Actuate - Experts & Thought Leaders

Actuate, a pioneer in AI-driven remote video monitoring solutions, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Patriot Systems, a world pioneer in automated alarm monitoring software. This collaboration integrates Actuate’s advanced cloud AI capabilities with Patriot’s powerful automation suite, enabling video monitoring centres and alarm receiving centres to reduce operator workload, enhance responsiveness, and increase effectiveness.  Partnering with Patriot Systems "Partnering with Patriot Systems reinforces our mission to deliver solutions that strengthen security operations while keeping things simple for operators,” said Ken Francis, CEO of Actuate. “By ensuring that true threats are quickly validated and eliminating alarm noise, we’re helping monitoring centres that rely on Patriot Systems to improve response times, reduce costs, and prevent operator burnout.” Actuate’s false positive alarm reduction Patriot Systems supports monitoring centres worldwide with an open and scalable architecture A recognised innovator in alarm automation, Patriot Systems supports monitoring centres worldwide with an open and scalable architecture.  This partnership allows central stations running Patriot to add Actuate's “Intruder” analytic solutions to any event-generating camera with only a few clicks.  This includes Actuate’s false positive alarm reduction and industry-pioneering detection solutions, such as gun, intruder, loitering, crowd, and fire detection, as well as camera health monitoring and more.  A new standard for central station productivity With no need for advanced configuration or calibration, operators can realise an immediate reduction in event “noise” while improving response times and operator focus. And because operators are not required to learn new products or processes, central station managers will see immediate productivity improvements alongside the ability to offer enhanced services to their customers. Challenge for monitoring centres Central station managers will see near productivity gains alongside the ability to offer enhanced services "Nuisance alarms and event spam continue to be a challenge for monitoring centres relying on legacy systems,” said Paul Hughes, Global Partnerships Director, Patriot Systems. “This integration gives our customers a plug-and-play path to cloud-based AI that makes their teams more productive from day one.” Key benefits for central stations Noise Reduction: Eliminate non-actionable alerts and focus on verified threats Faster, More Informed Responses: AI-powered filtering and metadata accelerate decision-making Simple Deployment: Add AI to thousands of cameras quickly and easily No Tuning or Training Required: Operators continue using familiar Patriot workflows Delivering differentiated services at scale Actuate’s AI filtering is seamlessly embedded into Patriot’s automation framework With Actuate’s AI filtering seamlessly embedded into Patriot’s automation framework, central stations can offer new service levels to their clients. This includes faster response service level agreements (SLAs) and improved detection rates for theft, vandalism, and intrusions.  Actuate and Patriot partnership In this way, the Actuate and Patriot partnership empowers monitoring providers not only to increase operational efficiency but also to elevate the overall quality of service they offer.  By minimising distractions and streamlining threat validation, central stations can meet higher performance benchmarks and differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive security landscape.

Azena is returning to Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2022, in order to demonstrate a host of new solutions available on its open platform - the world’s largest and fastest growing marketplace for smart cameras.  The smart camera platform and Application Store, including enhanced solutions for healthcare, oil and gas and new integration capabilities with robotics, will be on display at the Azena booth #1931, at GSX 2022, which is taking place from September 12 to September 14, 2022, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America (USA). Azena Application Store The Azena Application Store offers more than 100 AI-enabled, ready-to-use analytic applications The Azena Application Store offers more than 100 AI-enabled, ready-to-use analytic applications that can be downloaded onto smart cameras of multiple brands and form factors, and flexibly combined and customised for tailor-made solutions. Solutions exhibited at the Azena booth at Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2022 will include a sophisticated fall detection app for healthcare, oil drill flare detection, liquid leak and gas monitoring, weapons detection, retail solutions and many other cross-industry analytic applications from the following developer partners: Actuate – Gun detection I. Tech – Crowd analysis Darvis – Bed fall prevention Data From Sky – Traffic monitoring and analysis Intellivision – Advanced analytics suite Isarsoft – People counting and heat mapping Neurala – Object classification Noctuai – Fire and smoke detection Noema – Gauge monitoring, flare monitoring, tank level monitoring AI-enabled video analytics Hartmut Schaper, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Azena, said “Azena is opening doors for AI-enabled video analytics in a growing variety of vertical markets that are now benefiting from operational insights unlocked by this technology.” He adds, “We are excited to attend GSX to showcase our expanding array of solutions and for the opportunity to connect with partners, integrators, and end users face-to-face.” Intelligent edge devices integration with new platforms Video analytics and intelligent edge devices, running the Azena OS, are being integrated with new platforms Video analytics and intelligent edge devices, running the Azena operating system (Azena OS), are being integrated with new platforms, such as autonomous robotic devices, extending the possibilities of automated detection and analysis in applications, such as retail, logistics and hazardous environments. This integrated approach has already been deployed by global security services firm, Prosegur Security, in the form of ‘Yellow’, an intelligent robotic dog, pairing sophisticated video analytics detection with the work of onsite and remote security personnel. Smart cameras integrate with third-party systems Smart cameras and edge devices running on the Azena platform are easily integrated into other third-party systems, such as VMS platforms from major vendors and other dashboard software. These integrations will be on display at Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2022, along with new device and project management features for systems integrators that provide wider control over large groups of devices, apps and configurations.  Azena to exhibit at Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2022 In addition to Azena’s presence on the show floor, Fabio Marti, the Vice President of Marketing at Azena will deliver a presentation entitled, ‘How to harness the power of AI Video Analytics for and beyond security,’ on the ‘X stage’, on September 12, 2022, from 3 pm to 3:20 pm. The presentation will explore emerging use cases for smart cameras and examine how security professionals can leverage this technology to add value to their organisations. On September 13, 2022, at 3:30 pm, Azena will host a happy hour at its booth #1931 at Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2022, featuring Bavarian beer as an homage to the company’s German roots.

Actuate, the globally renowned provider of automation and intelligence software for smart security camera systems, has announced that it has closed its Series A financing of US$ 8 million to expand the capabilities of its computer vision technology and build on the company’s growing portfolio of customers. The funding round was led by Tribeca Venture Partners and joined by Scribble Ventures, OCA Ventures, and Context Ventures, with additional support from existing investors, including Bling Capital, Upside Partnership, and Tensility Venture Partners. Critical layer of intelligence About 90% of organisations have security cameras, yet many cameras are unmonitored and most data goes unused, which can endanger lives and lead to significant economic losses. Actuate is adding a critical layer of automation and intelligence to support data-driven security decisions and enhanced vigilance. The company’s AI-powered computer vision software turns any security camera into an intruder- and threat-detecting smart camera that dramatically reduces the time it takes for security teams and law enforcement to respond to issues. AI-powered computer vision technology The Actuate solution integrates with any existing security camera without additional hardware The Actuate solution integrates with any existing security camera without additional hardware, providing organisations with safer, cost-efficient and end-to-end security automation. The software identifies safety and security threats in real time, reducing false positives by as much as 99%. When threats are detected, alerts are issued automatically, in order to help security teams respond quickly to gun presence, intruders, social distancing violations, loitering, and other security events. Security management solutions Actuate’s analytics are trusted by hundreds of customers nationwide and deployed at over 1,000 sites, including schools, offices, military facilities, construction sites, affordable housing, high-end residential buildings and industrial facilities. “We unfortunately live in a world where active shooter events and public safety threats continue to make headlines year after year, pointing to the critical need for faster, more accurate, and privacy-conscious security management solutions,” said Sonny Tai, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Actuate. End-to-end security automation Sonny Tai adds, “Actuate empowers security staff at the places we live, work, shop, and depend on with end-to-end security automation, helping them to do their jobs better and improve safety outcomes. As we culminate a year of exponential growth, this support from our investors will be instrumental in driving the adoption of our security management platform and growing the range and accuracy of our privacy-conscious AI.” In leveraging the new funding to expand its solution’s capabilities, Actuate is enhancing its behaviour detection technology, which allows the software to detect adverse events or accidents, such as slip-and-fall incidents, and is also further developing its all-in-one security management platform. Real-time video analytics and automation With its unique AI software, Actuate is bringing physical security into the age of automation" “With its unique AI software, Actuate is bringing physical security into the age of automation,” said Brian Hirsch, Managing Partner of Tribeca Venture Partners, adding “Actuate’s end-to-end platform, powered by unique IP, solves a myriad of security and building management challenges, across organisations through real-time, video-based analytics and automation.” “With professionals and students returning to offices and schools, we see a huge opportunity for Actuate’s solution to help manage social distancing concerns, while cost-effectively protecting against security and safety events that can not only hurt the bottom line, but also puts lives at risk. We’re proud to support the company in its mission to ensure a safer, more peaceful future for all.” Security monitoring service “We started deploying Actuate’s AI models this year and the difference in both accuracy and technical support has been palpable, so seeing Actuate’s venture funding success comes as no surprise,” said Blake Ballard, Director of Operations for Louisiana-based security company, Global Monitoring Solutions. Blake Ballard adds, “Security teams rely on technology and tools that work proactively to ensure safety at all times. Utilising Actuate’s exceptional platform and top-notch team has enabled us to provide a much more reliable security monitoring service to our customers, making them the only solution we’d work with.”

During the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2018, the shooter was caught on a security camera pulling his rifle out of a duffle bag in the staircase 15 seconds before discharging the first round. However, the School Resource Officer didn’t enter the building because he wasn’t confident about the situation, and the Coral Springs Police Department had no idea what the shooter even looked like until 7 minutes and 30 seconds after the first round was fired. If the video system had included technology to recognise the gun threat in real time, alerts could have been sent to the security team. An announcement could have been made right away for all students and faculty in Building 12 to barricade their doors, and law enforcement could have responded a lot faster to a real-time feed of timely and accurate information. Automatically recognising gun threats Actuate offers such a technology, which the company says enables existing security cameras to automatically recognise gun threats and notify security in real-time. The technology is centred around a convolutional neural network (CNN) that aims to replicate how a human brain would process information. This neural network is trained to recognise what hands holding a firearm look like from hundreds of thousands of images in a proprietary data set. The technology is centred around a CNN that aims to replicate how a human brain would process information Over time, the system is able to mathematically calculate what a gun threat in a security camera feed looks like with a high degree of accuracy (well over 99% detection accuracy within the first 5 seconds), according to Actuate. “Active shooter situations are often marred by chaos and confusion,” says Sonny Tai, Chief Executive Officer of Actuate. “People are in fight-or-flight response and prioritise immediate survival instead of reaching for their phones and calling 911. When the 911 calls are made, callers often provide delayed, conflicting, and inaccurate information, inhibiting law enforcement’s ability to respond.” Enhances law enforcement response Tai says Actuate helps to clear up that chaos and confusion. He says: “It provides visual intelligence of the location of the shooter, what they look like, what direction they’re heading, and what they’re armed with. This real-time information enhances law enforcement response and enables building occupants to make critical decisions that maximise survivability." AI methods including deep learning enable high levels of accuracy in detecting weapons in real-time camera footage Tai is a Marine Corps veteran and a social entrepreneur who co-founded Actuate with the mission of addressing America’s gun violence epidemic. The start of the company stems from Tai’s upbringing in South Africa, where gun violence rates are some of the highest in the world. Growing up, several of his family friends were personally impacted, resulting in a lifelong passion for the issue of gun violence. In early 2018, Tai interviewed dozens of law enforcement leaders across the country and found that their biggest challenge in gun violence response was the lack of timely and accurate information. Actuate mitigates that challenge and enables both first responders and security staff to respond more rapidly, he says. More than 99% accuracy in detecting weapons Actuate's solution is completely AI-based, says Ben Ziomek, Chief Product Officer. AI methods including deep learning enable high levels of accuracy in detecting weapons in real-time camera footage. “Legacy, non-AI based solutions generally rely on older methods like motion detection, which is not reliable in differentiating between objects such as phones and firearms,” says Ziomek. “Our AI solution lets us achieve more than 99% accuracy in detecting weapons with an exceptionally low false-positive rate.” Ziomek runs engineering, data science, and operations for Actuate. Before joining the firm, he led teams of AI engineers and data scientists at Microsoft, leveraging AI to identify high-potential startups globally. Actuate is a software-only solution that plugs into existing security camera hardware and software, including video management systems (VMS). Existing capabilities of a customer’s VMS does initial, basic analysis and then routes the remaining video to Actuate’s processing units for AI analysis. Alerts can then be sent back however a customer wants, including through a VMS. Actuate can also feed information into a PSIM or command-and-control system if requested by a customer. Equipping customers with AI tools As an early-stage company, Actuate is pursuing customers through multiple routes, including directly to end-users and via security integrators, distributors, and dealers. They are currently deployed at diverse customer sites including schools, office buildings, industrial facilities, and public buildings, says Ziomek. Our current focus for the company is to get our technology into the hands of as many customers as possible “Our current focus for the company is to get our technology into the hands of as many customers as possible,” says Ziomek. “We are working closely with customers across segments and industries to equip them with the tools they need to make their spaces safer. We’re currently working on educating the market on our offerings, as this technology is very new to many security organisations.” There are no privacy or compliance concerns because Actuate stores no customer data until a weapon is detected, and even then the data is not cross-indexed with any sensitive information, says Ziomek.