The Cologne Cable Car project is the first undertaking anywhere in the world in which the patented Panomera camera technology is used to monitor a cable car carrying rope. In order to guarantee the passengers’ safety at all times, the operators require rapid visual detection of possible technical problems, particularly in the structure of the carrying cable.

Every year, over half a million passengers soar over the Rhine at a height of 30 metres with the Cologne Cable Car – and are rewarded with an unparalleled view of the city and cathedral. For ensuring the safety of the carrying rope construction, Kölner Seilbahn relies on the Panomera camera technology of Regensburg-Germany based manufacturer, Dallmeier.

Carlos Castro, Operations Manager of Kölner Seilbahn, explains: “Besides the approach of the gondolas to the stations, we observe the way they run onto the pylons. 30 metres up in the air, it is quite possible that a good gust of wind can set the cable and the pylons swinging. To enable early detection of incidents that cause the gondolas to approach the sensitive points out of alignment and to prevent technical problems, we decided to introduce video surveillance using the proven, patented Panomera camera technology.”

Long distances pose no problem

The carrying rope is supported on a total of three pylons over the entire distance of just under one kilometre. The resulting distances between the stations and the pylons range in length from 100 metres up to a considerable span of 480 metres over the Rhine itself. The requirement was for the images to be recorded over very long distances, but without loss of quality. Together with the project team from VTS Video Technik Systeme GmbH, the operators of the Cologne Cable Car found exactly the right solution in Panomera technology.

The Panomera multifocal sensor system was developed specifically to provide full area coverage with video protection for large spaces and long distances. The particular feature of the technology is that multiple sensors having different focal lengths are installed in a single housing and a special software programme compiles a total image in high resolution.

The operator has full control over the entire situation over the entire length of the cables between the pylons, live and in high resolution video images. In potential hazard situations, he can view details in a separate zoom image without losing sight of the overall action.

Customised solution

The wind that blows against the masts and cables 30 metres above the ground can cause them to start rocking, and poses certain challenges not only for the operation of the gondolas but also for the installation of the cameras. To ensure that the camera systems – each weighing more than ten kilos – are not damaged or themselves become a hazard, the cameras were secured to the pylons using special plates. The lenses themselves are installed immovably inside the camera housing and are unaffected by any swinging motion.

Triton has signed an agreement to acquire Acre, a leading end-to-end security solutions provider based in Dallas, USA and Dublin, Ireland. This agreement means that Acre brands like Vanderbilt, Comnet, and Razberi – well known in the global security technology industry – now have a new owner. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Acre is a global leader in the delivery of security systems for access control and intrusion detection as well as innovative video solutions with a communication networking and intelligent appliance portfolio. The software and solutions provided by Acre’s family of companies (Vanderbilt, Open Options, RS2 Technologies, Comnet and Razberi) help secure the highest valued assets of large and small customers operating in the private and public sectors. Triton will bring industry expertise and additional capital to support Acre’s continued innovation and proven buy & build strategy.

Peder Prahl, Director of the General Partner for the Triton funds, said: “We look forward to actively supporting the management and employees of Acre as a stable owner by investing in the growth and development of the company. Our industry expertise and international network will further strengthen Acre’s position as a leading global provider of intelligent electronic security solutions.”

Acre is a global leader in the delivery of integrated technologies and services. Since its formation in 2012, Acre has played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of security technology initiatives on a global scale. Its Vanderbilt, RS2, Open Options, Comnet, and Razberi brands deliver advanced solutions to thousands of customers around the world. Today, Acre employs approximately 325 employees in more than 25 countries.

Since its establishment in 1997, Triton has sponsored nine funds, focusing on businesses in the industrial, business services, consumer and health sectors. The Triton funds invest in and support the positive development of medium-sized businesses with a strong European heritage. Triton seeks to contribute to the building of better businesses for the longer term. Triton and its executives wish to be agents of positive change towards sustainable operational improvements and growth. The 45 companies currently in Triton’s portfolio have combined sales of around €18.2 billion and around 100,800 employees.

Securitas, the world’s leading intelligent protective services partner, has launched a major update to its global brand identity and positioning. Headlined by the tagline ‘See a different world’, the new brand highlights the company’s human and progressive approach to security, and the positive impact of its innovation and technology. It includes the first major update of the well-known Securitas logo since 1972.

Securitas’ new brand delivers an original tone of voice, visual identity and a positive and proactive storytelling agenda. It will be visible on Securitas’ personnel uniforms, vehicles, equipment and facilities, as well as its digital tools and online channels. The brand will be rolled out gradually across the company’s worldwide operations.

The tagline ‘See a different world’ emphasizes the expertise and diversity of Securitas’ people, and the innovativeness and relevance of its offerings. It is intended to resonate with audiences within and beyond the security business, and to enable Securitas to engage in conversations with a wider range of stakeholders.

Magnus Ahlqvist, President and CEO, Securitas: “Our new brand shows the world who we are and where we’re going. It builds on Securitas’ proud heritage and values of integrity, vigilance and helpfulness, and focuses on our unique people and high-impact technology. We work with many of the world’s most recognizable companies, and our new identity makes it clear how we can help create a more sustainable and inclusive future together with our clients and partners. It will open even more doors for our business and accelerate our strategy execution.”

Securitas has 355,000 employees serving 150 global clients and more than 150,000 clients in total across 48 markets. The company is accelerating its digital transformation through investing in data-driven tools and analytics and by interacting with clients in innovative ways, and aims to double its sales of electronic security and security solutions by 2023.

Mauro Silva, VP Brand and Strategic Marketing, Securitas: “This is a milestone for our company and our industry. We reflected on our strategy, our world and what clients expect from us today and saw an opportunity for differentiation. Securitas is a knowledge-driven company where engaged and talented people make a positive difference every day. This brand expresses our confidence in the future, while remaining true to our heritage and people, and makes our leadership clearer than ever.”

Securitas’ new brand identity has been developed in partnership with the brand agency Kurppa Hosk.

Over 48 million people, more than the population of Spain, visit the recently upgraded London Bridge Station every year. Already the fourth busiest train station in the UK, this figure is set to increase – especially as a result of the Thameslink infrastructure improvement programme, which according to Network Rail increased station capacity by more than 50 percent.

Finished in 2018, the project was the biggest railway upgrade since Victorian times, and included a comprehensive rebuild of platforms, new track infrastructure, an improved concourse, better signalling and more. And, through the multi-billion pound scheme, the location is now home to around 900 of Bosch latest connected cameras, all fully integrated into the highly-sophisticated station management system.

Beneath the glitz of the new public areas, the intelligent network of the cameras discretely monitor the flow of people twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The cameras allow security operatives to quickly identify potential incidents and areas of congestion. All of the video and data feeds are securely transmitted to a control room located at the heart of the station – giving Network Rail and British Transport Police (BTP) the ability to monitor and control any camera throughout the building.

“For us, the London Bridge project was an immense challenge. The existing analogue system had to be kept running whilst the new digital solution was installed. We also had to ensure that our system was fully integrated into the numerous other third-party platforms located both on- and off-site,” adds Lindsay Brennwald, London Bridge project lead at Bosch UK. “Our daily discussions and weekly meetings with Network Rail’s project partners continued for more than four years.”

Planners from Bosch needed to accommodate for the complex architecture on site – a mix of new construction and historic remodels. The result is a scalable security network that covers the most safety critical parts of the station, including ticket barriers and platforms. For the duration of the construction work, London Bridge, one of the oldest stations in the world – never closed its doors to the numerous commuters and tourists crowding its platforms on a daily basis.

Alongside the London Bridge project, Bosch is currently working with other British transport partners such as Transport for London. Major investments and upgrades have been completed at other stations, including London Waterloo, and are underway on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link network – which will all see Bosch IP camera systems introduced across their facilities.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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