Hosted video surveillance with edge storage : 10 years to come through...

Amazing, fantastic, Milestone Systems just issued a press release highlighting the outstanding architectural efforts that have lead to an industrial video surveillance and storage solution marketed by Securitas US. (see press release below)
Although it's a major progress for Securitas, mainly in US initialy, I can't prevent myself from thinking about the solution that we, at Sphinx Vision, installed 10 years ago for centralized supervision of 10 parking lots in Cergy Pontoise. Exactly the same...
I remember bitterly how Securitas at this time afflicted me by not being able to leverage our inovative thinking and achievements to turn it into gold.
Probably were they primarily thinking about emtying their DVR stocks by then.

Here is a schema of the solution we deployed at this time:

2002 vidéosurveillance des parkings from Dominique Verdejo

Securitas USA chooses Milestone open platform software with Razberi servers to provide interactive remote video monitoring security service
Hosted solution with storage at the edge is
ideal for cross-national application

COPENHAGEN – November 15, 2012. Milestone Systems’ XProtect® video management software (VMS) and Razberi Technologies’ storage servers have been chosen as the solution to power a hosted monitoring service offered nationwide by Securitas Security Services USA, Inc. The monitoring centers using these combined technologies will be manned by Iverify Inc.

Businesses can achieve a complete security solution by combining Securitas USA officers and mobile response with remote video monitoring. Services such as guard tours, employee escorts, entry control, compliance audits and interactive response to emergencies can be performed quickly and remotely in real time using interactive video and audio technology, with the video displayed, archived and managed by the Milestone XProtect software, stored locally at the customer sites on the Razberi hardware. The monitoring services may be complemented with mobile patrols or uniformed security officers.

According to Chris Hammond, vice president of Technical Solutions for Securitas USA, “We can now offer our clients a cost-saving enhancement to dedicated security officers by interacting live through remote audio and video monitoring. When paired with tools like video analytics, it is even more valuable and efficient.”

The Milestone XProtect VMS open platform allows Securitas to incorporate analytics such as Agent Vi or other third-party integrated solutions including access control, biometrics, laser scanners or more.

“Our alliance provides our clients comprehensive security solutions designed to meet their specific needs,” says Mark Spagnolo, Iverify chief executive officer. “We can deliver efficient and cost-effective solutions tailored to the distinct requirements of each location.”

Fred Stuart, Manager of Technical Solutions for Securitas Security Services USA, evaluated the Razberi units and decided to use them as the base hardware for the servers at each Milestone managed installation throughout the U.S. He also visited the Securitas command center that has successfully been using Milestone XProtect VMS for several years in southern Sweden.

Stuart says: “Milestone and Razberi are the combined solution of choice for our hosted and monitored video services for our customers.”

“The use of Razberi Technologies with the storage out at the edge for this hosted setup is our ideal vision for the most optimal solution in service applications,” states Tom Galvin, President, Razberi Technologies.

Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, Securitas Security Services USA, Inc., and its affiliates offer security solutions including uniformed security officers, mobile patrol, consulting and investigations, delivered by 100,000 employees. For more information, visit: www.securitasinc.com.

Iverify, Inc., with its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, provides real-time audio and video monitoring that has the ability to interact with customers and employees, intervene in high-risk situations with appropriate overhead announcements or warnings, and coordinate activity with local first responders.

Razberi Technologies, based in Carrollton, Texas, provides network video solutions for professional surveillance and security applications with server switches, NVR units and network cameras.

Download link for image: http://download.milestonesys.com/PR/razberi/

About Milestone
Founded in 1998, Milestone Systems is the global industry leader in open platform IP video management software, according to IMS Research. The XProtect® platform delivers powerful surveillance that is easy to manage, reliable and proven in thousands of customer installations around the world. With support for the widest choice in network hardware and integration with other systems, XProtect provides best-in-class solutions to video enable organizations – managing risks, protecting people and assets, optimizing processes and reducing costs. Milestone software is sold through authorized and certified partners. For more information, visit: www.milestonesys.com

La vidéosurveillance est dans le cloud

Douze longues années après la création de SPHINX VISION, premier opérateur Français de vidéosurveillance sur les réseaux hauts débits, l'Industrie considère sérieusement le modèle de business du service. C'est avoir tort que d'avoir raison trop tôt.

Cependant en regardant les quelques slides suivants ou est présenté le modèle de business "Opérateur de service de vidéosurveillance" on ne peut que constater que les vrai... est intemporel.

Offre sphinx vision from Dominique Verdejo

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/video-surveillance-as-a-service-market-773.html?gclid=CJuuyePKy7MCFcrItAodFAsAUQ

Internet Eyes : A new Business Model for co-veillance

Have you noticed by the beginning of this month that UK firm "Internet Eyes" has eventually started its business ?
It offers ip camera owners who do not fear to be watched, a whole bunch of hungry viewers who are rewarded when they notice anything like a theft, a fraud or delictual activity.

That initiative starts the era of massively multi camera systems as the core of new security business models, extending the principle of neighbourhood co-veillance to large and anonymous redundant and systematic video alert detection. It enables IP cameras to become real security tools.
Nevertheless, this model strikes security industry habits, replacing remote surveillance professional operators with anybody registered as a viewer on the internet Eyes platform.
Interesting to follow up on that and see what's going to come out of it after a while.
As Internet Eyes has setup strict policies to filter out amateurism and abuse from its viewers population, I would not be surprised if it turned rapidly into a highly skilled distributed team adressing one of the hottest issues of the moment : turning cameras into a real crime prevention and reduction tool.

Do you think that model will make it through the market ?
have you spotted other competitive initiatives ?

Video presentation of Personal Interactor fields of expertise

Les insuffisances de la télésurveillance

Dés 2001 le constat de l'insuffisance des moyens mis en oeuvre pour la télésurveillance est clair.
En préambule à la présentation de la technologie de télévidéosurveillance via le web, cette introduction dégage le cahier des charges de la levée de doute par l'image.

AT&T se lance dans les services en ligne de vidéosurveillance pour lesparticuliers

Source

En lançant pour 9 dollars par mois un service de vidéosurveillance personnelle pour ses abonnés au haut débit, AT&T fait figure de suiveur sur un marché exploré depuis 2001 par des start-ups Européennes comme Sphinx Vision.
Mais pour avoir raison trop tôt on peut souvent mourir et disparaître.

Les réseaux d'accès à haut débit sont maintenant suffisament stables pour supporter une bonne qualité de service mais offrir un tel service à l'utilisateur reste un pari encore aujourd'hui car la sécurité est une affaire de professionnels, tant pour l'installation des équipements que pour leur maintenance.
De plus, au delà du gadget, il faut pouvoir passer le relais à des professionnels pour effectuer la levée de doute en son absence, il faut donc attendre encore la véritable adhésion des télésurveilleurs à ces nouvelles technologies, ou leur remplacement par une nouvelle génération de télé-vidéosurveilleurs.

Targeting broadband users seeking more than traditional communications offerings, AT&T Inc. launched a home monitoring service Thursday that lets it use PCs and Cingular Wireless phones to access streaming digital video and real-time data from sensors in users' homes.
The new service, which the carrier said harnesses converged wireless and wireline systems, is available nationwide and costs $9.95 per month. It combines live and recorded video capabilities with a range of environmental sensor options to, for example, remotely control lighting in their homes.
The offering also provides alerts and reports on home conditions, such as motion, door and window activity, water leakage, and temperature changes, AT&T said. All monitoring equipment is controlled via a Web portal. Users can access these live video feeds and reports from the portal, and establish customized instructions for the service to provide alerts or to take action under specific conditions.
“The proliferation of consumer broadband will generate enough capacity at good enough cost points to open new applications» said Tom Nolle, president of CIMI Corp. “Expanded surveillance is clearly one of these new applications, extending the old notions of security monitoring in the home to levels that are nearly as good as those available to businesses in the past.»
Nolle said this same cost/capacity change is also forcing providers to look for ways of generating revenue beyond moving bits, because the unit cost of bandwidth is too low to make pure sale of bits profitable in the long run.
The service is available via AT&T to Cingular users, and can be accessed via virtually any Cingular wireless phone or PDA capable of supporting Internet access and Java, as well as nearly any broadband-enabled PC. The service is optimized for residential customers who subscribe to AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet as well as Cingular services.
The offering includes a starter package of equipment for a one-time cost of $199. It includes a pan-and-tilt IP camera, two power modules that enable device connectivity via home power outlets, a wireless door/window sensor and a wireless gateway for connecting equipment to a home network.
AT&T said additional equipment is available that expands the home monitoring platform, such as additional cameras and contact sensors, wireless temperature and water sensors, and wireless power controls for light fixtures or other appliances.
“Our home monitoring service is an early, yet powerful example of the potential of converged services» said Susan Johnson, senior vice-president of Business Development at AT&T, in prepared comments. “As AT&T works to blend the lines between communications applications, customers will no longer be tied to a specific device to access a specific service. Voice, data, and video services will be accessible from a range of devices, allowing customers to communicate and access information how they prefer, wherever they happen to be.»

Video ergo sum

Youtube est né en 2005 et sera certainement à l'Internet ce que Yahoo fut dés 1995, une entreprise visionnaire avec un modèle de Business révolutionnaire.
Révolutionnaire car gratuit, Youtube offre des espaces de stockage illimités et une plateforme de streaming multi-formats qui permettent aux internautes dotés du haut débit de télécharger leurs vidéos vers les serveurs centraux de Youtube afin de les rendre consultables par un public plus ou moins filtré.
La surprise réside bien dans l'extraordinaire pouvoir communicant de cette vidéo qui occulte totalement l'austérité du design de Youtube (non sans rappeler le bon vieux Yahoo) et laisse apparaitre l'ergonomie intrinsèque de la vidéo. "Video ergo sum".
Oui, fi de toutes les fioritures des boutons et autres tooltips, la vidéo est captivante, le zapping jubilatoire et le contenu sans limite.
Matière à penser.

A manger pour le Personal Interactor

L'IGN s'attaque à un programme impressionnant de cartographie aérienne et proposera un portail de services de géolocalisation dans les mois à venir.
Ainsi n'importe qui pourra, depuis son ordinateur:
- Rechercher des données, des services géolocalisés par le biais de mots clés
- Publier des données professionnelles et personnelles
- Accéder à ces données, en accès libre ou par le biais d'un login.

C'est la partie la plus "grand public" du géoportail, mais ce n'est pas la seule.

Il doit aider chacun à mieux maîtriser son territoire, c'est-à -dire localiser les éléments topographiques classiques (réseaux, lacs»¦) mais également des informations aussi diverses que des espèces de fleurs, les parcs régionaux, les grottes ou les avens»¦ la poste la plus proche»¦ et les magasins de telle ou telle enseigne»¦

Voilà une nourriture supplémentaire pour le Personal Interactor qui pourra exploiter ces informations pour assister son possesseur en fonction de sa localisation géographique et de ses préférences.

Futur Flop ?

En juillet 2001 Sphinx Vision lançait le service i-Watch en partenariat avec la société de télésurveillance Groupe Centre Service installée à Limoges.

En novembre 2005 France Télécom fait des annonces discrètes sur ses offres Livezoom (ma caméra sur le web !!) et Livesécurité (ma télésurveillance via IP !!)
A suivre avec attention...

- Livezoom permet de savoir, à distance et en permanence, ce qui se passe chez soi. Grà¢ce à une caméra sans fil reliée à la Livebox, les images du domicile sont visibles depuis n'importe quel téléphone mobile compatible vidéo ou de n'importe quel PC relié à Internet. Le pack Livezoom est vendu 199 EUR TTC ; le service est offert durant les 12 premiers mois puis sera facturé 3 EUR TTC/mois.

- Live télésurveillance permet de détecter les tentatives d'intrusion dans la maison et d'alerter, le cas échéant, le client et le centre de surveillance. Ce service est proposé en partenariat avec EPS, le premier opérateur de télésurveillance en France sur le marché résidentiel. Live télésurveillance apporte les avantages du Haut Débit à savoir la gratuité des communications entre les détecteurs et la centrale de surveillance, et l'alerte immédiate en cas de coupure de la connexion par le cambrioleur ou coupure de la ligne téléphonique. Les frais d'installation et de mise en service des détecteurs sont de 99 EUR TTC (offerts au lancement commercial) ; le service est facturé à partir de 19,90 EUR TTC/mois pour un appartement et à partir de 24,90 EUR TTC/mois pour une maison.