Video Insight, Inc. - Experts & Thought Leaders

i-PRO Co. Ltd., a pioneer in professional security solutions for surveillance and public safety, has released the latest version of its popular Active Guard application that adds support for Vaxtor automatic licence plate recognition (ALPR) and make, model, colour (MMC) vehicle identification. The Vaxtor software has been tuned to run efficiently on the edge when installed within i-PRO AI-enabled cameras, providing the same level of performance normally associated with high-end PC processor architectures. i-PRO Active Guard v1.7 seamlessly delivers ALPR and MMC data, together with any other AI-based attributes, into popular video management systems (VMSs), providing a single, unified experience for operators. Forensic search and alert platform The same process can be set up for fast data mining of events during forensic investigations With Active Guard, the i-PRO data-driven forensic search and alert platform, security officers no longer need to spend time looking at multiple screens for persons or vehicles of interest or watch hours of recorded video to search for important events. Operators can register specific characteristics in their watch lists (e.g., red Toyota Hilux), and the VMS will send a real-time alarm whenever a match is identified, a feature that is unique to i-PRO. This enhances real-time situational awareness and enables proactive security.  The same process can be set up for fast data mining of events during forensic investigations. With its high recognition rates, the solution is ideal for a range of applications, including city surveillance, parking, access control, security, law enforcement and intelligent transportation systems. AI-based analytics “The latest version of Active Guard further demonstrates our commitment to an open platform approach as Vaxtor is the first third-party analytic to be hosted within the application itself,” said Philippe Henaine, Manager, Strategic Partners, i-PRO EMEA. “It’s a big step in the evolution that enables developers on the edge to connect to market-pioneering VMS effortlessly within a single UI.” The plug-in integrates AI analytics seamlessly into a VMS, such as Genetec, Milestone, or Video Insight The plug-in integrates AI analytics seamlessly into a VMS, such as Genetec, Milestone, or Video Insight, and appears as an additional function tab within the user interface. Requiring no additional LPR server, it enables users to easily manage AI-based analytics from multiple i-PRO cameras and allows users to easily set up sophisticated search parameters based on the industry’s largest number of search attributes, including unique characteristics such as clothing and shoe colour, gender, age, bag colour, and now vehicle, make, model, colour, licence plate, the direction of travel, and much more.  Author's quote “You might purchase an AI camera with amazing features, but if you can’t make use of the data it provides in your VMS, you’ve missed the mark,” said Adam Lowenstein, Director of Products, i-PRO Americas. “Active Guard is the bridge between the edge and the VMS. Our plug-in ensures that all 98 object attributes are searchable directly from within the VMS from our cameras.”

At GSX 2023, in booth 3555, i-PRO Co., Ltd., a pioneer in professional security solutions for surveillance and public safety, will showcase a number of industry-renowned products, including the smallest compact dome AI camera range in the industry, a new line of rapid PTZ cameras, also the smallest in their category, as well as the smallest multi-directional + PTZ camera, high-resolution dual-sensor cameras, the latest NVRs and more. i-PRO’s powerful Active Guard Formerly known as Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions, a key theme for i-PRO at GSX is to “discover the power of truth” which speaks to the company’s mission of empowering security teams to be more proactive to threats versus being simply reactive. AI-based smart cameras and i-PRO’s powerful Active Guard software as a standard feature By delivering AI-based smart cameras and i-PRO’s powerful Active Guard software as a standard feature for VMSs from Genetec, Milestone, Video Insight, and others, operators benefit from actionable intelligence with more unique attributes about vehicles and humans than any other AI-based security system available. AI-powered analytics “Yet again, we’re bringing the smallest and most capable products to GSX to suit any project and form factor,” says Adam Lowenstein, Director of Product Management at i-PRO Americas Inc. He adds, “We’re focused on discreet deployments without sacrificing our state-of-the-art image quality, AI-powered analytics, and best-in-class cybersecurity. And just as important, we’re making it easier than ever to do business with i-PRO.” Integrated VMS plug-in GSX attendees will see live, in-depth demos of Active Guard, i-PRO’s Integrated VMS plug-in for AI attribute forensic search and watchlist alarms for live events. Active Guard shows the depth of what is possible when using advanced, edge-based, AI vision technology from Ambarella, a similar technology to that used in autonomous vehicles. PTZ moves to the preset position, locks onto the target, and starts tracking the object Visitors will also see demos of i-PRO’s multi-directional + PTZ AI-auto tracking, the multi-sensor camera detects a target and sends an alarm to the PTZ. The PTZ moves to the preset position, locks onto the target, and starts tracking the object. Adam Lowenstein said, “The award-winning multi-directional + PTZ is so small, it is easily mistaken for a standard dome camera. With the optional recessed ceiling mount, you can’t believe there are five separate sensors in that housing.” Public Safety For the first time, attendees can see a technology demo that adds intelligent AI-based analytics to traditional, non-AI-based network camera streams using edge processing. Another industry first, this technology extends the life of existing network cameras by turning them into smart devices. Also on display at the booth is i-PRO’s powerful body-worn camera systems, in-car video, and CloUDE evidence management solution powered by Genetec.

At ISC West 2023 in booth # 10037, i-PRO Co., Ltd., a global pioneer in professional security solutions for surveillance and public safety, will showcase multiple new products, including new multi-sensor and PTZ cameras, new analytics capabilities, new features in its MonitorCast access control solution, and more. Active Guard AI-powered analytics Attendees will be able to experience live, in-depth demos of i-PRO’s Active Guard AI-powered analytics working on popular VMS platforms such as Genetec, Milestone, and Video Insight. The i-PRO Active Guard plug-in enables a more proactive security stance by combining deep learning technology and i-PRO imaging expertise to search or notify in real-time using a variety of external attributes. A new analytic that can detect changes in a scene will also be shown. Accurate and time-saving analytics  i-PRO captures more attributes for the objects it detects than any other manufacturer making it more accurate" “i-PRO captures more attributes for the objects it detects than any other manufacturer. This makes our analytics more accurate and powerful saving critical time when gathering evidence or searching for unique events in real-time,” said Adam Lowenstein, Director of Product Management, i-PRO Americas. “Our goal is to enable our customers to proactively engage in evolving events as they happen, not just react to past events.” Multi-sensor and AI Auto-Tracking PTZ Visitors will also see live demos of i-PRO’s multi-sensor and AI Auto-Tracking PTZ integration and installation innovations that save installers time and labour costs. Ease of installation extends beyond mounting and power considerations since i-PRO’s smaller cameras weigh less and can be deployed in locations where other cameras can’t be installed due to size constraints. Resellers can try out the new i-PRO EZ-2 Portal, which enhances and simplifies the way they conduct business with i-PRO by showing real-time at-a-glance inventory status to streamline ordering, creation of quick quotes 24/7, access to training and product information, and more. Quality and reliability With i-PRO manufacturing moving back to Japan, the team is positioned to build products faster than ever" “Building on its Panasonic heritage, i-PRO has become a well-established brand known for quality and reliability, yet also new, agile, and driving the pace of innovation,” said Bill Brennan, President of i-PRO Americas Inc. “The Japanese design team has taken i-PRO to the next level. With i-PRO manufacturing moving back to Japan, this co-located team is positioned to design, test, and build industry-leading products faster than ever. Our goal is to make it easy to fulfill orders so our partners can complete jobs on time and within budget.” Cybersecurity at ISC West Every i-PRO camera and network device is built with the most stringent cybersecurity features. At ISC West, i-PRO’s Senior Manager of Information Security and Data Privacy, Will Knehr, will be part of a panel discussing Cyber-Physical Security: New Challenges and Liabilities for Security Professionals. The panel will take place on Thursday, March 30th, 2023 from 1 pm-2 pm.

A rapid string of merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions as 2018 passed into 2019 suggests the physical security industry may be on the verge of a busy year of companies buying other companies. Observers have noted a large amount of investment capital currently available to be invested in security M&A, and plenty of entrepreneurial companies are looking to be acquired. Joe Grillo, CEO of ACRE, previously hinted at upcoming M&A activity for his company by the end of 2018, foreshadowing ACRE’s late-year announcement to acquire access control company Open Options, Addison, Texas.The VaaS cloud-based image capture platform includes fixed and mobile license plate reader cameras driven by machine learning Just days later, in the midst of the holiday season, Qognify announced its plan to acquire On-Net Surveillance Systems Inc. (OnSSI) and sister company SeeTec GmbH. Then came an even larger announcement: Motorola has acquired VaaS International Holdings Inc., a data and image analytics company for $445 million. The VaaS cloud-based image capture and analysis platform includes fixed and mobile license plate reader cameras driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence. Most recently, ADT announced yet another acquisition, Advanced Cabling Systems, a technology integration company in the South, thus continuing consolidation on the integration side of the business. There are likely to be further mergers and acquisitions in the video surveillance supply base in 2019 Continuation of the trend In the case of the Qognify and Motorola deals, Jon Cropley, Principal Analyst, Video Surveillance & Security Services, IHS Global Limited, sees them as the next chapter in an M&A trend going back several years. “I think this is a continuation of what we have been seeing in recent years of video surveillance software vendors being acquired,” he says. In the face of intense price competition, vendors have found it increasingly difficult to compete based on hardware features" “In the face of intense price competition, vendors have found it increasingly difficult to compete based on hardware features and are looking at software to offer unique competitive advantages.” In short, he sees it as a continuation of a trend that previously saw Canon acquiring Milestone Systems and Briefcam, Panasonic acquiring Video Insight and Tyco acquiring Exacq. “There are likely to be further mergers and acquisitions in the video surveillance supply base in 2019,” adds Cropley. “However, a spree of large-scale mergers and acquisitions is not expected.” Memoori, another market research firm, forecasts that the value of acquisitions could actually decline marginally in 2019 in value terms but increase in number. This observation is based on Memoori’s charting of physical security deals over the last 18 years. Jim McHale, Managing Director of Memoori, says there have been four cycles of increase and decline in activity, often exaggerated by billion dollar deals in one year such as the merger of Johnson Controls and Tyco of $165Bn in 2016. Access control when combined with identity management is punching well above its weight, and this trend has continued Access control to open systems Only time will tell whether the new year pattern of M&A activity is a coincidence or a harbinger of a busy M&A year ahead “It may be too early to make judgements on the future based on the last four weeks, but there are some interesting points that can be made when compared with our 2018 analysis,” says McHale. “Access control when combined with identity management is punching well above its weight, and this trend has continued. "Acre has been a major contributor and has completed some 10 acquisitions. In general, the access control business has been slow to move to open systems, and hopefully we can expect this trend toward openness to continue as it will give additional growth to the business.” For more commentary from Memoori, see their report “Major Trends in the Global Access Control Market 2018”. Only time will tell whether the new year pattern of M&A activity is a coincidence or a harbinger of a busy M&A year ahead. While past trends may provide a glimpse of what’s coming, there are always new variables. It’s a sure bet the overall trend toward consolidation will continue but predicting the pace and timing of individual transactions is almost impossible. In any case, it will be interesting to watch how 2019 unfolds on the M&A front, among other factors in a changing industry.

For the second year in a row, Canon made the biggest M&A move in the security marketplace in 2015. How could Canon top the industry shockwaves it created in 2014 when the Japanese giant acquired VMS company Milestone Systems? That’s easy: They bought Axis Communications for $2.8 billion in 2015.   Although the Canon-Axis deal grabbed the most headlines and was easily the most shocking M&A announcement of 2015, it was certainly not the only big news on the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) front. Consolidation seemed to be breaking out all over, although the announcements were generally positioned as “strategic” rather than in response to market forces. Here’s a look at the Top 10 M&A stories in 2015, as covered by SourceSecurity.com: 1. Canon buys Axis Canon Inc. made a public offer to the shareholders of Axis Communications to transfer all of their shares in Axis to Canon. The total value of the offer was approximately $2.8 billion – Canon’s biggest acquisition to date. The move was further evidence of Canon’s confidence in the video surveillance market – and its intent to be a big player in the market. 2. Phybridge buys NVT Phybridge made its mark in the communications industry as a manufacturer of long-reach transmission technology. Looking to target the security industry as a lucrative new market for that technology, Phybridge agreed to purchase NVT, a well-known supplier of IP and PoE transmission. Phybridge is looking to leverage NVT’s position and reputation in the security market to boost its sales of long-reach PoE and Ethernet over new or legacy coax and UTP cable. 3. 3xLOGIC buys infinias Cloud-based integrated security solutions provider 3xLOGIC saw how well its products fit with those of infinias and announced acquisition of the cloud access control company. Adding access control is a natural extension of 3xLOGIC’s video products, including the VIGIL VMS and business intelligence, data management and cloud-based services. Access control was the “missing piece” in their overall product offering. FLIR Systems and DVTEL were late additions to our Top 10 M&As, with a $92 million acquisition in late November 2015  4. ASSA ABLOY acquires Quantum Secure ASSA ABLOY has made hundreds of acquisitions since 1994, and continued the pattern this year. Given ASSA ABLOY business unit HID Global’s focus on identity, it makes perfect sense they would acquire Quantum Secure, whose SAFE software suite is a robust, policy-driven application to will help enterprise customers achieve their identity management goals. The SAFE software suite allows organisations to manage identities across multiple sites for employees, visitors, vendors, and contractors. 5. OnSSI acquires SeeTec AG Video management software (VMS) company On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) announced a definitive agreement to acquire SeeTec AG, a privately held German-based company providing VMS solutions to European markets. As one of the first providers of network-based video management applications, SeeTec provides offers targeted solutions aligned with customer requirements and industry-specific processes. Among other factors, the acquisition supplies OnSSI a new software recorder and ended their longtime OEM agreement with Milestone. 6. NICE Systems sells Physical Security unit (now Qognify) NICE Systems entered into an agreement to sell its Physical Security business unit to Battery Ventures, a technology investment firm. NICE’s Physical Security business unit provides video surveillance technologies and capabilities to help organisations be more security-aware. The NICE security business later announced its new name – Qognify. 7. Entrepreneur Dean Drako acquires Brivo Brivo announced that the cloud-based access control company had been wholly acquired by Dean Drako, entrepreneur, president and CEO of Eagle Eye Networks. With this acquisition, Drako pledged to apply the strategy and execution processes he used at his other successful companies, including Barracuda Networks, to leverage Brivo’s technology lead and growth trajectory. Combining Brivo’s cloud access control with Drako’s cloud video surveillance company Eagle Eye Networks seems to make a lot of sense. Consolidation was a recurring theme of 2015, and seems to be poised to continue in 2016  8. Panasonic buys Video Insight Panasonic Corporation of North America entered into an agreement to acquire all shares of Houston, Texas-based Video Insight, Inc., a developer of video management software, as part of its strategy to expand business opportunities for both companies in the education market in North America. Founded in 2002, Video Insight provides enterprise-class video management solutions for security systems to over 25,000 customers in the financial, government, retail and transportation sectors as well as 6,500 K-12 school and college customers. 9. Securitas buys Diebold Security business Consolidation extended to the integrator market, too, as evidenced by this large deal. Securitas agreed to acquire the commercial contracts and operational assets of Diebold Incorporated’s Electronic Security business in North America, and will operate as Securitas Electronic Security Inc. Diebold´s North American Electronic Security business, based in Green, Ohio, USA, is the third largest commercial electronic security provider in North America. 10. FLIR acquires DVTEL Late in 2015, FLIR Systems, Inc., announced that it had acquired DVTEL, Inc., specialising in software and hardware technologies for advanced video surveillance, for approximately $92 million in cash. DVTEL develops and distributes integrated video management system (VMS) software, advanced video analytics software, visible and thermal security cameras, and related servers and encoders. The combination enables FLIR to be a full-spectrum end-to-end security system provider, serving the consumer, small and medium business, enterprise, and infrastructure-level markets.   See the full coverage of 2015/2016 Review and Forecast articles here

Beyond the need to install new systems, often overlooked is how schools are going to pay for security upgrades Limited financial resources are a common pain point for primary/secondary schools looking to implement cutting-edge security technology. But security needs persist despite scarce resources. All school administrators want to do everything in their power to secure their facilities against threats. More schools are recognising the benefits and, in some cases, requirement of upgrading systems to meet evolving threats. The solution is to find creative, cost-effective ways to support these installations. Aiming maximum security amidst fund scarcity Schools need maximum security and yet they have to work with limited budgets, says Andrew Schonzeit, CEO of integrator Idesco. “There certainly is a demand to enhance school safety, but to do so, schools have to look at the bigger picture and think in terms of solutions,” he adds. Integrators like Idesco can help by providing integrated security solutions that cover all their needs from ID cards to access systems and security cameras. “Many schools might think that they cannot afford such a solution, but with the latest technologies, they certainly can,” Schonzeit says. “I believe technology is being underutilised in primary/secondary schools because many schools feel intimidated by solutions. I think the security industry has come a very long way in development of apps for smart phones and iPad devices that are essentially one or two clicks. It is up to security integrators to provide powerful tools that customers feel very comfortable to use.” Choosing the right technology IP access control brings costs down by eliminating panels, excess wiring, and third party electricity at each door The Department of Homeland Security makes grants and funds available to schools for security upgrades and to address school vulnerabilities, Schonzeit says. The primary/secondary education market should be taking advantage more of the technology that is available right now. Schools are starting to have a very strong network infrastructure backbone, which is a resource schools should be looking at to assist them in terms of implementing a solution. Schools should also try to maximise the use of mobile devices to control access to their premises and to intervene quickly in case of an emergency, Schonzeit says. One way to use the network backbone is by adding IP access control, which brings costs down by eliminating panels, excess wiring, and third party electricity at each door. This means that more doors, in existing buildings, can be protected on a tight budget. Isonas, a provider of IP access control, has very close integration with both Video Insight and Milestone video management systems. Isonas feeds access control data to each of these video platforms, allowing them to be the command/control for both access control and video. “As budgets are tight, few districts can afford to put access control across an entire district at one time,” says Rob Mossman, CEO of Isonas. “The integration and the Pure IP structure means that a district can roll in access control school by school without having to manage two separate software packages during the expansion.” Beyond the need to install new systems, often overlooked is how schools are going to pay for security upgrades. At times, it is a matter of school boards making the tough choice to place a higher priority on security measures than other worthwhile programs competing for funding, says John Mosebar, vice president, marketing, Aiphone Corp., a manufacturer of audio and video intercoms. "I believe technology is being underutilised in primary/secondary schools because many schools feel intimidated by solutions. I think the security industry has come a very long way in development of apps for smart phones and iPad devices that are essentially one or two clicks" Recognising government grants Also, the federal government, most states, and private organisations offer many grants to pay for some portion of school security, Mosebar says. But often these grants are not well publicised, making it difficult especially for smaller districts without dedicated grant personnel to apply. This is an area where the security industry – through one of its organisations – could step up to research the various grant offerings and make them available through one website. “It would be a tremendous public service,” says Mosebar. Prioritising security requirements Partially in response to cost challenges, implementing electronic access control in phases is more common in schools than other environments. Schools and districts decide the most critical openings from a security and traffic flow perspective, and prioritise them first, according to Allegion. Priority lists vary among schools, but most start with the perimeter so they can lock down a facility and keep intruders out. Some schools look at crime statistics and prioritise schools by location, starting first with those in the highest crime areas, adds Minu Youngkin, Allegion vertical marketing manager. Others look at traffic flow and determine which openings are most problematic, or put them at the greatest risk, and add access control to those first, says Youngkin. Greater system functionality is another aspect of costs. A key opportunity for security technology in primary/secondary schools is creating more automated systems that lessen or eliminate human delay in response and notification, says Bruce Montgomery, Business Development Manager, Honeywell. Creating an automated “If this, then what?” protocol streamlines a school’s approach to violence and improves response time. A one-button approach – where only one action is required to notify teachers, students and police, trigger a lockdown and provide video surveillance and campus access to law enforcement – is ideal for managing the broad range of communication and logistical challenges in the event of an emergency.