Synectics - Experts & Thought Leaders

Synectics, a pioneer in advanced security and surveillance systems, has launched ‘Synergy DETECT’, part of Synergy’s AI suite, that allows users to select and activate up to 12 AI-driven tools depending on their safety, security, or service-related needs. Safety protocol enforcement PPE Detection is just one of many safety-orientated tools included. It automatically generates alerts when workers appear in the frame without protective helmets or high-visibility vests. Users can also activate the Hazardous Area tool to receive alerts whenever people or vehicles enter zones designated as dangerous, for example, rail tracks or areas immediately surrounding potentially hazardous equipment or substances. A Fall Detection tool supports improved accident detection, generating alarms if a worker slips or falls to the ground. Stopped Object detection is ideal for flagging when a decelerating or stopped vehicle or person poses a safety risk – for example, if a car is blocking an entrance/exit or is a danger to other traffic. Rapid detection of potential security risks Synergy DETECT features tools for identifying security risks to better protect the public and personnel Synergy DETECT also features tools for identifying security risks to better protect the public, personnel, and physical assets. Automated Crowd Detection, for example, can alert operators when the number of people in a set zone exceeds a predefined threshold. This could indicate that an incident is taking place, causing a crowd to gather, or that additional services, such as in a retail or transport environment, are required to ease heavy footfall or satisfy the high demand.  High-security zones Another useful tool is Intrusion Detection, which uses detectors with long-range accuracy to identify and classify people or ground vehicles accessing a restricted area – from staff car parks and high-security zones to restricted access and backstage areas at stadiums. Loitering Detection is another valuable tool. It is especially useful for monitoring areas where regular comings and goings by people and vehicles are common. This can flag suspicious behaviour based on lingering for time periods outside the norm. Vehicle and traffic flow monitoring Synergy DETECT makes it simple to detect, count, classify, and track the movements of vehicles Synergy DETECT makes it simple to detect, count, classify, and track the movements of vehicles – including cars, buses, trucks and bicycles. Multi-Object Detection and Multi-Object Counting ensure operators are alerted to vehicles in the wrong place or at the wrong time. A Wrong Direction tool is available for monitoring vehicles moving against an area's typical direction of travel, perhaps indicating a fleeing suspect or drunk driver. The Traffic Counting tool can also monitor incoming and outgoing traffic for a specific zone. This is useful for alerting operators about parking capacity levels or checking that all vehicles have left the premises as part of security checks and emergency drills. Alternatively, Zone Crossing can be used when only incoming vehicles need to be monitored. Easy set-up, filters, and flexible camera compatibility Activating Synergy DETECT is simple. Once the hardware is installed, users can connect any of the cameras in their network, including fixed, PTZ and thermal models. The tools can be tailored to suit specific operational needs and re-configured depending on evolving requirements. Settings include zone size, time period, sensitivity, and alarm frequency thresholds. Dan Noble, Head of Product Strategy – Synergy, said, “AI truly does have the power to supercharge surveillance-based risk detection, but only if the AI tools themselves are easy and intuitive to use. Synergy DETECT meets this important requirement, putting powerful capabilities at the fingertips of busy surveillance teams in a way that is completely tailored to an organisation’s exact needs.”

Control room teams around the world can now store, manage, and collaboratively share video footage more flexibly, due to integrated native cloud capabilities introduced to one of the industry’s leading command and control software platforms. Leveraging Microsoft’s Azure cloud infrastructure, Synectics’ Synergy platform allows organisations to spread their surveillance and operational management system across on-premises hardware and the cloud in any configuration of their choice. Efficient security and operational management “Whether customers opt for a ‘Full’ or ‘Hybrid Cloud’ solution, the capabilities we’ve introduced answer many modern surveillance needs,” explained Synectics’ Business Development Director, David Aindow, “especially when it comes to new, highly connected ways of collaborative working.” Organisations have a fast, secure mechanism for sharing critical data with external third parties" “Authorised, authenticated Synergy users can receive and send data via devices connected to the cloud, meaning efficient security and operational management can move beyond the control room and into the field. Similarly, by hosting features such as incident lockers and digital evidence management virtually, organisations have a fast, secure mechanism for sharing critical data with external third parties such as police or other emergency responders.” Seamless data access Data can be written directly to Azure or automatically migrated from on-premises storage after a user-defined period, allowing organisations to scale and adapt solutions in line with increased camera counts, new technology adoption, or changing regulatory demands for footage retention periods, without requiring significant investment in new infrastructure. Wherever information is stored, Synergy ‘knows’ where to look and retrieves it for instant access, facilitating seamless control of information regardless of its virtual or physical location. Guaranteed frame rate The new Synergy cloud solution guarantees a minimum frame rate of 30fps, even at 4K resolution Organisations with critical dependence on live image clarity for evidence review will also be pleased to note the guaranteed frame rate. Unlike many cloud-based Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) solutions which can reduce the frame rate as low as 5fps, the new Synergy cloud solution guarantees a minimum frame rate of 30fps, even at 4K resolution. Additionally, native integration with Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure unlocks a range of opportunities for harnessing cutting-edge developments such as cognitive services for video and image analysis. Data protected new ways of working Existing capabilities within Synergy and Microsoft’s commitment to data protection mean that leveraging these new benefits is also a highly secure process. Every device connected to the Synergy cloud environment in Microsoft Azure has a unique security certificate. All communication between Synergy and the cloud is also encrypted. Jen Nash, Director of Public Safety and Justice from Microsoft commented, “By integrating its Synergy platform with Microsoft Azure, Synectics is giving its customers the freedom to adopt new ways of working. All with the highest levels of data security and control.”

Professionals in charge of delivering smart and safe city programs can now accelerate the review of camera footage, more rapidly identify risks to public safety and infrastructure, and easily derive valuable operational intelligence from video content. This is due to a new bi-directional analytics-driven integration between BriefCam and Synectics’ Synergy command and control platform. Decreased footage review time In addition to allowing control room teams to apply sophisticated video analytics filters – colour, face matching, the direction of travel for vehicles, clothing attributes, etc. – to surveillance footage, the integration enables rapid footage review by presenting objects and events of interest (that appeared throughout a filtered period) on-screen simultaneously. Authorities can dramatically reduce the amount of time and effort needed to investigate footage" “The advantage”, explained Synectics’ Product Manager, Sree Namelil, “is that authorities can dramatically reduce the amount of time and effort needed to investigate and interrogate footage - a huge benefit for teams tasked with monitoring and managing hundreds, if not thousands of cameras. These are the teams tasked with protecting the public.” Real-time alerts The solution also allows users to receive real-time alerts when specific, pre-defined analytics criteria are met; for example, the detection of certain matches for face images, vehicle license plates, or people counts. On receipt of the alert, users then can easily access the footage to quickly attain situational awareness, monitor events as they unfold, and make informed decisions about how to respond. Analytics-based alerts can also be used to trigger dynamic workflows to support effective management of the specific scenario in question, from dealing with potential COVID-related overcrowding risks to coordinating a multi-stakeholder response to a criminal event. Risk identification and response Any organisation that needs critical information when time is of the essence, can get what they need as quickly as possible" Commenting on the development, Meni Besso, Senior Product Manager, BriefCam said, “BriefCam is the industry-leading provider of powerful analytics. Synectics, with their Synergy platform, specialises in making risk identification and incident response easier.” “Integrating our respective technologies means that cities, law enforcement, and any organisation that needs critical information when time is of the essence, can get what they need as quickly as possible to take decisive action.” Applications of command and control platform Additionally, the integration has significant implications for intelligence-driven town and city planning as it supports the secure, data protection-compliant ‘mining’ of historical video footage for trends and insights vital to future ‘Safe City’ developments. Sree Namelil added, “What areas need more community support officers? Which access routes to bus and train stations need to be redeveloped to cope with changing foot traffic? Where might additional street lighting help to reduce crime rates? Thanks to this new development, the answers are just a few clicks away.”

Assembling security solutions has long been considered the role of the integrator, whose role is to pick and choose the best technology tools and then to assemble the complete system. However, more manufacturers are offering pre-integrated end-to-end solutions that include multiple elements from the same manufacturer, designed to work seamlessly together. At the end of the day, end users want to know: Whose role is it to provide security ‘solutions’ – the manufacturer or the integrator? We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable.