In the digital age, speed has never been more critical.
Customers expect an instant response to a query. Executives expect sales data on their tablets in front of them in real-time. A site manager at an oil refinery needs an instant alert about a defective valve. An IT manager expects to know about a phishing email before it hits his employees’ inboxes.
The ‘need for speed’ is impacting the physical security sector too. Customers increasingly expect their security systems to identify and act upon threats before they turn into real incidents. They expect to know right now if the fire or intruder alarm is false, and to take corrective action swiftly. They expect their security cameras to identify unusual events like fighting (using Artificial Intelligence) and notify operators who are attempting to monitor too many cameras [usually unsuccessfully]
Driven by this heightened customer demand for quicker information to make better decisions faster, innovation in video surveillance technology has accelerated in recent years.
If you would like us to discuss this further with you, please contact us for a free consultation. We will also be exhibiting at UK Security Expo this month if you would like to visit to discuss.
Video analytics for fast threat detection
Video analytics enables site managers and security teams to swiftly address threats in any building or around a perimeter, often before they take place. For example, there are several technologies that we can now provide which can identify an individual hovering suspiciously in an area, alert the security team or central monitoring station. These technologies are even capable of delivering a pre-emptive voice warning to the potential criminal.
So sophisticated are the latest technologies available on the market that, when correctly installed, they are capable of differentiating between a sheep grazing near an airport fence and a would-be intruder crawling on their hands and knees. They are also designed to withstand outside forces that negatively impact system performance such as adverse weather conditions or animal interference.
It is also possible enable geo-fencing of specific sections of a video frame so the system can be set up so that an alarm is only triggered if a specific section of the picture is occupied by an individual. In busy areas such as a parking building or a shopping center, these innovations help to target specific areas that require surveillance and minimise false alarms.
If you would like us to discuss this further with you, please contact us for a free consultation.
Video verification technology reduces false alarms
False alarms cost organisations money, and cause hassle and reputational damage if they are not quickly and decisively addressed by a business. For that reason, the integration of video verification technology that can visually confirm the presence of a threat, is one of the most exciting developments in the physical security sector today.
Let’s imagine that a 24/7 Monitoring Centre, supporting a major industrial site detects an alarm going off in one of the maintenance buildings. The default decision today is often a call to the site manager followed by an inconvenient, time-consuming site visit or a call to the local police force with a request to investigate (which may be ignored). Video verification enables the existence and nature of an intrusion to be immediately detected and addressed.
Visual verification technology, recently apprehended a copper theft ring of three men and a woman who had been repeatedly targeting a construction site and stealing metal in the back of a van. The company used Visual verification technology throughout a jobsite to act as portable sentries which enabled a quick, effective response.
If you would like us to discuss this further with you, please contact us for a free consultation.
Integrating security and building management
The seamless integration of various security, safety and building management technologies into one unified system is another way organisations can significantly accelerate the speed of both human and machine-to-machine decision making.
A simple example is video management systems, using Artificial Intelligence, which enable a user to control multiple sources of video subsystems in a facility to collect, manage and present video in a clear and concise manner. This provides security teams at large sites with the ability to view multiple video inputs concurrently, weighing up risk in real-time and reacting quickly to threats.
A sophisticated example is the use of an integrated security management suite at a Hospital, which includes video surveillance, access control, and intruder detection systems to improve the security of staff members, visitors and patients.
A single monitoring centre allows alarms and video footage to be monitored by security staff, while another set of cameras are deployed to control the access of emergency and service vehicles to the hospital. The system also allows the hospital’s 12,000 professionals, and 5,000 guest visitors, to access the hospital’s buildings, car parks and restaurants using a unique access card.
If you would like us to discuss this further with you, please contact us for a free consultation.
Benefits of superior user interface
Much has been made about the ‘Apple effect’ on all industries, driving up the quality of the user interface and simplicity of the experience. However, the major benefit of a superior UI is not aesthetic, it’s functional. Simple, clearly laid out user interfaces can significantly speed up the amount of time taken to install, learn, operate and maintain a system, as well as reducing manual errors. Prime Digital seeks to create its systems with a ‘”Learn One, Know Them All” philosophy for this reason.
In summary, the digital world has significantly increased the speed of doing business. It has raised customer, employee and stakeholder expectations to new heights. Video surveillance technology – analytics, verification, integration, UI – is quickly evolving to match, but companies must adopt it aggressively to keep pace with the breathless new business environment.
If you would like us to discuss this further with you, please contact us for a free consultation.