Video Surveillance Promotes Operational Efficiency

One way companies are employing smart devices is by transforming smartphones into real-time video cameras. DVTel’s mobile app allows Android-based smart devices to record, analyze, review, and export video from any location. The system operates over WiFi, 3G/4G, and/or LTE networks, not only providing security teams with more mobility, but also complements existing surveillance networks by enabling surveillance in places that traditional cameras cannot reach.

In terms of video management software (VMS), Milestone Systems provided the University of St. Andrews School of Medicine with a custom system that went well beyond typical VMS functions. The medical school needed a system that would allow students to record, delete, share, bookmark, and present video evidence. Ultimately, Milestone came up with a video capture system that simultaneously monitors and records up to 46 clinical skills practical exams in separate “bed head” bays with high or standard definition PTZ network video cameras from Axis Communications. The recorded videos are then used by students and teachers as an educational tool. With video recordings of mock exams and procedures, students are able to review the material so that they can learn and improve. Additionally, the video evidence can also be used by the students as part of their medical training portfolio, which all UK medical students must gather during their seven-year training period.

Cube Cameras Garner Major Support From Service Providers

Having the advantage of bundling home surveillance with other services they provide to homeowners, service providers are slowly gaining market share through cube cameras.

Externally, cube cameras appear to be similar, if not identical, to DIY cameras; yet, they are capable of performing the duties of professional surveillance cameras at a much more affordable price, as well as in a much more discreet manner. "Cube cameras are more like a consumer commodity, which is very susceptible to prices. SMB or residential markets are price sensitive to cube cameras, and they always seek low-cost solutions," added Ervin Wang, Sales Director of Messoa Technologies. For regular homeowners or owners of small and medium-sized businesses (SMB), they want to have the option of increasing security without breaking the bank.

As much as price is an important factor to customers, price is equally important to manufacturers. "Bear this in mind, manufacturers can well balance the product price and performance by optimizing the cost control, product manufacturing, logistics, and sales channel," stated Adler Wu, Product Marketing Manager at Hikvision Digital Technology. For service providers, they are able to shift the weight of product cost to their services to balance things out. "On the other side, take cloud service as an example, the product cost can be allocated as a monthly service charge. The focus here has been transferred to service rather than product price itself."

Different Channels, Different Requirements
Cube cameras are based on IP infrastructures so having sufficient network knowledge is vital, since most end users will likely encounter obstacles when configuring their cameras. "IT-based distributors that we target offer a completely different customer base from the traditional video surveillance distributors or installers, so this is something we certainly benefit from. Also with their IT background, they require less training and could help their customers better with their IT knowledge," said Wang.

Aside from regular or IT-based distributors and systems integrators, service providers are now becoming major channels for cube cameras as well, since these compact devices can be easily supplied to their clients with minimum hassle.

Service Providers Become Major Players
Service providers, especially communication service providers, are now becoming major channel players as they are able to combine home security, home automation, and home energy management into one integrated service for their clients. To provide such a complete package, some requirements that service providers look for when selecting cube cameras include efficient image compression technology to ensure smooth video quality on mobile surveillance; excellent integration with platforms of end devices; and easy installation and configuration for cost-effectiveness. "Considering the limited network bandwidth, efficient image compression technology is able to ensure good image quality without consuming excessive bandwidth and also to ensure smooth monitoring on mobile devices. Also, considering that cube cameras might be connected to different types of recorders with different video management software at the back end, having excellent integration with existing platforms is important," explained Steve Ma, Executive VP at VIVOTEK.

Service providers also take a different approach in terms of business strategy compared to manufacturers and distributors, who focus primarily on selling just the hardware. Due to the nature of how service providers operate, it is important they find a suitable supplier. "In general, telecom service providers and security service providers seek profit by charging monthly fees rather than selling products. Accordingly, they take video surveillance equipment as an extra service but not their main business. Their target is mostly the public consumers, which means 'easy to use' should be the number one consideration for products. Due to the many different platforms or IT infrastructure they use, the products' compatibility, reliable R&D capability, and credible manufacturing image delivery are some crucial factors for them to choose their preferable video surveillance manufacturer," added Wu from Hikvision.

For the majority of the population, smartphones and tablets are essential to their daily activities. These days, almost everyone who has a smartphone is addicted to their phones, since virtually any task can be completed with that smart little gadget in the palm of their hands. Hence, it makes sense that users want to be able to view their videos remotely from their surveillance cameras. Therefore, apps are also a major requirement for service providers. "For people who want to install security cameras at their homes or business, being able to see live video at all times is probably more important than just simply recording video. So it's all about real time. That's why the mobile phone app is a must as it provides remote live views for those who want to check on what's happening from time to time, especially when they are away. Another requirement to meet would be event management, which allows users to get informed of the event immediately as it happens," said Wang.

Cloudy Days Ahead
In this world of rapidly advancing technology, cloud solutions are quickly becoming a major demand, especially for service providers."They always require a cloud solution, to promote it together with their broadband internet offerings, where they sometimes give the camera away for free, but charge an additional monthly subscription fee for the cloud monitoring service,"said Shau-Chau You, VP of Zavio. Some manufacturers will also offer training for their systems integrators and have a professional FAE team on
hand to solve the problem for customers, according to John Wu, Sales VP at Hunt Electronic.

"Moreover, the emerging cloud service technology provides a totally new application mode for manufacturers to target end users. This service presents a bright prospect even though many challenges lie ahead. However, manufacturers still need to deploy market strategies firstly - to provide both products and service platform, or simply offer product but work together with the third-party partner to provide service platform,"stated Wu from Hikvision.

With a select package from the service providers, users only have to pay a certain monthly fee to monitor their surroundings. If they encounter any problems with their service or equipment, a simple phone call to the service providers will ensure the problems are fixed.

Taking A Different Route
Not only are cube cameras breaking barriers and establishing a presence in the market, they are also causing a shift in traditional distribution channels. Employing a slightly different strategy, cube cameras are distributed more through service providers as its major channel instead of through IT-based distributors or systems integrators. Also, service providers have a customer base that is more likely to be comprised of users from the residential and SMB sectors as opposed to traditional channels. Now that cloud services are becoming increasingly common, it will surely drive the adoption of cube cameras. As users from the residential and SMB sectors are even more unlikely to have the network knowledge needed for IP-based cameras, it is much more convenient when all they need to do is pay a monthly service fee for service providers to install cameras in their homes or stores and fix any bugs that the system is likely to encounter over time.

A&S Viewpoint - Selling Service Becomes Key to Winning Commercial Market

With little differentiation among security products, many companies are having a hard time sustaining good profit margins year by year. Therefore, some companies started to explore new business models to maintain their growth and profit. Lately, a few leading companies have changed from a product-oriented sales model to a service-oriented one. By selling service, these companies found their promise land.

Many security companies are aware that their profits have been shrinking over the years. This can mainly be attributed to the little differentiation among general security products, just like current consumer electronic products. If they continue to follow the traditional product-oriented sales model, these companies may end up with zero profit or losing market share.

From The Original Product-Oriented TO Service-Oriented Sales Model
The new service-oriented sales model is now being adopted by many companies. According to the prediction of many industry experts, in the future, companies will mainly earn their profits not through selling products, but via services. That means, in the future, suppliers are most likely to provide their products for free but earn their profits by charging a monthly/annual service fee. For instance, one supplier may provide time-attendance systems to a retail store for free, but charge the store annual service fees for maintenance and monthly time-attendance reports.

Another company shared that it has tried to diversify their business models by using several different approaches, such as the traditional product-oriented model, product sales bundled with data analysis service model, and the service-oriented model. Its services include providing professional data analysis reports on customer flow and POS records for retailers. This way, they are provided with enough marketing information to create more effective business strategies. As for the service-oriented business model, the company expressed that it provides all hardware and installation services for free and will only charge an annual service fee. The company is also able to provide the end user with a free trial of its data analysis report for a certain time period. If the end users want professional business management consulting services, the company could provide the extra service by charging an additional fee. For the end users, especially from major chain stores who are unwilling to invest a large amount of money in security equipment, the service-oriented business model seems to be more attractive.

Now, many industry experts say that end users have become more aware of the value of using customer flow analysis, which is now standard in stores and shopping malls in China, and how it can contribute to their corporate management strategy.

Cloud Services Boost Commercial Market
This new service-based business model has been gradually accepted by end users due to the popularity of cloud service. Cloud service is foreseen to be widely applied by retail stores and in intelligent building solutions in the near future. Instead of installing a local server, a chain store’s end user can easily obtain data, analysis reports, and surveillance videos from the cloud server, which is convenient, scalable, and budget-friendly.

In fact, some manufacturers in the security industry have already begun to provide some basic cloud services for SMBs to watch real-time surveillance footage in the store, factory, or office. Nevertheless, cloud service is not exclusive to the security industry; some Internet service providers have been proactively promoting their real-time surveillance service with free security camera devices as well. For these companies, they do not intend to gain profit only by selling products but also additional services, which is growing to be a trend in the security market.

Cloud service can also be applied to integrating time-attendance records, salary counting, and human resource management. Employees are able to check their salary and attendance record through a given account at any time, anywhere. Even though cloud-hosted time-and-attendance service is broadly accepted by the U.S. and European markets, most companies around the world still hold doubts in regard to privacy and security issues.

Despite its potential, the cloud service market is still developing. There are many problems to be solved before it turns into a fully developed solution. End users may find it convenient to access and save information no matter where and when; nevertheless, privacy and security concerns are still going to be the primary challenge for manufacturers. Still, we can expect the industry to provide pertinent solutions for it in the near future.

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Applications Kick Efficiency Into High Gear

The automotive industry is considered one the world's most important economic sectors. When the global economy went into recession in 2008, the overall global manufacturing output, including motor vehicle production, hit a major speed bump. With less money in the hands of consumers, the demand for all types of goods decreased, which caused global manufacturing production to decline. However, now, as the global economy rebounds, global manufacturing is slowly starting to see green again instead of red.

Global manufacturing output grew by 2.4 percent in the third quarter of 2013, according to a recent report published by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). In the first half of 2013, statistics provided by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) showed that global motor vehicle production went up 1.6 percent from 2012. Although both of these numbers are considered low, growth, no matter the amount, is a hopeful sign that both global manufacturing and the global economy have begun to heal.

By region, the UNIDO report pointed out a slight improvement in overall manufacturing output in industrialized regions such as North America, East Asia, and Europe. In the U.S., most of this improvement is attributed to increased production in the electronic goods, motor vehicles, and furniture markets. The report noted that US production of motor vehicles rose at a rate of 5.8 percent in the third quarter. Specific factors that have contributed to growth in motor vehicle production include low interest rates and the declining unemployment rate. On the other hand, overall manufacturing growth in Europe has been more fragile. Growth in the eurozone has been marginal; however, growth outside of the eurozone has been slightly better. Motor vehicle production in Germany rose 2.2 percent in the third quarter, opposed to production rate drops in both France and Italy. A sharp decline in production in Russia was also observed where motor vehicle production plunged by 27 percent compared to the same period the previous year. In Asia, Japan saw meager motor vehicle production growth of 1.7 percent, whereas Malaysia saw nearly 10 percent growth from the previous quarter.

With unimpressive growth numbers, manufacturers are now more than ever looking for ways to not only improve efficiency, but also reduce unnecessary costs. Production efficiency SaVeS tiMe and Money The automotive industry has many stringent requirements when it comes to production processes. Safety must come first when it comes to parts and assembly. Therefore, it is crucial that even the slightest defects be caught before becoming part of a finished product. Meticulous inspection of a production line, however, can be costly and time consuming, therefore efficiency is key. Time wasted is money wasted and with the economy as it has been, no one has either to waste.

Using video surveillance cameras, typically used for security applications, on the production line to improve efficiency is not a new concept. Nevertheless, as manufacturers become more aware of their benefits and their ability to be equally effective when it comes to improving production efficiency, more and more manufacturers are looking torward this solution.

Benefits of Video Surveillance Cameras

Traditionally, industrial cameras have been used in manufacturing settings for quality assurance and process control applications. Similarly, video surveillance cameras have typically been used for their video surveillance abilities — monitoring people, ensuring that there are no personnel in restricted zones, recording daily happenings, etc. "Video surveillance ensures safety rules are being followed, tools and equipment are handled properly, and that production personnel comply with defined processes at all times," said Andrea Sorri, Business Development Director at Axis Communications. However, it has become increasingly more common for manufacturers to combine the use of industrial cameras with network surveillance cameras in manufacturing facilities — classical industrial cameras are used for inspection tasks and network surveillance cameras for process monitoring, according to Ingo Lewerendt, Strategic Business Development Manager at Basler. It is these beyond security applications of video surveillance cameras that have gotten the attention of automotive manufacturers.

Wendi Burke, Director of Marketing at IQinVision, pointed out that "cameras don't take a break, don't have bad days, don't get distracted or fall asleep, they're always on, always performing."  This makes video surveillance cameras, particularly high-resolution HD cameras, extremely beneficial to manufacturers in helping catch costly manufacturing defects and other problems before the problems are repeated.

In a similar way to how video surveillance is used in the automotive industry to enhance production efficiency, IQinVision's high-megapixel cameras have been used in the steel industry. Faults in manufacturing are costly mistakes for steel makers. Therefore, the Ellwood Group, a US-based steel manufacturer, deployed 250 IQinVision megapixel cameras throughout their 10 manufacturing facilities to not only help with video surveillance, but also with identifying problems during production.  "As soon as one piece of defective steel is identified," said Burke, "quality control staff are able to quickly review all video footage of that production process to find the fault." From there, once the fault is found, it is corrected, allowing production to resume, saving both time and money.

Convenient Integration with Network Cameras

Since a standard IP infrastructure is used in most manufacturing facilities, network surveillance cameras that are built on an open platform can be easily integrated into a facility's existing system. This is one of the biggest advantages of using a network surveillance camera, as pointed out by Sorri.  "Network cameras can be easily integrated into industrial manufacturing environments such as production lines to automatically perform visual inspections, to monitor production line efficiency, and to enable remote assistance for maintenance."  Additionally,  "Network cameras can deliver high resolution images at high frames allowing for precise analysis of quickly passing objects on a sliding band in an industrial production line."  Because network surveillance cameras can support intelligent video processing and video analytics on the edge, they can also be utilized to perform visual inspections for a specific step in a production line, alert the manufacturer to labels missing, caps not positioned correctly, or missing solder, added Sorri.

One of the biggest advantages of network surveillance cameras in manufacturing, as pointed out by Sorri, is that they  "can be easily integrated into industrial manufacturing environments such as production lines to automatically perform visual inspections, to monitor production line efficiency, and to enable remote assistance for maintenance."

With over 12,000 employees and annual production surpassing 375,000 units in 2012, this idea of visual inspection was implemented by Axis at the SEAT factory in Martorell, Barcelona, Spain.

In 2011, the SEAT factory became the production house of the Audi Q3, the first luxury car assembled in Spain. The use of barcodes in automotive factories to keep track of parts during the production process is standard. At the SEAT factory, they wanted to take extra measures to avoid delays and facilitate workflow. As a result, over 100 Axis cameras were implemented to complement the existing barcode scanning system for a visual verification system. By taking images of the barcodes that were identified as possibly containing errors, which were then sent to an emergency data-entry computer, the system provides visual verification that serves as a backup to the scanned barcodes. With images of the barcodes, in the event of a barcode scanning error, vehicles do not have to be physically moved by operators in order to be re-scanned. Additionally, the cameras were also used to monitor the transport of car bodies throughout the facility.

Streamlining with Video Management Software

After cameras are in place, that is where video management software (VMS) comes in to help manage, access, and control the images and recordings; however, its usefulness in the automotive industry has helped to not only do the aforementioned tasks, but also streamline and improve the production process.

When Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK was looking to improve production efficiency at their facility, they sought a solution that could not only be integrated with their current set up, but also with over 300 network cameras from various manufacturers to monitor production lines and their facility. Nissan UK has always used machine vision tools, including highly specialized industrial cameras used to inspect individual processes to decide whether the correct part is in its exact location, take precise measurements, and act as "eyes" for the robots. However, these cameras do not give an overall view of a process, as they are designed to focus on one specific movement or task. In order to get a fuller picture, Nissan UK decided to deploy network cameras and Milestone's VMS.

The open nature of Milestone's VMS gave Nissan UK the freedom to view footage from cameras from different manufacturers and capture process faults with live-video monitoring and provide instant recording and playback. This helped Nissan UK prevent production issues and eliminate causes of temporary stoppage on their production lines. Additionally, the convenience of being able to access images from the cameras via a PC, as well as the ability to compare two videos side-by-side to examine how different employees work on a process, made management of the facility easier. The overall benefits of the VMS helped to not only improve both the quality and efficiency of Nissan UK's facility, but also gave them a system that could grow with the facility.

To efficiency and Beyond

Efficieny in any industry is important, but in a competitive, high production industry like the automotive industry, efficiency is paramount to a facility's success. While "lean" practices help manufacturers in all industries reduce waste and boost effectiveness, the additional beyond security benefits of traditional security products, such as network surveillance cameras and VMS, have proven that the security industry is not just about catching intruders and controlling access. Offering additional benefits like production efficiency and workflow management shows that applications of the security industry are endless.

Product Exploration - Product Showcase of Megapixel lenses

THEIA SL183 5 MEGAPIXEL DAY/NIGHT LENS
SL183 lens is part of a family of distortion-corrected megapixel lenses. This lens provides 115° to 77° half field of view with its 1.8 to 3mm varifocal range, and there is no barrel distortion with Theia’s patented linear optical technology. The lens is compatible with full 5-megapixel resolution and is IR corrected for use with day/night cameras. At its compact 49.5mm length, it fits in most mini-domes. It is offered in CS-mount for 1/3", 1/2.7" HD, 1/2.5", and 1/2" imagers, with manual and DC auto-iris versions.


UJIFILM 33X HD MODULE ZOOM LENS
The high-quality module zoom lens YB33x4.5HR1B is compact, lightweight, and designed for security camera systems. YB33x4.5HR1B makes it possible to use in PTZ speed dome cameras with 720p resolution. The focal length ranges from 4.5mm to 148.5mm. The YB33x4.5HR1B is compatible with 5-inch speed dome cameras and 1/3” sensors. Other specifications are F1.6, sensor-holder mount, and day and night model.


DAIWON OPTICAL 3 MEGAPIXEL VARIFOCAL BOARD LENS
Daiwon Optical has dramatically improved performance in the long-range focal length. It has a focal length between 6 to 50mm and is specifically designed for HD-IP cameras and HD-SDI cameras. It is suitable for 3-megapixel 1/2.7”, 1/3”, 1/4” CMOS sensors. Any aspect ratio can be used without jeopardizing the resolution and a clear image is produced without color smear by minimizing chromatic aberration. This lens offers superior optical performance that meets the needs of cameras with resolution in the 3-megapixel range, even in the periphery of the image.


TAMRON DE005 3 MEGAPIXEL INTEGRATED ZOOM LENS
The DE005 3-megapixel integrated zoom lens has a focal range of 15 to 50mm. With the compact size, it can be utilized with versatility in PTZ domes. It is designed to limit the drop in F-number caused by zoom movement and to match 1/1.8” sensors. Adoption of electric motors allows development of an autofocus camera. The 15 to 50mm high-demand focal range makes it suitable for number plate recognition, identification of people or vehicles, etc. Color smear is eliminated with decreased color aberration.


HIKVISION HV3816D 8MPIR MEGAPIXEL VARI FOCAL LENS
HV3816D-8MPIR is able to deliver up to 8MP high-resolution images in ultra low-light conditions, while ensuring the uniformity of image resolution at both the image center and the edges. With focal range from 3.8 to 16mm, this lens allows camera models to operate at given focal distances to best suit a particular field of view. The product also supports minimum aperture of F1.5 and 1/1.8” large lens format. HV3816D-8MPIR is incorporated with Hikvision lens designing technologies such as ultra-sophisticated molded glass aspheric technology, broadband AR coating technology, confocal infrared technology, and ultra-low dispersion optical glass technology.


RICOM VARIFOCAL IR LENS
Ricom's varifocal IR lens is full HD megapixel resolution in near-infrared spectrum. The lens delivers high image quality in visible light and near-infrared conditions, and high-resolution image from corner to corner. The product supports aperture of 1/2.7”. It is offered in Ф14 or CS-mount.


MYUTRON JV1216 MPH D3 MEGAPIXEL VARIFOCAL LENS
Myutron’s 3-megapixel varifocal lens is available with 2/3” CCD with a focal range of 12.5 to 75mm. The lens supports large aperture of f/1.8 at the tele end. The brightness makes the lens suitable for high-sensitivity cameras. Its robust mechanical design makes it suitable for both indoors and outdoors as well.


EVETAR M123VD4510IR ULTHAR HD MP LENS
The multi-megapixel lens can support up to 10 megapixels. It is one of the few powerful lenses able to meet 4K resolution demand. The lens has excellent image performance with 78 percent corner-relative illumination and precise mechanical design to achieve steady image during zooming. Professional appearance looks perfect with any box camera, and is equipped with IR correction for true day and night surveillance. The CS-mount lens has manual iris, DC auto, and P-iris version.