April 20, 2026
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Home Articles posted by a&s Adria (Page 172)

The number of Smart building startups increased 38% in two years

A new report on the Smart Building Startup landscape from Memoori has identified 665 private companies founded between 2011 and 2020 in the smart buildings sector. This number has increased 38% in two years. The findings showed that there was no slowdown in the number of startups receiving investment last year despite the Covid-19 global pandemic and ensuing recession.

Indeed, investment in startups has accelerated in a number of key areas which address building technologies mitigating the spread of coronavirus throughout commercial real estate. The research demonstrates the critical contribution that startups are making to the introduction of innovation in the Smart Buildings & PropTech space.

Memoori’s analysis of venture capital and private equity funding has recorded the highest level of investment in startups over the last 4 years. Total capital invested in the global smart building space since 2012 amounts to $18.8 billion.

136 startups have been acquired in the last three years, which, according to the research, is the highest level of consolidation activity in the last nine years accounting for 72% of the total number of acquisitions over this period. Strategic buyers across the smart buildings landscape have continued their acquisitions strategy undeterred.

In the crowded marketplace of smart building startups, new entrants will need to differentiate themselves, either through their business model, partnerships or innovative technologies, in order to succeed. The report analyses the future for startups, recent and forthcoming IPOs and SPACs, disappearing and inactive startups as well as a summary of closed startups.

For the purposes of the research, startups are defined by Memoori as “private companies formed no earlier than 2011 that are focused on the commercial and industrial buildings market, that are not a subsidiary or an acquisition of a larger company and that are often financed by venture capital or private equity funding.”

Cloud Based License Plate Recognition Gains Traction With Niche Applications

As network connectivity and bandwidth availability continue to improve, the use of cloud is becoming more and more popular. Cloud-based solutions have made inroads into the day to day life of most people, right from the personal level in the form of emails to video surveillance footage.
Izvor: a&s International
E-mail: redakcija@asadria.com

Storing surveillance camera footage on the cloud allows you to run several analytic applications on them without having to worry about space and additional infrastructure. A solution that is increasingly gaining market interest in this regard is cloud-based ANPR solutions.

In this article, we explain the benefits and limitations of cloud-based ANPR solutions, along with their applica- tions, especially in intelligent transport systems.

What are the benefits of Cloud-Based ANPR Solutions?

The main difference between on-site and cloud-based ANPR solutions is where image processing takes place, according to Adrian Cseko, Head of Sales at Asura Technologies. In the case of cloud processing, the user sends data to the ANPR provider’s cloud, and results are returned to the specified database or system.

“Thus, the advantage of cloud-based solutions is that the client does not have to purchase a server and set it up on-site to run ANPR software,” Cseko said. “Moreover, most cloud-based solutions can be accessed in a subscription-type model, sometimes the pricing adjusted with processing volume. So, if avoiding CAPEX is the aim of a project, or there is simply no space to accommodate a server, a cloud-based ANPR solution may prove more beneficial. Also, as fewer elements are needed to be installed on-site, an ANPR-based operation may roll-out out earlier if a cloud-based solution is used.”

The Key Two-Fold Advantage
Evidently, there are several advantages to using cloud-based ANPR solutions. According to Gabor Jozsa, CMO at Adaptive Recognition, these can be classified under technology and cost. Jozsa listed some of the significant benefits under both these categories from the perspective of the solution that their company offers.

Cost Advantages
• Zero capital investment required.
• 50-60 percent Total Cost of Ownership reduction compared to on-premise systems.
• 3-4 times shorter implementation- and integration time.
• Start to recognize your own images in just 1 second after registration. Build your application around ANPR Cloud within one day. Start generating revenue in just days.
• Transparent and flexible pricing perfectly matches to every application.
• Adaptive Recognition’s ANPR Cloud offers credit-based, pay-as-you-go pricing packages.
• Minimal to zero OpEx: core engine updates, preventing maintenance, API updates are done by Adaptive Recognition. 99.9 percent SLA level secured worldwide, in all regions.
• Thanks to pay-per-use pricing, the actual cost of service is equivalent to practical use. There is no burden due to flat rates when the required service is low. You can recognize 1 million events at once and pay only for that. Then you may recognize 10,000 in the following months. You will always pay based on the service used.

Technological Advantages
• Integrators can finally focus on application functionality instead of setting up and operating an on-premises infrastructure.
• Easy to use REST APIs results are in JSON format.
• Anyone can become an ANPR expert. Simply upload your still images to Adaptive Recognition’s ANPR Cloud. The rest is done by the service, which tweaks the OCR engine’s internal parameters for the best results.
• ANPR Cloud is elastic, offers an unlimited scale. It is robust and stable.
• ANPR Cloud offers practically unlimited processing resources compared to on-premise, PC / server-based systems. This gives you a real competitive edge, mainly when you feed input images from all around the world. Specific OCR engines that yield the best result for one region can be run parallel in the ANPR Cloud, while this would require expensive and complex on-premises architecture.

How to Get These Benefits?
But cloud-based ANPR may not be suitable for every installation. According to Walter Verbruggen, Sales Director at Avutech Computer Vision, a cloud solution is ideal for a single, existing camera somewhere in the field, streaming video to the cloud ANPR service. It does need some thinking about: what do you want to do with the ANPR data?

“In case a smart security management system would send packets of snapshot images to the cloud, network bandwidth (and costs) can dramati- cally being saved,” Verbuggen said. “Cloud benefits in general: no local server to maintain or support, monthly subscription-based.”

Is a Cloud-Based ANPR Solution Suited to Your Business?

Cloud-based processing is ideal where the return-time of results is not a crucial point, e.g., when gathering traffic information or registering vehicles in a barrierless access control project. This means that if you want immediate results based on the ANPR reading, like opening a gate or raising a boom barrier, an edge-based solution may work best. But there are several verticals where such applications are not required, and this is where cloud-based ANPR is more useful. Here’s an overview of the major verticals that would benefit from cloud ANPR. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list, as the continuous development in technology enables more and more verticals to use cloud- based ANPR.

1. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
An intelligent transportation system (ITS) allows authorities to automate the process of managing traffic in a city to make it smarter and more efficient. ANPR has a vital role to play in ITS, especially in controlling over speeding and role rules compliance. Since these applications don’t require immediate action taken based on the plate reading, a cloud-based infrastructure that minimizes the investment on the camera side may be ideal.

2. Tolls for Motorways, Turnpikes, and Bridges
If your business involves toll collection on motorways, bridges, etc., without the use of a barrier, then a cloud-based ANPR may be suitable. This is because even as the vehicles pass through toll gates, payments can be triggered from an ANPR reading that is processed on the cloud. Such a system would help avoid unnecessary lines or crowding at toll gates and speed up the system. This may also come in handy in places where congestion charges are applicable.

3. Parking With Pay-by-Plate Services
If you provide gated parking space services, customers can make payments to use your parking space using wallets that are attached to their number plates. An ANPR solution that detects the plate can trigger the payment from wallets that may be connected to license plates. This may also be suited for other businesses like a car wash and vehicle servicing.

4. Mobile Patrols and Law Enforcement
Law enforcement officers may need to search for stolen vehicles or criminals fleeing in cars based on a number plate. In such situations, the system needs to search within video footage from multiple cameras. A cloud- based solution enables this as it is not limited to independent cameras. This application would come in useful at public facilities, shopping mall parking lots, campuses, etc.

5. Personalized OOH Advertising
A cloud-based ANPR solution can aid businesses in providing tailored services to customers. Based on the reading of a license plate, the system can recognize the customer, which in turn automates the customization process. An excellent example of this application is in targeted OOH advertising with location- based demographics based on ANPR and vehicle segmentation. This can also be used to automate loyalty programs wherein the system, after identi- fying the customer, offers specialized services as per the plan.

6. Drive-Off Prevention
A drive-off prevention system based on a cloud- based ANPR solution helps in running a license plate against a database of previous drive-offs. When the solution is located in the cloud, access to databases from third-parties like police or business associations becomes easier and real-time.

Final Word
As governments worldwide increasingly explore the concept of smart cities, the use of cloud becomes more and more inevitable to integrate different solutions. Using cloud-based ANPR would give authorities more control over services like law enforcement. Of course, there are some applications where a cloud-based system is not feasible, and, in many countries, there are challenges like lack of stable network connectivity. But if such problems are dealt with, a cloud-based ANPR solution offers numerous benefits.

Why Cloud-Based ANPR Will Greatly Benefit Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

With the rising popularity of smart and safe cities, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) have seen a spike in demand in recent years. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global ITS market for roadways is expected to grow from US$ 17.9 billion in 2020 to $36.5 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 15.3 percent. The research firm expects several factors to drive this growth, including increasing concerns toward public safety, growing traffic congestion problems, rising favorable government initiatives for effective traffic management, increasing adoption of eco-friendly automobile technologies, and the development of smart cities across the world.

Aiding Public Services
Cloud solutions are integral to the development of intelligent systems, mainly because it provides centralized control which is essential for integrating multiple applications. Adrian Cseko, Head of Sales at Asura Technologies, pointed out that cloud-based ANPR may prove to be a viable choice for urban or even highway traffic enforcement projects.

“ANPR is arguably the best choice to obtain reference data of speeding vehicles or ones violating traffic rules,” Cseko explained. “In some cases, an intact traffic surveillance camera footage can be used to detect traffic violations automatically (the wrong turn, passing the red light, crossing a closed line) and obtaining the vehicle’s number plate as well as part of the process. ANPR is also a great reference tool for congestion charging and may serve statistical purposes as well as an automatized form of vehicle counting for statistical purposes.”

Lower Costs, Better Performance
Gabor Jozsa, CMO at Adaptive Recognition, further explained that cloud- based solutions are faster and easier to set up, potentially reducing costs and increasing efficiency. “ITS system transition to the cloud, including applications like smart city applications, toll enforcement, stopping congestion relief using hard shoulder running, etc. can be done in 3-4 times shorter and with 50-60 percent cost reduction in TCO,” Jozsa said. “Other benefits include maximized scalability and optimized OpEx. Traditional, on-premise Intelligent Transportation Systems must be scaled to the peak workload, while ANPR Cloud flexibly adapts to the required workload.”

Highlighting his own company’s ANPR engine, Jozsa added that there is also the advantage of low false-positive rates when using a cloud solution for ITS. Also, AI-based data filtering and flexible business intelligence functions empower smart predic- tions and data-based decisions. Finally, wireless communication (4G, 5G: in the coming years) combined with cloud-based ANPR requires signifi- cantly less installation cost.

Benefits to large transportation companies
License plate recognition is not limited to public or government use for purposes like law enforcement. Transport companies that own their fleet would also benefit from automated license plate recognition to improve their operations.

However, not all transport companies may find a cloud-based ANPR worth the investment. Walter Verbruggen, Sales Director at Avutech, added that with regard to ITS, a cloud-based ANPR solution is particularly for larger transport organizations and distribution centers where there are many perimeter efficiency improvements to make for ANPR in general. Such organizations would need safe and secure parking areas for trucks along the highways, offering multiple services to truck drivers as well, all of which could be made easier and more straightforward with a cloud solution.

Conclusion
To sum up, cloud ANPR solutions are useful to ITS as they enhance the possibilities of the technologies that are in use. But technological improvement is not the only advantage. From a customer perspective, the reduced costs and easier installation are also attractive to implement an ITS system better. Finally, the use of cloud ANPR for ITS purposes would benefit large private transport organizations would have to deal with lots of vehicles in their fleet.

Challenges and Limitations of Cloud-Based ANPR Solutions

Despite their advantages, cloud-based ANPR solutions are not without limitations or challenges in their implementation. These are mostly technical but can, at times, be the result of budgeting concerns as well.

The most obvious limitation is that analytics on the cloud may not be suitable for solutions that require immediate actions taken based on the insights. For instance, a solution that opens a gate or boom barrier to a parking lot after identifying the user through ANPR needs to open gates within seconds. Failure to do this will cause in irate users or customers. You cannot afford to have network-related delays here, and hence, solution on the edge works better.

Internet Connectivity
Cloud-based solutions – as the name suggests – require an Internet connection to work, so they may not be feasible for projects where having an Internet connection is out of the question.

“Event detection is also an issue in case of cloud-based ANPR, which can be avoided if the bandwidth allows for a continuous video stream of the monitored areas (as in this case our solution uses video analytics-based triggering), but this is not yet realistic in terms of accessible infrastructure and also when considering economic reasons,” explained Adrian Cseko, Head of Sales at Asura Technologies. “Another way to tackle the problem is either an image pre-selection mechanism set in place, triggers (like inductive loops) or cameras that include some sort of triggering mechanism, the latter solution, however, may prove more costly due to the price difference compared to standard IP cameras that provide sufficient image quality for ANPR.”

Camera Quality
The basic rule of the thumb when selecting a camera for ANPR is that if a license plate is recognizable to a human eye, an ANPR solution will recognize it too. Having said that, since cameras on highways often have to deal with rugged conditions, there are several instances where they failed to give continuous clear visuals.

“Camera image quality is essential during all weather and lighting conditions,” said Walter Verbruggen, Sales Director at Avutech. “A dedicated ANPR camera system will always outperform another type of camera, as it is optimized for ANPR image quality, offers more speed and does not require any image or video compression, compromising the image quality.” Camera placement is also essential to capture license plates. Too far or too near would result in images that are not useful. Similarly, installing cameras too high or too low would also be problematic.

Finally, when the visuals are blurred because of rain, fog, dust, or other such elements, the ANPR solution would have difficulty recognizing the plates. It should be noted that these kinds of problems pose a challenge to any ANPR solution regardless of whether they are located on the cloud or the edge.

Lack of Customizability
Gabor Jozsa, CMO at Adaptive Recognition issues like network connectivity, is not limited to ANPR but could define any cloud-based system. However, a more significant limitation is the difficulty of providing services that may need certain unique recognition features.

“Limitation in customized features is an issue,” Jozsa said. “Sometimes, the customer’s application requires specific OCR engines and recognition functions.”

Limitations vs. Advantages
To conclude, both cloud-based and edge-based ANPR solutions have their advantages and disadvan- tages. Both are suited for different verticals and applications, which makes comparison difficult as well. Any decision to purchase from customers should be based on the application.

Bringing Trust to the Workplace

HID Global became its own case study in safely opening its sites

Author: By Jaroslav Barton, Director Product Marketing, Global Regions, HID Global
Contact: chris.gibbs@vol4comms.com
HID Global: https://www.hidglobal.com/access-control

As businesses and governments enter a new era of workplace safety, two prerequisites are preparedness and the ability to pivot quickly. Widely adopted access control, authentication, Internet of Things and other trusted identity offerings provide the foundation for safely and confidently reopening workplaces.

Facing the challenges
HID Global faced the same challenges in returning its employees to work. The first step the company took was to develop a strategy and comprehensive playbook, as well as processes for communicating to employees in a time of rapid change. These elements help guide the safety and security of employees while ensuring operations continue to run smoothly. The Return to Workplace playbook provided clear recommendations and reassurance for site leaders, employees and support for customers in an ever-changing environment.

Health and safety are front of mind for employees. It is essential to anticipate very real emotions and valid concerns. Equally important is looking ahead and showing what the ‘new normal’ looks like for employees by defining and providing reassurance about the new behaviours needed in an otherwise familiar place. The playbook provided this reassuring clarity.

Every office or facility has to adapt to its individual needs, but for HID Global they concentrated on four core areas: protection, cleaning, messaging and distancing.

For protection and distancing, HID Global turned to its own product and solution portfolio. Site-specific distancing guidance was provided related to face-to-face meetings and the time and spacing constraints, as well as greeting practices, dining habits and managing mail and package deliveries. The guidelines also covered activities related to meeting rooms, personal offices and workstations Site leaders also concentrating on how they could reconfigure assembly stations and other density- management challenges. Ongoing focus areas include ensuring compliance in cube arrangements, traffic flow pattern design and management, and the use of plexiglass and other barriers for ensuring separation.

Putting the guidelines in place
With these separation guidelines in place, HID then applied its own technologies to automate the process of compliance. There are two key components:
– Dynamic Workplace Safety – Cloud-based visitor management, remote employee and visitor badge issuance, and fully touchless access solutions reduce person-to-person contact. Rule-based physical distancing management provides immediate insights and alerts to keep employees compliant with safety and sanitation requirements.
– Automated Rapid Response and Compliance – Automated visitor compliance, contact tracing, physical distancing, and hygiene behaviour removes the burden of tracking new health and safety procedures.

HID piloted its solutions with 200 essential workers soon after public health distancing guidelines went into effect. The solutions were deployed across different physical environments from manufacturing floors to cubicles, eating areas and entrance lobbies. Each employee was given a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) fog on a lanyard, which uses peer-to-peer capabilities to sound an alert if people are closer than 2m for a specified time period. Simultaneously, this data was sent to the cloud for analysis and location information to identify where the incident took place within the building.

As an alternative to fobs, the same capabilities can be delivered using a badge/ badge holder that is easily added to existing ID cards. In either case, there is a full digital trail of an employee’s whereabouts and historical interactions while at work. Fobs can be issued to all onsite visitors and contractors as well. Employers define distancing policies and alert parameters for mitigating an infection outbreak per public health guidelines, and zones can be created with geo-fences around high-traffic areas (breakrooms, hallways, lobbies) to minimize large congregations of people.

Playing a key role
The solution also plays a key role when someone tests positive. With a click of a button, detailed reporting enables contact tracing using historical data on movement and interactions. This triggers safety protocols based on reporting that includes a chronological list of all the times two people were in the same zone or had a distance incident. The facility can assess the risk of each employee exposure and minimize disruption as it rapidly responds to cases and activates isolation procedures as needed.

The HID Global pilot revealed much about employee reactions to the global health crisis. They generally wanted to be part of something that could have a tremendous impact on the worldwide workforce. Their participation in the pilot also revealed how best to implement guidelines while also creating the optimal experience for employees. Additionally, the pilot underscored how an IoT ecosystem can quickly scale and adapt to the dynamic requirements of hospitals, manufacturing facilities and enterprise organizations. Real-time time monitoring and analytics capabilities can help ensure compliance with a number of other safety requirements, such as hand hygiene policies and other regulations introduced as part of the ‘new normal’. At the same time, organizations can leverage their investment in these IoT solutions beyond today’s global health crisis, since they lay the foundation to easily add even more IoT applications, all of which can be centrally managed on a single platform.

What makes smart homes smart and intelligent buildings intelligent?

The robust quality of the frogblue hardware (the frogs) is really only half the story. Frogblue also provide the management software that gets the most out of these high quality hardware products.

The same people who developed the original comprehensive intelligent video management software solution for the MOBOTIX camera are also behind the development of the frogblue intelligent building solution software.

That concept of building high quality and robust hardware on which to run their own intuitive and decentralized intelligent software continues with frogblue.

frogblue develop the smartest smart home and most intelligent building management software that allows an almost infinite pallet of programable possibilities, which provides the installer and user the most flexible and scalable interactive system available.

Each and every frog is capable of receiving, analyzing and forwarding messages and commands to every other frog in any other part of the system. The configuration of the frogblue system could not be easier. By allocating the same name to an input and an output of the frogs we create a virtual cable between these devices. Each input and output in each frog can accept and carry out multiple commands controlled by the internal logic module – this results in the incorporation of every individual aspect of the devices into a complete interactive proactive and thinking system with the software as the brain and the Bluetooth LE Mesh Network acting as the nervous system to distribute those commands and messages.

This means that the mood lighting control works in complete harmony with the shading and access control while the ventilation system works hand in hand with the temperature, humidity and air pressure sensors. The frogblue lighting ( external and internal) and access control can also communicate via the frogs with the security cameras and combine all elements of the overall installation. Gyroscopic sensors can tell any part of the system that a door or window is open (fully or partially) this could trigger an alarm notification that the heating in that room should be turned off ( why heat a room when the window is open) and at the same time it could notify the security system, alert & activate the nearest cameras and cause security lights to blink on and off at night.

All of this is available in the most scalable format on the market. The software is effective for a one frog intelligent light dimming solution as well as for a solution incorporating hundreds of frogs.

Frogblue offers professional installers and designers a professional software tool box combined with robust, reliable and intelligent hardware that enables them to customize their solutions and put their personal signature on the design or project.

The configuration of the frogblue system is done via the frogblue ProjectApp and the frogblue HomeApp is used to control and manage the system. For anyone who does not want to or cannot use a software App the frogblue system can also be controlled via the existing physical switches.

Answer is still A. Software, solve very complex projects and be future proof!

Partneri i suradnja: info@frogblue.si, www.frogblue.si

Hikvision launches new ITS camera for improvement of road safety and traffic flow

The new All-Rounder ITS camera is engineered with an all-in-one structure, embedding video, radar, and supplemental light in one module, helping traffic authorities to easily ramp up the detection of violations
February 4, 2021 Hikvision, an IoT solution provider with video as its core competency, today announced its latest traffic product offering – the All-Rounder ITS camera – designed to improve road safety and optimize traffic flow. As the name implies, the camera encompasses different skills and abilities, boasting speed detection, traffic violation detection, automated plate recognition, and vehicle attribute analysis in one housing.

“Hikvision is always pushing the boundaries of video technologies. Beyond the visual range that is perceived by video cameras, the abilities to understand other kinds of “senses” would allow even more precise monitoring and reporting of events or accidents,” says Frank Zhang, President of International Product and Solution Center at Hikvision. “This is multi-dimensional perception, a trend that we think will affect the security industry in the future.”

The new ITS camera is designed and developed with this multi-dimensional concept in mind. It is Hikvision’s first camera to integrate three otherwise separate modules in one unit with no compromise on performance, making the camera neat and flexible to be deployed for demanding environments, all in an easy and cost-effective manner.

Improving road safety and optimizing traffic flow
The product provides an HD camera, speed radar, and light array inside one housing. Specifically, it works with a multi-tracking radar that continuously monitors up to two or three traffic lanes – depending on the camera model, and identifies the speed and position of objects in the monitored area at a speed of up to 300 km/h. If a vehicle violates the speed limit, the embedded radar triggers the connected camera and a picture is taken of the vehicle and its license plate.

In the event of infringements of traffic rules such as wrong-way driving, improper lane usage, or even failure to use a seat belt, the camera will capture images of the corresponding vehicle, recognize its license plate and relevant information including vehicle type, color, brand, and direction of movement, which can be addressed to the authorities in real-time or stored on board.

Incident detection helps to improve overall driving standards, which ultimately reduces the number of accidents, improves road safety and further evens traffic flow.

Inside the camera
Employed with Deep Learning algorithms, the camera is able to recognize a much higher number of license plates and with higher efficiency than conventional ANPR systems. Its GMOS sensor further ensures brighter and smoother images to be reproduced in challenging lighting conditions, especially in low-light environments.

The camera’s embedded supplemental light features a 16-bead light array, offering an IR range of up to 40 meters at night.

As all of these functionalities are integrated, the single product itself outperforms conventional ITS products with space-saving and less cabling for easier installation. It supports flexible pole- or side-mounting, which makes onsite configuration effortless.

The Hikvision All-Rounder ITS camera is ideal for various scenes such as urban roads, highways, tunnels and toll stations. For more information, please visit product page at iDS-TCV907-BIR.

 

 

Frogblue presented the portfolio at the a&s Adria webinar

As part of the Security Summit Webinar Series project Frogblue, the German manufacturer of intelligent solutions for houses and buildings, presented its products to interested security professionals from the Adriatic region.

In addition to the company’s lecturers Peter McKee and Jörg Kerber, the program was led by Aleš Polajnko and Boštjan Vodnik, representatives of the Slovenian company Tend, Frogblue’s partner for the Adriatic region.

Participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with the technology used in building management using modulators so-called “frogs” connected by Bluetooth connection as a nervous system. The software that manages the entire system is responsible for its functioning.

Gas Suppression Control for Critical and High-Risk Sites: What to Consider

Advanced’s Regional Sales Manager for Southern Europe, Vladimir Zrnic, discusses some of the key considerations to take into account when specifying an effective gas suppression system.

Data centres, control rooms, power generation facilities and archives may serve very different purposes, but they all pose the same critical challenge for those charged with their fire protection. Guarding against catastrophic loss – whether of data, irreplaceable cultural assets or essential services – creates unique impetus to design solutions that offer the highest levels of control, reliability and protection. Ensuring you’ve covered all eventualities on these sites takes meticulous planning from the earliest stages and demands the use of specialist, proven technology.
Gas suppression systems are a valuable asset in protecting critical sites, where the use of water could be almost as damaging to building contents as the fire it would be used to quell. Some suppression systems release gases to reduce the oxygen content, and others use chemical reactions to extinguish fire.

Compliance
EN 12094 details the compliance requirements for gas suppression systems and their associated components, and EN15004 details the requirements and recommendations for the design of these systems. In order to meet EN12094-1, you need both the EN12094-1 approved extinguishing control panel, and also EN54 approved peripheral products. The panel, the detectors, the manual call points, as well as the sounders, all require EN54 approval for full compliance and peace of mind that your system will perform as expected in a fire situation.
EN54 part 13 specifies the minimum functions required to be performed by the control and indicating equipment (CIE) and its associated components, and it specifies the requirements for networked systems. This can prove particularly useful in indicating trouble or a fault during normal conditions if the voltage/current at the end of a circuit is not sufficient to operate the device connected to it. Essentially the fire system continuously tests its integrity – continually checking the condition of its components, and wiring, ensuring that they will work as required in an emergency.
Advanced’s ExGo gas extinguishing panel was among the first solutions to achieve EN12094-1, alongside approvals to EN54 parts 2, 4 and 13. ExGo also led the way in being one of the first to combine these with EN12094-3 in a single solution, providing end users with the additional functionality of annual activation on the facia of the panel – incorporating an electrical triggering device in compliance with the requirements. (EN12094-3 relates to the integrated manual release on the front of the panel).

Case Study – National Library of Romania 

47 networked ExGo gas suppression panels with LCD displays, LED indicators and manual release buttons have been installed to protect the priceless, irreplaceable collections housed at the National Library of Romania.
The gas suppression system integrates with the Library’s fire system and monitors and controls the valves that release up to 20 tonnes of NOVEC 1230 fire protection fluid.
The system is EN 12094-1 and EN54 parts 2, 4 and 13 approved and offers the flexibility and expandability to meet current and future requirements.

Functionality
Gas suppression systems offer two different modes of use – automatic or manual control. In automatic mode, the system can operate without human intervention to deal with a fire before anyone is even aware of an issue. This mode of operation is particularly beneficial for isolated or unmanned sites.
However, some solutions also offer a degree of manual control. Manual mode enables full control of the system, proving useful in scenarios where an end user wants to reduce the risk of costly false alarms. When repair or maintenance work of a protected area is being undertaken, or if detection with high sensitivity – such as aspirating smoke detectors – are in effect, manual mode functionality can be useful in reducing the likelihood of a gas suppression system being triggered and releasing costly suppressant into the protected environment unnecessarily.
A solution with manual mode functionality can also be highly advantageous to users who want to specify how a system will work or react when certain events occur. This is particularly apparent with integrated solutions, capable of transmitting command signals from one system to another.
For example, in a data centre environment, all doors and windows will need to be sealed, in order for any release of gas to be effective at preventing the spread of a fire. If the server room doors are left open, the building’s access control will register a fault. This can be reported to the BMS, which in turn communicates with the gas suppression system to enter manual mode until the doors are once again closed and the room sealed.
To cover these eventualities, ExGo from Advanced, was developed with enhanced functionality in mind. The main panel is complemented by a range of repeaters so that system status can be seen inside and outside a protected area. In addition, ‘hold’ and ‘abort’ buttons allow the gas release to be paused or cancelled on visual confirmation of the area.
This flexibility in control options and devices, including automatic/manual switching, is an important additional safeguard for minimising the possibility of accidental/unwanted suppressant release and ensuring the effectiveness of the protection measures.

Case Study – the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

A network of 31 ExGo gas extinguishant panels was selected to protect critical server rooms in more than ten different buildings on the artificial island gateway to the $18.8 billion bridge, including police and fire stations as well as customs and various administrative buildings.
With its proven track record in complex installations, cutting edge capabilities and high reliability, each ExGo gas extinguishant control panel is connected to at least one remote status indicator unit located at the entrance to the protected area, providing enhanced monitoring and control for the end user.

Integration
A superior gas suppression system will allow interfacing with various third-party systems, such as the fire system, offering tangible benefits such as enhanced protection, cost efficiencies, greater ease of use and faster response times during an emergency. Gas suppression control modules can be added to the fire system and can then control extinguishing operations as part of the wider cause and effect programming.
However, integrating gas suppression systems can be both delicate and challenging. Coordination and a good understanding of the integration approach are essential to attaining a system that operates smoothly.
ExGo has been designed to integrate easily into Advanced’s MxPro or Axis EN fire systems, as well as a site’s BMS, via a simple fire protection interface, or any third-party fire alarm system via an I/O loop device. Once integrated, the end user can take advantage of improved capabilities.
By consolidating data from HVAC, energy, security, CCTV and life safety applications onto one system, the end user gains facility-wide insight from a single workstation – benefitting from improved reporting, information management and decision-making.
Operational efficiencies can also be gained through the integration of the gas suppression system with the fire system and BMS, thanks to the reduced requirement for additional staffing and resource, simplifying training, and reducing false alarms.
These factors reduce risk, offering more strategic mobile or desktop control, exceptional alarm management and integrated security solutions. Overall, this provides a more comprehensive view of the status of a site, helping to speed up response time and mitigate risks to people, property and business.

Case Study – Historical Archives of Belgrade, Serbia 

A custom-engineered ExGo gas extinguishant system, alongside Advanced’s Axis EN and TouchControl touchscreen remote control terminal, has been installed to meet the specific needs of the Historical Archives of Belgrade.
The end user required complete system visibility over one of the Archives’ 2,400 sq metre storage facilities, which houses some of Belgrade’s most important cultural and social assets spanning the 16th to 20th centuries.
The installation involved the extensive interfacing of TouchControl with the ExGo panel, enabling the end user to see the status of the suppression system remotely via 3D interactive maps. The ExGo panel has been programmed with substantial logic in order to achieve cause and effect that activates relays and sounder circuits. These circuits are then used as mass-notification devices and integrate with a bespoke engineered system using TouchControl.

Software
Carefully designed software has the ability to drastically enhance the performance of your gas suppression system, making it easy to perform remote monitoring tasks, fault find and plan and configure even the largest and most complex of systems. A high-quality solution will also provide users with unrestricted access to regular updates to ensure the system consistently meets changing standards.
The ExGo extraction tool, designed to work with Advanced’s gas extinguishant panel, makes the management of configuration, control data and event logs simple and efficient for integrators, maintenance technicians and end users. The complete suite of applications for Advanced’s solutions are continually updated with new features and performance enhancements, with legislation changes implemented across the software quickly, keeping customers’ systems up to date.
In summary, there is no ‘standard’ fire solution for critical and high-risk sites. Their distinctive characteristics and complexities demand that fire protection solutions be designed into them from the earliest stage. Specifiers and users need to understand the pros and cons of the solutions available and, importantly, how the gas suppression systems themselves can help deal with the unique challenges presented by critical and high-risk sites.



MOBOTIX Launches a New Video Management System in Cooperation with Milestone

Langmeil, March 2021 – MOBOTIX AG is strengthening the cooperation with Milestone, a leading global provider of video management systems. With increased collaboration, both companies anticipate more synergy which will soon be reflected in a new software solution called MOBOTIX HUB.

Reliable Coordination Center, Even in Large Enterprise Solutions
The new MOBOTIX Video Management System MOBOTIX HUB will be available in different versions. From an entry level solution for smaller applications to enterprise solutions with an unlimited number of cameras, failover and an even larger portfolio of analytics and integrations.

Expansion of the Software Portfolio Opens Up More Opportunities

MOBOTIX HUB is the next step in the evolving MOBOTIX strategy focusing on cyber-secure, high-end video solutions and will extend the current MOBOTIX solution portfolio including MOBOTIX Management Center and MOBOTIX CLOUD.

“With this solution, we can increase and develop even more opportunities for our partners and customers thanks to the even more extensive integration options and the high scalability,” says MOBOTIX CEO Thomas Lausten.

“Regardless of the requirements, using the appropriate Video Management System will increase not only the performance but also the possibilities of the solution,” emphasizes MOBOTIX CTO Hartmut Sprave. “We can serve any key vertical market with our solutions and they each have very different demands with regards to video security software features and performance. The broad positioning is important for us since we are a solution provider. Only flexibility and versatility allow us to tailor solutions precisely to the individual requirements of our customers.”

Keeping Pace With the Growing Demands of the Market
Video technology has evolved beyond purely security-focused requirements. Providing data for optimization, analysis, marketing and integrating into other systems is now a day to day necessity. “As a technology company, we need to keep the pace of the growing and continually changing demands in the marketplace. MOBOTIX HUB is an important part of this strategy but we will also continue to support the integration with other VMS partners in order to ensure the best solutions for our customers based on their preferences,” says Thomas Lausten.

About MOBOTIX AG
MOBOTIX is a leading manufacturer of premium-quality intelligent IP video systems, setting standards for innovative camera technologies and decentralized security solutions with the highest level of cybersecurity and GDPR compliance. MOBOTIX was founded in 1999 and is based in Langmeil, Germany. The company conducts its own research and development, and manufactures its own products with the guarantee of excellence attached to “Made in Germany.” Other sales offices are located in New York, Dubai, Sydney, Paris and Madrid. Customers worldwide trust in the durability and reliability of MOBOTIX hardware and software. The flexibility, built-in intelligence and unparalleled data security of the company’s solutions are valued in many industries. MOBOTIX products and solutions help customers in industries such as industrial manufacturing, retail, logistics, and healthcare. With strong international technology partnerships, the company is expanding its universal platform and new applications in a wide variety of areas through the use of artificial intelligence and deep learning modules.

ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA adds cloud management capability to the platform-based Incedo™ Business access control solution

London, March 2021 —Incedo access management from ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions is created for businesses on the move, who need a flexible security solution which grows with them. Now security managers managing an Incedo Business solution can work remotely, too — while maintaining complete control over their building’s access points.

Incedo connects security software and hardware within a single, seamless platform. To accommodate the restless change and disruption of modern business life, Incedo enables scaling up or down on demand. And now, new Incedo Business Cloud management keeps security and facility managers in control of their premises from wherever they happen to be right now.

Incedo Business Cloud solves many pressing daily challenges of access management. Managers no longer need to be on-site to handle day-to-day security. Incedo Business Cloud operates securely 24/7 from any PC with an internet connection. Installing the system is easy, with no complex integrations needed. Software updates are regular and automatic, with real-time reports and analytics available with a few clicks.

Incedo Business Cloud works out of the box via a cost-efficient subscription service: no more waiting around for engineer callouts. Onboarding is fast and hassle free. And security managers can feel confident about confidentiality: business and user data are safeguarded with an Information Security Management System certified to ISO/IEC 27001.

According to the Wireless Access Control Report 2021, over a third of companies now use cloud-based management to power their access control*. This proportion is likely to grow in the years ahead, as working practices become ever more mobile and the notion of being “at work” describes a state of being, rather than a specific place. Indeed, another recent report finds 78% of IT decision-makers anticipate growing their reliance on cloud solutions going forward**.

A cloud solution makes access management easier and more convenient, helping companies to design security administration processes which are streamlined, location-independent and efficient. For any size of organization, switching to Incedo Business Cloud implements this powerful access control with no high upfront costs and ongoing cost-effectiveness.

“A cloud software solution makes budgeting more predictable for facility and security managers,” says Kevin Hoare, EAC Product Unit Director at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA. “It removes the need to hire additional in-house IT support and maintenance teams: you know ahead of time how much resource to allocate and can scale infrastructure up or down quickly. The business benefits of ‘managing access rights from anywhere’ drive ever greater demand for cloud solutions within security and beyond.”

“Survey data shows the way companies manage access control will continue to be a mixed picture, with both locally hosted and off-site cloud solutions for Access Control as a Service,” he adds. “This is why, when launching our Incedo ecosystem, we give users the choice.” Migration between Incedo’s local and cloud management options is always seamless in any direction, ensuring total flexibility for any business.

Incedo moves with you, today and in the future
Incedo Business Cloud makes access control more efficient for everyone, from installers to end-users. A modular, platform approach makes both procurement and operation simpler. Managers choose the security hardware and credentials they need together with the appropriate management system. Award-winning ASSA ABLOY wireless digital locks and wired ASSA ABLOY wall readers secure the doors. A choice of card and token credentials — or mobile keys on a smartphone — helps users enjoy safe and convenient access to, and movement around, the premises.

New Incedo-enabled hardware from ASSA ABLOY and third-party providers will continue to be made available within the evolving Incedo ecosystem. Add doors or locations, and switch between local and cloud management, as often as required. Incedo guarantees flexibility and scalability in every direction, to meet security needs today and in the future.

“This latest enhancement of our Incedo solution makes comprehensive, real-time, remote access management into a reality. Incedo will keep premises secure and filter access intelligently, to manage the ever-changing movement of people across multiple sites — from anywhere. Your business is not static, and there is no reason why your security should be.” says Stephanie Ordan, VP Digital and Access Solutions at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA.

Incedo™ Business Cloud embodies ASSA ABLOY’s vision to create a safer and more open world, keeping everyone on the move. Together. To learn more and download a free solution guide, visit campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/incedo-business-cloud

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a&s Adria – professional security magazine for providing total security solutions is a monthly circulating publication and a licenced representative of Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media for Adriatic region, which consists of following countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, FYR Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia.