Get Results with Enhanced-Hybrid Video Surveillance Systems

Video Surveillance Solutions are still growing and getting better every day, whether retailers are monitoring for shoplifting or employee theft, corporations identifying visitors and employees or monitoring hazardous work areas, governments and municipalities combating street crime and terrorism, casinos preventing cheating and fraud or even homeowner’s protecting their families and assets, one cannot deny that video is everywhere.  I really like the new HD cameras that are available today, they capture great evidence.   However, I still see the blending of IP and analog solutions a key to success and growth over the next 18 months.


I remember a few years ago when all we could talk about was IP vs. Analog.  In some of our minds it was like comparing Digital Video to VCR’s in 2000 as video streaming using Windows ’98 became a reality and the DVR was born.  The difference was that many of the security decision makers were intimidated by necessary network to support the technology, so the IT department came along and took control of the security network.  The normal decision makers lost power and we began to sell to the CIO who was more concerned about his network that he was about his physical or human assets.  Their biggest concern was that they were always one hack away from losing their job.  Thus the birth of the “convergence movement” began, which is still a driving force today.


In the ever increasing reach of today’s video security and surveillance systems, many security professionals are finding that the quality, bandwidth and distance needed to perform even the most basic surveillance is beyond the reach of coaxial and UTP cabling. In fact, even though IP-based video security systems are gaining popularity, they face a serious distance limitation of 100 meters (328 feet) or less over UTP cabling infrastructure. This poses an insurmountable hurdle when trying to monitor the many outreach locations of a typical surveillance installation. While fairing slightly better in copper distance limitations, most analog-based CCTV systems prove effective and economical only if the coaxial cabling runs are held to less than 750ft (228m). Utilizing coax beyond that distance, however, poses a number of problems, some of which are not immediately obvious.


For instance, let’s say your monitor is located 1,000 ft (304 m) from the camera. In that scenario, without any active signal conditioning, approximately 37-percent of the high frequency information will be lost in transmission, providing a seriously degraded image. In fact, since you cannot see information that is not there, you may not even realize that information has been deleted. To accommodate lengths greater than 750 feet (228 m) on a coax infrastructure, you must make certain that some provision has been made to guarantee the video signal's transmission strength such as the use of signal amplification, ground fault correction and surge protection. Installing these items will inevitably increase the cost of the system considerably, making alternative cabling methods more attractive.  In fact, the use of fiber optic cable will allow for cable runs of over 1500 meters (5,000 feet) on multimode and distances of over 10km (6.2 miles) on single mode cable.


Local area networks (LANs) very commonly deploy fiber optics as the network backbone between buildings or in vertical risers of multi-story buildings. Utilizing this infrastructure already in place would be an attractive transmission alternative to risking the distance and quality issues common to coax and UTP video systems. Accessing this fiber optic cabling can be a challenge for most video security professionals as the majority of new cameras and monitors on the market today are not available with fiber optic ports on them. In addition, most existing video security and surveillance systems were designed and installed with coax or UTP cabling. To improve the quality, bandwidth and distance of these existing systems by transporting the video on fiber optic cabling, a method is required to convert the electrical video signal over to an optical format.


Media Conversion Can Ease the Transition to Fiber, for those not familiar with the technology, media conversion products transparently connect one type of media, or cabling, to another – typically copper to fiber. Bridging the gap between legacy copper infrastructures and fiber growth, media conversion products provide an economical path towards extending the distance of an existing network, extending the life of non-fiber based equipment, or extending the distance between two like devices.  Whether distance extension or simply utilizing existing fiber optic infrastructure, media conversion can be a cost-effective way to integrate fiber optic cabling into an existing copper-based video security system.  In addition, the video media converters can be designed to actually perform many other functions in addition to transporting the video signal over fiber optics such as transporting the serial information necessary for control of PTZ cameras or even providing a means to transport the video over the Ethernet-based LAN.


Media converters come in a variety of form factors and sizes ranging from miniature, stand-alone devices that attach directly to a camera to managed, chassis-based devices allowing for full SNMP monitoring and management of the media converters.

In addition to providing a means for transparently connecting one type of media to another, media conversion can provide a cost-effective method for integrating a hybrid video security and surveillance system into one, seamless and manageable entity. Imagine the cost savings that can be realized by utilizing an existing, analog-based CCTV infrastructure, while implementing the latest technology of IP-based cameras for specialized video capture, storage or analysis as well as additional surveillance locations.


While coaxial, UTP and fiber-optic cabling each have definite benefits making them the optimum choice for a given installation, designing the cabling infrastructure does not need to be limited to the connector available on the output of a camera or input to a monitor or storage device. Media conversion can provide an economical and effective means to convert to the cabling medium of choice for the best performance, highest bandwidth or greatest transmission distance needed to provide for an optimal video security and surveillance system.


By justifying network infrastructure upgrades within your proposal, utilizing existing technologies whenever you can and removing the burden and concerns of the CIO at the same time you will make more friends in the sales process and create a road map for upgrades as technologies change in the future.

NRF Loss Prevention Conference & Expo - "Crede Sed Proba"

ReTel Technologies, Inc., executive management team and select members of their consulting team will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the National Retail Federation Loss Prevention Conference and Exposition June 14-16, 2010. ReTel’s powerful surveillance discovery platform has been designed from the ground up to extract, organize and report on the valuable loss prevention, operations and marketing data captured by existing surveillance systems as efficiently as possible. ReTel’s surveillance discovery platform seamlessly blends the capabilities of a trained auditing workforce with the efficiency of cloud-based video processing to deliver next generation surveillance solutions with radical shifts in cost, accuracy and reliability.

The team will be meeting with prospects, existing clients and security vendors and they look forward to forging new partnerships at this event. If you wish to pre-arrange a meeting with the team, please contact me at james.mcdonald@PST-Mail.com and I will gladly schedule a meeting during our stay in Atlanta.

About ReTel Technologies, Inc.

ReTel Technologies, Inc. is an advanced video processing company focused on increasing the quality and capabilities of video surveillance systems. ReTel’s proprietary solutions blend advanced cloud-based video management with flexible, on-demand video auditing workforces to offer previously unavailable services and cost savings to both providers and users of video surveillance. ReTel Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is based in San Francisco, California and Chicago, Illinois. Learn more ReTel Technologies at http://www.reteltechnologies.com/ & http://www.twitter.com/reteltech .

About James McDonald/MassBiz, LLC

At MassBiz LLC, we offer superior consulting services to assist Fortune 500 and other enterprise clients in providing safe and secure environments for their people, property and other assets. Our expertise is in the areas of Physical Security, Risk Management, Loss Prevention and Compliance. We actively seek and apply the best possible solutions and methodologies, making sure to holistically factor in people, processes and business issues. Our services are designed to protect client’s “Brand” and pinpoint fraud & loss prediction and prevention program strengths and weaknesses, cure or reduce operational deficiencies and at the same time maximize existing resources. Learn more about James E. McDonald http://www.securitytalkingpoints.com/ & http://www.twitter.com/PHYSECTECH

New Groundbreaking Business Intelligence from RETEL Technologies

On their FACEBOOK page RETEL Technologies, when describing itself says it develops advanced software that integrates with existing surveillance cameras to deliver never-before-available insights about the real world, and the people and things in and around it.
RETEL Technologies, Inc., an advanced retail data firm, announced the release of its groundbreaking ReView In-Store Insight Suite recently.  With the introduction of ReView, bricks and mortar retailers now have access to a system that gives them instant and constant insight to shopper behavior at a level of cost and ease never before available. 
ReView combines easy-to-deploy tracking systems, proprietary analytics software, a visual reporting suite and available value-added consulting services to draw deep insights from consumer behavior in bricks and mortar retail environments.
A recent Deloitte survey showed that over 60% of all manufacturers and retailers now rate shopper marketing as a significant marketing function within their organizations -- yet fully 70% of them also believe that limited, expensive access to in-store data collection and analysis is one of the biggest factors limiting the growth of these programs. 
"Until now, most retailers could only measure ongoing consumer response through sales data from their registers or point-of-sale systems. While this data provides a great indicator of performance, it ignores the massive shopper insights to be gained between the front door of the store and the register," said Adam Rodnitzky, RETEL's Chief Marketing Officer. "By deploying our ReView suite, retailers and manufacturers of any size can efficiently and cost-effectively gain instant, ongoing insight to how consumers interact with store layout, merchandise, marketing and more…not just what those consumers ultimately buy." 
Compared to other methods to measure in-store behavior such as personnel-based audits and temporary video-tracking studies, the ReView system uses a highly-scalable, technology-based foundation to continually capture consumer behavior. According to RETEL's CEO George Aspland, "What we've found in speaking with a number of retailers and manufacturers is that they have been limited in their ability to capture information from within the store. Existing methods only let them survey a small sample of shoppers during a limited time frame. What we do lets them take a real census -- that is, tracking every shopper for every minute they are open for as long as they want." 
The ReView suite is designed to capture consumer behavior that provides actionable insights on merchandising, operations, marketing and store layouts. Metrics measured include shopper conversion rates; category correlations; popular consumer paths through stores; staff to customer ratios and checkout queue lengths; absolute measurement of in-store media impressions; incremental traffic from out-of-store media; and a number of other metrics. ReView can also display compelling visual data to assist retail management in making rapid assessment of their stores' productivity. Visual data includes heat maps of consumer behavior in retail environments, planogram compliance, as well as real-time snapshots of customer paths and activity in stores. 
ReTel is currently in talks with a number of retailers, CPG manufacturers and retail consultants to initiate pilot tests of its system in a variety of retail formats. The company is seeking additional pilot partners to broaden results from the first set of ReView deployments. 


I am very excited about how this technology can be used.  I see many other applications, especially with compliance issues within the enterprise.  Any operational, HR or asset protection policy or procedure that needs audit enforcement and verification can be met head on with this technology go to http://www.reteltechnologies.com for more information or drop me a note and I will arrange a demonstration or trial for your organization. 

Great FBI video "Caught on Camera"

Take a look at this great video from the FBI - Caught on Camera is a video created by the FBI's Operational Technology Division to show business owners how their security cameras can aid law enforcement investigations and maybe even help stop a terrorist attack. More at:http://www.fbi.gov/page2/mar10/cctv_0...  I have always designed my surveillance solutions to create good evidence for law enforcement in a worst case situation. My view has always been that the better the evidence the better law enforcement and the TV stations will work for you.

New Verizon IT Consulting Services Target Gaps in Physical Security

Although physical security is integral to IT security, it is often an afterthought, which leaves an organization vulnerable to security breaches. Verizon Business is addressing this shortcoming by offering new IT security consulting services that proactively integrate physical security with information security and compliance programs.
Verizon Physical Security Services combine a physical security assessment and penetration test, security awareness training, a social engineering experiment, and an evaluation of relevant logical security technologies such as smart cards and biometric scanners to evaluate and strengthen an organization’s overall security posture.
“Organizations know that a proactive approach to security is key to protecting critical assets, but too often they overlook physical security considerations, such requiring access cards to enter a facility, making this one of the weakest links in the security chain,” said Dr. Peter Tippett, vice president of technology and innovation at Verizon Business. “Our research shows that simple security measures, done well, can make a big difference to an organization’s ability to prevent data breaches. These new services help companies address both their information and physical security requirements in a holistic manner, helping to more effectively protect the organization – and its own customers – from security breaches.”
Data from the 2009 Verizon Business Data Breach Investigations Report demonstrate the importance of physical security for data protection. For example, the report showed that only 43 percent of organizations had properly restricted physical access to confidential cardholder data according to PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requirements. In other words, 57 percent of organizations had left cardholder data open and exploitable via a physical breach.
According to research project DataLossDB, many data loss events could have been prevented with better physical security.
New Verizon Consulting Services Integrate Physical and Information Security
Verizon Physical Security Services are designed to help safeguard the entire IT stack --that is, the physical, network, application, data and end-user layers -- by addressing three major areas of weakness:
Access -- This includes visitor badge issuance and adherence, door access controls and lock configurations and detection/monitoring mechanisms.
Safety -- Addresses placement and status of alarm systems, material handling at the site and visible, functioning fire alarms.
Environment -- An evaluation is made of the company’s location, including the neighborhood and surrounding businesses, to determine the risk of criminal activity or collateral damage.
All evaluations cover the organization’s entire operations, including corporate offices, data centers and warehouses as well as document storage and disposal. Additionally, Verizon Physical Security Services help to maintain compliance with regulations that include specific physical security procedures, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, PCI-DSS and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
Verizon Security Meets the Demanding Needs of Today’s Businesses
Verizon Business offers a rich portfolio of security solutions, including threat and vulnerability services; governance, risk and compliance solutions; data loss and prevention solutions; and identity management solutions. The solutions are delivered by the company’s more than 1,200 security professionals around the globe. More information is available by visiting http://www.verizonbusiness.com/products/security. The company also provides additional security insight and analysis via the Verizon Security Blog.


About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ), is a global leader in communications and IT solutions. We combine professional expertise with one of the world’s most connected IP networks to deliver award-winning communications, IT, information security and network solutions. We securely connect today’s extended enterprises of widespread and mobile customers, partners, suppliers and employees – enabling them to increase productivity and efficiency and help preserve the environment. Many of the world’s largest businesses and governments – including 96 percent of the Fortune 1000 and thousands of government agencies and educational institutions – rely on our professional and managed services and network technologies to accelerate their business. Find out more at www.verizonbusiness.com.


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Need a Pick-Me-Up

Thanks Paul

“What am I going to do now to reduce shrink even more than before?”

I finally had a moment to sit down and read the March-April edition of Loss Prevention Magazine and I just read an article by Kevin M. Plante entitled “The Next Great Thing to Reduce Shortage” (http://www.losspreventionmagazine.com/archives_view.html?id=2568) and I found it to be excellent. 

As a long time student of loss prevention I have believed that my job is to influence the behaviors of my client’s customers and employees with technology. To do this I use solutions such as: Video Surveillance, Access Control Solutions, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), Alarm Panels, Point of Sale Systems (POS), and any other system or equipment that can be monitored like HVAC or specifically a temperature control in a walk-in cooler. We can collect data from all of these devices and with understanding use that data to predict areas of potential risk or fraud.

Kevin’s article discusses the recent availability of biometric solutions which will improve my “Trust but Verify” belief of making sure your employees are doing their job.

Make sure you find the right software to bring all the available information together. If you need any suggestions just drop us a note or give us a call and we can make some suggestions based on your needs. We all want to do all that we can to protect your BRAND from risk and fraud so that your business can be as profitable as it can be in today’s volatile marketplace.

Great article Kevin!