September 3, 2026
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Home Articles posted by a&s Adria (Page 215)

Data is critical to your business, so physical security for servers is more important than ever

London, May 2020 – Businesses, large and small, create data which needs protecting, whether in an onsite server room or co-located at a data centre. When you imagine a corporate data breach, you’re probably picturing black-hat hackers pursued by cybercrime investigators. The reality is often more mundane. Only around a half of breaches involve hacking, according to one recent report*. Gaps in the physical security your data and servers are equally important targets.

Perhaps your company director leaves her laptop on the train. Or an unauthorized visitor spots open server racks and quickly downloads records onto his smartphone. Or maybe your server room access control is left entirely to lock-and-key technology which you cannot easily track.

Securing sensitive data needs the involvement of every member in an organization, from top to bottom. But physically protecting servers and data stores is the heart of the security and IT manager’s role.

How much could a data breach cost you?
In the absence of appropriate physical server security, the mundane can be dangerous — and expensive. Recent research for IBM by the Ponemon Institute estimates the average total cost of a data breach at $3.86 million (€3.57 million)**. According to the same benchmark report, this average is rising, by 6.4% in the last year alone. Some of the highest breach costs are borne by companies in Europe, including Germany, France, Italy and the UK.

Such costs can be direct: in business disruption, lost mailing lists or disabled logistics software. They can be indirect: an erosion of customer trust and damaged “brand equity”. Hard-earned goodwill and positive reputations are quickly reversed.

Costs also come from fines levied by government and supranational regulators. As Big Data gets bigger, so does the regulatory landscape for data handling.

The most relevant framework for those operating in the EMEA region is the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This wide-ranging data privacy rulebook has been enforced since May 2018. GDPR requires you to protect storage of all personal information, including customer and employee data. Your safeguards must include both electronic and physical barriers to unauthorised access. Server protection is critical.

3 levels of physical security for your servers
Do you know who last accessed your servers — and when? If the answer to either question is “no”, you are taking unnecessary risks with data security. Yet ensuring you stay on the regulators’ right side, and avoid a costly breach, could be straightforward: better access control.

To ensure maximum security of your servers, in its recent white paper ASSA ABLOY recommends three levels of security working together within an integrated access system. At the top level, perimeter security ensures only authorised personnel enter a data storage building. Here, door and gate electronic locks with credential readers can work alongside the likes of CCTV and monitored fencing. It’s your first line of physical breach defence.

Level 2 — server room access — can be monitored and controlled with a range of access control door devices with inbuilt credential readers, including Aperio battery-powered escutcheons or complete security locks. Either device integrates seamlessly with access and security management systems from over 100 different manufacturers. At room level, physical security must also include water- and dustproofing, electromagnetic security and protection against other physical threats to servers and data***.

The third, final level of physical data security is your server rack or cabinet. Server rooms have a steady flow of authorised traffic: cleaners, maintenance staff, repair technicians and others. Employee screening cannot be perfect — and accidents happen. Rack or cabinet locking with RFID readers is the last line of defence against a malicious or accidental physical data breach.

Responsive, real-time rack protection
ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio KS100 Server Cabinet Lock adds real-time access control and monitoring to server racks and cabinets. The lock works with an existing or new access control system; compatible credentials employ all standard RFID protocols including iCLASS®, MIFARE® and DESFire. Under the EU’s GDPR, you must inform anyone affected by a breach “without undue delay”. With the Aperio KS100, you would know right away if unauthorised access had even been attempted.

Once installed, KS100 locks integrate with your access control system and communicate wirelessly via an Aperio Communications Hub, even if your racks are co-located in a distant data centre. Once online integration with your security admin system is complete, lock access decisions are communicated from and recorded by your software wirelessly.

“When Aperio replaces mechanical locking at all three levels of server access control, lost keys no longer compromise data security. Lost credentials are simply deauthorised and a valid replacement reissued. The current status of any lock, at any level, is revealed with the click of a mouse. Generating detailed audit trails is straightforward, making the KS100 and other Aperio wireless locks invaluable for incident investigation”, explains Johan Olsén, Aperio Product Manager at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA.

The right electronic locking keeps your customer reputation intact, your data off the Dark Web, and you on the right side of the multiple data protection regulations, including GDPR.

Could you protect your valuable data better with improved access control? Download ASSA ABLOY’s free 12-page briefing paper on data centre security at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/aperio-data-centers

Adria Security Summit Powered by Intersec 2020 Will Be Held in November

Press

Adria Security Summit 2020 Powered by Intersec

Security Industry Conference and Exhibition

Hotel Hills, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 04– 05 Nov 2020

Adria Security Summit Powered by Intersec 2020 Will Be Held in November

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Adria Security Summit 2020 Powered by Intersec has been postponed to 4 – 5 November 2020.

The decision to postpone the conference and exhibition was made by a&s Adria magazine in close collaboration with the sponsors, partner associations and industry professionals. The safety of our customers and staff is always our top priority.

A statement from Mahir Hodzic, CEO of the Organizing Board, explains that the decision is the result of consultations with exhibitors and other stakeholders to determine the best outcome for all. “We strongly believe that this new date benefits our event and provides the best opportunity for both exhibitors and visitors to do business. After all major security industry events throughout Europe have been canceled, we will make the Summit available for more European and regional professionals who miss the talks, meeting leads, and getting the deals done,“ said Hodzic.

More than 90 companies have confirmed sponsorships and presentations at Adria Security Summit Powered by Intersec 2020 and, for the first time, the event will be held in the Hotel Hills Congress Hall in Sarajevo which covers more than 5500m2. Manufacturers, distributors, dealers, installers and system integrators, consultants and end-users from all vertical markets will be brought together in one place.

More than 80 lectures are planned and all speakers will continue with their presentation preparations. As of this year, we are launching symultaneous programs in 5 additional conference halls. It means that, as part of the Summit, you can organize your own corporate event in one of the halls and use the Summit as the best platform to inform your clients about new products and services.

The scope of the conference and exhibition goes beyond traditional security solutions, as this trade show will also cover the latest in security and safety technologies, such as IoT, artificial intelligence, intelligent video analytics and smart homes.

Regional security associations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia continue to support the Summit. The organizer of the is a&s Adria magazine, with the support of the Messe Frankfurt company.

More information is available on www.adriasecuritysummit.com. If you have any inquiries, do not hesitate to contact summit@asadria.com or call +387 (0)33 788 985.

Adria Security Summit is a unique annual conference and exhibition of the Adriatic region’s security industry. The organizer a&s Adria magazine is a member of the a&s Group, the leading global security publishing group headquartered in Taiwan. Since 2017, the event is held under the name of Adria Security Summit Powered by Intersec, as it became an official partner of the Messe Frankfurt, the Europe’s largest trade fair, congress and event organizer.

Adis Hodzic

Thermal cameras are returning to the stage

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the market for rapid and massive temperature screening technologies, including those intended for body temperature measurements, could record enormous unplanned growth. Based on what we have seen so far, the global crisis is highly likely to change our understanding of the importance of thermal imaging systems.

Even before the outbreak of the current health and economic crisis, forecasts for thermal cameras were optimistic. The global thermal scanner market was expected to reach $ 6.7 billion by 2025, with a growth of 10.3%. These are the data from the report on the state of this market from 2019 to 2025.

Thermal Cameras in a Time of Pandemic
In parallel with the growing demand for advanced security solutions, rapid urbanization around the world is leading to stronger growth of the global thermal scanner and camera industry. Infrared thermal scanners can, for example, detect passively absorbed infrared radiation from objects. Based on their ability to be easily installed on cameras, resist interference and offer advanced detection features in all weather conditions, infrared thermal scanners are now used in military research and surveillance. Key factors driving the growth of this market include the growing demand for mass and rapid screening of body temperature of passengers at airports, large investments in the aviation and defense industries, and the increased use of thermal scanners in the automotive industry.

However, a key event that could change this market forever is the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic in early 2020. Advanced thermal imaging systems can detect the presence of fever caused by flu and pneumonia in a large number of people at the same time. Their main features include contactless quick inspection of the whole body, monitoring of large areas and distances, smart alarms and high accuracy of elevated temperature measurements. Thermal cameras have been on the front lines of the fight against coronavirus for months now, while drawing increased attention from both manufacturers and end users.

Mass Temperature Screening
The warehouses of the global sales giant Amazon have recently become places of strife that pitted employees against their management. At the beginning of the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, the employees accused Amazon of not paying enough attention to their safety. The answer came in the form of installing thermal cameras in Amazon’s warehouses in the UK and other countries, with the aim of mass and rapid checkups of workers for coronavirus symptoms. The cameras helped detect the presence of fever by comparing a person’s body heat to ambient temperature and thus proved to be a faster solution compared to using hand-held thermometers for close contact. The application of thermal camera technology also served as a response to the claims of workers that it was almost impossible to maintain the so-called social distancing in the warehouses. Amazon has opted for the prevention in the form of thermal cameras which, in addition to facilitating their application in multiple locations, should also ensure uninterrupted business operations.

This and other similar cases have the potential to create high demand for thermal cameras across sectors, with a new challenge being the one to actually respond to the sudden increase in the number of product orders during the pandemic. Despite warnings from the World Health Organization that mass temperature measurements may entail false positives, the technology has so far proved to be very accurate and it could become a key weapon in the fight against coronavirus, except in asymptomatic patients who do not suffer from fever.

On the Front Lines
The beginnings of the application of thermal cameras in the field of biological protection are linked to the outbreak of the SARS epidemic in 2003, when users began to consider the use of these systems for rapid screening of body temperature in a large number of people. Seventeen years later, 2020 could prove crucial for Dahua Technology, one of the leading manufacturers of video surveillance solutions, which has been involved in the fight against the dangerous disease since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The application of the company’s thermal cameras for mass measurement of body temperature is not limited to the Asian continent where these solutions have already found their place in banks, stations and other public spaces. In the British city of Manchester, Dahua’s cameras are one of the most sought after products in the battle against coronavirus precisely because of their ability to offer an automatic screening of body temperature. Cameras are placed at the entrances to buildings with high circulation of people because these are the most suitable places to monitor the body temperatures of a large number of people. Finally, the cameras are not prevented from doing their job by masks or face visors worn by users. They also have the ability to recognize faces, which means that other hot objects such as heated food or drink containers will not be able to trigger false alarms. In addition to business facilities, it is expected that these cameras would find their place in schools, hospitals and law enforcement agencies because they all have a common need for rapid temperature screening in a larger number of people.

“In the previous period, the use of several different solutions, hand-held thermal cameras and others was discussed. Unfortunately, these are not reliable solutions, because, in addition to having deviations in measuring the temperature of the human body, they tend to increase the risk of cross-infection during and after the measurement itself. Also, some of the available thermal solutions without a reference body have deviations of as much as +/- 2 degrees, which is certainly not acceptable and is very dangerous in the case of medical application. Thanks to their high precision, high efficiency, strong adaptability and easy application, Dahua’s thermal solutions can be used in various types of scenarios”, says Dahua’s Sales Manager Elis Hrkalović.

Measuring Body and Equipment Temperature
COVID-19 proved to be an unwanted, yet attractive enough challenge for solutions that use the smart thermal sensors. FLIR Systems has introduced the A400 / A700 line of solutions with a smart thermal sensor, which also features streaming imaging technology. This sensor was originally intended for the cameras which are used to monitor equipment, production lines and critical infrastructure, but it will now also find its use in screening for elevated skin temperatures. These smart and adaptable systems offer precise, contactless temperature monitoring in a wide range of applications, including production process control, product development, emission monitoring, waste management, facility maintenance and environmental, health and safety (EHS) enforcement. Today, they will have an opportunity to prove themselves in keeping an eye on persons suspected to be infected with the coronavirus. For this task, these cameras should also be helped by technology that speeds up data flow and enables faster decision-making in the field, which, along with higher productivity, is a key factor in protecting people from the spread of the virus. This is why the A400 / A700 models are shipped with two configurations to meet the specific needs of users in a more flexible manner. The first one is the thermal sensor configuration, which is recommended for measuring elevated skin temperature and includes advanced measurement tools and alarms associated with edge computing to enable faster decision making.

At the same time, the image streaming configuration offers multiple serial displays of thermal images for easier control of production processes, better protection of product quality, and easier monitoring of potential failures that could jeopardize the operations of the production lines. By choosing one of these configurations, users can, in fact, design their own systems depending on the resolutions they need, and then activate the appropriate lenses and a number of optional functions that suit their individual mode of application. Jim Cannon, President and CEO of FLIR, commented on the use of thermal cameras to protect people in the era of the pandemic. “For more than 40 years, FLIR thermal imaging has provided technologies for professionals to improve not only their capabilities, but also their safety on the job. As the world works together to face the global COVID-19 pandemic, given the need for this technology, FLIR will prioritize initial deliveries of this new A-series camera to professionals using it in elevated skin temperature screening as an adjunct to other elevated body temperature screening tools to help to fight the spread of the virus,” he says.

MOBOTIX has had a thermal imaging program since 2016, and the company has so far mostly used thermal radiometry for the purpose of monitoring production processes and security, using integrated algorithms in the camera itself to help with the detection of unusual phenomena. “Recently, the market has been seeking help with detecting elevated temperatures and it is currently focusing on that. The MOBOTIX camera is an all-in-one solution, which users can easily use for any purpose. We’ve been using camera metadata for years to give our users insights into that data with the help of MFILES (Document Management Software), and the integration with AI, deep learning and video analytics software is something the market demands and is easily achievable through Konica Minolta’s portfolio,” says Vito Lalić, Business Development Manager for the Adriatic region at Konica Minolta. As the biggest advantage of their system, he stresses the fact that it is a stand-alone German-made system with integrated analytics inside the camera, and that no additional servers, recorders and equipment that increase the price for the user are needed to achieve the high-quality results.

Benefits of Thermal Cameras Will Be Sought Even After the Pandemic
At the end of the day, the use of thermal cameras to combat the coronavirus will not change their basic purpose. Their key advantage is reflected in the ability to support the installation of a smaller number of cameras within an installation and ensure saving money & time in the process, particularly compared to the use of conventional video surveillance cameras. Due to having access to larger surveillance ranges, organizations can place fewer thermal cameras along the perimeter compared to what is needed in the case of visible light cameras and achieve the same or even better coverage levels. Lower infrastructure investment saves time and resources both for end users and system integrators.

In addition, the prices of thermal cameras have dropped significantly in recent years and are now inching closer to those for standard cameras. All of this is creating more space for their wider application across all verticals. Martin Jensen, Global Product Manager for Thermal Cameras at Axis Communication, claims that the fact that thermal cameras create images solely on the basis of the heat radiated by people and objects is particularly important for these developments. This means that they can “see” a clear outline of a potential threat, no matter how poor the visibility is, and that they are equally effective in complete darkness and on a sunny day. “This is particularly useful for 24/7 monitoring in hazardous or remote areas where there may be no light at night and that are impossible to monitor physically,” says Jensen, adding that “Combined with features such as cross-line and motion detection and advanced analytics, thermal cameras consistently deliver a low rate of false alarms. In addition, as thermal cameras don’t deliver images that allow reliable personal identification, such as specific facial features, it’s a useful device in areas where surveillance is necessary but mustn’t interfere with people’s privacy (e.g. hospitals).”

Eyes of the Perimeter Security Team
Thanks to their features, thermal cameras will find their place most easily in perimeter protection. In ideal conditions, the most suitable place for the implementation of these devices is found right inside the perimeter, especially in the one that has stricter requirements for alarm triggering and detection. This means that thermal cameras can, in principle, serve as the literal “eyes” of perimeter security teams. This is especially true for tracking objects, vehicles and intruders, which is a task that thermal cameras can easily perform even in complete darkness, with strong lighting and in extreme weather conditions. “If deep learning algorithms are built into thermal cameras, they can even offer a classification of people and vehicles for more accurate target detection and more reliable perimeter protection. Another application relates to contactless temperature screening of objects. A thermal camera can help detect and visualize temperature anomalies and activate an alarm when a temperature value approaches a dangerous one. This effectively raises the possibility of sending warnings in a timely manner before, for example, a fire breaks out. It is ideal for industrial use, waste management and other applications,” says Myler Zhong, Hikvision’s General Manager for the Adriatic Region. His colleague David Montague, Senior Director EMEA, Security at FLIR Systems, shares this view. According to him, thermal cameras are breaking new ground as a key component of comprehensive security solutions for perimeter protection, especially in the segment of commercial security. The reason for this is the fact that they can offer superior image contrast in the widest range of work environments, from complete darkness to the most extreme weather conditions. In addition, they offer long-distance detection, which, depending on the lens and technology used, can go up to 20 km.

Artificial Intelligence and Analytics as Allies
Thermal cameras will also benefit greatly from advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and analytical functions that are used to support their work. Combined with analytics, for example, they can analyze a potential detected threat and automatically reject the target which was recognized but classified as harmless. In addition, they can immediately send notifications to security personnel about critical events. The application of video analytics on the camera itself, i.e. on the edge, allows the camera to operate much faster when it comes to determining the level of threat. “The image can be analyzed immediately within the camera, reducing bandwidth for data transfer as well as storage costs,” says Jensen.

His colleague Montague also stresses the role of integrated or external artificial intelligence in achieving the top-notch results with thermal cameras. Together, these technologies can offer much more than standard cameras, as thermal cameras have the lowest false alarm rate and reduce operating costs. Their visual display is simpler and does not depend on the lighting levels. This can be a key consideration for installations connected to remote alarm monitoring centers. The same is true for the users that have to deal with limited bandwidth and networking resources, as the installation of thermal cameras reduces their operating and infrastructure costs. “Thermal cameras enable AI on long distances without the need of illumination, reducing the number of cameras needed, civil works and total cost of ownership. Thermal cameras will operate on adverse climate conditions like fog and rain, providing customers a true 24/7 operational security system. Thermal cameras are the best option available for accurate and effective auto-tracking handoff from fixed cameras, enabling automatic and autonomous intruder tracking operations“, says Montague.

Hikvision representatives state that two types of solutions are currently used in the thermal camera industry for this purpose. The first type includes thermal cameras manufactured with built-in artificial intelligence and video analytics, in which the image is processed with the help of a graphics processing unit (GPU). They can help customers save on the cost of licensing third-party video analytics systems. Another approach is for device manufacturers to allow algorithm companies to integrate their video analytics solutions with their hardware to offer behavioral analysis, people counting, and other features.

Manufacturers Are Looking Ahead
In response to growing demand, Axis is offering the Q1941-E thermal network camera. The model enriches the company’s product portfolio with a special video analytics application called Perimeter Defender. The solution focuses on stability and affordability, paired with simplified calibration for the ease of use. “The camera includes Electronic Image Stabilization that delivers more clarity in the footage, and the software allows simple and remote configuration of the system. Thanks to the recently added Axis Perimeter Defender PTZ Autotracking application, it’s also possible for a fixed thermal camera running Axis Perimeter Defender analytics to automatically steer a PTZ camera to zoom-in on and follow an alarm object,” says Jensen. Last year, Hikvision also introduced thermal cameras in the economy class. This product series offers a resolution of 160×120 and is designed to offer short-range protection of perimeters and prevent fires. The company expects this solution to emerge as an affordable option for applications such as warehouses, museums, data centers and offices. Models from the DS-2TD2617 series of thermal network bullet cameras, such as the S-2TD2617-3/P, stand out in particular. “It makes thermal technology an affordable solution for small to medium businesses for the first time and helps raise more awareness about the public perception towards thermal and its advantages,” says Zhong.

FLIR also decided to make use of its rich experience in working with the military industry to offer to the commercial market the thermal technologies that have already proven themselves in this segment and passed detailed testing. The usability of this hardware is significantly complemented by the capabilities of the related technologies, which is why FLIR has focused on software, video management system, PSIM and hardware. Fixed and PTZ thermal cameras offer a wide range of available lenses and use edge computing or server analytics, with optional support for third-party analytical systems, if they are needed. FLIR wants to offer advanced and comprehensive security solutions, which is why, in addition to thermal cameras, the company offers sophisticated radar systems, drone detection systems, CCTV cameras, drones and TruWitness, a centralized security system for managing global events.

Additional Solutions
During the coronavirus crisis, thermal cameras have emerged as a tool to help assess whether someone is healthy or not and determine the exact criteria for allowing a person to gain access to spaces with many people. “The problem is that they are expensive for the regional market, which will deter many from buying them,” says Boris Popović, owner of Alarm Automatika, adding that “we must not forget about more affordable solutions in the fight against the spread of coronavirus, such as contactless IR long-range thermometers which can be used for the same purpose. They are reliable and contactless, they do not obstruct the flow of people and can signal if someone has a fever.” The company states that, after the prescribed hygiene measures of the crisis headquarters began to affect the organization of businesses, they quickly noticed that the application of numerous measures can be significantly facilitated and automated by security which also allows for better record keeping and higher level of control over the consistent implementation of the measures. Examples include the constraints on the number of persons in business premises, public and public transport areas, keeping mandatory distance between persons, shorter working hours, wearing face masks and body temperature screening. “Translated into the language of security, it is about increased surveillance of gatherings of people in excess of the allowed minimum (video surveillance), more rigorous recording and controlling of people entering indoor spaces (intercoms, access control, video surveillance) and communication without physical contact (intercoms), and we immediately started working on new ways of applying what we know very well. That is why in a short time we managed to devise a series of practically applicable solutions to be implemented during the coronavirus crisis, which our customers will continue to use in the usual way even when this crisis is finally over”, says Popović, adding that due to the wide range of offers even the so-called corona solutions are now available in several versions for applications of varying levels of risk, and the website and B2B pages of Alarm Automatika offer insights into all of them.

VIVOTEK also offers a solution that, although not based on temperature measurement, can certainly help in the fight against the spread of the epidemic. It is a 3D people counting technology based on artificial intelligence. “Our solution is mainly intended for users who have to maintain social distance indoors, so we can automatically control the entry of people. The solution has a wide range of applications and it is mainly focused on the retail and transport sectors which work with larger groups of people”, says Đorđe Baćić, Business Development Manager at VIVOTEK. The solution has many applications. The most important is social distancing, which can greatly prevent the spread of the virus, while other useful functions include relieving employers and employees of the burden of maintaining social distancing measures, where, instead of employees, the system itself controls the entry of people indoors, thus protecting employees themselves. In the end, once we return to normal times, the system will not lose its functionality, but rather continue to be used in collecting data on the fluctuation of visitors in specific spaces.

Bright Future Even After the Epidemic?
Lower prices of thermal cameras have propelled them into the spotlight for both the users and manufacturers of security equipment. Although they have been a valuable component of security systems since the earliest days of this technology, their availability has been primarily limited by cost. By removing both of these barriers and catching up with the growing interest in the use of thermal cameras to monitor biological parameters, this technology could experience a genuine revolution in terms of expanding its scope of use and simultaneously increasing users’ willingness to include them in various security installations in many verticals.

Five Key Advantages of Thermal Cameras
Thermal cameras allow users to see what their eyes cannot – invisible thermal radiation emitted by all objects, regardless of lighting levels. Some of the key advantages of these systems actually concern the security domain and it is here that thermal cameras demonstrate their strengths compared to other technological solutions intended for surveillance.

Low light conditions. When ordinary cameras are used to monitor the perimeter of a building, they often have to deal with low light conditions. This is an area in which thermal cameras can do their best because light does not affect their performance.

Visual limitations are not an obstacle. Standard cameras and even human eyes often have trouble tracking objects and terrain through natural barriers that obscure the field of view and block the reflected light. As thermal radiation passes through visual barriers, thermal cameras can “see” what is happening in the field in situations in which the ordinary cameras are generally powerless.

No camouflage. Standard cameras that monitor only visible light can be deliberately fooled in some cases. This can be achieved by visual camouflage or in situations in which similar colors or patterns blend into each other. This can make objects or people that need to be identified temporarily invisible to the camera. Thermal cameras are resistant to these tricks.

Fewer false alarms. Often, these cameras are proven to be more cost-effective in protecting business and other facilities because they help reduce the number of false alarms. This is accomplished by using advanced analytics software which can easily work with both high-contrast images and videos created by means of tracking thermal radiation.

Higher return on investment. Thermal cameras are a very affordable option for many companies and other organizations that want the best and most economically efficient solutions in the security market. The total cost of a security system with thermal cameras is generally lower than that of a single CCTV security system. Due to the superior performance of thermal cameras, the projects require a significantly lower number of surveillance cameras. In addition, the majority of ordinary cameras cannot see beyond 200 meters at night and need additional lighting, which is a new source of expenditures for the users, even without counting the installation and maintenance costs.

Vanderbilt & ComNet launch new online resource for customers

ACRE brands Vanderbilt and ComNet have recently released an Online Events and Learning page on their website, www.vanderbiltindustries.com/online-events. The launch of this new resource is in response to the current postponement of tradeshow events amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking about the new online resource, Oleg Lesiv, ComNet Sales Manager – Eastern Europe, says: “I believe this new online resource from Vanderbilt and ComNet will greatly assist our customers during this time, and it matches our motto of supporting them on every step of their security journey. That is the primary goal of this new Online Events and Learning page.”

The resource takes a customer-first approach by highlighting and making available in one area Vanderbilt and ComNet’s customer value adds. These include free online training services, multilingual customer service support, and free product demonstrations.

Lesiv continues: “As a further way to reach our customers with news and information about our products during this time, we are also beginning to host multiple webinars. These will be delivered by our in-house experts and will be a great opportunity for our customers to engage directly with some of the top minds behind these products in our company. Our new Online Events and Learning resource page has all the details about our upcoming webinars and how customers can register to attend these online events.”

Award-winning products

The Online Events and Learning approach by Vanderbilt and ComNet is built on a foundation of customer-focused core values such as empowerment, collaboration, and high performance. The current fruits of these core values will be on display for visitors to the Online Events and Learning page to see. For instance, detailed and engaging webinars include ComNet’s Port Guardian and Vanderbilt’s cloud-based intrusion solution SPC Connect and access control system ACTpro.

ACTpro, in particular, embodies the customer-first and high-performance approach being talked about. It is a product that has continued to evolve based on customer requirements from the field, with its latest features including a “best-in-class” rules mapping engine and PoE Ultra controllers, plus Bluetooth readers and Biometric fingerprint readers that were recently added to the portfolio.

New webshop delivers

Also weighing in on the launch of the Online Events and Learning page is Vladimir Majer, Vanderbilt Sales Manager – South Eastern Europe. “This new online resource helps our customers and shows that Vanderbilt and ComNet are all-round solution companies,” Majer states. “The resource page contains numerous tools to help a buyer’s journey from start to finish. Also highlighted on our Online Events and Learning page is our webshop platform. This has been available to our customers for less than a year, but already it has proved very popular with our customer base,” Majer explains.

The webshop optimizes the goal to serve customers 24/7 and presents a simplified, intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate and use. How-to videos assist with any questions that may arise, and an improved product hierarchy and centralized Asset Management System (AMS) ensure all support materials are relevant and up to date.

The Online Events and Learning page can be found at www.vanderbiltindustries.com/online-events.

 

 

BIROSAFE Security safes tested according EN 1143- 1 – ECB•S Certified

DPTU “BIROSAFE” DOOEL Strumica is an engineering company founded in 2001. The company is present in the business of manufacturing, sales and mounting of security, fireproof and bank equipment (security and fireproof safes, cabinets, doors and vaults, etc.)
BIROSAFE has offices and dealers in all the Balkan countries and is present on the markets of former Yugoslav republics territories (Serbia, Monte Negro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia), Albania, Bulgaria…
BIROSAFE produces and offers different types of security equipment: safes, cabinets, deposit safes, weapon safes, cash transfer safes, vault and vault doors, security doors etc.; as well as fire proof equipment: safes, cabinets, doors etc.
Usually the products are made by standard dimensions, but there is also a possibility for tailoring the products according to client demand.

In 2009 BIROSAFE became a member of “ESSA – European Security Systems Association, Frankfurt/Main” (www.ecb-s .com).
European Certification Body (ECB) GmbH is neutral certification body according to EN 45011. It issues the ECB•S certification mark which guarantees maximum security properties, according to European standards.
The ECB•S Certified products ensure quality and offer higher level of resistance.

Ever since becoming a member, BIROSAFE has successfully passed the tests for several types of products and has gained the following EUROPEAN CERTIFICATES, issued by “ECB•S – Germany”:
– EN 1143- 1 – for security safes and strong room doors;
– EN 1522 – for bulletproof walls, doors and windows;
– EN 1627 – for burglary resistant doors.

Security safes tested according EN 1143- 1

Why safes with ECB-S certificates?

The look and certification according to the European Standard EN 1143-1 suggest security – but the differences in quality are huge. During comparison tests with ECB•S certified security products, several safes performed poorly – said from ESSA / ECB•S.
Regarding the data, presented by ESSA / ECB•S, based on truly made tests, by far not all safes marked with certificates according to the European Standard EN 1143-1 have the quality of ECB•S certified security products. In recently completed comparison tests, some safes simply failed. For example: One safe marked with resistance grade III only reached the security level of an ECB•S safe of grade I. One safe of grade V complied at best with the ECB•S resistance grade II.
The loser is the user who puts his trust in inferior certificates.
A visible sign of the ECB•S certification is the certification mark. It gives orientation and ensures maximum security for the user.
Hence, our advice to everyone who is interested in buying a new safe is to be careful with his choice and to think twice when doing comparisons. A customer should not only compare prices but he should also compare quality. EN 1143-1 ECB•S Certified Burglary Resistant Safes insure quality and security in one. Purchasing a safe, means investing in your safety – this is why one should invest wisely.
Birosafe safes are manufactured in compliance with the European standard for security EN 1143-1 and they are ECB•S Certified.
Birosafe is the only manufacturer in North Macedonia for security safes with European certificates for security, issued by ECB-S Germany. These safes are manufactured by the European standard for security EN 1143-1 and are classified in different resistance grades. The huge selection of office and home safes for safety storage of values from different character, now enables the future user to choose the appropriate safe for his needs. The company follows the trends and creates series of safes which are at the same time, aesthetic and adequate for the most modern and well-equipped banks and other institutions from different sectors.

SMART INVENTORY MANAGEMENT HELPS RETAIL IN OPERATIONS, REDUCE SHRINK PROVE

Special Feature
Retailers today are looking for smarter, more time-efficient, more cost-effective ways of inventory management. Traditional methods of inventory management are time-consuming and prone to human error, which costs businesses time and money. By deploying smart inventory management solutions such as autonomous inventory robots, smart shelves, RFID, etc., retailers are able to reduce shrinkage and improve overall business efficiency. The average shrink rate in the retail industry in 2018 was roughly 1.4 percent, which translates to US$50.6 billion, according to the 2019 National Retail Security Survey by the National Retail Federation. The majority of survey respondents indicated that they will allocate more money to loss prevention efforts, with a majority of that going toward technology. The need for more advanced inventory management solutions in retail has driven retail technology providers to develop smarter, easy-to-use solutions. Furthermore, with new challenges facing retailers, these solutions may be the key to improving business operations and providing customers with a better in-store shopping experience.

Smart Inventory Management Provides Retailers with Real-Time Data
Utilizing smart inventory management, like autonomous inventory robots, smart shelves and RFID, is helping retailers become more operationally efficient and reduce shrinkage.

Smart inventory management is enabling retailers to make informed decisions based on real-time inventory data. Today, as the retail market shifts more toward omnichannel and cross-selling, the need
for accurate data has become more important than ever for retailers to make informed decisions. “Smart or real-time inventory is an innovative way to control cost and operations using data to minimize inefficiencies,” said Sergio Ramos Jubierre, Product Manager for Stockbot and Head of Retail at Pal Robotics. Traditional inventory management is done by hand, which Jubierre notes is only appropriate for small retailers (i.e., less than 500 square meters). However, on a bigger scale this method is costly and time consuming, as well as more prone to human error. By automating the inventory process retailers can not only save time and money, but also increase operational efficiency and reduce the dreaded retail shrink. In fact, a recent report estimates the global retail automation market will reach US$19 billion by 2023, according to MarketsandMarkets.

Autonomous Inventory Robots Provide Real-Time Data

Autonomous robots have found their way into an entire gamut of industries, including retail. Several robotics companies have developed autonomous inventory robots specifically to help retailers automate the inventory process and provide a plethora of other valuable data. Pal Robotics created Stockbot, its autonomous inventory-taking robot system for retail. Equipped with RFID and a vision camera, Stockbot provides retailers with the necessary data to make informed inventory decisions. The robot is able to autonomously move around and perform inventory while the shop is open with customers. Furthermore, it does not require any additional equipment or complicated setup. “Due to the high amount of data Stockbot is able to generate it has a positive impact on customers, employees and management,” Jubierre said. “By being able to localize products Stockbot positively influences the in-shop customer experience, and, therefore, the brand reputation as well.”

Smart Shelves Tell Businesses When to Restock

Smart shelves have been around since the early 2000s and have become an alternative emerging technology in the retail business. By utilizing various types of sensors (e.g., light, optical, weight, etc.), smart shelves not only keep track of current stock availability but can also measure customer interest and enhance the in-store shopping experience. Recently Amazon launched the Dash Smart Shelf aimed at small businesses. The shelf has a built-in scale that can be set up to automatically place orders with Amazon to restock when supplies are low; alternatively, it can send notifications to alert the business if automatic ordering is not wanted. Kroger, the US’s largest supermarket chain and world’s fifth-largest retailer, partnered with Microsoft to develop its EDGE smart shelf. The shelf is powered by Microsoft Azure and connects to IoT devices. The technology aims to enhance the grocery shopping experience by connecting to the customer’s smartphone shopping list and highlighting similar items on the shelf. It also allows Kroger to better manage its inventory and eliminate paper and tags by enabling stores to quickly change prices on digital displays.

Analytics Predict When to Reorder

Retail analytics are often integrated with a store’s point-of-sales (POS) system, analyzing data to help retailers better optimize their inventory and make pricing decisions. The National Retail Federation’s 2019 National Retail Security Survey reported that 55.6 percent of retailers surveyed have already implemented some kind of POS analytics across all its stores. “Analytics are now available closer to the retailer decision maker due to the ability to have more computing and cleverer analytics software close to the data user,” said Harley Feldman, Co-Founder and CMO of Seeonic. Feldman pointed out that more analyzed data will become available to retailers as analytics algorithms improve and computer processing power grows. He added that data capture will also continue to improve as better RFID tags are created to deal with distance, metal and liquids. Demand for RFID (radio frequency identification) is on the rise in the retail sector. This is partly a result of the growing need for real-time inventory tracking and the growth of omnichannel retailing, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan. Retailers have been using RFID for quite some time; however, as analytics have improved and the need for more data has increased, more and more retailers are adopting
RFID solutions. “Soft goods retailers are already beginning to see real benefits from RFID,” said Don Taylor, VP of Business Development at Newave Sensor Solutions. According to Taylor, some soft goods retailers are already quoting 10- to 30-percent inventory savings with RFID while keeping more goods on their shelves and improving inventory accuracy. “We have found that using real-time technology such as RFID, when compared to current inventory methods, is much more accurate,” Taylor added. “This technology provides more information to manage and track products and is far less labor intensive and more accurate.” He noted that audits in particular are highly inaccurate, being just a spot check. “The analogy is that audits are like a photo at one point in time compared to real-time smart technology that is like a video showing exactly what was happening over a specified period of time,” Taylor explained.

How RFID Can Improve Real-Time Inventory Management for Retailers Retailers are driving growth in the RFID market, using the technology for real-time inventory tracking and to improve customer experience.
Retailers are driving growth in the RFID market, using the technology for real-time inventory tracking and to improve customer experience.

Advantages of RFID in Retail

Harley Feldman, Co-Founder and CMO of Seeonic opined that using passive RFID tags is the best method for counting in-store inventory. He explained that using RFID tags gives retailers the ability to perform in-store inventory much more quickly and accurately than manual counting, while also allowing them to easily collect inventory data electronically. Data from RFID also provides retailers with the ability to use analytics to monitor store inventory, such as time-on-shelf by SKU or item, react to changes in demand more quickly, and monitor items from the time they enter the store until sold. Still, there are challenges to using RFID. For one, the technical limitations of 10 to 15 feet of read distance and difficulty with metal and liquid items can be problematic; although, future developments in RFID are expected to improve upon these issues. Then there is the issue of the item’s manufacturer needing to be the one to create and attach the RFID tags. Over the last few years, though, it has become more commonplace for manufacturers to place RFID tags on merchandise, especially in apparel, Feldman noted. The cost of an RFID solution is also a barrier — costs include readers, antennas, the tags, etc. “The tags are typically in the US$0.06 to $0.09 range and carry the SKU of the retail item along with a unique serial number for that individual item,” Feldman said. However, as the technology continues to develop and advance, and as demand continues to rise, the price for RFID is expected to decrease making costs more affordable.

RFID and Smart Shelves

To get around the issue of tagging each individual item, Newave developed a patented RFID system to track merchandise availability in real-time without tagging each item with an RFID label. This system focuses on grocery, convenience and mass merchandise retailers. Newave’s Smart Shelf system provides retailers with information on shelf item movement in seconds using the company’s patented wave RFID antenna technology. When an item leaves the shelf, Newave’s Smart Shelf sees it even when it is not tagged. Based on criteria set by the retailer for low inventory limits, the Smart Shelf software signals an alert in real time that can be sent on-site to store managers, or remotely to merchandising and loss prevention personnel as well as suppliers. It can also trigger an audio alarm message and a video capture alert within the store. “Newave’s Smart Shelf system strives to make it easy to get real-time in or out-of-stock shelf information available anytime to any authorized person or group,” explained Taylor. Such a system could greatly lower costs by providing on-shelf merchandise availability without the need for tagging the products on the shelf.

WHAT RETAILERS WANT IN A SMART INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
Retailers are looking for smart inventory management solutions to help reduce shrink, improve the customer experience and boost overall operational efficiency.

Today more than ever brick-and-mortar retailers need smarter, more efficient inventory management solutions. The most common methods of retail inventory management currently used are technologies and processes that have been around for several years. “Unfortunately retailers continuing to use these methods will still see out-ofstocks at a minimum of 4 to 8 percent of sales, and scanning bar codes for shelf management has proven to be very labor intensive. In many cases, retailers do not have the personnel to monitor and manage their inventories and shelf availabilities. This drives the consumer to other stores or online shopping,” explained Don Taylor, VP of Business Development at Newave Sensor Solutions To combat these issues and to keep customers coming into physical stores, retailers want to improve the in-store experience by reducing out-of-stocks, personalizing in-store ads and having store personnel focus on customer needs. Retailers are also looking for solutions capable of automated tracking of shelf inventories, faster scanning of products, ease of installation for new systems, reduction of labor costs and real-time visibility to a problem at the shelf. According to Harley Feldman, Co-Founder and CMO of Seeonic, the top issue requested by retailers is inventory accuracy by SKU currently on shelves in retail stores. “Retailers are satisfying more and more customer demand, especially ‘Buy Online and Pick Up in Store (BOPIS)’ orders, from store inventory. Therefore, the inventory accuracy is critical to satisfying customer demand accurately and quickly,” he said. Other requests such as data for time items spend on shelf and times items are removed and returned to shelf can be performed more accurately with the serialized data available from the RFID tags, Feldman added.

Easy-to-Deploy Solutions and Positive ROI

Deploying a smart inventory management solution requires time and money — two things retailers want to spend less of. To overcome those obstacles companies like Pal Robotics and Newave Sensor
Solutions have developed solutions that are easy to deploy and guarantee good ROI. “We have created a ready to deploy solution that doesn’t need any layout modifications or additional store installations,” said Sergio Ramos Jubierre, Stockbot Product Manager and Head of Retail at Pal Robotics, of its autonomous inventory-taking robot Stockbot. Pal Robotics provides clients with leasing options that could allow retailers to deploy Stockbot with no upfront cost and positively impact operational optimization and return on investment (ROI). “Stockbot generates data that can be integrated and manipulated for numerous application, such as store floor management, supply chain visibility, process automation and accuracy, omnichannel retailing, promotional activities, returns, locating items, loss prevention and cross selling. Those have a direct impact on store/brand reputation, customer satisfaction and thus on sales,” Jubierre explained. Taylor explained how the soft goods retailers that first adopted RFID into their store operations have seen a good ROI and are continuing to expand RFID use. Retailers are also beginning to move away from handheld RFID scanning and toward fixed portal readers, which allows them to better utilize store resources and improve productivity. Major mass merchandise retailers are also beginning to use RFID portals in their distribution centers to track cartons and pallets going in and out. Newave believes this will evolve into more store-level use of RFID technology. For instance, the company, along with its partner, recently completed installation of over 1,500 dock door portals for a leading international retailer. Within days the RFID solution paid back with a 25-percent improvement in productivity by day two after installation.

Overcoming Retail Challenges with Smart Inventory Management
The retail sector faces many challenges when it comes to implementing smart inventory management, ranging from cost to resistance to change.

Implementing new technologies always comes with its challenges — this is no different in the retail sector. Nowadays retailers face new challenges. Among these are dealing with growing demand and the dynamic nature of product movement. Other challenges originate from the side of operation and logistics. Sergio Ramos Jubierre, Stockbot Product Manager and Head of Retail at Pal Robotics highlighted scalability, tracking, automation and reporting as some of the biggest difficulties that need to be tackled. Additionally, speed of delivery is a problem encountered by both customers and retailers. Challenges with RFID in Retail Jubierre pointed to RFID technologies as a compelling solution for the retail industry. In addition to RFID tags, the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector has adopted barcodes. “Due to the low margin in the FMCG sector barcodes are the preferable choice for food retailers,” he said. The cost of RFID tags is most definitely a barrier to adoption for certain smart inventory management solutions, as is the cost of the technology needed to read the tags and collect the data. However, the price of RFID tags is dropping and will continue to do so with the projected growth in volume. “Metal and liquid-filled items will benefit from newer tag designs,” explained Harley Feldman, Co-Founder and CMO of Seeonic. The number of manufacturers adding RFID tags to their products will also continue to grow as more and more retailers demand the tags be added. “Since it is more efficient to add RFID up, but it provides the ability for retailers new to RFID to add the technology more easily,” Feldman said. He explained that automatically collecting RFID data is desired, but the cost to do so is still high. As a result, most retailers still use handheld RFID scanners to collect real-time inventory as they are flexible, inexpensive and readily available. Unfortunately, handheld scanners require a person to use it resulting in labor costs.

Challenges with Smart Shelves

In regard to using smart shelves for inventory management, it can be costly since the retailer may have to replace its existing shelving to incorporate new sensing devices. Don Taylor, VP of Business Development at Newave Sensor Solutions explained how in many cases Newave’s Smart Shelf can retro-fit to existing shelving to reduce the cost of installation. In fact, Newave’s Smart Shelf solution has helped retailers reduce out-of-stocks by 60 percent in the first few months after installation. To achieve accurate information on smart shelves, Taylor noted the retailer needs to already have some disciplines in place. Newave requires a product planogram, so that they can monitor and track every SKU. “Retailers need data to be able to determine if they have achieved a positive ROI on their new technology investment. Newave can provide real-time information to any authorized smart device on out-of-stocks, low inventories and missed sales to name just a few categories that will assist the retailer in formulating an ROI,” Taylor said. According to Newave, its technology will deliver a positive ROI in less than a year.

Championing New Technologies

In order for more smart inventory management solutions to be adopted, it is important that retailers are educated on the benefits of these new technologies. Oftentimes it is the lack of education on new technology, not understanding how it works, how it can benefit a business, that keeps them from adopting smart solutions. Retailers need an internal champion to drive new technologies through their stores. By providing proper training to retailers, they will have the knowledge needed to understand and push for new smart technologies.

Helping to monitor temperature in unsure times

Keeping people safe and healthy in unsure times is a very modern challenge. Authorities and companies alike are scrambling to find ways to help manage this and reduce risks. Hikvision offers temperature measurement solutions to help them build processes and infrastructures to prevail.

Taking the temperature of the situation
Temperature is an important indicator of physical health. In many scenarios, people with abnormal temperatures could have a health issue. To have a proper effect, it’s crucial that this is detected and monitored quickly and accurately. But traditional methods of temperature measurement are time-consuming and can put operators at risk. At times like these, technology can provide an efficient alternative.
With advanced detectors and algorithms, Hikvision’s Temperature Screening Thermographic Cameras are designed to detect elevated skin-surface temperatures. This means they can be used for rapid and preliminary temperature screening in hospitals, stations, airports and other public places. The cameras have an accuracy rate of up to ±0.5°C, giving a valuable indication of which persons should be further tested for fever.
It takes just one second to detect a person’s skin-surface temperature, and the system can measures multiple people at the same time. This means it is efficient in an entrance, for example, where a number of people will be passing at the same time.
The use of AI technology means non-human heat sources, for example a hot coffee, are ignored, reducing false alarms.
Once a person is identified by the camera as having a higher skin-surface temperature, they can be flagged for further measurement. The system can also be useful to monitor a situation, providing useful anonymous data from a safe distance supporting end users’ potential analysis or research.
All this is also achieved with fewer people, not only making it easier to manage and more efficient but also reducing the overall risk of unnecessary exposure.

Flexible solutions
Hikvision’s thermal portfolio has a number of options to help with temperature screening. For example, a Turret/Bullet Camera with AI combined with iVMS 4200, a laptop and a bracket can be used as a quick solution that can be easily and quickly installed. For higher accuracy, a solution with a Blackbody calibrator gives an accuracy of ±0.3°C. There’s also a more mobile option, using a Handheld Camera that can connect to a smart phone or PC through wifi to a Hik-Thermal app. This also features a built-in speaker for audio alarm.
There are also solutions that combine temperature screening with access control, allowing lobbies to be monitored and, if necessary, people measuring above a certain skin-surface temperature refused entry until they are double-checked by alternative methods.
It’s important to remember that Hikvision’s temperature screening thermographic cameras are designed for the detection of skin-surface temperatures so as to achieve rapid preliminary screening in public areas. Actual core body temperatures should be further confirmed using clinical measurement devices.
This is just one element of a complex infrastructure to overcome challenges in unsure times. It can also give managers and researchers useful information, collected in a safe manner. Hikvision is committed to developing technologies to empower vision for decision-makers and practitioners, and enhance safety and advance sustainable development around the world.

VIVOTEK: How the IP Surveillance Industry Manages and Enables Social Distancing

Video Analytics During COVID-19
1. Queue management and crowd detection
Queue management was designed to optimize customer experiences and reduce wait times. During the pandemic, the queue management is focused on manage customer flows and avoid physical queues
2. People Counting
In response to the entry control management, there is no doubt people counting solution is the idea video analytics for supermarket chains. It can easily identify occupancy level and real-time monitor the number of people entering and exiting a store, thereby providing customers and staff with a safer environment.
3. Crowd Detection
Crowd Detection video analytics can be used to identify how many people present in a given area. Stores and business’ can n effortlessly manage social distances between customers, automatically sending alert notifications when exceeding the maximum capacity.
4. Personal Proactive Equipment (PPE) detection
Personal Proactive Equipment (PPE) is equipment that can protect the user against health or safety risks at work. Items including safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility garments, safety footwear and so on. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it can identify people who are not wearing masks, hardhat, vest or other critical equipment.

Smarter is Safer: Crowd-Control Solutions
These AI-driven video analytics and smart-edge cameras are enabling IP surveillance solutions to better assist users to manage their business under the increased pressures of pandemic conditions. VIVOTEK, a global IP surveillance solution provider aims to provide a solution for retail businesses to maintain maximum occupancy as well as a safer and healthier environment. VIVOTEK Crowd Control Solutions can easily monitor the number of people entering and exiting a store, thereby providing customers and staff with a safer environment. This intelligent people-counting camera and analytics system can be deployed at points of entry to areas with a higher likelihood of social interaction such as shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, and restaurants.
Below are benefits of VIVOTEK’s Crowd Control Solutions.
1. Social Distancing Compliance
Putting safety first, implementing VIVOTEK’s Crowd Control Solution enables effective management of crowds in places where social distancing must be upheld.
2. High Accuracy
When retailers recruit security staff or part-time employees to manually count traffic this leads to a less than satisfactory result. VIVOTEK’s 3D counting camera provides precise tracking and a counting accuracy of up to 98%. This accuracy is further increased by the ability to transfer large datasets.
3. Real-time
Combing AI with deep-learning analytics, video data can be gathered, analyzed, and applied in real-time, enabling retail businesses to respond promptly to any change.
4. Lowered Risk of Infection
The deployment of VIVOTEK’s Crowd Control Solution also means a minimization of physical contact, providing both customers and employees a safer working and shopping environment.

We Stand Together
COVID-19 has changed our lives and the way we interact and communicate. It also has a growing impact on the global economy. From AI to video analytics, VIVOTEK’s Crowd Control Solution has become essential at this time of social distancing. The need for social distancing will eventually end. In a post COVID-19 world, the solution can be redeployed as a Retail Business Intelligence Solution to optimize retail operations. Until then VIVOTEK will continue to stand together with and serve our customers, while providing AI-based solutions in our fight against the pandemic.
Learn more about VIVOTEK’s crowd control solution. (link to EDM or product page)

ZKTeco Adds Body Temperature Screening & Mask Detection features to Security Solutions

Security and access control management company ZKTeco, top leading multinational manufacturer of biometric market, has recently incorporated to some of its access control readers, IP surveillance cameras and walk-through metal detectors some upgrades to now have body temperature screening and mask detection capabilities.

Now that critical period of COVID19 is nearly ending, still much of the global population remains socially isolated to prevent the spread of disease. The question is how to return back to certain normality and of course how to return to work after lockdown, regardless of how this reincorporation is going to be scaled, one thing is for sure, we have to be cautious not to reignite infections rate and that means we have to return to our physical working places counting with the necessary measures to avoid spreading risk of contagion. For that, there are three basic guidelines we need to follow: social distancing and no contact, everyone must wear masks and regular check for symptoms.

In words of ZKTeco’s Europe CEO, Fernando Ducay, “Our newly released security solutions with body temperature detection have become a real ‘need to have’ especially in recent times, as they help identifying and restrict people having elevated body temperatures from entering large highly dense public places including schools, hospitals, as well as commercial & residential properties” . Not only that he added “Besides securing people’s environment, we would like to also protect their health and do our best to prevent the spread of the coronavirus”

At ZKTeco we made an effort to deliver new capabilities to our solutions that respond to the rules enforced due to the coronavirus pandemic, adding the necessary features like temperature screening and mask detection to our security solutions to grant compliance with such guidelines and permit returning to normal functionating while keeping our people and business safe and secure preventing outbreak of disease.

More flexible working helps to maintain social distance and no contact. For example, flexible clock-in and clock-out time to prevent too many people from entering and leaving the office building at the same time or smart working, activities that can be monitored on site or remotely with our cloud time and attendance solution called GoTimeCloud.

So, what about controlling access of people not wearing mask or having a body temperature measurement over recommended? No contact and body temperature measurement are granted with our Touchless Biometric devices.

ZKTeco recently took a deeper step into the facial recognition market with the launch of its new series of visible light facial recognition (VLFR) products. The company says VLFR overcomes the shortcomings of previous facial recognition products and uses deep learning to improve recognition and reliability, and it is far better at catching fake faces. The deep learning systems deals with the lighting situation, the not 100% dead-straight images of faces, as well as spoofing. By passing its recognition software through ‘continuous training’, it has been able to enhance the performance of its recognition algorithms to a stage where it is now ready for real-world use.

The VLFR system ZKTeco developed beats fake faces through its anti-spoofing algorithm, which conducts liveness detection by learning how to differentiate lighting, texture, and resolution. The system also uses two cameras. One is a visual light camera that is used for recognition and verification, the other is an infrared camera used to detect fake faces. People who try to verify a fake identity by using a picture on paper or on their phone or tablet, for example, will quickly find their access is denied. Even using a high-definition video of a face will not be accepted. The utility of these systems is in the flexibility of the verification process, people can be recognized ‘on the move’ as they approach the point of entry. The VLFR system will detect their face and track and identify them as they approach. It is also able to recognize an enrolled face with a deflection angle of 30% – left to right, and up and down. It can detect and recognize faces, more than one at a time, and it can also capture faces in a certain area, for example at a sporting event or in retail environments.

Thanks to the incorporation of thermal sensors and improvements developed in firmware, our access control readers’ facial recognition capabilities are also able to identify individuals wearing protective masks — for example, healthcare workers — allowing them to safely keep the masks on during the biometric verification process, in addition to their touchless palm and facial recognition sensors — capable of detecting a person’s body temperature within 0.3/0.5ºC deviation range from 0,5 m away, allowing them to be used for entry and exit screening in public venues where an abnormal body temperature could be an indicator of COVID19 and therefore warrant restricting access to an individual who may be showing symptoms. Installers have a wide range of possibilities for installing them, as they are suitable for almost any support: on wall or desktop, integrated to turnstiles and speed gates or simply with a pedestal on floor.

Not only that, ZKTeco’s ZN-T5/W IP surveillance camera, which has both thermal and visible light capabilities, when paired with the ZN-TH01 — which uses black body radiation technology for recalibration — can read the body temperature of a group of up to 30 people from up to 5 meters away, with an accuracy within 0,3º degrees Centigrade.

Rounding out ZKTeco’s solutions that have temperature sensors is the ZKMD3180-TD walk-through metal detector, which scans people for both metal objects and a body temperature that falls within a specified ‘safe’ range. Audio and visual alarms sound to indicate when an individual with a body temperature that falls outside of the accepted parameters walks through the device.

To complete upgrade of our access control and time and attendance systems with temperature measurement and mask detection feature, a new module has been added to our existing software for access control, ZKBioaccess and ZKBiosecurity, and the functionality also has been incorporated in our cloud time and attendance application GoTimeCloud, so that, reports can show temperature status and the use of mask associated to every log and confirm if entrance is granted or not.
Let us get a closer view of mentioned solutions.

Temperature Detection Systems available
ProfaceX-T and V5L-TD are designed for traditional access control and time and attendance tasks. Both have anti-spoofing algorithm so, no video no picture will work and of course are 100% Touchless Access. The Rapid facial recognition within 0.3 sg. Work even in total darkness or bright sunlight (<50,000 Lux). Face verification is also possible while wearing protective mask and temperature measurement is extremely accurate with measurement deviation of ±0.3°C average performance and measurement deviation of ±0.5°C, without the need of a black body since the sensor is thermocouple based. Measurement distance comes from 30 to 50 cm.

Then, which are the differences between these two devices? Proface X we can say is big brother of these device family, showing more capacity in general. We are very proud to say is the The Govies Government Security 2020 Platinium Awarded thanks to its unbeatable features.

ZKMD3180S, our metal detector with temperature sensor, is available with 18 or 33 over-lapping detection zones and sensitivity for each zone is adjustable in increments 0-255. The unit is easy to assemble as there are only 2 pieces to be mounted. Infrared remote control and 4-8 hours backup battery are optionally available. The sound & LED alarms located on both sides indicate clearly where metal is detected. Automatically counts people and alarms and it is completely safe to operate and walk through as well as completely harmless to heart pacemaker, pregnant women, magnetic media, etc. Body temperature detection average performance measurement is by ±0.3°C and accuracy measurement deviation is ±0.5°C for a measurement distance up to 50cm.

ZN-T5/W & TH-01 ZKTeco’s Body Temperature Measurement Network Camera & Portable Black Body is the perfect solution when temperature needs to be detected at a longer distance and for more than one individual at the same time. Our cameras of course ONVIF compatible are featuring smart body detection and body temperature measurement for up to 30 individuals. Main characteristics of the system are on-board temp-detection algorithm, one IP address two channels, effective pixels 400×300, sensitivity ≤40mK, thermal: 8mm fixed lens and visible: 2.7~12mm motorized lens. The temperature measure accuracy is 0.3ºC and response time ≤30ms with 17 color control.

Which scenarios will need body temperature measure solutions in a short term?
All size business will request them indeed since taking temperature to employees, visitors or even clients will become essential to stop outbreak of the disease, in fact, many countries have already regulated officially and included as mandatory. Any business can find perfect solution in ZKTeco’s offer when looking for thermal devices as prevention tool.

Many workers use public transportation to reach their working places, services like metropolitan bus and metro, same than any other scenario involving people crowd, they need to control symptoms like body temperature under accepted threshold to avoid spread of contagion.

In all countries we need that people from our financial and public institutions are kept safe from any risk of disease to help working them hard to recover our weakened economy in these troubling times. Our solutions can help in preventing such risk.

And what about when we are finally able to normally enjoy our free time again? Gyms and sport centers will require an easy and cost -effective way of upgrading existing systems at their entrance, with the capability of body temperature screening. Our installing kit specifically designed to adapt to turnstiles allows a smooth assemble of the reader and people over temperature threshold allowed will be access denied. Not to talk about touristic places, think about Museums or historical buildings, traffic of people inside touristic places can be safely managed with our metal detectors incorporating thermal sensor identifying if people getting in is fever detected for immediate action.

Last but not least, we need to think about preserving our future and how to take best care of our future generations which will role the country soon we need to keep students at any educational centers safe and secure.

From standalone to networked solution for environments requiring more complex solutions, ZKTeco is able to offer you best possible solution to try to prevent the spread of disease.

a&s Adria No. 156

ISSUES

Global Security d.o.o.

Hasiba Brankovića c, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina
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VAT no: 201142740001
ID no: 4201142740001
ISSN 1986-5

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