, and serve as the SMB-level AI products of UNV’s whole AI products line. The UNV Prime-I SB series AI product is powered by AI deep learning to support smart intrusion prevention. Focusing on pedestrian and vehicle only, it greatly reduces the false alarm. Users can easily switch between cross line mode and intrusion mode. Lighthunter technology is driven by a 1/2.7-inch sensor and F1.8 iris lens, which enables the camera to present a colourful image under low light illumination environment down to 0.003lux. Prime-I SB AI series cameras deliver fewer false alarms, higher accuracy, high retrieval efficiencies and better performance thanks to UNV’s starlight technology. UNV says the range is suitable for many surveillance scenarios like carparks, campuses and factories. Contact: UNV Distributors
What’s new in the industry.
AXIS HOME & SMALL BUSINESS PACK FROM VSP l VSP is offering the AXIS Home and Small Business Pack to its installer and integrator customers. According to VSP’s Tony Alhag, it’s an ideal opportunity to introduce customers to the first ever packaged solution from Axis, made exclusively for home and small business customers. “AXIS solutions have strong cyber security, cameras feature a wide-angle view in HDTV 1080p video and hardware is supported by a 5-year warranty,” Alhag said. “AXIS companion video management software and mobile app making managing Axis Home & Small Business Pack intuitive for end users.” “Axis end-to-end security solution pack can easily be adapted to your home or growing business and changing needs. This means your customers can start out with a basic bundle and then seamlessly add more of devices as they go – whenever they need them.” The pack includes high quality surveillance grade cameras with wide angle views, a 2TB Axis S3008 recorder with integrated PoE switch for 8 ports. Distributor: VSP Contact: 1800 228 828
INTEGRITI V21 – ENHANCED CCTV CAPABILITIES
IDEMIA MORPHOACCESS BIOMETRIC FROM HILLS
l INTEGRITI V21 has significantly enhanced its CCTV capabilities with the addition of field of view (FOV) for CCTV cameras, PTZ presets and show CCTV at point, significantly enhancing situational awareness for operators. The Field of View (FOV) displayed on the Schematics Map is now directly configurable from within the schematics editor for any integrated devices such as surveillance cameras. Any cameras placed on schematics can be visualised from the schematic. Operators can easily enable or disable which FOV is displayed on schematics viewer. All FOVs can be shown at the same time to allow viewing of the full CCTV coverage for a schematic, all FOVs can be manually hidden or only the FOV for the currently selected device can be shown. FOVs can be added for any element on a schematic representing an integrated device by simply right-clicking on the element and selecting ‘add fixed FOV’ or ‘add PTZ FOV’, then choosing from ‘simple FOV’ or ‘advanced FOV’. Situational awareness during highly dynamic events is significantly enhanced by the introduction of the ‘show CCTV at point’ feature.
l MORPHOACCESS SIGMA Lite terminals are specifically designed to equip narrow mounting surfaces, such as glass/ aluminium door mullions, turnstiles, or server rack doors. With 2 designs and multiple card reader options, there are a variety of models to address the widest range of deployment scenarios, both indoors and outdoors. Sigma Lite Series includes the S4494A MA Sigma Lite biometric only, S4784A MA Sigma Lite biometric reader multi – MIFARE/ MIFARE PLUS/DESFire, the S4523A MA Sigma Lite biometric reader prox – HID prox only and S113783 MA Sima Lite biometric reader prox – iClass only. Technical Specifications of the Sigma Lite Series include an ARM Cortex-A9 core 1Ghz CPU, a Linux OS, 12-24V DC power supply, or PoE/PoE+, dimensions of 156 x 68 x 62mm, weight of 280g, IK08 protection against vandalism and IP65 protection against water and dust. Comms include Ethernet, RS485, USB, and Wi-Fi, the door relays including 2 GPI(including door and monitoring) and 2 GPO, operating temperature is from -20 to 55C.
Manufacturer: Inner Range Contact: +61 3 9780 4300
Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487
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AXIS Q6315-LE LASER FOCUS PTZ l AXIS Q6315-LE PTZ is a high-end, outdoor-ready HDTV 1080p
ARITECH RELEASES GUARDALL 360-DEGREE SENSORS
PTZ camera, with quick-zoom and laser focus. Ideal for city surveillance, AXIS Q6315-LE offers a ½-inch sensor and 31x optical zoom. It features laser focus for precise focus day and night and easier tracking of fast-moving objects, and Axis Speed Dry functionality for clear images in rainy weather. It features IR illumination and day/night functionality for surveillance in pitch darkness. The camera features orientation aid and autotracking 2, with click and track functionality. There’s also privacy masking with mosaic that lets you pixelate whole areas of the scene. And chameleon masking automatically changes the colour in the masking depending on the background colour of the image. Furthermore, the TPM module ensures secure storage of all cryptographic keys and certificates.
l ARITECH has released 2 new Guardall 360-degree ceiling mount Grade 2 wired motion sensors that meet EN50131-2-2 Grade 2 standards. There’s an omni-directional quad PIR or you can choose dual technology devices. These new Guardall motion detectors allow adjustment of sensitivity to suit environmental requirements, rejection of incoming white light and allow for digital temperature compensation. The GCQ is a ceiling mount quad element PIR with a 9.3m diameter through 360-degrees, optional low sensitivity and CloakWise modes, and a cyan LED indicator. The GCD is a ceiling mount quad dual tech with a 9.3m diameter through 360 degrees, a mounting height between 2.4m-3.6m and a tri-colour LED indicator.
Contact: Axis Distributors
Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487
DSX MOBILE COMMAND SMART PHONE APP l DSX Mobile Command smart phone application allows
EOS AUSTRALIA RELEASES NDAA-COMPLIANT CYBERSECURE CAMERAS
the activation of custom predefined commands, the locking/ unlocking of doors, control of alarm points and the monitoring of system events from a mobile, secure application. Global functions, such as building, campus and district lockdown, incident response reconfiguration and repetitive chores, such as momentarily unlocking a door or granting access to a gate, can be programmed into command buttons for easy activation. An administrator can lockdown any school in the district or every school from one command button. Each building or an entire campus can be controlled quickly through this smart phone application using Wi-Fi or mobile cell service. Each mobile operator is defined in WinDSX and assigned the appropriate commands and privileges that provide the convenient interaction, supervision and monitoring of all points of protection and doors under their responsibility. DSX Mobile Command can be configured with custom command buttons. These buttons can be configured to do most anything the system allows. The commands page can consist of one button or pages of predefined buttons.
l EOS Australia has released a pair of NDAA-Compliant Cybersecure Wisenet multidirectional cameras equipped with Hanwha Techwin’s Wisenet7 chipset. The 4-channel PNM-9022V utilises blending technology to stitch the overlapping images captured by its 4 HD sensors into a seamless 8.3MP 209-degree image. The camera can also capture 180-degree images, with operators able to use digital PTZ functionality across 2 of the camera’s channels. As a camera that incorporates the UL CAP certificated Wisenet7 chipset, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant PNM-9022V is packed with technologies to protect it from cyberattacks. It also benefits from a proprietary device certificate issuing system that embeds unique certificates into Wisenet7 products during the development and manufacturing processes. This further enhances the camera’s ability to prevent hackers from tampering with its firmware. The 4 camera sensors are equipped with 2.8mm fixed focal lenses, and can capture high-definition colour images with light levels as low as 0.03 Lux. Wisenet7 also features the proprietary ‘extreme’ WDR technology.
Contact: DSX Distributors
Distributor: EOS Australia Contact: +61 2 9749 5888
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Products
Editor’s choice SUPREMA X-STATION 2 INTELLIGENT TERMINAL l SUPREMA X-Station 2 is an intelligent terminal with credential
options of mobile access, QR, and barcodes as well as RFID cards and PIN. X-Station 2 enables flexible access control system design by supporting multiple credential options. The terminal is compatible with most types of existing RFID cards including EM, MIFARE, iCLASS, DESFire, and FeliCa, but also lets users go cardless by offering mobile credential options including QR codes and barcodes. The terminal can read QR codes and barcodes composed of up to 32 ASCII code strings issued on Suprema BioStar 2 or 3rd party systems. X-Station 2 can also communicate with NFC and BLE signals, allowing both Android and iOS device owners to use mobile access. Equipped with a secure boot process, Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP), and cameras for image log capture, X-Station 2 improves security while safeguarding user data. Distributor: NetDigital Contact: +61 8 8371 416
ARITECH DD105 DUAL TECHNOLOGY SENSOR FROM HILLS l ARITECH DD105 is a dual technology PIR and microwave
sensor with a detection range of 12 metres and a detection angle of 86 degrees distributed by Hills. The sensor features 7 curtains, has current consumption in alarm of 15.0 mA and a mounting height of 1.8 to 3.0 metres. The housing meets IP30 – IK02 when installed with a sealed cable entry, there’s a normally closed relay and a dual loop end-of-line feature. Power supply is 9-15V DC, dimensions are 123 x 61 x 58mm, operating temperature is -10 to 55C. Other features include Gliding Focus Mirrors, high quality microwave technology, and the latest 4D signal processing. Twin Opposed Antennae ensure a better signal to noise ratio and better microwave direction. The DD 100 series also features solid curtains of detection. Full undercrawl protection gives maximum security while the special characteristics of the ‘gliding curtain’ ensure not only better intruder detection but also better PIR stability from the environment. Distributor: Hills Contact: 1800 685 487
What’s new in the industry.
NEW NEOXX PADLOCK FROM SALTO l SALTO’s new Neoxx padlock series offers an additional level of security to control doors, gates or storage areas, with security enhanced by removing the mechanical key and adding mobile app operation and contactless smart keycard managed by an advanced web-based access control technology platform. SALTO Neoxx padlock has an armoured cover case with doublelayered structure to protect the padlock from falls and shocks. There is also additional UV protection to withstand solar impact. The reinforced bumpers around the body protect the most sensitive parts of the padlock and absorb the energy of any fall, protecting the electronics and the mechanics to maintain operability making it both robust and all-weather resistant. Robust and durable, this electronic padlock features IP68 water resistance and dust protection for harsh environments and extreme climates. Power comes from 4 x LR1 batteries and there’s low battery status monitoring of battery levels. Neoxx features a suite of SALTO applications and is fully compatible with the rest of the SALTO smart electronic hardware locking platform. Contact: SALTO Distributors
DAHUA RELEASES 120M SECURITY RADAR l DAHUA has released the DH-PFR4K-E120 Adopt 24 GHZ radar, delivering 24/7 all-weather, high-accuracy detection in the range of with an angle of view of 120 degrees and a range of 120 metres. The unit support radar-PTZ smart tracking and is compatible with common Dahua speed domes. With radar detection and intelligent algorithms, low false positives and zero false negatives are achieved, according to Dahua. Multiple PTZ cameras can be linked to one radar, and there’s wide range global arming, and detail tracking. It’s possible to programme different alarm priorities, external alarm linkages, human and vehicle filtering, and vehicle detection at low and medium speeds. Radar controlled camera tracking is low latency and radar-PTZ linkage is displayed via web browser, and one radar can support multiple cameras. Video stream acquisition, and map and trajectory display on NVR or platform is also supported. An intelligent algorithm is used to identify complex scenes and achieve high accuracy in different scenarios. Alarms are triggered once radar detection range is covered or radar is rotated substantially, and the unit supports human and vehicle recognition. Contact: Dahua Distributors
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PRODATAKEY RELEASES HIGH SECURITY PDK RED ACCESS CONTROL RANGE
INNER RANGE INTEGRITI REAL-TIME LOCATION SYSTEMS
l PRODATAKEY, distributed locally by Don Tummillo’s SFERE Group, has announced the released its new high security line PDK Red. The release includes the Red 2 Controller, Red Readers and Red High-Security Credentials. The Red lineup is a new class of OSDP-compliant, multitechnology readers, controllers, and credentialing options supporting standard and high security applications. Red 2 and the Red Readers are powered by PDK’s pdk io mobile-first, Cloud access control solution. The new internal/external Red Readers support Red 13.56 MHz high-security smart credentials, 125 kHz proximity cards and mobile access options. OSDP and Weigand protocols are supported. Red 2 is a 2-door controller that includes built-in Ethernet connectivity and self-discovery and is equipped with OSDP functionality, an onboard power supply, and a fully supervised power circuit that monitors input, output, battery voltage and overall controller health. Both readers and the Red2 controller can be used for new installations, retrofits, or expansions of existing PDK systems. Red High-Security Credentials are available as 13.56 MHz smart cards or smart fobs,.
l INNER Range real time location systems technology (RTLS) is incorporated into Integriti V21 and empowers operators and managers to track assets and individuals fast by displaying their current location. In order to establish the connection, a tag or transmitter is carried by an individual, or placed on an asset. RTLS are often used in high security environments like hospitals, government infrastructure, museums or correctional facilities. These systems allow security operators to accurately maintain the status and location of people (visitors, patients, ‘mandown’) or assets (artwork, valuable equipment) in real-time. In Integriti V21, the RTLS integration allows operators to perform actions based on the location of the designated asset or person. RTLS assets are associated with an RTLS tag. They can either be standalone items representing physical objects (such as equipment trolleys or other physical assets), or associated with a person to represent the position of that individual in the RTLS system. Manufacturer: Inner Range Contact: +61 3 9780 4300
Distributor: SFERE Group Contact: +61 2 9746 9991
TORUS AUTOMATED KEY MANAGEMENT FROM CIC l CIC Technology will show the Torus automated key
management solution at Security 2021 Exhibition & Conference. Australian designed and made, CIC says Torus is a highsecurity IoT solution that gives users complete control of their organisation’s keys, cards and tags. Torus cabinets are modern in design and easy to deploy in one or many locations within a facility or across thousands of facilities globally. There is no software to install, and mains power supply is not required because Torus cabinets can be run using Power over Ethernet (PoE). Torus is highly secure and employs the most contemporary data security measures including multi-factor authentication, secure encryption of data at all points and the power of Microsoft Azures world leading cyber security capabilities. Torus also significantly reduces the number of keys required and the number of people who need to manage and ‘touch’ keys on a daily basis, delivering operational cost savings and hygiene benefits. Distributor: CIC Technology Contact: 1300 182 199
ION LITHIUM ONLINE UPS l ION Lithium F18 Rack/Tower UPS available in 1000VA, 2000VA XLI and 3000VA models, delivers high power density in a compact footprint and is available now from ION distributors. With its longer life span, 5-year warranty and optional scalable battery run times for rack servers, voice and data networks, storage systems and other IT equipment, ION Lithium F18 UPS cuts energy costs with its charge and recharge efficiency while packing up to 3kVA of power into only 2RU of rack space. The F18 UPS range also has an LCD user interface to simplify monitoring and comes with SNMP monitoring as standard, making it the perfect way to flexibly integrate reliable power supply and protection for high-end computing and applications exposed to potential data loss, corruption and downtime. Features of the ION Lithium F18 include: • Rotatable LCD display • Expandable batteries extending backup and run time for the 2kVA option • High frequency • 0.9 output power factor • Pure sine wave output • Output THDV <3 per cent • Easy battery replacement. Contact: ION UPS Distributors
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Help desk
Q: We’ve heard of an issue with a retail client whose staff repeatedly activated a panic button yet an alarm event was not reported to the monitoring station – the terminations has been torn out of the button and the issue was never reported as trouble event. In this case, the panic button was installed in a drawer with a long loop of cable to allow it to be opened and closed without pulling the terminations out. At some point this wiring has caught or tangled and the zone has been disabled. The alarm panel was an older model with a single 24-hour zone to which the siren had been connected. A: When installing a hardwired holdup button or when carrying out maintenance on an older panel with a panic button, be sure the device is connected to a supervised 24-hour zone, or add a supervised end-ofline resistor to the zone loop. This will greatly improve circuit integrity. One of the weaknesses of a normally open hold-up button that’s unsupervised is that there’s no guarantee it will work 10 years later when pressed in an emergency – implementing a supervised circuit will strengthen the panic zone loop’s integrity by reporting trouble if the terminations pull out, or the line is cut.
Our panel of experts answers your questions.
Q: Is there a way to ensure crimped connections and terminations are of the highest possible quality? A: Making good crimped connections is a matter of not stripping too much of the wire, trimming whiskers and not applying too much or too little pressure to the crimper. Fine stranded cables with a large quantity of small-diameter strands will improve a crimped joint’s performance. Finer strands fill the contours of a terminal as it is crimped. This even distribution of strands allows loads to be distributed evenly. Any air pockets or voids in a crimped joint with coarse stranding increase resistance and temperature which in turn can lead to a faster rate of corrosion. When selecting the correct terminal, make sure the terminal’s wire range is compatible with the actual wire size. Also make certain the terminals and wire strands are free of oxidation and corrosion. This will insure a positive connection. While crimping, an adequate amount of pressure must be applied so that oxides that build up on the inside of the terminal barrel before it’s used are broken down. Unless good metal-tometal contact occurs, resistance can build up on the terminal and that means circuit failure in the future. Q: What are some tips and tricks when it comes to walking onto a site with an alarm system malfunction and very quickly establishing the problem? A: Experience helps, especially experience with the system in question. Most wiring
failures will involve short-to-ground, or shorted circuits caused by insulation failure or a stripped wire or whisker in contact with a metal component like the chassis, a panel housing or a mounting bracket. Another common failure is caused by an open circuit resulting from a broken wire or a broken connection or termination, especially if there’s vibration or thermal expansion and contraction – particularly in poorly ventilated electrical boxes installed in direct sunlight. If you arrive at a site planning to troubleshoot a cable plant, it’s valuable to remember that before spending hours of diagnostic time crawling along cable trays you should test all the panel fuse circuits using a DVOM or test light. Don’t just look at them. A fuse can fail even if the surface doesn’t look burned or there’s no obvious break. Use your test probes and when you find a failed fuse, pull and give a good clean, especially on the contact points. Also look for lose fuse connectors inside the fuse chamber. If you replace one fuse, do them all. It goes without saying that the bulk of wiring failures are the result of connection failures at the end of cable runs in stressful environments. If you have some intermittent power problems, the place to start looking is these wiring connections – they’ll very likely be corroded – even slight corrosion is enough. The solution is to pull the connector from the termination and tidy it up with electrically compatible
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corrosion inhibitor. You may need to strip the cable and nip the wire back and reterminate. When you’re working alone, use a DVOM with a min/max voltage alarm when testing for intermittent failure. This tool will record the highest voltage, sounding an alarm when a higher voltage occurs. If you’re performing a cable movement test looking for intermittent failure and you need both hands, this is perfect. Another useful tool when seeking loose ground connections is a lab scope, which will highlight these problems as a voltage spike in an otherwise flat signal. You can also use a short detector when hunting short to ground circuits. These tools aren’t expensive and they’ll let you discover shorts hidden by other cables or fascia panels. Buy the best you can, as the higher its quality, the greater its range. Q: What are key things to consider before you start installing external CCTV cameras on a site? A: You need to plan CCTV installations long before you start running around bolting things onto walls. You need discover the entry points, the access and egress routes, the areas of vulnerability, the high value assets. You will need to assess where power and data are located, and to establish what cables you can run and where. Get hold of the site engineer and do a tour. Look at the routes and parking areas that might be used by heavy vehicles. These could block a poorly sited surveillance system’s views for extended periods. Look at building overhangs or locations where building projections could conceal an intruder from the camera’s planned angles of view. The location of power is going to impact the system. Consider the security patrols that may or may not take place on the site and consider the value of having cameras monitoring patrolled areas. Look at the carpark and its approaches and evaluate ambient lighting. Getting CCTV right is going to mean understanding the site’s alarm and access control system – there’s likely to be some integration in support of areas of vulnerability. Establish what the operational considerations of management
Shade awnings blocking view of path.
are. Then establish which solutions are going to have the capacity to support those considerations within budget. Do the obvious things, like assessing the growth potential of trees and shrubs and ask about plans for future building extensions, too. A well-planned CCTV installation with scope for future tweaking should deliver operational value for a long time, if it’s well maintained and selectively upgraded. Q: Sometimes we have to install control boxes on plasterboard walls, especially in residential applications. This can lead to the boxes pulling off walls, usually when accidentally exposed to pressure over time. Are there anchors that offer better grip in these sorts of applications? A: Yes – you can use anchors that unfurl as they are screwed in, but these won’t
DO THE OBVIOUS THINGS, LIKE ASSESSING THE GROWTH POTENTIAL OF TREES AND SHRUBS AND ASK ABOUT PLANS FOR FUTURE BUILDING EXTENSIONS, TOO. eliminate plasterboard’s friable nature, or the tendency of anchors to pull out when the kids start climbing the walls. It’s better to find an adjacent wall stud and drill through the plaster to the timber behind it, then use wood screws to get serious grip. Installed this way, a pair of properly sized wood screws is likely to be more than enough to support a relatively light alarm/ home automation control panel. The best way to find studs is with an electronic stud finder. Most electronic stud finders work using capacitance to sense where studs are and then buzzing to let the operator know the stud finder is over a beam. There’s a variation between the dielectric constant of a sheet of plasterboard and an area of plasterboard with a stud located behind it based on changing wall density. There are also stud finders that employ Doppler effect microwaves to detect studs – these pick up the tiny echoes produced by studs behind walls. n
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SEEKING PROFESSIONAL SECURITY TECHNICIANS?
events Secutech International Date: July 7-9, 2021 Location: Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan Contact: +886 2 8729 1017 Secutech Taiwan is the leading trade fair for fire, safety and securityelectronic. It is the largest fair of its kind and opens exhibiting companies access to the Taiwanese security market.
IFSEC International
Try SEN JobsMarket securityelectronicsandnetworks.com
Date: July 12-14, 2021 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.
ISC West Date: July 19-21, 2021 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.
Security Exhibition & Conference & Integrate Date: 21-23 July, 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: 18 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.
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