April 18, 2026
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Home Articles posted by a&s Adria (Page 213)

Access control market heading for $12.1 billion by 2024

According to a new research report on the access control market from Marketsandmarkets, this sector is expected to grow from USD 7.5 billion in 2018 to USD 12.1 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 8.24%. The growth of the access control market is attributed to the high adoption of access control solutions inline with increasing crime rates globally; technological advancements and deployment of wireless technology in security systems; and adoption of IoT-based security systems with cloud computing platforms.

The adoption of access control as a service (ACaaS), implementation of mobile-based access control and increasing urbanisation in emerging countries are also expected to provide huge growth opportunities to players in the access control market.

The biometric readers segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2024. The market for biometric reader-based access control systems has been further categorised into fingerprint recognition, hand geometry recognition, iris recognition, and face recognition. Biometric readers are rapidly gaining worldwide traction owing to the growing need for surveillance and security in government facilities, manufacturing units, power stations, defense establishments, and enterprises.

The researchers predict that the access control market for the residential vertical is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2024. The key factors contributing to the growth of this market include the rise in crime rates, ongoing technological advancements, increasing need for hazard detection such as fire and gas leaks, and ensuring the safety of children at home.

Growing security concerns will boost demand for access control solutions in the APAC regions during the forecast period, and as a result this region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR to 2024. Factors driving the growth of the market in this region include growing industrialisation, commercialisation, and high demand for security systems. Also, rising terror threats and crime rates in the APAC countries and low police officer to population ratios are expected to create high demand for access control systems there.

The analysts cite the key players in the market as Assa Abloy, Johnson Controls, Dormakaba, Allegion, Honeywell, Identiv, Nedap, Suprema, Bosch Security Systems, and Gemalto. These players are increasingly undertaking product launches and developments, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, partnerships, and agreements to develop and introduce new technologies and products to the market.

Switch to intelligent, electronic locking — without throwing away the keys

London, March 2019 – You can work smarter and more sustainably when electronic locks and keys power your security. An electronic locking solution minimizes security risks when keys go missing. With an eCLIQ system from ASSA ABLOY, you can manage everyone’s access from anywhere, at any time — electronically, securely and wirelessly.

Based on award-winning CLIQ® access control technology, the eCLIQ system is built around precise locking mechanics and high-end microelectronics. A battery inside each programmable key powers the wide range of programmable cylinders and padlocks — and secures every data transfer.

An eCLIQ system is also convenient. Thanks to multiple software options, you manage users’ access rights in a way that suits you best. Authorised key-holders carry a single, battery-powered key programmed with only their cleared access permissions.

Low maintenance for technical components you can trust
Robust and durable, eCLIQ cylinders are available for a wide range of doors, cabinets, lifts, alarm boxes, machines and entrance gates. Looking after your eCLIQ components is easy: an integrated lubricant reservoir ensures cylinders remain maintenance-free for up to 200,000 cycles.

eCLIQ keys are durable, compact, and waterproof (IP67). They are easy to reprogram, enabling temporary and time-limited access permissions for every employee or contractor. AES encryption, rapid processing, and efficient energy management is built into the chip. When a key’s battery runs out, it is easily replaced without tools.

Mechanical and encrypted electronic elements work together to make an eCLIQ installation highly resistant to both physical and electronic attack.

Easy installation — simple, secure management
Managing eCLIQ is straightforward. You can program keys with easy-to-use eCLIQ Manager software: choose between a local software installation or our secure web-based software which manages access rights from anywhere, in the cloud. Security managers can host the Web Manager software on their own or use ASSA ABLOY’s Software as a Service solution. Users can also update their own keys with a range of programming devices, including wall-mounted units.

With eCLIQ, missing keys are quickly de-authorised, cutting risks associated with key loss or theft. At any time, facility managers can generate a full audit trail to discover who has accessed which locks.

Unlike other electronic access control systems, eCLIQ uses no mains electricity. The microelectronics inside an eCLIQ lock are powered by a standard battery inside every key. Energy-efficient and sustainable, battery power also minimizes disruption when you switch to eCLIQ. Because there is no cabling around the door, you don’t need to schedule invasive, expensive electrical wiring.

eCLIQ in action
“eCLIQ is more durable, more secure and more efficient than conventional locking systems,” says Stephan Schulz, CLIQ® Product Manager at ASSA ABLOY EMEA.

“This evolution of our award-winning CLIQ® technology is already protecting businesses and public services across Europe. A range of sectors and building types — from banks and hospitals to shops and warehouses — have learned eCLIQ provides the control and flexibility their premises need.”

For an access control overhaul at University Hospital Frankfurt, managers sought a secure locking system for a new building: 1,100 eCLIQ cylinders and keys provided the solution. Now, with eCLIQ installed, nurses update access rights every morning for the day ahead. This new workflow minimizes security vulnerabilities and keeps everyone safer.

Retail banking combines high security with complex workflows. Staff need efficient access. Facility managers need the flexibility to design access permissions around individual needs and clearances.

Creval’s bank doors across Italy’s Lombardy region are now locked with more than 30 eCLIQ cylinders, putting managers in total control of entrance security. In the unlikely event a key is misplaced, Creval administrators simply delete it from the system.

In Germany, eCLIQ locks AMPELMANN GmbH branches and their 2,200 m2 logistics centre, meeting the needs of their decentralized branch organization. Its 8 Berlin branches are staffed by several permanent employees. External service providers like cleaners need access. eCLIQ provides it — safely, securely and without major key-management workload.

To learn how you could benefit from an eCLIQ electronic locking system, visit https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/cliq

Matrix Comsec Will Unveil New-Age Security Solutions for Enterprises at ISC WEST’19

Intelligent IP Video Surveillance, Access Control and Time-Attendance Solutions for Modern Enterprise.

Matrix Comsec, a leading manufacturer and provider of Security and Telecom solutions, is participating in ISC WEST 2019, Las Vegas, USA on 10th April 2019. Matrix will be showcasing its comprehensive range of IP Video Surveillance, People Mobility Management – an innovative range of Access Control and Time-Attendance solutions at the event. Both these solutions are specifically designed for large and multi-location enterprises, SME and SMB organizations.

Matrix is known for offering technology driven, innovative, futuristic solutions catering to diverse and complex deployments especially for the SMB, SME and Large Enterprises. Matrix Comsec is going to unveil COSEC ARGO – The Next Generation Door Controller with a blend of performance and aesthetics. The new door controller is equipped with features like 3.5” IPS Touchscreen LCD with Gorilla Glass, Powerful Processor for Ultra-fast User identification, Intuitive User Experience, Vandal Resistant (IK08). In People Mobility Management – Access Control and Time-Attendance domain, we have launched COSEC VYOM – a scalable, cloud based Time-Attendance and Access Control solution. In addition, few more controllers and devices with new generation identification technologies are in the pipeline. The solution also includes COSEC ARC – a unique IP based Access Control panel having multiple benefits over conventional access control panel. Being PoE based, it eliminates complex wiring and local power requirements.

Matrix SATATYA is an IP Video Surveillance solutions portfolio which includes Network Video Recorders (NVRs), IP Cameras and Centralized Video Management System. Matrix SATATYA is positioned as an enterprise grade solution. Matrix Comsec will showcase Professional Series IP cameras powered with SONY STARVIS series sensors and EXMOR technology. This technology provides the camera an edge over others in terms of exceptional low light performance, consistent image quality during varying light conditions (True WDR), better bandwidth optimization and various other features. It is most suitable for enterprises demanding much more than just video capturing, viewing and recording. Matrix SATATYA offers centralized video surveillance with add-on applications such as Command & Control, Parking Management, Weighbridge Integration and Cognitive Response Engine. SATATYA’s flexible architecture and vast range of functions-features are designed to cater diverse industries including BFSI, retail, services, hospitality, manufacturing, transport, ports & logistics, research laboratories, data centers, defense and government.

Talk to our solution experts to know more about these unique solutions by visiting Matrix at Booth No. 7038 on 10th April 2019, at ISC West 2019.

About Matrix
Established in 1991, Matrix is a leader in Security and Telecom solutions for modern businesses and enterprises. As an innovative, technology driven and customer focused organization, the company is committed to keep pace with the revolutions in the Security and Telecom industries. With around 40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products like Video Surveillance Systems – Video Management Software, Network Video Recorder and IP Camera, Access Control and Time-Attendance Systems as well as Telecom Solutions such as Unified Communications, IP-PBX, Universal Gateways, VoIP and GSM Gateways and Communication Endpoints. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards. Having global footprints in Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa through an extensive network of more than 2,500 channel partners, Matrix ensures that the products serve the needs of its customers faster and longer. Matrix has gained trust and admiration of customers representing the entire spectrum of industries. Matrix has won many international awards for its innovative products.
www.MatrixComSec.com

Finding the ideal framework for smart city data sharing

Smart cities have been made possible because of the Internet of Things. This has resulted in an abundance of data, most of which goes unused. Implementing a strong data sharing framework for smart cities to share data between various entities (e.g., government agencies, businesses, residents, etc.) will allow cities to become smarter, safer and more efficient.
Izvor: a&s International
E-mail: redakcija@asadria.com

When it comes to city surveillance, data sharing has become an important aspect of ensuring that all relevant parties are provided with the necessary information. Privacy concerns and government regulations, however, can pose obstacles.

By working with regulations and ensuring accountability, smart cities could implement a data sharing framework that benefits residents, businesses and the city as a whole.

The “Ideal” Framework
In smart cities, the ideal data sharing framework for video surveillance is built to serve both the smart city ecosystem and its stakeholders. These stakeholders range from the various government agencies and the entities operating within to the businesses, communities and residents of the city. The framework should allow each stakeholder to remain in command and control of their group’s data. At the same time, the framework needs to connect the various disparate systems that span these stakeholders.

“In a smart city a data sharing framework must have built-in, secure and traceable permissions that allow the owner(s) to share different silos of data, based on the agency or person accessing that data. Access to all shared data must be traceable for audit, with full transparency to all parties that ‘touched’ the data, when, and under what authority,” said Giovanni Gaccione, Justice and Public Safety Practice Lead at Genetec.

It is important that every municipal entity has a policy across all departments with input and guidance from all departments (e.g., fire, traffic, police, water, etc.), advised Stuart Rawling, Director of Segment Marketing at Pelco by Schneider Electric. “These departments must have an aligned understanding of data sharing and legal implications both internally and externally. Best practices should start with a white list of data that’s acceptable to share (such as basic physical appearance of crime suspects) rather than a black list of data that’s unacceptable (such as a Social Security number). This way the default is to not share or leak data that might be subjectively deemed not sensitive, but later could prove to be just that,” he said.

Ron Grinfeld, Global Marketing Business Development for Enterprise Security at FLIR Systems, suggested an API-centric design that allows data integration not only with newly implemented digital/data-driven systems, but also with legacy systems. Furthermore, an ideal framework must also support large scale, high bandwidth, sensor-generated data streams, and allow both public and private data sharing. “The framework should be scalable beyond the traditional city-level users and allow support for new classes of value creators and stakeholders,” he added.

Intelligent security devices, according to Fan Yang, Vertical Solutions Manager at Hikvision Digital Technology, play an important role in smart cities in capturing key targets and information. These devices send the data to the backend to be analyzed and are stored in a video structured data pool. “This valuable data will be converged on-demand to different application systems of a smart city, such as city traffic, public security, city management, environmental governance, etc.”

In terms of video surveillance, since video is converted to data and then further fused with algorithms, which are then applied in different businesses, Yang pointed out that this data could eventually help with intelligent operations, management and service delivery. “Therefore, an indispensable component of an ideal framework should include AI-powered intelligent devices to capture information, and a center for data analysis and storage, and an open application system for data sharing,” he added.

Challenges in Finding the “Ideal”
Regulations at the federal, state and local levels can all pose challenges to implementing a data sharing framework – this includes the public concern for privacy. However, city surveillance by itself has few challenges when it comes to data sharing, as long as certain privacy and data protection protocols are observed, and the data was captured in public locations, according to Gaccione. This is because most, if not all, of what is recorded in cities are of public places.

“The privacy and regulations come in when one fuses that video data with PID (personally identifiable data), which elevates that video from publicly generic to a record about someone or something. Sharing video surveillance before PID is added allows for easier distribution and collaboration,” Gaccione added.

The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) generated a lot of press earlier this year regarding the way it is changing the landscape of data privacy and equality across Europe. Yet, the regulations contained within the regulations are actually not entirely new.

“Many countries in the European Union and around the world have had data protection and individual privacy regulations in place for decades. However, sometimes such regulations were effectively unenforceable across international boundaries — the GDPR has highlighted and cemented consequences for non-compliance across international boundaries. This has forced a global change in behavior even though the regulations only apply to citizens of the European Union,” explained Rawling. “One component of GDPR is referred to as ‘the right to be forgotten,’ which is essentially an individual’s right to request data about them be removed from applicable databases. To comply with this in a city surveillance environment, there needs to be policies in place to respond and research any requests and form a response based on the organization’s policy,” he continued.

The risks associated with the collection, sharing and misuse of data is also a major challenge – this includes legal risks as well as cybersecurity risks and other related breaches that could lead to data loss and data theft. “Additionally, competitive risks are a challenge, where competitive assets and insights could reside within the shared data and potentially fall into the wrong hands,” Grinfeld said.

To overcome these challenges, Grinfeld recommends that the data sharing framework be built on top of an architecture that can fulfill the objectives of the ideal framework, addressing the needs for data control, sharing and cyber hardening. Additionally, he added that it is also critical to define best practices and common use cases for data sharing, adopt proper policies (and create new policies as needed), and develop action plans for data sharing implementations and collaborations between the various entities. “This will ensure that the essential areas are properly addressed while creating efficient execution cycles to bring the framework into reality,” he said.

Benefits and the Future
One of the benefits of a data sharing framework would be improved situational awareness of real-time security and public safety operations, Grinfeld said. “In other words, using data consolidations to gain a better understanding of what is happening in real time, allowing for improved decision making and higher efficiency in handling security and public safety events.”

In the future, Grinfeld sees big data utilizations becoming a trend. Such utilizations would involve smart processing of consolidated data that could help detect and analyzevarious patterns, anomalies, trends and behaviors with direct impact on security and public safety objectives. “Various benefits can arise from such utilizations, starting from the ability to identify problematic use cases, moving on to increase operational efficiencies of government and municipal agencies operating across the city. Ultimately, cities would like the ability to predict the occurrence of security events prior to these events taking place, allowing to prevent them entirely in some cases and in other cases, achieve better outcomes. This is the future we are all working toward.”

While the idea of “pooling or warehousing” of data is what many data sharing frameworks today revolve around, Gaccione believes that this goal is too much of a stretch for most organizations at this time. However, it could be part of our future. “Do I believe that someday we will have a ‘data warehouse’ or ‘lake’ per city? Sure, I do hope that, but the reality is that each stakeholder holds information differently. This has less to do about the technology and more about the use case,” he said.

For city surveillance, Yang believes the continued advancements and development of AI technology, big data, and cloud computing will make data collection more precise and efficient in the future. “Effective data collecting will enable faster updates, which can be shared to various areas of smart city. Furthermore, it will also allow the whole system to self-adapt and -adjust in a more timely manner.”

Frameworks for the Future
Going forward, data sharing will be a huge part of future smart cities and city surveillance, and learning to properly harness its power will make all the difference. While there are limitations as to how much data is being shared and with whom it can be shared, with the proper framework the possibilities are endless.

A Closer Look at Data Sharing and City Surveillance

Adlan Hussain, VP of Marketing at CNL Software, talked about some of the necessary components of an “ideal” framework for video surveillance data sharing and how it can have a positive impact on city surveillance.

The future of video surveillance within smart cities will be built around partnerships and memorandums of understanding between a number of stakeholders inside the city, according to Hussain. “These framework initiatives will require a platform to allow multi-system integration, regardless of manufacturer system. They will also allow the phased integration of complementary technologies such LPR, face detection and video analytics.”

Hussain explained how the following are necessary components to an “ideal” data sharing framework for city surveillance and how they will benefit a smart city.

• Consolidation of video: Safe city programs are rolled out in phases, with one of the first being technology integration within a major entity within a city — law enforcement usually performs this function. Their driver is to connect a number of their own disparate video systems. For example, over the years, the City of Atlanta, Georgia, has invested in a number of surveillance systems to provide law enforcement and other public safety professionals with visual intelligence, well before first responders arrive on scene.
• Aggregating the data: Immediate access to a vast number of “eyes on the ground” quickly becomes an essential part of their control room function. This then expands to bring in other technologies to support intelligence led policing, where information is key to the proactive use of surveillance.
• Collaboration: One of the most cost-effective methods to increase the amount and quality of intelligence available to government agencies is to deploy a centralized camera integration center. This model helps to reduce the cost of obtaining video for all agencies involved.
• Public-private partnerships (PPP): Hussain noted that CNL is seeing its customers move toward PPPs.
• Predictive policing: The ability to apply analytics to historic event-based data, enabling the better prediction of incidents, and improved use of resources to respond to these incidents.

How Data Sharing Could Make Safer, Smarter Cities

We all know that data sharing can make cities safer and smarter, but how? Giovanni Gaccione, Justice and Public Safety Practice Lead at Genetec, provided examples of where we are today, and where data sharing could get us in the future.

Through the examples below, Gaccione explores how data sharing could help make responding to an accident more efficient, and ultimately make a city safer.

Today when a hit-and-run incident occurs 911 gets a call from someone involved or who saw the incident, he explained. From there, police are dispatched for the response and report. Afterwards, police will have access to the cameras in the area and can pull that video for review and evidence. From there the police will start to piece together, as well as investigate, the incident.

In the future, say there is a shared Department of Transportation (DOT) and police system. When 911 gets a call from someone involved or who saw the hit-and-run incident, the operator’s system automatically pulls video from around the time of the incident. “With the DOT sharing access to their bus and train system, we can also see other video assets around the incident. The bus that was near the scene with cameras on its exterior are automatically pulled into the operator’s screen. Now with that video from the bus, the operator or police can now see more details about the hit and run, as well as possibly license plate and exit location. The system can then start pulling video from public-private partnership cameras as well as cameras from bus stops and intersections. This same scene now provides an entire movie of the incident as well as extra intel about the suspects.”

That same camera data can be shared with many other agencies and not just the agency that installed the camera, he added. “This means a camera at an intersection can be used by police for investigation; it can be used by the DOT for traffic analysis; it can be used by sanitation for prioritization of snow removal or post parade cleanups; it can be used by school boards to help with high student traffic flow analysis; as well as many other benefits. These same video assets with proper framework can now allow future cities to benefit the city at many levels. In summary, the point is that a video or data asset alone will no longer be a ‘police asset’ or ‘DOT asset,’ but I see that all these assets in the future will be ‘city assets,’ contributing to both a safer and smarter city.”

Smart parking guidance to support smarter cities

As governments worldwide increasingly turn to smart cities and traffic management becomes a primary concern, smart traffic guidance solutions are gaining importance. In this article we look at the market, the technologies involved and the current trends.
Izvor: a&s International
E-mail: redakcija@asadria.com

With the increasing number of vehicles around the world, managing them is becoming more and more complex. Thankfully, the automotive industry has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the recent innovations in technology that has allowed devices to become smarter and more efficient.

With the growth of the vehicle industry, parking has become a major problem. Fortunately, the smart parking industry has come a long way in the recent years. According to a report from MarketsandMarkets, the passenger car smart parking market is expected to reach US$5.3 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of almost 18 percent in the ten years leading up to it.

The major factors driving this growth are concerns over increasing urban traffic congestion, limited availability of parking spaces and stricter regulations on emissions. That several governments worldwide recognize the importance of efficient parking management is also helping the market get a favorable environment.

Among the different solutions that make up the whole ecosystem of smart parking, one that stands out is guided parking systems. Put simply, a parking guidance system helps people avoid the time-consuming and stressful process of finding empty parking spaces in parking lots.

But for systems integrators (SIs) who are interested in incorporating this solution to their portfolio, there are more benefits and features to be understood.

Benefits of Guided Parking Solution
According to Harald Schmitt, CEO of the Germany-based MSR-Traffic, there are three main benefits to a strong guided parking solution — reduced time for finding a free parking spot, reducing emissions of cars due to better navigation, and full monitoring of all parking spaces. While this is the solution in a nutshell, it is important to understand how this is achieved. Rebecca Grainger, National Sales Manager at the New Zealand-based Smart Parking Technology, explained how their solution works.

“Smart parking offers various options around guidance for motorists to find available parking locations, as well as individual bays,” Grainger said. “Our app shows real-time location and guidance information from each site our sensors are installed in. The app uses Google Maps, meaning people can plan their entire journey in a user-friendly and economical way. Other guidance we can offer includes on-site variable message signage displaying real-time space availability and direction to available bays. In a multi-level car park environment, we also offer overhead indicator sensors that change color depending on the occupancy status of each bay.”

Grainger added that each of these solutions provides substantial benefits for car park operators, local communities, visitors and the environment, including:

• Reduction in vehicle congestion on busy streets.
• Reduction in pollution levels due to cars circling and idling in traffic.
• Negates the need for cities to employ teams of parking wardens.
• Increase in road safety as drivers are verbally directed to available parking, meaning instances of inattention or road rage are minimized.
• Increase in parking compliance.

A crucial factor to note here is that it is easy to get caught up in understanding the need and want of the customer when providing a solution like this, a look at the bigger picture would help the industry in the longer term. According to Paulius Vezelis, who handles business development at the Lithuania-based company Pixevia, the obvious benefit is the convenience for car owners, but the advantages go beyond that.

“First of all, smart parking guidance saves people’s time. It reduces the time needed to find a place to park, which in turn reduces CO2 emissions, as cars don’t need to go in circles to find a free spot,” he said. “A secondary benefit of smart parking is traffic reduction in the city, because statistically around 40 percent of traffic, especially in the city center, are cars searching for a place to park. Smart parking helps to reduce CO2 emission of the whole city, because the traffic is more efficient and there are fewer cars on the road.”

The Technology Behind the Solution
According to Harald, there are four major components that make up a smart parking guidance system. These are wireless magnetic field sensors, cameras, induction loops, and radar. Vezelis is of the opinion that modern top of the line solutions use only cameras to monitor parking lots and entrances/exits in combination with graphics processing units (GPUs) for information processing.

“You can use older cameras that are installed at the parking lot for security or use simple new cameras,” Vezelis said. “There are several options for video processing: you can set up the GPUs in your server and process the data locally, or stream video from the camera to the cloud and it will be processed there.”

Grainger elaborated further on this, adding that the technological components that go into their company’s guidance systems can, in their simplest form, be broken down into a network of sensors, variable message signage, app and map. These are all programmed and run through the company’s Google Cloud-hosted platform and are made visible to operators via the dashboard of their client software.

Sensors can be in-ground, on-ground, or overhead, apart from car counters and ALPR cameras, Grainger explained further. IoT gateways embedded in every single unit allow numerous devices to connect as well as provide areas of open connectivity. Signage systems display real-time information around space availability and car park capacity and provide directions to encourage traffic flow. Mobile apps that customers can use provide real-time guidance and payment facilities. Smart parking technology also provides a map that can be embedded into websites and allow visitors to plan their journey to a specific location or business.

As with most current technologies, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in parking guidance systems cannot be denied. Startups such as the U.S.-based Streetline has come up with solutions that leverage the power of machine learning to come up with real-time parking guidance and analytics data.

The Major Features Vezelis points out four major features that AI and camera-based parking guidance solutions usually have:

• Easy deployment – there is no need to mount sensors everywhere or build barriers with dedicated LPRN cameras.
• Cost-efficiency – a single camera can cover up to 100 parking spots and recognize license plates at the same time.
• Increased security – top notch solutions offer security alerts for uncommon behavior in the parking lots. For example, illegal gatherings at night, suspicious behavior next to a car, illegal parking.
• Increased customer satisfaction – AI and camera-based systems not only help to find a free parking spot, but also usually have the “find my car” feature, as the system not only detects occupied spaces, but also knows which car is occupying which parking spot.

Grainger classifies the features into two, in terms of the benefits to customers. “First, the benefits to the consumer include having clear and accurate signage displaying real-time occupancy status of car parks,” she said. “This enables greater efficiency, as when parking in a multi-storey car park they can bypass entire floors if there is full occupancy, and once they get to a level where there are free bays they can see exactly which bays are available by looking at the overhead guidance system for a green light. Another benefit to the consumer is the proven fact that a well-run car park with good lighting and a working guidance system is a deterrent to antisocial behavior.”

The second area of benefit is to the operator, as using the sensor data gathered by the cloud-based platform they can create business rules and site planning to increase efficiency of the car park as a whole.

Challenges and Difficulties
in Implementation Grainger said that the main difficulties her company encounters that can hamper installations are generally due to site terrain, location or weather conditions. This can include cities with an exceptionally hilly terrain, sites on locations such as wharves that can’t have holes drilled in them, or areas that experience large snow falls.

“However, after over 15 years of specializing in the development of parking equipment, smart parking have a range of sensor options to choose from, so most, if not all, site requirements can be met, and challenges overcome,” she added.

Vezelis pointed out that, in general, it’s quite easy to install and start using a camera-based smart parking system that uses AI.

“Just connect existing cameras to, for example, Pixevia’s cloud and you are ready to go,” he said.“Sometimes difficulties arise if the parking lot has unusual surroundings or shape. Installing such a system can be more challenging in parking lots that have a very complex shape with lots of corners and small pockets of one or two parking spots. Trees are a hurdle, too — if there are many trees in the middle of the parking lot, additional cameras might be needed to see what is behind the tree. Otherwise, these additional cameras would not be necessary.”

Speaking more on the consumer behavior, Schmitt indicated that the market should be aware that low-priced products are not going to provide high-quality results.

“You get what you pay,” Schmitt said. “Means, many customers try to get the cheapest solution. When it does not work, customers think that smart parking systems are not working well enough. In this market, one should buy high-quality products from a supplier who also supports in planning and engineering.”

Then there is the fact that the solution itself is in an evolving stage. Greg Mason, VP of Technical Sales at TIBA Parking Systems, said that at present the main point to note is the proprietary costs. These are still in the phase and period of the evolution of the proprietary software in small batches, which makes them expensive.

“I think the silo effect of the proprietary software lowers the return on investment (ROI) from the people purchasing it,” Mason said. “So, what happens is a negative feedback in today’s market. You have high costs, with low ROI. And because of this, the hardware production becomes limited. We need to get to a higher place, where there is better ROI, based on shared information and shared data, which will increase sales and increase demand.”

What Systems Integrators Should Know
Knowing who to partner with in the industry would go a long way in making sure SIs establish a strong presence in the market. Needless to say, technical skills that are used in the security industry, especially with regard to cameras, will come in handy in this sector as well.

“First of all, they should focus on finding a good partner, who understands the challenges of such systems and has real-world experience in deploying them,” Vezelis said. “The second step would be to start pilot projects with their clients as soon as possible to show them that it’s not rocket science and can be very beneficial for the parking lot owner. Additionally, skills and knowledge of camera types, IR lighting, camera positioning, and video streaming are highly beneficial.”

To sum up, the growth potential of this field cannot be denied, especially as this could be seen as an integral part of smarter cities.

There is a debate between cameras and sensors but ideally, a combination of the two should work best.

What’s Trending: Cameras or Sensors?

Experts vary in their opinion. Perhaps this is characteristic of a sector that is still young and growing.

At such a stage, it would be difficult to identify specific trends spread across markets in different regions. Paulius Vezelis, who handles business development at the Lithuania-based Pixevia, for instance, emphasized the importance of cameras over sensors.

“The main trend right now is to use the camera-based smart parking system. No more sensors on the ground at every parking spot,” Vezelis said. “Probably the biggest change in the market came from improvements in the artificial intelligence field. Progress there led to greatly-improved capabilities of neural networks to understand and use data from simple security cameras for smart parking applications, such as guidance or number plate recognition. In the past, you needed specialized cameras at the entrances to detect the car numbers or dedicated occupancy sensors at each parking spot, but now all this can be done by using a couple of simple security cameras.”

Harald Schmitt, CEO of the Germany-based MSR-Traffic, on the other hand, pointed out that the use of optical-based sensors is becoming less popular compared to ground-sensors, not just because of improved accuracy levels but also since the former throws up privacy data concerns that are becoming more and more relevant of late.

“Single space detection with wireless (magnetic field) sensors is the biggest trend,” Schmitt noted. “Due to many years of experience, this technology is the best in the market with the highest accuracy. Cameras, for example, generate problems due to the new ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (GDPR). Also, optical sensors can be influenced by light, darkness, snow, etc.”

Beyond these, it is important to note that the concept of smart parking guidance systems is also being driven by the rise in initiatives such as smart cities. In fact, Rebecca Grainger, National Sales Manager at Smart Parking Technology, said that current smart parking trends on the rise are the digitization and influence of smart cities. This makes sense as people are getting more and more used to connected devices and are naturally demanding more convenience in every aspect of their lives.

“Consumers are becoming much savvier and are engaging more than ever with technology options that make their day-to-day life easier,” she said. “Parking is a huge component of this, in fact, up to 30 percent of all motorists on a city street are actually looking for a parking spot. We have responded to this by not only having our app and guidance help people swiftly find a suitable park, but also by designing our technology to be scalable and intuitive. Using our cloud-based dashboard, parking bays can be remotely set to different time limits and parameters.”

Grainger gave an instance where their solution was implemented. “A good example of this is in Adelaide, where a main city street suffering from heavy congestion had its parking bays changed to short-stay paid parking, while parking bays two streets back were set to longer times and were free. People were able to see this on the app, and there was an almost instant reduction in congestion on the main road, as people would park and walk.”

The growth of cold chain and the opportunities it brings

The cold chain industry is growing at a rapid pace, thanks to the increased need to transport perishable goods like food and medicine. For solution providers in this sector, opportunities are several. However, they need to have a clear understanding of the pain points to make a real difference.
Izvor: a&s International
E-mail: redakcija@asadria.com

As countries worldwide increasingly realize the importance of maintaining robust trade links with each other and the technological developments that can assist them in it, trade volumes are on the rise. According to data from the World Trade Organization (WTO), merchandise trade volume is expected to rise 4.4 percent in 2018, almost as much as the 4.7 percent increase recorded in 2017. Growth could ease a bit to 4 percent in the coming year but will remain firmly above levels recorded during the financial crisis.

The cold chain market, one of the major components of global trade, was valued at US$147.6 billion in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 percent from 2018 to 2025, according to Grand View Research. The increased presence of connected devices and automation of refrigerated warehouses is considered some of the major factors fueling this growth.

The growth figures mentioned above include statistics from different sectors, including food and medicine. Speaking specifically on the latter, Mark Sawicki, Chief Commercial Officer of Cryoport, said that according to recent reports, the total global sales year to date for biologic products and drugs has exceeded $300 billion.

“The specialized global logistics solutions for these products are forecast to reach approximately $15 billion by the end of 2018 and grow to $18 billion by 2022,” Sawicki said. “We agree with the estimates and see a growing demand for our products and for the industry.”

Not all industry experts are, however, convinced that the growth could rise at the rapid pace that is projected. This is not because of a lack of demand. In fact, the demand is strong but the infrastructural support to meet the demand may still be at a nascent stage in certain parts of the world. For Alvis Lazarus, CEO of Hesol Consulting, who spoke specifically about the Indian market, the outlook shows strong potential, but the reality is slightly different.

“With the current outlook, cold chain industry could easily be a winner, but it isn’t yet,” Lazarus said. “Though the demand is so promising, the means to cope up with that demand is still very fragile.”

Naturally, the more products that require cold conditions are developed, the more the need for cold chain solutions. Till Krenzien, Principal of Competence Field Engineering and Implementation at Miebach Consulting, pointed out that the cold chain is a process requirement.

“It is constantly growing since more products are developed, which require constantly cold conditions,” Krenzien said. “Our industry studies for the pharmaceutical market during the last five years show a growth of 8 to 10 percent per annum.”

Factors Driving Growth
While there are several factors that contribute to market growth, certain key aspects stand out. According to Lazarus, the root of growth is the rising per capita income and changing consumer buying behavior. The US Department of Commerce, in a recent report, noted that the expansion of cold chain systems is a force multiplier that can boost exports and open new opportunities and markets over multiple sectors in the long term, rather than a one-off export transaction that can be quantified simply as an export success.

Industries like pharmaceutical are increasingly in need of cold chain solutions. Krenzien pointed out that pharma companies are developing more liquid (injectable) and biopharmaceutical drugs, which require cold storage conditions of 2 to 8 ̊C and deep freeze conditions of -20 ̊C and below (down to -70 ̊C). The requirements for existing drugs are also seeing an increase, leading to accelerated efforts to comply with regulations.

Explaining further on the market conditions and the factors fueling demand, Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), added that occupancy levels have peaked at the moment.

“We have seen growth from a capacity standpoint,” Rosenbusch said. “We are looking at about 5 percent growth rate a year in terms of what capacity is added to the industry. Capacity is tight right now, both on the transportation as well as the warehousing side. Occupancy levels are in the upper 80 percent, which is not full but in a distribution environment, it is considered so. Most people would even say at an 82 or 83 percent they are full because they need to have the flexibility for products to flow in and out.”

There are several reasons for this. One of the main reasons is that manufacturers have started to rebuild their inventories after the economic crisis in 2008 when they were trying to pull back and clear up balance sheets. Also, there is a lot of Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) diversification that require additional pallet positions. Further, many retailers are introducing policies that penalize manufacturers who are unable to fill orders. All these have pushed growth.

“Generally speaking, the growth of the food industry, especially the perishable food industry, is highly correlated with middle-income growth,” Rosenbusch said. “So, any time you see a growth of middle income in a region, country, or part of the world, that is going to drive the growth of cold chain.”

According to Grand View Research, growth factors include trade liberalization, government efforts to reduce food waste, and expansion of multinational retail chains. Entities like the WTO, bilateral trade initiatives such as the European Union Free Trade Agreement and the North America Free Trade Agreement have boosted the need for transporting perishable goods across the globe.

While this may be the case mostly in developed economies, emerging markets are seeing a different trend altogether. Here, the cold storage market is fueled by a move from consumption of food that is rich in carbohydrates to those that are protein-rich.

“Countries such as China are expected to portray a significant growth rate over the coming years due to a consumer-led transition in the economy,” reports Grand View Research. “With growing technological advancements in warehouses management and refrigerated transportation, the market is likely to expand in developing economies. Furthermore, growing government subsidies have enabled service providers to tap these emerging markets with innovative solutions to overcome complex transportation.”

Trends Seen in the Industry
Industry experts point out that technological developments have paved way for several trends in this sector. Key among them is the need for real-time monitoring of factors like temperature and atmospheric composition. These data help service providers understand the various conditions and help them take preemptive action.

However, some experts are quick to point out that the trends are in line with technological developments in other sectors in the transport and storage industry.

“There is a misconception that the technologies are so different, but the truth is that they are not,” Lazarus said. “If you consider the overall supply chain, the cold chain fits in majorly on the distribution (warehousing and transportation) as well as the raw material storage and transportation industries. Hence, all the key supply chain concepts, methods and tools make perfect sense for the cold chain as well.”

For example, tool kits for procurement and sourcing, transportation and warehouse management as well as standards all apply to cold chain operations as well. Even in a cold chain setup, all the existing tools and techniques like space planning, layout designing, storage systems, and material flow and handling are used. Despite this, there are certain differentiators that need to be mentioned.

“Now, the differentiator is the technology in maintaining the product at the right specifications like temperature, packing, handling etc., throughout the supply chain,” Lazarus continued. “We really struggle to achieve this due to lack of design norms, operational inefficiencies, discipline issues and lack of process controls. As a cold chain supply chain consultant, I have worked on multiple projects fixing these gaps and, in most cases, we are not inventing anything new, but fixing the missing basics. There have also been instances, where we used IoT-based supply chain solutions to bridge these gaps. Recently we worked on an IoT solution to bridge multiple upstream and downstream issues within a dairy product supply chain.”

Lazarus’ point is that new tools and technologies keep coming up but those that are already there are not obsolete, and they make perfect sense even today. Speaking on this point, Rosenbusch said that technology was indeed the main topic of discussion at GCCA’s recent board meeting, stressing on its importance.

“When I say technology, automation is a big part of that,” Rosenbusch added. “If you look at Europe, the continent has always been a leader in automation, with just about any building you go into having some form of it. This is obviously because of the lack of availability and high price of land and labor. Labor is very expensive in Europe, so that has been a driver behind a lot of the automation that you see there. Those same challenges are not necessarily there in the U.S. However, we are seeing a tipping point and that is labor availability. [Concerns on] the availability of labor have pushed people to seriously consider automated solutions.”

He added that automation does not necessarily mean complete AS/RS systems in the cold chain industry. In some cases, for instance, it’s just about integrating conveyors or pallet moles into existing infrastructure. So, anything that can create efficiency or help replace some of the labor that has become a challenge is definitely being used.

“But it’s not just automation from a technology standpoint, but also systems, that include WMS and TMS, business intelligence, solutions to help look at supply chain optimization for customers, etc.” Rosenbusch. “We have even heard of people using drones in their buildings to do cycle counts, fully IoT-enabled systems for refrigeration. It’s a broader introduction of technology into all elements of the business.”

Challenges Hurting Growth
When it comes to the challenges in this industry, factors ranging from regional differences to economic concerns play a major role.

“We primarily represent, what we call, the third-party cold chain,” Rosenbusch said. “This means anybody who is offering cold chain solutions as a service. There is a lot of demand for these services right now, but I think the contractual environment has prevented a lot of food companies that are demanding those services from making long-term commitments. So, when you look at the need to put up more assets, to put up more buildings, to invest in growth, what they require is an anchor client, an anchor tenant or a long-term commitment.”

This is not just from a return on investment (ROI) perspective but also from a financing perspective when banks and financial institutions look at feasibility.

“The industry in the food sector has become so dynamic,” Rosenbusch continued. “It’s changing so rapidly, that it makes it difficult for food companies to make a ten-year commitment for some assets. But these are not cheap assets, and I think that’s one of the factors that is affecting growth.”

Regulations are another factor that is important to consider. For instance, certain automation solutions might require tall buildings and the height may not be in line with what the local laws permit. The general political environment of a country may also come into play when considering challenges that need to be overcome. Concerns in this regard may limit the amount of investment that individuals and organizations would want to make. Especially when it comes to expanding to new markets, there are uncertainties on how governments function and this too becomes a hurdle to growth.

But perhaps the biggest challenge is labor itself. Having a skilled workforce to fill the jobs and be able to meet the current requirements is not easy.

Krenzien added certain other technological challenges as well. In his opinion, while it is critical to monitor factors such as the temperature at each point of the supply chain, aspects such as lack of adequate infrastructure, especially in terms of refrigerated trucks, warehouses and efficient roads in developing economies is a difficulty.

Enhancing Business in Cold Chain
For vendors that provide technical support to cold chain service providers, understanding the challenges and requirements is critical. Labor and energy are the two biggest costs for service providers, and manufacturers would do well if they can concentrate on coming up with solutions that would ease the pressure on these two fronts.

On a final note, Rosenbusch added that a survey of food companies that GCCA had conducted recently found that food safety and protecting their brand was the biggest concern. No one can afford to have an outbreak of a food-borne illness because it would completely destroy their brand. In other words, this is the major fear that keeps them awake at night and, this, in turn, should be the primary focus of technology vendors who manufacture cold chain solutions.

Giga-TMS Offers an Ideal Cold Chain Solution With Promag

With global trade links continuing to grow at a rapid pace, the need for an uninterruptable cold chain to transport perishable goods like fresh food and medicine is at an all-time high. One of the key players in this industry, offering robust solutions to cold chain service providers, is Giga-TMS.

Controlling the various parameters of temperature is critical to the efficient operation of cold chain systems. In this regard, Giga-TMS offers Promag, its solution that enables temperature monitoring, cloud-based data with web portal access and mobile apps, prevention of data tampering, and track and trace of transport. From an operational point of view, the solution that Giga-TMS provides allows fresh products to hold their value longer, increasing their transportability and providing opportunities that expand their market reach.

What Features Make Promag Special?
Giga-TMS offers an end-to-end solution. Monitoring begins at the farms and factories and remains in operation until products reach destinations like distribution centers, third-party logistic outlets, warehouses, grocery stores, specialty retail stores, restaurants, and hospitality centers. While this itself is a great advantage to the customer, Promag’s following features ensure the whole process runs as smooth as possible.

1. Basic functions: These include a range of relevant sensors for factors like temperature and light, along with an integrated alert mechanism. The solution can make use of Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.
2. Ease of use: End customers like restaurants and retail outlets do not have dedicated technical departments to take care of cold chain processes. The solutions offered to them should be robust and easy to set up and use. Promag, with its ease of connectivity and cloud-based support, ensures minimum onsite maintenance.
3. User interface: Given the fact that customers in the transport and preparation of food often must adhere to stringent deadlines, a simple, intuitive user interface is critical. This will reduce the time required for training new employees as well.
4. Data for analytics: The role of data is being increasingly understood in various industries and the cold chain is no different. With Promag, customers will be able to gather information through real-time monitoring, which can be analyzed and used to predict conditions.
5. Accuracy and reliability: None of the features mentioned above matter if the solution does not provide a consistently dependable service. This is where Giga-TMS truly stands a class apart. Promag conforms to international standards that ensure reliability and accuracy.

How Does It All Benefit the Customer?
By ensuring that products like food and healthcare supplies remain intact during transport, Giga-TMS is an asset to cold chain service providers. Naturally, customers of different products have different requirements. For instance, the conditions that are necessary to transport fruits and vegetables are different from that required for medicines. The advantage of Promag is that it can suit customers across verticals. By ensuring the efficient transport of goods, the solution helps to boost productivity, improve accuracy, customer satisfaction, reduce costs and enhance the overall brand image. In short, with Promag, cold chain service providers can rest assured that their investment is in the right place.

From pick up to drop off – student tracking provides peace of mind

Student tracking solutions for school buses are allowing both parents and school administrators to keep track of students during their bus journey to and from school.
Izvor: a&s International
E-mail: redakcija@asadria.com

It’s a simple fact — parents want to know where their children are. Now, with student tracking solutions, this peace of mind can be offered to both parents, drivers and school administrators alike.

Most of the technologies used by school buses to increase safety (e.g., collision detection, surveillance cameras, GPS tracking, etc.) are not unique to school bus transportation – many of these technologies are already widely used in the transportation industry. What is unique to the school bus industry, though, is the proliferation of apps and student tracking technologies. With these technologies drivers and parents can track both the school bus and students on the bus, while also ensuring that school buses are as efficient as possible.

Different Types of Student Tracking
The latest solution for student tracking is to equip students with their own ID card which is swiped when getting on and off the school bus. This allows administrators and parents to view and track where students are during the school bus operation. Companies like Wireless inks offer passive and active RFID solutions integrated with fleet management to track students. The company’s student and school bus tracking fleet management solution provides visibility and control over the real-time location of students and buses while providing assistance in ensuring student transportation safety.

According to Gene Ballard, Smart Bus Program Manager at Kajeet, the following are required for an effective student tracking solution: full GPS services on the bus, ID cards for the students with RFID or NFC, and driver tablets (which some states prohibit). “The driver tablet is important as students will forget their ID cards and their information must be manually entered into a tablet,” he explained.

The Kajeet solution provides the connecting piece of Wi-Fi to ensure student tracking information can be transferred safely and securely. “Our SmartBus solution also includes the GPS services to: view the current location and location history of every school bus; visualize the position of buses across the school district with a breadcrumbs trail; and create custom reports, including when buses exceed the speed limit,” Ballard said.

Seon’s student ridership tracking solution is integrated with video, GPS tracking and route operations software. “Student tracking requires an RFID card, card reader, wireless connectivity (cellular) and interface with routing or tracking data. Most vendors offer pieces of this solution, leading to incompatibility and incomprehensible data reports. We offer a fully integrated video, routing and tracking solution,” said Justin Malcolm, Director of Product Management for Safe Fleet.

ReaXium has created a unique solution using mobile biometric devices that are outfitted on the school bus. “Upon boarding, students and bus drivers authenticate themselves with a device that captures their fingerprint or ID card which verifies who they are, when they boarded, and what bus and bus stop they should be going to,” explained Edgar Zorrilla, CEO of ReaXium.

Unlike cameras, GPS tracking and roll-call methods of student monitoring, which lack a big proponent in visibility, ReaXium’s solution removes the guesswork of which students are on the bus, what stop they will be getting off at, and when they will be getting off. “Parents and administrators can track the buses in real time and get notifications on student status. The ability to provide constant visibility throughout the bus route is critical in making sure that no child is not accounted for and to advocate safety for the greater community,” Zorrilla said.

Overcoming Challenges
School districts are always under strict budgets, and “extras,” like student tracking, are often seen as unnecessary despite their value. As such, solution providers are working with school districts’ restricted budgets so they can still reap the benefits of this technology.

ReaXium boasts a flexible business model to allow school districts to make the most of implementing its solution. “For starters, as a managed service provider, we don’t make districts take on a capital asset that will depreciate in value, instead our customers will pay a monthly fee that covers full-time monitoring and support as well as access to any software or hardware update,” Zorrilla explained.

Wireless Links offers low-cost options such as its RFID solutions integrated with GPS telematics. “We offer both passive and active RFID solutions in addition to the GPS telematics devices installed on the bus. Both are budget friendly options. For the passive RFID, the student card serves as a passive RFID card. When the student gets on or off the bus, he scans the RFID card by the reader to log the location and time of event. For the active RFID, each student is issued a personal RFTag with a unique ID. When students get on and off the bus, the RFTag automatically links and registers with the Piccolo Plus telematics device installed in the bus,” said Morgan Minster, Marketing Manager at Wireless Links.

While cost is a major challenge, Leslie Kilgore, VP of Engineering at Thomas Built Buses (TBB) pointed out that most school districts keep their school buses for 15 years or more. “Even if a school district does decide to install student tracking technology, some older buses may not be compatible with the technology, leaving only their newest buses (a small percentage of the overall fleet) equipped with the safety feature,” she said.

Education and technology awareness are also challenges. While schools districts are adopting more new, smart technologies in the classroom, understanding how technologies like student tracking work and the benefits are not always so easy.

For companies like ReaXium, with their unique biometric student tracking solution, educating users and exploring with them the effectiveness of its biometric solution is essential to its deployment. “Not understanding how biometrics works, how this would improve safety and security, what are the costs of this system are objections that we face,” Zorrilla explained. “As biometrics makes an advancement toward preventative security, people tend to have the negative connotation that their identity is at risk and that their personal information is stored on a database that everyone can view, which is not the case. In addition to biometrics, we offer card-based ridership solutions with the same solution.”

From a technical standpoint, Zorrilla noted connectivity and the potential for a bus route to cross blind spots as challenges. “However, our solution works online and offline. Any data collected during a lost connection or blind spot such as bus location, students entering and more is automatically synced and logged correctly when a connection is established again,” he added.

Still a Ways to Go
Tracking students can definitely have its benefits, especially in highly urban settings where safety and security may be more of a concern. However, at this point, with limited budgets, school districts will have a hard time spending on technologies like student tracking considering the overwhelming majority of school buses in the U.S. are not even required to have seatbelts. Although, with safety becoming more of an issue, certain school districts are sure to find such technology very valuable.

How Student Tracking Helps School Administrators and Drivers

Student tracking helps parents know where their child is while on the school bus; however, the technology also largely benefits school administrators and drivers.

Student tracking increases awareness on buses by verifying who is who and where. It also helps to provide parents with peace of mind, but more importantly allows school districts to more effectively manage their transportation.

Wireless Links’ solution helps school transport managers to communicate better with school bus drivers, know their driving patterns or violations, view the location of a school bus and receive instant warnings on exit from regular route, explained Morgan Minster, Marketing Manager at Wireless Links; thus assisting schools in managing their transportation effectively. Edgar Zorrilla, CEO of ReaXium, noted that one of the biggest issues with school bus safety is awareness of who is onboard, and what to do in a situation. “While implementing surveillance cameras and bus tracking software are some solutions to show the activity of the bus, they don’t accomplish the greater goal of accountability. This means; who enters and leaves, what time they did, and constant communication between the bus driver and the school,” he said. Student tracking solutions can help to resolve the imbalance of awareness that results in students boarding the wrong bus, not getting off at the right stop, and lack of updates for parents when they ask the school where their child is and the school is unable to answer that. Whether through a data plan or using mobile Wi-Fi, Zorrilla noted that smart school buses can now communicate with dispatchers and administrators in real time by automatically syncing their current rider list and their location, as well as sending any alerts dispatched by drivers. “Administrators can track buses and the students onboard from their secure web dashboard. Parents or guardians can also track the bus and their students using a mobile app.”

Student tracking can also make school bus drivers better. “For instance, our device acts as a student information manager meaning drivers can know how many students and who to expect at a stop,” Zorrilla explained. “Similarly, the device acts as an alert dispatcher letting drivers quickly tell administrators or families of an unexpected delay or incident.”

How technology is making school buses safer

Ensuring the safety of the millions of children that ride school buses daily is a top priority. New and more advanced technologies are helping school districts protect students both on and off the bus.
Izvor: a&s International
E-mail: redakcija@asadria.com

School buses are one of the safest modes of transportation on the road. In fact, students are 70 times more likely to arrive safely at school if traveling by school bus rather than by car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Even so, recent school bus accidents, such as the 2016 Chattanooga, Tennessee, bus crash that resulted in the deaths of six students have highlighted the need for stronger safety measures.

Today, a combination of public awareness, driver and student bus safety training, and installation of integrated onboard safety technologies are essential for modern school bus safety management, according to Justin Malcolm, Director of Product Management for Safe Fleet. By deploying a combination of different safety solutions, school buses across the U.S. can better ensure the safety of the precious cargo they transport.

Using Cameras and GPS Tracking
Nowadays there are many different types of safety and security solutions for school buses. Cameras are a common safety measure, and in the past have mostly been installed inside buses to monitor and keep track of what is happening aboard. However, advancements in camera technology and accompanying software can now offer school districts real-time video footage of what is happening both outside and inside the bus. This is important since students are most vulnerable during the loading and unloading process.

While the deployment of stop arms and crossing arms have helped reduce student injuries and fatalities over the years, implementing stop arm cameras on the outside of the bus is helping penalize drivers overtaking stopped school buses.

“Stop-arm cameras track any illegal passing and some states allow districts to use these cameras to issue tickets to those drivers,” said Gene Ballard, Smart Bus Program Manager at Kajeet. “Rearview or backup cameras provide drivers another point of reference to ensure there are no pedestrians walking behind the school bus. Additionally, bus drivers have a silent alarm or panic button, which they can press to alert their transportation department of an issue or emergency on their school bus,” he added.

Leslie Kilgore, VP of Engineering at Thomas Built Buses (TBB), explained how using a 360-degree camera, such as TBB’s PV360, could provide a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the exterior of the bus. “Unlike other cameras in the market that provide images on split screens, the PV360 camera shows full visibility all the way around the bus with screens that are stitched together to create one image,” she said. The PV360 uses four cameras to provide bus drivers with real-time video images of everything that is happening outside the bus, without constantly switching views. “If the driver needs a closer look, he or she can toggle between cameras for a closer look. This technology is especially important since most accidents involving a school bus happen outside the bus.”

GPS tracking is another popular solution used for school bus safety. Through GPS tracking, school districts can know the exact location of all buses in its fleet. “GPS technology also provides speed reports, such as the posted speed vs. the actual bus speed. So if bus drivers are speeding, transportation departments can now see who is speeding, where they were speeding, and by how much,” Ballard explained.

Installing GPS telematics units also provides school transport managers with important information ranging from real-time bus location; school bus driver’s driving behavior; geofencing alerts when vehicles exit and enter predefined areas or routes; and maintenance, according to Morgan Minster, Marketing Manager at Wireless Links.

How Wi-Fi Changed the Game
Aside from improved camera and GPS telematics technology, companies have developed a wide variety of solutions to enhance school bus safety. Much of this development has been brought on and made possible by the increased availability of Wi-Fi networks and the overall IoT revolution.

“Technology is bringing more and more safety solutions to the school bus. The first solution to bring school buses into the 21st century is internet access,” Ballard said. “As school buses become well-connected vehicles, there needs to be a factor that ties all of the technology together. And that connecting piece is internet access. With Wi-Fi on the school bus, districts get the access they need to keep moving forward in the connected world while saving money and expanding their capabilities to integrate any Wi-Fi enabled solutions.”

Kilgore observed, “Cellular data and Wi-Fi has enabled apps to function and to be accessible. In addition, cellular data also enables some technologies like onboard telematics to receive over-the-air updates much like a standard computer update. This saves the fleet managers and technicians time and money and makes the school bus safer overall by allowing communication with the transportation department.”

Malcolm noted that adoption of live streaming, which offers the ability to tap into installed video cameras to assess onboard emergencies, has been hampered by the high costs of cellular data plans. “Deployments of mobile Wi-Fi will help reduce the adoption barriers to live video streaming, by sharing data plan costs across applications.”

Additionally, filtered Wi-Fi — meaning students can only access educational, safe sites — on school buses allows students to focus on their homework or educational games, which keeps them entertained and reduces the chances of fighting, according to Ballard. “They won’t be spending their time on social media or watching TV. And students can gain an additional 20 days of instructional time with Wi-Fi on their school bus,” he explained.

New Technologies Creating Safer Buses
There are many new and innovative technologies on the market today that are being deploying on buses to increase safety and security in and around the bus.

“When developing technologies for our industry, we strive to hit the right balance, bringing to market only the innovations that make sense for the customers. In other words, the right technology at the right time. We don’t innovate for the sake of innovating,” Kilgore said. “Instead, we try to address problems in the industry and work to make school buses safer, more efficient, easier to maintain, and to provide a lower total cost of ownership.”

One such technology being developed is pedestrian detection. TBB is currently developing its own pedestrian detection solution, which will be comprised of LED ground lights on the cross-view mirrors as well as multiple radar units on the 77 GHz frequency band installed around the exterior of a Thomas Built bus. “These higher frequency radars, which are used for autonomous vehicles and high-resolution meteorological observations, will allow for more precise detection and measurement of a pedestrian or object within 10 feet of the front, back or side of the school bus. The entire traditional danger zone will be visible. When a pedestrian is detected, the system will alert the driver on an in-cabin tablet, as well as through caution lights on the cross-view mirrors,” Kilgore explained.

Safe Fleet is also working on smart pedestrian detection technologies that use a combination of video, sensors, artificial intelligence and deep learning, which will help analyze and reduce future accidents. “Safe Fleet is currently working on a number of school bus danger zone safety technologies that both improve visibility around the bus and analyze and alert both students and drivers of any hazards in the danger zone. These technologies working together will analyze whether an oncoming vehicle is likely to pass illegally, and warn students and drivers not to cross. These technologies will improve visibility and send both visual and audible alerts to drivers when motion is detected near the school bus at a stop to reduce collisions,” Malcolm said.

Lane departure and collision avoidance warnings, which can alert the driver before an impending accident occurs, are also being adopted by school districts.

While technologies like collision avoidance and pedestrian detection are considered new technologies for the school bus industry, Kilgore pointed out that they are not necessarily new to the transportation industry.

Challenges to Safety and Security
One of the biggest challenges school districts face when wanting to deploy new technology is budgetary. “School budgets are limited and when it comes to purchasing multiple school buses or equipping just a few buses with state-of-the-art technology, most school districts opt to purchase more buses rather than a few with the latest in safety technology,” Kilgore said.

“Budget is consistently a roadblock to advancing school buses with the latest technology,” Ballard said. To meet this challenge, Kajeet has reduced the upfront cost of its solution with a new program, SmartBus Select. “This program brings the first-year cost down to US$840. This fixed monthly rate for this all-in-one program includes: SmartBus hardware, installation kit, installation services, data plan with 4G LTE connectivity on six North American wireless carriers, and GPS services,” he explained.

Urgency, as observed by Minster, is another challenge. “Although schools and districts are aware of the benefits, they are not urgent to pass the necessary budget to equip school buses with these types of technologies or they do not feel that they should invest in these solutions at the moment. This causes delays in the implementation in these solutions which is a shame as all can benefit from these types of technologies to ensure student safety.”

Malcolm noted connectivity challenges, high cost data plans, and IT networking infrastructure knowledge as obstacles preventing faster adoption of newer technologies. “Also with the proliferation of data from all these technologies, school administrators are overwhelmed by system operations and data analysis,” he added.

Seon, a Safe Fleet brand, has tackled these problems by offering a completely integrated out-of-the-box solution for school transportation that combines video, route operations, tracking and student ridership technology to make it easier for administrators to pull meaningful data that improves student safety. Additionally, its Certified Wireless Network Administrators can help districts architect their wireless networks to handle the demands of video transmission.

A Future of Smart School Buses
Despite budget limitations, school buses will continue to become not only safer and more secure, but also smarter. With regulations changing to better ensure student safety, along with increased connectivity and advancements in technology, school buses are bound to become smarter — not just because of available technologies, but because student safety will demand it.

Deadly school bus accidents are driving US lawmakers at both the federal and state levels to strengthen the regulations that govern school bus safety.

New regulations are oftentimes an unfortunate result of tragic accidents. For example, the death of a two-year-old girl in New Jersey resulted in Abigail’s Law. This law requires school buses in the state to be equipped with sensors to detect objects in the front and back of the bus. Then earlier this year in May, a school bus accident in New Jersey, which resulted in the death of one student and a teacher, brought increased attention to school bus safety. In response to the accident, state lawmakers passed a bill requiring all new school buses to have three-point lap and shoulder belts – previously school buses were only required to have two-point lap belts.

Nationally, school bus safety is governed by strict regulations set forth by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). “School buses must meet 42 FMVSS requirements, more than any other vehicle on the road,” explained Leslie Kilgore, VP of Engineering at Thomas Built Buses (TBB). “Beyond the federal requirements, individual states have their own safety regulations, plus the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) make recommendations on regulations and restrictions to further enhance the safety of school buses.” According to the NHTSA, in a single day more than 104,000 school bus drivers observed 77,972 vehicles illegally passing school buses in 2017. To combat this, the NCSL reports there are currently 15 states that allow local governments or school districts to use cameras to capture images and issue tickets to drivers illegally passing stopped school buses.

Recently, the NTSB recommended all US school buses be equipped with lap-shoulder belts and electronic stability control. While some states take these recommendations to heart, others are still considering the recommendation. Currently, only eight states — Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Texas — in the U.S. have laws requiring school buses to have seatbelts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

Electronic stability control, which assists school bus drivers by detecting when a school bus is unstable and corrects the path of the bus before a rollover or loss of control occurs, can help eliminate accidents before they happen. Kilgore noted Canada requires all new school buses be equipped with electronic stability control. “With time, more and more of these safety features will become standard on school buses. Today, our new Saf-T-Liner C2 school buses already come equipped with electronic stability control and engine telematics as standard equipment. More features will follow, due to regulations or needs within the industry. But it will take time and further education before all school buses across the United States and Canada feature all these technologies,” Kilgore said.

 

Hikvision: Using waste to gain time

Waste management has become a hot topic in a world where managing resources is crucial to the future of the planet. In fact, earlier this year the scientific community warned that the Earth was heading to ‘the point of no return’ unless immediate action to reduce harmful emissions is taken. In this political environment reuse is more important than ever.
Affald Plus in Denmark is a waste disposal company that treats waste from South and West Zealand regions of Denmark to create a valuable resource. It turns the waste into materials for reuse, like biofuels, copper, paper, and ‘upcycling’ of construction waste.

But there are risks involved in these activities – for example, waste silos can produce flammable gases which could ignite if the temperature gets too high. To manage this risk, Affald Plus turned to SeeSafe, a leading Danish security provider – and SeeSafe used Hikvision products to build the solution, including thermal cameras and a decoder managing a video wall for the control centre.

Challenge
Since many of the silos are unmanned, it’s important that the company has an accurate oversight into what is going on at each of them. Not only do they need to be able to see that they are safe, and that there are no unauthorised persons ‘hanging around’, but also that the temperatures inside are within an acceptable range. Operators are looking out for ‘hotspots’ – areas where the temperature has risen to a level where they need to carefully monitor them, or act. Hotspots are static, but if they move, then it’s likely that there is actually a fire – the nature of flames is much more random, moving around.
Since all of the silos are monitored for a central security office, it was also important to bring in all of the information to the same place and make it easy to see. In order to make swift decisions, the data needs to be clear, accessible and current. In past, this task was very time consuming, with security personnel completing two rounds of the whole plant every day. This also meant that they could not react as quickly to any potential issues.

Solution
The complete solution took the form of a mix of Turbo HD and IP cameras, DVR and encoders. But the hero products were several thermal network bullet cameras (DS-2TD2136-10) and a decoder device (DS-6910UDI) that managed a video wall in the central security office.
The thermal cameras were chosen specifically for their ability to detect a potential fire through temperature measurement. They can measure temperature between -20°C to 150°C, with an accuracy of ±8°C. Each camera can support 10 fire points, and when the temperatures reach a predefined level at one of them, an alarm is sent directly to the control centre.
Here all the information from the cameras is combined, so operators can easily see what and where the risk is and act accordingly. The decoder displays the decoded video stream on the video wall by directly linking the cameras in the solution. It also allows the video wall to display temperature measurements, dynamic fire source detection and VCA information in live view and playback.
With thermal cameras constantly on the lookout for rising temperatures and a video wall to make it easy to see the status of the silos, Affald Plus Operating Manager Jeppe Steen Elvang can rest easier. He says: “With these new thermal cameras we can constantly monitor the heat of the large amount of waste we have in silos. We get alarms when it approaches dangerous temperatures. We can now follow all processes effectively and monitor critical sites in the plant and at our unmanned locations.”
With the help of SeeSafe and Hikvision cameras, Affald Plus can contribute to recycling targets in a safe and sustainable way. And, hopefully, with the continuing efforts of companies and projects like this, the point of no return predicted by scientists will be pushed further away.

Find out about the thermal cameras
Find out about the decoder

ISE connects the world’s AV community

ISE 2019 shows how technology and creativity deliver experience
The 16th Integrated Systems Europe, which ran at the RAI Amsterdam from 5-8 February, was the biggest, broadest-reaching and most exciting edition of the show ever – confirming it as the international destination of choice for AV professionals.

As well as hosting 15 halls containing the latest technologies and solutions for pro AV and systems integration, the show provided its widest-ranging professional development programme to date, extending its coverage of major vertical market sectors.

The largest ever ISE show floor – 56,100 net square metres – housed 1,301 exhibitors. Of these 225 (17%) were companies taking space at ISE for the first time. At the close of ISE 2019, 92% of the available floor space at ISE 2020 had already been sold.

The overall number of registered visitors to ISE 2019 was 81,268 – another record figure for the show. Of these, a remarkable 32% were attending ISE for the first time. Wednesday saw the largest ever one-day attendance figure for any show at the Amsterdam RAI, and the number of attendees on Friday passed 20,000 for the first time.

A key theme of the show was how AV technology enables creative imaginations to produce rich experiences. This was explored in both the Opening Address from master projection designer Bart Kresa, and the Closing Keynote given by Tupac Martir, creative director and co-founder of Satore Studio. They were part of a professional development programme involving 300 international thought leaders, subject experts and creative minds.

Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Events Managing Director, commented: “As an exhibition, as an unbeatable source of education and professional development, and as a destination for a global industry to come together and do business – ISE 2019 has delivered. Our Opening Address, Closing Keynote, and our two projection mapping features were fantastic showcases for how event professionals and others can harness AV technology to better realise their creativity.”

The day after his Opening Address, the world premiere of Bart Kresa’s latest projection mapping sculpture, Sviatovid, took place at the RAI. Constantly changing, highly detailed imagery projected all around the 5m-high figure, synchronised with a dynamic soundtrack, made for a compelling and memorable AV experience.

In ISE 2019’s other projection mapping first, the façade of the soon-to-open nhow RAI Amsterdam hotel, just next to the exhibition centre, became a projection mapping canvas, with video shot that day at the show forming part of each evening’s display.

Presented under the slogan ‘Learn. Discover. Be Inspired’, ISE 2019’s professional development programme featured strong involvement from the show’s co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, as well as conferences organised by vertical market specialists.

For the first time, the nearby Hotel Okura was used as an ISE venue, hosting five of the show’s ten conferences. New additions for 2019 included Hospitality Tech Summit by HTNG; Digital Cinema Summit, produced in conjunction with Digital Cinema Report; AGORA, for the sports venue market, produced by MONDO | STADIA; and visitor attraction and theme park specialist blooloop returned to ISE for a second year with its new attractionsTECH conference.

AVIXA hosted two of its ‘What’s Next’ conferences, both of which had sold out before the show opened. These two strategy and technology conferences focused on integrated AV experiences in higher education and in enterprise. The association also ran a series of free 20-minute FlashTrack education sessions on its stand.

CEDIA, which used ISE 2019 to begin its 30th anniversary celebration events, had a four-day professional development programme with over 36 different courses, covering pertinent subjects under the headings of Technical Skills, Emerging Trends, and Business Success. Additionally, its stand hosted free CEDIA Talks on topical industry issues each day of the show.

An innovation for ISE 2019 was the Main Stage theatre in Hall 8. This was the venue for high-level thought leadership presentations, best practice case studies and expert-led panel discussions, many of which were ‘standing-room only’. Content was provided by AVIXA, CEDIA, AV Magazine and ISE itself, and the presentations were live-streamed to the ISE website.

ISE’s beating heart is its show floor, and ISE 2019 exhibitors once again made the most of the opportunity to launch new products and showcase their latest solutions. Among the technology trends in evidence were 8K displays; smart building technology, including the Internet of Things; AI-equipped devices; the continued progression of conferencing and collaboration technology; 3D projection mapping; a wider-than-ever choice of curved, flexible, transparent and ever-smaller-pitch LED displays; and further developments in AV over IP and audio networking.

For AVIXA and CEDIA, the event offered the perfect opportunity to showcase their various initiatives for 2019 in the areas of professional development and industry representation.

Dave Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, Chief Executive Officer of AVIXA, commented: “Congratulations to everyone involved with ISE on another record year. But let’s not lose sight of the many connections – both personal and professional – that were made in 2019.

“AVIXA defines success as being a catalyst for the growth of the global AV market and a hub for the profession and its practitioners. We certainly saw those twin goals become reality in Amsterdam. All of the focused conferences throughout the week, including AVIXA’s sold-out ‘What’s Next’ conferences for higher education and enterprise technologists, and networking opportunities, such as those held for AVIXA’s Women’s Council and EMEA members, help bring people together in order to propel this industry forward. Our FlashTracks stage of training opportunities was buzzing, and special programmes, like ISE’s student programme for fostering workforce development, demonstrated some of the many ways the show continues to be a dynamic, critical gathering of industry professionals.

“As always, it is our privilege to work with the talented team at ISE, CEDIA and the RAI. The commercial value of a trade fair like ISE cannot be overestimated nor over-celebrated.”

Tabatha O’Connor, CEO of CEDIA, commented: “We’ve enjoyed an amazing ISE 2019! CEDIA chose this year’s show as the kick off point for our 30-year anniversary celebrations and what an awesome week it has been.

“Our professional development programme has exceeded expectations, with delegates from around the world taking advantage of the excellent and varied training opportunities on offer. A number of classes, including our new full-day Home Cinema Design Masterclass, even sold out – which was great. The free CEDIA Talks on our booth also proved popular and we were delighted to showcase CEDIA Award winning projects with support from integrators and industry brand members on the ISE Main Stage.

“Above all, ISE is a great place for the CEDIA global community to connect not just with the many exciting, new technologies on display but with their industry friends and peers as well. We met with many new and existing international members on the CEDIA booth, giving us the chance to share progress on our three-year strategic plan and talk about the many initiatives we have coming down the pipe. We also welcomed over 200 guests to the Heineken Brewery for our annual CEDIA Party and 30th birthday cake cutting – a fantastic evening enjoyed by all comers.

“The show has been a terrific success and we can’t wait for ISE 2020!”

ISE 2020 will be held at the RAI Amsterdam from 11-14 February 2020.

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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.