Tuesday, December 16, 2008

ioimage Video Analytics Protects $200M South African Eco-Park Residential Estate

Herzliya, Israel December 16th, 2008 – ioimage, the pioneer of intelligent video appliances designed for simplicity, announced that its video analytics solution was successfully implemented to protect South Africa’s Xanadu Eco-Park from intruders and theft.

Located outside Pretoria at the foot of the Magaliesberg Mountains, Xanadu is a $200M Eco-Park with a perimeter of eight kilometers. Its previous security system, which included electric fencing and CCD speed dome cameras, had proven inadequate, failing to detect perimeter breaches. The estate was looking for an impenetrable and robust perimeter security system that would function equally well day and night without disturbing the estate’s ecological balance.

The security solution adopted by Xanadu was a combination of thermal imaging cameras and ioimage intelligent video devices. The system enables instant visual verification of every alarm, even in pitch darkness, and requires no floodlights, thus maintaining the estate’s eco-friendly nature.

“The ioimage solution has proven itself time and again and we’ve already seen a significant return on investment,” said Nick Grange of C3 Shared Services, who installed the system. “Now when an alarm sounds, control room operators can quickly dispatch a response team to the area where the intrusion was detected. False alarms have been drastically reduced since ioimage intelligent video filters out extraneous activity caused by small animals, swaying branches and flying debris.”

“The estate’s security has been vastly improved and we are now confident regarding the safety of our residents and their belongings,” said Thys de Wet of Clarence De Wet Incorporated, Project Manager for Xanadu. “With numerous thefts already prevented, the ioimage system has more than paid for itself. We are currently extending the solution to a second phase of perimeter protection.”

“This is a great example of how residential properties can be seamlessly retrofitted with ioimage video analytics to increase security and safety, as well as prevent theft,” said Dvir Doron, Vice President of Marketing for ioimage. “Its extreme reliability and rapid return on investment make it the solution of choice to protect estates of all sizes.”

About ioimage

ioimage, the pioneer of intelligent video appliances, provides high-performance video encoders and cameras with built-in self-sustained video analytics, designed and packaged for simplicity. ioimage offers a new approach to video security by transforming surveillance into a proactive, event-driven process. Founded in 2000, ioimage uses edge and centralized DSP-based devices for real-time detection, alert and tracking of intruders, vehicles and other threats, leading to enhanced safety and security for government, public and commercial organizations. Recognized as the world’s market leader for intelligent cameras and encoders since 2005 with over 37 percent of the market, ioimage operates in 35 countries through a network of more than 100 partners.

For further information, visit www.ioimage.com.

About C3 Shared Services (Pty) Ltd

C3 Shared Services (Pty) Ltd is the only applied business partner for ioimage in Sub Saharan Africa and specializes in the design and implementation of high-end perimeter security solutions and military grade intrusion detection systems. C3 Shared Services' directors have been involved in providing integrated electronic solutions for more than a decade; and as a result bring both a comprehensive and extensive wealth of knowledge in providing effective and working perimeter security solutions for high risk and high value areas. To date, C3 Shared Services (Pty) Ltd has had enormous success with numerous installations of ioimage’s intelligent video analytics on various sites in South Africa such as residential estates, refineries, correctional facilities and car showrooms.

For further information visit http://www.c3ss.com

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

City gets 'crime-detecting' CCTV




By Dan Whitworth Newsbeat technology reporter





Anti-social behaviour has become a familiar site in some towns and cities across the country.
Now there's a new weapon in the fight against it called Smart CCTV.

Portsmouth City Council is the first, and so far only, local authority in the UK to try out the new system.

It's a computer programme that has been integrated into the city's existing network of 152 cameras and has been programmed to spot unusual behaviour in places and at times when it's not expected.

For example, a speeding car being driven around an empty car park could be a joy rider or someone running through a deserted shopping precinct late at night might be a vandal.
When those and similar scenarios are 'spotted' by the software, using special parameters from programmers, an alarm is sounded which alerts CCTV operators to that particular camera.

Ray says Smart CCTV takes some of the strain off human operatorsThey then make a decision about whether or not to call the police.
Ray Stead runs the CCTV operation for Portsmouth City Council.
He said: "With the total number of CCTV cameras that we have, 152, the operators cannot see all of those cameras or monitor them live.

So this software programme will actually help the operators become more effective."



It's already been used in parts of seven cities across America, in places like New York and Washington DC, where the feedback has been positive.

Nick Hewitson helped design the version Portsmouth City Council is using.

He said: "It filters out all the rubbish video that you don't want and lets you see the stuff that you do want.

"So you're using human beings for doing what they do well, making subjective decisions on incomplete data.

"And using computers to do what they do well, process tonnes and tonnes of boring data."
But not everyone in Portsmouth is as convinced by the new system as Ray Stead and Nick Hewitson.

Similia thinks the system is too much of an invasion of privacySamilia Narcho, 19, told Newsbeat: "They are lurking a bit too much into people's business. It's a bit unfair on people who aren't doing anything wrong.


"It's a bit too much invasion of privacy. Big Brother going a bit too far."

But 18-year-old Chris isn't worried about being watched. He said: "It doesn't really bother me because I'm not doing anything wrong, so I've got nothing to worry about."

Berry, who's 24, and 21-year-old Becky Pearson have different opinions on the new CCTV system.

Berry said: "I think it's pretty good because there are a lot of idiots in Portsmouth and they need to be kept under wraps."

Becky added: "I can see why people think it's a bit too much, with people being too watched."
The Smart CCTV technology is on trial in Portsmouth but if it proves successful, other UK cities could set up similar systems.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7775000/7775188.stm