April 21, 2026
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Hikvision provides high resolution cameras to Moscow Zoo for panda observation

3 December – Hikvision, the world’s leading supplier of innovative video security products and solutions, has the honour of sponsoring 20 cameras to Moscow Zoo for giant panda observation and research. The donation ceremony was held at Moscow Zoo on November 21. The Director at Moscow Zoo Svetlana Akulova and the President of Hikvision Russia & CIS Libbo Feng attended the press conference and visited the pandas

Six months ago, Dingding and Ruyi came to Moscow Zoo from China. At present, they grow very well and have fully adapted to the new home here. Not only did they get the care of the breeders, but they also gained the love of thousands of Russians. Large number of visitors come to see the pandas every day. For the convenience of panda lovers, Moscow Zoo also launched an online broadcast to watch the pandas.

”The audience of the online broadcast launched in July has counted almost one million people, and every day the number of views is growing. However, the previous cameras installed in the pavilion could not provide high-resolution video and color images at night. Today, thanks to our colleagues from Hikvision, there is such an opportunity. We have already replaced some of the old cameras with modern ones, and now not only visitors to the Moscow Zoo, but also an Internet audience from all over the world can watch our wonderful kids, Ruyi and Dindin, even at night. We thank our Chinese partners for this opportunity”, Svetlana Akulova comments.

According to her, the new cameras will also allow zoologists to observe pandas at night and record any changes in their behavior, which has great significance for the research, conservation and reproduction of this unique species.

As part of the donation ceremony, an examination of the pandas by a breeder was captured by the new cameras for live broadcast. People from all over the world could see how Ruyi comically climbs the scales to weigh, exposed his teeth for the physical examination, and stretched out the foot without fear to prepare for blood sampling – all of the wonderful shots are also available online.

”Giant pandas are very friendly and peaceful animals, and they are one of the main symbols of China and are often associated with trust, gentleness and harmony. Hikvision is committed to developing these values in our business. Together with the cloud service provider Trassir, which helps to organize the broadcasting, we are pleased that a large number of people have the opportunity to get acquainted with the pandas Ruyi and Dindin and that we can help ensure their protection with our industry-leading technologies”, said Libbo Feng.

It is worth mentioning that the installed cameras include the cutting-edge ColorVu camera. Thanks to its innovative technology, panda lovers from all over the world will be able to watch animals online in high resolution and color 24 hours a day! Now, visitors can even learn more about the panda’s night activities.

Hikvision is committed to protect the environment and actively supports international projects and initiatives to protect rare animals. Hikvision uses innovative products and solutions to support environmental research and environmental initiatives, rich biodiversity. This year, in the Amur Region, Hikvision cameras were installed in the nests of the Oriental storks, one of the rarest birds in the Russian Far East. With the help of cameras, ornithologists and the online audience witnessed the birth of 14 storks and the moment when they made their first flight.

Smart HVAC Systems on Cybersecurity and Connection Protocols

Compared to a traditional HVAC system, a smart HVAC system offers benefits including lower energy consumption, condition-based maintenance, predictive performance issues, and remote and automatic adjustments of the system. With it, tenants can live more comfortably, building managers can manage more efficiently, HVAC system technicians can work more easily, and total building utility fees can be decreased. There are several considerations for a building to adopt a smart HVAC system: for example, is the building old or new? Which wireless protocols should be used for the smart system? Does the system have sufficient cybersecurity protection? Overall, the smart HVAC system market is promising. The market needs have recently been expanded from residential buildings to commercial buildings, leading the smart HVAC system to provide comfortable living experiences for people working in offices.

Smart HVAC System Assists Energy and Operation Cost Saving
A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is responsible for controlling temperature and air flows in a smart building. With the ability to locate people inside the premises, the smart system helps buildings save significant energy consumption and operational costs.

A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system sits in the middle of a building, it’s respon- sible for providing comfortable room temperatures and air flow for the people inside, no matter if it’s a hot summer afternoon or a snowy winter day. As buildings are adding smart elements such as prediction and remote controls, HVAC systems are also getting “smart.” Smart HVAC systems benefit buildings and tenants in several ways, such as providing energy efficiency, building maintenance, performance prediction and automatic adjustment. Overall, smart HVAC systems are able to save operation costs and provide a better living experience. Here are some benefits brought by smart HVAC systems:

– Energy saving, for example, is achieved by smart HVAC systems constantly demanding performance monitoring and meeting the optimal conditions. As a result, the system is required to conduct energy diagnostics, energy prediction modeling, fault detection diagnostics and model predictive controls to save energy.
– Condition-based maintenance allows HVAC systems to automatically identify equipment performance issues, providing visibility across managing facilities. Rather than having to schedule regular maintenance visits for repairs, they can now be done on demand.
– Predicting performance issues are achieved by intelligence and machine learning embedded in smart HVAC systems. Several sensors are installed on different parts of the smart HVAC system, it is able to predict when system issues are about to happen by analyzing all data gathered from the system’s sensors, including installation dates and performance changes. Due to the system’s ability to predict issues that are about to occur through war nings, higher reliability and uptime of the system are experienced.
– Automatic and remote implemented system changes are accomplished by external decision support tools and systems connected with the smart HVAC system. If any environmental sensors detect changes in the surroundings of a building, a smart HVAC system will automatically adapt to the changes, maintaining comfortable living conditions in the building.

“A truly smart system should be able to anticipate how it needs to perform optimally and adapt to its operations to meet those goals,” said Sudhi Sinha, Vice President & General Manager, Digital Solutions, Johnson Controls. IoT-enabled HVAC solutions offer users insights into data beyond temperature, including humidity and levels of indoor air pollution. In addition, smart interfaces, dashboards and apps enable building managers and tenants to monitor equipment and make adjustments remotely. “It’s all about creating a personalized user experience. With the IoT, building occupants and owners can now feel more in control of their environments,” added Sinha.

Vital Components for Smart HVAC Systems
Compared to traditional HVAC systems, several components of smart HVAC systems are adjusted in order to realize energy saving. First of all, the Compressor, which is the electric pump compressing refrig- erant, and the air handler, that blows air over the heating and cooling coils, needs to be optimized since they are both a major consumer of energy. If these two pieces of equipment run only as needed, a great amount of energy can be saved. Secondly, the ventilation system, which controls a building’s air flow, when and where a building needs external help to save energy. For instance, strong air flow isn’t needed in an empty meeting room or the hallway after office hours.

Through sensor- driven technology to detect the density of occupants in a certain space, the ventilation system works only when it’s needed. Lastly, smart thermostats that can read temperature, humidity, occupancy and other variables are important in the whole HVAC system. The thermo- stats learn from gathered data from the surroundings and make intelligent decisions for the building, such as eliminating uncomfortable heat caused by humidity. “At a basic level, the key components for a smart HVAC system is the sensor hardware and software that provides a way to collect information and an interface for the user to see the information, receive alerts and notifica- tions, and take appropriate action,” said George Tsintzouras, CEO of Alert Labs.

Retrofitting Old Buildings for Smart HVAC Systems
Connected smart sensors play a significant role in establishing smart HVAC systems in old buildings. By having sensors in the existing system, components and back-end software providing data analytics, old buildings can also receive benefits from smart HVAC systems.

For new buildings, it isn’t difficult to embrace smart HVAC systems. Some of them have even been installed from the very beginning. For old buildings, however, adopting smart HVAC systems is a challenging job. There’s even a term “retrofitting,” designed to describe old buildings adopting smart technologies. “In older buildings, a wireless and battery-operated sensor platform could be crucial as it might be difficult and, or, prohibited to install external cabling along walls,” said Peter Lindkvist, Sales Director, Lumen Radio. That is to say, old buildings aren’t required to remove all existing components of HVAC system to adopt smart HVAC technology. They can keep current equipment and install wireless and battery-powered sensors around, to experience the benefits of a smart HVAC system. “Alert Labs sensors can be installed at any age of building and air conditioning system,” said George Tsintzouras, CEO of Alert Labs.

Smart Sensors Turn Old Buildings New
Alert Labs offers four sensors for smart buildings – a water flow sensor, a flood sensor, a sump pump sensor and an A/C monitoring sensor and system. Its A/C monitoring system and sensor, called Sentree, is designed to be installed by residential central A/C units, detecting temperature, pressure of liquid and vapor and real-time amperage numbers. The device connects with cellular networks and provides 24/7 remote monitoring of residential central air conditioning systems. As it detects issues, it will notify maintenance and building managers right away.

The water flow sensor, designed for indoor water meters, detects water leaks, floods, humidity, temperature, and power outages. For its instant alerts of all variable changes, the sensor can help reduce water bills and prevent damages. The flood sensor, on the other hand, focuses more specifically on water leakage and flooding. The sump pump sensor detects rising water levels, pending sump pump failures and floods, aiming to save on insurance and prevent any accidents. Furthermore, data gathered from all sensors can be presented on a back-end dashboard provided by Alert Labs.

The dashboard for homeowners, for instance, offers A/C performance and status; and the dashboard for contractors enables the service team to offer proactive mainte- nance and repairs. For managers who take care of several buildings, the company also has a command center, letting them monitor multiple properties in one place, assign service teams to individual properties, and receive alerts and A/C analytics.

Making Maintenance More Efficient
“A smart HVAC system enables contractors to send the right technician with the right parts to repair the problem on the first visit which reduces truck rolls and increases customer satisfaction,” said Tsintzouras. With the sensors around the HVAC system, contractors can keep equipment running more efficiently by knowing when issues are about to occur. Service or maintenance calls, therefore, can be cheduled before a breakdown happens.

Through a unified portal for both tenants and technicians, service calls can be scheduled by customers’ preference, reducing the frequency of off-hour emergency calls. “Property owners have insight into their buildings and can remotely adjust the system according to occupancy and time of day to save energy. The can also modify their behavior once they see how their property is performing or wasting energy with the incentive that they can save on their utility costs,” said Tsintzouras.

In addition to energy and cost saving, smart HVAC systems also improve management efficiency and building customers’ satisfaction. With smart sensors and the back-end analyzing and monitoring software, old buildings can also have the benefits from smart HVAC systems without replacing all the present equipment.

Mesh Frequency Bands in Smart Buildings
Wi-Fi, LoRa, Bluetooth, Zigbee… wireless connection frequency spectrums are crowded because of the rising number of connected devices around us. In addition to choosing one protocol, MiraOS, a mesh wireless network technology, could be another solution in smart buildings.

There are many connection protocols existing in the field of smart buildings, such as Wi-Fi, LoRa, Zigbee and Bluetooth. Each protocol has its best use Cases Wireless connections and power- efficiency, for the purpose of smart buildings, should be the most important features equal to selecting connection protocols. Bluetooth 5 and LoRa seem to currently be pretty promising in the field, due to their abilities to provide low power consumption and wide coverage connection for IoT devices in homes and buildings.

However, it’s pretty crowded between the wireless connectivity spectrums. IoT and M2M are thriving in the world, and many businesses are investing billions of sensors and actuators being wirelessly connected. According to a report by Gartner, it is estimated that around 20 billion devices will be connected by 2020. Another report by Ericsson predicts that 15.5 billion devices will be connected via short-range technology by 2020, accounting for 53% of all connected devices.

Furthermore, wireless protocols like Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread and Bluetooth all use the same frequency channel. The traffic jam might someday cause communication breakdown and service quality downgrading. “Many of the standard protocols available, such as BLE or Zigbee, do not have the capability to scale to thousands of nodes in one single network. They can neither cope with the amount of interference present in commercial buildings, nor are they energy-efficient enough to allow running the whole sensor solution on battery,” said Peter Lindkvist, Sales Director, Lumen Radio. These protocols don’t allow multi- protocol support. It means decision- making is difficult for smart building builders at the investment stage.

Guiding Networks to a Suitable Frequency
“MiraOS from LumenRadio is a best-of-breed wireless mesh for HVAC and Building Automation,” said Lindkvist. Mira operating system (MiraOS) is a future-proof wireless mesh network technology created and patented by LumenRadio. It enables mesh coexis- tence, ultra-lower power, over the air Firmware updates, easy commissioning and large-scale networks. The operating system is mainly powered by the company’s patented Cognitive Coexistence technology, an algorithm which enables real-time, adaptive frequency shopping.

“Within this algorithm, we build a predictive model of the frequency spectrum, where every single device weigh in the decision on the optimal channel to use in each individual (10ms) time slot,” said Lindkvist. Just like the weather forecast, the Cognitive Coexistence technology predicts how the frequency spectrum will be in the millisecond utilized and switch the connection to the best available and least congested frequencies.

Mesh Frequency Bands on Applications
Produal Proxima wireless solution, developed by building automation measurement and control company Produal, is created based on MiraOS from Lumen Radio and u-box NINA module. The solution, which includes several hardware devices, is able to route data from up to 100 wireless transmitters to automated buildings.

Swegon, a supplier of energy efficient and demand controlled ventilation (DCV) and indoor climate systems, is working with LumenRadio on a wireless climate control system – the WISE system. It is said to allow thousands of sensors, actuators and dampers to communicate and create an unprecedented indoor climate solution, helping buildings reduce energy consumption and operation costs, and increase the health of people in the building.

Unlicensed frequency bands, as more devices become connected, is today a scarce natural source. Frequency bands are just getting more crowded and congested day by day. Commercial buildings, are turning into an electro- magnetic mayhem, where different products and systems secure for airtime against smartphones and tenant Wi-Fi networks. “In order to remain reliable and enable industrial – and business-critical use cases, such as HVAC systems, OEMs must select agile technologies including strategies for interference mitigation,” said Lindkvist.

Smart HVAC Systems Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks
Like other connected devices, smart HVAC systems could also possibly be hacked. If attackers take over controls of HVAC systems, in the worst case, cities would break down and private data would be stolen.

All connected devices are standing under the risk of cyberattacks. Smart HVAC systems are no exception, either. Although IoT devices such as smart meters and HVAC unit sensors are not designed for web browsing, they do need to connect to the internet for data gathering, remote control and analytics. Their direct access to the internet, not in purpose, rather makes them major targets of cyber attackers, posing serious security threats for smart buildings.

Cybersecurity firm ForeScout Technologies have discovered that thousands of vulnerable IoT devices in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Its research showed that nearly 8,000 connected devices, mostly located in hospitals and schools, offered unauthorized access and were highly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Hacker’s manipulation from HVAC systems could possibly let them access private financial information and potentially retain unauthorized data in large companies. For special locations such as hospitals, dysfunctional smart HVAC systems could possibly harm patients who need to rest under certain temperatures and air flow. This type of attack scenario even has a codename – HVACKer.

Malware Uses Commands to Control HVAC Systems
To carry out attacks on an HVAC systems, hackers would first identify an HVAC system connected to the internet or sitting on a connected internal network. Besides looking for HVAC systems, hackers might also look for building automation software, which incorporates an HVAC component as well. Once they identify such systems, they will try to breach and take control of it. Then, they will import their custom malware to the system in order to infect other devices and computers on the same network. Malware, meanwhile, is mostly used to send commands, instead of stealing data. Sending commands on HVAC systems, however, is still dangerous. Theoretically, hackers could break into air conditioners across a smart city and turn on all of them, to cause a power surge that could disable a city’s power grid.

A Security First Principle Needs to be Put in Place
“Cybersecurity is an incredibly important issue that everybody has to deal with today,” said Sudhi Sinha, Vice President & General Manager, Digital Solutions at Johnson Controls. The first step to achieve cyber safety in a smart HVAC system, suggested Sinha, is for the supplier to have a robust product security program, which spans from product architecture, design, development, support and data management. Next, customers need to ensure that their networks and port are safe and not exposed to any vulnerabilities. To build a cyber-safe HVAC ecosystem requires every partner to take part in. Cybersecurity should be designed from the ground-up, with the final product being the management and data analytics software. Johnson Controls, for example, has a Security First principle in its development processes and product launch. It also provides cyber solutions tailored for the unique needs of each building, ensuring daily tracking of potential threats and provide rapid incident response.

“For cybersecurity, people need to be proactive and vigilant. It is better if companies adopt standard security frameworks,” said Sinha. For instance, buildings can ensure that they have industrial grade encryption solutions such as 128-bit AES, a running network or protocol supporting IPv6 traffic, and an IP-based security solution added on top like certificate handling or DTLS.

Market Needs for Smart HVAC Systems
In addition to smart home and smart residential buildings, needs for smart HVAC systems are also rising in offices and commercial buildings. Remote diagnostics and monitoring of smart HVAC systems, on the other hand, will become more important in the industry.

Smart HVAC systems help smart buildings save energy consumption and operation costs. As many buildings are looking to become smarter, needs for smart HVAC systems are also rising. “Demand for smart HVAC systems is definitely there and increasing,” said Sudhi Sinha, Vice President & General Manager, Digital Solutions, Johnson Controls.

“There’s a strong push for creating more intelligent, on-demand solutions within the HVAC industry right now – driven by energy-efficiency require- ments, but also by the need to enable new data-driven business models and to create new service-related revenue streams for the big OEM’s (Ventilation- as-a-Service),” said Peter Lindkvist, Sales Director, Lumen Radio.

Smart HVAC Systems in Offices
“Smart living technologies are becoming popular outside of residential and hospitality spaces,” said Sinha. In general, people are spending a signif- icant portion of their lives in workplaces. Of course, they would want to feel more comfortable and engaging in this space, helping them become more focused and productive in their jobs. Smart building solutions in workplaces are more popular, suggested Sinha, “because it gives employees a sense of power to control their own spaces and use those spaces within facilities more effectively.”

“We have seen productivity increase by up to 20 percent in certain cases, employee retention by 10 percent, and innovation increase manifold. We have seen this happen across multiple industries and geographies,” said Sinha. For now, although more millennials have shown their preference on smart building technology, Sinha believed, other generations of people feel equally appreciative of it.

Remote Diagnostics Assists all HVAC Technicians
Recruiting HVAC technician talents with the right experience is time-consuming. As a contracted technician, they need to always keep up with service demands, business requests and retain happy customers. A smart HVAC system will also help on their job.

”HVAC business owners are looking for ways to do more with less. Consumers are also looking for ways to expand their smart building capabilities beyond thermostats and lighting,” said George Tsintzouras, CEO of Alert Labs. HVAC systems integrated with smart sensors are able to detect room temper- ature, humidity, water leaks and floods. In the near future, machine learning will further expand the capability of smart HVAC systems. Smart HVAC systems powered by machine learning are able to send alerts about potential issues as sensor readings are abnormal, before a customer really experiences a problem.

“Remote diagnostics are fairly new in the HVAC marketplace, but there are out-of-the-box solutions that are already providing contractors across North America with new business opportunities and growth,” said Tsintzouras. “Remote diagnostics and smart monitoring systems will be available in every technician’s truck in the near future.”

Market Challenges
“There are a few challenges that need to be addressed – cybersecurity, engagement with IT organizations, wireless and communication reliability because of the interference zones in areas where usually HVAC systems are kept, retrofitting and compatibility with older systems, data sovereignty in case of cloud systems,” said Sinha. “And most importantly operator and technician training around new digital and smart HVAC capabil- ities.”

Peter Lindkvist, Sales Director, Lumen Radio, on the other hand, mentioned other challenges for smart HVAC systems: “who should or could own the data, what services are building operators and real-estate owners ready to pay for, and design new product platforms that can scale well enough across large venues to allow fully integrated solutions.” The demand for more connected buildings and smart HVAC systems are growing. All partners should gather together, solving these challenges, and work on the next-generation smart building solutions.

Secutech returns in April 2020 with new 5G applications pavilion

The very best in IoT, artificial intelligence, edge computing and 5G technology will be on display at the upcoming edition of Secutech, which returns to the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centre from 22 – 24 April 2020 for its 23rd edition. Commercial security and fire safety solutions will take centre stage at the fair, and in order to reflect the cross-sector influence of artificial intelligence and the IoT, Secutech 2020 will also feature dedicated zones for the smart building and mobility sectors.

Ms Regina Tsai, the Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd, explained that new show elements at the 2020 edition will encourage collaboration across different sectors: “We are pleased to introduce the new 5G applications pavilion which will demonstrate how higher data speeds will impact fields such as the IoT. In the new era of 5G IoT, the amount of data that can be transmitted between devices will be much higher, with applications not just for improved security, but also for better road safety and building management. This higher data volume is only useful if the information can be properly analysed, which is where Secutech 2020 will deliver even more value for trade buyers, thanks to its many exhibitors of data analysis solutions both on the edge and in the cloud.”

Held under the supervision of the National Communication Commission, the new 5G Pavilion will welcome four of Taiwan’s main telecom providers: Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, FarEastTone and Asia Pacific Telecom. The four companies will join a lineup of around 350 exhibitors from around the world, showcasing everything from video surveillance cameras and access control systems, to facial recognition systems and security management platforms.

Concurrent events to focus on smarter living and intelligent transportation
Always in touch with technological trends, Secutech has kept buyers abreast of emerging opportunities throughout its 23 year history. Reflecting new developments in the IoT, in recent years the fair has introduced concurrent ‘SMAbuilding’ and ‘Mobility’ events as platforms that mix security solutions with other functionalities such as building management and smart parking.

For the 2020 fair, new elements are set to be introduced to the popular ‘SMAbuilding’ event including a themed ‘Building Internet of Things’ area that will focus specifically on residential property, commercial buildings, the retail sector and hotels. The area will showcase AI and IoT solutions that drive automation and device integration. Other additions will include dedicated zones for smart industrial facilities and construction projects.

Held alongside SMAbuilding, the returning ‘Mobility’ event will also be a significant attraction, allowing exhibitors and visitors to discuss intelligent transportation solutions and generate genuine business outcomes. Covering a diverse product spectrum, the event will house four pavilions dedicated to smart railway, smart road, smart parking and smart logistics solutions.

‘Fire and Safety’ to return for its 19th edition
As a destination for Asia’s fire and safety practitioners to locate new equipment and learn about best practices, the concurrent ‘Fire and Safety’ event will also be returning to Secutech 2020.

Demonstrating how the IoT can save lives, the event will host suppliers of smart disaster prevention devices at specialist zones. Safety solutions for health care facilities and nursing homes will also be displayed alongside traditional equipment such as fire extinguishers, firefighting gear and personal protection equipment.

The 23rd edition of Secutech will take place from 22 – 24 April 2020. Secutech is organised by Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd and is part of a global network of Safety Security and Fire trade fairs. For more details, please visit www.secutech.com. Alternatively, please call Ms Emily Lin at +886 2 8729 1052, or send an email to emily.lin@newera.messefrankfurt.com.

Safety and security are increasingly important basic needs and, therefore, stand for a growing global market. With fourteen trade fairs, congresses and forums around the world, Messe Frankfurt brings together demand and supply worldwide with progressive, connected products, applications and services focusing on commercial security and the protection of buildings, spaces and people. The Safety, Security & Fire business cluster offers access to the dynamic markets of the Arabian Peninsula, Asia, Europe and South America.

Fisheye cameras: leaving no blind spots in sight

In video surveillance, covering blind spots has long been a challenge. As a result, fisheye cameras offering 360-degree panoramic views have become a popular alternative for end users seeking to monitor large areas. This article discusses some of the advantages and limitations of fisheye cameras, which the user should know before selecting a model that truly fits their objectives.
Izvor: a&s International
E-mail: redakcija@asadria.com

End user organizations seeking to monitor large areas, like retail outlets, hotel lobbies or warehouses, often find themselves constrained by using conventional box or bullet cameras, which point in one direction at a time. This leaves certain blind spots that are not covered and that can be exploited by criminals. A panoramic camera offering 180 or 360-degree views, be it a multisensor camera or a fisheye camera, can address this challenge.

Benefits and Limitations
One major advantage of fisheyes over multisensor cameras is size and weight. A multisensor camera, as its name suggests, has three to four sensors in one unit and therefore tends to be heavy and bulky; some models can have 314 x 512 millimeters in dimensions and weigh 4.8 kilograms. Fisheye cameras, on the other hand, are much smaller and lighter, with the diameter ranging from 146 to 160 mm and weighing less than 1 kg. While fisheye cameras offer certain advantages, it’s important to know their limitations as well.

Specifically, they have less resolution compared to multisensor cameras. “The early fisheye cameras did not have enough resolution to see the details of person’s face unless the person was very close to the camera. The latest single IP camera solutions use 4K cameras, with up to 12-megapixel resolution,” said Bob Mesnik, President of Kintronics. However, there is a caveat with that as well. “The resolution of the panoramic camera varies from the center to the outer edge of the view,” Mesnik said. “The resolution is best at the edge and worst in the middle.” Meanwhile, the viewing distance is something that the user should also know. According to Kintronics’ calculations, a fisheye camera with 4000 x 3000 resolution and an 180-degree lens allows enough resolution to recognize a person that is less than 11.9 feet or 3.6 meters away from the camera; further away the user sees less detail.

“Single-sensor 360-degree fisheye cameras have been around for many years. The problem with panoramic cameras has always been the lack of detail available at a distance,” Mesnik said. Outdoor applications can be an issue, too. “For most outdoor applications fisheye cameras are not better than multisensor cameras. For example, a corner of a building — users will not get the depth or overall image quality that can be achieved with a multisensor. That being said, for smaller indoor rooms fisheye cameras can be superior if the application requires full coverage,” said Thomas Carnevale, Founder of Umbrella Technologies.

According to Mesnik, fisheye cameras are best at providing situational awareness for users monitoring a large area instead of complex applications such as facial recognition, for example. “Fisheye cameras are used in some commercial applications where it is helpful to see an overview of an area,” Mesnik said. “If the prospect asks for other usage, we steer them to standard cameras. For example, we sometimes need to explain that the panoramic camera is not good for facial recognition.” Or, the user can pair fisheye cameras with standard cameras to achieve better monitoring. “For example, a retail store may use the wide area view to see everything in the store while using a camera at the door to view a person’s face as they enter or leave,” Mesnik said.

Some Applications of Fisheye Cameras
Generally speaking, fisheye cameras can be used in all vertical markets, helping end users monitor large areas. According to TKH Security in a blogpost, public transportation and healthcare can especially benefit, as blind posts can pose threats to the wellbeing of passengers and patients. Another vertical cited by TKH is marine vessels. “Marine vessels are usually gigantic and complex ships consisting of many different compartments and various areas, and fisheye cameras can come in handy,” the company said. “A wide-angle fisheye camera ensures full coverage of the area, using up less of the valuable space at the same time. The on board operations manager can cover a much larger amount of areas with half or even one third of the amount of cameras normally used.”

According to Mesnik, fisheye cameras are all very similar. “It’s important to note that it’s not the cameras that are significant for a vertical, but rather the dealer/ installer’s experience. Most dealers select cameras based on the relationship they have with the manufacturer, the reliability of the cameras, the support and return policies of the manufacturer (or distributor),” Mesnik said. “The cameras they choose are also affected by the video management software that works with the camera, the pricing they can get, their installation experience and the range of models available from the manufacturer.”

A Note About De-warping
Panoramic views captured by fisheye cameras, while useful to monitor all corners of a given area, are often distorted and can seem unnatural to the human eye. This is where mapping or de-warping comes in, a technology that corrects this distorted view. De-warping is done by software that creates a corrected version of the 360-degree video stream transmitted by the fisheye camera. The type of fisheye lens plays a key role in this process. “The lens can provide stereo- graphic, equidistant, equidistant angle or orthographic images. The software mapping will be different depending on the lens,” Mesnik said. The de-warping process can be done in the camera firmware or in the supporting video management software. “Some camera manufacturers provide a software plug-in that does the mapping in the VMS. For example, Hikvison has provided software for Milestone,” Mesnik said. “A software- and-lens combination is available from Immervision. This company provides both a lens and algorithms that run in the camera. The company provides special Panamorph lenses and software that improves the quality of the video.”

Yet the user should know about some of the issues with de-warping. “Some fisheye camera manufacturers only have in-camera de-warping with no client-side de-warping ‘plug-in’ to a VMS, while others have in-camera de-warping but the de-warping algorithm is not sophisticated and the images look warped,” Carnevale said. “In addition, the video management software community is fragmented at best as it relates to true client-side de-warping of fisheye cameras. Some VMS’s have their own de-warping algorithms and others are brand- or model number-specific with an SDK integration. Still some integrations are just very generic between camera brands and video management software companies, leaving the user with heavy processing power issues with live de-warped displayed images.”

Selection and Installation Tips
The specification sheet of a fisheye camera may include a lot of information. According to Carnevale, users should look at the optics first. “Fisheye lenses are in much lower production than traditional board or P-Iris or varifocal lenses. Because of that, the quality gap is wide. This traditionally affects the image quality on the outer perimeter of the fisheye causing artifacts and uneven focus. More resolution is not always better when selecting fisheye cameras for this reason,” he said. “A close second place is low light. Evenly illuminating fisheye cameras is not an easy task. I’ve seen several models that only illuminate the image ‘straight-down’ so outside a five-feet radius the image is completely dark. Also because there are several IR illuminators focused this can cause over exposure.”

According to Mesnik, choosing the right products really depends on the customers’ own needs and requirements. “We ask questions such as what detail do you need to see? How far away do you want to be able to see a target? What are the lighting conditions? Is the camera facing a bright window that requires wide dynamic range? Do they want to view an area that is very dark?” he said. “Selecting the right fisheye camera starts with the customer’s objectives.”

Fisheye cameras are typically mounted on the ceiling to get the maximal result.

The following are some of the installation tips, according to Reolink in a blogpost:
– Avoid placing a 360 fisheye camera in or near a corner, as the walls will hinder its panoramic view.
– If the user plans to install a panoramic fisheye IP camera to the ceiling, make sure the camera is located in the center of the monitoring zone; otherwise the images will be reshaped.
– Keep the camera away from air conditioner vents and electric entrance doors.
– Make sure the fisheye camera is not near ceiling lamps or indicator light, which will interfere with the image signal and affect the camera’s image quality.
– Stabilize the 360-degree fisheye security camera with expansion screws to prevent it from falling down over a long period of time

Mission possible: Safeguarding Moscow’s extensive VTB Arena Park

Centralized video security and access control solution for new sports and events park, a 300,000 square-meter urban space
As Moscow’s latest events destination, VTB Arena Park attracts tens of thousands of spectators during concerts and sports matches. The US$ 1.5 billion project is also a city in its own right, featuring parks, shops, living spaces and a five-star hotel. Providing video security and access control on this massive scale proved a challenge, but not a ‘mission impossible’ for Bosch.

Securing a 300,000 square-meter urban space
The modern VTB Arena Park is a mixed-use development on a 300,000 square-meter area in the heart of Moscow. It’s a showcase for dynamic urban spaces, but also a challenge from a security manager’s perspective because of its size: The Dynamo Central Stadium in the middle of VTB Arena Park is home to the FC Dynamo Moscow football club and holds up to 26,000 spectators during league matches. The indoor arena entertains more than 12,000 guests during ice hockey matches, basketball games and rock concerts. These guests leave once the action is over, but the park also offers permanent retail facilities, residential spaces, and a five-star hotel.
As a result of the mixed uses of its spaces, VTB Arena Park presents a variety of specific security needs. For instance, the on-site security technology needs to provide seamless access to ticket holders during matches and concerts, but it also had to ensure the day-to-day safety of residents who live at VTB Arena Park.

“ We were fully aware that the multifunctional character of the VTB Arena Park would lead to complexity that could hardly be topped. We needed integration power, a partner who knew how to bind all loose ends into one solution that had never existed before.”
Alexander Kravchenkov, Deputy Head of Security Systems Maintenance Group IT Department at VTB Arena

Supporting security personnel with video analytics
The video security needs of the sprawling premises are diverse, especially during big concerts and sports events. The team required the ability to identify certain individuals – for instance a person in a red jacket – among feeds from several thousand cameras. It was also important to limit access to cameras in certain areas to specific personnel with the appropriate access rights and apply specific settings to single cameras.
Catering to these video security needs, Bosch installed more than 2,000 fixed and moving video cameras – both indoors and outdoors – to safeguard all facilities and the entire perimeter of the Arena Park. The team also secured the stadium, homes and offices with high-definition cameras especially suited for providing 24-hour security in outdoor spaces thanks to excellent low-light performance.

The cameras at VTB Arena Park also feature built-in Intelligent Video Analytics to support security staff in the control room with automated alerts. This video analysis automatically detects deviations from standard moving patterns, like a person entering restricted areas, and security staff can then zoom into a scene for closer investigation. The forensic search function also supports identifying and locating specific individuals, like the aforementioned person with a red jacket. For centralized control, security operators can manage all 2,000 cameras and connected video storage on Bosch recording units via the Bosch Video Management System (BVMS). The system provides the team with a single platform that also supports specific user access rights and settings for individual cameras or groups of cameras.

Integrating three access control systems on one platform
To achieve the same degree of integration in the access control system for Dynamo Central Stadium, the Bosch team needed to innovate: The stadium operates three different access control platforms at the same time: a paper ticket system that opens turnstiles for visitors during events on the SkiData system, proximity cards that unlock doors for employees via the Access Engine of the Building Integration System (BIS) provided by Bosch and a third, offline system by Simons Voss that permits entry at specific stadium facilities.
In order to create a single point of control for these three systems, the team devised a highly customized set-up on the Building Integration System (BIS) by Bosch. The customized system provides the security team with a central point of access and comprehensive overview of the entire park during large-scale events. It features custom interfaces with third-party software and hardware, as well as specific scripts to transfer relevant access data into the BIS event log. As a result, VTB Arena Park now commands a single platform to control all of the stadium’s access points, integrated with the video solution and intrusion alarm for end-to-end security at Moscow’s latest attraction.
„The capacity of Bosch to provide both video security and access control and at the same time being able to integrate its own solutions with third-party systems on a single platform, creating one integrated security systerm catering to all the various purposes, has made Bosch our main security partner.“ Alexander Kravchenkov

a&s Adria No. 152

Two ways to enhance your business software with the CLIQ® Web Manager

London, January 2020 – So many business processes are controlled, tracked, measured or monitored by software. So, it’s frustrating when multiple systems create double or triple the work. Unfortunately, not all your software plays nice together. Web-enabled software for a CLIQ® key-based access control system is an exception.

No matter what your business, the CLIQ Web Manager helps you manage its access control quickly and efficiently. Now you can also integrate its powerful access management features with your existing business process software. Thanks to the CLIQ Web Manager’s open architecture, you can build a single interface to control everything.

CLIQ Web Manager will help you streamline everyday operations, while also managing a CLIQ key access control system to its full potential. Integration works in two distinct ways. You can plug the CLIQ Web Manager directly into an existing platform, making access control one node in your current control panel. There is an SDK, if you wish to add CLIQ Connect remote access control management to a company app.

Alternatively, CLIQ Web Manager can be the hub for multiple business processes. You manage HR, support ticketing, financial reporting and more alongside daily access control tasks like validating and revalidating credentials, cancelling lost keys and ordering automated audit trails for locks or users.

With CLIQ Web Manager web services, you can build a comprehensive, customized integration with your existing software to help the business operate more efficiently.

Work smarter with CLIQ access control software
Time- and cost-saving measures are baked into every CLIQ Web Manager integration. Cutting back data double-entry reduces database errors and minimizes tedious data entry. Your internal workflows in security and beyond are streamlined when one interface enables you to answer multiple questions.

Plus, you can customize integration functionality to suit your business. How best should the CLIQ Web Manager integrate with your existing software? You choose.
You can save IT costs if you also select a CLIQ Web Manager Software as a Service (SaaS) package. Security infrastructure budgeting becomes more predictable. Your data enjoys complete redundancy. And your company’s CLIQ software is always, automatically up to date — a bonus for cyber-security resilience.

CLIQ Web Manager enables a wide range of controlled security workflows, including real-time access control management. Now it integrates easily with all kinds of business software, helping you work smarter, too.

Does your access control system integrate easily with software tools you already use? CLIQ Web Manager does. To download a free CLIQ Web Manager Integrations guide, or book a free expert integration consultation, visit https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/hubfs/cliq/Standalone%20PDFs/AA_CLIQ_Integration_WebBrochure_11_2019_Final.pdf

Security Solutions Market Heading for 400 Billion USD

The security solutions market was valued by Marketsandmarkets at USD 257.9 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 397.6 billion by 2024 at a CAGR of 9.0% during the forecast period.

The research company says that key factors contributing to the growth of the security solutions market include growing crime rates and terrorist activities globally, increasing consumer awareness and security concerns and willingness to pay for security systems, rapid development in wireless technologies for fire detection, and escalating demand for do-it-yourself and spy cameras.

The security solutions product market for fire protection systems is expected to hold the largest share in 2019 says the company’s recent report. Enterprises across the world have increased their spending on fire protection measures to protect their infrastructures as well as to reduce risks to human lives. New intelligent sensors have networking capabilities, in which a group of sensors and detectors can communicate easily through control units, leading to increased efficiency in fire protection systems.

The market for security services is expected to hold a larger size of the market during the forecast period. Products such as video surveillance systems, access control systems, and fire protection systems are implemented for various application areas such as commercial, residential, government, transportation, retail, and banking and finance industries. For the smooth and continuous working of all security products, various services such as maintenance and integration services are required. Security systems are useful only when they are properly engineered, designed, installed, serviced, and maintained.

The highest CAGR on a geographical basis for the market during the forecast period lies with the APAC region, as many governments have laid down the safety norms for various sectors; the execution of these policies would create a significant demand for security systems in the future. Furthermore, the technological and economic advancements in the APAC region are expected to drive the overall demand for security solutions market.

ADT, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Bosch, Hikvision, Dahua, Axis, Secom, UTC, Assa Abloy are just a few of those cited as being amongst the major players this latest report on the security solutions market.

Home Security Devices to Reach 307 Million Units by 2023

The increasing number of consumers preferring a more effective and convenient way to secure their property has caused the rapid growth of the global smart home security market. According to PreciseSecurity.com research, the expanding trend will continue in the following years, with the worldwide shipment of home monitoring and security devices reaching more than 307 million units by 2023.

The global smart home devices market reached nearly 815 million units’ shipments this year. According to 2019 data, it is forecast to grow at a five-year CARG of 14.4% and reach 1.34 billion items in 2023.

The most significant part of that amount or 339.8 million units are coming from the video entertainment category alone. However, the surveys confirm that home monitoring and security devices are the sections expected to grow the most between 2019 and 2023.

In 2018, this segment of the market recorded 97.7 million sold units. During the next twelve months, the same part of the market reached 156.6 million purchased units. The recent surveys indicate that home monitoring and security equipment like smart locks, surveillance cameras, and video doorbells will account for 22.1% of the global smart home devices shipments in 2023 with a CAGR of 18.4%.

Smart Video Doorbells Expected to Reach $1.4 Billion in Spending by 2023

The statistics show that video doorbells are one of the most common purchasing decisions among smart home shoppers worldwide. This relatively young segment of the smart home market is forecast to reach $1.4 billion in spending globally by 2023.

Recent surveys show that video doorbells are most wanted smart home devices in U.S. broadband households as of 2019. Nearly 4 million video doorbells were sold in the United States during this year, with a forecast to reach 5.6 million units by 2023. Other ordinary items among U.S. smart home shoppers were smart speakers with voice assistants, smart light bulbs, and smart smoke detectors.

New Openow™ mobile app for SMARTair® adds online functionality to your offline locking

London, December 2019 —The newly updated Openow app now includes Update on Card functionalities, offering additional and powerful features to security managers.

Openow is the convenient mobile solution for SMARTair wireless locking systems. Users store their validated digital keys securely in the Openow app. To open a SMARTair lock, they simply tap their phone against its inbuilt RFID reader. An encrypted (https/AES128) Bluetooth connection connects the phone and locking device to quickly validate or deny an unlock request. With Openow™, if you have your phone, you are already carrying your keys.

Facility managers get through their access management workload much faster when they replace traditional card or tag credentials with the Openow app. Because Openow and the intuitive SMARTair TS1000 software handle everything, delays in issuing or revoking keys for sensitive doors no longer jeopardize site security or company efficiency.

There are no physical credentials to handle or track; no card encoders to buy; and no queues at reception for staff or visitors awaiting credentials being issued.

Openow is now a mobile solution for Update on Card systems
With the new Openow features New Openow mobile app for SMARTair adds online functionality to your offline locking completing your security taskload will be even more efficient. Openow administrator functionality now includes Update on Card management for SMARTair door devices. Powerful features usually only available in online mode are now enabled for SMARTair offline locks, too — without any need to install dedicated wall updaters or communications hubs.

Now, every time a user opens a SMARTair door with Openow, the event and entire door history are reported in the SMARTair software — alerting security managers of door entrance attempts, battery status, low battery and more.

For details, you can download the new SMARTair Openow brochure at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/openow

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ISSN 1986-5

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.