Category Archives: CCTV

Security review at UK airports to be introduced

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A security review is underway in the UK after the discovery of a viable explosive device at East Midlands Airport in Nottingham.

The home secretary has said after a meeting of the government security committee Cobra on Saturday that no freight from Yemen would be allowed into the country unaccompanied.

UPS officials intercepted two US-bound packages travelling from Yemen on Friday that offered a real threat and could have exploded. This was confirmed by the home office.

It was believed that the target was the American owned UPS and FEDEX aircraft and the aim was to bring them down while it was in the air.

In the UK shippers use only accredited companies to transport goods, so this means not all parcels are screened but this may now be changed and security upgraded to mean that every single parcel is X rayed and checked. The threat level for “terrorist attacks” in the UK is now at severe – the highest rating possible.

Integrated security.

David Cameron, the British prime minister and Barack Obama have exchanged urgent phone calls to discuss the parcel-bomb plot.

The White House said the US president has praised all involved in the interception of the explosive device and promised to step up security to ensure no repeat of the incident could occur again.

Measures including more CCTV and access control integrated with x ray detection devices and better screening methods would be introduced.

Al-Qaeda is thought to be behind the attempt to sabotage the aircraft although this is as yet unconfirmed, but it bought airports across the globe to a halt. The staff at the depot in the UK where the device was found on the ground at East Midlands airport were holed up for several hours as it was deemed safer to do this rather than move them.

However, targeting freight planes is new. Any security mechanism in the airline world is only as strong as the point of embarkation. Electronic security measures will need to be beefed up. More cameras more access control will be essential to ensure there are no weak points, Staff will go through more security checks and parcels from rogue nations will be monitored more closely and global standards for parcel checking will be introduced.

Security alert

The discovery of the suspicious packages in the UK came after a tip from Saudi Arabia and caused US officials to scramble to check all goods bound for the US from Yemen. Disguised as computer printer equipment the parcels were bound for Chicago address to a Jewish place of worship.

Vigilance of staff and international cooperation played its part in the discovery of the devices, it can only be left to the imagination as to what could have happened and the whole world has been spared the chaos, at least for now.

Integrated security solution for global forwarders

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Recent disturbing news regarding a Global Courier company receiving alleged suspect packages to forward on to the US just shows that no matter where or how, terrorism can be targeted using almost any means….

But, maybe Video Analytics could be used to complement the tracking procedure, highlighting suspicious activity or intervention….

Take for example a potential scenario:-

Person arrives at Courier depot somewhere in the world with a package to send

Package is booked in, with a bar-code and immediately POS (Point of Sale) text insertion associates the parcel, sender facial image, sender details along with video evidence of receipt.

Video stored at the Global Couriers Central HQ – even in another country or continent – via corporate high speed Intranet and via an IP CCTV system…..

Package moved to transportation where it is scanned again, along with POS Insertion tie up to video evidence of personnel loading the actual parcel onto plane/train/automobile…

Package unloaded at next checkpoint – again, bar-code time stamped and POS inserted with video evidence….

And so on and so on…….

Basically, any package that is identified as suspicious would have video evidence accessible immediately via IP connectivity from anywhere on the planet, virtually instantly

We can already track our packages throughout the world, maybe it is time for the ability to also track the video handling of the packages……..obviously with a degree of common sense as to who can access it of course….

But it is not just potential security threats it could help avoid or solve……what about the thousands, probably millions, of ‘lost’, ‘damaged in transit’ or ‘late’ deliveries? Video evidence right through the shipping process will shore up the efficiencies of service and allow that Global Courier to stand out from it’s peers……maybe even allowing the ability to advertise that their service can be examined for true evidence of quality and reliability….

So, all the couriers of the world, take a look at your on site, insular CCTV and ask, is it time to get it networked and accessible and make it work for you !!!

Honeywell Fusion IV DVR

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The Fusion IV is here! Honeywell’s hybrid 32 channel recorder has set a standard that will get the market place talking for some time. Not just an analogue DVR,the Fusion IV is equally at home recording IP cameras; Being Hybrid the unit bridges the gap between analogue and digital and has plenty of features to boot. The fusion IV is not just for recording either it can transmit up to 32 channels of analogue or IP video sources, and up to 16 channels of audio. POS/ATM text data can also be transmitted to provide an overall Ip video surveillance solution.

Devices that can be easily connected into the Fusion IV includes IP cameras, network encoders and megapixel cameras. Fusion IV also offers up to 32 channels of hybrid (analogue and/or IP) camera support. The hybrid DVR fully embraces H.264 video compression across all the inputs meaning reduced file sizes and longer recording times.

Multi-tasking of simultaneous operations including network cameras, megapixel cameras, point of- sale, video analytics and more are included in the Fusion IV portfolio. Dual video ports have also been added. Windows® XP is the preferred embedded operating system, and network security and firewall protection is a prerequisite, this also eliminates the need to format DVDs before back up. Hard drives can be easily replaced from the front panel meaning field replacement of hard drives is easy and efficient.

 
IP and megapixel camera technologies are now seen as the future of video surveillance systems and drive the need for new the functionality offered by the Fusion IV DVR. Fusion IV is ideal for systems requiring transition to IP from analogue to maximise the cost-savings benefits associated with IP networking. By using H.264 compression recording the  unparalleled image clarity using megapixel cameras is now perfectly possible. Many businesses will find the benefits of the fusion IV will fit seamlessly into their security operation and the hybrid functionality offers unparalelled options.

Some of the benefits of the Honeywell Fusion IV
Recording rates across all 32 channels for 100 to 400 at CIF resolution PAL
Recording resolutions up to 720 × 576 (D1)
VGA and DVI-D ports for local live viewing
Available with 8, 16 and 32 looping video inputs
Internal storage capacity up to 8 TB
External storage options
Analogue and IP recording across 32 channels
16 sensor inputs and 16 outputs
Multiplexed switched spot outputs
16 channels of audio on selected models
10/100/1000 gigabit network standard 
Windows® XP embedded operating system
 

Hybrid operation for analogue/IP camera mix based on DVR model – 8/16/32 channel video input
User software included with each DVR:
Fusion Server Software – Local user interface
4 channels of analytics on certain models

How to get invoices paid……..quickly!

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CCTV and security invoices are difficult to get paid promptly… here we see how to force the issue.

I was speaking to a colleague of mine recently who was venting his frustration over unpaid invoices. Not surprising in this current climate. It is starting to become a trait that is affecting the industry and one that needs to be resolved to ensure the survival of all the small to medium sized security and CCTV installers out there.  The crux of the problem is obvious, as businesses out there tighten their belts so invoice queries will increase. No one is disputing the right of a customer to challenge an expense that they consider to be unfair however it now seems to fall under the remit of the bean counters to stop payment rather than get the person on site who is actually responsible for the security system just to sign it off when happy . This is where the break down in communication starts. The bean counter does not care about the operation of the security cctv system and does not understand how it works.He will hold off payment as long as he can.

There are of course various methods that an installer can take to force payment, the first trick is to sit on the invoice until the customer wants a new call,then refuse to attend until it is paid. This is called the blackmail method and works rather well. The second is negotiation, especially where there is a grey area over the chargeability of the call in the first place, this also works well if you are a good negotiator. The third method is of course court action. This in my colleagues experience rarely works as most businesses would rather pay up and then use another installer than get a black mark against their name.The rest genuinely can’t pay so there is little point in taking them to court in the first place.

Oh, there is a fourth way, it works like this. The security installer carries out a service call and invoices for the work. The customer receives the invoice and he pays within 30 days. Unbelievable I know !!!!

HRXTECH CCTV

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Hengrongxiang Technology Co., LTD

Founded in 2005, HRXtech CCTV is a leading manufacturer of security products. The company is proud of its a High-tech enterprise and its innovative approach to design and development work. The Headquarters are in the city of  Shenzhen based in China.

Own brand.

“Hengrongxiang” is the company´s own brand, and the product lines include analogue cameras, PTZ domes, network surveillance cameras and DVRs , all are high-tech products offering plenty of features that appeal to their growing customer base. Good service and quality have seen the companies sales increase rather well recently.  The company product is now found its way into world wide markets and strong sales are seen in places such as Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and other countries and regions.

Research and development.

A dedicated development team  has spend over 5 years of  R &D and this has seen all the product range improve to the quality product we see today. With 700 employees working within the organization and CCTV equipment produced in strict accordance with the following certification: international ISO9001: 2000 international quality system certification, CE certification, China 3C compulsory certification. In addition the company has been appraised as “Top Ten Shenzhen Security Trust Brand” and “China Top Hundred Security Enterprise”, quite an achievement.

Green.

In the future , Hengrongxiang has pledged to continue to adhere to the demands of environmental issues, and maintain this need to a high standard. To their credit they robustly, practically, progressively  provide green technology solutions, by employing low energy consumption and  low carbon emission products for their customers.